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!

TEAM: The Unincorporated (Rebs Team)

The Unincorporated (Rebs Team)
Reviewed during early Season 4 for DBO only


Strengths: 
Specialization - I suppose that should be Specialization in Spades! The Rebs team is made up of a number of different races from the Warpath universe's Rebel faction. And because they are made up of such different races, they have different strengths, and boy what strengths they are! How about a Centaur jack that can Slam your opponent from further away than almost any guard in the game, and hit with just as many dice! Oh yeah, and then catch a ball! Or what about a jack that has A Safe Pair of Hands? Just sit him in the extra point hex somewhere and toss him the ball. Or maybe a guard that can lay the double smackdown on someone! What about a Striker that has the best Skill in the game, MVPs included! There is a player for any and every occasion on this team.


Weaknesses:
Starting Dice and Cards - Zero on the cards and zero on the starting dice... yep, that is the only real drawback on this team as I see it right now.


MVP Recommendations:
Not that you need any... :-)

Galdo - If you want a little more specialization, I think this jack is a nice addition. Galdo has 360 Vision for starters, so he is always prepared for that ball headed at him. And having an average Skill and above average Movement, he is a versatile jack indeed.

The Excavator - This guy is slow, but you got speed already. This mining robot excells at sending people off the pitch and staying on himself. He is the guy you want in your backfield to annihilate that Striker that came down to try to score. He is an amazing guard that would fit a niche in this team of specialized players.




Overall: 
The Unincorporated team is just amazing. In the right hands, or even just competent hands, this team has a major advantage over most teams in Dreadball. The Rebs are crafted to Slam well, move fast, Catch the ball, Score, Steal... pretty much everything. If you could design team in Dreadball that is near-perfect, you would be hard-pressed to make up one much better than the Rebs team here.


Grade:
A +

TEAM: Nemion Oceanics (Sphyr Team)

Nemion Oceanics (Sphyr Team)
Reviewed during early Season 4 for DBO only


Strengths: 
Tail - The Sphyr tail makes the everyone just plain better. No longer do you have to worry about turning your back to someone. Heck, if you think they might try to Steal the ball, you are better off turning your back to them! This feature alone added to the average stats would make them good either but, there is one statistic that is not exactly average.

Movement - These guys are fast! The extra point bump from the average human Movement stat really makes a difference. Sprinting those extra two hexes, or even to Run that one extra, can make all the difference in the world.


Weaknesses:
Average - No starting dice, the human stat line (save for Movement), not terrible at scoring or killing, but not built for scoring or killing either. This might be a turnoff to some coaches. If you want to play a skew team, go somewhere else. This team does not have a lot of special rules (Tail is it), and no monstrous stats.


MVP Recommendations:

Buzzcut - This is the kind of team that could really make Buzzcut shine! Not that he isn't one of the best MVPs period. But with the Sphyr, Buzzcut has a team that can keep up with him and watch his back! If you want to add some one to crack some skulls, Buzzcut is the perfect match for the Sphyr.

Irsala Sephalin - Keeping with the look and theme of the Sphyr, Irsala is a great choice. Plus, she is a hell of a jack. Her Movement is not quite as fast as a Sphyr, and she has no Tail, but she does have Alert. She also has Gotcha! for some crippling of the of side's players. Plus, she has the same Skill stat as a Sphyr, which makes her a decent jack grabbing the ball and tossing it for a Sphyr Striker to score with. Oh yeah, and she has Steady and Toxic!





Overall: 
The Nemion Oceanics are going to be a force to be reckoned with in one off games and league play. They are not the strongest team on the pitch, or the toughest, or the best at scoring. What they are though is pretty good at everything, and they are all fast! The Sphyr are going to easily take a lot of people by surprise by being well-above average.


Grade:
A -

TEAM: Rallion Roses (Hobgoblin Team)

Rallion Roses (Hobgoblin Team)
Reviewed during early Season 4 for DBO only


Strengths: 
Hulk Guard - This brute is a literal monster on the pitch! I always run a stinky little hobgoblin beside him for a extra -1 to whoever I am about to Slam - couple that with Mighty and this guy will just make the opposing coach lament having come to the game. Positioned correctly, the Hulk can take out 2 guys in a Rush, no problem.

Stench - What a fun rule! This is really the only thing that helps these little guys out when they are Slamming Back (jack) or Dodging (Striker). There are a lot of interesting positioning options for these guys when you want to be a detriment to your opponent but not hinder yourself, as the stink is 360 degrees.


