RPS Blood Bowl League - The RPS Open

[duff]

potatoedoughnut - Sorry, it's only about a 50:50 chance I will be able to play tonight now. If you have other things to do then I wouldn't wait around. But if you will be at the computer anyway I may get back around 20.15 to half past. If I'm not on Steam by 20.30 GMT then I probably won't be at all. If you have a change of plan and end up with sometime free on Wed or Thur let me know, otherwise Friday is equally good (and probably the most convenient) for me, anytime from about 4pm GMT.

Ian - I feel your pain with the lizzies. It feels like depending on your luck getting SPP on Saurii lizzies can go from a very competitive team to almost a 'tier 2' team. Inevitably when your Saurii do get a MVP it always goes to the same bloody one! And with no block and the need to take break tackle, mighty blow is a luxury you can't afford, which further delays any SPP gain.

[Ian]

Inevitably when your Saurii do get a MVP it always goes to the same bloody one!

Too true. On my FUMBBL lizards I've had really good luck. From 15 games something like 12 MVPs have gone to the big fellas..... with one saurus getting FIVE of them. The greedy shit. :D

[groovychainsaw]

Me and Chainsawhands played our dreaded chainsaw vs chainsaw match last night, my suffering necros versus his uber-levelled chaosmens. I was dreading this game after 4 straight defeats against well-matched teams, I was giving up 490TV to chainsawhands, meaning inducements for me, but I felt they would do little to even up the teams. Still I picked up Ramtut III and an Igor and set about what i felt would be a slog.

First 4 turns went pretty much as expected. Chainsawhand's chaos warriors all have block,dodge and guard (apart from the one with mighty blow and +1ag, of course!) and he also has 2 +Str Beastmen too, so I was massively outstrengthed form the start. I opted to receive to try and use my mighty blow, bashing the line but getting pushes, unfortunately. The ball had gone deep and i failed to collect it. Chainsaw began to tie up my players, killed a wolf (who regenned!), I made the pickup and began to approach something like a cage, holding off the chaos. The following turn a wight went down badly hurt and another was pushed off the pitch, and my cage was in tatters. By turn 4 I'd had to run right into my own half, leaving a fairly easy hit to take down the ball carrier, make the pick and run in for the score. Urgh. About the worst start I could imagine, I'd got nowhere against the chaos fellas and was starting to feel like i have done for the last 4 games, hopeless.

Receiving again, the ball once again goes deep. I use my mighty blow line to start bashing. First hit, smashed hip, chaos warrior, second hit, badly hurt, chaos warrior, third hit, KO chaos warrior. Wha? I did a little victory dance. The teams were suddenly much more even (maybe even back in my favour, as I obviously had my team at full strength). It was on. I stretched his team with some runners, trying to get in range for a touchdown whilst keeping the ball in my half. I never quite broke free in those 3 turns, but came close with a pass that fialed in turn 8. Nearly got punished with an opportunistic pass by hands, but the half ended 1-0 to hands.

Second half, I'm kicking off, hands with a full team, but missing the chaos warriors meant we were about equal on strength. I use my kicker to put the ball deep, get to reorganise my lines at kickoff and look to break through with the wolves. Which I have minor success with. Hands sends his minotaur after my kicker in my half along with one runner who I mark up. The rest of his line I tie up as much as possible, leaving only 2 men on the ball. For my trouble, some creative blocking gets a ghoul pushed off the pitch, but generally my large reserves of block hold up and leave hands tied up in his half This goes on for a few turns, hands trying to break free whilst I get players onto his ball carrier (which would never have worked with more chaos warriors with guard present, i might add!). I keep the pressure on until turn 13 when hands makes a break for the left side and tries a pass which fails, leaving the ball open. I get a wolf over the ball, but my attempted blitzer fails his dodge to get away. Other players are closing in now. Hand blitzes my wolf, picks the ball up and runs downfield, still in range of players (including the mighty Ramtut). But then he throws it. Bugger. That'll be hard. Its right next to my TD line, and I have 2 turns. I have a gang of players in his half, and a handful towards the ball. I attack with my wolf, scoring a KO to clear my half mostly, then approach the ball with a ghoul and ramtut. Next turn, Hands marks up my players in my half to prevent me getting clear. My 15, Ramtut breaks tackle, clears space from a ghoul, who runs down, picks the ball, runs back and flings it as far as he can throw into the other half. Its accurate, but goes to ground. Hands spends his last turn getting one player onto the ball and tying up the rest. I make a couple of hits, then go for it. I have rerolls left, but need a pickup (4+), dodge (3+) and 2 GFIs to score. It all works... perfectly, and my wight runs in to draw the game, turn 16. What a fight!

