Changing Teams in 2017

Hello Guild Ballers,

First I'd like to say I'm sorry for not putting up content last week.  But what can I say... Life happened.  I did play some guild ball games, so there will be reports coming up.  I'm just a tad busy with other stuff in life and as of late it has felt like a task to write the reports out.
So here's something different for you to enjoy and something I've put some work into for myself...

Last year I have been playing brewers and I'm ready to change things up a bit.  I've already tried playing Scalpel for a bit, but the times I did field her I didn't feel like she was fitting my play style.  So today will be an atempt at making another team I would like to try out. - I'm not saying this wil be it for me next, but I know I'd like to try something different.

I'm planning on changing teams after my tournament in York (the rusty cup). So I'd like to have some games in with all the options I have and currently am interested in playing.  There's fish and union that apeal to me most right now.  Lets go over all my options I currently have:

What guild?

Well I have all the guilds up till now (16/01/2017) although butchers and hunters aren't assembled yet.  The engineers are still on their way here after my purchase.

So there are 3 Guilds that are sort of at the bottom of my list to try out.  What picks my interst most at this time is either Shark Fish or Union.

In my local gaming community there isn't much Union or Fish, so those options are good ones to pick from too.

Let's try a Union list first though...

Picking my Captain.

With brewers I mostly played Tapper.  A man that leans towards the take-outs, or at least that's how I played him.  So looking for something different veteran Rage isn't the first one that comes to mind, since Rage is known for his damage output.  Look at his playbook, you'll see what I'm getting at...

Yes he's got a tackle on one, but that's it.  Or maybe you could have him make an attack with your striker on the ballcarrier.  But that's about all of the 'footballing help I see on him.  Even his kick of 2/6" isn't trying to get him to play football.

Blackheart on the other hand:

While his Tackle is only on the third column and he's got Butchery on his playbook + his move is 'only' 4"/6" he's still the better pick for what I have in mind.  A football orientated team that can do damage.

Pro's: 

• He's got shadowlike, making him effectivly faster (6/8) + is able to disengage easier.
• His charachter play 'On My Mark'  on the third column while still dealing damage helps your team to get the ball about!

So he's going to be my pick for the team.

My Team so far:

Blackhaert - ?

Picking the Mascot.

 Another choice I have to make is the one between Strongbox ans Coin.

I think I'm going to go with Coin:

over Strongbox:

and here is why:

1. Defensive stats!  I actually did 10 test (not a lot) with Tapper hitting on 6 TAC.  Stronbox only died twice, and only at the same time Coin died, but that wasn't the only thing I was looking for.  Where Coin did take around 5 swings to die she only got 2 hits on avarage on each swing, where Strongbox got 3 net hits in every time.  I'm not going to look at every playbook out there, but I'd rather have my opponents options on the minimalistic side of things... and 3 is a turning point on most (just a feeling here) playbooks (well on Tapper it’s 4)
2. Movement.  Strongbox is slow, and if I want to play football and enjoy the confidence and shelling out on him I need to be close.  As where Coin can move further to put the 4" bag of coffers out.
3. There is a good deal to say about the playbooks and there I'd prefer Strongbox, but mixed in together with the movement, well.  Strongbox has the upside on a KD on one or a momentous Tackle on 2 if you do get that second hit in.  KD overrides Close Control, but doesn't help you get the ball.

My Team so far:

Blackhaert – Coin –

Picking my first player:

I’m not going to go over all the options here.  I’m going to tell you right of the bat after reading all the cards what I’m going for: Harry the Hat!

Why?

Well, put him somewhere to (ab)use On My Mark.  A player passes the ball using Blackhaerts trait AND gets to do a FREE dodge! (or snapshot)  This makes for a good play in my book.

Looking at the card here are some other good things about Harry:

1.       Goad:  Combined with Blackhaerts ability to take away influence I can try and lure another player away from where he wants to go. (I do realise that Confidence would help to get a hit on higher DEF models, so Strongbox might become viable after playtesting…)

2.       Molotov: Burning slows people down. More board control.

3.       Rising Anger: Who doesn’t want more MP?

His playbook isn’t really the footballing kind.  But Blackhaert has got both options on him 2 so Harry will be in the support roll for football with his aura and in the beatdown roll with pushes and reach, maybe even a KD.

We have a midfielder.

My Team so far:

Blackhaert – Coin – Harry - ?

Picking the second player:

If I want to play football I’ll need at least one Striker.  Looking at the cards alone these are my options: A&G, Mist.  The only two options marked with  “Striker” on them.

 
Let’s look at them step by step.

Melee Range:

A&G: 2 times 1”

Mist: 2”

Still 2” is 2”… Mist wins this one.

Goal Threat Range :

A&G: added together both sprinting are 7+6= 13” Ideally Greede got 1 INF before attaching to Avarisse, giving him the influence to score and using 1 INF to sprint from Avarisse.  Ad the Where’d they go 4” to that with the last INF on Avarisse (sprinting is 6 so must be within range) adds up to 17” sprinting. With a kick distance of 6” = Goalthreat range of 23” where there is a DODGE included (so possibly bypassing someone that blocks the shot)

Mist gets a 8” sprint +2” if in cover so 10” + 2” from acrobatic = 12” + the kick reaches 8 addint all that up to 20”.  With a Solthecian player giving her shadowlike it could go up to 22”.

Even with the Solthecian play, Mist lands short this time.  A&G get the win.

