"Welcome to Ro's Guide to FUMBBL for Noobs"

Welcome one and all. Here is a different look at how to survive FUMBBL. This is a little something for you new coaches that have found us. I have talked to some of the more well known coaches and admins as to what they see as the best way to play BB and on finding your place on the site. I will be asking some of the coachs on here that I know to add information to assist you. The User Guide is a great tool for you but also read the LRB. We use LRB4 on FUMBBL which is different than the current LRB5. There are also differences from the LRB to the client. It is in your best intrest to read up on them and keep them in mind when you are starting out. For you brand new coaches that are new to BloodBowl? it is very important to READ THE MANUAL! Welcome to FUMBBL and have fun

I) Coach Interviews

Thanks to Synn, Texan, Pizzamogul, Dreadclaw, Shadow46x2 for thier answers

How long have you been playing BloodBowl??

<Synn> about 13 years off and on i had a long break called "college"

<pizzamogul> ooof i played in college a few matches that was back in the 80's :D

<Dreadclaw> Since I was 12 (from 12-16 poorly and mostly WHFB with a little bbowl on the side, from 16 onwards more BB than WHFB) So about 11 years total.

<Shadow46x2>since second edition i think?....i miss the deathzone cards :(

How long have you been on FUMBBL?

<Synn> about 4 years

<pizzamogul> Member since: June 13th, 2005

<Dreadclaw> November 17th 2003.

<Shadow46x2>off and on since 2003...pretty consistently since 2005

Who would you say are the best coaches on FUMBBL and why?

<Synn> i would say flix, smess, petew or purplechest i have losing records to all of them :)

<pizzamogul> i've always thought Synn was one of the best at positioning his players and Dreadclaw is a master of setting up a foul in the flow of both his offense and defense Emphasy is great at positioning too Texan and Rondo give me fits in all aspects of the game

<Dreadclaw> The best coaches are the ones that can win, lose or draw and still have fun. I'm not namedropping.

<Shadow46x2>petew - this is pretty self-explanatory synn - good quality personality, bloodthirsty tactics...always a good combination texan - always fun to play, and knows his stuff backwards and forwards

What would you say is the most important thing for a new coach on FUMBBL to learn?

<Synn> how to have a sense of humor bottom line...is if someone is totally new to the game then they tend to have less expectations on here which is a good thing the issue is when some superstar coach who dominated his store's league for the past four years walks in..cos they lose horribly and don't know why the best coaches in the world lurk around here i think anyone new needs to understand... yes you will get beaten badly at first its what you get from the losses and how your attitude adjusts that determines whether you will stick around

<pizzamogul> how to recognize matchups - which are good, which are bad, who is the favorite, who is the underdog who are the key players/game breakers how to protect those few players and also how to take them out

<Dreadclaw> Whatever happens: It's your own fault. The dice are equally mean to everyone. Have fun, don't worry about poor dice.

<Shadow46x2>new coaches need to grasp that they're just pixels...there's more where the dead ones came from....let go and have fun

What is the most important part of bloodbowl in your opinion?

<Synn> positioning 100% positioning that is what makes skills like guard, side step, frenzy, DT, and DP so powerful people need to understand that sometimes.... not moving up an assist to make that block 2 dice is better than moving up the assist just because of where it leaves your team

<pizzamogul> positioning putting players in the right spots can overcome alot of bad rolls with good positioning

<Dreadclaw> Team management. Skillpicks but retiring injuries as well. Ingame it's positioning ofcourse.

<Shadow46x2>the competition...not the CR racing, the cherrypicking, the retarded tourneys, but the real competition...the stuff that boils up between two coaches who keep consistently playing each other and build up these legacy histories against each other....

What is your favorite race to play? Why?

<Synn> i love chaos to be honest they are very fun however Undead have been good to me they are a joy to manage regulating your TR, etc

<pizzamogul> that changes alot i like the hopeless races and themes Pro elves, ogres, lizzies and all hobgoblin teams and hailmary pass/diving catch teams

<Dreadclaw> My favourite Race to play... I'd say elves. I like their speed. 2nd would be chaos. versatile race. Orcs are third, due to their stableness

<Shadow46x2>dark elves, bar none...they frustrate the hell out of me to start, but they can mix some great agility abilities with some awesome bashing if played right

Would you give us some insights to your game stategies?

