TEAM: Bremlin Nebulas (Kalyshi team)

Bremlin Nebulas (Kalyshi team)

Strengths: 
Asterian Scoring Chops - Want to score a goal? You can hardly get any better than an Asterian. With good Skill and great Speed and fantastic Movement, the Kalyshi are the perfect scoring team. They are reliable when it comes to putting points on the board, use them for that every chance you get. A Kalyshi Striker is one of tailor-made for scoring and...

Come on let's Jump! - Jump! Might as well, Jump! If you remember that your Strikers have Jump, you will find a place to use it. Jump is one of those underused abilities in my estimation, your experience might be otherwise. Speed 3+ Jump is even better. :-)

Jacked Up - Although they have pretty bad Strength, they have a few things to augment them, which is a good thing as they don't have any Guards on this team. Backstab is nice to have in your back pocket, but Shove is much more useful. The chance to move someone out of the way of a striking lane can be pretty handy. And speaking of strike lanes, these Jacks are fairly reliable scorers in their own right. Don't be afraid to utilize them as part of your offensive strategy.


Weaknesses:
No Dice and No Cards - This is pretty self-explanatory. They start with no advantages other than themselves.

No Guards - This team does not excel in hurting people. I have seen opponents realize halfway through a match that this team is just not set up for the Slam. If there is a useful, or dire, time you need to Slam, get those extra Threat hexes on your opponent and try to Backstab (or Shove).


MVP Recommendations:

Kailasa - First off, she is cool! I love her background, it might be a little cheesy, but it is fun. And I really dig her model. I like the fact she definitely looks like a Kalyshi taken to the extreme. Plus, she is a Guard. IS she the best Guard in Dreadball? Well, no. But she does have some really neat aspects. One, she is a Guard with Movement 6, which is a very nice start. Two, she has a 4+ Strength, not amazing, but better than her Kalyshi counterparts. Three, she has Backstab. Now, on a Kalyshi Jack Backstab is decent, but on Kailasa it is actually really good! Hitting someone in the back from 6 or more spaces away (let's face it, a Dash when you have Speed 3+ is well within reason) with 6 Dice is great, even with Strength 4+! So, yeah... do that. For 8 MC, she is a SOLID choice for any Kalyshi coach. I think she might be pretty awesome on Tsudochan team too, but that is for another entry.


Overall: 
The Kalyshi team is a team made for scoring. If you are playing them and you are wondering, "Should I hit that guy in the back, or should I try to score?" Go for the points. If the choice is doing (whatever) or trying to score, you should try to score. If you focus your efforts on getting to the Strikezone and throwing the ball in, you have a VERY good chance of winning the game. If you get sidetracked with ANYTHING ELSE (unless you have a decent MVP or Free Agent), you are risking losing the game. Do what this team does, go for the big scores fast.


Grade:
A

PAINTING: Challenging Myself to Paint!

I made a promise to myself when I received my Kickstarter shipment earlier this year. I promised that before the next Wave arrived, I would have my Season 4 teams painted. Now, this promise was made easier by the fact that one of my friends had paid for the Brokkr team and one of my friends had paid for the Sphyr team. But that still left me with three teams to get painted before the next shipment, and for me, that is a big deal. I felt determined it should happen.

Team One Martians

The first team I completed was the Martians! They were a lot of fun to paint, even though it took me a long time to do it. I went with a pretty traditional scheme for their colors. When I play them, I say, "Ack ack!" every time I shoot someone. 

Team Two Rebs

The second team I finished up was the Rebs! I went with a blue on blue scheme for them. It went well with most of the other color choices that I was thrilled! My wife particularly liked the Sorak Jack painted in turquoise. I actually was pushed to finish these guys because I "oathed" to do it on the MANTIC MADNESS Facebook group - I was an Oath Keeper! 

Team Three Hobgoblins

The third and final team I completed, and thereby fulfilled my promise to myself, was the Hobgoblins. I started them a long time ago, and finally completed them right after I finished up the Rebs. My idea was to do a Dark Brown on top of a Light Brown for a team, then do the inverse for another team of Hobgoblins (which would give them close enough colors to use in a league). The original team turned out pretty good, but the secondary team did not. The Light Brown on top of Dark Brown just doesn't work. Oh well, at least one team is painted! I did vary some from the original scheme thanks to a comment from RavensaursRex, and I like the result.

