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Strategy and Tactics - Block vs Wrestle
Spazzfist - Dec 11, 2006 - 07:04 AM
Post subject: Block vs Wrestle
Now that I am finally playing in a league again, and being that it is LRB 5, I am starting to consider the different skills, and which ones migh tbe best for what teams as the first skill.
It used to be that the first skill for almost any player (with General access) would be block - it was a no-brainer. But now, the god-like skill of block has being effectively countered with the wrestle skill.
My big question is: "What players/teams would benefit from taking the wrestle skill before block?"
Notorious_jtb - Dec 11, 2006 - 08:03 AM
Post subject: RE: Block vs Wrestle
All teams will benefit from a little bit of wrestle.
I would suggest that the teams "strong safety" have wrestle as it increases the number of results which cause a blodge ball carrier to drop the ball. Infact, a wrestle/tackle/stripball player is probably the best last ditch blitzer there is.
Also, wrestle is very useful because it gives you options, no longer can someone hit you and get "skull/both down" and say, ah well nothing happens cos I have block. You get to decide. A great many situations where this would be good.
Cramy - Dec 11, 2006 - 08:20 AM
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Yep, I agree with Joe here. A bit of Wrestle on every team is good. But I still think that block is better.
The question is more which players on a team benefit from wrestle the most, and that depends on your strategy.
You need to get that WD down, blitz with your block, tackle, wrestle player. Then foul away. As Joe mentioned, Strip Ball is a good addition as well for those safety types.
You can use Wrestle on the LoS (ideally with block as well) to make a hole in the line. Both down will remove the TZs, which can be enough to create a hole. In that case, giving wrestle before block could be good.
But wrestle is a double-edged sword. I would not give wrestle to my WDs. I don't want them to be on the ground, ever. But on an Orc Blitzer, absolutely. Hopefully this won't give Joe too many ideas 
Spazzfist - Dec 11, 2006 - 08:25 AM
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Hmmmm... the wrestle on the safeties is a good idea. I played with my rotters (which under LRB 5 are a GREAT team now - lots of fun) against skaven, and found it impossible to deal with the blodge gutter runner who kept walking past me. Usually had the one chance to stop him, but needing the Pow on the dice kept me from putting down and ended up with an embarassing 3-0 defeat (with two of those being in the first two turns of the first half).
So my next rotter will get wrestle - I am also thinking with all the other teams out there getting a lot of block, the wretle will also be helpful.
TuernRedvenom - Dec 11, 2006 - 08:26 AM
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I agree with general sentiment here that it's good to have a few wrestler to make holes and bring down skilled players for a foul. I don't believe in taking wrestle and block though, it's one or the other IMO as they are so much alike and using 1 will always mean you're not using the other which is a bit of a waste IMO.
Wrestle is also good for players you would put on the LOS vs bashy teams. A wrestle + fend player is very good at stopping cages from advancing, possibly even breaking it down.
But block is still the superior choice in general.
Styfen - Dec 11, 2006 - 08:32 AM
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TuernRedvenom wrote:
A wrestle + fend player is very good at stopping cages from advancing, possibly even breaking it down.
Which is why every team worth it's salt should have a Block, Juggernaut, Mighty Blow Blitzer for taking down the Wrestle Fend players. Block + Jugger basically makes them skilless linemen when Blitzed. Whee!
GalakStarscraper - Dec 11, 2006 - 12:00 PM
Post subject:
On my agile teams ... I've been going the Wrestle / Fend route for my LOS 3.
Galak
Spazzfist - Dec 11, 2006 - 12:25 PM
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GalakStarscraper wrote:
On my agile teams ... I've been going the Wrestle / Fend route for my LOS 3.
Galak
This is an interesting idea. I may look to give the first three rotters (who live long enough - the decay is killing them - literally!) wrestle and fend. This can serve in two ways.
When facing most teams, I will have the four warriors, on the front line who will dominate with four ST4 players giving the speed teams in the league a hard time. In this case, keeping the Wrestling Rotters (WRs) as safeties for the catchers / gutter runners / skinks who sneak through that line - be sure to take them down as many of them are becoming blodgy.
But when I am facing the Khemri or the blossoming Lizardman team (just got his fifth saurus - despite my killing one of them!), then I would prefer to pull the warriors off the front line, so the warriors can take on the strong guys on my terms. So in this case, the WRs would go on the front line to take the initial punishment, but also to open holes and prevent an effective first strike.
Thanks for the ideas guys - I can see some new direction for this team - it looks like they have a solid plan now to become contenders in the league!
SolarFlare - Dec 11, 2006 - 12:36 PM
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I haven't done this one yet, but...
I like the idea of putting wrestle on a dark elf runner (as, perhaps, a 3rd skill after pass/NOS/accurate...)
My idea is that, when the runner is blitzed, he can dump off the ball and then take the blitzer down, thereby ending the blitzer's movement. The runner can also serve as a "safety" for those pesky blodging runners...
Spazzfist - Dec 12, 2006 - 08:15 AM
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This wrestle and fend sounds like a good plan - would you reccommend that kind of skill choice for a tournament that allows purchase of skills before the tourney's beginning? I would certainly consider wrestle as a skill for a rotter to take as a safety in a tourney where skills are taken after each round as well.
Kheldar - Dec 18, 2006 - 07:24 AM
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I think pestigors are better safetys. The are faster and get +1 str while blitzing.
Spazzfist - Dec 18, 2006 - 08:49 AM
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Kheldar wrote:
I think pestigors are better safetys. The are faster and get +1 str while blitzing.
That is a good point, however in my league right now the main threats for getting in the backfield are the skinks and gutter runners - so the +1 Strength is moot. Both pestigors are going to get block first (as one already has) and then the second skill will be tackle. Then they can fulfill rolls as blitzers or safeties as the case may be.
JumpingElf - Dec 19, 2006 - 03:15 AM
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It's nice to put wrestle on Woody Lineman. I can bring down even a Dwarf Blocker und steal his Tackle Zones and make his Tackle Skill useless for the rest of my turn without making an armour roll for my going down Lino. Then I can run through his line without any trouble (more or less 
). Good in many situations!
Thorfinn - Jul 01, 2007 - 08:30 AM
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I've been playing a Human all female team in a league.
My catchers seem to draw a lot of abuse whether for their AV7 or the fact that they are the quickest score threat, I don't know.
So for "fluff" reasons I gave two of them Wrestle. (the ladies like to roll around with people) It has worked out very well when they get blocked and blitzed routinely. My next plan is to give them Jump Up.
This way when they go down, they can come right back up with no movement penalty and hopefully no TZ to dodge out of. Just another idea.
Primesupreme - Jul 06, 2007 - 06:19 PM
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I think for Elf teams the wrestle route makes more sense. As the whole gist of the team is to move around quickly and they have high enough move that losing 3 isn't that bad of an idea compared to that loss to a low move player. Woe to the Treeman now...he is much more easy to render to the ground