Top 5 Defensive Blood Bowl Teams - Top 5 Friday (Bonehead Podcast)

[@deanthomas2561]

My biggest problem with the top 5 lists is it makes me think "Maybe I should try to run X team" and I have no more space in my BB bag. Great video, sir.

[@timseyer6769]

I found this category very hard to judge because the fast teams (Skaven, wood elves etc.) are very hard to play against because even during their defensive turns they are always on the offense as well. I think my Skaven scored way more touchdowns on defense than on offense... Does that make those teams strong defensive teams? Guess that could be a list of its own.

[@BoneheadPodcast]

Great point Tim - I'm a hugely defensive player, both my Nobility and Skaven teams are excellent at breaking the serve! I guess this list is more reframed as "making it impossible to score through", rather than "excellent return game!". But the Return Game is the best bit hehe

[@Oluabayo]

Jeez Ben, is there anything you don't know about Blood Bowl? Professionally delivered with a perfect sprinkling of humour. I could listen to you all day 👍

[@desslaven7935]

I think he's engaged already sorry

[@BoneheadPodcast]

😂😂😂

[@BoneheadPodcast]

Haha, thanks Olubayo! I'm strongly committed to learning by mistakes 😂

[@Ryan-The-Super-Lion]

I love playing fast teams (skaven and wood elves) with nurgle. Nothing better than going into the 2nd half up 2-0 with them kicking to me knowing they have 5-7 players ko'd or worse so best case scenario they field 9 or 10 players max.

[@Ryan-The-Super-Lion]

playing dwarves is hard with them but doable

[@MangoFandangoBB]

I'd chuck in the Necros. The Stand Firm+Side Step mixed in with MA8 Frenzy makes for a versatile unit. The heart of defence is in excelling in reaction to your opponent, and I feel that no matter the opponent the Necros can swoop in and disrupt. I don't think Dwarfs can react as well and are vulnerable to the old switcheroo. Why go through them when you can go around them?

[@BoneheadPodcast]

Hey Mango! Necro are an excellent team, the Golems are great, and the Wolves are superb on the ground too. I've always found that the low AG and makes it easy to mark their brawlers, and the lack of combat skills makes that fine. Baiting a Wolf into a 1D Frenzy block or a 3+ dodge is something I'm very happy risking a Lino for!

[@trashfire9641]

Honorable mention: Imperial Nobility because so much Fend and Stand Firm.

[@Berry-gs4xr]

Fun Stories about Lizzards: In my current league (bb 2 PC) the lizzards fear to fight my Halflings. During the last 9 Matches the Stunties killed 2 Kroxies and 3 Sauri. Its totaly against the odds, but was a finny surprise every time :-)

[@BoneheadPodcast]

Oh yes!! 😂 Fouling, or just Super-Stunty blocking?!

[@Berry-gs4xr]

@@BoneheadPodcast Blocking, pushing out of the field, and throwing a Halfling against the head. My odds in fouling end up in a snake eye roll every time...

[@BoneheadPodcast]

😂😂😂

[@Berry-gs4xr]

@@BoneheadPodcast I started learning the game with a dwarf team. I can't deny my roots ;-)

[@BoneheadPodcast]

Haha, just upped the difficulty instead! 😁

[@christopherhunt1957]

I would have to rank Dark Elves as one of the best defensive teams. I once played a season with Dark Elves and allowed only 4 TDs in the regular season. Almost every game they executed some kind of massive reversal on my opponents. In one instance, an opponent felt secure stalling on the goal line (and by all the laws of probability should've been safe), but my Dark Elves proceeded to dodge, blitz, pick up, hand off and throw...13 die rolls in all...without using a single reroll. In a championship match, they were able to play off and soft against Undead like any other elf team, but when the chips were down, they closed around the cage like a noose, mummies be damned, and literally squirted the ball out. It was glorious. In my experience Dark Elves are almost better in defense than offense.

[@BoneheadPodcast]

Totally agree Christopher! That strong return game makes them, Skaven, Woodies, and Slann *so* quick to recover. The pass game has been hurt a little for the more extreme stretch plays, but DE are still up there with the top Defenses!