ALSO, I finished another team in the time period!

Team Four Orx and Goblins

AND, I repainted a team too!

Team Five Asterians

  

So, when I receive my Season 5 and Season 6 Kickstarter teams soon, I challenge myself to paint at least three of the teams before the end of the year!

COACH'S CORNER: These are a few of my favorite things... Player Edition

My Greenskins on the Pitch!

Season 1

Orx Guard

This my favorite model in the original line of models. They might be my favorite models in the whole range. I actually like painting them too! And their stats are excellent! Even in the games I have used them in against Season 4 teams, they still wreck face! 

Ever player wants to punch you in the face.

Season 2

Void Siren Jack

A number of Jacks have abilities, varied and plentiful abilities. But no one has Run Interference as an ability on the model in starting play. The Void Siren Jacks allow you to defend your territory like no one else. They also force the opposing coach to make hard decisions when coming down the pitch. These Jacks alter the game in ways that most other models don't even approach.

That's her in the top right corner... and all the other girly girls with their legs up in the air.

Season 3

Asterian Striker

Ah, the Asterian Striker... Just a force of nature on the pitch. Fantastic Speed and Movement allow you just go wherever you please. They are one of the most reliable models for the purposes of scoring. I don't really care for the actual models though, I think that is their only real shortcoming, aside from, well, you know, being a space elf. 

I am the proud papa of this cute guy.

Season 4

Martian Jack

If you have read this blog for any amount of time, you probably know I love me some Martians! And it is the Martian Jacks that make the team so fun. Sure, you are going to have a few tossed out of the game for shooting someone in the back, but hey, who cares! Also, I love the models (the whole Martian team actually), and I took a lot of time and effort painting them. ACK ACK!

TACTICS: Asterian Forward Commanders Setup and Hobgoblin's Middle Irk Setup

Please note, these two setups are to be understood independently of each other, they are just presented on a single pitch because one was for a Home team and one for a Visiting team. In the future, I will display only one side at a time for individual team setup.

Asterian Forward Commanders (Home)

Red - Guard, Orange - Jack, Yellow - Striker

I like this setup for the Asterian for a number of reasons if you are the Home team. 

The first reason is that you have your Guard on the Pitch at the beginning of the game. With the ref starting on the Visiting side, it is much more likely that you Dirty Tricks is useful on the first Rush--use it! Try to take out a Striker, or failing that a pretty hefty Guard. Once the first Rush is over, and you find a Rush that you have two Actions left (this seemed to happen a good bt with the Asterians believe it or not), then exchange him for one of the Jacks. The Jack will do just as good at Dodging as the Guard, so blocking the 4 point hex line works fine, plus you always have that Taking a Dive to use. 

Second reason, you have a Jack positioned in the direct center of the Pitch to move down and try and clean a path to either a 3 or 4 point goal using Taking a Dive. If this isn't necessary for some reason, he is still a decently reliable player (heck, an Asterian Jack is nearly as good as many teams' Strikers!). This give a bit of flexibility, which is nice.

Speaking of Jacks, if that center jack does not use his Taking a Dive, perhaps in the third Rush, one of those jacks in the 1/2 point zones can use their Taking a Dive. You are bound to have some of the opposing coach's players on your side, and they are surly asking for a Foul!

Finally, the pinnacle of the Asterian team, the Strikers! These guys are amazing, if you didn't know! Use their incredible movement and Speed to get into position to score that 3 or 4 points. You can go for a 1 or 2 pointer, and you might have to depending on you opponent, but push the Strikers to move down the Pitch and try every time for a 3/4 point goal. They can easily get there and score without breaking a sweat on the very first Rush--they may need the Jack to try and clear a path though.

