Welcome back for game 2 of the Hedge Wizard Invitational Celestial Scrum!
If you missed Game 1 I'm sorry but management informs me that you are not entitled to a partial refund, however you can catch the highlights on the Dumbo-tron. Not recommended for pregnant elderly women.
Coming off the victory over Skaven in Game 1, who do the Apes of the Congo Bongo face next?
More Skaven!
What is this? Is there a sinking ship nearby?
Brace yourselves, because I was. This game would be against -hands down- the best Blood Bowl coach I've ever faced before. He ran circles around my Lizards last year with his Wood Elves and I was suspecting the same treatment today. He's clocked over a thousand games of Blood Bowl with many tournament wins... and in this corner: a long time player, competent, but with a quarter of the games, and stretched over 2 decades and five or six versions of the rules and more than twice that many team races, eclectic and stumbling wouldn't be a unkind assessment. But I have apes, and that's an ace right?
His team: The Skaven Big Balls, -pretty sure the team name refers to the big clear balls they like to run around in... I hope. Twelve players: Thrower with leader, 2 Blitzers: frenzy & guard, 4 Runners: 2 Block (if I remember right) strip ball & .. not sure. Also had a Kick linerat.
He won the Fame roll, I won the coin toss and elected to kick to him, same reasoning as last game:
I set a net and kicked, the action started fast and rats slipped through. -The pink goblin is a rat runner-
In his first action he knocked out a Wrestling chimp. Not a great start for me. He made a 4-corner box in the center to protect his thrower, and waited till the next turn to see who would carry it home.
I tried to peel his cage corner away with a frenzy Gorilla, with the guard assist: but got a push, then 2 die uphill: a skull... re-roll? a skull came up again, and my Ape ate turf. Bad luck, but it was my only chance to get in and put pressure on the carrier, just a shame it went sour. Skulls happen.
The pink goblin-rat creature caught the ball, knocking fan-favorite Inka-Martishka to the ground: Boooo!
Owen Lee A. Ladd helped her to her feet while Sluggo slugged the pink gobrat. Nice going!
The rat-wizard fired off a spell and someone turned into a frog! In the ensuing distraction a runner snagged the ball and looked for a way through the apes. He did.. Score: 0-1.
The Big Balls kicked to me- it went deep and Zaius ran to pick it up, but some Skaven had spit on it I'm sure, because it slipped right out of his fingers and out to the crowd who tossed it around before sending it rocketing toward the half-line.
The Apes had already made a press to gain some ground, hoping to bloody some noses.
The rats stole the ball, but Zaius gave a classic Orangutan 'left turn punch', knocking the carrier down,
and -rare for this game- managing to pick the ball back up!
Rainforest Gump took possession of the ball and headed for the endzone! Mugambo stood guard to make sure a couple downed rats wouldn't likely give pursuit. Rainforest Gump scored! 1-1.
All I had to do was contain him to keep the score tied for the first half... but that's like grasping water!
He set up for the fancy 'multiple push to propel runner forward to gain ground to be in range of a 1 turn TD'
I should have anticipated that and set my net closer. Getting some lucky both downs would help too.
And here it is in success: careful placement to make the only push location one that pushes his runner (#3) forward 2 spaces across the line.
And he scores! Very impressive. That move takes careful planning as well as luck to pull off.
Score at the half 1-2.
Now he sets up to kick to me for the second half:
Mugambo goes bone head again! He did a bit better than the first game..about 4 times total.
That nasty pink gobratling again! Zaius had the ball and this creature blitzes him! 2 Dice, in my favor: I get to chose but my thrower goes down! Guess he needed Block more than leader, but everyone needs block!
The thing picked up the ball, as Zaius was carted off the field... but the apes weren't going to let that stand!
At even strength, and having block (just like the pinky) Rainforest Gump knew he was a match for the creature and with a hoot, vigorous display of hand-slapping, he charged.
