Hi everybody.

Following the last (and first) blog, I'm gonna to describe the first of the 2 phases of a Khemri team.
In my opinion, though it seems more difficult attacking with Khemri, it's the defence phase that can allow you to win matches. If the defensive phase is negative, it will be necessary try to equalize in the same or in the next half, taking risks.
If the defensive phase is succesful (no need to counterscore, just prevent the opponent TD), all the pressure will be on the opponent and without pressure on its Coach, Khemri teams shine.
I think these being the key concept in the defence phase:
1) Khemri is an uncommon bash team
2) Khemri is a control team
3) Khemri has got a skill not written in the rulebook that we can call "The pharaho's curse"

1) Khemri is an uncommon bash team
I wanted to use the word "uncommon" cause it's not true that Khemri is not a bash team. It has many skills / stat proper of a bash team. Though it has got in the beginning great potential, but less effectiveness.
To be "uncommon" means that still Khemri teams are bash teams. They only have to put much more effort on what other bash teams use to play their game, I mean control tactic.
But let's focus on the "uncommon". Khemri has got high strenght (highest except Ogres) and no negatrait, good armours on positionals (excluding throrahs), regeneration throughout the whole team, Thik skull on the lines.
What does Khemri lack? In first instance blocks (only 2 allowed in the beginning, and not always eligible in a 1.000 team), no mighty, no tackle, no high armour throughout the whole team.
Other than that, Khemri shares quite the same limits of other bash teams: they're quite slow (even if they have more speed than dwarves and orcs), low agility and no agility skills (starting / access excluding doubles).
Do these characteristics change something on the bashy side of Khemri? Not at all. Khemri has to keep an attrition game, need to keep in contact with the opponent, but differently from other bash teams that can simply "move in contact". Khemri teams need to carefully pick their battles and have to think hard about any movement. Brawls are welcome, but Khemri need always to be on control.

2) Khemri is a control team

What does it mean "control"? In my opinion it can mean 2 different concepts:
- Being able to cover all the table, making for the opponent impossible to pass throught its lines
- Being able to force the opponent to do errors / forcing his turnover / go out of position / stopping players from moving

The 2 description are quite different. The 1st is typical of an elven playstyle (the double defence) and is mostly effective when the team can reposition itself quickly. This tactic rely heavily on being out of opponent tackle zones.
It's quite clear that this option is undoable for a Khemri team, so it's the second concept that has to be exploited.
Khemri has to keep in contact, doing it at their conditions using the "pharao's curse" (more later) all the time.
Saying that Khemri has to keep in contact with the opponent in the defensive phase isn't a riscky option. It's riscky and dfficult, cause the coach has to put much attention on how to contact the opponent, but it has 4 S5 tomb guard that has to be used correctly.
The control game it's all about TG positioning. Don't bother with skellies / blitz rahs /thro rahs. Tomb Guard are the key players. I'd like to say that TG are key players not for what they're usually considered good at: they're not good player cause they can always block with 2 / 3 dice.
TG are good players cause can force the opponent to block -2 dice. They can simply block the opponent path staying right in his face, ready to counterstrike if he doesn't move. Getting a TG on the ballcarrier means he has to dodge away or block at max with 1d /-2d. To do this what is most important is positioning.

3) Khemri has got a skill not written in the rulebook that we can call "The pharaho's curse"

Time to explain what is this strange skill Khemri has got. The "curse" is simply the ability to force the opponent to get a 3+ result anytime he wants to move.
I know it sounds a bit weird, but let me explain with easy examples.
If a TG contact the standard opponent player (assuming an Ag3 player) it immediately cause the need of making a 3+ dodge to use that player.
If a TG is in base contact with an opponent standard player (assuming a S3 player) with block it immediately cause the chance of taking a -2 dice block to free the player (chances to fail with block are 10/36, roughly 33%, again a 3+).

From that examples, a Khemry coach can even increase the curse if moving correctly... 3+ dodges can become 4+ if the opponent player is between 2 TG or has a little dirty skelly 1 space away in the right position, -2d block can become -3 d block.
How can this be achieved? I think again that 3 is the right number. When moving the TG, it has to be considered if the opponent can bring up to 3 players in base contact with the TG to get a 1d block. if the answer is no, your TG is just in the right spot.
With this playstyle, it's quite clear that the optimal space between the TG is 1 free square (until opponent doesn't have many guards). Another thing to consider is the need of man marking players that hasn't got bock in 1st instance.

