45 coaches online • Server time: 20:14
Forum Chat
Log in
Recent Forum Topics goto Post Creating a custom to...goto Post Secret League Americ...goto Post DOTP Season 4
SearchSearch 
Post new topic   Reply to topic
View previous topic Log in to check your private messages View next topic
johniemi78



Joined: Jun 04, 2019

Post   Posted: Dec 06, 2019 - 13:17 Reply with quote Back to top

Facing a very scary duo after my next league game. The teams are redrafted from last season with limitations on starting TV and GP so that's why the "strange" player choices (like 2 superstars and 9 rookies on the Wood Elf team and only 2 ghouls but 5 rookie zombies on my team etc.).

Here's the opponent:

Wardancer1: ST4, Block, Dodge, Leap, Strip Ball, Tackle
Wardancer2: AG5, Block, Dodge, Leap, Side Step, Strip Ball

The rest of the team is 9 linemen, one of them has Dodge. No other skills.


My team is Undead which is very briefly:

Mummy1: Block, Guard, Mighty Blow, Regeneration

Mummy2: Guard, Mighty Blow, Regeneration

Wight1: Block, Dodge, Guard, Regeneration

Wight2: Block, Mighty Blow, Guard, Regeneration

Ghoul1: Block, Dodge, AG+1

Ghoul2: Dodge, Guard, Side Step

5 x Zombies: no skills

TV pretty similar, he might spend gp to buy one Babe.

Both teams have (only) 2 rerolls.

My concern:

He can use the ST4 Wardancer1 to Leap and Tackle+Strip Ball my Ghoul1 at too easily I think? With a 1 die Block it's an 89% chance and by having ALL cage corners with a Guard player will take it to a -2 die Block but still it's like a 61% chance with a reroll to get the ball loose or Ghoul Tackled (of course has to Leap or Dodge before and possiby after that).

Sow how should I form my cage to have a chance to nullify his Leap attempts? His last opponent used a solid 9 man cage (3 x 3 squares with the ball in the middle) without any spaces and that was successful but it just doesn't sound too good, would only have 2 players doing other stuff than caging.

I might get Tackle on the Wight1 before that game but it depends on how the MVP falls after my next game, so it's only a 33% chance.

I will foul with the Zombies whenever I get 2 or more assists, especially the Wardancers.

Don't really know how to handle two Leapers when thinking of possible screening so I think caging is just more sensible as I can't make a big error, like I can if screening poorly.

Anything else come to mind other than cage... somehow, base with ST advantage and throw many Blocks, play Blitz The Elf with the Mighty Blowers, and consider accepting Both Downs especially with the Non-Block Mighty Blow Mummy?
PaddyMick



Joined: Jan 03, 2012

Post   Posted: Dec 06, 2019 - 13:37 Reply with quote Back to top

If you get the choice I would Receive first, as it gives you a shot doing some damage rather than be guaranteed to face a full strength elf team on your drive, with the increased possibilities for a defensive TD that entails.
harvestmouse



Joined: May 13, 2007

Post   Posted: Dec 06, 2019 - 14:26 Reply with quote Back to top

Write a stiff PM to the league comish about the cull process? That's pretty BS and breaks the idea of cutting to even things out.

If you get the opportunity to take 1 or both out ; double your efforts on the boot!
johniemi78



Joined: Jun 04, 2019

Post   Posted: Dec 06, 2019 - 16:42 Reply with quote Back to top

harvestmouse wrote:
Write a stiff PM to the league comish about the cull process? That's pretty BS and breaks the idea of cutting to even things out.


Sorry I don't understand what you mean? I assume it's about how we redraft? Our league has ran for seven seasons with NO drafting, we started every season with 6 one-skill players (6 "free" spp each), so the current homebrew draft is an improvement Smile We can buy 1200tv worth of players from the old team and fill up with rookies.

I know it's not official but better to at least have a redraft than start all over each season. Maybe one day we also will use the official rules like everyone else Smile
Malmir



Joined: May 20, 2008

Post   Posted: Dec 06, 2019 - 17:15 Reply with quote Back to top

Brockman: Would you say it's time for our viewers to panic?
Expert: I would Kent.
garyt1



Joined: Mar 12, 2011

Post   Posted: Dec 06, 2019 - 17:41 Reply with quote Back to top

You can have at least 4 guards around your carrier, so at least he should be on -2db even with s4. Those guards will really help. But as you don't have sure hands he will still have a decent strip chance as you say.
Fouling is a good call if he fails his first leap or blitz carrier attempt.
Seems like you have the right ideas. If you can get a few Elves out you may be in business.

_________________
“A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.”
harvestmouse



Joined: May 13, 2007

Post   Posted: Dec 06, 2019 - 19:20 Reply with quote Back to top

johniemi78 wrote:


I know it's not official but better to at least have a redraft than start all over each season.


