dorfeus
Joined: Nov 18, 2005
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Jan 19, 2026 - 12:09 |
 
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I like what I have seen so far.
Any idea when we get to see the full roster? |
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JackassRampant
Joined: Feb 26, 2011
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Jan 19, 2026 - 14:52 |
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| Carthage wrote: | Catch has reasonable utility on AG3+ teams but virtually none on AG2+ teams. Your benefit from a 84% change of success to a 97% chance is a lot smaller gain than going from 67% to 89%
Since it works on handoffs, it makes catchers on AG3 teams a realistic stretch play threat even without passing.
Elves are already all stretch play threats without any skills. |
heh, to me, that's not really what it's for. It's for being around the scrum when the ball goes bouncing, you'd never dream of rerolling, and the roll is usually a 3+, 4+, or worse. High Elf catchers were great at that, because they weren't shrinking violets like Human catchers were.
Paying a skill or skill-level TV for Catch is silly, yes. But 5k to help steal the ball and save a reroll to catch passes and handoffs, that's alright. |
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Lude enixe, obliviscatur timor. |
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MattDakka
Joined: Oct 09, 2007
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Jan 19, 2026 - 15:10 |
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The only thing I'd like to have from HE Catchers on Lion Warriors is MA 8, not Catch, but as I said they can't have everything. Wrestle, Claw and AV 9+ are already great. |
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Garion
Joined: Aug 19, 2009
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Jan 19, 2026 - 17:46 |
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| MattDakka wrote: | | The only thing I'd like to have from HE Catchers on Lion Warriors is MA 8, not Catch, but as I said they can't have everything. Wrestle, Claw and AV 9+ are already great. |
I'd rather ma8 on the dragon princes
As for catch... its weird to me that no one ever considers situations in which there are no rrs left when theory bowling. Having catch comes in clutch sometimes. A nice discounted starter skill, but obviously not one you'd invest in...
As for lions I think they'll primarily be uses as sackers, Wrestle strip, or wrackle. Claw is just a nice bonus |
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MattDakka
Joined: Oct 09, 2007
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Jan 19, 2026 - 18:03 |
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| Garion wrote: |
I'd rather ma8 on the dragon princes |
Oh yes, either on Dragon Princes or on Lion Warriors or on both of them. I talked about MA 8 on Lion Warriors because we were comparing them to HE Catchers. My point was that I don't miss Catch, I miss the MA (assuming Lion Warriors are MA 7).
| Garion wrote: | | As for catch... its weird to me that no one ever considers situations in which there are no rrs left when theory bowling. Having catch comes in clutch sometimes. A nice discounted starter skill, but obviously not one you'd invest in... |
I consider those situations and generally I save 1 rr for that crucial hand off.
I consider, on the other hand, the way more common situations where I can blitz/block with the Lion Warrior, something happening way more often (thus making Wrestle and Claw more valuable than Catch).
Having Wrestle makes more reliable blocking, thus reducing the need to use a rr to block/blitz with the Lion Warriors (and that helps saving 1 rr for the important hand off).
It's better to have a skill such as Wrestle, covering more common situations (saving more rrs), than a situational skill to save 1 rr for the once-a-drive hand off or catch. |
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JackassRampant
Joined: Feb 26, 2011
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Jan 19, 2026 - 19:36 |
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To be clear, I'm not discounting that. I'm just saying that, plus being better when around the ball, plus saving a RR when you do have it, collectively is usually worth 5k but maybe not 10k. |
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Lude enixe, obliviscatur timor. |
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Loon
Joined: Aug 14, 2024
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Jan 19, 2026 - 22:49 |
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>>community
GW says this is a passing team but there is no catcher??
>>Dakka
Akchtually catch is a poorly optimized skill
I think the point is that if GW wants a passing team, supposed catchers with Wrestle are not going to do it, people will run them as hybrid blitzers and make new HE the old DE. Oh well I'm not sure what can be done to a team to make passing really work, the rules are just fundamentally against passing as a primary play option. They needed some skills that make passing viable, like hit and run mechanics if you are the target of a pass or something else creative like that. |
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MattDakka
Joined: Oct 09, 2007
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Jan 19, 2026 - 23:15 |
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A team doesn't need to have a player with Catch to perform passing plays, if every player has AG 2+ and at least one of them has PA 2+.