Weaknesses:
Skill - You are going to need those Coaching Dice you get at the beginning and from the damage the Hulk is going to cause. Hobgoblins have trouble Picking Up the Ball, Throwing, Catching, and Shooting. Always have a Striker near/in scoring position and use that Coaching Dice to Catch/Shoot the ball.

The Hulk's Backside - Having to Dodge with the Hulk is something you DO NOT WANT TO DO! Taking him out from the rear is not that hard. Guard it, or at least make it difficult to get to. One good Slam in the back from even a guard with even average Strength can take the Hulk out.


MVP Recommendations:

The Praetorian - I will probably be recommending this guy a lot with a number of teams for a variety of reasons. Here, the reason is Skill. You have to have someone on your team that can score reliably. The hobgoblins are great on defense and destruction, but there offensive scoring ability is inversely proportional to their offensive odor.

The Enforcer - This guy has it all! And who is a better compliment to the Hulk than Ironman! With a Strength the same as the Hulk's, plus his own way to get to where he needs to be with Jump (as opposed ot the Hulk's Trail Blazer ability), The Enforcer is mechanical mayhem on the move! And you could go with Buzzcut, or The Excavator, or Yurik Yurikson, but none of them have a Movement or Speed stat like The Enforcer.






Overall: 
The hobgoblin team is a riot to play. The Hulk is one of the most fun pieces in Dreadball in 9 out of 10 games (then there will be the one where he is killed the first rush and you will hate life). The stinky little hobgoblins are also fun to run around with and foul up the place with -1s everywhere. They have a few drawbacks, but the are a viable team, in my opinion.


Grade:
B -

TEAM: Rotatek Rockslides (Brokkr Team)

Rotatek Rockslides (Brokkr Team)
Reviewed during early Season 4 for DBO only


Strengths: 
Slam - The number one thing that the Brokkr team does well is Slam. Much like their Forge Father cousins, when they reach their target, they can really put a hurting on them. One guard can really hurt an opposing team, but having 4 starting guards can lead to devastating an opponent. This is the number one thing that a coach should use to his advantage.

Steady - And should your Slam or Slamback not succeed, you are still Steady, regardless of if you are a Jack or a Guard (Strikers are Steady too, but of course cannot Slam or Slamback). Having this on everyone just makes sense for a dwarven team, the Midgard Delvers should really have this too in very least. Steady should be a racial trait for a dwarf. This is a super little passive advantage.

Grizzled - Having this on a Striker is the only mitigating factor against any opposing player that decides to do a Slam against a Brokkr Striker. It does help. This is easy to forget and it is up to you to remind your opponent!


Weaknesses:
Movement - Movement 4 is just crippling to many peoples' play styles - including my own. It often takes a double Sprint to get to the ball. And often getting that extra -1 dice threat on someone then Slamming them can cost nearly an entire rush. Sometimes a card can help some with this, but relying on that is rather fool hearty. If you are playing against a Movement 5 team, maybe you will do alright, but a Movement 6 team will just run circles around this dark little guys.

Speed - Want to hold on to the ball Mr. Striker? Yoink! No, you don't! Want to dodge this Slam MR. Jack? Negative! Dash, evade? Sorry, those just isn't in the cards for you. This is a major disadvantage. Mix this together with the slow Movement and there is a recipe for an easy Steal and "Keep Away" game your opponent can play.


MVP Recommendations:

The Praetorian - This guy will VASTLY improve your game. He makes up for all the weaknesses that the Brokkrs have, and is just about the best Striker in the game anyway. Just keep him safe! (Nightshade could also serve a similar purpose)

Irsala Sephalin - Why Irsala? Well, she is brings an awesome advantage to the devastating power of the Brokkr guards with Gotcha! She also has Steady, just like the rest of the team. And among other benefits, she brings a surprising Speed and a great Skill for a jack.









Overall:  
Before saying anything else, I have to say, they look cool as hell.
Ok...
The Brokkr team is a vast improvement over the Midgard Delvers. The Rockslides could hold their own better against the teams from Season One and Two. In my opinion though, with the teams from Seasons Three and Four in the mix, I just wouldn't play them. Maybe they just aren't my style, but I just can't see them competing against teams like the Nameless or Rebs - at least not without MVP assistance.


Grade: 
C - *

*(for DBO as it is at Season 4, compared to Seasons 1 or 2 teams, they are an easy B + or better)