FUMBBL :: Online Blood Bowl League

Joined: Feb 26, 2020

Posted: Mar 28, 2025 - 15:33

Recently I played a match with 140k in inducements and I decided to go with Helmut Wulf, and I wasn’t quite sure what optimal tactics with a chainsaw should be. I’m aware that with goblins, your looney is often your primary blitzer, but on this team I already had dedicated blitzers, so opted to use him primarily as a guaranteed injury roll on fouls with a few assists. It ended up working out in my favor, but I just wanted to throw this out there to see if anyone had ideas or a resource for chainsaw tactics.

What to try to do? What to avoid? When they are at their best/worst?

Eboncrow

Joined: May 20, 2019

Posted: Mar 28, 2025 - 17:42

Chainsaw targets are *best* when you already have a block on said target. Such that after a chainsaw fails to hurt them, you can block that player off of the chainsaw and don't risk getting splatted yourself on the next turn.

Outside of that, The lower the armor, the lower the risk. Chainsaws are excellent for bypassing Blodge/Wrestle, and should absolutely hunt any positional that could be a real threat. But don't be afraid to go for their big guy either... A well timed 7+ (or 8+ against a tree) could absolutely change the game.

Of course, fouling like you did is safer than blitzing with them. However, It's rarely the right move to turn down a chainsaw block you've been given (or made by pushing someone on the saw player).

Garion

Joined: Aug 19, 2009

Posted: Mar 28, 2025 - 17:47

* Avoid being hit
* Using it to foul is often pretty wise as it allows you to protect the chainsaw from being hit, and its often close to, or even a full guaranteed Av break
* When using it to Blitz - target an opposing player that allows you to screen the chainsaw from being blitzed the following turn by other opposing players.
* You can use it as a distraction... i.e. leave it open to be blitzed to protect another player on the team getting blitzed, usually the ball carrier or their cage/screen.
* Goblin Loony isn't worth taking. It is just another player that will be sent off, reducing your numbers for the 2nd half, and he does not have Dodge protection.
* Most of the time Chainsaws stars aren't worth inducing.
* Roll well
* Don't roll a 1... kick back is a turn over

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jnewman

Joined: Aug 06, 2023

Posted: Mar 28, 2025 - 18:06

ive had some success with a chainsaw as my safety on a goblin team or inside my cage on offence if the opposition has horrible players like griff that can come and nail my ball carrier. anyone AV 9+ and lower is a good target, works for goblins in my limited opinion but anyone else is buying a player that will get target and killed.

Carthage

Joined: Mar 18, 2021

Posted: Mar 28, 2025 - 18:54

I'm not *the most* experienced chainsaw user, but the skill looks more valuable as a fouler than a blitzer. Except on Goblins where they have a really easy DpSg player.

Not needing as many assists to virtually guarantee an armor break is really nice and helps get quality fouls in without messing up your whole formation.

Burtblahblahblah

Joined: Aug 18, 2003

Posted: Mar 28, 2025 - 22:49

The goblin looney is the best player on the team. I try to protect him as much as possible, but sometimes you need to throw him in (just don't expect him to survive). Goblin rerolls are, in my opinion, largely for the chainsaw. I tend to avoid inducing chainsaw star players because the 1 in 6 with loner is a huge risk. I'd rather have a wizard, or even a couple of kegs.

I don't use the looney for fouling, but that's because goblins have the ooligan who is more reliable.

Carthage

Joined: Mar 18, 2021

Posted: Mar 28, 2025 - 23:50

Agree with Burt.
I guess my comment was more for the wacky custom leagues I'm in where there are better players surrounding the saw so you can use it for fouls. Saw is definitely the best part of the goblin team.

Eboncrow

Joined: May 20, 2019

Posted: Mar 29, 2025 - 03:07

Garion wrote:

* Goblin Loony isn't worth taking. It is just another player that will be sent off, reducing your numbers for the 2nd half, and he does not have Dodge protection.

No offense to the author, but as a goblin coach, this is the absolute worst take I've ever seen.

The looney and the 'ooligan are WHY you play the team. The Goblin Looney is also massively better than any star because of the absence of Loner.

If the Looney is getting hit, you played your turn wrong. Period.

Eboncrow

Joined: May 20, 2019

Posted: Mar 29, 2025 - 03:09

And you haven't lived until your Sneaky Git Chainsaw Ball Carrier is fouling from within a cage every turn on the way to scoring so you can get Dirty player.

MercutioT

Joined: Mar 19, 2015

Posted: Mar 29, 2025 - 16:06

Garion wrote:

* Goblin Loony isn't worth taking. It is just another player that will be sent off, reducing your numbers for the 2nd half, and he does not have Dodge protection.

Point me out a few winning Goblin teams that don't use a Looney.

Garion

Joined: Aug 19, 2009

Posted: Mar 30, 2025 - 09:48

MercutioT wrote:

Garion wrote:

* Goblin Loony isn't worth taking. It is just another player that will be sent off, reducing your numbers for the 2nd half, and he does not have Dodge protection.

Point me out a few winning Goblin teams that don't use a Looney.

Me... I've got 14/5/8 with Goblins in blackbox so far. So doing reasonably well.. and if you removed the games I was trying out bombers and Chainsaw this edition it would be about 12/3/4.

