Post by booncabal on Nov 10, 2015 21:19:12 GMT
Courtesy of Sybaris
So I noticed there was absolutely nothing here for tactics with Orcs. On one side, I understand it because Orcs are generally seen as a beginner’s team (they’re pretty straightforward and foolproof), but on the other side…a lot of people know how to play them and as such could have put some text on how-to.
The Orcs are a bash team by definition...along with dwarves, they actually define what "bash" mean in blood bowl (for those teams who actually can play the ball game).
They get access to some unique combinations, and a very wide roster choice, but their game is essentially a running drive with a bit of ball handling. They are better on offense than defense, due to low movement, but with some skill advances, can become a green wall of death (and frustration) for even veteran players.
Orcs are definitely in the first tier of competitiveness when compared to other starting rosters.
The Lineorc
In the shadow of the stars, the orc liners still present excellent performance when compared to other linemen. He is somewhat slow, but extremely tough in return. Since linemen typically stand on the receiving end of blockers, and rarely dash with speed or dodge a lot, the orc lineman is pretty good for what he needs to do.
The guy will not see a lot of action though, so they will rarely advance in experience. That’s because their main role will be to assist blitz, blocks, provide tacklezones and generally be in the way of the opponent. At 50k, they are quite expendable, but they compete for slots in a jam packed roster, so you rarely see many of them.
Should they get experience, the traditional kick is interesting, because no other player on the roster will have space for it, and it allows your slowish orcs to be in threat range of the ball earlier in the drive.
Block is also an obvious choice, as well as tackle. If one of them gets the taste of fame, you can always throw in dauntless or fend. Doubles will go for guard.
Any stat is good, although MA and AG are less likely to be useful.
The Thrower
Completely at odd with the team’s play style, the orc thrower is both a liability and a blessing. They bring in fairly decent ball-handling to a bash team (a unique combination), but at a slow pace and reduced armour. This means that unlike starting chaos or undead teams, passing the ball short distances and picking it up aren’t alienating tasks. Their main task is to fetch the ball and bring it forward to your blitzers so they may score.
The first skill to get is Kick Off Return, due to their slow speed. This is especially important against superfast teams like skaven and wood elves. Then the thrower can resume a normal thrower curve (accurate, safe throw, etc.). Doubles could go for Dodge or Strongarm. Block isn’t a bad pick either, because the orc thrower is going to end up close to the action and their lower AV (still good) will make them easier targets for sneaky stuff like wizard, stabs, chainsaws…etc. Loosing your only thrower will remove that ball-handling ability from your team and make it back into the normal bash crowd.
The Black Orc Blocker
These guys are your muscle. They provide pillars around which to blitz. They start reasonably well, and can compete even with dwarves or chaos. They are very slow and not very agile, however, so ball handling is not their cup of tea. This means that they rely on getting MVP and CAS to get skill ups…so this is -all- up to nuffle (what isn’t). Without the block skill, remember that they are less reliable than your blitzers.
Black Orcs may be strong, but they won’t hold a Big Guy, and dwarves guard lines will put them down, so they will sometimes spend the game on their arse like lineorcs.
Skill ups on Black Orcs seems to be a matter of debate. Block, Guard, Standfirm, Mighty Blow seems to be ideal to me, but the order of picking them is all over the board. I don’t pretend to know the correct or best order, so trial and error maybe. What is certain is that loosing an experienced Black Orc is annoying because it’ll be a long time before it comes back to its former glory. I am not certain I would use a double to pick a skill other than those mentioned, because it might take ages until the player gets another.
The only stat they care for is ST and little else.
The Blitzers
The stars of the Orc team, those guys are your bread and butter for winning games. They provide you with reliable blocks and blitz, with excellent survivability and average speed. They are numerous at 4 on the field, so even if one is brought down, they can quickly fill the holes and exploit those created by Black Orcs.
Skillwise, they can go many paths, and again I lack experience to tell you what is best. Tackle, Mighty Blow, Guard, Standfirm seems rather good on them. You can even add a piling on or frenzy in the mix. Blitzers are the guys who score TD and make important blitzes, so they will get spps faster than anyone else in the team. Dodge would be very useful in case of a double.
