RPS Blood Bowl Stunty Tournament – The Gauntlin Goblet!

[NieA7]

It was mad luck. I hardly failed anything except catches and pick ups, of which I made 3 out of 15 (all 4+ due to the rain). Rotters fell like wheat before a scythe but still the ball remained on the floor. I should've scored on turn 12 when I had the chance, but I wanted to stall out one more round just to really make sure the rotters couldn't catch up - that was enough for one of them to make 2 dodges and a GFI (with no re-rolls) to knock the carrier down, after which I couldn't pick it up again.

So here endeth the campaign, in the most frustrating way imaginable. Good luck to all the semi-finalists, I'll be back!

[Screwie]

Ack, no posts in a week, sorry :( The pre-Christmas rush has taken ahold of much of my waking thoughts.

It seems that play-off positions have been decided, so I will roll on the league tonight!

[Heliocentric]

Groovy, when do you want the GRUDGE MATCH

[Screwie]

Alright, the day has moved on to the semi-finals! Four different races, and for the first time no halflings in the play-offs. The provisional deadline is the 24th December. I'd appreciate prompt games chaps, but please take all the time you need.

(I'm rooting for the goblins!)

[Heliocentric]

(I'm rooting for the goblins!)

On the topic of the new races now everyone had faced them what's public opinion? Or are we waiting for the final to end first.

[NieA7]

Seeing as I'm not part of it the finals mean nothing to me. I'm also totally not bitter if anyone's wondering >.>

Skinks are very strong, but I'm not sure they're too strong - it's borderline. They're clearly a powerful stunty team but there are stronger and weaker teams in full BB so that doesn't have to be a problem.

Walking dead are probably a bit underpowered, being slow with low Ag makes it quite easy to screen them off from the carrier on offense and ensure they can't pick it up again on defense. They could probably do with a little buff of some sort but I don't know what, maybe allow them a single Ghoul or something.

I thought rotters would be quite OP to begin with, but while they're clearly stronger than walking dead they've also got a very high attrition rate that balances it out. Overall they're fine I think.

That leaves any new races we want to have a play with next season. Nothing much comes to mind to me from the old teams, Chaos Dorf or Khorne so that leaves Underworld. I think Troll, linemen and gobbos (there's a comparison here to skinks - no linemen would leave the Underworld side with fewer, less good players in every position, with a troll instead of a krox and 12 gobbos instead of 16 skinks) would be fine but I know others think the linemen would make them too powerful, so we'll need a vote/executive decision there.

I was going to swap to Underworld but missing out on the finals this time would be a sad way for the Philanthropists to go...

[groovychainsaw]

Hey helio, how are you set for tomorrow morning, 10am?

[Heliocentric]

Hey helio, how are you set for tomorrow morning, 10am?

Gmt? Yeah, be nice to play not tired for a change. See you on steam.

[Heliocentric]

What about 1 mummy for the Walking Dead? Edit: or 2 flesh golems, this doesn't break from their usual pace.

[LowKey]

I think the rotters are pretty powerful really, with ag/str 3 plus mutation access, but maybe im a bit bitter :-)

[Heliocentric]

Gmt? Yeah, be nice to play not tired for a change. See you on steam.

Doh, apparently I am going to watch the hobbit very close to this time, very sorry. We must delay a touch.

[Gorm]

Just played El_Cubo in the semi's and his Lizards took the day with a 2-0 win. So i think that means i'm out?

[groovychainsaw]

Hi Helio, we still playing this morning? I *thought* we'd planned this on steam, unless i'm mistaken? :-S

[Heliocentric]

Sorry, festive lie in delayed me.

[Heliocentric]

32 turns... don't want to talk about it.

[NieA7]

Good grief, that's even longer than the final I had against El Cubo last season. Don't tease us like this!

[Heliocentric]

I think its best groovey gives it the full treatment, but it was a decidedly bloodless match. Only 1 rotter died and not even a single snotling was injured. 1-1 by turn 12 or so and remained so. An early lightning bolt BH the AG3 ogre out of the game. Dice came in waves of cruel and kind.

