Who should I Let's Play: Bloodbowl?

[Brother None]

Goblins sound like fun, but I'm not familiar with the game at all. Looks very fun though. How much actual gridiron knowledge do you need to be good at the game?

None really. I mean, it doesn't really use any gridiron rules as far as I know. Hell, it doesn't use any rules except:
1. When a player crosses the opposition touchdown line with the ball, that's a touchdown (in a recent Lizard testplay, I actually had my dude pushed into the touchdown area by the opposition's linebacker)
2. Beating up players who are down is a foul.
3. Don't bring weapons onto the pitch (you'll be sent off after on possession/half)

It does use some terms from gridiron but it doesn't even say quarterback or wide receiver, just "thrower" and "runner". Linebacker might be the only positional term it uses and it doesn't really mean the same thing in Blood Bowl.

It does have a very steep learning curve, but that's not because the basic rules are difficult. It'll tell you in 6 tutorials all you need to know, "basically". But there's a lot of nuances in TB gameplay that you can only pick up by playing.

 

[WetWorks]

Theres an end zone, and that's basically all you need to know about the board/pitch. Theres no halting the game because some guy gets the ball 15 yards the opponents pitch (or whatever the hell is going on in the wacko yanks version of football).
*Edit: Oh, and dont stand directly next to the edge of the pitch, or youll get crowdpushed.

Back to chaos: get razor sharp claws if you get the chance, BN. It's murderous gold (subtracts 2 from armour value on rolls to test if opponent gets injured from block, as far as i recall). It's one of the reasons why few people on fumbbl are willing to pit their teams against a well developed chaos team.
Oh, and go for sure hands or something similar, so you can pick up the ball. Essential when your players have 3 or less in agility.

 

[Brother None]

Also, I repeat my Q from above: I'm planning to just play Classic mode. Do you guys mind? Should I play Blitz?

Back to chaos: get razor sharp claws if you get the chance, BN. It's murderous gold (subtracts 2 from armour value on rolls to test if opponent gets injured from block, as far as i recall). It's one of the reasons why few people on fumbbl are willing to pit their teams against a well developed chaos team.
Oh, and go for sure hands or something similar, so you can pick up the ball. Essential when your players have 3 or less in agility.

Chaos teams consist of the normal beastmen, chaos warriors and the minotaur, yes?

Here's what I'm thinking:
The Chaos Warriors all need block, and - if possible - also tackle. I mean, if you're tackling someone with dodge (and way too much players have dodge), those two skills turn a 1/5 chance into a 3/5 chance of having a defender down.

Two beastmen, the "deep players" need to spread amongst themselves: sure hands, kicker and dodge. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to try and go for a passing game or just stick with transforming them into effective running backs.

Otherwise, fun mutations....

Here's another thing from Blood Bowl you can get from the above: you can't just grab the coolest, random skill, you need to figure the position your players will normally be in and think what skills they need. Are you going to use them as linemen, just holding the line? Then tackle is handy, and stand firm can be very important. Blitzers? They'll need block and other handy blocking skills. Runners? Forget about the fighting skills and primarily target the variety of handy attacking skills. Sure hands is a must. I found dump-off to be very handy too in the dwarves' "boxed attack" technique.

 

[Azael]

Might check it out once a boxed copy comes out then, not too found of Steam.

 

[WetWorks]

Also, I repeat my Q from above: I'm planning to just play Classic mode. Do you guys mind? Should I play Blitz?

Sure, Classic all the way. The elements in blitz doesnt sound that interesting anyway.

Here's what I'm thinking:
The Chaos Warriors all need block, and - if possible - also tackle. I mean, if you're tackling someone with dodge (and way too much players have dodge), those two skills turn a 1/5 chance into a 3/5 chance of having a defender down.

You are of course right about block, and tackle ain't that bad either. If you do roll a mutation (a good one, like stat increase or rsc) its certainly woth considering getting it, even at the cost of block. A skill like rsc will make it easier for you to get spps in the long run.
Its a pretty basic dilmma when playing chaos: go for long term development or for play it sure i order to maximize the beginning few games.

