Are Enforcers Actually Needed?

matt44 · Post by **matt44** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 8:05 pm

Now, in real life i'm a huge fan of enforcers and a blood n guts kind of game over a high skilled girly one...............but in this game are enforcers actually needed? Does your team get bullied and injured more if you dont have a tough guy?

Anyone play without one or done a test?

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 8:11 pm

I feel it's good for a motivator. Sometimes I think one of my enforcers getting into a fight will fire up my team. Of course, I have no hard data to back that up. I just think it makes a difference.

Of course, you can adversely affect your team if you set a guy to be encouraged to fight and he gets too many instigator penalties. I usually either take my goon out of the game or change the tactics so that he's not encouraged to fight anymore once he's gotten into a fight.

matt44 · Post by **matt44** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 9:25 pm

Yeah I know what you mean about them getting a game penalty when set to encourage.

Whats strange I think is some players with the same aggressiveness and bravery ratings react completely different when just set to "allowed".

Scott Parker, who's AGG and BRAVERY are both around 17-18 hardly fights when on "Allowed", yet a guy I had who's AGG and Bravery were lower had loads of fights!!

Maybe a guy with around 15 AGG set to Encouraged may be a good balance???

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 9:36 pm

Do you use unit tactics? Could it be one player's line is set to play more aggressively than the others? What about hitting? If that player (or his whole line) is set to harder hitting, that could initiate more fights. Another thing could be line usage and ice time. If a player is set to just "allowed" and he isn't on the ice much (like most 4th liners unless you set your line usage to "equal"), he's not going to have the chance to get into too many fights. That's why a 4th liner with high aggression and bravery might get into less fights than a 2nd or 3rd line guy who has got a little lower aggression and bravery. He's got more of a chance to fight. Of course, change that 4th liner to encouraged and he'll get into a fight just about every game unless you just roll 3 lines.

matt44 · Post by **matt44** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 10:53 pm

Hmm, must admit I hadnt thought about the fact the other guy wouldve been on the ice more.

Anyone use enforcers differently in the playoffs?

I'm considering using 3 enforcers on one line in the first playoff game and setting them to Encouraged just to see what effect it has and see if I can get an opposition star player injured. Mwaaaahahahahaha (evil laughter)

Hypnotist · Post by **Hypnotist** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:13 am

I almost always have Chris Dingman on my teams, but his attribs are good enough for a lock-down guy. He owns any skilled RW without blazing speed. Iginla, Modin, Bertuzzi, & Doan rarely put up points against him, but if matched against anyone with speed over 85, he tends to stuggle. I allow him to fight, but would rather have him on the PK than in the box. But if my team is getting man-handled or if I need a spark, I change him to "Encouraged" and set him to check the other team's enforcer. He'll fight about 75% of the time and it almost always provides a spark and we get at least a goal. I have had a fight turn a game around. If my roster has room for it, I will have a dedicated enforcer on the roster and just play him against teams with a strong physical presence or if I have an injury he'll line up on the 4th line and play sparingly.

I've given consideration to playing an NHL team and creating a "Board Street Bullies" style roster. See if you can win a cup with sheer intimidation. But don't know if there are enough skilled players who could play that style to be viable.

matt44 · Post by **matt44** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 1:03 am

Hypnotist wrote:I've given consideration to playing an NHL team and creating a "Board Street Bullies" style roster. See if you can win a cup with sheer intimidation. But don't know if there are enough skilled players who could play that style to be viable.

THAT is an excellent idea!!

Do it! lol

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 1:09 pm

matt44 wrote:Hmm, must admit I hadnt thought about the fact the other guy wouldve been on the ice more.

Anyone use enforcers differently in the playoffs?

I'm considering using 3 enforcers on one line in the first playoff game and setting them to Encouraged just to see what effect it has and see if I can get an opposition star player injured. Mwaaaahahahahaha (evil laughter)

If you want to try that, I suggest using line matching (say 4th vs 1st) and also assigning players to shadow certain players on the opposition (in personal tactics for the player).

Post by **B. Stinson** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 5:12 pm

I've given consideration to playing an NHL team and creating a "Board Street Bullies" style roster. See if you can win a cup with sheer intimidation. But don't know if there are enough skilled players who could play that style to be viable.

It'd be interesting to see how this would work.

Though, I have my doubts. I think most of today's goons are a bunch of clueless pansies who can't do anything other than twirl around on the ice with other players. You'd need the database to have the real players from back in the day - you know, the one's who could play the entire game of hockey in one night.

Iceman90 · Post by **Iceman90** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 5:27 pm

My current Calgary Flames team has not had a bonified tough guy in 4 seasons, and we've made it to the Stanley Cup finals every year for the last 4 seasons, winning the cup twice.

I do have many forwards who are roleplayers, and good checkers which is the kind of guys I like to fill out my 3rd and 4th lines, but I don't have a bonified enforcer. I also have a few defencemen like Robyn Regehr and Matt Smaby who are good , physical defencemen that I can rely on if I need an enforcer (especially Smaby).