But the slippery pink goblin ducked under his long hairy arms and swung passed him, to run in to score! 3-1
Looking at the clock, I knew it'd be a chore and a half just to tie, but we had to try. The apes pile in, and Inka-Martishka, with the ball, tries to glide through their slip-stream.
But Turbulence, or rat tails, brought her down and the ball slipped free.
A Rat-runner got the ball, but was surrounded by apes. Could he pull it off again? Silly Question. 4-1.
He kicks to me, and Zaius decides to stay in the knock out box! He looked distracted with endorsement contracts for Carrotol Hair Dye. So Inka-Martishka reprises her roll as pinch-thrower.
But she's not trained for this. She can grab the ball out of the air easily, but it's confusing when it is just sitting on the ground. Apparently. Time's ticking!
Suddenly, while pondering the motionless ball, she's jumped by two foul rats! They knock her down and the linerat grabs the ball!
I called in my hedge wizard now, to zap the ball carrier. It turned him into a frog, but another rat just stepped in to get the ball and scored. Ending the game 5-1.
Ouch. What can I say? The Apes got trounced. I could say I had bad luck, which I did: 3 or 4 times trying to pick up the ball: fail: re-roll fail. an 8/9 chance to succeed like that, but I failed far more than I succeeded.
Both times I kicked to him he got the 'reorganize players' result, canceling my chances to goodly smack the rats when they had to stand and take it. But none of that would have evened the game, that is for sure.
This couch is -like I said-the best I've ever played and he's got Skaven (and Wood Elves) dialed down to jeweler's precision.
On the plus side, with such a bad defeat I think Carrotol Hair Color is looking elsewhere for a spokesman, so maybe Zaius will get his head back in the game where it belongs!
Join us tomorrow for the final match, Game 3!
It was a great game, even with getting trounced. He's a great guy and fun to play against. And ample opportunity to pick up some tricks from playing against him!
Sometimes you lose badly and give away touchdowns like they're radioactive, and you have to play for half the game knowing you have no chance to win. But that's ok- it's Blood Bowl, it's fun and it's a story, you just have to laugh at the pain...
Enjoy!
If you missed Game 1 I'm sorry but management informs me that you are not entitled to a partial refund, however you can catch the highlights on the Dumbo-tron. Not recommended for pregnant elderly women.
Coming off the victory over Skaven in Game 1, who do the Apes of the Congo Bongo face next?
More Skaven!
What is this? Is there a sinking ship nearby?
Brace yourselves, because I was. This game would be against -hands down- the best Blood Bowl coach I've ever faced before. He ran circles around my Lizards last year with his Wood Elves and I was suspecting the same treatment today. He's clocked over a thousand games of Blood Bowl with many tournament wins... and in this corner: a long time player, competent, but with a quarter of the games, and stretched over 2 decades and five or six versions of the rules and more than twice that many team races, eclectic and stumbling wouldn't be a unkind assessment. But I have apes, and that's an ace right?
His team: The Skaven Big Balls, -pretty sure the team name refers to the big clear balls they like to run around in... I hope. Twelve players: Thrower with leader, 2 Blitzers: frenzy & guard, 4 Runners: 2 Block (if I remember right) strip ball & .. not sure. Also had a Kick linerat.
He won the Fame roll, I won the coin toss and elected to kick to him, same reasoning as last game:
and -rare for this game- managing to pick the ball back up!
He set up for the fancy 'multiple push to propel runner forward to gain ground to be in range of a 1 turn TD'
I should have anticipated that and set my net closer. Getting some lucky both downs would help too.
Score at the half 1-2.
Now he sets up to kick to me for the second half:
The thing picked up the ball, as Zaius was carted off the field... but the apes weren't going to let that stand!
He kicks to me, and Zaius decides to stay in the knock out box! He looked distracted with endorsement contracts for Carrotol Hair Dye. So Inka-Martishka reprises her roll as pinch-thrower.