Hobgoblin's Middle Irk (Visitor)

Dark Blue - Guard (Hulk), Light Blue - Jack, Green - Striker

For this Hobgoblin setup, what I focused on was getting to the second Rush. If the opposing coach is smart, the first thing he does to the Hobgoblins is remove their Hulk, or try to at least. So, this setup first and foremost is about protecting the Hulk. 

The Hulk is flanked by a Jack on either side*, their Threat Hexes, combined with Stench, helps protect the Hulk from ever side and angle--unless you are going to come all the way around and Slam/Throw the Ball at the Hulk from directly behind him. Once you are in the second Rush, these two Jacks become the Hulk's little buddies. They should lead an advance and have the Hulk follow, devastating the opposing team. 

One Jack stays back to protect the 4 point hex.

The two Strikers are guarding the 2 point lanes on either side. They are there because you will need them on the second Rush, to hopefully score. Should the other coach go after one... good, the Hulk can turn them into paste next turn. 

*One note about this little threesome, it can also work if all three move back a hex, putting the Hulk in the 4 point hex, but I generally like them as far forward as possible. Either is extremely effective.

GAMING: New Realm Dreadball League 2014

Team: 
The Anck Su-Na Moons (Asterian Team)

Starting Lineup: 

1. Tut-Seth - Guard
2. Anubis Ka - Jack
3. Zeshlo Ka - Jack
4. Horus Ptah - Jack
5. Nephertysa Imhotep - Striker
6. Isis Ka - Striker
7. Terana Mosenon - Striker
8. The Lady Ptolemina - Striker

Record in League Play: 

8 wins - 1 loss 

(My single loss was a resounding defeat at the hands of a Corporation team)

Rank:

1st in final results (#1 in League Points, and tied for #1 in win/loss ratio).

Lessons:

- If you have a fantastic Speed stat, Fragile doesn't necessarily mean instant death.

- Your Skill 3 Striker WILL DIE. 

- Movement 6 is no joke.

- As Asterians, if you go first have your Guard on the pitch guarding the 3-4 zone and call a Foul on the biggest guy on the pitch, or the guy guarding the opposing center line of the 3-4 zone. If you go second, decide if your opponent has his star player on the field or not, if he does, put your Guard near the bench for an easy extra after calling out a Foul. If he doesn't, keep the Guard in reserve.

- Be sure that you FLGS doesn't schedule a WH Fantasy League day the same day you are scheduled to be in the shop for your league day.

- Go for a 3 or 4 pointer every time you can. You have the Movement to make it and good enough Skill to make it viable.

- Keep a few Jacks handy to Foul turtle formations lines.

- STEAL ALL THE TIME!

- I know it is a cliche, but have fun!

Pictures:

You can just see my team on the last two pictures. They are off the pitch in their box with my League sheet on their heads. 

PLAYER: Kalyshi Jack (Asterian DBX Kalyshi)

Kalyshi Striker (Jack DBX Kalyshi)
Reviewed when only the DBX box set was out


Strengths:
Look Out, Behind You! - With no ref in DBX, there is no such thing as a Sucker Punch - that works so well for the Kalyshi Jack. These sneaky ladies like to hit you when you are looking. The extra dice on this is great. Plus, with such a high Movement state, it is easy to set up. Use this to take out those players with a low Speed stat that you wouldn't hit in the face.

Look Out Behind You! - Shove. This takes some getting used to, but can be an awesome ability. Shove that Thug into the hex beside that crate - BOOM! Shove a player out of the 3 point hex and score the game winning point. Shove is a great ability, learn to use it wisely.


Weaknesses:
Head-to-head - These Jacks do not excel in Slamming someone head-on. I mean, they can do it... but I wouldn't. This does present some difficulties. You usually have to use an Action to get setup for a Slam, and though this is common for all Jacks, the Kalyshi Jacks REALLY need to be in the back arc of someone to do damage. If you just want to Shove, go for it, but if you want to hurt someone, don't go face-to-face.


Best Sponsor:

Blaine - They are part of his stock team. They are cheap for him to purchase in custom teams. And they are decent players who can enter the pitch at any time you want and possibly free up that hex you want to be in. They are good, they just don't shine easily.










