Guide to making a HB
With thanks to the GLB Guides private forum
A halfback is one of the most important positions in American football and is commonly the best player on the team. HBs are responsible for running with the ball the majority of the time; they are also used as receivers, mainly on short passing plays. When not playing as a rusher or a receiver, they can also help out at blocking on pass plays.
A good HB can keep drives going and can be a major player on offence. The HB is one of the three glamour positions, so if you are going to build one, you need to do it right. Some of the best players in American football history were halfbacks, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, Earl Campbell, to name a few. HBs can win games all on their own. If your player is good enough that is.
A good HB can easily get yards without much risk. If a HB can get a good average per carry, then he is taking the strain off the QB and the WRs. If the HB becomes a major threat to a defence, then they will have to stack the box more and blitz him. If this happens, it will be easier for receivers to get open and then for the offence to gain more yards.
There are six main types of halfbacks in GLB:
Elusive - Barry Sanders
Speed - Reggie Bush
Power - Marion Barber
Balanced - Maurice Jones-Drew
Receiving - Brian Westbrook
All-around - Marshall Faulk
Elusive
The elusive back is a speed demon. If you have ever seen a Reggie Bush or a Barry Sanders highlight, that is what we are talking about.
Here is an example of a good elusive HB http://goallineblitz.com/game/player.pl?player_id=27409
Elusive backs attempt to dodge defenders, and can do so with a number of moves in GLB:
Quick Cut - Gives the player the ability to change direction quickly without losing much speed. This skill is very important for quick players who rely on speed and agility to avoid tackles.
Head Fake - The player will look one way and then move the other. This fake can be effective against defenders with low agility and vision, causing them to go the wrong way or freeze. This skill is important for all players who carry the ball a lot. Even an extra split second of reaction time can mean the difference between a tackle and a big gain.
First Step - This player has a very fast reaction time. The First Step skill gives him a boost to acceleration when starting from a dead stop. This skill is very important for players who rely on speed to create separation from defenders.
Juke - The player will make a quick move one direction, and then go the other way. This fake can badly throw off defenders, especially those who have low agility and vision. This is more effective than a head fake, but takes more agility to pull off successfully. This skill is important for all players who carry the ball a lot. Even an extra split second of reaction time can mean the difference between a tackle and a big gain.
Spin - The Spin ability allows the player to spin out of the way of a tackler. This skill relies on agility to perform successfully.
There is really only one way of making an elusive back in GLB, insanely high speed and insanely high agility.
Speed should be a bit higher with all equipment in it, but agility should be close behind.
Some examples of this build working effectively
High speed means that once in the open field, you just outpace other players into the backfield.
For example http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=153849&pbp_id=2525908
High vision means you can see cutback lanes and holes.
For example http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=177205&pbp_id=3500179
To be an elusive back, you need to continually pump up speed and agility. When first making one try to follow this guide:
Picking the build
When rolling for an elusive back, try to get eights in all the unnecessary attributes. These are the attributes that a HB will never need, ie punting, throwing, kicking, tackling and jumping.
While trying to do this, look out for builds with lots of speed and agility. 18 is the highest a HB can have in something, so aim for around there.
Equipment and Training
After getting a great build, put all your equipment in speed. Speed will be your highest attribute, so put all equipment in it.
You get seven training tokens when you make a player. Always train on intense. When you first make your HB, train wind sprints (+speed and +agility) save up your training points to keep on doing this.
By level four, you should be able to cap an attribute. At this stage I would soft cap (get an attribute to 48) speed. Once this is capped, start training return drills (+agility and +vision)
By level eight, you should be able to cap another attribute. I advise you to get speed to the second cap (60) as this will save sp's.
By level thirteen, you should be able to cap another attribute, take agility to 48.
Now your HB will be a very good elusive player. His speed and agility are fine for now, so start raising other attributes.
Vision can be very useful for an elusive back. Try get this to around the first cap. Vision helps you to find holes in the defence and cutback lanes.
Carrying needs to be raised also. As your player won't have much strength, he could cough up the ball when hit hard. Carrying will help prevent this, as will the first SA in the Powerback abilities line, Cover Up. Getting this SA to about two, and carrying to thirty will prevent fumbles.
Target for level 25
Major attributes
Speed at around 85 (with all equipment)
Agility at around 60
Vision at 35
Minor Attributes
Carrying in the 25 30 range
Strength at 25
Stamina around 40
Special Abilities
Quick Cut at 3
Head fake at 1
First Step at 2
Juke at 3
Cover Up at 1
(Including custom equipment)
Best SA
The best special ability for an elusive back is juke. This SA works well when used by rushers with high agility and helps your HB dodge a lot of defenders. You want to get this SA very high.
Speed Back
The speed back is similar to an elusive back, except less special abilities. The speed back simply outpaces defenders. He relies on his speed to get to the outside to gain seperation from the defence.
Speed backs shouldn't have much in SAs, but should use the elusive tree:
Quick Cut - Gives the player the ability to change direction quickly without losing much speed. This skill is very important for quick players who rely on speed and agility to avoid tackles.
Head Fake - The player will look one way and then move the other. This fake can be effective against defenders with low agility and vision, causing them to go the wrong way or freeze. This skill is important for all players who carry the ball a lot. Even an extra split second of reaction time can mean the difference between a tackle and a big gain.
First Step - This player has a very fast reaction time. The First Step skill gives him a boost to acceleration when starting from a dead stop. This skill is very important for players who rely on speed to create separation from defenders.
Juke - The player will make a quick move one direction, and then go the other way. This fake can badly throw off defenders, especially those who have low agility and vision. This is more effective than a head fake, but takes more agility to pull off successfully. This skill is important for all players who carry the ball a lot. Even an extra split second of reaction time can mean the difference between a tackle and a big gain.
Spin - The Spin ability allows the player to spin out of the way of a tackler. This skill relies on agility to perform successfully.
The way to make a speed back is by getting your speed as high as possible. Your agility will need to be high as well, as this is also acceleration.
To be an speed back, you need to pump up speed and agility. When first making one try to follow this guide:
Picking the build
When rolling for an elusive back, try to get eights in all the HBs unnecessary attributes. These are the attributes that a HB will never need, ie punting, throwing, kicking, tackling and jumping.
