Guide : Formations

This is a really comprehensive topic, I'll start with a few basic defensive formations but what you're looking for will be a pretty long thread.

The first thing you want to ask yourself when setting up is, how worried are you about the opponent running up your sidelines? You don't want elf catchers running around freely back there, but a zombie isn't really a receiving threat. I think the anti-finesse example straight out of the rulebook looks something like this:

Code: Select all
....|.x.x.x.|....
....|.......|....
.x..|X.....X|..x.
....|.......|....
.x..|x.....x|..x.


There's no direct path to your backfield without dodging through tackle zones, a situation that even elves try to avoid. However, knocking down one of your line of scrimmage players, and blitzing one of the inside corners (the big X's), opens up a path anyway. You'll want to cover and blitz whatever gets through. This formation is also vulnerable to getting an outside corner player crowdsurfed if your opponent has anyone with Frenzy, so look over your opponent's roster first!

A frenzy-proof variant of the above is:

Code: Select all
....|.x.x.x.|....
....|.......|....
..x.|.x...x.|.x..
.x..|x.....x|..x.


it's very difficult for an opponent to frenzy anybody off the field from this formation. Even better, even if your opponent knocks down your entire front line and runs up the middle against you, there isn't a lot of room to build a cage in your backfield. This is usually my default defense against finesse teams.

If you aren't worried about your opponent going up the sideline, and if you ARE worried about your opponent hitting you hard, you can try a set yourself up a little bit less wide. I would still at least put somebody in the wide zone, but if your opponent is a cageing type of team, you want to prevent him going up the middle, force him to try to build a cage on the sidelines, stop that cage, and pop the ball loose. This starts with preventing your opponent going up the middle:

Code: Select all
....|.x.x.x.|....
....|x..x..x|....
..x.|x.....x|.x..
....|.......|....
....|.......|....
....|...x...|....


Note that if your opponent follows up any blocks on the front line, he's following up to your players. This should either set up some retaliatory blocks, or discourage him from following up, essentially giving your whole front line Fend. In any event, your players in the sidelines are probably getting blitzed, and whoever blitzes them will probably create the forward part of the cage. This is your new front line. Start your standard cage-stopping tactics as usual.

The one guy deep is a safety. Use as needed.