smeborg
Joined: Jan 04, 2019
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 Posted:
Dec 24, 2024 - 08:02 |
 
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Merry Christmas to one and all!
I have played a few Blackbox games with the shiny new Chaos Dwarf roster (including a full season of BBT12). Performance-wise, they are a shadow of their former selves (unsurprisingly, in view of the taking away of 2 x Block and 6 x Tackle, and their replacement with 8 x rarely used exotic skills). More to the point, perhaps, I found playing them less than pleasant from a coaching perspective.
Rather than bleating about it, I thought I would propose a small number of modest changes to the roster. These are made in the spirit of the new roster (doing no violence to it), in the hope that the changes might appeal to the GW designers.
SNEAKY STABBA PRICING: The Stabbas are over-priced. I propose a reduction in price from 70,000 to 55,000 (to bring them in line with DE Assassin pricing).
CHAOS DWARF PRICING: I suggest that the new Chaos Dwarf players are slightly over-priced (given that the excellent Tackle has been replaced by the rarely used Iron Hard Skin). I propose a reduction in price from 70,000 to 65,000.
FLAMESMITH PRICING: It is difficult to know how to price the Flamesmiths, given that they are a unique player-type (and that hitherto the only Dwarf player-types without Block have been the Dwarf Runner and the Dwarf Blockers on the OWA team). All I can say is that, as a coach, they do not feel "worth their TV". Rather than worry about their pricing, I propose a modest change to the skill Breathe Fire (see below).
BREATHE FIRE: The skill is little used in practice, being better "on paper" than on the field. Although it is good in theory for downing ball-carriers with Block+Dodge using a blitz action, this is a rare event, given that the Flamesmiths are slow (MA5) and clumsy (AG4+). When used in this way, Breathe Fire carries the risk that the Flamesmith will catch the ball (this has happened to me more than once). It would seem to be worse used in this way than Wrestle (and in practically all circumstances than Wrestle+Tackle). In practice, the most common use of the skill is to quietly replace an end-of-turn block, where the Flamesmith does not have a single die block or better. The best use of the skill (very situational) would appear to be to clear a path through traffic to the opposing ball-carrier (where the Flamesmith is already in base contact).
I propose a single amendment to the skill, which is that the opponent is placed prone on an otherwise unmodified single D6 roll of 7+ minus the opponent's [original] ST. Thus opponents are placed prone as follows:
ST5+ on a 2+
ST4 on a 3+
ST3 on a 4+ (as currently)
ST2 on a 5+
ST1 requires a natural 6 (see below)
As currently, a natural 6 knocks down the opponent in place, and a natural 1 knocks down the Flamesmith in place (make an unmodified Armour Roll in both cases).
I feel this is quite clean, and would reflect the (dare I say) intuitively obvious, which is that the bigger the opponent, the more difficult it would be for them to escape a gout of flame (as others have said). The change would need to be playtested, but I suggest does not appear OP.
Let me know your thoughts! |
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koadah
Joined: Mar 30, 2005
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Dec 24, 2024 - 10:36 |
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JackassRampant
Joined: Feb 26, 2011
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Dec 24, 2024 - 14:15 |
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I think the Dorfs are fine (new Iron Hard Skin is actually good now), but I would probably want to improve the stabbers somewhat. 55k sounds cheap; I'd rather see them at MA7 and otherwise unchanged. (+15k works for DE because the player comes with an AV penalty [accounted for in costing but catastrophic on an 85k player] and because the team in general has money problems that CD more-or-less don't share.) For the Flamesmiths, it's kinda silly that they don't have IHS (their not having it makes the Dorfs worse too), but that alone (at no price change) would be enough for my tastes. |
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Lude enixe, obliviscatur timor. |
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MattDakka
Joined: Oct 09, 2007
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Dec 24, 2024 - 14:25 |
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Chaos Dwarf Blockers are fine for me, Iron Hard Skin is clearly worse than Tackle but not useless;
Firesmiths: I would replace Brawler and Disturbing Presence with either Block or Wrestle;
Stabbas: a price decrease (60k or 55k) and/or replace Shadowing with Side Step;
Bull Centaurs: should not have M access;
A proper Big Guy fitting the team, either a Lammasu or a Great Taurus. |
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Amistad
Joined: Aug 23, 2016
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Dec 24, 2024 - 15:10 |
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Sure they are not a steal like they were with block+tackle, but hard skin is a very good thing and far from being rarely used.
I rely a lot on fouls for player removal (they are often my only option, specially at low TV) and being unable to apply armor modifier makes them very hard to take them off the pitch |
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Sp00keh
Joined: Dec 06, 2011
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Dec 25, 2024 - 12:02 |
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They’ll gain a lot from taking +AV as well
We don’t have enough games-played to really see the difference yet, but it does feel they got nerfed a little too much
Stabbas are too expensive and will only be played by the people who are forced to because they bought the GW boxed team, which sucks for them and is potentially a bad introduction to the game for a new coach
The flame ability is not good enough, I’d take away the self-knock down at least
Taking away all the block and tackle was bold, but ultimately a bad idea imo. Because it changes the meta and buffs amazons, and they definitely didn’t need buffed |
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MattDakka
Joined: Oct 09, 2007
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Dec 25, 2024 - 12:36 |
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+AV is not something you aim for on Chaos Dwarf Blockers, because you need first Guard, Mighty Blow and Tackle on them, then 28 SPPs are required to get +AV and they will die/get crippled before then.
For what is worth, my performance with the new Chaos Dwarf is 56.25% (5/8/3).
Not a big sample size, and I adapted the old roster to the new one (so I played at mid-high TV, which is not an optimal spot, and I'm rebuilding a Bull Centaur at the moment), but it's clear they have been nerfed.
They scale better than the old roster at mid-high TV due to Iron Hard Skin and Bull Centaurs' Mutation access, but most people play at low TV. |
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