Starting Roster for Chaos Pact

[Megr1m]

Thought I'd post here instead of starting a new thread.


Does anyone have advice for a Pact v Pact game? I'm playing a league mirror-match soon (on fumbbl) and while I've only played about five games with my Pact team, I have also not faced a mirror.

We are both around 120/130 tv, with me getting ~130 k in inducements. Of note on his team are two Marauders with an AG and ST boosts respectively, a Block/Horns rat and Mino /w Guard/Jug. Oh and he has no Troll apparently.


My guys are a bit more battered (Chaos Dwarves and Norse will do that, apparently...), as I have a couple of guys missing this match - had they been healthy I would have a Block advantage.

Of note for my team are both the Ogre and Troll with Guard, Mino with Jug, and the rat with Block, and the elf with Dodge.

Typically I'd think to go for the fist-fight and try to beat my way to victory, but with players missing (and my track record so far) I'm a little hesitant on this plan. I can try to pull some bait & switch manoeuvres with my rat and elf, and this had kept me in games previously, but with his ST and AG boosts he might just be able to keep up.

Any thoughts, or previous experience anyone would like to share?

[Hitonagashi]

Obviously, be careful not to succumb to the opposite of these, as it is a mirror! I only really have Lizardman Vs Pact experience en mass, so here's what I usually do:

1) Kill the cow. This cannot be emphasised enough. Each time you put it down, he probably has to blitz to stand it up again, *and* it's a AV 8 piece. I've fouled them before, though with 11 men, you might not want to. My rule of thumb is that every time I get a chance to put a cow on it's back, I take it. This is especially true if he's got a troll! A lot of pact players expose their mino on turn 1, for a blitz...I usually take the advantage to put it on the ground then.

2) Take the rat out if he's exposed. With block/horns, you might think he'd be blitzing...but the mino has juggs, so I'd guess he'll be doing most of his blitzing with that. You might be able to tie the rat up with a marauder or two, then beat it up the turn after.

3) I'd take a star. Tricky one, but the chainsaw is good in bash fests, especially as you haven't got a reliable blitzer anyway, and towards the end of the half, it makes a good fouler. Alternately, for great hilarity, take Igor, and mark the Ogre with him. Dauntless/thick skull/regeneration makes a *very* annoying marker for a big guy.

Generally, the difference between your teams is the troll. Don't let your big guys get tied up! If they all get tied up on marauders, his skills will take effect and he'll win. I think you've got a great chance here, but you've got to use your advantages, and draw him into using the cow badly. Hope that helps!

[Megr1m]

Thanks for the advice, point one was especially handy. His cow blitzed into my guys on turn one, and didn't get up until turn eight, with my Goblin kicking it in the head for six of them.

I took an extra apothecary, which ended up helping me outbash him. Nevertheless, despite the fact that I took the ball off him during the first half, I couldn't score due to some amazing one-die blockage and sixes-powered dodging by some of his guys.

Ended the game 1-0 after a pretty boring grind. I'm starting to really like Pact, actually. Can't wait to add some Block/Guard Marauders into the mix, and maybe a couple of mutations on the rat.

Why don't more people play them? This team seems quite strong, actually.

[betterZthenDeaD]

I'm thinking of starting Pact for the next season of our league (http://www.daventryvaulters.co.uk/forum/ - Little plug there! ) and was thinking of option 2. The only query I have with a starting pact team is whether the Goblin is a risk at all as for the first couple of games you're going to be playing him on defence as well as offence. Would it be worth swapping out the Skaven for a Marauder for the increase in AV? I see the three big guys as being quite 'passive', would the extra pip of Armour help to shore the team up a little or is the Skaven's extra movement worth the risk of losing him early?

[besters]

Why don't more people play them? This team seems quite strong, actually.

It's all about the nega-traits on the Big guys, Wild Animal, Bonehead and Really Stupid can come into play at just the wrong time, add in Loner and you can have a real problem.