[@trashfire9641]

So, that's not a good example of Dark Elves being a good defensive team, rather an example of you having crazy luck and hot dice rolls. Not likely to be replicated from game to game. Still hilarious though, punish a coach for stalling the flow of the game.

[@christopherhunt1957]

@@trashfire9641 Yeah, it was a crazy run of amazing luck. And as you said, never replicated. But as I said, in almost every game that season, against almost every opponent, the team executed some massive reversal against them. Most of my experience in leagues and tournaments with Dark Elves demonstrates their particular effectiveness in defense.

[@trashfire9641]

@@christopherhunt1957 If only they weren't such a nightmare to assemble, I might actually run a Dark Elf Team. 😄

[@christopherhunt1957]

@@trashfire9641 Totally! A thumb, forsooth. Huge pain. I've gotten Dungeon Bowl, so I get to do it again.

[@ChoiceSocks]

Looking forward to the for to position dwarves video!

[@BoneheadPodcast]

The One Turn Touchdown might surprise you 😂

[@joesilva1467]

I'd like to throw ogres in for defensive consideration. The 6 st5 guys and slippery snotlings are tough to unbreakable for a lot of teams

[@BoneheadPodcast]

Hey Joe! That's so true, throwing hundreds of the Dodgestep guys at the ball carrier can make it really tough!! I'm starting to learn that my favourite teams are pretty defensive haha

[@ericpaulsen8969]

@@BoneheadPodcast same. I hate allowing points

[@trevorcraig3992]

I think Vampires have a legit shout for a top defensive team - not top 3, but better than most. This is entirely based on 4-6 players having Hypnotic Gaze, which is an easier AG test in BB2020 than it was before. Caging can be useless as the Hypnotic Gaze picks apart any corners, leaving the ball carrier open for a blitz. Plus S4 is more of a difference in BB2020 than it was before...I’d say they’re almost more offensive on Defence than when they are on Offense!

[@PhotoReactionVideos]

Dwarfs, Dwarfs, Dwarfs!!! Thanks Ben 😊

[@sebleshah9712]

I think Vampire can be a good defense team with their hypno gaze who break cage without blitz

[@JorisVDC]

I'm not saying that Dwarves aren't a good defensive team, yet IMHO they are less good vs Elves, sure they will negate a lot of Dodge but the crucial pieces just run around and have a screen defending against them. Because the Dwarves are so slow, you don't need to stall as many turns. Which is why you can reduce the attrition. Any other team does tend to suffer VS Dwarves, so I can understand why they get so many votes. For me Dark Elves are one of the best defensive teams because they can negate a lot of blocks by dodging away or survive some blocks when you need to tag players to halt any counter if you are moving in to pressure the ball.

[@BoneheadPodcast]

Hey Joris! Totally with you on the Delves, they are so flexible (and remarkably resilient)! And Dwarves bloomin' wreck Skaven teams 😂

[@ericpaulsen8969]

For all around excellence, I don't think there are many better teams than dark elves.

[@user-ow5zj3uu9n]

Last game against humans. Playing with lizardmen. Lizzies defendind, Humans had the ball on a thrower backflied. Ran my str3 skink to base with two gfi. Human blitzer blitzes my skink. Double skulls. Turnover. Then my str3 skink blitzes, smashes the thrower, picks up the ball, runs for a TD. Now thats some good defence id say ;D (ok i might have gotten a wee lucky there..)

[@BoneheadPodcast]

Hahaha *Superb!!* 😂 While I'm glad that +ST are going to be a lot rarer now - that's a great example of forcing your oppo to roll dice! Top notch!

[@jarrodalford1680]

If GW hadn't made BB2020 rules specifically to make Dwarves better, i.e. nerfing passing, then I would say that the NAF version of Slann are one of the best pass defense teams, and the ability to jump over lines, or into cages, makes them better at defense as well. Also, diving tackle is always there to slow those pesky dodges.

[@BoneheadPodcast]

Yo! You're so right Jarrod! I Blooming Love Slann! Forcing turnovers with them is so much fun!!