Your sneaky git Goblin does the fouling and you want to be blitzing with your Troll to get them Block ASAP. There's no room for a loony this edition... he's horribly unreliable. I see zero value in them.
Also like all SWs they're sent off... if you could guarentee receiving first every game then I'd be much more on board.

Yeah they might be "fun" which is entirely subjective. But objectively I think they make your team alot worse unless you're guarenteed bribes every game.

They've no Dodge so they're easy to remove. They are auto sent off when you have no bribes.

1 in 6 turns they should kick back. Which causes turn over and often removes your own Goblin from play. In blackbox you often face av10+ teams... which make them even more infective...

Remove emotion from their cool factor and yes, looney are a liability in your team, when you're matched in blackbox by tv and you rarely get bribes.

Also worth noting...
There are Goblins before mega stars were banned, and after...
They were a different thing altogether when dribbledmot was ruining the game.

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MercutioT

Joined: Mar 19, 2015

Posted: Mar 30, 2025 - 17:50

Garion wrote:

MercutioT wrote:

Garion wrote:

* Goblin Loony isn't worth taking. It is just another player that will be sent off, reducing your numbers for the 2nd half, and he does not have Dodge protection.

Point me out a few winning Goblin teams that don't use a Looney.

Me... I've got 14/5/8 with Goblins in blackbox so far. So doing reasonably well.. and if you removed the games I was trying out bombers and Chainsaw this edition it would be about 12/3/4.

Your sneaky git Goblin does the fouling and you want to be blitzing with your Troll to get them Block ASAP. There's no room for a loony this edition... he's horribly unreliable. I see zero value in them.
Also like all SWs they're sent off... if you could guarentee receiving first every game then I'd be much more on board.

Yeah they might be "fun" which is entirely subjective. But objectively I think they make your team alot worse unless you're guarenteed bribes every game.

They've no Dodge so they're easy to remove. They are auto sent off when you have no bribes.

1 in 6 turns they should kick back. Which causes turn over and often removes your own Goblin from play. In blackbox you often face av10+ teams... which make them even more infective...

Remove emotion from their cool factor and yes, looney are a liability in your team, when you're matched in blackbox by tv and you rarely get bribes.

Also worth noting...
There are Goblins before mega stars were banned, and after...
They were a different thing altogether when dribbledmot was ruining the game.

Yeah, and I went 5/0/2 with a Dark Elf team that ran 0 Blitzers and 0 rerolls, but I couldn't point to another winning team on FUMBBL that runs like this, nor would I say it is a good way to play.

No one but you has brought up emotion, fun, or 'cool factor'. Gobins generally need the chainsaw to help deal with low-armor teams that are skill-heavy and blodgy —— Norse, Amazon, Human, all Elves. It really shouldn't be used for fouling unless it's late in the half and you're about to lose it anyway; as Burtblahblahblah mentions, the Looney is much less reliable than the Hooligan. And it wastes the potential of a player that can do something almost no other player in the game can.

To get back to the OP's original question — in my opinion, the most important use of a saw, by far, is when it is fielded on defense to encourage otherwise unstoppable teams (say, Vampires or Wood Elves) to score quickly rather than play keep-away and stall out the half if they win the coinflip.

Garion

Joined: Aug 19, 2009

Posted: Mar 30, 2025 - 18:42

MercutioT wrote:

It really shouldn't be used for fouling unless it's late in the half and you're about to lose it anyway; as Burtblahblahblah mentions, the Looney is much less reliable than the Hooligan. And it wastes the potential of a player that can do something almost no other player in the game can.

I agree. I dont think it should be used for fouling either in a gobo team. I think I said as much.

Problem generally is chainsaw just doesn't do enough damage to warrant their inclusion imo... Other than to other stunty teams... if you're facing flings then chainsaw is indeed very useful.

Against blodge teams... sure they are your only weapon and in a League environment taking one or inducing one can be useful, though there are other tools in league and TV ranges are likely bigger. In a Blackbox environement you'll play the majority of your games at very low TV. Blodge is rare there. But also the Chainsaw is just too easy to remove, and elves can get backfield quickly if its hiding. Its a player that hits it's self unless it rolls 2+, gets sent off if it lasts the drive, in a team that needs a bench.... and suffers -3 -1 when knocked over and most importantly unlike the other goblins it doesnt have Dodge to protect it...

I've seen a lot of the better gobbo coaches over the years not take chainsaw, in favour of being able to field 11 players 2nd half.

The reason I brought up feelings, is there are number of Gobbo coaches on the site that take all the toys for "fun". Which is subjective anyway.. and I respect their chaotic streak. But its not optimal.

Obviously this is all opinion but I'm yet to see a looney be anything other than a liability for a consist number of games, again ignoring the Mega stars allowed period of this edition. In which goblins were mayhem.
There will be the odd game it does something cool. But more often than not they're removed too fast and cost you a bench spot. But the Dark Elf comment isn't analogous because the ageument above is all about making the goblin team more reliable.

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MrCushtie

Joined: Aug 10, 2018

Posted: Apr 01, 2025 - 04:08

My highest damage output with goblins was with no saw, but that's in a competitive league environment where I had the best trolls in the business. I think you're better taking a Block/Tackle/Juggs troll than a looney mostly, but that's also more expensive and maybe missing the heart and soul of the team.

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Endrophil

Joined: Nov 16, 2015

Posted: Apr 01, 2025 - 08:18

Agree with Garion. No saw yes please.