Norse "lite" concept team: The Fender Benders

[Smeborg]

...I wanted to let Smeborg discuss if this was helping/or hindering...

Hi juck, good question.

As Dzerards has pointed out, I am playing a far from traditional Norse roster, with no Ulfs and no SnoT (Yeti, whatever), thus I have only 2 Frenzy players. I have further compounded the issue by giving Guard to the Berserkers as first normal skill, something that does not complement Frenzy in the way that (say) M-Blow or Tackle or Jugs might (whether this is a good idea is an entirely separate issue). With Fend as first normal skill on 8 Linos, and Dodge as first doubles skill on the 6 remaining positionals, a large majority of players will soon have Fend or Dodge.

What I am attempting to create is a ST3/AG3 team which is skilled at staying out of contact (when it wants to), and is therefore annoyingly mobile, and able to shift the point of attack. The end result is greater initiative for the team, and greater control of space. In the longer term, the team should also be quite resilient (fewer blocks taken as a result of being out of contact, plus a degree of protection against Piling On). Of course there will be plenty of times when I move most of the team into contact, but that is my choice, it is not forced.

The team concept has less affinity with traditional bash teams, and more affinity with teams such as Dark Elves and (dare I say it) Amazons, with perhaps a little Necro thrown in.

Hope that helps.

[Hitonagashi]

I'm somewhat late to the party, but due to a lot of doubles, I recently tried mobile norse in Ranked.

http://fumbbl.com/p/team?team_id=748138

Regardless of the Yheti/Ulfs, the idea didn't work too well. While the record looks passable, I needed luck to win quite a few of those - I think 3 of the wins were won on a 3+ dodge with a reroll on turn 14-15...which is almost always a sign of bad play.

My problem was the lack of basic skills. In the long run, I was free and mobile (a good thing), but in the short term, it was very annoying to try and respond to an impact move, whether that is a ton of guard players moving into contact at once, or elves punching a hole and dodging through. To me, the team fits in the same category as no-break-tackle lizardmen - great until your opponent pulls some nice sequence of dodges, or you turnover at an annoying time!

[swilhelm73]

So have Norse ever been successful in leagues or tourneys or are they just there to make up the numbers and have fun? I like playing Norse, but I struggle to win with them. They beat a High Elf team recently, but consistently do badly against tougher running teams.

In my home league there have been two successful Norse teams that had regularly gotten deep into the playoffs...but those teams haven't been active for a number of seasons now (we are on Season 11).

I think Norse are very strong at low TV, and can do well at racing up the TV ladder, but that over time they suffer too much attrition and then have to deal with a league that has caught up with them...

[mattgslater]

A Norse squad is in the NBFL Superbowl on FUMBBL. That's not a small feat: they had to get past some big bad teams and beat some truly great coaches. But Norse in the NBFL in general have a pretty sorry history.

[crimsonsun]

...I wanted to let Smeborg discuss if this was helping/or hindering...

Hi juck, good question.

What I am attempting to create is a ST3/AG3 team which is skilled at staying out of contact (when it wants to), and is therefore annoyingly mobile, and able to shift the point of attack. The end result is greater initiative for the team, and greater control of space. In the longer term, the team should also be quite resilient (fewer blocks taken as a result of being out of contact, plus a degree of protection against Piling On). Of course there will be plenty of times when I move most of the team into contact, but that is my choice, it is not forced.

Hope that helps.

If you want to create a team around this frame work why play Norse and not Amazons? Blodge fend or blodge fend sidestep across the board is not hard to achieve with them an will give a far better overall result?

[Smeborg]

If you want to create a team around this frame work why play Norse and not Amazons? Blodge fend or blodge fend sidestep across the board is not hard to achieve with them an will give a far better overall result?

Sorry, crimsonsun, I missed your question.

The main difference is Block on 11 players instead of 4. A very different starting side, and only 11 x Fend gets you to a whole team with Block/Fend. With 'Zons, it will take 18 skills (assuming Wrestle or Block first on 7). That's quite a big difference IMO.

That's the main reason, I think, other reasons are just personal preference (taste).

My current thinking is not to give anyone Fend as first skill (it is too quiet on its own), except for the 4th and subsequent Linos (first 3 Linos would get Tacke/Tackle/Kick first). But perhaps to give Fend to everyone as second skill (Runners might be the sole exception, with Dodge + Sidestep).

A difference of environment, perhaps, our league demands teams that perform from the word go, there is no pre-season development period.

All the best.