Jamming 101

One of the hardest transitions new players make is when they begin to add units and solo's to their army.  It is very difficult for players to figure out how to maximize their new additions.  Quite often these new additions are played too defensively or timidly because the new player doesn't want to lose all his new cool models.  Then the opposite happens as their guys get wiped out, they run the whole unit up in harms way to the same effect... anniliation. 

Let not the sacrifice of your fellow Trolls be in vain!!!

I give you a simple yet effective way to minimize the losses to your units while maximizing their effectiveness against your enemies.  The answer lies in JAMMING.

What is Jamming you ask? Well I'm sure there is a more scientific name, but quite simply for Trolls jamming is using your medium based models to mess up  the movement choices of your enemies.  So I give you a step by step jamming session.

1) First of all you must learn that it is okay to sacrifice nearly any model in your army to win the game.  That means that even though you looooooovvvvveee Janissa, if she is in position to jam then don't hesitate.  She will likely die, but that is okay if on a subsequent turn her sacrifice lets Madrak take some axe to a Cryxian Casters Mouth.

2) Speed.  Against most armies in this game Trolls don't typically get to hit first (with a few exceptions)  so you minimize the damage your opponents will do to you on your alpha strike by positioning your models a certain way.  I.E. Jamming.  How it works is simple, you NEED to get some of your guys killed. 

3)Positioning and the 'JAM'  You know your going to get some casulties, so why not choose which guys your opponent has to kill rather than waiting to see waht he does.  This is accomplished more easily in Trolls becasue of our large abundance of medium based models.  Jam them, take the front two or three guys in your speedbump unit (i.e. fenns, kriels, scribes... whatever) and run them out there as far as you can get them and spread them out as best you can.  Those front two or three guys ARE GOING TO DIE.

4) JAMMING.  Jamming is simple, take away your opponents movement options by engaging.  Especially since you probably aren't in charge range.  Get a MINIMUM amount of guys up in their grill, keep the rest back safe.  Rinse, repeat.  This even works with higher armor guys like Champions or Longriders.  Sacrificing one Longrider so the other four can do their thing  IS WORTH IT.  You'd rather have one or two guys die to regualar attacks then your whole front line dieing to charges, because in case you didn't notice charges hurt more.

5) The Counter.  Jamming allows you to close with the rest of your army in relative safety.  Be looking for the Counter-charge & rejam.  If you can kill it, then go all out.  If the kill is questionable, do your damage and rejam leaving a few guys back to counter-charge again the next turn.  Always always always look for ways to take away their movement through the Jam, then make them pay for killing your jammers by charging them to death.

6) Responders.  When you Jam it is very important to have responders.  Meaning back up every Jammer with a friend willing and able to smash the enemy in the face for killing your jammer. Champion 1 is the bait model, Champion 2 8" back is the responder. 

7) Other Jammers.  Nearly every model in your army can and should Jam.  Their Dragoon running up a flank, well the Fel Caller is back there anyway, go jam him.  Yes the Fel Caller might die but said flanker won't be able to assassinate your caster as a result.

Need a Diagram.... here you go DOS style.



JAM POSITIONING using Kriel's

............K1........................K2..............................K3
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K4...................K5........................K6...........................K7
........CT1........................KL...................CT2......................CT3
.................K8..........................KP........................K9
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...............KS


Jamming doesn't always work the way you want it to, but it is almost always a better way to position your units to minimize your opponents ability to move where he wants to.