Bloodbowl Puzzle #7 (TT)

Yes, not easy. Usually I look for ways to get scoring threats in with limited dice rolls but here there will be dice required for every option.

Let’s go from left to right blitz targets and what we get.

Target Slayer #6

The far left option is about getting multiple scoring threats into position for a T16 pass play.

There are four options on who blitzes the slayer, the standing lino H, and the two downed linos (F on double rush) or Thrower E. Arguably double rushing F has the highest pow-based upside, but I want to get at least one scoring threat in even if I get pushes, so let’s look at the H option.

The standing lino Blitz and run, gets one scoring threat instantly on pushes+ with H probably rushing twice to 5 squares from the EZ (to get out of range of downed dorf blitzer and from the human catcher/blitzer next turn). If a pow, then he stands on the sideline and Thrower E can also double rush to 8 squares away, just in range (although he’s not really a credible threat). If a push on the blitz, you probably don’t RR, but it would mean that Thrower E doesn’t make it through. You would RR a 1/9 though as realistically H will be the best out next turn as the thrower and other scoring threat is going to be marked pretty heavily

Lino J can dodge out, so you could have 3 scoring threats for next turn. You would definitely RR this assuming you had at least 2 left. You need to keep one for the last turn as there will be quite a lot of dice! Downed lino F tags Dorf #1.

Knight B steps one square forward and Catcher C stays, and thrower D step in front of A and hand off the ball to thrower D (to reduce the dice for next turn).

If all goes to plan, this would be the final position. 3 scoring threats and the far away one only able to be based on double rush.

It’s about 33% to get to this position (incl pow on slayer) with 1RR, 48% with 2RR. If the blitz was a push, then 57%/70% total to get the rest of the pieces in position apart from thrower E (who could instead go and touch catcher #4 and be a scoring option on that side).

The OWA response here is probably to stand slayer, tag Thrower E with dorf blitzer, screen the bottom of the field with dorf lino 2 and 5 tag lino J, then blitz it and if it goes down, rush the catcher and blitzer to tag Lino H. If the hit on Lino J was pushes/bothdown then only one piece is tagging lino H.

T16 is likely either a 3+ for 1D blitz (3+) into 3+ or, just 3+ blitz if single tagged to get to the endzone with lino J followed by a 4 or 5+ pass 3+ catch. Maybe about 60% if a RR remains. Not terrible.

The problem with this play is if you don’t get all 3 scoring threats, then the defence don’t have much to do. It is, therefore, very tempting to reroll pushes on the slayer hit… but that feels awful!

Can we do better?

Blitz Dorf lino 1

Again, this is setting up a pass play for T16.

We stand Lino G, send Lino F to NW of Dorf 1 then Blitz through with Thrower E 2D. We obvs want pows (55%) but on pushes the Thrower E can get in range and we can dodge out LIno H and Lino F for a similar overall position to the previous option.

However, perhaps it is better than option 1 as here we can move the ball centrally and send another scoring threat in the form of blitzer B. We could run the catcher C around to get into range too… however, we probably don’t do that as it would leave an easy hit on the ball carrier. This position would connect all the pieces and makes it hard for the OWA to even tag them all. The turn after might allow a handoff play or could be easier to blitz the eventual scorer free.

To get to the position above is 2D pows, 2/2/3/2/2/3/(3)/2. 8/25/40%. But it’s about 20/46/65 before the knight B comes in. That knight play in the end isn’t really as important, but nice to have if you haven’t burned RRs. Again, whether to RR pushes on the first hit is the tough one: no pushes there and the thrower plus two linos can be in similar scoring threat positions as the option 1 above.

The ball’s not safe here. The blitzer can frenzy 1D, 1D the lino G away and then the downed slayer can double rush 1D with tackle. This would likely be the OWA play as they can’t cover all the other scoring threats. Although a more conservative line might involve single rushing to the get DT on the ball and using the blitz elsewhere to tag everything else.

Blitz dorf 2

The thinking here is if we can pow down dorf 2 then we can open a gate between dorf 1 and lino 3 to send pieces through on 3+ dodges.

Probably the blitzer is knight B here, so you are using the dodge RR after the blitz. Downed lino F stands, we blitz dorf 2 (needing pows really and likely would RR pushes). on Pows, we put him NW. If it is just pushes, we are back to sending E, H and J as scoring threats with dodges.