While trying to do this, look out for builds with lots of speed and agility. 18 is the highest a HB can have in something, so aim to get speed around there.
Equipment and Training
After getting a great build, put all your equipment in speed. Speed should always be your highest attribute, so put all equipment in it.
When you first make a player, you get seven training tokens. Always train on intense. When you first make your HB, train wind sprints (+speed and +agility) save up your training points to keep on doing this.
By level four, you should be able to cap an attribute. At this stage soft cap (get an attribute to 48) speed. Once this is capped, start training return drills (+agility and +vision)
By level eight, you should be able to cap another attribute. Now, get speed to the second cap (60) as this will save sp's.
By level thirteen, you should be able to cap another attribute, take agility to 48.
Now your HB will be a speedy player. His speed and agility are fine for now, so start raising other attributes.
Vision can be very useful for a speed back. Try get this to around the first cap. Vision helps you to find holes in the defence and cutback lanes.
Carrying needs to be raised also. As your player won't have much strength, he could cough up the ball when hit hard. Carrying will help prevent this, as will the first SA in the Powerback abilities line, Cover Up. Getting this SA to about two, and carrying to thirty will prevent fumbles.
Target for level 25
Major attributes
Speed at around 85 (with all equipment)
Agility at around 65
Vision at 30
Minor Attributes
Carrying about 30
Strength at 25
Stamina at around 40
Special Abilities
Quick Cut at 2
Head fake at 1
First Step at 2
Juke at 2
Spin at 1
Cover Up at 1
(Including custom equipment)
Best SA
The best special ability for an elusive back is juke. This SA works well when used by rushers with high agility and helps your HB dodge a lot of defenders. You want to get this SA very high.
Power
Power HBs are complete tanks. They run people over, its as simple as that. Earl Campbell is probably the most famous power halfback, but there are such players in the NFL now, like Marion Barber or Brandon Jacobs.
Here is an example of a good power HB http://goallineblitz.com/game/player.pl?player_id=143990
There are a number of moves powerbacks have to beat defenders in GLB:
Cover up - Helps the player protect the ball. He will hug it close to his body, making it harder to cause a fumble. This skill is very important for power rushers and players who will be playing against hard hitting LBs.
Lower Shoulder - The player puts his shoulder down and attempts to barrel through the defenders. This gives him a bonus to breaking tackles. This skill is important for players who rely on strength and size to break tackles and gain yards.
Stiff Arm - The player puts his off-arm out and pushes the defender away from him. This can help him avoid a tackle. This skill is very effective when used against defenders with poor strength and agility.
Power Through - The runner puts his head and shoulders down and drives his body through defenders. This skill allows the players to break through tackles, even more than Lower the Shoulder. This skill depends on strength and size to be effective. For a strong rusher, it can break a lot of tackles.
Dive for Yards - The Dive for Yards ability gives the ball carrier to stretch out and dive for that extra 1 or 2 yards while being tackled. This skill is very important for players who rush a lot. You will find you get that first down a little more often.
Some examples of this build working well
http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=193168&pbp_id=1726962
http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=178588&pbp_id=7166673
http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=143729&pbp_id=4899691
To be a power back, you need to constantly pump up your strength to break through tackles. When first making one try to follow this guide:
Picking the build
When rolling a power back, try to get eights in all the unnecessary attributes. These are the attributes that a HB will never need, ie punting, throwing, kicking, tackling and jumping.
Whilst doing this, look out for builds with lots of strength and speed. 18 is the highest a HB can have in something, so aim for strength around eighteen.
Equipment and Training
After getting yourself a great build, put all your equipment into strength. Strength will always be your highest attribute, so put all equipment in it.
You get seven training tokens when you make a player. Always train on intense. When you first make your HB, train power running drills (+strength and +carrying) save up your training points to keep on doing this.
By level four, you should be able to cap your first attribute. Now, I would soft cap (get an attribute to 48) strength. Once this is capped, start training wind sprints (+speed and +agility)
By level eight, you should be able to cap another attribute. At this point, get strength to the second cap (60) as this will save sp's.
By level thirteen, you should be able to cap another attribute, take speed to 48.
Now your HB will be a solid power HB. His strength is fine for now, so now train and put sp into other atrributes.
Agility is very important for powerbacks, it helps a lot when breaking tackles. This attribute should be the powerbacks number two attribute.
Speed needs to be quite high for a power back. It doesn't matter if you can break a lot of tackles, if you can't outpace some players, the entire defence will be able to attempt to bring you down.
Carrying needs to be raised also. As your player tries to barrel through players, he needs more carrying than other HBs. Carrying will prevent fumbles, as well as help break tackles.
Target for level 25
Major attributes
Strength at around 80 (with all equipment)
Agility at 55
Speed at 50
Minor Attributes
Carrying around 30
Vision to 30
Stamina around 40
Special Abilities
Cover Up at 3
Lower Shoulder at 3
Stiff Arm at 2
Power Through at 4
Dive for yards at 1
(Including custom equipment)
Best SA
For a powerback, power through is by far the best SA. It workd best for strong rushers and breaks a lot of tackles. You want to get this special ability high.
Balanced
Please note that a balanced back is a mix between a power and an elusive back. An all-around back (can catch and block) will come later in this guide.
Balanced backs are very succesful, as they can beat both speedy and strong defenders. Speed should be your highest attribute, with strength and agility about the same.
Here is an example of an effective balanced HB http://goallineblitz.com/game/player.pl?player_id=60183
Balanced backs use both elusive and power moves in GLB:
Quick Cut - Gives the player the ability to change direction quickly without losing much speed. This skill is very important for quick players who rely on speed and agility to avoid tackles.
Head Fake - The player will look one way and then move the other. This fake can be effective against defenders with low agility and vision, causing them to go the wrong way or freeze. This skill is important for all players who carry the ball a lot. Even an extra split second of reaction time can mean the difference between a tackle and a big gain.
First Step - This player has a very fast reaction time. The First Step skill gives him a boost to acceleration when starting from a dead stop. This skill is very important for players who rely on speed to create separation from defenders.