When I need a tough guy for one reason or another, I'll call up Brandon Prust from the farm team for a game or two, but he never lasts more than 4 games on my roster.

Post by **Shadd666** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 6:44 pm

I generally try to have one really strong enforcer in my team. He generally sits on the bench or on the 4th line, being just allowed to fight. Just in case the opposing team want to get it tough, i have someone dedicated to tell them it won't be possible very long

holydogg · Post by **holydogg** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 12:46 am

I don't use enforcers in my team. But my team is filled with hard-hitter, so I don't need a goon to protect my diminutive players. I try to keep one or two players who can do some fisticuff in case, but they can play NHL minutes.

thunderbug · Post by **thunderbug** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 4:21 am

I have Boogaard skate a full shift on my 3rd line. He is set to encouraged. If need be If he gets ejected I have another player who will fight. I also tend to have some defensemen around that will hit hard. Point is I let teams know coming into the game there will be no monkey business. I have won 4 straight president trophies and 3 stanley cups doing this.

Post by **Tasku** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:13 am

What I like about this game, is that there's no one way to build a winning team, no one style that will always fail or always succeed: it all depends on how you make it work against the other teams.

You can build a winning team the hard way, or the quick and skillful way. You can play offensive or defensive style. You can coach yourself, not coach, you can watch games with your nose glued to the monitor and shouting commands, so that your neighbours will get worried, or just roll thru the clock and go to the next one. Either way, you may win or lose depending on the teams dynamic.

sjsharkz · Post by **sjsharkz** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:53 am

Tasku wrote:What I like about this game, is that there's no one way to build a winning team, no one style that will always fail or always succeed: it all depends on how you make it work against the other teams.

You can build a winning team the hard way, or the quick and skillful way. You can play offensive or defensive style. You can coach yourself, not coach, you can watch games with your nose glued to the monitor and shouting commands, so that your neighbours will get worried, or just roll thru the clock and go to the next one. Either way, you may win or lose depending on the teams dynamic.

Exactly! In my Sharks game, the whole time I've played I have struggled to play the flames, and the yotes....no matter how bad they are, or how many injuries they have, I always struggle against them, but the joy of this game is, the different tactics..styles...ways of playing, this game is truly addictive...I love it.

Post by **Shadd666** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 1:33 pm

Tasku wrote:you can watch games with your nose glued to the monitor and shouting commands, so that your neighbours will get worried

Reminds me someone...

It's even worse during the playoffs, with some mouse-throwing on every big mistake and me insulting the player who made the mistake

This game will cause me a heart-attack someday

Post by **Tasku** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 2:20 pm

Heh... I'm the same way. If you make a costly mistake on the ice, I will have my evil eyes glued on you for the rest of the game and you'll be hearing lots of *BLEEPS* from the bench, directed at you.

Post by **batdad** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 3:59 pm

I get in trouble for yelling and swearing at my STUPID EFFING DOTS! My wife does not appreciate the importance of the DOTS! THE DOTS run the world. And besides, thanks to Minstrel, they are STUPID TRIANGLES, not STUPID DOTS!

Post by **Shadd666** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:33 pm

Nice to see i'm not alone yelling loud at the dots...

Btw, doesn't this thread was about enforcers?...

Post by **joehelmer** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:40 pm

The DOTS are enforcers!

Post by **batdad** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 7:10 pm

The French and the Finn started it. Funny, they both start with F.

The Boooogiie man rocks! He is the main reason I never have a losing streak. Oh wait, that and the fact that I rock at this game. No ego or anything

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 7:27 pm

I really like Hollweg as an enforcer. He's an amazing physical specimen and he'll throw the gloves down like crazy if you want him to. Definitely my favorite goon.

harmonica · Post by **harmonica** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 6:20 am

Boogaard plays much better than his stats would indicate.

CrockerNHL · Post by **CrockerNHL** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 9:39 am

Shadd666 wrote:Nice to see i'm not alone yelling loud at the dots...

Sometimes, my kids get astonished! In last year playoffs my daugther asked me in a quiet voice, "Dad, how do you use those blue dots to win the ugly red ones?". I replied "I fight them, baby! But how do you know I play the blue side?".
"Because", she answered, no longer bothering to try to sound polite, "you always give to red dots those strange names and use some words that Mom forbids categorically

Back to EHM. When needed I set all my muscles to encouraged fighting. Almost all my players are very good checkers and hitters which is the kind of guys I welcome. Sometimes, a good fight is enough to salvage a game.

hockeygodz · Post by **hockeygodz** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 3:45 pm

bruins72 wrote:I really like Hollweg as an enforcer. He's an amazing physical specimen and he'll throw the gloves down like crazy if you want him to. Definitely my favorite goon.

And if that doesn't work he'll board you and not get called for it!!

That's happened about a half dozen times this season, but if it works keep going to the well I guess.....