There's been a lot said and written about the software and skill rings problems. I do have some thoughts about that, which I'll post later. All I'll say here is to remind everyone that the event is run by volunteers, who went into this with the best of intentions to provide the best tournament possible. And that at least they had a decent recovery; at the end of the weekend, nine rounds were played, touchdowns were scored, skulls were rolled, snake eyes killed drives, with all the laughter and tears and yelling and fun and laughter which we all expect.
Round 1: Robottone of Team Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo, Il Bello, Il Pelato, e Robottone (Vampires)
Robottone plays Vampires bashy, with five Vamps (Block, Guard, and Mighty Blow) and a deep bench of Thralls to drink and foul with. The plan was pretty clear, but didn't work out too well this round. A brutal turnover left the ball exposed, Slann did Slann things, quick defensive TD. Then a slow defensive TD to end the half. Vampires played defense well enough to make me panic and score quickly, but I wasn't really looking to stall much at that point. Then I set up on defense again and rolled a Blitz!, 4-0. For his last 3-turn score attempt, I ran a catcher up the field just in case ... and of course the Strip Ball play worked perfectly. 5-0 was due more to everything just working for me (and not much at all working for the vampires), but the score put me at #5 in the Coaching rating. Spoiler alert! It wouldn't stay there.
Round 2: fromherashes of Team Kilted Unicorns Not Team Scotland (Lizardmen)
These guys had played near us during round 1, and there might have been a little bit of shit-talk going on about which of us were the true Unicorn team. Obviously Nuffle was interested as well and rewarded us with a Unicorn-off!
I was looking forward to going to town on ST2 Skinks, but it turns out that FromHerAshes has played against Slann before and knew what was coming. I never got more than 1 die on the ball carrier and several -2d. He blinked a couple times at a double pow (With Strip Ball, but still ...), and I put the ball on the ground a couple other times as well. But never got a decent bounce, he kept getting the ball back, and sweated out a turn 8 TD.
My offense went south quickly due to SKINK MAGIC and pow's where I needed (not pows). last 5 turns or so, the ball was on the sideline about halfway to the end zone, guarded by a Kroxigor with firm orders to just stand there and not try anything else, and a Saurus. Every round I'd -2d blitz the Saurus to try to push him onto the ball (catchers were ready), every turn it's Push/Skull, every turn FHA picks skull. Turn 7 or so I actually pushed ... and it bounces to the f**in Kroxigor. Well then. 0-1, and we lost the Unicorn-off pretty decisively.
Mr. Rushby lost to our Ogres though, and seemed pretty upset about it. And that's really what counts in the end, right?
Round 3: Talkarde of team Pilous (Humans)
At least when we lose a round, we go down a few tables and get to smash up some noobs like ... one of the best teams in France?
Talkarde had just, all of the Guard on his Humans. Plus a Tackle Blitzer and a few other goodies. Also knowing perfectly well how to play vs Slann, his offense kept the pressure up. I did manage to put the ball on the ground at least twice, but again never got that magic bounce, and the Humans punished it mercilessly. Eventually a play failed, Humans surged forward, scored far too easily in turn 8.
Looking around at the other tables, I needed a win so set out to score quickly. It didn't matter. I don't remember exactly what happened, I think a failed 2+ dodge or leap with no reroll left in the round, and my ball carrier is exposed. Know how that ends? With 0-2. And another team loss. Fun game, and I think closer than the score looks. We heard the "Allons Pilous Pilous" (sp?) song quite a bit and sank down to the last row of the top room ...
At least we got cool Pilous dice. They came through for me in the clutch many times later on ...
Round 4: Araznaroth of team The untouch(down)ables (Nurgle)
My first game vs Belgians! Araznaroth generously gifted not only an awesome neoprene dice rolling tray (perfect for me, as I'd forgotten my dice cup at home), but also a bottle of 4knt Tripel!
He was not as generous during the game, choosing offense and just smashing his way down the field. A Nurgle Warrior caught the ball on the line, and once they have the ball they make surprisingly scary ball carriers. Strip Ball play failed because I had to use a reroll for Foul Appearance, then Push/Skull. Then a turnover while setting up another attack on the Ballcarrier left me exposed to lots of blocks, and suddenly I was low on options. Last-ditch attack puts the ball on the ground but I can't do anything about it, he can. 0-1.
My offense ended badly and suddenly I was trying to get the ball back in my own half. Fortunately he's picked it up with a Pestigor, so no FA issues. And things were working! Wrestler put the ball on the ground, and suddenly all I had to do was a 3+ leap, 4+ pickup in a tackle zone, 3+ dodge, 5+ pass (which the beast couldn't intercept because he'd gone stupid!), 3+ catch, and the 1-1 is safe!! Easy mode.
Pass was fumbled but too far away for Araznaroth to punch in his second TD. So 0-1 in a very close, exciting game. Say what you like about Slann but they're not boring.
