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2011-03-27 16:42:22
16 votes, rating 4.4
16 votes, rating 4.4
Rats going splat!
Ok, well, I normally resort to my blog when I need to vent some frustration (as you can see if you look at some of my earlier entries ...). I'll try not to make this too moany, but I just really need to let off some steam! :)
Recently I decided to focus on just playing my Skaven team in the Box, 'cause I really like Skaven and I like a bit of a challenge. My plan was to try to build them up to just over 1750 TV and try to push my BWR up closer to 160, as it's been pretty poor for ages now. Then, I would stop that and set myself a different goal.
But things have been going terribly! The team hasn't won a game in their last 8 and my BWR has plummeted down to a measly 146-ish, which isn't great. Every game I feel like I'm getting totally pounded. I'm not really sure why I'm doing so badly or what I can do to turn it around.
Maybe I'm getting something fundamentally wrong with the way that I'm playing them, but I don't think I am. I think my strategy is fairly sound and I'm well-versed in the ways of the chain-push OTT (although very few of them have been working recently).
Maybe I'm just going through an extremely unlucky patch? It has seemed over the last few games that I've failed pretty much every crucial roll that I've had to make to score (usually 2+ with RR). I've had repeated snakes at crucial points in several games recently.
I think, on the whole, I'm playing fairly well, but it seems that in every game I'm either getting blocked off the pitch (as Skaven do, I know) or being terribly unlucky. Also, it probably doesn't help that out of the last 9 games that I've played with this team, 6 have been against either Dwarves or CDs, and several have been pretty brutal too.
Or, maybe it's my team development that's at fault? Am I not TV-optimising well enough? Maybe all of the above?
I think one thing's for sure - I need to take a serious look at my defence, as it's been a long time since I haven't conceded at least 2 TDs in a game. I think maybe I've been getting a bit impatient and greedy on defence, so maybe I'm over committing my players and leaving myself too exposed at the back? I am trying to develop a decent cage-breaking gutter runner, which might help a bit ...
Apologies for the big moan blog, but this is starting to get a bit frustrating. On the BB Central page it looks like Skaven have one of the highest average BWRs in the Box, but I don't seem to be seeing much of it atm! Any words of advice or encouragement from experienced Box Skaven coaches out there would be very welcome!
I'll keep chipping away at it as usual and see if I can turn it around over the next few games ...
Jelly out.
Recently I decided to focus on just playing my Skaven team in the Box, 'cause I really like Skaven and I like a bit of a challenge. My plan was to try to build them up to just over 1750 TV and try to push my BWR up closer to 160, as it's been pretty poor for ages now. Then, I would stop that and set myself a different goal.
But things have been going terribly! The team hasn't won a game in their last 8 and my BWR has plummeted down to a measly 146-ish, which isn't great. Every game I feel like I'm getting totally pounded. I'm not really sure why I'm doing so badly or what I can do to turn it around.
Maybe I'm getting something fundamentally wrong with the way that I'm playing them, but I don't think I am. I think my strategy is fairly sound and I'm well-versed in the ways of the chain-push OTT (although very few of them have been working recently).
Maybe I'm just going through an extremely unlucky patch? It has seemed over the last few games that I've failed pretty much every crucial roll that I've had to make to score (usually 2+ with RR). I've had repeated snakes at crucial points in several games recently.
I think, on the whole, I'm playing fairly well, but it seems that in every game I'm either getting blocked off the pitch (as Skaven do, I know) or being terribly unlucky. Also, it probably doesn't help that out of the last 9 games that I've played with this team, 6 have been against either Dwarves or CDs, and several have been pretty brutal too.
Or, maybe it's my team development that's at fault? Am I not TV-optimising well enough? Maybe all of the above?
I think one thing's for sure - I need to take a serious look at my defence, as it's been a long time since I haven't conceded at least 2 TDs in a game. I think maybe I've been getting a bit impatient and greedy on defence, so maybe I'm over committing my players and leaving myself too exposed at the back? I am trying to develop a decent cage-breaking gutter runner, which might help a bit ...
