Carrier Blitzer: what next?

[mattgslater]

Team
Player
I always run a Thrower. My first experiment in a long time not running a Thrower is going BEAUTIFULLY, in great part because of this guy. He's now at 28 SPP. If he doubles, Dodge. I'd happily take MA, AG, or ST. But on a normal roll?

Track for rest of team:
BOBs: Guard, Block, SF, MB (ignore doubles, +ST only)
Blitzers (2): Guard, SF, T, MB (SS over SF with Fend over Tackle, Dodge after SF, any stat)
Blitzer (1): Frenzy, T, SF, MB (SS over SF, ignore doubles on #4, +ST only)
Linos (3): Block, Fend, then we'll see (Guard, any stat except 6+4)
Lino (1): DP, W, Fend, Kick (SG or Guard, no stats except +ST after DP)

[Borthcollective]

I went Kick-Off return, it makes sense since this is your ball carrier/pickup guy anyways, that you would want him to be able to do his job better. I really wanted to go Fend but it's not as needed in a cage and your AG 4 makes dodging out of tackle zones pretty solid anyway.

[phil78]

Voted guard, just for all round usefulness

[Overhamsteren]

Juggernaut, strip ball, pass block, tackle.

Use his AG4 offensively.

[dines]

Where are your biggest problems? Offense or defense? A mobile tackler might be cool to help in defense. KOR might help you out to speed up the offense. A mobile guard would be the allrounder option.

[Ullis]

Tackle.

[Smurf]

I like tackle too.

[Hitonagashi]

Guard or tackle. Depends on your typical opposition.

[SunDevil]

I went KoR. You said he is your ballcarrier and that was the best choice to help him in that role, in my opinion.

I have a Blodging 4AG Orc Blitzer (Irlock Sunavamp of the Waaaghland Warheads) and I also wanted to experiment with an Orc team with no Thrower. I have one now (in my starting build, have not been able to cut him because of injuries) but will retire him when Irlock gets Sure Hands.

http://iowa.bloodbowlleague.com/default.asp?p=ro&t=cha4

[mattgslater]

Tackle is tempting... hmmm.

I definitely have more problems on offense than on defense: these guys are a wall of stone, and similarly mobile. 1.22 TDs scored per game, 0.56 allowed.

I also have more problems with light teams than heavy teams, though you can't tell in the record. They have yet to lose a match, but generally speaking any team I have is great at breaking cages, but not so great at shenanigan control (more a function of me than of my players, but probably to some extent a consequence of my ultra-heavy builds).

Wins were vs Zon, CD, DE, Dwarf, Nec x2, Gob. Ties were vs. Liz, DE. Note, I've always been the heavy (though not always by much). Part of that is distribution/chance, and part of that is that Orcs are just a heavy team. Still, no Khemri, Orcs, or genuine speed yet.

2-0-0 when out-cas'ed, 1-1-0 when equal Cas, 3-1-0 more cas. No inferences to make there, except that maybe <1 Cas vs. per match = good thing.

Typical opposition is Ranked, comparable value. I usually activate these guys with the Chainsmurfs (200k more, same idea only with beards instead of green skin, and a funny gimmick for the extra cash) and Transmaniacon FC (Undead, same price, not quite as tight), and I try to take on lesser coaches with Transmaniacon and better coaches with Titanomachiae. For some reason, sometimes a coach will redlight Transmaniacon FC and greenlight Titanomachiae, which I think is hilarious. The reverse happens too, but that's just smart coaching. Maybe it's the damage skills: people would rather be probably battered into submission than maybe win but maybe break their team. (I'm the opposite, funny enough.)

[mattgslater]

@ Chance: Keep the Thrower, if you have any inclination to do so. Two Sure Hands guys is very nice to have. If anything, I'd replace the Lino: injured players don't carry their weight, that's the main complaint about Throwers, and at MA5/AV9, -MA is worse. The -AV guy has three skills (two good ones) and a category that makes the third skill worthwhile, for just the TV add of the good skills, by comparison to his lino teammate.

[JJB]

- If you want to be better at stealing the ball: tackle.

- If you want to be better at carrying the ball through: stand firm (which I've recommended) - particularly good if you want to go on the side lines to stay further away from your opponent, without the risk of getting pushed out.
And more generally for all blocks against you, if your opponent doesn't knock you down, he can't then make use of it by pushing you one square further away from the endzone to prevent you from scoring at the next turn. You can also do more dodges with just a little less risk (sure, you'll get slapped if you stay on the spot, but who knows, the opponent's block could then fail!!)

[mattgslater]

Stand Firm is #3 for all BOBs and one Blitzer, and #2 for two Blitzers. (SF is actually good against ClawPOMB, but only in vast multiples, with tons of Block and Guard: if you can't throw a block, all the killstacking in the world will go unused). This guy WILL eventually get Fend, whatever I give him now, unless his future is mostly stats and doubles.

[JJB]

Your reasoning makes sense, but I don't feel it addresses my points about SF for the blitzer in question. I still feel he could make great use of that skill in a way different from your other players who are not destined to carry the ball as frequently as he is.

And to clarify, I think SF now is better then Fend later for that guy.

[mattgslater]

I've never actually had a carrier surfed, that's my only concern. This guy has been surfed (got surfed last night, leading to my first loss with this team), but not as a carrier. I also don't make a habit of camping out just barely in scoring range: if I'm going to camp, it's going to be an easy stroll to the EZ. I could see giving this guy SF eventually instead of Fend, but if I do I think I'll go for Guard first (another good carrier skill, with lots of applications).