Round 5: Johniczech of team Jahudka & Ostružinka Co. (Bretonnians)
We played the guys who organize the Prague Bowl, a tournament which I've always wanted to go to (and now want to go even more!).
Johniczech won the cointoss and chose defense - the first time I'd started on offense all tournament (I prefer to defend with Slann). And he chose wisely! I got in a few blocks, but maybe I was tired, maybe I'd had a little bit too much to drink ... in any event, I just had to blitz with an unskilled lineman before I secured the ball with more than a single tackle zone.
We all know how that ends. Knight with Dodge blitzes through, 4+/3+ dodge, picks up the ball in a tackle zone, dodges away ... easy. He dodges a few more buddies through.
My stripper was out of position (because I thought I was on offense
. I got a 2d blitz with a wrestler (push/stumbles, reroll, push/push), 3 dice with an unskilled linefrog (push push push), then all I could do is wall him in. I'd get 11 dice in total on that f*ckin guy as he slowly worked his way to my end zone, but he would not be stopped. 4+ dodge away from the Krox and I'm frustratingly down 0-1. Frustrated, not really by my opponent (who was cool and friendly) but by the knowledge that this was all my own dumbsh!t fault.I had a 2-turner try, failed when I needed a 3+ leap with a reroll to close my cage. Ball carrier goes down, desperate turn 8 actions don't work.
2nd half down by one and kicking. Johniczech sets up his offense, I throw everything I have at it. Nothing. Then he takes a sip of whatever it was I'd been drinking ... and he sees that perfect pass. His offense is under pressure but there's a knight in my backfield. A pass means that knight can run up to my end zone, stall out until I get players back, then punch in the 2-0 and win the game.
He knew the 4+ pass was risky. He said it was a mistake. It was. Ball bounces right in front of a catcher, I pick it up, couple more friends screen off the Brets ... and a probably undeserved 1-1. Still a point. We team-tied that round, so WHEW.
But yeah, these guys are cool. I have to make it to Prague Bowl sometime. I'll bring my cool Czech dice!
Round 6: Der_Printenmann of Team Black Orc Down (Bretonnians)
Der Printenmann lives in Munich but only occasionally plays in our league. Maybe I should have let him win and he'd have joined up again ...
Almost exactly the same setup as Johniczech, Tackle was on a Yeoman instead of a Knight. He goes on offense and starts moving forward a field at a time. Kroxigor gets some lineman and a Yeoman to play with, I'll take that. Fend is irritating as always. But eventually I get a good 2d hit on the ball carrier with my Stripper, get a nearly perfect bounce for once, right to a Catcher, who runs up for an easy-ish TD.
He nearly broke my second-half offense with some insane/brilliant dodging, a good hit on my ball carrier, and a lucky bounce. But this time I was in position to do something about it, and smacked down the uppity knight who'd taken my ball (KO). And a CAS vs another lineman. And another KO. Suddenly I have the ball and I outnumber my opponent. That makes things easy. A couple more KOs, the clock is ticking but I'm playing it safe, eventually punching in the 2-0.
Round 7: BellyBrassknuckle of Team Snake Eye Rollers (Dark Elves)
These guys are from Augsburg, a city close to Munich. They come to our tournaments, we go to theirs (when they post them up on time, >ahem<)
We know these guys. Reliably friendly, always fun to play. And for some reason my dice always hulk out whenever I play them. They think I'm some great coach, in reality I'm always just lucky against them. Please don't tell them. I need this.
Anyway. Dark Elves with no Sure Hands. And no Runner! This is going to be fun.
He pulls his offense to my left side, then pulls off a pretty good side-to-side play to my right. But I'm as fast as he is and wasn't born yesterday. He goes closer to the sidelines because Witches love that. I pull the trigger on the Strip Ball play, push. Ball scatters right to the sideline, where I can cover it with a catcher and Kroxigor, reasonably surf-safe.
All he needs to do is block some players free, dodge, pick up the ball in 2 tackle zones, dodge away from Prehensile tail, handoff, and he has a safe TD. Pickup fails, scatters in the crowd, Catcher grabs it (Diving Catch is sometimes seriously awesome). Off to the races, he rolls snake eyes trying to chase him (I mean, that IS their thing, right?), so I can stall out until turn 8.
My offense, all I really want to do is not cough up the ball. Cage up right behind the line of scrimmage, run a few options forward, everything is going according to plan. Until the Witch pulls of the patented Dark Elf 5+ cage crash dodge, POW. Ball's on the ground. I can get it back (had my guarder in the cage ready for exactly this!), and cage up again. He cage crashes again, POW, ball on the ground. This time I can't really cage up safely, blocks end in pushes, best I can do is put a catcher (with Dodge) between the Krox and a Guarder but he'll have to eat a one die blitz. Of course it's a pow. Dark Elves recover the ball but they're also in the mess and can't really protect it. I can blitz the ball carrier down, recover, but again not 100% safe. Witch manages to dodge through and hit my ball carrier, gets wrestled down, and it's looking bad for me. Dark Elf Blitzer recovers the ball ... and has an utterly, game-killingly brutal snake eyes dodging away.