Apologies for the big moan blog, but this is starting to get a bit frustrating. On the BB Central page it looks like Skaven have one of the highest average BWRs in the Box, but I don't seem to be seeing much of it atm! Any words of advice or encouragement from experienced Box Skaven coaches out there would be very welcome!
I'll keep chipping away at it as usual and see if I can turn it around over the next few games ...
Jelly out.
Comments
Posted by Hitonagashi on 2011-03-27 18:37:06
If you've got, or want to make a talkfantasyfootball account, Garion's playbook is pretty darn good.
http://www.talkfantasyfootball.org/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=33381
http://www.talkfantasyfootball.org/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=33381
Posted by JellyBelly on 2011-03-27 19:06:09
Thanks for the tip Hitonagashi. I do have a TFF account, so I'll certainly check it out. (Is there no link to these playbooks on Fumbbl though?)
Posted by Cavetroll on 2011-03-27 19:13:31
If you are sticking to your strategy, but just getting undone by 2+ or the occassional 3+ with a reroll going south, I'd stay hang in there and wait for the dice to turn. Like elves, the skaven game really depends on moving the ball, and that means rolling the dreaded D6 <shudder>. Sometimes, it can be so cruel. But I know what it's like to get pounded into the pitch by a bashier team. My wood elves are playing in the current E.L.F. season and can't seem to get above 1500 TV. At least they are winning, but it is so painful. I fear they will never see a 12 man roster of healthy players :)
Posted by Garion on 2011-03-27 20:03:50
There are links to the playbooks on plasmoids site on fumbbl that have been written by people on fumbbl.
So far that is
Garion - Lizardmen
Joemanji - Humans
Carnis - Norse
Garion- Skaven (though it is not finished yet so not on plasmoids site yet)
The links can be found in the team specific strategies here - http://fumbbl.com/help:LRB6RaceStrategy
So far that is
Garion - Lizardmen
Joemanji - Humans
Carnis - Norse
Garion- Skaven (though it is not finished yet so not on plasmoids site yet)
The links can be found in the team specific strategies here - http://fumbbl.com/help:LRB6RaceStrategy
Posted by JellyBelly on 2011-03-27 20:48:39
Ok, thanks for the info Garion, I really appreciate it. I'll check out the playbook a bit later on this evening, when I'll have some spare time.
@ Flashback13: thank God for journeymen though, hey? At least they give elves, skaven, etc. a fighting chance even after they've been massacred :D
@ Flashback13: thank God for journeymen though, hey? At least they give elves, skaven, etc. a fighting chance even after they've been massacred :D
Posted by Enigma179 on 2011-03-28 12:08:09
Yeah, seems to me your dice are bad, and that's a main reason. Learning not to overcommit is very important with a team as fast as the skaven, more than once I've sent all my team forward past the LOS to get a deep ball and then an unlikely pass puts it out of reach. Having a player with kick is always nice so that you can start harassing the ball carrier with gutter runners as soon as it hits the ground; best defense against a cage is not letting it form.
Hang in there, at some point you'll draw a few nice games (hopefully) and get a break from dorfs and orcs.
Hang in there, at some point you'll draw a few nice games (hopefully) and get a break from dorfs and orcs.
Posted by Garion on 2011-03-28 12:48:05
Dwarves are Skavens nice game. The hardest game for Skaven is usually Humans and Wood Elves at a low to mid tv
Posted by Cavetroll on 2011-03-28 19:49:40
I concur with both Garion and Engima. Wood Elves are a tough match for Skaven, especially when you overcommit and/or the dice are bad at crucial moments. I've now played on both sides of that game (Wood Elf vs. Skaven), and Woodies won both times. My skaven also tied a game with Pro Elves 3-3 during their very first game. I think the issue is Elves have almost as much speed and more AG4 so there are less mistakes for the rats to exploit. I can see how that would also be true of humans - they are deceptively quick and have enough skill rerolls to avoid leaving the ball on the ground for long.