Juke - The player will make a quick move one direction, and then go the other way. This fake can badly throw off defenders, especially those who have low agility and vision. This is more effective than a head fake, but takes more agility to pull off successfully. This skill is important for all players who carry the ball a lot. Even an extra split second of reaction time can mean the difference between a tackle and a big gain.
Spin - The Spin ability allows the player to spin out of the way of a tackler. This skill relies on agility to perform successfully.
Cover up - Helps the player protect the ball. He will hug it close to his body, making it harder to cause a fumble. This skill is very important for power rushers and players who will be playing against hard hitting LBs.
Lower Shoulder - The player puts his shoulder down and attempts to barrel through the defenders. This gives him a bonus to breaking tackles. This skill is important for players who rely on strength and size to break tackles and gain yards.
Stiff Arm - The player puts his off-arm out and pushes the defender away from him. This can help him avoid a tackle. This skill is very effective when used against defenders with poor strength and agility.
Power Through - The runner puts his head and shoulders down and drives his body through defenders. This skill allows the players to break through tackles, even more than Lower the Shoulder. This skill depends on strength and size to be effective. For a strong rusher, it can break a lot of tackles.
Dive for Yards - The Dive for Yards ability gives the ball carrier to stretch out and dive for that extra 1 or 2 yards while being tackled. This skill is very important for players who rush a lot. You will find you get that first down a little more often.
To make a balanced back, have speed as your highest attribute with all equipment in it. Then keep agility and strength at the same level.
Some examples of this build working effectively
To be a true balanced back, you need to keep putting SPs in speed, agility and strength. These three are your major attributes and are key to this build being succesful When first making one try to follow this guide:
Picking the build
When rolling for a balanced back, try to get eights in all the unnecessary attributes. These are the attributes that a HB will never need, ie punting, throwing, kicking, tackling and jumping.
While trying to do this, look out for builds with lots of speed and fairly high strength and/or agility. 18 is the highest a HB can have in something, so for speed to around there.
Equipment and Training
After getting your desired build, put all your equipment in speed. Speed will be your highest attribute, so put all your equipment in it.
When you create your player, you get seven training tokens. Always train on intense. When you first make your HB, train wind sprints (+speed and +agility) save up your training points to keep on doing this.
By level four, you should be able to cap an attribute. At this stage I would soft cap (get an attribute to 48) speed. Once this is capped, start training power running drills (+strength and +carrying)
By level eight, you should be able to cap another attribute. I advise you to get speed to the second cap (60) as this will save sp's.
By level thirteen, you should be able to cap another attribute, take strength to 48.
Now, train reteurn drills (+agility and +vision). At around level 16 you should be able to cap another attribute, this time, cap agility.
Now your HB should be a decent balanced back. His speed, strength and agility are good for now, so start raising other attributes.
Vision can be very useful for a balanced back. Try get this to around the first cap. Vision helps you to find holes in the defence and cutback lanes.
Carrying needs to be raised also. As your player will run into some tackles, he could cough up the ball when hit hard. Carrying will help prevent this, as will the first SA in the Powerback abilities line, Cover Up. Getting this SA to about two, and carrying to thirty will prevent fumbles.
Target for level 25
Major attributes
Speed at around 75 (with all equipment)
Agility at around 55
Strength at 55
Minor Attributes
Carrying in the 25 30 range
Vision at 25 - 30
Catching to 25 - 30
Stamina just above 30
Special Abilities
Quick Cut at 1
Head fake at 1
First Step at 2
Juke at 3
Spin at 1
Cover Up at 1
Lower Shoulder at 2
Stiff Arm at 2
Power Through at 3
Dive for yards at 0
(Including custom equipment)
Best SA
The best special ability for an elusive back is juke, the best for a powerback is power through. As you have a balanced back though, you will need to raise more attributes than either a power or an elusive back. So wait longer before raising SAs.
Receiving
Every QB loves a receiving running back. They can be dumped off to for good yardage every time. In the NFL, examples of this build are Reggie Bush and Brian Westbrook.
When a HB comes out of the backfield as a receiver, he is usually covered by a linebacker. Now every HB that I would consider telling my QB to dump off to, would have very high speed and agility. This means that when he is being covered by an LB, he will usually get you a lot closer to the opponents endzone.
Some examples of this build working effectively
http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=196656&pbp_id=7874452
http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=139640&pbp_id=1986625
http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=153848&pbp_id=1927701
http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=139575&pbp_id=7631303
Recieving backs can be any type of back that has good catching. Elusive backs however are the best recievers, as they can run routes better, and it is easier for them to gain seperation from the players covering them (usually LBs).
As recieving backs work best as elusive backs, I will list the elusive back SAs:
Quick Cut - Gives the player the ability to change direction quickly without losing much speed. This skill is very important for quick players who rely on speed and agility to avoid tackles.
Head Fake - The player will look one way and then move the other. This fake can be effective against defenders with low agility and vision, causing them to go the wrong way or freeze. This skill is important for all players who carry the ball a lot. Even an extra split second of reaction time can mean the difference between a tackle and a big gain.
First Step - This player has a very fast reaction time. The First Step skill gives him a boost to acceleration when starting from a dead stop. This skill is very important for players who rely on speed to create separation from defenders.
Juke - The player will make a quick move one direction, and then go the other way. This fake can badly throw off defenders, especially those who have low agility and vision. This is more effective than a head fake, but takes more agility to pull off successfully. This skill is important for all players who carry the ball a lot. Even an extra split second of reaction time can mean the difference between a tackle and a big gain.
Spin - The Spin ability allows the player to spin out of the way of a tackler. This skill relies on agility to perform successfully.
To make a recieving back, you need high speed and agility, as well as catching to be reasonably high. When screen passes are introduced, recieving backs will become very effective.
Speed should be a bit higher with all equipment in it, but agility should be close behind.
To be a receieving back, you need to continually pump up speed and agility. When first making one try to follow this guide:
Picking the build
When rolling a recieving back, try to get eights in all the unnecessary attributes. These are the attributes that your HB will never need, ie punting, throwing, kicking, tackling and jumping.
While trying to do this, look out for builds with lots of speed and agility. 18 is the highest a HB can have in an attribute, so aim for around there.
Equipment and Training
After getting a great build, put all your equipment in speed. Speed will be your highest attribute, so put all equipment in it.