I actually have the details mixed up in my head, so I'll need to look at a replay to really get this down.

The final score 2-1... Anything else? *Grins*

[NieA7]

Oooh you little tease.

[El Cubo]

Ooh look at him!
http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/54...13A5942F0E1CD/

[groovychainsaw]

Right, lets see how EPIC this can get.

The epic adventures of Groovychainsaw and Heliocentric, Episode 1
- The Semi-final -
'SUNNY DAY SNOTLING CRECHE VS. PROSODEMIC PHARMACOLOGY'
(Ogres vs. Rotters, for those who haven't been paying attention)

/Deep breath

I win the toss and choose to receive. Plan was to bash those decaying soandsos into the astrogranite. Helio has a spread of inducements, notably Morg, a wizard, a Halfling chef and and a BW babe.

I set up strong on the line, Helio makes a strong centre. I have Betsy the Music teacher deep for receiving (AG3 ogre). I lose 2 rerolls on kick-off to the chef, Helio is up to 4, I'm down to 3. I multiple block on the line, KO a rotter bash a bit more, stamp on morg with a couple of assists then scoop up the ball. Helio stuns my rookie ogre, then gets a both down, ending his turn early. In vengeance he LIGHTNING BOLTS BETSY which badly hurts her. It's too early for an apothecary so Betsy goes off for the rest of the match. Ugh.

I bash a little, then make the pickup with the only other player I have deep, my rare lvl3 snotling, Faq the screamer (block, diving tackle). Helio continues to use 5 rotters to bash the crap out of poor Dinnerlady Sapphire, my rookie. He keeps knocking her down, but no injuries as yet.

I bash a bit more and use my final reroll for the half this turn :-(. I move a snotling cage up to half-way and tie up more of helio's players. Thanks to his 5 rotters on my right bashing poor Sapphire, the left is wide open. More bashing from both of us, Morg gets a blitz on my snotling, who dodges away, neatly. I bash morg a bit, I'm up to the line and stop, safe. I try to take out rotters, Helio tries to take out ogres until turn 8, when I run it in. 1-0 to Sunny Day. I've scored 2 KOs and killed one rookie rotter. Both of us have picked up a few stuns throughout the half.

Both Helio's rotters get up for his turn 8 receive. I set up with 3 ogres on the line and promptly lose 'Teacher' Isobel to a Morg-punch. She's badly hurt. I really need my block, tackle, pro, multiple block lady on the pitch so I apo her to get her back on for the second half. Helio promptly gangs up on another (relatively unskilled) ogre on the line and breaks her jaw (MNG). Bugger.

Kickoff, second half. I'm down to 4 ogres, decide to put 3 rookie snotlings on the line to take the hits, leaving 4 ogres lining up across the pitch, filling in behind with snots. The chef has stolen one reroll this half. It's a high kick, and helio's extra arms rotter makes the catch. He gets bashing, but all 3 snotlings survive being hit and the morg-blitz doesn't cause an injury this time. I bash back, now that the line is open, but to little avail. I use multiple block, but end up with a skull and end my turn.

More bashing, a pass and a ctach (burning the second of 3 rerolls for helio), leave him breaking free down my right. I break tackle free, bash him down, get snotlings out of trouble and head back and make the pickup with Plotty Lizardtooth. A multiple block finally gets my second injury of the game. Helio tries to dodge with morg, but to no avail, he loners the reroll and falls over.

I'm down to one reroll after a failed goforit early this turn, a bonehead later and a push on a multiple block leaves poor plotty exposed enough that helio gets a blitz in and takes down the ball-carrier. The ball gets thrown across the pitch (as plotty was hiding out on the sideline), right into my bottom left corner, coincidentally next to 2 of Helio's players. I swore a silent prayer to nuffle as this point, it literally could not have been any worse of a throw-in, none of my players really within 8 or so squares.