Long term: you'll have to go for the cool mutations when you roll them (always go for stat increases, and chances to injure), and then wait a few games to get the essentials like block.
It will be a tough start (and you team might not make it), but your team will be really great later on.

Playing it safe: If you go for the essentials like block or guard, your team will be a lot better equipped for those first ten games and you will be able to maximize your squad with the winnings.
The risk is the team could become mediocre compared to other developed teams, later on.

Two beastmen, the "deep players" need to spread amongst themselves: sure hands, kicker and dodge. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to try and go for a passing game or just stick with transforming them into effective running backs.

I'd say a kicker is irrelevant the first many games, perhaps sometimes way into the future (but, it all depends on playing style though). But i would concentrate on getting sure hands. Dodge maybe, but id rather have block, even if it's for a runner.
Throwing the ball is damn risky and hard for a team without innate passing skills, and its gonna take some time before a chaos team is able to play that way. Anyway, they'll never be elves, and i think i would go for your running back play. Hand-offs are a lot safer than throws...

 

[Bluebottle]

Skaven. You still get the fun of mutations and tentacle-rape that you get from chaos, but they're very different to Anthony's Orks team, and it'd be interesting to see how a run/dodge/pass team play.

 

[HanoverF]

Chaos can always mutate (in this game anyway), need doubles for Agi and Pass skills. Minotaur needs doubles for anything but strength and mutation. Claws isn't quite as good, it just makes any roll 8 or greater go through armor. The squishy classes are all under that anyway, it does make the better armored ones more vulnerable. You're gonna need like 3-4 levels to get a good passer, less with lucky doubles rolls. If you go Goblin it could be like the TFTD Let's Play. See what codexer eats it next.

 

[Azira]

My vote goes for a less smashy team. Skaven. That way you still get to play with mutations.

 

[Brother None]

Close one between chaos and gobbos, but chaos it is.

"Oy, the poll's barely been open 24 hours! Give us more time!"

Yeah well fuck you I feel like playing now

Update in a bit.

PS: also, I actually kind of agree with the guys who wanted a more agile team this time, but oh well
PPS: also, I do get the feeling most of you who voted gobbos did so because you wanted to see Codexers get clobbered

 

[Shuma]

Close one between chaos and gobbos, but chaos it is.

"Oy, the poll's barely been open 24 hours! Give us more time!"

Yeah well fuck you I feel like playing now

Update in a bit.

PS: also, I actually kind of agree with the guys who wanted a more agile team this time, but oh well
PPS: also, I do get the feeling most of you who voted gobbos did so because you wanted to see Codexers get clobbered

The AI is so inept that I think only Gobbos will provide a real challenge. What's an LP if their isn't some drama and even a loss or two? With Chaos, you'll get a few skills and steamroll every team.

 

[GarfunkeL]

Gobbos!

 

[Marsal]

Gobbos!

 

[Brother None]

Sorry guys, you're too late

 

[Jasede]

No Skaven, no Jasede.

 

[ghostdog]

Play it in a higher difficulty setting, we all want to see you getting thwacked.

EDIT: damn, you already started it.

 

[Inziladun]

Even though you Already started, I want to see someone do a LP of Wood Elves. Sure they're incredibly gay, but their insanely low armor rating makes it an interesting team to play in a game where most people just beat the living shit out of eachother.

 

[Brother None]

Play it in a higher difficulty setting, we all want to see you getting thwacked.

That's not a bad suggestion, but I kind of suck anyway, so we'll see how it goes.

Even though you Already started, I want to see someone do a LP of Wood Elves. Sure they're incredibly gay, but their insanely low armor rating makes it an interesting team to play in a game where most people just beat the living shit out of eachother.

I don't think Elves have the lowest Armor Rating. I think Skaven and Gobbos have even less.

 

[Inziladun]

I don't think Elves have the lowest Armor Rating. I think Skaven and Gobbos have even less.

Never said they have the lowest, but their players are comparatively much more expensive to replace, so it's a bigger deal when you lose a WE player.

 

[DraQ]

:scallie:, plus Lizardmen actually sound interesting.