J.J. Cash

Did someone say Brushy?

Ok back on track with the new computer. I'll also be streaming my games on twitch now, right HERE!! Week 2 @ Chaos against @Steelheed (+210 to Chaos: Wizard + Babe) Synopsis: These Chaos aren't very scary yet, as far as Chaos go. This match will be 12v12 with lots of av8 pieces to hit with Mighty Blow. We just hope to remove their goats faster than they remove our Humans! Chaos are still a deceptively competitive race, even without their kill skills. Positioning dynamics change on offense and defense when the other team can always blitz at 4 Strength. The Ogre could have a very big day with all those claw-less beastmen, or he could just Ogre. We will try to keep close track of the blocks coming in and going out this game. Its going to be another match we hope to control to a 2-1 victory. Coin Toss: Lose! -- Chaos choose to receive first. (Nice Weather) Drive 1(T1): Kick to Chaos. Extra Re-Roll for both teams. T4 Score. 0-1 Humans Drive 2(T4): Kick to Humans. Riot, +1 Turn. T8 Score. 1-1 Humans --Half Time-- Drive 3(T9): Kick to Humans. Rock Throw. Final: 1-1 Draw I don't think I was wrong to approach the 2nd half with the intent to stall-bash the Chaos, but I deserve blame for being unable to adapt my approach in a timely fashion when things started going poorly. Perhaps the opening rock throw removal should have been my sign to go for a safer and more secure fast score? They would have still had plenty of time to counter score, but I might have had the numbers to stop them. And a 2-2 draw is preferable to a 1-1 draw in terms of net SPP, as long as no extra casualties are accrued along the way.

Sorry I just built a brand new computer so I can finally retire the old potato. Its been a process moving everything over and getting all my software up, but back online now more match reports soon

I'd cycle Birdy and Flash. You will be very TV competitive and still have Vex and a very nice Ogre to build around.

These match reports are going to be big with big-ass gifs, so I'm hiding them in spoilers for the mercy of your bandwidth. All 5 of you reading, feel free to critique or laugh at my poor play, even when I don't notice it. Week 1 @ HElfs against @Antrm (+160K to Elfs: Wizard) Synopsis: Our Humans have 2MNG for this one, putting this at an even 11v11. There is a skills advantage over these less experienced Tango Trueborn, but with no reserves it could just take 1 lucky injury to tilt this game for either side. Barring removals, we will have a very hard time dealing with the positioning game of the statistically superior Elfs on either side of the ball. The Human's positionals will need to take over the game as compensation for how many linemen both teams will be fielding (and how much worse Human linemen are than Elf's). A classic 2-1 grind is the most likely path to victory. Coin Toss: Win! -- Receive first. (Raining) Drive 1(T1): Kick to Humans. Weather -> Nice. T8 Score. 1-0 Humans Drive 2(T8): Kick to Elfs. Extra RR to Humans. The Elfs can not one turn with their current roster. 1-0 Humans --Half-time-- Drive 3(T9): Kick to Elfs. High Kick. T14 Score. 1-1 Drive 4(T14): Kick to Humans. Riot, -1 Turn. T16 Score. Final: 2-1 Humans win If antrm thinks I'm a lucker-noob after this match, he wouldn't be wrong. I played like a noob, and I was overall pretty lucky. This felt very much like a fresh tv game with the 11v11 and wonk-dice deciding the game. I just happened to be on the more fortunate side today.

Howdy, I'm J.J. Cash. I may not be a particularly great or talented coach, but I have coached more Humans than most (big fish little bowl). Over the past ~2years I have played almost exclusively humans on BB2. Look at my mediocre BB2leaguemanager stats!! And that's not counting all the leagues that are not indexed on there! But I think I've made my point. I suck. Humans suck (in eternal format). I've been moving on to other(better) races to cover up for my obvious coaching deficiencies... ...and to shelter my fractured ego. This was the most recent, and subsequently last human team I may make in a good long while. So they don't get retired. They get a swan-song of a send-off, even though Humans don't deserve it. You missed their first season, but first seasons are always boring and awkward. Here is the team as they start their 2nd Season: Yes, it is an above average amount of agi-ups. No, I don't have a thrower. Human throwers suck and are for losers, @ me if you want to fight about it anytime. Stars of this young team would be.... everyone who has an agi-up. Because they let me live the lie that I'm playing a real team like elfs. Wouldn't it be nice if I was playing elfs? My only regrets as far as the current development of this team are that Israel took Guard for his recent doubles. I really wish he'd gone pass or accurate. This post will be a nice benchmark for posterity, to see how that choice pans out over a season or two (should he live). HOT TAKE: Guard is way overrated for humans, I don't think you need more than 2, 3 TOPS. Future development plans for this team include not dying, followed by rolling more stat-ups. ....Oh yes one more thing. Wizards are fun.

Abandon hope all ye who enter here

This team has a really great foundation with the Ogre and the +ST blitzer/catcher, but also has lots of issues that can't all be addressed at the same time. My maybe radical strategy would be to immediately cut the unskilled/avbusted catcher and not replace them. Spend the whole season with Peggit as your only catcher, and force yourself to feed TDs to the newer blitzers. As far as the first skill for the two unskilled blitzers, I think that depends how you envision yourself using the +ST blitzer. As the season goes on, you could find the TV to bring on a new catcher by cycling Ethic, Lampoon, and Logos.

Unfortunately all my content creation time is being eaten up making videos for another league, I've been trying to make time to start doodling again. Humans might get the creative juices flowing a bit more.

I'm going back to my roots, an under performing race that is at least somewhat TV efficient.