TAC + Playbook:

A&G: 6&7 (or 7&8 if you count detatching Greede) + More if you count Singled out.
Acces to KD and pushes in Avarisse with a Tackle on 3 +  Good momentum generation.
More DMG and momentum on Greede, but only a Tackle (momentous but hey) on 5
Together though there’s always that Tackle as soon as you land one hit!!

Mist: 4 (more if target is in cover)
Acces to a (non momentous) tackle on 1 and momentous dodges. (fair momentum generation)

So another one for A&G!

Kick stats:

A&G: Lets be honest, 1/6” from Avarisse isn’t going to be used for the goalkicks, the 4/6” of Greede on the other hand…

Mist: 3/8”

Greede wins on Dice, and even though Mist can score from further away, we already established that Greede can come in from further (as long as Avarisse and him stick together like glue.

Let’s call this one even with a slight advantage towards Greede.

Defensive Stats/Armour:

A&G: with Defense 3 and 20 life and tough hide I never killed Avarisse before both Mist and Greede were taken out by Tapper (same test as on coin, same dice results used in the test).
Greede was always the first to die with an average of 4 swings (no buffs remember!).

Avarisse got about 4 net hits in, where both Mist and Greede are around 2,4

Mist: Well he died around 7 swings normally.

Seeing that I want to play influence efficient (Greede always on the pitch) He would net the opponent 2VP and destroy the way I use A&G as a team to score goals with + Avarisse lets the enemy team do more results (or easy plays).

Mist wins it this time.

I’m not going to compare influence, since I already stated above I would like to play influence efficient.  Thus the score would even out with a slight advantage to Mist (for bringing 2 no matter if her leg is on the table, cut off by a butcher…

This comparison actually made the score even.  So it’s up for interpretation.  (I’ll have to try both to see which I prefer)

Purely based on the fact that a model more on the pitch gives me a potention +1 TAC on other models for my whole team AND singled out is also a team benefit.  I’m going to start my team with A&G.

My Team so far:

Blackhaert – Coin – Harry – A&G - ?

Only two players left!

Now I don’t have a winger yet.  Who’s there for union?

Decimate – Minx – Snakeskin

Don’t worry, I’m not going to drag out another side by side comparison.   This blog will be long enough as it is already…  Let’s just look at who I picked and why:

Snakeskin!

The Idea is to hold the ball on Snakeskin putting up Nimble going for a 5+ DEF or 6+ against males even!  She’s very hard to take the ball away from that way! Even without Clone up!
Her tackle is momentous and on 2 hits and on 3 hits up in the playbook!

That’s why she made it over Decimate.  Who only has a 4/1 DEF/ARM

Decimate does have those nice team play options in 2^nd wind and Thousand Cuts so maybe she’ll take place number 4…

My Team so far:

Blackhaert – Coin – Harry – A&G – Snakeskin - ?

Last Pick:

You know in school where you’re all lined up hoping not to be picked last?  I’m going to guess the next model doesn’t have that feeling…  Cause there will be players left that don’t get picked this time.

It all comes down to what I want access to now doesn’t it?  What does my team lack?

Influence wise I’m now at 4 from the Captain, an effective 2 from Coin to 6.  Then 2 from A&G and 2 from Harry adding it up to 10, another 2 from Snakeskin makes it 12.  I could go to 14 or 13.  But do I have any ‘batteries’ in my team, or are they all greedy?  What else is left for me to pick?  But most of all what do I want?

Let’s go over my choices and what they bring for a last long list…

Decimate – Winger - Pro’s:

1.      Female (against certain teams this is a pro)

2.      Second Wind as a team play

3.      Mobile

4.      Helps to get DEF down on models for easier takeouts

Fangtooth – Centre Back – Pro’s:

1.      Could bring a solid position in the middle to place Harry in and work the Hat.  But do I have the mobility to bring my winger back from one side to go get the ball from the other? (maybe a good point for my last pick to be either a striker or winger)

Gutter – Central Midfielder – Pro’s:

1.      Gutter can control the board somewhat with Chain Grab but has to trigger it from the playbook.  So looking for low def models.

2.      2” Melee

Hemlocke – Defensive Midfielder – Pro’s:

1.      Good against teams that give out conditions, but not always.

Minx - Winger – Pro’s:

1.      Good influence battery

2.      Very mobile with back to shadows

3.      Snared! + SB (almost like thousand cuts !)

4.      Female

5.      Could help A&G out for the initial ball retrieve in Marked Target

Mist – Striker – Pro’s:

1.      2^nd Striker with skills

Rage – Attacking Midfielder – Pro’s:

1.      Good DMG output vs Momentum generation for the influence he needs (none)

2.      Brings Tooled Up

3.      Brings ANOTHER way to take away INF on the enemy team!

Looking at this list and going with my gut-feeling I’m going to have to take Minx.

Battery, mobile, female, snared, it all sounds good in my head.  Close second was Decimate but didn’t fly since I’d need to put influence on her to make her work. Rage as a close third lost it because of Maverick and thus not working with the rest of the team that well + we all now how to shut him out.

So here you have it:

A union team I’d like to test:

Blackhaert – Coin – Harry – A&G – Snakeskin – Minx

A first swap would be in Mascot place.

A second look would go towards A&G vs Mist. But with Snakeskin and Minx in there I don’t think I’ll need much more.

Formation:

A&G in the middle – Snakeskin and Minx on a wing.  Harry between the winger and A&G where the ball is Coin where she can put her bag to most use but behind the lines (so mostly behind Harry).  Blackhaert will go wherever needed but will focus on people close to the ball.

Looking for 3-0 or 2-2 wins.

 I still need to figure out a first turn play for both kicking and receiving, but I'll get there I think...

That's all folks!

See you next time!

Bob Out!