Kill-Kill-Khorne Karnage
by David Yellope (www.blood-bowl.net)
Owning the biggest OLBBL team in history is no fun sometimes. You hardly ever get games, you become a target for extry team with 5 DP’s and a willingness to use it.. but thereare its upsides too. You become a kind of “Game Ettiquette” enforcer. People will say “if You continue to do that, I see a game against the Goats in the future”, which usually provides the impetus for change in people’s behavior. But I digress. You want to try to get your Chaos team to the level that I have. Well, first off, Good luck. It took 4+ seasons for the Goats to get where they are today, and a lot of luck. But here’s some hints.
Starting Squad:
This is where a Chaos team can do well against most other teams (except teams with all-block, such as Dwarf, and Norse), due to the
fact they can have ST 4 most of the time (CW’s start with it, and Beastmen Blitz ST 3+Horns)
If I was forced to start a new Chaos Team… this is how I’d do it. (Using Vanilla Rules, No Big Guys/Allies):
2 Chaos Warriors-200k
10 Beastmen-600k
2 RR-140K
FF6-60k
Here’s why. I always prefer 12 players to start. Chaos is a team that needs to take advantage of it’s numerical superiority vs Elves and the like. This will allow you to keep as many players on the possible after the first couple of drives. A possibility is to go down to 1 RR, bump the FF up to 9, and convert one beastman into a 3rd Chaos Warrior. I don’t agree with that, because you need RR’s as much as possible, because your team starts with no skills (except for the Beastman’s Horns). You should be able to buy a Apothecary after the first game or two, and it’s not absolutely critical you start with him, as you have a solid AV (8 on the Beastmen, 9 on the Chaos Warriors)
Here’s an Alternate Chaos Team, using Big Guys/Allies:
2 Chaos Warriors-200k
8 beastmen-480k
1 minotaur-110k
2 RR-140k
7 FF-70k
The Minotaur provides a smasher for you (MB+5ST), the Chaos Warriors are your anchormen, and the Beastmen will try to fill in whenever necessary. This is a good set up, but risky… as you have no apocathery to save your expensive players (it has to be your first purchase under this setup), and 3 players with a cost of 100,000 or more. 2 RR, are just about adequate, but make sure you leave your WA in the middle of the pack, or you’ll be in trouble when he pops your own player.
Here’s a third Chaos team, using Allies, proposed to me by a fellow OLBBL Chaos Player:
3 Chaos Warrior=300k
7 Beastman=420k
1 DE lineman=70k
2 RR=140k
7 FF=70k
Nice set up, and this helps fix one of your problems early on dealing with ball handling as dodging, as your team is just average in that category, and the Dark Elf will become your thrower quickly. I’m not convinced though, as Chaos should be barely adequate at ball handling and dodging, it’s hitting that this team excels at. It feels kinda traitorous, you know?
Early Games: Setting up a team.
People look at the sheer number of goodies available to Chaos, and lick their lips, figuring that they’re going to roll over everybody right away. Those teams tend to get caught up in the middle of the pack, as they take on tough teams and maybe win, but take a beating.
Instead, what I feel a young Chaos team should do, is take a few games against much higher teams. Now I’m not referring to high ranked bruiser teams, which would be team suicide, I’m talking about that 200ish Wood Elf Team with no Treemen that win every game, but take a beating. Timing is everything. Try to hit them when they need a recovery game. After all, you’re not that big a threat, are you? Getting +3/+3 every game is going to build your team FAST, They’ll be happy, as they’ll probably be able to get fully healed for their tougher games. Try for RE and MI to start. You want cards like Special Offer, That Boy’s Got Talent, Inspiration and the ever popular money cards to build your team fast.
During game play, you want to be aware of who’s got MVP’s and who doesn’t. If you see someone with 5 SPP from a MVP.. try for a foul to get over the hump and get a skill. If that’s not possible, try to get everyone at least one SPP somehow, so a MVP will push them over. Remember, that second skill is just a MVP away from the first. Your results will vary, depending on your rolls, but here’s some of the categories you want to set up for your players.
