| Poll |
| Can you do anything about getting Blitz!-ed? |
| Nope: it just means that Nuffle has decided my opponent should score |
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18% |
[ 36 ] |
| There are precautions, but it hurts my preferred approach to offence too much to use them |
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31% |
[ 62 ] |
| I always expect a Blitz! ... But that doesn't seem to help ... |
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17% |
[ 34 ] |
| When my opponent rolls a Blitz!, it often only makes it easier for me to score! |
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32% |
[ 64 ] |
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| Total Votes : 196 |
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pac
Joined: Oct 03, 2005
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  Posted:
Apr 04, 2006 - 18:20 |
 
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[Note: pac is bored and this post is just an attempt to generate tactical debate which may divert him. Don't be lured in!]
My signature here used to be (and, in another place, still is), 'I always expect everything will be a Blitz! - That's why I'm still alive.'
Which - other than being a mangled quote from a favourite film - is to say that on offence, as long as I have the full 11 players available (and don't have to do something desperate like score in one or two turns with a team that has trouble doing so), I will tend to set up on offence with the <i>assumption</i> that the kick-off roll will be a <i>Blitz!</i> in mind.
<b>The Risks:</b>
Perhaps many of you would think this a too-cautious approach. After all, a Blitz! roll is unlikely: is it worth being so conservative in your set-up just to allow for that small chance?
To this I would have to reply that there are far smaller chances - with far smaller risks attached - which most good coaches almost always make allowances for. The chance of a Blitz! being rolled is 1 in 12. This is not dissimilar to the odds of failing a dodge (or catch, or pick-up) with an AG 3 player (1 in 9): and there are a lot of coaches around who fear those 1-in-9 chances so much that they don't play a passing game (of any kind) with AG 3 teams. The chance of double-ones (an AG 4 failure with re-roll) is 1 in 36, and we all know how often those happen!
<b>The Consequences:</b>
Blood Bowl is a game of risk vs reward. I wouldn't generally dodge with a Zombie, but I would if the possible rewards were high enough - like a clear shot at knocking the ball-carrier down. I don't generally mind offering you one die blocks against my players; but not if that player is my ball-carrier.
In this vein, a Blitz! roll is not that likely, but it's bound to happen sooner or later and the consequences can be very severe. Now, if your team is agile and quick, and your opponent is slow and lacks Kick skill, the risks are not that great. However, for a slow team against a fast team (especially if that team has Kick), a Blitz! result can completely destroy their chances in the game - since scoring enough times to win may be difficult enough without gifting the opposition this bonus TD.
And yet it is these slow, bashy teams that you see, more than any other, lining up practically their entire team on the LoS on offence, and not even making a gesture towards covering their flanks. To me, this is the equivalent of offering my opponent a two dice against block on my ball-carrier: I may well get away with it, but it's really not advisable! It doesn't take 7 to 9 players to block three guys on the LoS, and just two or three additional spare players can do a lot to limit the damage caused by a Blitz!
<b>Some Precautions:</b>
Well, I don't want to go on too long here, as it would pre-empt discussion, but here are a few obvious points:
• cover the width of the pitch with Tackle Zones; this helps force the opponent to use his Blitz action to break through your line to get to the ball (if he cares to), rather than just to hit your best reachable player (or, worse, your intended ball-collector)
• put a Tackle Zone on everybody on the half-way line (even things you're scared of like Big Guys); then they can't take an action as part of the Blitz!
• in addition to your ball-carrier, keep a player (ideally with Tackle-MB) deep in your own half - his job is to punish any speedy individuals who race into your half with ball-theft in mind!
That last precaution can also be very valuable in the case of a failed pick-up (or LoS blocking fiasco).