All stats are useful, except AV. By the time a player is so valuable as to be given av10, there will be enough claws around to make it useless.
The Troll
The big guy of the Orcs is seldom seen on the pitch. That’s because the roster is already full of good positional, and with re-rolls to buy, it’s easy to skip on the Troll. Being very strong, it may help cement the line of Black Orcs against seriously bashy teams (like Chaos or Lizardmen), and they bring mighty blow to help get some CAS. They like to cause turnovers and just stand there doing nothing for a few turns per match, though, and I’ve not met a lot of orc teams with a troll in their starting roster.
Goblins
It’s not uncommon to see 1 goblin lying about when playing against orcs. They offer mobile assistance and are probably supposed to play the role of catchers, given access to agility skills. They bring the problem of being very squishy, so they could be sent off the pitch early and leave you a player short. Do they bring more than a lineorc would? Up to anyone’s opinion. If you have a Troll, you can always go for the crazy thrown team-mate option…a favourite play amongst fans, but totally unreliable.
The goblin gets access to sidestep and catch. They will also often be underestimated and if left unattended, can present a good potential catcher for a pass. Goblins don’t tend to be great players no matter how skilled they get, but they sure are fun, and should the need to foul arise, or putting a desperate tackle against your local Blood Thirster…your Goblin will gladly do the job, and who cares what happens to it.
Conclusion
Overall, the orc team is one of the few that has everything to start and endure Blood Bowl. They are the basic team, the go-to for new players in order to learn the game. Still, they offer a unique style of play which may appeal to the veterans, and they sure perform well.
Some players think they are actually too strong…which might be the case or not, but I know I wouldn’t use the team against a new player, unless using a self-restricted roster (2 Black orcs, 2 Blitzers) which is much more manageable for the opponent. That is the default team provided in the blood bowl box (is it still the case?), and that was a wise choice.
When they reach super-high team rating, orcs will slowly suffer attrition from other bashing teams, namely Chaos and Nurgle ones. Claws remove a huge portion of the team’s strength, and the skill is readily available to the most powerful teams of high-end play.
So I noticed there was absolutely nothing here for tactics with Orcs. On one side, I understand it because Orcs are generally seen as a beginner’s team (they’re pretty straightforward and foolproof), but on the other side…a lot of people know how to play them and as such could have put some text on how-to.
The Orcs are a bash team by definition...along with dwarves, they actually define what "bash" mean in blood bowl (for those teams who actually can play the ball game).
They get access to some unique combinations, and a very wide roster choice, but their game is essentially a running drive with a bit of ball handling. They are better on offense than defense, due to low movement, but with some skill advances, can become a green wall of death (and frustration) for even veteran players.
Orcs are definitely in the first tier of competitiveness when compared to other starting rosters.
The Lineorc
In the shadow of the stars, the orc liners still present excellent performance when compared to other linemen. He is somewhat slow, but extremely tough in return. Since linemen typically stand on the receiving end of blockers, and rarely dash with speed or dodge a lot, the orc lineman is pretty good for what he needs to do.
The guy will not see a lot of action though, so they will rarely advance in experience. That’s because their main role will be to assist blitz, blocks, provide tacklezones and generally be in the way of the opponent. At 50k, they are quite expendable, but they compete for slots in a jam packed roster, so you rarely see many of them.
Should they get experience, the traditional kick is interesting, because no other player on the roster will have space for it, and it allows your slowish orcs to be in threat range of the ball earlier in the drive.
Block is also an obvious choice, as well as tackle. If one of them gets the taste of fame, you can always throw in dauntless or fend. Doubles will go for guard.
Any stat is good, although MA and AG are less likely to be useful.
The Thrower
Completely at odd with the team’s play style, the orc thrower is both a liability and a blessing. They bring in fairly decent ball-handling to a bash team (a unique combination), but at a slow pace and reduced armour. This means that unlike starting chaos or undead teams, passing the ball short distances and picking it up aren’t alienating tasks. Their main task is to fetch the ball and bring it forward to your blitzers so they may score.
