“Opening blocks: here's my blocking strategy on turn 1 against a team I can go after.

1) if you're up against a 101 line, like the one I'm using here, you should set up to throw your initial block from the center against the backside 1 column, then from the playside 1 column to the 0 column, then from the playside 2 to the playside 1. Don't follow on the first two blocks, but the third is a matter of taste.

Initial sequence: A blocks 1, B blocks 2, C blocks 3
- - - o|- o o A B C -|o - - -
- - - -|- - 1 2 3 - -|- - - -
- - - -|- - - - - - -|- - - -

Push laterally, pow either laterally or diagonally. The point to lateral pushes is that you can make secondary blocks. For example, on a push against 1, D can block him.

- - - o|- D E A B C -|o - - -
- - - -|- 1 - 2 3 - -|- - - -
- - - -|- - - - - - -|- - - -

You should put a Wight in the 0 column (A) and a Mummy in the playside 2 column (C). This way, if the opening block is a 1/9 but not a 1/36, you don't burn a reroll or end your turn, and when the Mummy blocks the playside 1, he has assists from A and B, giving him 3 dice.

Whatever the case, do not block 2d with non-Block loners if you can at all help it. Also, opening with the center (A) against the backside lineman is really strong, because you can push him into secondary blocks, and out of the way of the "nose tackle" (0-column if you're not into American football) so he can get pushed laterally too.

Turn 1: okay, you got a kill, but in general, throwing 2d loner blocks at the start of your first turn is asking for trouble. You had 5/9 to pow, 1/3 to push and be in a bad position, and 1/9 to be very, very sorry. What's more, you could have scored 2 nifty SPP had you thrown all your blocks with rostered players.

Also, don't pick up the ball so early in your turn. Again, a 1/9 chance you'd be sorry.

Finally, following into the Lineman with the blitzing Zombie was a mistake. The smart thing to do would have been to push him laterally with your Zombie, into the Mummy's zone, so if he were going to stand up he would have to dodge or get 3d'ed with MB, and then not to follow the block so as to deny me the assist from the prone Lineman against the Wight. That would have enabled you to keep the other Zombie on the line of scrimmage, in the 4 column (just outside the wide zone marker).

On my turn 1, I set up my line defense so that every one of your prone players was double-marked. Double-mark any prone player near the action unless they meet one of three criteria:
1) you know they won't do anything but stand up and they won't be used as an assist on a counterblock or on a blitz;
2) they have Guard;
3) you have a good reason not to hit them back (big guys, say).
In any of those cases, a single-mark is better. In case 1, you can even let one of your cheaper players be double-marked himself, so as to eat multiple actions.

Turn 2: don't put the cage in contact. You forced yourself into a bad spot by reducing your mobility. A lot of this game is about minimizing the number of blocks you take, so if you move deliberately into contact with foes who remain standing, you're likely to end up the worse off for it.

What I would have done instead: first, I would have stood up the north-side zombie, then blitzed the rookie with the Mummy on the diagonal, pushing diagonally in any case. If I got a pow, I would have followed up, then moved to zone the other player, putting a Ghoul in the space the Mummy blocked from. On a push, I would have not followed up, so I had 2 assists against the Block/Dauntless/Frenzy player. If that block pows, push into the Zombie's zone,but push away on a push result. Then I would have rebuilt my cage in the midfield area, and not challenged for forward progress yet. It's early, after all, and you have a strong position in the center.

Speaking of cages, you don't need to fill everything in. In this scenario, I would have gone for the Vengabus:
- x - - x -
- - x b - -
- x - - x - Having that extra player in your cage, perpendicular to the screen, makes sidelong blitzes super hard.

Turn 3: if you hadn't followed with the Mummy, you would have had another action free, as the Wight could have used his assist on the block.

I'll get more done, watch this space. This is a good start.
”