Overall:
You can choose to Dodge or Shove in response to a Slam. You can free hexes up. You can possibly hurt someone with a Backstab. They are good and well-rounded players, but they are never really my star in a game. Solid... not amazing.

Grade:
B -

PLAYER: Kalyshi Striker (Asterian DBX Kalyshi)

Kalyshi Striker (Asterian DBX Kalyshi)
Reviewed when only the DBX box set was out


Strengths:
Ain't Nothing Gonna Breaka My Stride - If a Kalyshi Striker wants to get somewhere, it is hard to stop them. Evading is no problem with their fantastic Speed stat. Their Movement is as great as any of their race. They can use Jump to get over that player on the ground, that Thug blocking their path, or that box that was a dud and is still sitting on the pitch. These Strikers get to where they are going.

Speed - Even though Speed is a part of the point above, I think it is such a great stat score for them that it bears repeating. I played the Shan-meeg Starhawks Asterian team in a league last year and won it, losing only one game - this was in no small part due to Asterian Speed. The ability to Dodge with this Striker is phenomenal.


Weaknesses:
Injury - If your opponent can manage to double the Slam on you, the odds on your Striker getting hurt are pretty good. And once they are on the ground, recovering from those injuries isn't easier either. I find this to be the biggest issue with the Kalyshi Strikers. You are better off bringing a new Striker on the pitch usually.


Best Sponsor:

Blaine - Well, considering they are his "stock team", Blaine is the obvious choice here. I think they would be fine for the Warden too, the problem is that they cost him 23 MC! They work great for Blaine though. I usually don't even beginning designing my customer team until I have 3 of them on the roster.










Overall:
Great Speed, decent Skill, great Movement, and Jump (never underestimate Jump) makes these Strikers well worth the inclusion on a Blaine team. I love their play style and it is just up my alley. Their finesse is one of the only weapons Blaine has to counter the brutality of the Warden's Convicts on the pitch.

Grade:
A

TEAM: ShanMeeg Starhawks (Asterian Team)

ShanMeeg Starhawks (Asterian Team)
Reviewed during early Season 4 for DBO only


Strengths: 
Strikers - Speed tests are your friend when playing the Starhawks. Evade with ease. Steal the ball. Dodge. Add to that Movement better than a human, that easily makes these some of the best Strikers in the entire game. Run then Pass, Catch and Score. The strength of the Asterians lie in their master Strikers, oh yeah, and there are four of them!

Foul - What good is a Guard who has the Strength of a Goblin, you might ask? Calling a Foul on someone out of nowhere! And jacks, the position most coaches despise, they can get a Foul called on someone too! Sending people out without them doing anything is so devious, and helpful.

Defensive Coach - Don't forget to roll for some Defensive Coaching Dice every rush! You need these to keep the Fragile Asterians alive. The dice you get might be the difference in making to the next round or not.

Weaknesses:
Brittle - The Jacks and Strikers are both Fragile. This really, really hurts when playing a bashy team. If you cannot Dodge out of the way, you are likely looking at a few rushes out of the game, if you are lucky.

Straight Forward - One potential drawback is the fact that their game plan is usually pretty to predict. Asterians are going to go for the highest possible point value available to them on the board. Rinse. Repeat.


MVP Recommendations:

The Enforcer - Want a Guard that can Slam from a distance further away than even your Asterians can move, and do it fantastically well? Oh, let's add in that he can Dodge just as simply as you can. The Enforcer will be the Starhawks best friend.

The Praetorian - If you want overwhelming potential to score that Strike and pull off that landslide, forgo the Slams and just score! The Praetorian adds a boosted verision of the same amazing Striker (minus one Speed). Use him and win, quickly!









Overall: 
I won our league last year with the Asterians (The Anak-Suna Moons). Not only did I win the league, I had a landslide in every match, except the one I lost to the Corporation. The potential for scoring with the Starhawks is out of this world. Speed and Movement are the most reliable thing they possess. Sometimes, it is better to hold those Fouls, but I almost always used at least one in each rush. These guys are Fragile, but if they weren't they would be too unfair.


Grade:
A