Reading through the Help/FAQ section on necromantic tactics i was surprised at how wrong i perceive it to be. I'm not pretending to be the finest Necro coach in the world, but i am quite handy with them. I have received pm's in the past asking for tips and so i thought i'd write a blog of my strategy.

Summary

Necros are not a good team. They only perform consistently well from 150-175 TS. They also have the disadvantage of normally having a higher TS than TR, meaning you will normally get tougher games. If you want a reliable undead team, go play with mummies, but if you want fun and frolics you can't beat a wolf (well actually your opponents can, and often will).

Necros don't have a game plan as such, and can only really react to their opposition, in a similar way that humans have to.

Strengths

All a necros positionals are great straight out of the box. Ok it would be nice to have block on them, but it is not as important as a lot of other players.

Weaknesses

As i have already said, necros aren't very good. Their quick players die almost the second they get hit, and are expensive to replace. And their slow players take an age to skill and therefore can't do a lot beyond being speed bumps.

Development

This is the main area that i feel the guide lets the new coach down.

I have 2 important tips in development, and they seem to contradict each other, but hey ho go with it anyway.

1/ Let wolves be spp hogs.

This flies in the face of normal development but wolves have the lowest life span of any player (IIRC, and if not it is pretty close). You can expect a wolf to rarely last 10 games. Therefore spending your time hiding your wolves, and being scared to score with them is counter productive, you need as many spp's out of them as quick as possible, to make up for their extortionate hiring costs.

I am not advocating using wolves as fodder, i am just saying they are 120k worth of player, and hiding at the back is a waste of money. Get them in there and get them hitting. When it inevitably goes down, laugh it off and purchase your next one.

That being said..

2/ Develop Zombies

Every safe chance you get go for a zombie TD, or a zombie pass. A winning Necro team is built on the foundation of good zombies. Don't over do the dirty players, as much as it seems like a good idea. Get 3 or 4 block zombies then just stand them in them next to the most annoying players in the opposing team, and each turn stand them up, and let them get knocked back down again.

The whole point of zombies is that they are like a tide. They just keep coming, no matter how many times you knock them down. Guard is brilliant for them, and might blow can cause great fun too.

Personally i take +ag on zombies too, although this is just a personal thing. mainly it is because once a zombie has block it doesn't really need another skill, so what is the point in not taking the +ag?

Remember zombies are there to be hit. If they aren't standing next to an opponent they better be standing next to a corpse.

I don't think i really have to explain skill choices on a necro team, they are pretty self explanatory. However remember to take sure hands on at least one ball handler, and don't waste a double on jump up for wolves, if they go down they normally stay down.

Offensive Tips

Personally i like to have a sure hands ghoul collect the ball, unless i have a +ag player. I rarely use the wolves on the LoS since if the blocks fail it leaves a wolf in a stupid position.

On the setup pick the player you want to blitz with a wolf, and set up with that in mind. Don't allow yourself to be flanked by leaving the opposite side empty though. A single zombie will slow them down (even better if you have a +ag one in case the ick goes that way). I also like to move at least one golem close to the sideline, ready to help crowd pushes, and safe himself.

Foul! and foul often. If a necro team gets superior numbers it can beat any team, it retains the speed and brute force to carry it through. If you have superior numbers don't be afraid to foul with the eye on you, even to get rid of a relatively lower class of player, it is still probably better than the zombie kicking it.

You shouldn't be passing with a necro team except in an emergency; it is hand offs all the way. Try not to dodge too much with the wolf, even with dodge, you will fail 1 time in 9, and that is far more often than you want to. Having a wolf die on a dodge is just embarrassing.

Learn how to one turn. You have 2 MA8 players, and both have frenzy. This makes one turning for a desperate draw a worthwhile choice.

Defensive Tips

The 3 least skilled zombie on the front line. Unless you are defending against a one turn, chain push then it is golems at either end. You may be tempted to place block zombies on the line for better resistance, and this is ok, but personally i think they are too valuable for LoS duty.

Place the golems within reach of the LoS. You don't want to be gfi-ing to get there. Then place a barrier of regen players behind which you place the more important ones.

I won't normally put all my positionals on defence, preferring to keep a couple in reserve in case it all gets messy. If i have unskilled wolves i will quite often leave one on the bench, this is because you can only blitz once a turn, and therefore you end up with another wolf standing around not doing much, just waiting to get killed. As i said before, if a wolf is on the pitch i want it earning it's money.

One of your dp zombies should also have kick. I like to vary my kicking to keep the opposing coach on his/her toes. Sometimes i will kick close to the LoS on the opposite side to which they intend to rush, this can lead to panic as the have to re-adjust in time to stop your wolves and wights getting there and sealing it off. That being said don't try this too often.

Your players are there to be hit. Remember that and you will do well. Every time your opponent rolls a dice he can fail and cause a turnover. Make sure your zombies are constantly in the way. Don't be scared to send a wolf forward so that it has to be marked, pulling your opponent out of shape. Divide and conquer is the name of the game here. You are quick enough to be able to reform, and yet hardy enough to be able to take the blows. Each zombie can easily tie up 2 players, support given by golems and 2 players can have 3 or 4 trying to hold them off, making more space for those killer blitz's.

Conclusion

Probably not very clear, and defiantly not complete, but i might add to it in future.

Just remember to be a good necro coach you have to be able to suck it up when you lose 500k worth of players in one match. If you are scared of getting your players hurt go play orcs or dwarves. If you want easy go use elves. But if you want fun and general coolness bring a wolf to the game.