Deadshane
Joined: Feb 06, 2004
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  Posted:
Oct 07, 2009 - 21:46 |
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I know this isnt surprising. I know they're a tough team to play, but I cannot seem to bash, and I sure cannot pass (unless you depend on Vamps for that?)
I've gotten off some interesting and surprising plays with Hypnogaze, but it just isnt enough.
What am I missing? Anyone got any hints?
Here are the two teams I'm working with, I hope someone can help me.
http://fumbbl.com/FUMBBL.php?page=team&op=view&team_id=592553
and a reboot
http://fumbbl.com/FUMBBL.php?page=team&op=view&team_id=592795
(It's odd losing games since here in a local league I totally kick butt with Helves, I know they're two different teams but maybe my playstyle just fits better with a passing game. I cannot figure out if Vamps are Agile or Strength oriented....I just cannot seem to get the drives going) |
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SillySod
Joined: Oct 10, 2006
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  Posted:
Oct 07, 2009 - 22:02 |
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Here are a few pointers:
- vampires should be doing most of your ball handling, I wouldnt plan to throw it either
- pro is a very weak skill for thralls, block is much better (and having a kicker is excellent)
- take a much higher starting fan factor, a constant stream of money is a nice thing to have
- vampire teams arent bashy teams, they are a specialised agility team that sacrifices alot of offensive potential for a massive defensive boost (hypnogaze) |
_________________ Putting the "eh?" back into Sexeh.
"There are those to whom knowledge is a shield. There are those to whom it is a weapon. Neither view is balanced." |
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NickNutria
Joined: Jul 25, 2006
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  Posted:
Oct 07, 2009 - 22:41 |
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Hi, I'm also not a very good vampire player, but my vampires indeed are the throwers of the team, i try to do the scoring with the thralls and also most of the blocking and blitzing part with them (hypno gaze really helps a lot here). I also put my vampires on the LOS, because with regeneration and av 8, they can take a beating better than the thralls.
One really long-term try with vampires can be to start off with an all thrall team with 11 thralls no vamps, 6 RR an apo and a high fanfaktor of 8 or 9. |
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XtremeXwing
Joined: Dec 03, 2004
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  Posted:
Oct 07, 2009 - 23:02 |
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NickNutria wrote: | I also put my vampires on the LOS, because with regeneration and av 8, they can take a beating better than the thralls.
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Av8 with regen is like putting 3 zombies on the LOS a team with a couple of mb and a dp could possibly remove all 3 in a turn! Even if they ar ejust koed or regen thats 8 turns without your best players. Thralls are cheap and easy to replace dont worry if they die. |
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maysrill
Joined: Dec 29, 2008
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  Posted:
Oct 08, 2009 - 18:47 |
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In terms of ball handling, I tend to treat vamps like a skaven team. Think of the vamps as slow, strong gutter runners. They should be retrieving and handling the ball for you, passing from one to another if you sorely need to, and distributing to thralls when you have an opportunity to spread FF.
Vamp drives are generally organized chaos, IMO. You don't have the firepower against most teams to maul your way up the pitch, and you're not fast enough to outrun people. I tend to run an overload offense to one side, using vampires to create the holes to move the team through, and to mark single ST3 players. A blitz and a hyp-gaze are enough to open a good size gap in a defense.
As far as positioning, learn a trick I've taken to calling a gaze swap. If someone is marking a thrall and you have a free vamp, run over and gaze the man marking yours, and move the thrall away. This frees up a thrall and puts a ST4 vamp marking their guy instead. You could have used the vampire's assist to make a block, but your thralls are more likely to help by being in proper position to screen/cage than knocking down most players.
Never forget that vampires are specifically a sub-optimal race; they go so far as to say as much in the rulebook. Unlike flings, gobbos, or even ogres though, with clever play, weird strategy, and a bit of OFAB luck, they are quite competitive.
