Following on from my previous blog, I thought after ten games, I'd write a short piece on how life is progressing.

Results wise, the Frogs have moved to 4/4/2. I feel that's pretty good considering I'm now getting more of a feeling for their strengths and weaknesses; and perhaps where they fit into the 24 at the low to mid TV range. And my feeling for that is the top of the bottom third - but more of that later.

Progress has been painful. The team has continued to bleed players at an alarming rate, only being able to field a 'bench' for one game from the opening ten. The team is as fragile as Skaven (despite their AV8, the positioning factor of all the Linos makes retention tough), but more expensive, meaning the players that live skill, inflating TV even further as you struggle to field a team and build for the future with RRs and reserves. Promising careers (+MA, Dodge Catcher, Juggs Krox) have been cut short as the LRB6 Apo got employed trying to keep players on the field to win today, rather than alive to win tomorrow. My last game was a classic example of Slann frailty; despite marching eight turns from the clock against even TV Necro, the Necro bench allowed liberal eyeless fouling, and as they gained possession in the second half, seven Frogs were reduced to Leap / 1Ds to slow progress and try to save the tie.

It's a well trodden path now, numbers down, Linefrogs kitted out with Wrestle and Strip coupled with Leaping on a 2+ Guard players or Sure Handed AG4 struggle and panic to keep the team in the game, to stay alive. It's reminiscent of Vampires; the steal is _always_ on, but the attrition is plentiful. What this team doesn't have - what it cries out for - is that 40K fodder option.

Blitzers have remained a mystery. What is their purpose? OK, with two skills they'll be of use, but what is their TV then? 150? More than a Strip Ball Wardancer? What gives? I tried to take three in order to see if strength in numbers was a boon. It wasn't. This seems to be a microcosm of the team's issues, expensive, good on paper, but desperate and underpowered.

Catchers are becoming specialists, fast. A glorious double; 2+ Guard, but AV7 Fragile. Make it count. A Sure Hander to protect those 3 RRs that drain away as Frogs desperately Dodge away from the hits. Dodge for mobility. I like these guys. If they had the protection of 40 / 50k Linemen and effective Blitz machines to give the opposition something to worry about, we'd be in business!

Kroxi-who? I developed my first as a Juggernaughted 3DB Blitz machine, my desperate attempt for some power. I've changed my mind now, I think he calls for Guard / Stand Firm and a much needed anchor. I attempted to induce a Saw for extra hit power once, that went badly. A Wandering Apo would have been the order of the day.

Linefrogs. They are becoming emergency Wardancers; not reliable enough to do anything; lest Leap for desperate shots.

They're the very definition of the Slann team, the Linos. Controlling possession for eight turns is very tricky. The team doesn't have Elven mobility to play rope a dope, doesn't have the flat out pace to suck and go, doesn't have the power to cage or the spam ground block game to Foul their way to comfort. More often than not, the day calls for a seep down a sideline and a finger crossing 2+ Leap from a Catcher to get home as the forces dwindle. How exactly do you skill non-Catchers, anyway? It's all you can do some games to score at all. More often than not, defence after a drive becomes a pool break off; hit them as hard as you can as random as you can, and hope the balls bounce your way. And I’ve not even played a bona fide hit team yet - this will only be magnified versus the Dwarves or CDs or Orcs of the World.

This is not the team for the control freak. It's not the team for ruthless efficiency enthusiasts. Seek out Dark Elves for that job, run Orcs. This is the team for a dreamer, someone who loves a 3+. The team for someone who loves the random nature of the game.

Much as that isn’t me, there is something that keeps me going with this mob. Some dream I have that at high TV teams will fear the Frogs. Some idea that it’s fun to have a crap shoot. Some plan that with a bench, I might one day have _control_.

It almost reminds me of High Elves. When I skill all these guys, they’ll be fantastic! Oh, one’s dead. When I skill all these guys _and a replacement_, I’m away…. The call of the dreamer and the addict. And there’s the challenge of an underpowered team, TV inflated by overcosted positional trying to go toe to toe with efficiently built powerhouses.

Those things I can get off on. Those things will see the team to game twenty.