[@ericpaulsen8969]

From experience, I think you have dwarf and chaos dwarf backwards as far as defensive ranking. I feel you are really underestimating not just how much chaos dwarves can gum up and own the line, but the counterpunch of the bull centaur is two fold. Like you stated, BC are brilliant line backers, able to track down virtually any player in the game. What I think you missed was their ability to punch through the offensive line and hit/pressure the ball carrier. Strip ball on a bull (after block, of course) is surprising and nasty. Also, if during the course of your offense I manage to get the ball, BC with a hobgoblin screen are a threat to score, and even when alone most players well need some help to bring one down. I agree with your assessment of lizards... They are the enemy, and they give me a hard time, so much ST4 running around. I find that focusing on eliminating skinks initially is the way to go, and even that is not always reliable.

[@wedieheroesthevidz5595]

Dwarfs finally make it to No.1! I never doubted them for a second 😜

[@BoneheadPodcast]

They were born for this list 😂😂

[@j_master0519]

Yeeessss Chorrrrrrrfffffsss

[@BoneheadPodcast]

Now we just need a sweet GW team!

[@j_master0519]

@@BoneheadPodcast can't wait. Been a while since I've painted

[@BoneheadPodcast]

There’s nothing better than painting with a movie!! (Or KZbin channel 😉)

[@ForceM1782]

Idk man, but i would rate Black Orcs higher than at minimum the Lizards for defense. They are slower, sure, but they are far more dangerous in the wide zones because of grab to set up a surf, and the fouling potential. The Troll is also better defensively, especially because of Throw Teammate. So they are just as strong, create more no-go zones for fear of dying, and have living artillery, although the blitz potential is a bit less good.

[@Berry-gs4xr]

To my mind i would count throw teammate to offensive potential. Grab is also an offensive skill, because they use it for positioning, moving your moddels to dangerous spots and then destroy them. Thats nothing defensive where we are talking about tmm. Also they are slow, which takes away their potential to react to anything.... From my point of view they are less defensive, but more offensive, focused on destruction.

[@ForceM1782]

@@Berry-gs4xr Throw Teammate is a tried and tested defensive tactic, allowing you to throw someone at a cage, or at an isolated ball carrier, putting serious strain on an offense. Lizardmen don't have that in their arsenal. And just because it can be used offensively as well, doesn't mean that it can't benefit you in defense. What i meant with Grab being good defensively, is that no one wants to go near one of your BO's near the sideline, because it can trap someone against it, or set up a surf. In midfield, it can set up a nasty gang foul with ease, which is even juicier with cheaper Bribes. Being a deadly Team like that is its own benefit because it provides a form of area denial and a better removal potential. That's by the way also why teams like Nurgle or Dwarves are good defensive teams. They are just scary as hell to go near, and if you do, you'll get maimed. And despite the speed disadvantage, i think that Black Orcs do an even better job at that than Lizards. Lizardmen are probably the better overall team, because of the much more explosive offense, but i have serious doubts that they are the better defensive team compared to BO's

[@BoneheadPodcast]

I love this analysis! The Blorc team is strong, and dominant on the front line, but with MA4 Blorcs and ST2 Goblins they don't have much of a secondary! If you break through (or around) the core of the team you can evade pretty safely. Paratrooping Goblins into the backfield is absolutely a solid defensive tactic though!!!

[@BoneheadPodcast]

This is a great Chat!! TTM is almost better on Defense - as you can Paratroop a dude in and harass their backfield; forcing activations and rolls! Grab and Brawler make the ST4 Blorcs superb at dominating the line, which does primarily happen on offense!

[@Demolitiondude]

I have to disagree with nurgle. They are way too fragile for defense.

[@BoneheadPodcast]

Awr, let them make at least one list 😂

[@Demolitiondude]

Worst teams list. Do agree with lizards being number 2. Cause their best defense is a good offense.

[@ericpaulsen8969]

I'd play you with nurgle. They are underrated

[@Ryan-The-Super-Lion]

​@ericpaulsen8969 me too - what's your roster?