The first skill to get is Kick Off Return, due to their slow speed. This is especially important against superfast teams like skaven and wood elves. Then the thrower can resume a normal thrower curve (accurate, safe throw, etc.). Doubles could go for Dodge or Strongarm. Block isn’t a bad pick either, because the orc thrower is going to end up close to the action and their lower AV (still good) will make them easier targets for sneaky stuff like wizard, stabs, chainsaws…etc. Loosing your only thrower will remove that ball-handling ability from your team and make it back into the normal bash crowd.
The Black Orc Blocker
These guys are your muscle. They provide pillars around which to blitz. They start reasonably well, and can compete even with dwarves or chaos. They are very slow and not very agile, however, so ball handling is not their cup of tea. This means that they rely on getting MVP and CAS to get skill ups…so this is -all- up to nuffle (what isn’t). Without the block skill, remember that they are less reliable than your blitzers.
Black Orcs may be strong, but they won’t hold a Big Guy, and dwarves guard lines will put them down, so they will sometimes spend the game on their arse like lineorcs.
Skill ups on Black Orcs seems to be a matter of debate. Block, Guard, Standfirm, Mighty Blow seems to be ideal to me, but the order of picking them is all over the board. I don’t pretend to know the correct or best order, so trial and error maybe. What is certain is that loosing an experienced Black Orc is annoying because it’ll be a long time before it comes back to its former glory. I am not certain I would use a double to pick a skill other than those mentioned, because it might take ages until the player gets another.
The only stat they care for is ST and little else.
The Blitzers
The stars of the Orc team, those guys are your bread and butter for winning games. They provide you with reliable blocks and blitz, with excellent survivability and average speed. They are numerous at 4 on the field, so even if one is brought down, they can quickly fill the holes and exploit those created by Black Orcs.
Skillwise, they can go many paths, and again I lack experience to tell you what is best. Tackle, Mighty Blow, Guard, Standfirm seems rather good on them. You can even add a piling on or frenzy in the mix. Blitzers are the guys who score TD and make important blitzes, so they will get spps faster than anyone else in the team. Dodge would be very useful in case of a double.
All stats are useful, except AV. By the time a player is so valuable as to be given av10, there will be enough claws around to make it useless.
The Troll
The big guy of the Orcs is seldom seen on the pitch. That’s because the roster is already full of good positional, and with re-rolls to buy, it’s easy to skip on the Troll. Being very strong, it may help cement the line of Black Orcs against seriously bashy teams (like Chaos or Lizardmen), and they bring mighty blow to help get some CAS. They like to cause turnovers and just stand there doing nothing for a few turns per match, though, and I’ve not met a lot of orc teams with a troll in their starting roster.
Goblins
It’s not uncommon to see 1 goblin lying about when playing against orcs. They offer mobile assistance and are probably supposed to play the role of catchers, given access to agility skills. They bring the problem of being very squishy, so they could be sent off the pitch early and leave you a player short. Do they bring more than a lineorc would? Up to anyone’s opinion. If you have a Troll, you can always go for the crazy thrown team-mate option…a favourite play amongst fans, but totally unreliable.
The goblin gets access to sidestep and catch. They will also often be underestimated and if left unattended, can present a good potential catcher for a pass. Goblins don’t tend to be great players no matter how skilled they get, but they sure are fun, and should the need to foul arise, or putting a desperate tackle against your local Blood Thirster…your Goblin will gladly do the job, and who cares what happens to it.
Conclusion
Overall, the orc team is one of the few that has everything to start and endure Blood Bowl. They are the basic team, the go-to for new players in order to learn the game. Still, they offer a unique style of play which may appeal to the veterans, and they sure perform well.
Some players think they are actually too strong…which might be the case or not, but I know I wouldn’t use the team against a new player, unless using a self-restricted roster (2 Black orcs, 2 Blitzers) which is much more manageable for the opponent. That is the default team provided in the blood bowl box (is it still the case?), and that was a wise choice.
When they reach super-high team rating, orcs will slowly suffer attrition from other bashing teams, namely Chaos and Nurgle ones. Claws remove a huge portion of the team’s strength, and the skill is readily available to the most powerful teams of high-end play.