You get seven training tokens when you make a player. Always train on intense. When you first make your HB, train wind sprints (+speed and +agility) you will need to save up your training points to keep on doing this.
By level four, you should be able to cap an attribute. At this stage I would soft cap (get an attribute to 48) speed. Once this is capped, start training return drills (+agility and +vision)
By level eight, you should be able to cap another attribute. I advise you to get speed to the second cap (60) as this will save sp's.
By level thirteen, you should be able to cap another attribute, take agility to 48.
Now train Precision Catching Drills (+catching, +carrying). Keep putting your skill points into agility until it reaches at least 55. When this has happened, put your sp into catching until the mid thirties.
Now your HB will be an excellent recieving player. His speed and agility are fine for now, so start raising other attributes.
Vision can be very useful for a recieving back, as a reciever but also as a rusher. Try get this to around the first cap. Vision helps you to find holes in the defence and cutback lanes.
Carrying needs to be raised also. As your player won't have much strength, he could cough up the ball when hit hard. Carrying will help prevent this, as will the first SA in the Powerback abilities line, Cover Up. Getting this SA to about two, and carrying to thirty will prevent fumbles.
Target for level 25
Major attributes
Speed at around 80 (with all equipment)
Agility at around 55
Catching at 35
Minor Attributes
Carrying in the 25 30 range
Strength at 25
Vision to 30
Stamina just above 30
Special Abilities
Quick Cut at 3
Head fake at 2
First Step at 3
Juke at 4
Spin at 1
Cover Up at 1
(Including custom equipment)
Best SA
The best special ability for an elusive back is juke. This SA works well when used by rushers with high agility and helps your HB dodge a lot of defenders. You want to get this SA very high.
All-around
This HB can do it all. He is a reliable blocker, reciever and rusher. This guy may be the unsung hero, but he is a great team player. He won't get amazing stats, but he really helps the team out. This HB can be built either power, elusive or balanced, but balanced would work best.
All-around backs can use all the HB special abilities:
Quick Cut - Gives the player the ability to change direction quickly without losing much speed. This skill is very important for quick players who rely on speed and agility to avoid tackles.
Head Fake - The player will look one way and then move the other. This fake can be effective against defenders with low agility and vision, causing them to go the wrong way or freeze. This skill is important for all players who carry the ball a lot. Even an extra split second of reaction time can mean the difference between a tackle and a big gain.
First Step - This player has a very fast reaction time. The First Step skill gives him a boost to acceleration when starting from a dead stop. This skill is very important for players who rely on speed to create separation from defenders.
Juke - The player will make a quick move one direction, and then go the other way. This fake can badly throw off defenders, especially those who have low agility and vision. This is more effective than a head fake, but takes more agility to pull off successfully. This skill is important for all players who carry the ball a lot. Even an extra split second of reaction time can mean the difference between a tackle and a big gain.
Spin - The Spin ability allows the player to spin out of the way of a tackler. This skill relies on agility to perform successfully.
Cover up - Helps the player protect the ball. He will hug it close to his body, making it harder to cause a fumble. This skill is very important for power rushers and players who will be playing against hard hitting LBs.
Lower Shoulder - The player puts his shoulder down and attempts to barrel through the defenders. This gives him a bonus to breaking tackles. This skill is important for players who rely on strength and size to break tackles and gain yards.
Stiff Arm - The player puts his off-arm out and pushes the defender away from him. This can help him avoid a tackle. This skill is very effective when used against defenders with poor strength and agility.
Power Through - The runner puts his head and shoulders down and drives his body through defenders. This skill allows the players to break through tackles, even more than Lower the Shoulder. This skill depends on strength and size to be effective. For a strong rusher, it can break a lot of tackles.
Dive for Yards - The Dive for Yards ability gives the ball carrier to stretch out and dive for that extra 1 or 2 yards while being tackled. This skill is very important for players who rush a lot. You will find you get that first down a little more often.
To be an all-around back, you need to be fairly even across all your attributes. When first making this back try to follow this guide:
Picking the build
When rolling a power back, try to get eights in all the unnecessary attributes. These are the attributes that a HB will never need, ie punting, throwing, kicking, tackling and jumping.
Whilst doing this, look out for builds with lots of speed and either agility or strength. 18 is the highest a HB can have in something, so aim for speed to be around eighteen.
Equipment and Training
After getting yourself a good build, put all your equipment into speed. Speed should always be your highest attribute, so put all equipment in it.
You get seven training tokens when you make a player. When you first make your HB, train wind sprints (+speed and +agility) save up your training points to keep on doing this.
By level four, you should be able to cap an attribute. At this stage I would soft cap (get an attribute to 48) speed. Once this is capped, start training power running drills (+strength and +carrying)
By level eight, you should be able to cap another attribute. I advise you to get speed to the second cap (60) as this will save sp's.
By level thirteen, you should be able to cap another attribute, take strength to 48.
Now, train return drills (+agility and +vision). At around level 16 you should be able to cap another attribute, this time, cap agility.
Now your HB will be a solid across his three major attributes. His strength, speed and agilty are good for now, so now train and put sp into other atrributes.
Vision needs to be quite high for an all-around back. It helps in all this HBs roles, blocking, rushing and recieving.
Carrying needs to be raised also. As your player will run into some tackles, he could cough up the ball when hit hard. Carrying will help prevent this, as will the first SA in the Powerback abilities line, Cover Up. Getting this SA to about two, and carrying to thirty will prevent fumbles.
Target for level 25
Major attributes
Speed at around 80 (with all equipment)
Strength at around 50
Agility at 50
Minor Attributes
Carrying at around 30
Vision at around 30
Catching to 25 - 30
Blocking about 30
Special Abilities
Quick Cut at 1
Head fake at 1
First Step at 2
Juke at 2
Spin at 1
Cover Up at 1
Lower Shoulder at 2
Stiff Arm at 1
Power Through at 2
Dive for yards at 0
(Including custom equipment)
Best SA
The best special ability for an elusive back is juke, the best for a powerback is power through. As you have a balanced back though, you will need to raise more attributes than either a power or an elusive back. So wait longer before raising SAs.
If you think there is anything that needs to be added, could you please PM me or post below. Cheers Alex
Not quite finished, but what do you think?
