Underworld troll rolled 6/6

[Smeborg]

i think Block is better but if you finally go for ST break takle then is a must have!!

Disagree here.

The whole idea of a big guy is not to activate them...

While I think this argument can be made for (say) the Beast of Nurgle, Kroxes and the Troll on the Orc team, it does not appear to fit well with my playing experience of Underworld. The Warpstone Troll is perhaps the best (and at least the cheapest) one-skill can-opener in the game. Underworld need to cause CAS in order to stay in the game. The only good candidates for such duties are the Warpstone Troll and the Storm Vermin, but especially the Troll, as he needs only one skill. I find he needs to be used actively in this role, thus he is not a passive Big Guy like some others.

All the best.

[Ullis]

I agree with Smeborg. My experience with Underworld also tells me that the Warpstone troll needs to stay active all the time. The two blitzers simply cannot carry the team and the team lacks the muscle to use the troll as an immobile pivot point.

In the end both choices, either +ST or Block, are good and I don't think you'll go badly wrong with either one. And if you're playing against a lot of light opposition, then ST6 Tentacles are awesome.

[Hitonagashi]

Fair enough, I always played Underworld with no troll at all.

My only worry is that he's a RS player..not a bonehead one! It seems whenever I spectate a decent TV (1500+) UW team on FUMBBL, half the time they haven't got enough players left to be able to spare one to move to activate the troll to block with it. I always thought that trolls don't cost their 'list' price, but the price of them + whichever player you have to move over to activate it.

[fidius]

A side benefit to an active, can-opener Troll is that he discourages marks, which leaves him free to move and TTM more reliably if needed. Not sure a good coach would let that happen, but there it is.

Personally I try to leave at least a goblin next to my Troll at the end of every turn so that I don't have to use up a player's action in order to activate the Troll next turn. (Also for emergency TTM.) This creates incentive for the opposition to blitz the helper away in order to make the Troll and/or TTM less reliable, rather than blitzing a more tactically sound position.

Generally speaking, the more they are worrying about your Big Guy, the better for the rest, imo.

[Dr. Von Richten]

Strength, on general principle.

Also, it helps with Tentacles, and you can even give him Horns for a Trollotaur!

[mattgslater]

Strength, on general principle.

Also, it helps with Tentacles, and you can even give him Horns for a Trollotaur!

Much better to blitz with rats and drive guys into him. Tentacles, SF, Guard, Claw, and if he makes Legend without doubling, Break Tackle. Doubles could be Block, but I'd give him Pro to RR Stupid rolls.

[Tritex]

Another vote for strength but nothing new to add to what has been said already

[Smeborg]

A side benefit to an active, can-opener Troll is that he discourages marks, which leaves him free to move and TTM more reliably if needed. Not sure a good coach would let that happen, but there it is.

Personally I try to leave at least a goblin next to my Troll at the end of every turn so that I don't have to use up a player's action in order to activate the Troll next turn. (Also for emergency TTM.) This creates incentive for the opposition to blitz the helper away in order to make the Troll and/or TTM less reliable, rather than blitzing a more tactically sound position.

Generally speaking, the more they are worrying about your Big Guy, the better for the rest, imo.

+1 to all that.

[solarflare]

My thought on the can-opener troll is that he can be a huge distraction to your opponents, especially in a league setting.

As an opponent, if I know that you are not going to activate your troll, I can rest easy knowing that my one or two linemen are marked. No big deal. The rest of the team is then free and clear to kill goblins and skavens. On the other hand, if I see a ClawPOMB troll (with block no less) marking my dwarf that has 3 skills, it forces me to make some value judgments. Do I accept he might die next turn, or do I modify what I am doing to rescue the dwarf with 3 skills that took me 15 games to get there?

Sure, sometimes the troll will roll a 1 for really stupid. But, hey, you're playing underworld. If you want a "sure" thing, play undead.

However, I do see the validity of the tentacles troll. I just do not like it as much as the can-opener troll. And maybe part of this is that, when I play underworld, I typically have to watch several goblins get smooshed in a game. So, it's just fun to watch the troll do some smooshing in return. YMMV

[Dr. Von Richten]

Strength, on general principle.

Also, it helps with Tentacles, and you can even give him Horns for a Trollotaur!

Much better to blitz with rats and drive guys into him. Tentacles, SF, Guard, Claw, and if he makes Legend without doubling, Break Tackle. Doubles could be Block, but I'd give him Pro to RR Stupid rolls.

Probably true, but a Tollotaur is way cooler than just a Tentatroll ... unless you build a ... Tentatrollotaur!

[Drool_bucket]

+1 STR.

then Tentacles.

Once my Troll has a hold of a player or two I rarely activate him. He just sucks up opposing players and allows my Blitzers to blitz and ClawPOMP my opponent into a deep player disadvantage between the ClawPOMP and the Tentacles holding up 2 or 3 players.