However, Helio's players manages to fumble the pick-up, sop I'm in with a chance. I throw one snot downfield, and another makes the distance, both stand next to the ball (it was in 2 pick-up zone so didn't fancy my chances there). Meanwhile I bash bash bash and score a KO by pushing a player off the pitch. Under pressure from the snots, helio bashes one down, the goes for the pickup, but fumbles again! This is good new for me, as an ogre is looming now. I smash into the rotters around the ball but its too tied up to pick up. I figure its too difficult for helio, too, now. Helio blitzes my snotlign out of the way, and then goes for the pickup under the nose of my ogre. Critical 6! He makes the pick... 2 squares from my line, he fails the dodge and the ball is spilled, one square from my end-zone. I guard the ball, bash with some ogres, then go for the pick. It... fails! Helio makes the dodge he needs with his recovering rotter and makes the pick in one tackle zone, scoring as he scoops it up. Turn 14 (?), 1-1.

One KO gets up for each of us, we both have 11 players and no spares. No rerolls, either. I receive, and on kickoff, multiple block. But with the non-pro ogre. Ooops. First hit is good, scoring a KO, but second is a skull and Dinnerlady Jemima hits the deck. I'd surrounded the ball with snots, but it might not be enough...? Helio goes to work, bashing into the snot cgae. I get lucky with a couple of sidesteps, but a KO and a stun leavers it looking more open. I sidestep into the ball to try and get a pickup, but it pings around and ends up a little bit more exposed. :-(.

Following turn, I blitz into the pile of players, hoping for a chainpush of sorts. I get a both down and end my turn early. I receive some more snot-hits and I choose to sidestep on the ball again to get it out of the melee, unfortunately spilling it even more free on the right. A couple of blocks later, and helio makes the pick and is off towards my line again. I block furiously, having moved a snot in to guard the ball carrier, getting a blitz in, which doesn't work, but does push the carrier next to a snot. Who also gets a push, and pushes the carrier next to another ogre. Who makes the hit and spills the ball free again, KOing the carrier. A snot then KOs another rotter and its starting to open up a tiny bit again. I fail the dodge to get a snot on the ball, however.

Morg KOs a snot I was using to pin him in place (after a couple of turns of pushes!). Helio uses his last reroll for the pickup (under the watchful eye of a snotling) and makes it, goes for the pass and fumbles the catch, stretching me back towards my line again. A couple of blitzes back get me on the ball, I knock a player onto the and dodge people back into my half.

Morg KOs another snot. I'm running out of players at the same rate as helio now, and its turn 20-ish?. Neither of us quite knows how this extra time thing works. Helio goes for a dodge (critical success!) and a pickup (critical failure!). The ball bounces through my snotling who naturally can't hold onto it. I KO the player the following turn for trying to dodge ;-). I try to pick up the ball with an ogre (running out of options!) and fail.

Helio tries the same, ball spills, turnover, turn 23-ish. I bash some more, try to dodge a snotling back to help out with the ball-picking-up-thing. But he fails the dodge and turnsover again.


Another snot gets KO'd. Helio gets a both down after and ends his turn. I try to break tackle free to get back and help even more. I get a critical failure and KO the ogre. Down to 3 now. Helio bashes a snot onto the ball, which spills, Morg keeps bashing me on the line (still!). A blitz form helio sees him take my snot out, pick the ball and dodge free towards the line. So close! An attempt to take down my nearby ogre ends in a skull for Helio though.

This turn is crucial. Helio is well withing scoring distance and I'm running out of players badly (I had 3 snots and 3 ogres to Helio's 5/6 rotters and morg I think...). I bash with all 3 ogres, breaking out form the centre and getting back to help out. The blitz gets me a push :-( but Teacher Isobel KOs another rotter. A series of dodges get another snot on the ball carrier. A little bit more bashing and a blitz from helio sees the ball getting clear again. 2 boneheads from my ogres on the following turn means only snots lie between his rotter and victory. Some bashing fails to shake the snots, and a dodge is required to score. Which fails!!! I bash around the ball, get an ogre back to help, then go for the pick with a snot. Which fails, also. TENSE. Turn... 26, maybe?