No it is not. The format you guys have chosen has caused this mutation. You would have been much better doing it the old way (albeit getting repetitive and not allowing for progression).

The game at low TV or (and especially) non-progression format is extremely well balanced. TV does a great job.

However when you progress in TV that is when the game becomes less balanced. You are able to manipulate TV to your advantage. See the problems the blackbox division here has experienced over the years. New match making formula was needed to combat the TV manipulation that happens there.

If all things are even and a team progresses without any manipulation* you have a handicapping system in the game that balances things somewhat.

However what your league has done, is to devise a way to encourage and reward artificial roster manipulation. The end result is this Wood Elf team. Their TV is what.....1200ish? Are they really a 1200 TV team though?

If you did that in a normal League where say....they were 1800 and culled to 1200 to gain inducements you'd be facing killers that would tear through the linos like butter and after a couple of games they'd be way out of shape. However with the cull this might not be the case.

In my opinion looking at this....you've broken the match making.

TLDR
In short what I am saying is you've cut a shed load of TV from the WE team; without cutting much potency. So where before a team would get inducements (or whatever they're called now) to help balance the game; now they don't.



*by manipulation I mean by cutting players/rerolls/whatever so that your team is more powerful at a TV than was designed)
johniemi78



Joined: Jun 04, 2019

Post   Posted: Dec 07, 2019 - 09:24 Reply with quote Back to top

Ok, I see. Actually I (and many of us maybe) have no idea how the real redrafting rules work. But you made a very good point, thanks for that. I will read the real rules and talk with the league comissar after this season.
harvestmouse



Joined: May 13, 2007

Post   Posted: Dec 07, 2019 - 11:41 Reply with quote Back to top

Well I think it's a good thing that you're exploring bespoking out of game rules. I totally agree with you doing that (Although it's probably a good idea to look at the current drafting rules). As it is we have 1 set (plus optional) of out of game rules to cater for many different set ups. Long term progressive vs resurrection are so different it seems daft to use the same rules; especially if you can tailor them to suit your needs.

I think your form of cutting worked really well for high LRB 4 TR (old TV) leagues. It helped keep the teams and environment healthy. Possibly cutting the other way (the biggest star of the team goes off to join the big leagues maybe) would work better.

Or is there even a need to cut? I guess it's to stop one team snowballing or to help soften the blow for rookie teams. However rookie teams don't actually suffer that much under the current rules; especially if you gave them a helping hand.

A fun idea off the top of my head (presuming this is Table Top). New teams to the league get 400k of gold. They may also 'poach' on player from the champions. A 2nd new team to the league may do the same but may 'poach' a player from the vice champions (and so on).

Providing the loan of models wouldn't rub people the wrong way of course!
Verminardo



Joined: Sep 27, 2006

Post   Posted: Dec 07, 2019 - 11:43 Reply with quote Back to top

How to play this depends very much on the coaching level but against a good coach, my game plan would look something like this:

Choose to kick. Spread wide, use Mummies as Anchors on both sides of the defence. Try to take out his unskilled linos, isolate the freak Dancers. Keep the AG4 Ghoul as a safety. If he tries to stall try to force him to score. If he scores, so be it.

On your offence, cage / double screen and push down a side, use Guards (or positioning) to deny him the 2d block and force him to use the ST4 Wardancer if he wants a 1d. ST4 has no Side Step so can be surfed. Even if he strips the ball hopefully it will land protected and AG4 will just pick it up again (after surfing the WD).

Ideally you can have a 2-1 grind and then put Mummies + Guard on the line and back-up formation to prevent one turner. But realistically, have to be quite happy with a draw.
harvestmouse



Joined: May 13, 2007

Post   Posted: Dec 07, 2019 - 13:10 Reply with quote Back to top

Also "I will foul with the Zombies whenever I get 2 or more assists, especially the Wardancers."

Should be "I will foul with (anything) whenever I get a wardancer over, even if it means going through 22 tackle zones and using a gfi!"

I'm usually not an advocate of crippling league opponents; as if they are strong they will weaken opponents of yours further down the line. Also as Verminardo said 'it very much depends on coaching level'. However I think these woodies are going to be very hard to stop winning the league..........with those 2 dancers. With one dancer.....less so. So...dice being dice you stand a chance of course....maybe you should look at the bigger picture.

As my mother used to say to me as a child "A dead ****ing dancer means you have more chance of winning the war, even if you have to lose the battle." I never really understood what she meant, but now it all makes sense.
Display posts from previous:     
 Jump to:   
All times are GMT + 1 Hour
Post new topic   Reply to topic
View previous topic Log in to check your private messages View next topic