With thanks to the GLB Guides private forum
A halfback is one of the most important positions in American football and is commonly the best player on the team. HBs are responsible for running with the ball the majority of the time; they are also used as receivers, mainly on short passing plays. When not playing as a rusher or a receiver, they can also help out at blocking on pass plays.
A good HB can keep drives going and can be a major player on offence. The HB is one of the three glamour positions, so if you are going to build one, you need to do it right. Some of the best players in American football history were halfbacks, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, Earl Campbell, to name a few. HBs can win games all on their own. If your player is good enough that is.
A good HB can easily get yards without much risk. If a HB can get a good average per carry, then he is taking the strain off the QB and the WRs. If the HB becomes a major threat to a defence, then they will have to stack the box more and blitz him. If this happens, it will be easier for receivers to get open and then for the offence to gain more yards.
There are six main types of halfbacks in GLB:
Elusive - Barry Sanders
Speed - Reggie Bush
Power - Marion Barber
Balanced - Maurice Jones-Drew
Receiving - Brian Westbrook
All-around - Marshall Faulk
Elusive
The elusive back is a speed demon. If you have ever seen a Reggie Bush or a Barry Sanders highlight, that is what we are talking about.
Here is an example of a good elusive HB http://goallineblitz.com/game/player.pl?player_id=27409
Elusive backs attempt to dodge defenders, and can do so with a number of moves in GLB:
Quick Cut - Gives the player the ability to change direction quickly without losing much speed. This skill is very important for quick players who rely on speed and agility to avoid tackles.
Head Fake - The player will look one way and then move the other. This fake can be effective against defenders with low agility and vision, causing them to go the wrong way or freeze. This skill is important for all players who carry the ball a lot. Even an extra split second of reaction time can mean the difference between a tackle and a big gain.
First Step - This player has a very fast reaction time. The First Step skill gives him a boost to acceleration when starting from a dead stop. This skill is very important for players who rely on speed to create separation from defenders.
Juke - The player will make a quick move one direction, and then go the other way. This fake can badly throw off defenders, especially those who have low agility and vision. This is more effective than a head fake, but takes more agility to pull off successfully. This skill is important for all players who carry the ball a lot. Even an extra split second of reaction time can mean the difference between a tackle and a big gain.
Spin - The Spin ability allows the player to spin out of the way of a tackler. This skill relies on agility to perform successfully.
There is really only one way of making an elusive back in GLB, insanely high speed and insanely high agility.
Speed should be a bit higher with all equipment in it, but agility should be close behind.
Some examples of this build working effectively
High speed means that once in the open field, you just outpace other players into the backfield.
For example http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=153849&pbp_id=2525908
High vision means you can see cutback lanes and holes.
For example http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=177205&pbp_id=3500179
To be an elusive back, you need to continually pump up speed and agility. When first making one try to follow this guide:
Picking the build
When rolling for an elusive back, try to get eights in all the unnecessary attributes. These are the attributes that a HB will never need, ie punting, throwing, kicking, tackling and jumping.
While trying to do this, look out for builds with lots of speed and agility. 18 is the highest a HB can have in something, so aim for around there.
Equipment and Training
After getting a great build, put all your equipment in speed. Speed will be your highest attribute, so put all equipment in it.
You get seven training tokens when you make a player. Always train on intense. When you first make your HB, train wind sprints (+speed and +agility) save up your training points to keep on doing this.
By level four, you should be able to cap an attribute. At this stage I would soft cap (get an attribute to 48) speed. Once this is capped, start training return drills (+agility and +vision)
By level eight, you should be able to cap another attribute. I advise you to get speed to the second cap (60) as this will save sp's.
By level thirteen, you should be able to cap another attribute, take agility to 48.
Now your HB will be a very good elusive player. His speed and agility are fine for now, so start raising other attributes.
Vision can be very useful for an elusive back. Try get this to around the first cap. Vision helps you to find holes in the defence and cutback lanes.
Carrying needs to be raised also. As your player won't have much strength, he could cough up the ball when hit hard. Carrying will help prevent this, as will the first SA in the Powerback abilities line, Cover Up. Getting this SA to about two, and carrying to thirty will prevent fumbles.
Target for level 25
Major attributes
Speed at around 85 (with all equipment)
Agility at around 60
Vision at 35
Minor Attributes
Carrying in the 25 30 range
Strength at 25
Stamina around 40
Special Abilities
Quick Cut at 3
Head fake at 1
First Step at 2
Juke at 3
Cover Up at 1
(Including custom equipment)
Best SA
The best special ability for an elusive back is juke. This SA works well when used by rushers with high agility and helps your HB dodge a lot of defenders. You want to get this SA very high.
Speed Back
The speed back is similar to an elusive back, except less special abilities. The speed back simply outpaces defenders. He relies on his speed to get to the outside to gain seperation from the defence.
Speed backs shouldn't have much in SAs, but should use the elusive tree:
Quick Cut - Gives the player the ability to change direction quickly without losing much speed. This skill is very important for quick players who rely on speed and agility to avoid tackles.
Head Fake - The player will look one way and then move the other. This fake can be effective against defenders with low agility and vision, causing them to go the wrong way or freeze. This skill is important for all players who carry the ball a lot. Even an extra split second of reaction time can mean the difference between a tackle and a big gain.
First Step - This player has a very fast reaction time. The First Step skill gives him a boost to acceleration when starting from a dead stop. This skill is very important for players who rely on speed to create separation from defenders.
Juke - The player will make a quick move one direction, and then go the other way. This fake can badly throw off defenders, especially those who have low agility and vision. This is more effective than a head fake, but takes more agility to pull off successfully. This skill is important for all players who carry the ball a lot. Even an extra split second of reaction time can mean the difference between a tackle and a big gain.
Spin - The Spin ability allows the player to spin out of the way of a tackler. This skill relies on agility to perform successfully.
The way to make a speed back is by getting your speed as high as possible. Your agility will need to be high as well, as this is also acceleration.
To be an speed back, you need to pump up speed and agility. When first making one try to follow this guide:
Picking the build
When rolling for an elusive back, try to get eights in all the HBs unnecessary attributes. These are the attributes that a HB will never need, ie punting, throwing, kicking, tackling and jumping.
