That is the question.
I'm levelling a Woodies team for next seasons RPS open but I can't decide whether to get the Treeman or not. They are even more temperamental than other big guys due to Take Root and their problems standing up. On the other hand a Str 6 Stand Firm player can prove a major obstacle for a slow moving cage.
Thoughts?
They are not able to tap into throwing players like Orcs trolls so its a funny one. They are excellent "linemen", a position you'd otherwise fill with squishly elves.Get him guard and he's suddenly tipping things in your favour on the LOS somewhat. I'd call the tree essential, second only to the mummy in essentialness as big guys go.
I'm failing to writing a blog, specifically about playing games the wrong way
http://playingitwrong.wordpress.com/
It's a tricky one. I think as part of a recipe for the success of a wood elf team they are less essential than some reasonably developed linemen and catchers.
On offence he's just a useless immobile lump, and on defence against a finesse team he's pointless because they'll just dodge away. Against a bash team I can see the point of him, but would you stick him on the LOS? He's just asking to be knocked over and then he may never get up...
Certainly Corkir's team in the Open started out without a tree but with everyone else at a decent level - I'd be interested to hear what she and any other Woodie coaches have to say.
If you get lucky with a +MA on him the standing up problem is removed. I'm leaning towards picking it up once I have a reasonably developed team.
Or Jump Up on a double, yes.
In case this wasn't a joke, I think there are better alternatives for double choices on a Tree, like Block or Pro.Originally Posted by Everblue
I think I'd take pro over jump up on a wood elf team. Second double would be jump up though. For a halfling tree I'd take jump up first.
I feel Jump up is a waste, totally useless when your Tree gets rooted. With stuff like Guard or some throwing skills (for Halflings) he can at least make some use of that skill. And why not prevent the guy from getting on the ground in the first place?
I can see the merits in Jump Up - so long as you're not also throwing a block, it negates the MA2 penalty entirely and also lets the tree move 2 squares in the same turn. It could certainly help him keep up with the opposition.
However Block's still a better pick for the first double and much more appropriate to the (Wood Elf) Treeman's purpose. Then Pro or Jump Up for the second if you get one (I would lean towards Pro myself).
Obviously, Guard for the first non-double pick.
(Although if you do take Jump Up first, it does make it easy to obtain the always-fun MB/Piling On/Jump Up big guy...)
We are straying offtopic here, but the fling tree doesn't have loner, so you can reroll your take root (or failed blocks). I therefore don't like block or pro on a fling tree as the first double.
Actually jump up is great when a tree gets rooted, because knocking over a rooted tree unroots it so you can get up and move again!
EDIT 1 - For a woodie tree I rate pro over block, because take root is just so awful that anything you can do to reduce it is worthwhile.
On a normal roll (for a fling tree) break tackle is amazing, and grab is pretty nice.
EDIT 2 - Agree that guard is best on a woodie tree as the first normal. I don't like break tackle for a woodie tree due to loner - that 2+ dodge is too risky when you can't reroll it!
Last edited by Everblue; 25-01-2013 at 02:55 PM.
In my personal opinion there is no good reason why you would not take a tree. The job of a tree is to stand on the LOS and get hit. Every hit that tree takes is a valuable woodie thats been saved from that hit. In addition you have the increased potential for casualties yourself plus the potential for tying up opposing players (yes, its less likely to be effective against AG4 sides but anything that forces additional rolls is a winner in my book
The best wood elf coaches i know are anti-tree. I tend to hold onto my players more than i should so need him once i hit spiraling expenses to keep the replacement costs down. If you have the discipline to cut your team when you need to rebuild the cash reserves then you are probably better off aiming for lineman and babe rather than tree.
The tree serves just one purpose. It takes the sting out of the line of scrimmage. He saves you one hit and lots of coaches wont follow up into contact with him or have guard assists there so it can also waste moves to get two dice on the two line elves. After that he is the spectator with the best view.
Never buy him if you dont intend to leave him on the line. He is easy to knock down but as he is out the game either way you dont really care. This is why I take block on doubles. It keeps him on his feet and allows you to use his mighty blow when it suits rather than having to wait until the end of a turn.
If you really want to try and keep him in games the two double skills you should be taking are dodge and sure feet but it is an exercise in futility and wastes TV. Wood elves are all about speed and aggression. By the time the tree could occasionally contribute he is costing more than a wizard and about the same as eldril. Anyone really in doubt what they would rather have?
Who in his right mind would block a rooted tree? Also, why would you waste a team re-roll for a chance of not rooting that guy? The second roll could still fail or fail in the next turn.
Fascinating Corkir, thanks.
Well, after your lizards beat my halflings on Sunday I rolled my first ever double on a tree and took Jump Up. I'll let you know how I get on.
I now have a tree with grab and jump up, and a tree with break tackle and grab. Grab has been underwhelming so far, but break tackle has been very good.
Jump up tree will get piling on next for some TIMBERRRRRRR action.
Just remember, a rooted tree cannot pile on.
I'm failing to writing a blog, specifically about playing games the wrong way
http://playingitwrong.wordpress.com/
Noted Helio, although without loner they rarely root.
Trees should be given Leap. Fact.
Given they're basically Ents, and the Ents haven't seen the females of their species for thousands of years (and they may all in fact be dead), most of the treemen are lumbering around with a massive case of sexual frustration. That's what makes trees like Branchmaim Murderbastard so terrifying. However, they're a bad fit for a wood elf team - halflings can field a couple of them and still keep their TV down to the level where they've got a good chance of inducing Branchmaim too. Woodies cannot. With two or three trees you have a decent chance of controlling a respectable chunk of field; with a single tree you have an expensive irrelevance, who might get a couple of mighty blows in per game and then spend the rest as little more than a spectator.
If I'm playing a bashy team I'm going to give the tree a cheap lineman to chew on while I beat the crap out of whichever elves look the most expensive. (I may gang foul the tree for shits and giggles too). If I'm playing something faster I'll do exactly the same thing, but faster.
A tree can be a cage corner but who cages with wood elves, because what would be on the other corners? Fragile squishy breakable elves.
Last edited by President Weasel; 29-01-2013 at 02:51 PM.
If I don't have the ability to induce Branchmaim, then pretty much I'm not playing. I fired my +1ST fling last night, with an eye on my game against Cyberpunkdreams. That boy was 100TV and not really up to much.
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