When positioned right, TG can be devastating for the opponent schemes: he has to consider what to do as 1st move, need to free his men, but at the same time is forced to move and protect the ball throughout the field. The most wrongest tactic is to leave free to move the opponent for several turns. He can easily outrun your players and find sooner or later a gap in the line.

What's the role of other players? As I said TG has to be 1 square away from each other, so they can cover roughly half of the pitch. The other players need to cover the remaining gaps, even if they'll be not able to cover the whole field. Watch out: the goal is not covering the whole table, but close the opponent in a narrow space, putting as many as possible TG in base contact with his main core (usually the ball) and forcing every player to roll dice to get an action.

Skellies: they cover 3 main goal in the defence phase:
- Man mark down players: always mark prone player. This limits execptionally the oppponent movement and can lead to forced early dodge. Many times I've seen scene like "I need this player up and dodging to assist this other player to get the block to free this one, etc etc"... sometimes that 3+ is failed (even after the rr) and that leads inevitably to losing the ball cause TG are there.
- TG assistance: while the 4 TG assists each other, the 2 on the sides are usually exposed and represent the weak points of the tank. As a tactic I try to keep 1 near the board line (so it's naturally covered by the edge) and the other one is covered by a couple of skellies (couple because if the opponent manages to move one, there's always the othet that keep protection).
- Free TG: sometimes, if TG need to reposition, it could be a good tactic to get near a skelly. I'll try to make the example that often has occurred in my experience. Let's figure this one:
A TG blitz a plyer to break the opponent line, then follows but is unable to break the armour. It's wrong leaving the TG marking the prone player alone. The next turn the opponent will try to reposition its defence, so will move away, standing up its player. In this situation, the 2d block by the TG are a waste, cause probably now the TG is out of position and useless. If the prone player is man marked by a skelly, it can block the player again the next turn and the TG will be able to move again towards the ball.

Thro-Rah: Thro-Rah cover 3 purposes in the defensive phase:
- Add some speed: Sometimes blitzers (more later) are busy dealing with those nasty player your opponent has taken in contact or simply are out of position. Thro Rah can cover the field just as well even if only to mark down the ball carrier.
- Pick up the ball: this is an interesting defensive tactic. If the ball is down, thro rah can try a pick up just to make it safer. this is especially true when facing high speed / agility teams. Make sure this will be the last thing to do, trying to forsee where the ball could scatter if the pick up fails. When the thro rah has the ball, your first goal will be to keep it, even running down the time if needed. If the thro rah has got the ball in the defensive phase, Khemri are not far away from victory
- Make the added skelly: I've not great consideration fo Thro Rahs and I sometimes use them like an added skeleton. I use them mainly to fill gaps or get some support. But this is uaually an extreme move if I don't want to go for it with other players or I can't.

Blitz Rah: I think they can cover 3 roles:
- Blitzing: it's always safer block / blitz with a Blitz Rah, having even more chance to beat down the opponent that hasn't got block.
- Cover the back: blitz rah can be excellent safety. 1-2 can be really brilliant covering your back. They can impede opponent breakthrouhg and forcing him to keep more players in protecting the ball, so in narrow spaces and here come the TGs. Getting protection the khemri half can forbid a stall, thlucky throw to the receiver even if the opponent is not an elf and can make your front line stable, not needing to breack TG line.
To fulfill this role, try to keep them right in the middle, 2-3 squares behind the line. If you're in doubt, look for your weak point in the line and enforce that with the blitz rah.
- Threathen the ball: watch out: this is a riscky strategy and can really weaken your defence if not played correctly (I got some bad touchdown cause I moved terribly them). The threat is needed when you want your opponent to close his cage with more players, maybe moving from the centre to one side. The man is the blitz rah cause the threat should be actual, and because if the opponent want to blitz him, he has got block for some extraprotection.
Still using the blitz rah this way is a risky choice and you should assure your defensive line not to take some nasty breaktrhought. Remember that if the opponent mark your blitz rah or blitz him, he we'll probably be out from the game for the rest of the drive, so, again, consider wisely this move.

In conclusion:

Khemri are great in staying in base contact, limiting opponent moves.
TG are the key players.
Put much attention when playing vs elves. Hoping for a quick TD is good, but keep always an eye on the possible breakthrought if they are not forcing and want to stall.

Of course there's the need to consider what kind of opponent/ team is going to play against. Heavy bash team like caos are not the one you want to go toe to toe with, so consider getting a control phase more "elfish".

Thanks for reading.