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Blood Bowl Defensive Setup III: Sideline Defenses
Defensive Setup in Blood Bowl
Part III: Sideline Defenses
by JackassRampant
Sideline Defenses are more general-purpose than the interior defenses we covered last time: rather than protecting players like an interior defense, sideline defenses protect space. Some sideline defenses do a little of both, but what they all have in common is that they protect all 7 columns on each side, with players or with tackle zones. Sideline defenses are dependent on the “trash” created by the line of scrimmage to maintain center-pitch control, and some offenses can exploit this with a little luck (or a little Grab).
The Line
The line defense is the most basic sideline defense, but not the most popular. It’s built on a double line-screen with players in the 2 and 3 columns just inside each wide zone marker, and in the 5 and 6 columns in the wide zone, to cover the entire width of the pitch. The defensive line must be bunched in the center, in the 1, 0, and 1 columns (a “101 line” in this parlance), as their presence, and that of the players blocking them, is necessary to clog up the middle.
The line defense is very stout if the players in the 6 column can’t be pushed around, but if they can it’s actually pretty vulnerable. Most coaches know that a player in the 6 column who can be approached from the 5 by a Frenzy blitzer can be crowd-pushed, so this defense should be avoided against teams that can do that. Necromantic love it, as Wraiths in the 6 columns and Golems in the 2 can pose questions that most teams can’t answer.
The Ziggurat
So let’s solve this weakness in the line defense, shall we? The ziggurat defense is just as stout up the middle as the line defense, but it protects the 6-column players, and keeps the wide zones clean even better. The weakness is that it’s easy to blitz the 5-column players, and doing so opens the way for Agility 2+ or better players to jump through. That’s usually minor … usually.
The Chevron
Both the line and ziggurat defenses are really stout up the middle, because they have a line in the 2 and 3 columns. However, any player in this formation is subject to blitzes from strong or Guard-heavy teams that don’t mind going into contact. The solution to this is to pull the 3-column midfielders back a square and make them safeties. This surrenders an easy block in the 2 column, but maybe that was going to happen anyway, and now you have at least one player the opponent can’t mark, centrally located and ready to respond from the backside.
Mixing the Ziggurat and Chevron
The ziggurat and chevron, though they function differently, are physically very similar. It’s possible that you have a big guy and a player you really want to protect, in which case you can field a chevron on that side (the left side in the diagram) with the big guy labeled B, in the 2 column screening the fragile or expensive safety, labeled s, in the 3 column, while on the other side you can run a ziggurat with two standard ST3 players.
The Columns
When people talk about a “columns” or “stacks” defense, usually they mean one on the later turns. However, you see opening defenses of this sort some of the time, usually when surrendering the wide zone simply is not an option. This is not necessarily a recommended defense in itself, but putting up a double stack screen to hold the wide zone is a thing, if you don’t fear Frenzy.
If you’re worried that your opponent will run up the middle, or even if you just want a little variety, the next article is on full-width defenses, which have different strengths and weaknesses than sideline defenses, but the same aim. Until then, have fun and good luck!
— JR
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Part III: Sideline Defenses
by JackassRampant
Sideline Defenses are more general-purpose than the interior defenses we covered last time: rather than protecting players like an interior defense, sideline defenses protect space. Some sideline defenses do a little of both, but what they all have in common is that they protect all 7 columns on each side, with players or with tackle zones. Sideline defenses are dependent on the “trash” created by the line of scrimmage to maintain center-pitch control, and some offenses can exploit this with a little luck (or a little Grab).
The Line
The line defense is the most basic sideline defense, but not the most popular. It’s built on a double line-screen with players in the 2 and 3 columns just inside each wide zone marker, and in the 5 and 6 columns in the wide zone, to cover the entire width of the pitch. The defensive line must be bunched in the center, in the 1, 0, and 1 columns (a “101 line” in this parlance), as their presence, and that of the players blocking them, is necessary to clog up the middle.
The line defense is very stout if the players in the 6 column can’t be pushed around, but if they can it’s actually pretty vulnerable. Most coaches know that a player in the 6 column who can be approached from the 5 by a Frenzy blitzer can be crowd-pushed, so this defense should be avoided against teams that can do that. Necromantic love it, as Wraiths in the 6 columns and Golems in the 2 can pose questions that most teams can’t answer.
The Line Defense
7 6 5 4|3 2 1 0 1 2 3|4 5 6 7 column
- - - -|- - x x x - -|- - - - Line
- - - -|- - - - - - -|- - - - -1
- x x -|x x - - - x x|- x x - -2The Ziggurat
So let’s solve this weakness in the line defense, shall we? The ziggurat defense is just as stout up the middle as the line defense, but it protects the 6-column players, and keeps the wide zones clean even better. The weakness is that it’s easy to blitz the 5-column players, and doing so opens the way for Agility 2+ or better players to jump through. That’s usually minor … usually.
The Ziggurat Defense
7 6 5 4|3 2 1 0 1 2 3|4 5 6 7 column
- - - -|- - x x x - -|- - - -
- - - -|- - - - - - -|- - - -
- - x -|x x - - - x x|- x - -
- x - -|- - - - - - -|- - x -The Chevron
Both the line and ziggurat defenses are really stout up the middle, because they have a line in the 2 and 3 columns. However, any player in this formation is subject to blitzes from strong or Guard-heavy teams that don’t mind going into contact. The solution to this is to pull the 3-column midfielders back a square and make them safeties. This surrenders an easy block in the 2 column, but maybe that was going to happen anyway, and now you have at least one player the opponent can’t mark, centrally located and ready to respond from the backside.
The Chevron Defense
7 6 5 4|3 2 1 0 1 2 3|4 5 6 7 column
- - - -|- - x x x - -|- - - -
- - - -|- - - - - - -|- - - -
- - x -|- x - - - x -|- x - -
- x - -|x - - - - - x|- - x -Mixing the Ziggurat and Chevron
The ziggurat and chevron, though they function differently, are physically very similar. It’s possible that you have a big guy and a player you really want to protect, in which case you can field a chevron on that side (the left side in the diagram) with the big guy labeled B, in the 2 column screening the fragile or expensive safety, labeled s, in the 3 column, while on the other side you can run a ziggurat with two standard ST3 players.
The Chevron/Ziggurat Defense
7 6 5 4|3 2 1 0 1 2 3|4 5 6 7 column
- - - -|- - x x x - -|- - - -
- - - -|- - - - - - -|- - - -
- - x -|- B - - - x x|- x - -
- x - -|s - - - - - -|- - x -The Columns
When people talk about a “columns” or “stacks” defense, usually they mean one on the later turns. However, you see opening defenses of this sort some of the time, usually when surrendering the wide zone simply is not an option. This is not necessarily a recommended defense in itself, but putting up a double stack screen to hold the wide zone is a thing, if you don’t fear Frenzy.
The Columns Defense
7 6 5 4|3 2 1 0 1 2 3|4 5 6 7 column
- - - -|- - x x x - -|- - - -
- - - -|- - - - - - -|- - - -
- x - -|x - - - - - x|- - x -
- x - -|x - - - - - x|- - x -If you’re worried that your opponent will run up the middle, or even if you just want a little variety, the next article is on full-width defenses, which have different strengths and weaknesses than sideline defenses, but the same aim. Until then, have fun and good luck!
— JR
Back to table of contents