Helio bashes, bashes, bashes, tries to dodge to get in and fails. Here's my chance. The snot goes for another pickup, fumbles, but the ball lands in the safe hands of Dinnerlady Jemima (Tackle, Break Tackle, Guard, Multiple Block). Right. I'm standing on my own touchline, with only 2 ogres and 3 snots to get me up the other end. Facing about 5 rotters and morg (still stuck on the mid-way). Let's go!

Helio gets a lot of people in the way. dinnerlady Jemima has to blitz free, which she does, starting up the right wing. I tie up all the remaining rotters as best I can, and keep morg occupied with Dinnerlady Sapphire (who knows what they'd been doing, but Sapphire had been on her back for the last 8 turns). Helio manages to dodge one rotter free to get to my Jemima, but morg fails the attempted dodge (mostly due to the diving tackle, I suspect). I'm using snots to hold rotters back from Jemima now(!).

Jemima gets a bonehead. Ugh. Standing half-way into my half with a rotter next to her. Not ideal. Sapphire gets a blitz and gets a push, moving the rotter off and making herself useful. Teacher Isobel goes for a block, its a skull. And pro doesn't save her. Down she goes, KOd. 2 ogres left. Some of my snots prove to be remarkably annoying here (as they had throughout this second half, taking the 3 dice hits and not offering any POWs for the knockdown. One more gets KOd at the end of the turn hoever, leaving me with 2 ogres, 2 snots vs. 5 rotters and 1 morg.

I dodge my snots away to support Jemima as she gets over the halfway line. Sapphire gets up and helps hold up players. Morg is free. Morg blizes a guarding snot, only gets a push (!) but is next to Jemima now. Jemima is going to blitz through the rotter in front of her to get away though. No, bonehead. AAARGH. Helio blitzes in with another rotter, gets another push on my invincible snotlings. Morg only gets a push on Jemima. Phew. Jemima is surrounded by 3 players though.

She uses blitz. She gets a push which opens up the chance for a break tackle, which she takes and runs free. I rearrange my remaining snots and ogre to hold any support. Sapphire KOs another rotter. 3 left, one morg. Morg goes for the blitz, but needs a dodge, he fails and Jemima gets the chance to move beyond everyone. She doesn't bonehead and breaks tackle away from the one rotter left on her, getting 5 squares upfield. I tie up all the remaining players, but anyone marking Jemima would be a longshot now. Turn 31. Morg goes for it twice to free up a rotter. He makes it, scoring another push on my snot, keeping his rotter marked. He tries to dodge with the rotter but diving tackle brings him down. Turn 32, I'm there. No bonehads, please, nuffle. None arrive. Jemima runs over the line. VICTORY TO SUNNY DAY SNOTLING CRECHE.


So, uh, crikey. That was a bit of a long one. Ogres do take a long time to score, and an entire pitch to run through on the way to the final touchdown took some doing. In some ways I was fortunate there was extra time, as an ogre takes about 10 turns to score. It became a game of attrition at the end, really, and both teams proved about as resilient as each other (borne out by injury dice. Averages were similar, but Helio's numbers were at the tails whilst I was more central. Hence his ability to take out ogres but not snots). A good dice roll at any point could have finished the game sooner, particularly when Helio was one pickup-and-dodge away from my endzone near the end there. My snots got more than their fair share of pushes against them. Some more POWs form helio would have made quite a difference. Once it fell into the hands of my ogre at the end, I knew I had a shot. The whole game was a tense 2 hours, and leaves me missing one lesser-skilled ogre for the final against El Cubo's skinks, but otherwise intact. A very different prospect agains those str2 speed-machines. Let's see if the 1-1 we had in the previous match can benefit from extra time, too ;-).