After 200+ BB games for Khemries (4 teams, combined record: 110/51/59), I decided to share some thoughts about Khemries team development and tactics.

First topic - TG development.

First skill: Guard vs. Mighty Blow

Guard and Mighty Blow are 2 best skills for TG. But which one should be taken first? Popular opinion is: MB helps you skill up, Guard wins games. Well, I dont agree with that opinion. MB helps remove opponent players from the field. It perfectly good way to win games :) I find Guard more important than MB only in games vs Dwarves and Chaos Dwarves. Maybe vs Orcs. Vs everything else MB is equal or better than Guard. I think sequence MB,G, MB, MB is best. (1 Guard for easy 3D blocks on LOS).

Break Tackle vs. Stand Firm

I think good rule of thumb is: if TG has block, take Break Tackle, else take Stand Firm. Reason: Stand Firm discourages -2D blocks. Without block, opponents with block has 25% chance to knock down TG with -2D block (~31% chance to roll a skull, ~69% to get free). If TG has block, opponent has only ~8% chance to knock down TG (31% for skull, ~44% chance to get free). So, risk/reward ration for -2D blocks becomes much lower. On the other hand, Break Tackle very often is used on Blitz. Blitzing with Block is much better than blitzing without.

EDIT: If TG has SF, opponent with block and -2D has 25% chance to knock down TG, ~31% chance to knock down himself, 44% stay next to TG.

Grab

Didn't tested. Maybe somebody wants to share his experience?

Multiple Block

Same as Grab.

Second double

So many Options... Dodge, Tackle, Fend, Side Step, Diving Tackle, Frenzy... I got only 1 dodge so far, on 6S player. BT will be next. I see great potential, but only time will tell.

+MA, +AV

+AV is probably useless. My TG gets knocked down not very often. Also, a lots of Claws in the Box... +MA would be fun to test, especialy combined with BT.

This time I want discuss Skeleton roles and skill choices. We must know how many skeletons we have on the field, before assigning roles to them. I will concentrate on defensive lineup (because in offense lineups are much more flexible).

Defensive lineup

Lets count. 4 TG is must. 2 B-Ra is must. We have 5 free positions for skeletons and T-Ras. Options: a) 2 T-Ra + 3 Skellies. b) 1 T-Ra + 4 Skellies. c) 5 Skellies

a) Is bad idea in general (may be ok with some special skills/stats combination on T-Ras). So, the choice is between b) and c) - 1 T-Ra or none at all.

Another thing to consider is defensive formation. Or to be even more specific - what to put on LOS. Skellies or TGs? I think, putting TGs on LOS, especially in BlackBox environment, is bad starting plan. It can be done vs. some team (especially the ones lacking guard, perfect example was my first Black cup game). But skellies should be LOS folders in general, and we should develop them accordingly.

So, on defense we have 4 or 5 skellies, 3 of them are LOS folders. That leaves space for 1 or 2 specialist.

LOS fodders (3)

Skills: Wrestle,(Fend)

IMHO Wrestle is best LOS fodder skill, better than block. 1/12 of 2D LOS blocks will be skull+both down or 2x both down, and much more often than not, opponent will save reroll, and your skellie will wrestle down much stronger opponent. Block doesn't give this benefit, skellie will probably be blocked by another player.

After second skill, skellie has few options: 1) Retire 2) If skill is normal, take fend and stay LOS fodder. 3) If skill is normal, take DP and become Fouler. 4) If skill is +ST, become Sweeper 5) If skill is double, ignore it and go 2) or 3) 6) If skill is double, go Sidesteps or dodge and stay LOS specialis 7) If skill is normal... 8) If skill is double... 9) ...

First few are pretty much straightforward. 1) helps you to keep TV in check. 2-5) are obvious progress paths. I'm not sure about 6). Looks very annoying on paper, but I'm not sure TV cost is worth it. 7-9) are for your offers.

Kicker

Skills: Kick

After long years of coaching WEs in TT league, I become kick fan. Khemries are opposite of WE, but I find Kick equally useful. Offense has initiative for first 2 turns. After that, positional game starts. Deep kick delays opponent advancement, after 2 turns ball is still in opponents side. So, opponent kind of loses advantage of starting first.

Kicker is almost always has another function, depending from skill rolls: 1) Normal: DP, and he becomes Fouler. 2) Double: Guard 3) ...

Can you offer other options?

Fouler

Skills: DP, (Block/Wrestle, Sneaky Gits)

Fouler is dream job of every skeleton. You get to kill other players, and if referee bans you from game, you can start drinking Bloodwiser earlier. And no risk of getting killed.

