f13.net

Insomnia strikes, so I thought I'd make a new BB thread.

This could probably go under the other one, but I thought a new one wouldn't hurt, especially to push the meatplace stuff further down.

So, discussion of some common skills beyond block and dodge are here:

#1 wrestle

This is a great skill primarily used for two reasons. The first is on ball hunters, as it takes down anything with block. Normally block will result in nothing happening, even if you have strip ball, but wrestle will take both players to the game and send the ball free. A wrestling player, with tackle and strip ball is the best ball hunter in the game, knocking it free five times out of six (unless they have sure hands, when it is 3/6). Even with double dice against that's good odds.

The second use is both defensive and offensive and is best on disposable linemen in order of opening up the field by taking out enemy tacklezones. Skaven linerats are a great option for the skill as it can be used offensively and defensively to open the field for gutterrunners. The faster your team is than your opponents, the more likely you are to want to have wrestle players in this way.

It is also a great way to get a player down and then foul them.

Always put it on ask, however. Sometimes the other team might be dumb enough to click both down without block, thinking you will wrestle. If you don't use it then you will get the turnover!

#2 leap

Not enough players take leap. It is an amazing skill and I would take it on a lot more teams than I see with it. It can let you do things on the field that are otherwise impossible, and it can make several normally solid plays fall apart.

There is one general rule I follow with leap - the player must be 4 agility or higher. This is because leap lands on an unmodified agility role, so anything else is going to burn you a heap of rerolls. If you have the agility however...

What can leap do?

It allows you to jump past or in to tacklezones without having to roll to dodge. The applications for this are nearly endless. No cage is safe, no defensive line can stop a score. No fumbled ball is going to be beyond you.

Combined with dodge leap can give you access to any square within movement range, players and tacklezones ignored.

Everyone knows about wardancers, but other players can be just as dangerous if they elect to get this skill.

Witch Elves can frenzy anything that goes near a sideline. People normally aren't as careful to protect players behind a defensive line from a crowd push and leap can punish them hard.
Pro elf catchers become unstoppable unless they are down or dead, and can also blitz a ballcarrier that looked impervious and then throw out safely.
Gutter runners with big hand can, and will, get the loose ball anywhere on the pitch. Anywhere.

That doesn't mean you can't leap if you don't have 4 agi players to start with. Other teams should strongly consider them if they get a stat increase. But you would want to keep it to players with 6 mv or more. I have a 5 agi pogoer in a goblin side who is unstoppable...

Leap skill at its best: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y2Gf6aek7Q

Normally I'll only take Leap on AG5 players for the 2+ roll. I always make good use of Leap on War Dancers but those 3+ rolls can still eat up rerolls and really end up hurting AV7 players more than I'd like. If you do get an AG5 player (or AG4 with Very Long Legs)  Leap is one of the best skills in the game. Cages become useless as you can blitz, leap into the cage with no negative modifers, and block the ball carrier.

Leap on a frenzy player is something I hadn't considered but I suspect that such a player would really want side step to keep from getting pushed out herself as there would be a pretty big chance of getting stuck inbetween the opponents line and the sideline.

Jump Up is a good one as well.