It all came down to one turn, really, taking out 3 Chaos Warriors in one go was a pretty epic hit and turned the game for me, I was never going to compete without taking down some strong players and taking 2 out got me back into contention for the rest of the game. Ramtut was essential to give me back a small strength advantage, and was pretty reliable, thanks to str6 , mighty blow, break tackle and wrestle. Mighty blow possibly was the difference between us, with me having it on a handful of players whilst hands had his focus on the blodge/guard warriors. It helped that regen worked for me on my 2 injuries I received, of course. Other than that, dice were remarkably even throughout, both teams negating any block advantage and rolling a good number of skulls.

So finally, a draw for my necros. That's a start at least. Next up, screwie's gobbo's. MUST NOT UNDERESTIMATE THEM. I fancy my mighty blow tackle wight to have a good day however ;-).

[Screwie]

So finally, a draw for my necros. That's a start at least. Next up, screwie's gobbo's. MUST NOT UNDERESTIMATE THEM. I fancy my mighty blow tackle wight to have a good day however ;-).

We'll be fighting it out for the bottom position on the table too :)

[President Weasel]

Please tell me 'Hands managed to apoc the smashed hip? I'd hate to have a 3 skills chaos warrior reduced to jogging pace.

[ChainsawHands]

It was a MNG injury, not a -MV injury.

That or I horribly misread the injury result and will be hiring a new warrior.

[President Weasel]

If it was a smashed hip then it's -1 MA for your dude. Then again, perhaps Groovy misremembers and it was just a smashed hand, which is MNG with no other effect.

[Jiiiiim]

well done chainsaw, I was beginning to think those goats were invincible.

Now if they could just lose two more times, I can overtake them by merely winning every game remaining.

Yeeessss.

[potatoedoughnut]

potatoedoughnut - Sorry, it's only about a 50:50 chance I will be able to play tonight now. If you have other things to do then I wouldn't wait around. But if you will be at the computer anyway I may get back around 20.15 to half past. If I'm not on Steam by 20.30 GMT then I probably won't be at all. If you have a change of plan and end up with sometime free on Wed or Thur let me know, otherwise Friday is equally good (and probably the most convenient) for me, anytime from about 4pm GMT.

Hey duff, it looks like I'm going to have to make a run to the airport and play taxi around noon on Friday. Is there a chance we could start our game around 9am (my time/4pm your time)? If not I could probably play later that evening (like 5+ish my time/0000+ your time), but that may be too late for you.

Turns out I'll also be around tomorrow (Wednesday) if that works and Friday doesn't. I'll see if I can catch you on Steam again. Sorry for the trouble with scheduling.

[ChainsawHands]

If it was a smashed hip then it's -1 MA for your dude. Then again, perhaps Groovy misremembers and it was just a smashed hand, which is MNG with no other effect.

Just checked, no -MA so not a smashed hip - I only ever look at the effect not the name, so might well have been smashed hand.

[Jolima]

I've marked up the next set of matches in the spreadsheet. The league will move on in time for Saturday games at the latest so I would encourage people to start planning the next set of matches. Next round only lasts until next Saturday. Duff and potatoe, I hope you manage to play in time.

I also had a request about taking a break with the league over Christmas. Are a lot of you going to be away from computers over the holidays?

[HughTower]

Re Xmas - I'll be near a PC for most of it.

[President Weasel]

I'll be afk from about the 23rd through til about the 27th; as for the league taking a break I am easy either way. Whatever makes the most folks happy.

[Vexing Vision]

I also had a request about taking a break with the league over Christmas. Are a lot of you going to be away from computers over the holidays?

Quite the opposite. I welcome the few free days (bloody weekend Christmasses!) to get some serious gaming done to clear my massive backlog.

I am happy to take a break though if this makes things easier for most participants. I want to play matches, not get assigned draws. :)

[drawlien]

I will be away from the 24th until about the 29th. I should be free to play on either side of that though so a break may not be necessary for me.

[Ian]

It's currently looking like I'll be away from a connection where I could play BB from the 23rd or 24th to... I'd guess the 4th.

[LowKey]

Ill be away from the 24th to the 27th but shouldn't have a problem fitting in a game either side of that, also when would you like to play our game Mr President?

[President Weasel]

Ill be away from the 24th to the 27th but shouldn't have a problem fitting in a game either side of that, also when would you like to play our game Mr President?

this evening, Friday evening, some time at the weekend? My schedule is pleasantly clear for the next few days.

[Screwie]

I will be away from the 23rd Dec tot he 9th Jan. Yay me! Unfortunately I don't yet know what kind of net connection I'll have at that time, whether its only forum-capable or mildly gaming-capable.

[ChainsawHands]

I'll be mostly near a computer over Christmas.