Anyway, enough rambling from me. What's your approach to this? Is it worth planning for the worst-case scenario that is a Blitz! result for the opponent? What steps can and do you take, and under what circumstances? Do you have any examples of cases where an opponent's Blitz! has actually made it <i>easier</i> for you to score? (I know I do …  ) |
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MadTias
Joined: Jun 19, 2004
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| Posted:
Apr 04, 2006 - 18:24 |
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All my full-11 offense set-ups take blitz!!! into account. It's just sensible coaching, and my offense hardly skips a beat if there is no blitz!!! |
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Webbe
Joined: Aug 13, 2003
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| Posted:
Apr 04, 2006 - 18:24 |
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whoops, misclicked, I meant 2nd choice and voted for 1st. |
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f0rd
Joined: Jun 23, 2004
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| Posted:
Apr 04, 2006 - 18:27 |
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2nd choice. blitz happens to seldom to take real measures against. i do however think about it and i wont for instance leave a whole flank uncovered
even if you get blitzed you will have at least 3 players more on your side to get the ball back (most of the time) |
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Last edited by f0rd on %b %04, %2006 - %18:%Apr; edited 1 time in total |
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Natakutoo
Joined: Dec 14, 2004
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| Posted:
Apr 04, 2006 - 18:27 |
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I'm just wondering where that quote is from... |
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f0rd
Joined: Jun 23, 2004
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| Posted:
Apr 04, 2006 - 18:30 |
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OOT: bash.org or qdb.us , i don´t remember. but i like it! |
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eyeslikethunder
Joined: Aug 02, 2003
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| Posted:
Apr 04, 2006 - 18:34 |
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always make some precautions to blitz if i have a full set of players on the field |
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Melmoth
Joined: May 05, 2004
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| Posted:
Apr 04, 2006 - 18:42 |
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Blitz is a broken kick off result IMO. I dont know how much faction games are simply decided by who has more blitzes or has at least one. Or does anyone really think a good setup and a precaution can stop woodies from scoring while having a blitz? It may not be to important in Ork vs Dwarf Matches or something (PD might work better) but vs Elfs, Skaven or any good developed fast playing team its  |
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Candlejack
Joined: Aug 02, 2003
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| Posted:
Apr 04, 2006 - 18:51 |
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Blitz can win you games but can also lose you some.. often enough you expose your defence to much when you try to get under the ball or something like that.. so it's one of the best kick off results but also one of the most overvalued.. and yes you can stop woodies etc from scoring on a blitz.. it's hard and you need luck, but you can do it |
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Melmoth
Joined: May 05, 2004
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| Posted:
Apr 04, 2006 - 18:54 |
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Yeah, sure with luck and taking risk u can do anything in BB. But IMO in generally its really hard to stop woodies and skaven having blitz. And I think its broken cause it often results in a score and a kickoff thing should bring some extra flavour but should not decide matches. |
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Macavity
Joined: Nov 23, 2004
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| Posted:
Apr 04, 2006 - 18:55 |
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Actually, I think my simple "Two Thrower" rule helps you out a lot against a blitz. No one should ever be alone in the backfield. On the other hand, people who do hang one guy back, have happy human blitzer with Shadow and Pass Block as well as MB and tackle, trotting down to visit. |
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sk8bcn
Joined: Apr 13, 2004
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| Posted:
Apr 04, 2006 - 19:15 |
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Kinda depends on many more conditions than just be 11 or not. First:
how does the opponent kick? short? He hopes on early pressure thus a blitz is risky.
He kicks deep? usually less of a danger if you are agile. May be wise to defend though if you are a basher. However, some teams are impossible to block when they get blitz!
Against those, I prefer to ignore the blitz danger and concentrate on the best positionning for my offense.
well well, so none of the options you gave. |
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pac
Joined: Oct 03, 2005
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| Posted:
Apr 04, 2006 - 19:27 |
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| Macavity wrote: | | No one should ever be alone in the backfield. |
Great quote. 
I tend to run high MA teams (Humans, Wood Elves) quite a lot. They get plenty of TDs from Blitzes (along with failed pick-ups), and sometimes also get TDs when the opponent Blitzes me and overcommits to it: leaving the entire field open if/when the ball scatters to me.
I also had a Smack game against Candlejack where his Dark Elves seemed to Blitz! on every kick-off against my Dwarves! Now, how we got through that match is still something of a mystery to me - certainly it took a bit of luck - but if all my squat little guys had been sitting on the LoS, they'd have had no chance whatsoever.
| sk8bcn wrote: | | well well, so none of the options you gave. |
Sorry about that: I usually put in an 'Other …' option, but I forgot this time. And I don't know how to edit poll options (if I can) … |
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Last edited by pac on %b %04, %2006 - %19:%Apr; edited 1 time in total |
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Ironik
Joined: Jun 28, 2004
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| Posted:
Apr 04, 2006 - 19:27 |
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[quote="pac"][Note: pac is bored and this post is just an attempt to generate tactical debate which may divert him. Don't be lured in!]
Ok I am not lured in.
Pie |
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Wyrmtainter
Joined: Nov 30, 2004
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| Posted:
Apr 04, 2006 - 19:30 |
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Depends on the team im playing. With fast teams i dont see a Blitz! as much a danger, as i have a good maneuvrability to react to that blitz and get the ball back in play. With slow teams i prefer to spread things around so that i will have people near the carrier if he ever grabs the ball. |
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