Time to end this nonsense, Catchers do Catcher things, off to the races, and safe. 2-0 win in a game which was a LOT closer than the score looks. And a 6-0 Team Win!! This might get mentioned once or twice in the future
Round 8: Mortimess of Team Princes in Yellow (Dark Elves)
We're back in the top Room and play some Swedish guys. I remember some of them from Örebro, and some new guys. Mortimess has a runner (with Dodge) but otherwise similar setup - no leaping assassins or anything. Mortimess chooses offense, and starts moving forward. Things are more or less under control, but he pulls off a pretty good end-around and suddenly he's in my backfield. This is why everyone hates Dark Elves, they just don't fail dodges
Anyway. I set up an absolute masterclass of a Strip Ball play. Every possible dump-off target is not only covered but has a potential interception. Guarder is in position so it'll be a 2d blitz, with Wrestle and Strip Ball, and I'm sure he'd choose the 4+ dump off, risking the interception, 3+ catch. I like those odds.
Except the 3+ leap for the Blitz goes 2, RR, 2.
Ahem. Dark Elves recover, block a bit, score quickly before I can do that again.
My 2-turner gets killed by a 3+ leap. With a reroll.
Anyway. My 2nd half offense goes pretty smoothly overall until I get to about halfway up, then Mortimess cranks things up, marks everyone, and goes for the 5+ cage crash. Works of course (3/3 against me this tournament), so I have to do a super risky 2+ leap, 4+ or 5+ pickup (Can't remember), 2+ dodge, 2+ pass, 2+ catch (despite Pouring Rain, yay Diving Catch!). Need a reroll for the pickup but everything else works.
Now defending the 2-turner, Dark Elves dodge anywere they like, I cover everyone I can, but he can dodge some more and blitz someone free, just needing a 3+ pass, 2+ catch, 2+ handoff, GFI to win it.
His pass is 2, RR, 2. I guess that's fair. 1-1. Sadly a team loss this round, sent us back to the second room. Albeit the top table (of the second room). So there's that.
Round 9: Fiorenzo88 of Team i gatti di vicolo miracoli (Chaos Dwarves)
A team from all over Italy. I handed him a pair of sparkly Municorn dice and he gave me an entire bottle of Bordocolle (Merlot e Cabernet from Veneto)!!. Thanks!!
I gulp a little bit and give the Chaos Dwarves offense. Touchback, and a Bull Centaur gets the ball. He starts off smashing my line up pretty well, and isn't putting up with any of my usual tricks - a Catcher runs into the backfield and gets himself blitzed for his trouble, KO. Another lineman goes KO. I can blitz off his corner and put some pressure on the cage, he moves to the other side.
I do manage to pull off a strip ball play, caught by a Catcher who I'd run in for an assist. Who, UG, can't move again, he gets blitzed and knocked out.
At this point it's like turn 4, I'm outnumbered 8 to 11 (and like 3 to 11 in standing players). I run the remaining catchers into TD range and don't stand anyone else up. Fiorenzo seemed taken aback by my shamefully cowardly >AHEM< I mean brilliant tactical positioning, marking up my prone players and fouling the Krox every turn (only stunned, but also never caught). Turn 6 I leaped two Wrestle linemen into blitz range of his bull, and that was enough for him. TD on turn 7, I get a 2-turn chance.
My 3 KOs didn't come back, which is unfortunate because two of those were catchers (important for offense). 2-turner would have been close but I failed a 3+ leap to protect a receiver (of course, turnover came AFTER stuff like a 1d blitz, 3+ pickup with a lineman, etc ...
Anyway, 0-1 at the half, I go on offense. And I think I did a pretty good job of smoke and mirrors, leaving linemen and Kroxigor vs Dwarves on the line, with Catchers and a couple more linemen vs Hobgoblins and Bulls in the backfield. Ball carrier is running free, one more dodge and he's out of Bull range ... snake eyes. Stunned. I mean, it happens sometimes and there's no GOOD time for that. But if I made that dodge, I could have easily stalled until at least turn 5 or so. Instead, there's a desperate pigpile for the ball, Strip Ball saves the day again, and eventually there's an easy 3+ leap, 1d blitz to push a dwarf onto the ball (smack), a great scatter (most of them were good for me), and my Guard catcher stands up, leaps onto the ball, pickup in a TZ, dodge out, GFI, GFI, TD. HERO!!! 1-1 tie, leaving me 3-3-3 for the tournament, and a team win puts the Municorns up to ... (aah, I'll let you know once those get sorted out. But we're 3-2-4 overall as a team).
