Welcome back sports fans to Touchline Tactics – an occasional feature in which we get the inside scoop on the playstyles and peccadillos of the Blood Bowl teams. We assess their gameplans, look at which Skills to advance, and take our top picks of Star Players to bring to the gridiron.
In this instalment, we’re putting the arboreal Wood Elf teams in the limelight. With a dash of flair, a tablespoon of ego, and a heap of acrobatic athleticism, Wood Elves favour outmanoeuvring their opponents with graceful ease. Just don’t let them get hit!
Playstyle
A dash team with skilled but expensive players, Wood Elves are all about moving the ball around while your opponent struggles to keep up. Control is the name of the game, with the best Wood Elf coaches able to dictate the pace of any match. This could be a one-turn Touchdown or a several turn set piece involving passing the ball around until an opening has been found.
Extended fights are not how the Wood Elves play – ideally, none of your players will end their turn in the enemy Tackle Zone, forcing the enemy team to Blitz if they want to hurt you. Failing that, you need to learn how and when to pressure the opposing team, even if that means sacrificing a lineman or two in the process.
Tactics
Wardancers are undoubtedly the stars of the team and rank amongst the best players in all of Blood Bowl. With Block, Dodge, and Leap as standard, they make excellent Blitzers, sackers, and scorers for your team.
Wood Elf Linemen are agile players who can dodge away from opposition players with little issue. The flip side is that they’re expensive and fragile, so you have to be careful how you move to ensure the opposing team can make as few Blocks as possible.
When you’re not running the ball with Wardancers, you’ll be using Wood Elf Catchers. Fast and swift, and starting with Catch and Dodge, your Catchers’ job is to get behind enemy lines with the ball or get into position to receive it when the time is right.
Throwers are the other half of this dynamic duo. Rarely on the front lines, they’ll grab the ball, dart forwards, throw it to a Catcher or Wardancer, and sit back – happy in the knowledge their job is done and they won’t be smacked.
Loren Forest Treemen are the odd ones out. They’re neither fast nor agile, but they pack a mean punch and they're very hard to hurt. Use them to absorb some hits and hold down a section of the pitch – just don’t expect them to reach the End Zone!
Skilling Up
Wardancers: A Wardancer with Strip Ball is an infamous combination, and many a cage presumed secure has been disintegrated by a Wardancer leaping in and snatching the ball. Sidestep and Tackle can provide a lot of utility, while embracing your wild side with Frenzy can increase your chances of getting the ball provided you position other players for assists.
Throwers: Extra re-rolls are always good, which makes Leader a natural first pick for a Thrower, who tends to hang back from the line of scrimmage. Sure Hands and Dodge increase a Thrower’s ability to grab the ball and get into position.
Catchers: Catchers have everything they need to do their job from the start. Block and Wrestle increase survivability when targeted by the opposing team, while Sure Feet and Sprint make them each better scorers. If you want a ‘lower tier’ Wardancer, you can instead take Dauntless and Strip Ball, though a Catcher’s lifespan is likely limited in this role…
Lineman: Skills like Block and Dodge are reliable choices, especially for players who will be put on the line of scrimmage. Getting Kick on a single Lineman is also good, offering more opportunities to set up chances at defensive touchdowns.
Treeman: The Treeman’s role is to occupy a small portion of the pitch and soak up damage. Skills like Grab and Guard are excellent, giving you better tools for manoeuvring the enemy team into the position you want.
Top 5 Star Players
It's not often that you get Inducements for a Wood Elf team, but the fragile nature of your players can lead to several missing a game at once, which is when you’ll need to hire support. Wood Elf teams can take Star Players from the Elven Kingdoms League – here are our top five picks.
5 – Helmut Wulf
Chainsaws and forest dwellers might not be natural allies, but don’t pass on Helmut Wulf! He brings some extra stopping power to a defence – the side of the game Wood Elves can suffer at – and the Old Pro skill makes casualties more reliable. Just make sure you don’t score too quickly and get him sent off!
4 – Zolcath the Zoat
A member of the mysterious Zoat species, Zolcath is speedier than a Treeman and still packs a punch – Strength 5, Juggernaut, and Mighty Blow (+1) bring some much needed damage dealing to the team.
3 – Lucien and Valen Swift
They might be expensive but the Swift Twins add a lot to your team. Two extra players is great for a team likely to suffer casualties. Lucien comes with Block, Tackle, and Mighty Blow (+1) making him great at supporting the offence, while Valen has a raft of passing skills that allow you to set up your Catchers for Touchdowns.
2 – Eldril Sidewinder
With a movement of 8, Catch and Dodge, Eldril fits perfectly into a Wood Elf team. Add in Hypnotic Gaze which allows you to create an opening in the enemy defence, and Eldril is a perfect inclusion.
1 – Jordell Freshbreeze
A Wardancer with Block, Dodge, and Leap would already be worth the inclusion. Add in Sidestep and Diving Catch, plus the Swift as the Breeze special rule – he can make a single Dodge, Leap, or Rush succeed on a 2+ regardless of modifiers – and Jordell is a terror who can easily win games on his own.