Being a Mantic Pathfinder and a Mantic DreadBall Fanatic, I often get asked about how to play with several DreadBall teams. What tactics they should play, which are their strongest points or just their flaws. What MVP's should we really go with, and how will the team grow in a league? Trying to educate people in a group, I thought I'd write my opinion down for all the teams. So let's march onwards with the Forge Fathers!
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| An inpenetrable wall walks on the pitch |
The Forge Fathers
Striking the ore with their pickaxes, wielding heavy hammers and donned in heavy armour, the Forge Fathers are a race not to be messed with. Being a fierce folk with vast knowledge, these delvers bring a sturdy play to DreadBall and are known to never back down from a fight.
For the meager investment of 100mc, the Forge Fathers give you one coaching die and one DreadBall Card. The team consists of all roles of DreadBall, and a very strong statline.
|
Mov |
Str |
Spd |
Skl |
Arm |
SLu |
Cst |
Notes |
| Guard |
4 |
3+ |
5+ |
4+ |
4+ |
x3 |
13mc |
Steady |
| Jack |
4 |
3+ |
5+ |
4+ |
4+ |
x3 |
9mc |
none |
| Striker |
4 |
3+ |
5+ |
4+ |
5+ |
x2 |
9mc |
none |
All models have the same statline, with the Guards gaining the skill "Steady".
Steady
This is an ability meaning you can't get knocked down as a result of being Slammed. You can still be pushed back and/or injured, but not knocked down. Do know that you can still fumble and fall when failing to Dash or Evade!
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| Guard, Jack and Striker posing |
Forge Fathers remain standing.
and that is their strongest point. Not only do they boast a 3+ Strength stat, but the Guards are blessed with the "Steady" skill. This mostly means that your Guards and Jacks won't be knocked down or even lose a fight
Unfortunately the same cannot be said about your Strikers. Having but a 5+ Speed makes evading a feat! Be wary for the opposing team trying to quickly take out your Strikers. They will go down fast and hard. Because of this it's better to keep your Strikers out of bay and use your Jacks to do most of the work.
A movement of only 4 means you won't be getting very far very fast. A good tactic is to pass the ball to any Jacks in front and let them do the scoring. Limit yourself to the 1 or 2 pointers as to keep your Team together in a line-blocking, threat-zone creating effect.
Be wary that although you have a 3+ Strength on your Guards and Jacks, this means nothing when you're being slammed in the back, so positioning is key!
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| Forge Fathers stick to their ground |
Placement is key, and this is reflected in our startup line. Only using one Striker, we'll use him as a line-backer in order to get the ball safely back into the enemy territory while keeping him safe.
Using our Guards we'll try to keep everyone of our playing half and giving our Jacks the needed support. While defending, we won't start in the backlines, because we can take it. Using a symmetrical play is not rewarded for them because of the lack of movement. Remember that the ball is launched from the left side, and that a dice roll is mostly between 3 and 5 ^_-
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| Forge Father Jacks are no laughing business |
Forge Fathers throughout the League
Now is our time to shine. If you keep in mind the basic tactics on playing with the Forge Fathers, you should be able to score a few points with your Jacks while keeping the opponent down with your Guards. As you notice, I don't really count on my Strikers. With no cost difference between the Strikers and Jacks, the Jacks have my preference because of their ability to score AND slam.
Take your time to weaken the opposing team and then score in order to earn the win. Doing this should make your team grow fast in experience. Beware of fast teams and keep focussed on stopping them from scoring.
When it comes to investing, the Coaching dice are an excellent choice. These will come in handy when you need to score. Recruiting an extra Coach can help as well. Where the Offensive will allow you to reach further, using an extra action, the Defensive Coach will help your crew when they're about to be slammed in the back. When your players receive an upgrade, try to go for "360 Vision" or "Alert", so they can't be Slammed from behind, followed by either Skill+ for your Jacks and "Can't Feel A Thing" for your Guards to improve their survival.
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| Ronnie Renton himself showing off his "Ronnie Raiders" |
MVP selection
Gorim Ironstone comes to everyone's mind. The Grizzled MVP with 5 movement and 4+ Skill. Having the "Grizzled" and "Steady" Skills, you could actually compare him to a human Striker who can't get knocked down that easily.
He makes up for the lacking Strikers in a Forge Fathers team for an affordable price of 8mc. When not in the option to choose him, any other Striker will do just fine (or at least better than your own Strikers)
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| This young Forge Father will show you the Strength of a Striker |
Overall
The Forge Fathers are a very sturdy team with Jacks that are up for anything. They shine the most when used in League plays and offer the most enjoyment to Coaches that bond with their players over a longer period. Grow your beard and let these warriors show you how slow and steady wins the race!
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| Midgard Delvers in all their glory |
If you agree or disagree with any of my opinions about this team or my blog, don't hesitate to leave a comment. Or share this article if you like it, and spread the love!
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