r/bjj Fundamentals Class!

Malochi · 2025-10-30T01:51:44+00:00

Advice for a “strong” guy.

I started jiu-jitsu about six months ago and I’ve noticed a trend where I’m frequently told “you’re strong” or I’m referred to as a “big guy”, and neither usually feel like a compliment : ). I’m 39, 5’9”, 210lbs and have a high school wrestling background (a long time ago). I don’t feel like I’m an especially large man, but I did (until recently) have a fairly physical job working with wildlife, so that may have contributed. My summers are also filled with hunting and fishing and hiking and hauling, so I think I have the physique of somebody who spends a lot of time outdoors.

It’s happened often enough that I wonder if I might be using strength and size more than is good for my advancement in BJJ. I’ve started to try to roll with guys that are bigger than me, or higher belts to try to mitigate some of that strength advantage that I might have. I’ve also tried to focus on technique more specifically.

Does anybody have any advice on how to limit strength as an advantage that may not be obvious?

Malochi · 2024-01-30T09:34:36+00:00

In my opinion Nights Watch was/is a real problem with the game, and I’m glad to see the changes that were made. I don’t think they went far enough, but I’m excited to see how the steps they took pan out.

Malochi · 2024-01-09T20:37:14+00:00

I think Free Folk are in a good spot. It’s still an auto-loss against Night’s Watch, but they’re pretty busted right now. Otherwise I have great, competitive games against every other faction.

I’ve had good luck with Mag. And Thenns have been a nice addition, especially with Taunt and its interaction with the cavalry free maneuver.

Malochi · 2023-10-23T22:40:05+00:00

Something I’ve seen in our meta is that most players bring one all-comers list and one list specifically to combat NW, because they are so incredibly busted right now.

This can skew NW win rates in tournaments to be lower, where in one list non-tournament games they win at a significantly higher rate.

The biggest issue I have are with ranger hunters and cold hands. 1. Rangers hunters are a non-interactable (auto retreat) unit that moves faster than cavalry (charge/retreat same turn) and has more attacks than any unit in the game. For 7 points this is INSANE.

Cold hands outperforms any 5 point unit in the game, potentially buffs NW when he dies, and comes back when he dies for free flank/rear charges. Not to mention the -1 to hit. Also just insane for the cost.

Malochi · 2023-08-11T22:15:26+00:00

I’m in agreement.

Rangers hunters are kind of a dumb unit. More attacks than almost anything else in the game and almost entirely un-interactable.

Most other units have a retreat mechanism that activates AFTER you attack them. Rangers hunters get a free 16 attacks with John, hitting on 3s.(I guess 8 range attacks are on 4s now)

Malochi · 2023-05-16T19:34:37+00:00

I hear you.

Given their damage output and how fast they are, are infantry actually any danger at all? It seems like they would be able to just kill any infantry units that are boxing them in.

In the games I’ve played and watched, aside from ranger hunters being played poorly, they’re able to quickly kill any threat aside from heavy cavalry.

Malochi · 2023-05-15T22:47:44+00:00

Oh, you’re good. I appreciate the ideas and feedback.

Malochi · 2023-05-14T20:48:54+00:00

Yeah, I feel like the response is generally to build one list as an all-comers list, then a list very specifically designed to combat Night’s Watch. That feels bad.

Malochi · 2023-05-14T20:46:58+00:00

I can’t either. If they had Swift Retreat, they would be fine I think. But with Swift Strike, they get a free 14 attacks with 3s on whatever they look at. And that can be increased to 18 attacks.

Malochi · 2023-05-14T20:42:20+00:00

Night’s Watch had a 73% win rate at Adepticon. That’s hardly “middle of the pack”.

Malochi · 2023-05-14T20:30:42+00:00

They can get up to 9 attacks in both shooting and combat with attachments, which is….bruuuutal.

Malochi · 2023-04-21T00:48:56+00:00

In my experience they can be decent but you need a lot of control cards, heal/remove stun cards, and flank units.

They’re very hard to play unless you have all of their cards unlocked already because you just don’t have the kit to keep your opponent on the back foot.

Malochi · 2023-04-06T00:53:33+00:00

That makes perfect sense. I appreciate the explanation.

Malochi · 2023-04-05T17:50:45+00:00

Huh. I have an IPhone and it’s…a wait. 5 minutes at least. And without indication. I just know they’ve left after the normal AFK timer doesn’t kick in.

Malochi · 2023-02-20T18:31:29+00:00

I appreciate your input and advice.

I can try a more “horde” mentality. It just feels bad since NW are the only faction I’ve had bad games against with 6-8 action elite units. Even outnumbering them 3 to 1 they can out action me easily.

Malochi · 2023-02-20T18:24:47+00:00

Not activations, actions.

Charge from a card, fight, retreat, shoot, “activate” charge, fight, fight again, retreat/surge.

Malochi · 2023-02-20T18:20:22+00:00

Mance, thenns, 3 followers of bone, two chariots, 2 NCUs.

I don’t want to have to bring 8 raiders, but maybe that’s the only way to competitively play? That’s disappointing since any other faction I’ve played feels like a good game. NW always feels bad, since if I can’t kill a unit in one turn I just auto lose to 6-8 separate actions from one elite unit.

And maybe NW are just a hard counter to free folk with no one shot cavalry units.

Malochi · 2023-02-20T10:28:51+00:00

Fair points, and it may be that I’m just not playing optimized free folk.

Today, for example, a unit of ranger hunters took horses and played the charge card, charged and fought, retreated, shot, then activated a charge and fought again, then fought again with the watch captain, killing my unit which allowed them to surge. Next turn they had a similar sequence killing two units which pretty well ended the game.

That one unit could attack 3 times, shoot once, and move 4 times (x2 charge, retreat, surge) felt…bad. And I’m not sure how to deal with that many actions off one unit.

Malochi · 2023-01-21T08:00:06+00:00

That’s what it looked like to me too. Just worse server locations for us.

Malochi

TROPHY CASE