Oh, and thralls are candy to be thrown to your opponent. 3 thrall LOS is the only way to go. You can even keep beat-up thralls around (even cheap ones with 'n') just for LOS duty.
As for "real" thralls, I tend toward an even split between DP thralls (DP, Kick, Block or DP, Block, Kick) and utility thralls (Block, Tackle, etc.). |
_________________ Author of Firehurler (Twinborn Trilogy Book #1), Aethersmith (Book #2), Sourcethief (Book #3) |
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Vanguard
Joined: Nov 01, 2003
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  Posted:
Oct 08, 2009 - 19:09 |
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ok vamps ^^
ff 9 is a must have
i prefer to have many vamps insteadt of many rr, which is a pain in the beginning, but thralls suck so hard ... you need many skilled vamps and nothing is more funny than 6 vamps who hypno gaze a half team ^^.
but thats a high gamble thing. my only thoughts are, what makes vamps spezial and strong ?
hypno gaze , so get much of them ^^ |
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maysrill
Joined: Dec 29, 2008
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  Posted:
Oct 13, 2009 - 21:31 |
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Vanguard wrote: |
i prefer to have many vamps insteadt of many rr, which is a pain in the beginning, but thralls suck so hard ... you need many skilled vamps and nothing is more funny than 6 vamps who hypno gaze a half team ^^.
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I take a more balanced approach to a startup. All-thrall might get you the most rerolls, but it puts you on the rebuy treadmill, replacing thralls as they get mutilated with no vampire support.
By the same token, 6 vampires shorts you too much on rerolls. With 6 vamps you're averaging about 1 OFAB failure per turn, and unless you hate your thralls, you're going to want to limit the number of bites.
While I'm sure there are plenty of viable starting rosters for vamps, I prefer to go 3 vamps and max out rerolls after that, which I believe gets you 4 rerolls.
[my rule of thumb: have more rerolls than vampires] |
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Mr_Foulscumm
Joined: Mar 05, 2005
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  Posted:
Oct 13, 2009 - 21:41 |
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SillySod wrote: | Here are a few pointers:
- pro is a very weak skill, block is much better. |
I fixed that for you Silleh |
_________________ Everybody's favorite coach on FUMBBL |
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Zombie69
Joined: Jul 02, 2007
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  Posted:
Oct 13, 2009 - 23:50 |
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3 vamps will only get you 3 rerolls, not 4. I prefer to start with 0 vamp and 6 rerolls, and no, that doesn't make me lose thralls fast. It gets me to 4 vamps and 6 rerolls in no time, and that's where you wanna be asap imo. |
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SillySod
Joined: Oct 10, 2006
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  Posted:
Oct 14, 2009 - 00:09 |
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Starting with anywhere between zero and three vampires can work well.
Obviously it depends on your aims. If you want to maximise your chances of winning right from game one then you want at least two vampires. |
_________________ Putting the "eh?" back into Sexeh.
"There are those to whom knowledge is a shield. There are those to whom it is a weapon. Neither view is balanced."
Last edited by SillySod on %b %14, %2009 - %11:%Oct; edited 1 time in total |
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Catastrophy
Joined: Sep 14, 2009
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  Posted:
Oct 14, 2009 - 05:21 |
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I find 3 vampires the optimal number. While 4 is great, they can be quite lethal to your own team and your game, especially in LRB4. Start with 2 vampires, fill out the rest with thralls, RR's then 7-9 FF. Too lazy to bother with the math right now.
Personally i have a Vampire team IRL, i constantly regret starting with 4 vamps, 4RRs (0 FF, 5 now) and 7 thralls, but so far its turned out great. But thats only me being relatively lucky. Except im down to. . 4 thralls and 3 journeymen Contemplating whether i should spend my 140.000 on a reroll or on replacements. |
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Meech
Joined: Sep 15, 2005
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  Posted:
Oct 14, 2009 - 05:26 |
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Vamps: Don't play them |
_________________ Putting the FU in fumbbl since 9/2005 |
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