If you get lucky with these, they become really playable. A similar comparison is Vampire, if you don't roll 1's on the Vampires Bloodlust then they are a great team to play.

Have fun and enjoy.

[Digger Goreman]

Why play pact if you don't take the big guys?

Agreed in sentiment, but not as competitive as one might like....

Aahz (local BB Guru) took Ogre and Marauders only and did quite well.... No animosity and the most stable BG in the game....

[betterZthenDeaD]

Aahz (local BB Guru) took Ogre and Marauders only and did quite well.... No animosity and the most stable BG in the game....

Basically a blank slate human team. You lose all the starting skills that Human teams come with and gain Mutation access along with Strength and passing on non-doubles. If I was going to play humans I might consider this instead!

[Digger Goreman]

Aahz (local BB Guru) took Ogre and Marauders only and did quite well.... No animosity and the most stable BG in the game....

Basically a blank slate human team. You lose all the starting skills that Human teams come with and gain Mutation access along with Strength and passing on non-doubles. If I was going to play humans I might consider this instead!

He has a knack for deviltry....

[spubbbba]

Aahz (local BB Guru) took Ogre and Marauders only and did quite well.... No animosity and the most stable BG in the game....

Basically a blank slate human team. You lose all the starting skills that Human teams come with and gain Mutation access along with Strength and passing on non-doubles. If I was going to play humans I might consider this instead!

That’s not a terrible idea as both the human catcher and blitzer are over-costed and it’s only the thrower who is a good deal.

You get a much better version of the human lineman and ogre with extra skill choices, plus you have the option of a dark elf if you want AG4 and agility access as well as the goblin for last ditch TTM action.

Just goes to show how rubbish humans are when a tier 1.5 team is better than them by missing out on most of their positionals.

[Dr. Von Richten]

That’s not a terrible idea as both the human catcher and blitzer are over-costed and it’s only the thrower who is a good deal.

You get a much better version of the human lineman and ogre with extra skill choices, plus you have the option of a dark elf if you want AG4 and agility access as well as the goblin for last ditch TTM action.

Just goes to show how rubbish humans are when a tier 1.5 team is better than them by missing out on most of their positionals.

It is, in fact, a great idea, which shows precisely what is wrong with the Chaos Pact Team.

10 Marauders + 1 Ogre + 3rr = TV 840 ...

... which means you can have 2 clawpombers at TV 980, something that will demolish most rookie teams you'll be facing in a MM environment.

This should not be possible IMO.

[Hitonagashi]

Quite a few rosters (zons!) have broken builds in TV based matchmaking .

[Darkson]

something that will demolish most rookie teams you'll be facing in a MM environment.

This should not be possible IMO.

BB wasn't designed for MM, especially not one with TV-difference limits, missing Stars and incorrectly implemented skills...

[spubbbba]

something that will demolish most rookie teams you'll be facing in a MM environment.

This should not be possible IMO.

BB wasn't designed for MM, especially not one with TV-difference limits, missing Stars and incorrectly implemented skills...

Well since Pact are also missing from Chaos edition then that isn't an issue. So I think it was more a reference to FUMBBL's B division, all sorts of lame min-maxing goes on there.

[Smeborg]

BB wasn't designed for MM, especially not one with TV-difference limits, missing Stars and incorrectly implemented skills...

I'd go further than that and say that BB has been deliberately designed for TV mismatching.

[Hitonagashi]

BB wasn't designed for MM, especially not one with TV-difference limits, missing Stars and incorrectly implemented skills...

I'd go further than that and say that BB has been deliberately designed for TV mismatching.

Wouldn't go that far .

I've played quite a few games with large inducement gaps, and the 'design intent' of 30% win percentage given even coaching seems about right.

I'd say that BB is designed given the assumption you are playing in a friendly league, and you'll smack a coach who creates an all clawbomb minmax team and tell him to go create a proper team.