While trying to do this, look out for builds with lots of speed and agility. 18 is the highest a HB can have in something, so aim to get speed around there.
Equipment and Training
After getting a great build, put all your equipment in speed. Speed should always be your highest attribute, so put all equipment in it.
When you first make a player, you get seven training tokens. Always train on intense. When you first make your HB, train wind sprints (+speed and +agility) save up your training points to keep on doing this.
By level four, you should be able to cap an attribute. At this stage soft cap (get an attribute to 48) speed. Once this is capped, start training return drills (+agility and +vision)
By level eight, you should be able to cap another attribute. Now, get speed to the second cap (60) as this will save sp's.
By level thirteen, you should be able to cap another attribute, take agility to 48.
Now your HB will be a speedy player. His speed and agility are fine for now, so start raising other attributes.
Vision can be very useful for a speed back. Try get this to around the first cap. Vision helps you to find holes in the defence and cutback lanes.
Carrying needs to be raised also. As your player won't have much strength, he could cough up the ball when hit hard. Carrying will help prevent this, as will the first SA in the Powerback abilities line, Cover Up. Getting this SA to about two, and carrying to thirty will prevent fumbles.
Target for level 25
Major attributes
Speed at around 85 (with all equipment)
Agility at around 65
Vision at 30
Minor Attributes
Carrying about 30
Strength at 25
Stamina at around 40
Special Abilities
Quick Cut at 2
Head fake at 1
First Step at 2
Juke at 2
Spin at 1
Cover Up at 1
(Including custom equipment)
Best SA
The best special ability for an elusive back is juke. This SA works well when used by rushers with high agility and helps your HB dodge a lot of defenders. You want to get this SA very high.
Power
Power HBs are complete tanks. They run people over, its as simple as that. Earl Campbell is probably the most famous power halfback, but there are such players in the NFL now, like Marion Barber or Brandon Jacobs.
Here is an example of a good power HB http://goallineblitz.com/game/player.pl?player_id=143990
There are a number of moves powerbacks have to beat defenders in GLB:
Cover up - Helps the player protect the ball. He will hug it close to his body, making it harder to cause a fumble. This skill is very important for power rushers and players who will be playing against hard hitting LBs.
Lower Shoulder - The player puts his shoulder down and attempts to barrel through the defenders. This gives him a bonus to breaking tackles. This skill is important for players who rely on strength and size to break tackles and gain yards.
Stiff Arm - The player puts his off-arm out and pushes the defender away from him. This can help him avoid a tackle. This skill is very effective when used against defenders with poor strength and agility.
Power Through - The runner puts his head and shoulders down and drives his body through defenders. This skill allows the players to break through tackles, even more than Lower the Shoulder. This skill depends on strength and size to be effective. For a strong rusher, it can break a lot of tackles.
Dive for Yards - The Dive for Yards ability gives the ball carrier to stretch out and dive for that extra 1 or 2 yards while being tackled. This skill is very important for players who rush a lot. You will find you get that first down a little more often.
Some examples of this build working well
http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=193168&pbp_id=1726962
http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=178588&pbp_id=7166673
http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=143729&pbp_id=4899691
To be a power back, you need to constantly pump up your strength to break through tackles. When first making one try to follow this guide:
Picking the build
When rolling a power back, try to get eights in all the unnecessary attributes. These are the attributes that a HB will never need, ie punting, throwing, kicking, tackling and jumping.
Whilst doing this, look out for builds with lots of strength and speed. 18 is the highest a HB can have in something, so aim for strength around eighteen.
Equipment and Training
After getting yourself a great build, put all your equipment into strength. Strength will always be your highest attribute, so put all equipment in it.
You get seven training tokens when you make a player. Always train on intense. When you first make your HB, train power running drills (+strength and +carrying) save up your training points to keep on doing this.
By level four, you should be able to cap your first attribute. Now, I would soft cap (get an attribute to 48) strength. Once this is capped, start training wind sprints (+speed and +agility)
By level eight, you should be able to cap another attribute. At this point, get strength to the second cap (60) as this will save sp's.
By level thirteen, you should be able to cap another attribute, take speed to 48.
Now your HB will be a solid power HB. His strength is fine for now, so now train and put sp into other atrributes.
Agility is very important for powerbacks, it helps a lot when breaking tackles. This attribute should be the powerbacks number two attribute.
Speed needs to be quite high for a power back. It doesn't matter if you can break a lot of tackles, if you can't outpace some players, the entire defence will be able to attempt to bring you down.
Carrying needs to be raised also. As your player tries to barrel through players, he needs more carrying than other HBs. Carrying will prevent fumbles, as well as help break tackles.
Target for level 25
Major attributes
Strength at around 80 (with all equipment)
Agility at 55
Speed at 50
Minor Attributes
Carrying around 30
Vision to 30
Stamina around 40
Special Abilities
Cover Up at 3
Lower Shoulder at 3
Stiff Arm at 2
Power Through at 4
Dive for yards at 1
(Including custom equipment)
Best SA
For a powerback, power through is by far the best SA. It workd best for strong rushers and breaks a lot of tackles. You want to get this special ability high.
Balanced
Please note that a balanced back is a mix between a power and an elusive back. An all-around back (can catch and block) will come later in this guide.
Balanced backs are very succesful, as they can beat both speedy and strong defenders. Speed should be your highest attribute, with strength and agility about the same.
Here is an example of an effective balanced HB http://goallineblitz.com/game/player.pl?player_id=60183
Balanced backs use both elusive and power moves in GLB:
Quick Cut - Gives the player the ability to change direction quickly without losing much speed. This skill is very important for quick players who rely on speed and agility to avoid tackles.
Head Fake - The player will look one way and then move the other. This fake can be effective against defenders with low agility and vision, causing them to go the wrong way or freeze. This skill is important for all players who carry the ball a lot. Even an extra split second of reaction time can mean the difference between a tackle and a big gain.
First Step - This player has a very fast reaction time. The First Step skill gives him a boost to acceleration when starting from a dead stop. This skill is very important for players who rely on speed to create separation from defenders.
Juke - The player will make a quick move one direction, and then go the other way. This fake can badly throw off defenders, especially those who have low agility and vision. This is more effective than a head fake, but takes more agility to pull off successfully. This skill is important for all players who carry the ball a lot. Even an extra split second of reaction time can mean the difference between a tackle and a big gain.