The Bruiser: These are probably your Big Guys, or your Chaos Warriors or Beastmen who get doubles. They of course, need Block to take down their opponents, and this is where doubles rolling comes in. You need to be able to inflict Casualties as much as possible with these players. The four skills you can take on normal rolls that I would take with these players are: Block, Pro, Tackle,Frenzy,Guard, Stand Firm and Mighty Blow. On Doubles, this is where you get the fun stuff. If you already have Mighty Blow, take Razor Sharp Fangs, otherwise take Claws, as this will allow you to break armor more, but I find if you already have +1, trying to make it +2 will just force MB into an empty skill. Once you get the Block/(MB/Claw)/RZF/Pro combo set up, go for tentacles on doubles, to make sure they’re NOT getting away. If you have a poor rolling streak with one of your bruisers, and feel he can take the foul that you know will come in return, take Piling On. ST Bruisers are a blessing from the Chaos Gods.. use them to their
fullest extent.
The Ball Handler: AG+ Beastmen fall in this category, as well as Dark Elf Linemen (if you’re using allies) and even a regular AG3 Beastman can do nicely here. Since once you get a couple of Bruisers, you can use a Doubles roll to create a ball Handler. On Normal Rolls, the preferred skills are: Pro, Sure Hands, Block (Chaos should always be able to hit no matter what
The KABONGERS: Or the players your opponent will hate the most, as these players will never take on players in a fair fight, instead preferring to dash forward and lay in the boots to an already fallen player. I call them “Player Removal Specialists” Dirty Player and Pro should be the FIRST Two Skills taken for these players, in that order. Once you get that set up, SPP, should flow rather nicely (especially if you start playing teams your own size). Here’s some other regular skills I’d take for a Kabonger: Block (to survive your opponent’s retaliation. Leader (Free RR that he can use in his own defense) Kick (since you won’t have him on the LOS ANYWAY) On Doubles, take Regen or Foul Appearance (to let him live longer), once you’ve got one of em, Spikes would be nice.
The Scorers: This is the category where I put Skaven Gutter Runners, Beastmen who get MA, and maybe even a Dark Elf Lineman. These are the guys who can put the ball in the endzone. For the AG4 players, Leap/Pro/Dodge could be a useful three skills. (Leap allows you to pick your dodges, which in an ever increasing era of Diving Tackle, proves VERY useful.) Gutter Runners can be converted into one turners fairly easy (one doubles skill roll or a 10 to provide the MA+, and Sprint) and works even better as a distraction then a scorerm since your opponent might put all his guys back to stop the one turner, and leave you free to slaughter the three fools on the line.! For your two Mutateable players (GR and Beastmen), I’d get Stunty on Doubles. Another nice skill is Catch as it allows you to evoke the rarely seen Chaos Aerial game. Another “weird” skill is Dauntless, as Dauntless/Horns works nicely to take down those Big Guys that are set up off the line.
The Odd Balls: This is where I would go to fill out my team. Diving Tackle is always nice for Cageing up to prevent people from surrounding the cage.. If you don’t have a Leader/Kick guy already in your Kabongers, try to get one here. I also like Guard/Stand Firm here, as it will provide the Bruisers the means to hit with 2db all the time.
Filling out your team:
Since you have only 4 ally slots in leagues that allow them, I’d try to get the best ones for my team concept. I’d try to get my quota of Big Guys before anything else except for an apocathery, and I like Minotaurs here, as their negative skill is easily routed around, and can easily set up a later foul or blitz. A Gutter Runner is also good here, as you can start one turning, or use him as a Defensive Back. That leaves your 4th ally spot as a Dark Elf Lineman or an Orc Black Orc Blocker or Blitzer, and this is up to personal preference, Orc Blitzer might be nice early, as they start with Block. Once you have filled up your team, try to fill up your team with RR’s, buying any replacement players that you need, and if your league has a FA market, try to snag any doubles folks you need. Good luck!