If we want to talk about HE not being a really good passing team, we should focus on the Thrower, not on the lack of Catchers.
For me, the Thrower with PA 2+ makes HE not as good at passing as they are supposed to be, PA 1+ would be more fitting. The Catchers are not essential, since the team is full of AG 2+ potential receivers (so it should be quite easy to target an unmarked AG 2+ player or to free one, then passing to him), while only one player can throw the ball, so he should be very good at doing it.
Who cares if the Lion Warriors don't have Catch and have Wrestle? Wrestle doesn't forbid to catch a ball and score, or to pass it to a Lineman and score when needed as alternative.
If you don't like Wrestle receivers, carry/receive the ball with a Dragon Prince. I don't see the problem.
A proper HE Catcher could have been a MA 8 AV 8+ player with default Dodge and Catch. That way he could have been blodged up at first level up. |
Last edited by MattDakka on Jan 20, 2026; edited 1 time in total |
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Carthage
Joined: Mar 18, 2021
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Jan 20, 2026 - 02:07 |
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I think MA8 on any of those positionals makes High elves the best elf team by a reasonably large margin.
Delfs were strong because of 4x blitzers and a neat tech piece with witches. They lost their 2 of their blitzers and are having to sub in previously niche options like an assassin or a bad thrower/runner.
Helves are getting 4x blitzers while still having the same lineman and a (probably) great thrower. If any of those 3 positionals are MA8 AV9 they will be head and shoulders above the other elf rosters. As they will do what every other elf roster does but better.
I do agree you don't really need Catch. The problem with elf passing is the thrower. And cloudburster got a meaningful buff this edition. No more distance requirement and its not a RR, just a flat "you cannot interfere". I can see a world where the passing becomes a threat with the way that rule is written. PA2+, Pass, Cloudburster. Cannoneer (after 1 skill up) throws 10 squares on a 3+RR and nobody can interfere with it. If you can blitz a single receiver free you have a 2+ to catch and scamper away with not much the opponent can do about it.
The problem with the strat there is less than passing is bad/risky since thats an 88%ish chance to score any given play. And more that not playing a 2-1 mindset is asking to lose a game you could have won. |
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Chingis
Joined: Jul 09, 2007
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Jan 20, 2026 - 09:51 |
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Spot on.
The biggest issue with Blood Bowl game design wise is the incentive *not* to score. It doesn't matter what the percentages are on your percentage play if you'd really rather not score right now! |
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Garion
Joined: Aug 19, 2009
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Jan 20, 2026 - 11:40 |
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| Chingis wrote: | Spot on.
The biggest issue with Blood Bowl game design wise is the incentive *not* to score. It doesn't matter what the percentages are on your percentage play if you'd really rather not score right now! |
Is that an "issue"? |
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MattDakka
Joined: Oct 09, 2007
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Jan 20, 2026 - 11:50 |
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I think it's an issue when the score is delayed through static cage stalling.
Looking forward to see how the 5+ throw a rock will affect it, it's one of the BB2026 changes I like. |
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Chingis
Joined: Jul 09, 2007
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Jan 20, 2026 - 11:54 |
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If it's an overwhelmingly important factor so that there's effectively only one scoring schedule/clock management approach that is competitive, then yes, you massive close off the design space in terms of tactical themes with different risk profiles: quick and risky versus slower but surer. |
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Garion
Joined: Aug 19, 2009
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Jan 20, 2026 - 11:55 |
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Meh.. the anti stalling rule sucks imo. Its easy to get round and will most negatively impact weaker/newer coaches, who already get a rough ride.
Stalling/clock management is what creates all the strategic depth found in this game, that and the turn over rule. |
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MattDakka
Joined: Oct 09, 2007
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Jan 20, 2026 - 12:03 |
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If the static stalling can't be stopped due to casualties, too many Guards, a solid cage etc. there is no strategic depth, just wait until turn 8 and score.
There is some strategic depth, instead, when you are forced to move your players every turn to keep ball possession.
The anti-stalling rule is not perfect, I agree, but it's at least a step towards making stalling a bit harder.
Sure, it can be got round, but at least that adds some extra little difficulty to stalling. |
Last edited by MattDakka on Jan 20, 2026; edited 1 time in total |
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