The Ball is a central part of Guild Ball. I mean, it's even in the name of the game, right? So, how does ball play work in Guild Ball?
Killing the Ball
I am not talking about the Character Play Cinder and Burnish have. Killing the ball means putting the ball marker out-of-play for as long as possible.
Sometimes you hear new players say “I want to play a take-out focused team. Just ignore the ball and kill their players”. Well, against any semi-competent football team, you just lost the game. The game is called Guild Ball, not Guild Brawl for a reason. If you ignore the ball, the football team can score their goals faster than you take out their players, and they get double the VP for that, too!
This means you have to take actions to prevent your opponent from getting the ball. Let's talk about what you can do.
Putting the ball on ball-holders
Models with Close Control, means against Character plays and high defense are great to keep the ball away from opponents. Unpredictable Movement, like on Greyscales, also helps. Iron is one of the hardest models to get the ball away from, especially if you factor in Sentinel from Anvil and Reinforced Plating from Burnish. Mascots that don't contribute to the fight like Peck are also good for this because they can add another factor to the equation...
Distance
... which is staying far away from the opposing ball players. If you can make sure that the ball can not be reached by the opponent, it is dead for the round. Additionally, you can put the ball on the ground then to not be affected by Seduced from Siren or Puppet Master from Obulus. But beware, if Siren uses Lure or Obulus makes you Jog, they can choose to snap the ball you dropped and then the ball is suddenly a lot closer to them!
Kicking the ball back to them
It is not a common move, but it can buy you the time you need. Kick the ball o space, into their half, and as far away from any player as possible. Your opponent will need some time to get the ball back and as soon as he has it under control, you try to get it back under control. It's a high risk move, so be considerate when you pull this maneuver.Trap: The Self-kill
If you really want to help out your opponent when you are playing a football team, and he is playing a killing team, use the self-kill. This means having the ball on a model that has already activated. Unless you have abilities like I'm Open (ex. Bolt) you won't get the ball off that player in the current round.Reviving the Ball
Yeah, so now we change sides. When trying to play football, your opponent has killed the ball, what do you do now? How to get the ball back?The ball is on a ball holder
This is a common situation. The Ball is on Someone like Iron and you have a hard time getting it off. This is where you have to use your “secondary” measures more often. Don't rely on Shark tackling the ball, use veteran Sakana's Fancy footwork triggered off hitting the nearby master. A common secondary option is knocking down the ball-holder. It's more risky than tackling and doesn't guarantee you control of the ball, but it means your opponent has to deal with the scattered ball. This gives you the option for an easier pick-up in the next activation.The Ball is far away
In this situation, closing the distance while exposing your models to the least threats possible is key. Also cut off any escape routes for the ball. Let's have an example what I mean by that. | |
| Other models omitted for simplicity |
Brisket has the Ball, the Butchers have the initiative and Crucible is due to come back.
Now, if you bring Crucible on from the left side, you cut off the obvious escape route of Brisket. She can just run to the left to avoid Vitriol, but if she goes there and Crucible waits, she can threaten the ball.
The Ball got kicked into your half
In this Situation, it's important to first not lose the ball until you score again. Get it under control, stay as safe as possible and score when ready.This concludes today's topic. Next time, we will talk about fighting!
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