<Synn> when i first scan the pitch i identify threats to my team these can be killer blitzers...great ball handlers..or sometimes even a thrower on defense... i will use a loss "off the ball" mentality to either force the opponent to score quick or go for a risky stall all the while... i punish the team i love finding good places for a chainblitz (blitz into a chainpush which puts another player in my TZ for another block) i also like winning the psychological game by fouling early makes my opponent scared tends to make them hesitant to move forward <Ro> lol synntimidation?? <Synn> hehe

<pizzamogul> gosh, that's a tough one play defense 1st look at your opponent's team and figure out how it will score then take that away from them to the best of your team's ability for elves that can be playing a zone defense to slow dwarves down for undead that can mean fouling every ag3 dorf off the pitch it all depends on the matchups 2 try and control the ball aways shoot for the 2-1 win or 3-2 manage the clock so that your team puts the last score on the board

<Dreadclaw> I play to win, and use all I can. The main idea of game strategies differs per race, but I tend to have a running play with a lot of caging.

<Shadow46x2>kill...pretty simple...i don't have a particular strategy...i guess my strategy is no strategy....it's always different depending on whom i'm playing...i'm better at adapting to someone else, than i am pushing my own agenda

How can the average player make his game better?

<Synn> i think by simply understanding that bigger is not better you can always grow your team higher in TR that doesn't mean its winning percentage stays the same open leagues work differently if someone wants to play better... the key is to play as many high CR coaches as possible they will learn something

<pizzamogul> practice play the same race against a range of opponents get a feel for the matchups before moving on to the next race try and stick with a style and get better if you go agility play a range of agility teams or vice versa i.e. - stick with bashy if that's your thing

<Dreadclaw> By stop worrying about their teams and playing to have fun. Too often I see coaches give up a fight to keep their team alive. The team is there to help you win, you don't win to help the team. Fight to the death, until the end.

<Shadow46x2>watch other coaches, see how they move, and design some sort of style they can call their own that works... word of note...gangfouling does not equate to a style....

There are alot of interesting "personalities" on FUMBBL. Who is your favorite and why?

<Synn> i will give a safe answer..probably arktois he simply rocks although i am close friends with shadow and he is definately a personality

<pizzamogul> jeesh one favorite that's tough you know, i'd have to say Synn - just because I feel such a rivalry with him...I love playing against him, cause he always makes that one move that makes me say "wow" and gives me that "eureka" moment where i learn something new and become a better coach because of it and he positions so well, it's like playing a chess master - always is my toughest opponent for a thinking match plus he owns me

<Dreadclaw> Paulhicks. Because he's just awesome.

<shadow46x2> best personality goes to paulhicks...the guy is the incarnation of what fumbbl should be...lighthearted, enjoys himself, and even when wading kneedeep in blood, his opponents enjoy it too

How does a new coach avoid getting cherrypicked all the time?

<Synn> ignore CR first CR does not mean cherrypicking just pick matches that are +/- 5/5 if someone challenges your elves with khemri... it does not mean they are picking

<pizzamogul> by learning the matchups once you understand why dwarves want to play against zons and why zons don't want to play dorfs that can be expanded "oh, my lizzes will die a painful death to CD's because of the tackle"

<Dreadclaw> You don't. A new coach usually doesn't play well, and thus is a cherry. You can however try to learn how to play better by looking at others, as well as asking advice. Furthermore, keep a positive attitude and you'll be fine in no time!

<Shadow46x2>easy...avoid tuamadre, the_special_1, holyg, warriortsuke, buskopanz, and a few select others

Lastly what words of advice would you give a noob?

<Synn>don't forget that this is a game and that there is someone else on the other end of the client laugh about the results knowing you can always make a new team... hire a new player... play a new opponent just don't take this shit so seriously ;)

<pizzamogul> play in tournaments, ranked or league or whatever - doesn't matter the best bloodbowl is played in single-elimination games <pizzamogul> in a tourney bracket play in tourneys to measure your progress

<Dreadclaw> Don't worry, we all started somewhere! Keep trying and you'll improve in no time! =D

<Shadow46x2>enjoy it...stop being hung up and just enjoy yourself...take part in the community, be a part of the forums, talk to people on irc...fumbbl is more than just a game of blood bowl, it's the entire community....cherish it

II) Talking to the Admins

III) Posting in the Forums

IV) The RNG is not Broken