Lost the +st blitzer today, which I'm ok with because hes so bloaty, but I also lost the +ag blitzer too, which is going to hurt the longterm prospects of the team. I think I might finally be ready to throw in the towel on this one, all I have left with this team is trying to get the catcher to legend...

It would be preferable to get some +ma on catchers for sure! I still think its nice to go from 7 to 8 on a team of only 6 and 7, and there's some synergy, 8MA Jumpup/leap/dodge can cover a lot of distance even from downed state. If I could do it over again I would probably pass on the +ma for guards. Guard is a very critical skill, and Kislev mainly seem to get it from doubled linos/catchers instead of an array of blitzers. I want to know how this team feels with a lot of guard. In fantasy-'I'm not doing TV math right now'-land, the team has the potential to be a 5+ guard team with 4 blitzers/bear, and sprinkle in an extra one or two from some other pieces who roll doubles...

I'm a fan of the Rule of 5, and I have 4 very nice blitzers and 1 amazing catcher, so none of my linos will ever see an apo outside of the closing turns of a game.. Might be better served swapping the unstatted blitzer for a bear if I can ever afford another one. I can get behind Pass Block so far in that there isn't much competition for skills on a traditional catcher past blodgestep. Maybe if I can hold on to a 2nd catcher for more than a few games I'll pick it up to play around with.

@MerlinpigKislev can do more with a wizard than maybe any other race in the game, at the point that a wizard stadium upgrade might even be a very good strategic play! But it's not often about what you can do with inducements, its about what your opponent is going to do with inducements against you . The blitzers are very nice but we're all having trouble at developed TV right now feeling like we are much weaker than our TV would indicate and still giving away inducements... So its become an issue of TV competitiveness past 1500 I think. @Sliceanddice and @wismerhill .. how are your linos living long enough to get 2/3 skills?! are you apo'ing some of them? Feeding them TD's? And has pass block REALLY been that useful for either of you, on a consistent basis? Real wary of a specialist like that on a team that already has roster spot issues.

@wismerhill I feel your pain, I've just started playing with a bench for the first time in 2+ seasons. Is this really a team that can play outnumbered with the same tenacity that proper elfs can? I feel the lack of bench (subsequent to injury spiral and expensive roster) has been a major contributing factor to my in-game struggles. The bear will definitely carry its weight in your first 20 games, but I've had a hard time holding on to them against real bash. They get tied down and surrounded while the rest of the team is leaping away! Then there's the financial issues of replacing them... I'd like to hear more about how you think Kislev can maximize their TV/performance ratio! @SliceanddiceI've been committed to a 4 blitzer build for a while now, and while all my blitzers are looking pretty good, they also combine for about 1k TV on their own . I do agree that the linos have to be the true value and engine of the team, and to neglect your lineman recruiting is to embrace a big bloaty TV. I've been aiming for a 2catcher/4blitzer build. Perhaps if one of my blitzers dies I will look to replace him with a bear, I do feel they kind of compete with each other for a roster spot (pretty similar TV sadly...) @meebeeI don't blame you for walking away from this mess of a race sooner than later! I don't plan to ever roll off Kislev in the OCC, but I'm in no hurry to make another kislev team in any other league or format. In closing, I might be beginning to doubt the common sentiment echoed by @Merlinpigabout kislev blitzers really being great... Are they really that good or functional in application or do they handicap the team? We all agree that in a vacuum Kroxigors are great, so its only really a question of do you have money and will it kill your TV. Linos are the closest thing this team has to value. Catchers aren't that expensive, have the game-changing 2+leap, and are the closest to 'fresh out the box' ready as any kislev player. So that leaves us with the exotic blitzers and their alluring skill access.. I don't think "No Blitzers" is a good answer to kislev problems in an eternal league. I'm not so sure 4 blitzers is the answer either. Maybe 2 or 3 would end up being more of a goldilocks zone for me, but both of you with developed Kislev teams that are going that route seem to be having similar racial struggles. We've gone about it different ways but we all agree we're bloaty and under performing.

Now that the honeymoon phase of a newer race is over, there are only 4 of us coaching Kislev this season... @Sliceanddice, @wismerhill, and newcomer to the suffering @Merlinpig. The initial furor of excitement has given way to some harsh truths: This race is difficult to coach, but even more difficult to manage and develop. Most of our compatriots have thrown in the towel. Those of us with developed teams seem to have settled around 1700~ tv. How critical have you both felt the bear has been to your successes at this TV? What are your thoughts about the teams overall identity (and overall competitiveness?) in relation to other races? Any other musings you'd like to share? I think anyone whose played with Kislev could tell you that they have some very strong tools to work with. The question quickly becomes 'what is the most tv effective way to manage those tools' and get bang for your buck, instead of bloat.

No.

Don't worry friend, I'll keep leaping in your honor. I think my Kislev team finally might be coming together, but I've been saying that for 3 seasons now... I'll probably still be slumming around Div4 by the time your new team gets there

I really think stability damage needs to be nerfed, or at least bigger mechs should take less stability damage. It's as easy to knock over a 100Ton mech as it is a 20Ton one (as far as stability is concerned) and it makes LRM heavy setups even more optimal (best range, doesn't need LOS, leads to knockdowns very fast which are auto death for enemy once you have called shot mastery on your pilots). +Stb Dam LRM's are just too good. LRM20++ with both +'s stab damage will do well over half a mechs stability damage on its own, and breaching shot is a thing too.

The game is too easy unless you impose arbitrary self-limitations, but its still very fun. I'm excited to see how they build upon this concept, since the launch was successful by most financial metrics and should ensure they continue to develop content. Or when all else fails, mods.