Dungeonbowl 2017

Dungeonbowl 2017

It was that time of the year again and I was looking forward to this year even more because not only was brocCooLi joining me again, but also Duckwing and inforthepain. We had a great weekend and even if I had lost all my games, I would have been happy. It wasn't the case though as I played six very enjoyable games of blood bowl during the weekend.

A dungen full of prizes

The weekend started with a train ride from Berlin do Düsseldorf with Spielmacher and Heroic_Tackle. The 4,5 hours felt like nothing as we played card games and chatted. I think I'll go with the train again next year.

Once at the hostel I talked to people about blood bowl, painting and life until 2 o'clock. So much fun although I stayed up longer than I originally had planned. After a nice breakfast on Saturday it was time for the tournament.

Roster

I went with wood elves for this tournament because I was hoping to be nominated for best painted. I wasn't since my team wasn't converted nor had a special theme. I still think that my team was better than some of the team presented, but it wasn't meant to be. I need to add more crude highlights and edge highlights to make my team look better from afar. That's what I've learnt from both Preußenbowl and the Dungeonbowl.

The Eichborndamm Eagles

The roster was more or less the standard wood elf roster, but with a few tweaks.

I went with the extra lineman instead of a catcher as I feel that having three ST2 players is a bit much for my playing style. I'll even go down to one once I've painted the last two linemen.

I also didn't skill both wardancers as they are already a target as it is. It's better to spread out the skills and risks, especially since I play without an apothecary. Thanks to Spielmacher for his advice on this.

Treeman (Guard)

2x Wardancers (Strip Ball)

2x Catchers

Thrower (Leader)

5x Linemen (Wrestle, Wrestle, Block)

2x Rerolls

Assistant Coach

Cheerleader

Skill = Day 1

Skill = Day 2

Game 1 vs Dwarves

FAME -2

I kicked to my opponent and our fans decided that it was time for a riot, which I was happy with. I was also lucky since I didn't lose a player in the first (or rather second) turn. After that, I just gave my opponent the blitz and the block on the treeman. The treeman didn't take an action for the first half and tied one or two blockers up as well as acting as a road block. I cut my opponent off with my catchers in the backfield, which meant that he had to blitz one two switch sides. This meant that he was moving from side to side, but never forward.

Elf defense

Needles to say, I stopped my opponent from scoring and he even fouled a lineman on turn 8, resulting in a stun and a send off. Good half!

For the second half, there were 9 elves (8+1 treeman) against 11 dwarves.

I scored in my turn 13 after he backed away too much and left an opening. I had to blitz a troll slayer, stunning him, which meant that I was untouchable. I got a KO back after scoring so it was now 10 vs 11.

Before breaking away

My opponent didn't manage to score in the remaining four turns which would have been extremely hard as I managed to knock down his scoring threat, which he would have had to chain push one square before dodging passing etc.

Turn 16 for the dwarves. Possible, but unlikely

1-0 (0-2)

Game 2 vs vamps

FAME -2

I kicked to my opponent whom also got an extra reroll. He veared to the (my) left and then went back to the right side, but left an opening for me in turn 6, which I took. I blitzed the ball carrier with my strip ball wardancer and got the ball lose. It bounced out and was then thrown in towards my endzone, where it went out again, finally landing on my left side, just next to the sideline.

Just after the ball bounced to the other side (my thrower is closest to the ball)

Players from both teams raced to the left side and after a failed pass to Wilhelm Chaney in the endzone, I could scoop up the ball and throw it for a touchdown in my turn 8.

As we kicked off the second half, the referee was exchanged for a a fan (we both got a bribe) and I stalled the game out, scoring late in the second half.

Elves on their way to 2-0

2-0 (1-0)

Game 3 vs Undead

FAME -1

I kicked and got a perfect defense, which enabled me to not take two mummy hits on the first turn. I tried to stop him from scoring with the column defense, but wasn't successful. I also made a stupid mistake on my turn 7, which more or less opened the path for him to score.

The undead score in turn 8

What I wanted to do was to blitz in a wardancer on to his ball carier to force him to either dodge or blitz the dancer away, but it didn't work since I didn't get the cage corner down. What I should have done was either to go for the strip ball blitz, but it would probably have been better to not blitz at all and just set up a solid columns defense.

0-1 (0-2) in the first half.

As the undead kick off to the 8 elves and the treeman, they rearange their defense, which made me happy about just having three players on the LOS.

After the perfect defense

I had to score quickly (turn 2) and my plan was to try and force the ball out with the stip baller and hope for a draw or a win, if I was very lucky.

I tried to leap in twice, but couldn't make a 3+ with a reroll. I was getting more and more desperate and had to blitz in with a catcher. The catcher made the 5+ dodge and even got the ball on the ground.
If I was lucky, my opponent failed the pick up and I'd have a chance at a draw.

