Welcome back sports fans to Touchline Tactics – where we get the inside scoop on the playstyles and peccadillos of the Blood Bowl teams. We assess their gameplans, look at which skills to advance, and take our top picks of Star Players to bring to the gridiron.
This time we venture into the green and pleasant land of the Moot to get the lowdown on the Halflings. Though they seem like a bit of a pushover, in the hands of a skilled coach these pint-sized pests have a particularly potent playstyle that can push them towards victory!
Playstyle
Halfling teams are a popular team, due in large part to their incredibly fun way of playing. Halfling players themselves are not particularly strong, don’t have lots of armour, and aren’t all that fast. This does mean, however, that most coaches don’t expect much from them on the pitch, so whenever a Halfling does manage to pull off an impressive play it feels all the more spectacular!
It’s important not to get too attached to your Halflings over the course of a league, as they are prone to getting injured – or worse. That said, they are very cheap, so you don’t need to have too much cash squirrelled away for those inevitable replacements.
Halfling Hopeful Linemen are the core of any Halfling team, and it is their job to be a nuisance – getting in the way of important opposition players, putting the boot into high-value targets who find themselves on the floor, and even getting used as a makeshift missile by a Treeman to knock over the opposition from afar!
The Halfling Hefty is the toughest Halfling on the team with an AV of 8+. Hefties can take more of a punch than their kin, and the addition of Fend makes them great for being on the corner of a cage* as they can prevent opposition players from following up after a Block action. Just bear in mind that while their armour is great for a Halfling, it isn’t that high in the grand scheme of things – so don’t expect them to be injury-proof!
Halfling Catchers have a different role to play. They are the team’s best ball carriers and the Sprint skill makes them quicker than the rest of their teammates. This turn of speed makes them ideal for being thrown by a Treeman when going for that risky (but impressive) one-turn touchdown, thanks to the fact that they have a greater chance of rushing into the end zone with their improved movement.
Speaking of throwing teammates, this is where Treemen come in. The complete opposite of Halflings, Treemen have a glacially slow MV of 2 but an eye-wateringly high ST of 6. They are the anchors of a Halfling team, dishing out bone-crunching blocks and, when called upon, launching a willing ally downfield in the hope they can stay on their feet and run in to score – or as a last ditch attempt to knock over the opposition ball carrier.
Skilling Up
When gaining new skills for your players, here are our picks for which to consider:
Halfling Hopeful Lineman: Linemen can play numerous roles. If you need a player to excel in marking opposition players, then Diving Tackle and Sidestep are great choices. If you need your Halfling to seek out the ball carrier and not be afraid of taking a two-dice uphill block**, Wrestle and Strip Ball are great. You should take at least one dedicated fouler with Dirty Player (+1) or Sneaky Git.
Halfling Hefty: These guys want to be skilled up in much the same way as Linemen – but don’t bother with a professional fouler!
Halfling Catcher: These want skills that help aid them in their scoring endeavours. The likes of Sure Feet and Sidestep should be your first considerations to make them faster and harder to hem in. If you are planning on giving them a Secondary skill then you can’t go wrong with Block.
Altern Forest Treeman: Treemen run the risk of becoming rooted in place and unable to move. The Grab skill is a great way to keep opposition players adjacent. Aside from that, you should consider giving them Block as a secondary skill to make them even more punchy.
Star Player Top Picks
Halfling teams often find themselves with plenty of Inducements, and usually rely on a variety of Star Players in order to improve their fortunes on the pitch. You can make picks from the Halfling Thimble Cup or the Old World Classic. Here are our top five options:
5 – Grombrindal
The legendary White Dwarf himself, Grombrindal is a really good player for a Halfling team due to his Wisdom of the White Dwarf special rule, which temporarily bestows his allies with useful skills at opportune moments. Dauntless and Sure Feet in particular can be vital.
Perhaps the greatest player from the Moot ever to step onto the gridiron, Puggy Baconbreath has an ST of 3 and both the Block and Dodge skills. He’s difficult to take down, and his Halfling Luck special rule allows him to re-roll one die per game.
Unlike your standard, garden-variety Treeman, Deeproot doesn’t run the risk of becoming rooted, and has a whopping ST of 7. Coupled with Block and Mighty Blow (+2), he’s a clobbering machine. His Reliable special rule is ideal for Halfling teams – should he fumble a teammate when attempting to throw, he will simply put them down gently rather than risk hurting them.
2 – Cindy Piewhistle
The Culinary Queen grants you an explosive edge. Bombardiers are all the rage right now, and Cindy is among the very best in the game, thanks to Accurate and her PA of 3+. Once per game, Cindy can throw two pies in a single turn, allowing her to wreak havoc in multiple places at once – though she does run an increased chance of being ejected for her pastry-based infractions!
1 – Griff Oberwald
Griff is a common sight in Halfling teams – his reliability, speed, and all qualities that Halflings lack. Though it may seem strange to see the most decorated player in Nuffle’s great game take to the gridiron with Halflings, it does allow Griff to soak up all of the limelight!
* A cage is a simple formation designed to defend the ball carrier. They are surrounded by team-mates, one in each diagonally adjacent square forming a ‘cage’ around the ball carrier. These are hard for your opponent to break into.
** A Block action made against an opposition player with a higher ST – you roll two block dice and your opponent gets to pick the result!