IF it is a pow, then through the gate we go. A (dodge) first, then ball, then Catcher C (all with built in dodge). The far away thrower tags the catcher 4, E probably tags dorf 1 to discourage the dorf blitzer from getting involved next turn, and then Lino H and J become the other cage corners/screens as per below.

2D pows (55%)(3)(3)(3),3,3 minimum, but I’d be tempted to take one rush with the ball here if I haven’t burned a RR yet, so I can extend the screen downward and to get the players just that little bit further away. It’s about 14/33/41% to get the the position above.

From here the OWA aren’t doing much. They might elect to try a 5+ for 1D with tackle but won’t be keen to RR with their own OTTD coming, or they might try to just jam everyone in and force multiple rolls next turn. Either way, I think the Brets would be odds on to score if they get to this position. So, although the dice this turn are harder, next turn is likely much easier.

But it hinges on that opening 2D needing pows…. pretty much has to be rerolled this time.

Blitz lino 3

Again this is a blitz to create a gate scenario. However, this time the gate is further downfield so feels at first like it would be better. But where does the blitz come from? The issue is that Dorf 2 has Guard, so the best you can get is 1D, and it’s 1D really needing a pow, both downs aren’t good enough unless its a removal.

You could try speculatively blitzing with J after running E around into range and dodging H into range, but it’s all a bit rubbish. 33% before you get much in the way of legitimate scoring options in place.

The stand J, ball carrier blitz followed by 3+ away on pushes is an option but you don’t really get far enough away from the tackle blitzer or catcher for it to work. My verdict; reject.

Blitz Catcher 4 or Dorf 5

Let’s cover both of these together. The thinking here is that the ball carrier, catcher and other knight can all reach from 9 squares away, so if we move the catcher or dorf we can put at least 2 of those into range in a based cage. You then tag everything else. dodge around the wide H to tag off lino 3 as a bonus scoring threat and dodge lino J to tag the blitzer. There’s no tackle available, so likely the dorf is the preferred target. I, as the OWA player, rotated the catcher/dorf from inverted positions the previous turn for this reason.

There aren’t too many dice required for this. You want a pow with the 2D blitz, but pushes are not the end of the plan. I’d RR though. The only other dice are the 2x 3+ dodges that really help the rest of the position, both are worth RR if you haven’t used a RR on the blitz… for sure I’d expect to need at least 1RR for T16.

If it goes well, you are asking your opponent to roll perfect dice on their next turn.

But what are those dice the OWA need now? I’d look at this and probably say there is a 1D surf of the ball carrier is available… but I might be inclined to just chain knight B into A, pushing the ball carrier out a range and forcing extra dice. I’d finish my movement assisting HZ, stand up 5 and punch the thrower, so now I have a 4 wide screen. If J went down and L into H put him down too, then the Brets might only have something like handoff for tough dodges and double rush down the sideline, or possibly a pass over the top as their only outs.

The surf, FWIW is dorf 1 in beside thrower D. Punch F with dorf 2 and then gate dodge or no dodge around the back for 1D with the catcher pushing the ball into the gap in front of C. Follow that hit and 1D surf. (38/65/70% overall with 0/1/2RR).

On that basis, probably ball carrier needs to be one square over… and will be getting 1D blitzed directly and pushed out of range.

Verdict and what happened

Now we’ve looked at the odds, let’s do the poll again for what you would do. I’ve rationalised it to the main options.

I’m in camp blitz lino 2. In a no-pow situation you still get to try almost all the pass options but not having to move the ball and having many more mens through make it worth the worse risk profile.

This is also what Angry Gerbil did, although he went more of a potato-line into the corner and then tried and base control the other players. He ended up using all 3 RRs to get a decent position. I needed 2 rushes to generate a 3+ with dodge for 2D on the ball. I Got the hit but didn’t find a pow in 4 dice. I did however, get to move in another lino and dorf and screen off the rest of the team, so that the best available option next turn was a (4)(3) or -2D(4) for (3). All RRs were gone, so those options are nearly identical straight up, but the steady footing means the dodges are marginally better… He double 2’d the 4+ and failed the “argue the fall” roll.