Ouch. What can I say? The Apes got trounced. I could say I had bad luck, which I did: 3 or 4 times trying to pick up the ball: fail: re-roll fail. an 8/9 chance to succeed like that, but I failed far more than I succeeded.
Both times I kicked to him he got the 'reorganize players' result, canceling my chances to goodly smack the rats when they had to stand and take it. But none of that would have evened the game, that is for sure.
This couch is -like I said-the best I've ever played and he's got Skaven (and Wood Elves) dialed down to jeweler's precision.
On the plus side, with such a bad defeat I think Carrotol Hair Color is looking elsewhere for a spokesman, so maybe Zaius will get his head back in the game where it belongs!
Join us tomorrow for the final match, Game 3!
It was a great game, even with getting trounced. He's a great guy and fun to play against. And ample opportunity to pick up some tricks from playing against him!
Sometimes you lose badly and give away touchdowns like they're radioactive, and you have to play for half the game knowing you have no chance to win. But that's ok- it's Blood Bowl, it's fun and it's a story, you just have to laugh at the pain...
Enjoy!
Good to see some bloodbowl fun :-) I'd never have thought of using apes as a team!
ReplyDeleteBTW as far as I am concerned you get an auto default wins as his figres weren't all properly painted or based ... poor form that man!
Great stuff! I love the ape theme! Egads I may have to steal that for next years Blood Bowl Tournament!
ReplyDeleteWas this the same guy with the Wood Elves that you faced at Vegas.
ReplyDeleteDamn, he smeared you Ferret. That feckin goblin of his is a wiley bugger. You'll have to send out an advance team of assassins if you ever face this guy again.
I just picked up some Bushwoolies from a place called Thunderbolt Mountain. It's owned by the guy who sculpts for Dark Sword, limited selection but great prices and great quality.
Bushwoolies link
http://www.thunderboltmountain.com/products/4004-bushwoolies
Glad you enjoyed it Scott!
ReplyDeleteIf I ran a tournament I think I'd have any team that faced an unpainted or unbased, unfinished team be given an extra re-roll and automatically win the Fame roll with +2 Fame, just to show the fan's support & the team's extra dedication ;) But I wouldn't allow unfinished minis actually, it's part of the game - work in progress, new minis- that's fine for casual play & leagues (as long as working to finish them as the league goes on) but a tournament is supposed to be a show case of a team- it should be completed. He's a great guy- just never been a painter and doesn't know much about it- he was asking some of us and got a lot of ideas & pointers, so he may be fielding a painted team in the future :)
Styx: Great! there should be more apes in everything ;)
Anne: No, that was my friend Dan with his High Elves actually. He did have a good day ;) We usually are well matched- trade off who get's pummeled. This was someone I played in the year before's West Coast Quake: my Lizardmen vrs his Wood Elves- it was before I started the blog- I'll see if I have a picture, maybe add it to this or the next post. But yes, advance assassins would be in order!
Those bushwhoolies are awesome :) They'd go well with my 'haggises' from Black Hat:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v4FrQMIXkt0/TrcUbtPLN7I/AAAAAAAAAc8/RpQuaGXmSBc/s640/BBT+026.JPG
Crunch! What an encounter that turned out to be; far too dangerous these blasted rats. Roll on game three.
ReplyDeleteRat magic indeed! As a long time Skaven coach I could appreciate his plays, but that multiple chain push ofr a 1 turn TD was a beautiful thing. I never seem to be able to make those plays work :-)
ReplyDeleteStill, no shame in loosing to a master. Thats what I tell myself when the Lad beats me anyway! May Nuffle be in your favour for the next game
Ouch scary result indeed! Some interesting tactics, and some real luck vs strategy there on the skaven's side. At least you had fun?
ReplyDeleteAs far as the painted army goes, just give him your card and point him to this blog ;) Am sure you will have a few teams to paint from there!