Spin - The Spin ability allows the player to spin out of the way of a tackler. This skill relies on agility to perform successfully.
Cover up - Helps the player protect the ball. He will hug it close to his body, making it harder to cause a fumble. This skill is very important for power rushers and players who will be playing against hard hitting LBs.
Lower Shoulder - The player puts his shoulder down and attempts to barrel through the defenders. This gives him a bonus to breaking tackles. This skill is important for players who rely on strength and size to break tackles and gain yards.
Stiff Arm - The player puts his off-arm out and pushes the defender away from him. This can help him avoid a tackle. This skill is very effective when used against defenders with poor strength and agility.
Power Through - The runner puts his head and shoulders down and drives his body through defenders. This skill allows the players to break through tackles, even more than Lower the Shoulder. This skill depends on strength and size to be effective. For a strong rusher, it can break a lot of tackles.
Dive for Yards - The Dive for Yards ability gives the ball carrier to stretch out and dive for that extra 1 or 2 yards while being tackled. This skill is very important for players who rush a lot. You will find you get that first down a little more often.
To make a balanced back, have speed as your highest attribute with all equipment in it. Then keep agility and strength at the same level.
Some examples of this build working effectively
To be a true balanced back, you need to keep putting SPs in speed, agility and strength. These three are your major attributes and are key to this build being succesful When first making one try to follow this guide:
Picking the build
When rolling for a balanced back, try to get eights in all the unnecessary attributes. These are the attributes that a HB will never need, ie punting, throwing, kicking, tackling and jumping.
While trying to do this, look out for builds with lots of speed and fairly high strength and/or agility. 18 is the highest a HB can have in something, so for speed to around there.
Equipment and Training
After getting your desired build, put all your equipment in speed. Speed will be your highest attribute, so put all your equipment in it.
When you create your player, you get seven training tokens. Always train on intense. When you first make your HB, train wind sprints (+speed and +agility) save up your training points to keep on doing this.
By level four, you should be able to cap an attribute. At this stage I would soft cap (get an attribute to 48) speed. Once this is capped, start training power running drills (+strength and +carrying)
By level eight, you should be able to cap another attribute. I advise you to get speed to the second cap (60) as this will save sp's.
By level thirteen, you should be able to cap another attribute, take strength to 48.
Now, train reteurn drills (+agility and +vision). At around level 16 you should be able to cap another attribute, this time, cap agility.
Now your HB should be a decent balanced back. His speed, strength and agility are good for now, so start raising other attributes.
Vision can be very useful for a balanced back. Try get this to around the first cap. Vision helps you to find holes in the defence and cutback lanes.
Carrying needs to be raised also. As your player will run into some tackles, he could cough up the ball when hit hard. Carrying will help prevent this, as will the first SA in the Powerback abilities line, Cover Up. Getting this SA to about two, and carrying to thirty will prevent fumbles.
Target for level 25
Major attributes
Speed at around 75 (with all equipment)
Agility at around 55
Strength at 55
Minor Attributes
Carrying in the 25 30 range
Vision at 25 - 30
Catching to 25 - 30
Stamina just above 30
Special Abilities
Quick Cut at 1
Head fake at 1
First Step at 2
Juke at 3
Spin at 1
Cover Up at 1
Lower Shoulder at 2
Stiff Arm at 2
Power Through at 3
Dive for yards at 0
(Including custom equipment)
Best SA
The best special ability for an elusive back is juke, the best for a powerback is power through. As you have a balanced back though, you will need to raise more attributes than either a power or an elusive back. So wait longer before raising SAs.
Receiving
Every QB loves a receiving running back. They can be dumped off to for good yardage every time. In the NFL, examples of this build are Reggie Bush and Brian Westbrook.
When a HB comes out of the backfield as a receiver, he is usually covered by a linebacker. Now every HB that I would consider telling my QB to dump off to, would have very high speed and agility. This means that when he is being covered by an LB, he will usually get you a lot closer to the opponents endzone.
Some examples of this build working effectively
http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=196656&pbp_id=7874452
http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=139640&pbp_id=1986625
http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=153848&pbp_id=1927701
http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=139575&pbp_id=7631303
Recieving backs can be any type of back that has good catching. Elusive backs however are the best recievers, as they can run routes better, and it is easier for them to gain seperation from the players covering them (usually LBs).
As recieving backs work best as elusive backs, I will list the elusive back SAs:
Quick Cut - Gives the player the ability to change direction quickly without losing much speed. This skill is very important for quick players who rely on speed and agility to avoid tackles.
Head Fake - The player will look one way and then move the other. This fake can be effective against defenders with low agility and vision, causing them to go the wrong way or freeze. This skill is important for all players who carry the ball a lot. Even an extra split second of reaction time can mean the difference between a tackle and a big gain.
First Step - This player has a very fast reaction time. The First Step skill gives him a boost to acceleration when starting from a dead stop. This skill is very important for players who rely on speed to create separation from defenders.
Juke - The player will make a quick move one direction, and then go the other way. This fake can badly throw off defenders, especially those who have low agility and vision. This is more effective than a head fake, but takes more agility to pull off successfully. This skill is important for all players who carry the ball a lot. Even an extra split second of reaction time can mean the difference between a tackle and a big gain.
Spin - The Spin ability allows the player to spin out of the way of a tackler. This skill relies on agility to perform successfully.
To make a recieving back, you need high speed and agility, as well as catching to be reasonably high. When screen passes are introduced, recieving backs will become very effective.
Speed should be a bit higher with all equipment in it, but agility should be close behind.
To be a receieving back, you need to continually pump up speed and agility. When first making one try to follow this guide:
Picking the build
When rolling a recieving back, try to get eights in all the unnecessary attributes. These are the attributes that your HB will never need, ie punting, throwing, kicking, tackling and jumping.
While trying to do this, look out for builds with lots of speed and agility. 18 is the highest a HB can have in an attribute, so aim for around there.
Equipment and Training
After getting a great build, put all your equipment in speed. Speed will be your highest attribute, so put all equipment in it.
