THD+PLAYBOOK

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=Thunder Hammer Playbook= //by Rab and Spiky//

Strengh in Unity! This is the battlecry of the Thunder Hammer Dwarves and it's particularly important to remember because you're generally using the same player type to do everything you need to do. This can make Dwarves a fairly easy team to start learning the game with, as you only need to remember one stat line. Dwarves hit hard, but can't take much of a beating in return unless they're well positioned - their strengh needs to come from good positioning and support.

//The Iron Bruisers - Most Casualties (Mansfield 2010 and Swindon 2011)//


 * Team Strengths**
 * All players are equal, meaning there's less importance to having the 'right' player in a particular position
 * Higher than average MIGHT and TACKLE on all players
 * SKILL 3 on all players


 * Team Weaknesses**
 * Lower than average JOG
 * Very Low DODGE means positioning becomes very important to avoid attrition

Getting Started
This section gives some views on how to compose a team

This is the absolutely easiest choice of any team. Basically you have a choice between taking an Impcrusher, or not taking it. Every other player on your roster will be short, stocky and bearded.
 * 1) Roster Choices**

Dwarves can deal out the attrition, but they're also fragile themselves, as they're always injured on 3 or more successes in a tackle. Potions are very useful for this team and Kegs should also be considered because their high GRIT will increase the chances of them staying on the field. 2 Cheerleaders can be valuable to have to make a dash challenge if needed. A Bribed referee is can be useful, as even if you don't want to set the impcrusher up in the face-off, it may keep opponents honest when they have to set up first.
 * 2) Support Items**

Any and all abilities can be excellent choices for this team, either to make them better general players or specialise some into ball handlers.
 * 3) Abilities**

If you take an Impcrusher, there's a fair chance he'll be out of the game after a couple of uses, so you need to plan for this and have reserves ready. As all your players are equal, having some Dwarves on the bench is not a bad way to spend points
 * 4) Reserves**

__**Player Types**__
This section is a quick review of the player types available on the team. They are one of the few teams who don't have access to any of the 'standard' player types.

You will need to rely on your Dwarf to do everything you need, fortunately they have a great statline in most respects - having 1 less DODGE than a Defender is no real hindrance as you can still usually shove opponents out of the way! The Dwarf is a natural attrition specialist, having both high MIGHT and TACKLE. They are also reasonable ball handlers so don't be put off passing the ball, however as your opponent will always be tackling you with just 1 success needed, there's no extra danger to holding on to it.
 * Dwarf**
 * **JOG** || **MIGHT** || **TACKLE** || **DODGE** || **SKILL** || **GRIT** ||
 * = 5 ||= 4 ||= 4 ||= 1 ||= 3 ||= 4 ||


 * Ability** **picks:**
 * Buff is a great choice for at least 1 Dwarf to man the Face-Off circle, and will also help generate momentum with Shoves as well as improving the odds in Impact challenges against monsters.
 * Grapple is handy for making Tackles a lot more effective, can also be combined with Pummel for extra damage.
 * Grapple/Psycho will turn a Dwarf into a monster slayer
 * Agile could be good to create a specialist ball handler
 * Steady/Sprinter will help increase your range and help engineer downs

//The impcrusher also comes with the following attributes: Cheapshot, Ruthless, Pummel and Plough//
 * Impcrusher**
 * **JOG** || **MIGHT** || **TACKLE** || **DODGE** || **SKILL** || **GRIT** ||
 * = 5 ||= 5 ||= 5 ||= 4 ||= 1 ||= 2 ||

The Impcrusher has a fearsome stat line, it's strong, nasty and also hard to take down with the high DODGE attribute, plus it is the only player type that comes with skills as standard. The skills synergise really well with this player so not suprisingly using it comes with a penalty. The best way to use it is for zone control and you should avoid moving where possible to reduce the risk of the referee sending it off. You need to ensure you have the best odds of causing attrition every time you activate it otherwise you're wasting turns and risking losing it.