Options after second skill: 1) Retire 2) If skill is normal, get Block or Wrestle, and become "Harder to kill Fouler" 3) If skill roll is normal, become Kicker 4) If skill roll is double, take Sneaky gits and become "Maniac Fouler" 5) ...

I don't like 1). You can't have enough DP. Better take Wrestle and become LOS folder with DP. We already discussed 3). I'm not sure about 4). Is it worth it, TV wise? Also, maybe you have other ideas?

Guard skeleton

Skills: Guard, Block, (Dodge, STR if you get lucky).

Guard is always useful. To bad, Khemries does not have much space for Guard skellies. Putting Guard on LOS is not very useful. Even if he wont be knocked out after few turn, he will be stuck next to some Big Guy. Mixing Fouler with Guard is also huge waste. So, one Guard skelly fits into 5 skellies 0 T-Ra setup, with 3 LOS folder skellies and Fouler.

Sweeper

Skills: +STR, Wrestle, Tackle, Break Tackle.

I had one such skelly (died before BT), and he was amazing. I hope I will get another one soon. You can develop Sweeper, if your 1st skill roll is +STR, or if your LOS folder with Wrestle gets +STR as second skill.

This Skelly is perfect for 5 Skellies 0 T-Ra setup (together with 3 LOS folders + Kicker/Fouler).

Ball Carrier

Skills: +AG, Block, Sure Hands, Kick-off Return

You can develop this skelly, if you get +AG as 1st skill roll. I did not had such skelly so far, so its hard to say. +AG, +MA, Sure hands skelly is same as T-Ra +AG, without Leader access, with Thick skull for 20k. And extra 2 skill slots taken. Not very impressive on paper. But +AG T-Ras are hard to get.

This time I want to share my thought about skilling up T-Ras. If you dont agree with me. or have some other ideas, please comment!

Block

Best normal skill, always take it on first normal skill roll.

But after that...

Tackle

I found this skill very usefull both in defence and offence. On defence, T-Ra is often somewhere in the back, not marked. Ready to blitz if opponent ball carrier becomes exposed. Also, T-Ra with tackle is great when you need to mark 3ag dodgers in backfield (skinks, human catchers, even ghouls). On offence, when you get marked by blodge sidestepper, tackle increase chance to successfully "blitz and run away".

Fend

I found this skill super usefull for Tho-Ra's. Basically, Tho-Ra's gets blitzed: 1) when they are in loose cage/behind screen 2) when they run away, but opponent still can reach them with some dodges/gfi. In 1) scenario, blitzer pretty much always is in tackle zone. So, after fend, if he wants to mark Tho-Ra, he needs to dodge (often into 1 or more tackle zones). They rarely do so, Tho-Ra stays not marked. In 2) scenario, prety much the same. Opponent cannot folow you, very often he needs gfi. Or if blitz was with 2nd gfi, T-Ra stays not marked.

Kick-off return

Another surprisingly effective skill. Makes scoring in 3/4/5 turns so much easier. And if you roll 5+ to catch a landing ball, you know Nuffle loves you. I think kick-off return is best 2nd skill (unless B-Ra's still without tackle).

Leader

I did not tested leader as early skill (took it as 5th normal skill for one of TR-a's). Reasons: 1) Its team skill. I feel, that if I take it early, and later roll a lot of stats/doubles, I will waste player potential. 2) I will feel the preasure to field T-Ra on defence, and risk him getting hurt.

Kick

I think this skill is better on skelly. Like leader, it's waste of player potential.

Strip Ball

I took this skill on +Ag T-Ra and regreted it ever since. It was usefull exactly once. The thing is, you want to knock down opponent ball carrier. If you dont, ball stays in tackle zone. Khemries have enough problems to pick up ball in open field.

Shadowing

Saw this skill on few T-Ra... Never saw good use of it.

Doubles

No doubles on T-Ra's so far... So, the following section is only my philosophy :)

Dodge

Best double skill. Free reroll on desparate dodges, reduces knockdown chance on stupid 1D by 50%.

Side step

Imho very good skill, especially combined with fend.

Jump up

If opponent knocked you down, its +3 MA next turn. Sounds good, needs some testing.

Special case: Break tackle

If I ever get +STR T-Ra, BT is first double (even before dodge). 2+ dodge is almost cheating for Khemries.

Stats

+MA is gold. Makes life so much easier. If must choose between dodge and MA -> dodge. If must choose between MA and Side Step - MA. +AG is... I dont know... Adamantine? +STR is gold.

+AV... I would consider it after 2x +MA on normal roll. The thing is, its very hard to recover after knockdown + stun. +AV may be very usefull here.

1 T-Ra or... 2

2nd T-Ra is like expensive skellie without thick skull. Is he worth it?

Is worth it to "recycle" T-Ra's and fish for stats/doubles?