You get seven training tokens when you make a player. Always train on intense. When you first make your HB, train wind sprints (+speed and +agility) you will need to save up your training points to keep on doing this.
By level four, you should be able to cap an attribute. At this stage I would soft cap (get an attribute to 48) speed. Once this is capped, start training return drills (+agility and +vision)
By level eight, you should be able to cap another attribute. I advise you to get speed to the second cap (60) as this will save sp's.
By level thirteen, you should be able to cap another attribute, take agility to 48.
Now train Precision Catching Drills (+catching, +carrying). Keep putting your skill points into agility until it reaches at least 55. When this has happened, put your sp into catching until the mid thirties.
Now your HB will be an excellent recieving player. His speed and agility are fine for now, so start raising other attributes.
Vision can be very useful for a recieving back, as a reciever but also as a rusher. Try get this to around the first cap. Vision helps you to find holes in the defence and cutback lanes.
Carrying needs to be raised also. As your player won't have much strength, he could cough up the ball when hit hard. Carrying will help prevent this, as will the first SA in the Powerback abilities line, Cover Up. Getting this SA to about two, and carrying to thirty will prevent fumbles.
Target for level 25
Major attributes
Speed at around 80 (with all equipment)
Agility at around 55
Catching at 35
Minor Attributes
Carrying in the 25 30 range
Strength at 25
Vision to 30
Stamina just above 30
Special Abilities
Quick Cut at 3
Head fake at 2
First Step at 3
Juke at 4
Spin at 1
Cover Up at 1
(Including custom equipment)
Best SA
The best special ability for an elusive back is juke. This SA works well when used by rushers with high agility and helps your HB dodge a lot of defenders. You want to get this SA very high.
All-around
This HB can do it all. He is a reliable blocker, reciever and rusher. This guy may be the unsung hero, but he is a great team player. He won't get amazing stats, but he really helps the team out. This HB can be built either power, elusive or balanced, but balanced would work best.
All-around backs can use all the HB special abilities:
Quick Cut - Gives the player the ability to change direction quickly without losing much speed. This skill is very important for quick players who rely on speed and agility to avoid tackles.
Head Fake - The player will look one way and then move the other. This fake can be effective against defenders with low agility and vision, causing them to go the wrong way or freeze. This skill is important for all players who carry the ball a lot. Even an extra split second of reaction time can mean the difference between a tackle and a big gain.
First Step - This player has a very fast reaction time. The First Step skill gives him a boost to acceleration when starting from a dead stop. This skill is very important for players who rely on speed to create separation from defenders.
Juke - The player will make a quick move one direction, and then go the other way. This fake can badly throw off defenders, especially those who have low agility and vision. This is more effective than a head fake, but takes more agility to pull off successfully. This skill is important for all players who carry the ball a lot. Even an extra split second of reaction time can mean the difference between a tackle and a big gain.
Spin - The Spin ability allows the player to spin out of the way of a tackler. This skill relies on agility to perform successfully.
Cover up - Helps the player protect the ball. He will hug it close to his body, making it harder to cause a fumble. This skill is very important for power rushers and players who will be playing against hard hitting LBs.
Lower Shoulder - The player puts his shoulder down and attempts to barrel through the defenders. This gives him a bonus to breaking tackles. This skill is important for players who rely on strength and size to break tackles and gain yards.
Stiff Arm - The player puts his off-arm out and pushes the defender away from him. This can help him avoid a tackle. This skill is very effective when used against defenders with poor strength and agility.
Power Through - The runner puts his head and shoulders down and drives his body through defenders. This skill allows the players to break through tackles, even more than Lower the Shoulder. This skill depends on strength and size to be effective. For a strong rusher, it can break a lot of tackles.
Dive for Yards - The Dive for Yards ability gives the ball carrier to stretch out and dive for that extra 1 or 2 yards while being tackled. This skill is very important for players who rush a lot. You will find you get that first down a little more often.
To be an all-around back, you need to be fairly even across all your attributes. When first making this back try to follow this guide:
Picking the build
When rolling a power back, try to get eights in all the unnecessary attributes. These are the attributes that a HB will never need, ie punting, throwing, kicking, tackling and jumping.
Whilst doing this, look out for builds with lots of speed and either agility or strength. 18 is the highest a HB can have in something, so aim for speed to be around eighteen.
Equipment and Training
After getting yourself a good build, put all your equipment into speed. Speed should always be your highest attribute, so put all equipment in it.
You get seven training tokens when you make a player. When you first make your HB, train wind sprints (+speed and +agility) save up your training points to keep on doing this.
By level four, you should be able to cap an attribute. At this stage I would soft cap (get an attribute to 48) speed. Once this is capped, start training power running drills (+strength and +carrying)
By level eight, you should be able to cap another attribute. I advise you to get speed to the second cap (60) as this will save sp's.
By level thirteen, you should be able to cap another attribute, take strength to 48.
Now, train return drills (+agility and +vision). At around level 16 you should be able to cap another attribute, this time, cap agility.
Now your HB will be a solid across his three major attributes. His strength, speed and agilty are good for now, so now train and put sp into other atrributes.
Vision needs to be quite high for an all-around back. It helps in all this HBs roles, blocking, rushing and recieving.
Carrying needs to be raised also. As your player will run into some tackles, he could cough up the ball when hit hard. Carrying will help prevent this, as will the first SA in the Powerback abilities line, Cover Up. Getting this SA to about two, and carrying to thirty will prevent fumbles.
Target for level 25
Major attributes
Speed at around 80 (with all equipment)
Strength at around 50
Agility at 50
Minor Attributes
Carrying at around 30
Vision at around 30
Catching to 25 - 30
Blocking about 30
Special Abilities
Quick Cut at 1
Head fake at 1
First Step at 2
Juke at 2
Spin at 1
Cover Up at 1
Lower Shoulder at 2
Stiff Arm at 1
Power Through at 2
Dive for yards at 0
(Including custom equipment)
Best SA
The best special ability for an elusive back is juke, the best for a powerback is power through. As you have a balanced back though, you will need to raise more attributes than either a power or an elusive back. So wait longer before raising SAs.
If you think there is anything that needs to be added, could you please PM me or post below. Cheers Alex
Not quite finished, but what do you think?
Last edited Oct 30, 2008 12:20:42