When an opponent player falls over, the Impcrusher can shove an opponent to generate some momentum then use the Ruthless and Plough skills to travel extra hexes across the pitch towards the downed player using the Cheapshot skill to attack them. If you have spare momentum and only need 1 success for the Tackle challenge, you could elect to use pummel and throw a dice or 2 less in the challenge in return for increased injury chances. Because of the high risk using this player it would also be good to maximise tackling opportunitites by doing a dash challenge for an extra tackle, should you have spare momentum, although if you flop a dash, you will need at least 1 friendly player facing the machine for it to get up again..


 * Ability picks**
 * The Impcrusher is not allowed to take further abilities

__**Setting Up**__
Your choices are limited somewhat, but this can be a good thing! If you take an Impcrusher, it is useful to have it in one of the rover circles. It's likely that this will force your opponent down the other side of the pitch, so you can position expecting this. Otherwise, Dwarves man the Face-off, Defender and other Rover circles.
 * 1) Basic Face-Off Rules**

As above, however if you taking a Bribe will allow you to play the Impcrusher for the face-off! Either way, with your high MIGHT you have a good chance of winning the face-off. If you win, I'd be tempted to shove the opponent, then get behind them for a tackle. Once this is done, and depending on position I would then consider collecting the ball and passing back to an empty square somewhere in my half. Caution is advised however, as with their low JOG, it is difficult to move players quickly into the face-off circle. If things go bad for the face-off player, I'd reccommend cutting your losses and consolidating in your half rather than running extra unsupported players one by one into the centre.
 * 2) Advanced Face-Off Rules**

__Play Style__
Dwarfs play a good area control and attrition game and this means they're better geared towards defensive, rather than an offenive game. They also lack the mobility to stike big distances into your opponent's half of the pitch, plus any exposed player will most likely be targetted by your opponent as with any 'Defender' type player, they are very vulnerable to being hit back.

To advance into the opponent's half, try to move a Dwarf into a position to control an area of the pitch ideally out of range of your opponent's monsters or defenders. If you need to move into an area closer to opposing players try to ensure you keep your player within range of 2 other friendly players if possible. This discourages your opponent from attacking your player. Advancing players like this in 'waves' is a good way to establish control of an area of the pitch.

__**General Positioning Strategies**__
More than any other team, facing and postioning your dwarves can make huge difference in the chances of them being tackled and injured by MIGHT 3 or less opponents. You can see this in the Impact challenge alone - forcing a tackle from the front reduces the chances of your opponent passing the Impact challenge by nearly half, as well as depriving him of valuable momentum.
 * 1)** **Facing is critical against MIGHT 3 opponents**
 * ~ Facing/Challenge ||~ Front Facing ||~ Rear Facing ||
 * < Impact Challenge Success ||= 50% ||= 72.2% ||
 * < Impact Challenge Overkill ||= 27.8% ||= 50% ||
 * Try to avoid moving between two opposing players unless well supported
 * Try to avoid moving close enough that your opponent has enough JOG to move around any facing you have
 * Facing is still important against Monsters and Defenders as they will try shoving to generate momentum.
 * Try to avoid your players becoming separated so they can easily be picked off

If you can, it is useful to run a player into your opponent's half from the centre of the pitch and attempt a desengage (especially against a Tackle 4 opponent) in order to have your player placed down. They can then wait until they have an opportunity to pop up for 1 JOG to either whack an opponent or wait to jump up and collect a pass to be thrown nearby. Being down is the only real way to get exposed forward players into good positions without having them tackled.
 * 2) Sunbathing Receiver or Zone Controller.**

Opponents will most likely try to give the Impcrusher a wide berth. If you can use the face-off, you can reasonably expect most opponents to push down the opposite side of the pitch. If you receive, you can postition a player with the ball within the safety zone created by the Impcrusher to discourage your opponent from Tackling the ball carrier. This tactic ensures the machine also stays on the pitch for as long as possible.
 * 3) The Impcrusher doesn't need to be moved to be useful**

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