TACTICS: Ares Rising (Martians)

Ares Rising (Visitor)

Dark Blue - Guard, Light Blue - Jack, Green - Striker

The Martians are one of my favorite teams (if you have read much of this blog you probably know that), but they are not necessarily one of the best teams out there. The following is a fun, pretty defensive setup for a Martian team.

Guards - I have set the Guards up as defenders of the 2 point line in the side Strike Zones. I chose them to be there because they defend slightly better than a Jack does, so they run solo the best. This should dissuade, or at least slow down, your opponent's attempts to make more than a single point in a Rush.

Jacks - I set three Jacks up in a full defense of the 3-4 zone. They work well to keep the opposing team out of this area because they are blocking the whole thing. As an added bonus, one of the side Jacks can Sprint up and turn to get into position to shoot almost anyone in the back-movement 6 is awesome! 

Striker - Well, you need one on the Pitch to grab the ball during your Rush, and placing the Striker where he is further argues to your opponent that going for the 4 just isn't worth it. And if it isn't worth it, then why bother the Striker. At least that's the hope!

Ack ack!

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!

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

Of the 4 Seasons that are out right now, the following are my favorite team in each Season and why...

Season 1
Trontek 29ers (Human Male Corporation Team)
I love the truly balanced nature of this team. I have never put them on the board and thought I was at a disadvantage. Everyone is pretty decent on this team--there might be no one that shines like the North Star on this team, but neither is there anyone that is just outright awful. In addition, you get a Coaching Dice, which is nice to get your momentum rolling. And, most importantly I believe, you get two starting cards. The two cards really make this team a nasty rival no matter who they are up against. The Corporation team really is the standard by which all other teams are measured, and rightfully so.

Season 2
Void Sirens (Human Female Corporation Team)
This team is a powerhouse! These ladies take the game to another level. Where the boys have the cards to give them extra actions, the girls have the cunning to really play a stronger defensive game (thanks to Run Interference). The Void Sirens can make the opposing coach quiver just trying to make a decision, due to their Jacks being able to utilize the opposing coach's turn for their own purposes. This is one of the few teams where you don't mind having Jacks going onto the pitch for you (as they are the real weapons on the team). Add to this 4 Coaching Dice and this team is just fantastic on the pitch!

Season 3
Kalimarin Ancients (Nameless Team)
Wow, these guys can just plain dominate the pitch! Their Strikers are amazing, with a Movement of a Veermyn, the Skill of a Human, and A Safe Pair of Hands! But where the money is at is definitely the Guards. Between the Hard and Sticky Guards, you have a duo of monstrous killers, literally. Plus, this team first introduced the concept of 2 distinct types of player in the same position, very cool. I HATE seeing these guys on the other side of the pitch from me! But playing them... well, that's another story altogether. And just in case I have not made it abundantly clear, these Cthulu-Outworlder-No-Jack-Having-Machines-of-Destruction are REALLY, REALLY, REALLY good (many think too good).

Season 4
The Red Planets (Martian Team)
I am going to go with who I love to play for Season 4. I will put these little green men up against anyone, and often lose, but with the Martians it isn't about winning. The Red Planets are about the most fun someone can have playing Dreadball. They are cheating invaders who will happily stab (or shoot) you in the back. So they die easily, they can't score worth a crap, and the Guard is nothing to write home about, but GUNS BABY! I love them.

TEAM: The Red Planets (Martian Team)

The Red Planets (Martian Team)
Reviewed during Season 4 for DBO only

Strengths: 
Gunning 'em Down from Behind - Oh man, is shooting other players in the back fun! Keep the ref away and just fire all day long! Illegal is WAY more fun than I thought it would be.

Coaching Dice - Three starting Coaching Dice is awesome! You going to need them for your Strikers, as their Skill leaves a lot to be desired. And don't underestimate the Guard Slamming, using some Coaching Dice to augment his abilities. Or on the guns! Plus, you are still getting a card with all these dice.

Super Fun - Don't be afraid to just put these "bad boys" out there. The more you are willing to push your luck with them, the more fun you will have. Shoot everyone you can. Go for the impossible Throws, I mean you'll probably miss anyway, so who cares! Play this team with the reckless abandon they deserve!

Weaknesses:
Breakable - Fragile is a tough ability to get around when you are 50/50 on dice to Dodge--unlike say the Asterians with their ungodly ability to avoid having to make Armor Checks. Try as best as you can to minimize the amount of hitting you take.

Strikers - The Martian Strikers are just nothing special at all. Don't get me wrong, A Safe Pair of Hands is great, but with a Skill as bad a Veermyn, don't expect that to matter a whole lot.


MVP Recommendations:

The Praetorian* - You will need a good Striker that can avoid damage, that is the Praetorian. He excels in Scoring and has A Safe Pair of Hands like the Martian Strikers. He would be the perfect compliment to the team.

*Yes, I know I recommend him a lot. He is just that good!

The Excavator - Here is someone that is just about the opposite of the regular Martian team. The Excavator is a great Guard with the ability to really bring the pain. He would be a nice addition to draw the attention of the opposing coach, and tie him up for a while (the Excavator is difficult to remove). He adds a punch to Slams that the Guards on the Red Planets don't really bring, and are afraid to do due to Slambacks.








Overall: 
Fun, fun, fun. Are they good? Well, I am not saying you can't win with them, but I am saying that shouldn't be your goal in life if you are playing the Red Planets. I really like playing the Martians, even when I don't win with them. I highly recommend them if you are the kind of person that can laugh off a loss and keep going.


Grade:
C -

... but A + for enjoyment!

PAINTING: Martian Team!

Finally finished painting my Martian team! Just need to get the helmets on, then start playing them!

PAINTING: Martian Dreadball Team Prototype

I was pretty happy with the way this little guy turned out. He took quite some time for me - I am still a novice painter at best.

A lot of the techniques I used, I found in this video:

Looking forward to getting these finished and seeing how they play on the pitch.
Ack, Ack, Ack!