It wasn't to be and the undead picked up the ball the turn after (turn 15) and easily scored in turn 16.

1-2 (1-2)

Game 4 vs norse

FAME -1

I decided to receive the ball hoping to get the first shots in at that AV7. My opponent was quite aggressive in his defense and went out off his way to foul a catcher on my left side. This left an opening in his defense and all I had to manage was a 2+ pass from my thrower to my wardancer. I snaked the pass.

Snaked pass

The next few turns turned in to a scrum for the ball and an ulfwerner eventually caught the ball on a bounce. Said ulfwerner went down my left hand side, but I could blitz him with my strip ball wardancer on a one die.

Getting the ball lose

I then managed to get the ball into the hands of a lineman who ran up the field and eventually scoring.

The lineman at the top of the picture has the ball

I had one player out (CASed) so it was 10 vs 11 for the second half.

As the ball is kicked to the norsemen, a rock is thrown and one of my linemen go down, but he's only stunned. As it turned out, that was good for me, as he was blocking the norse better that way than if he'd been on his feet.

Risky aggressive elf defense

My opponent tried to go down my left side, but I set up a screen, cutting his team in half. I played aggressively as I was trying to force my opponent to score quickly or to make a mistake.

It went better than I thought it would and I managed to knock the ball lose more than once. This however meant that my opponent didn't score early and I had to up the pressure to avoid the score at all as my numbers were dwindling.

I didn't quite make it and my opponent could score in turn 16.

As my opponent kicked off for the last turn of the game, he rolled a quick snap. After a push, my catcher was already in reach of the endzone. All I had to have now was luck. My hopes were quickly crushed by Nuffle as the pick up was a 1.

1-1 (0-3)

Game 5 vs necro

FAME -1

I got the choice of defending or not and decided to kick. The fans rewarded me with some extra support and a reroll. My opponent went down my left flank and I managed to set up a solid defense and have my treeman block the cut back. I then blitzed a zombie away from the treeman and slammed him in to the necromantic team, pinning them between the treeman and the elves. Things were looking up as I had my opponent looked down, but I made a mistake. I placed a lineman to guard against the cutback, but I should have placed him closer to the treeman so that he couldn't be assisted against. My opponent took advantage and blocked the treeman down and blitzed the cut back guard, changing sides and suddenly it was back to the status quo.

The necromantic teams goes down one side

I still put up a good defense and my opponent had to roll dice in order to score in turn 8, but he managed a 3+ dodge and two GFIs for the score.

Turn 8 0-1 (0-1)

I tried for the one turn touchdown, but a snaked leap stopped any chance of an equalizer before the half.

Turn 9, ending in a failed pick up

I managed to sneak past the necromantic team and was in a position to score with a wardancer. All I had to do was make two GFIs. I made the first one with a reroll and debated on still trying for the second one, but in the end, I didn't. It was to risky. One in six to lose the game there and then. Instead, I let my opponent roll the dice and after four block dice, he got the pow he needed. The rest of the half then turned into a scrum for the ball and I managed to get the ball and score in turn 14.

Ball next to the flesh golem

I was hoping to be able to stop my opponent, but as I made a dodge that pesky one starred back at me. This left an opening and my opponent set up a cage in my backfield. I leapt in and stripped the ball away. Here, I made another error. I should have leapt in with the second wardancer as well, scattering the ball, hopefully further out of reach for the ghoul to pick up, which would have resulted in a pass or a hand off play. Now, all my opponent had to do was to block the war dancers away, just needing pushes and then pick up, followed by two GFIs.

Turn 16 1-2 (0-2)

Even though I lost, this was a great game and I wasn't to beat up having lost to one of the guys on Team England.

Game 6 vs Amazons

Up until this game, brocCooLi and I had the same record, 2-1-2 which meant two things. 1, we were paired up against each other and 2, who ever lost this game would be the "Worst Gothenburger", walking away with a medal. The game felt like a final. I was also excited to play brocCooLi as we've never played in a tournament.

FAME 0

The elves kicked off the game as the sneaky amazons moved a bit forward before the ball was in the air.

What hopefully would be a fun and close game soon turned into a slaughter. By turn 2, I had 7 players left on the field.

2 KOs + 2 CAS in turn 2

The only positive thing from this half was the the dirty player was sent off on a double 1 and my war dancers lived to play in the second half.

brocCooLi scores in turn 8

Before the half though, I managed to get the one turner in and we had a tied game on our hands.

1-1 (1-2)

Perfect defense to start the second half

In my turn 10, I saw an opening and I handed the ball off to a wardancer who went in deep into enemy territory. All I had to do now was to set up a screen. First dodge for the screen was a double 1.

This evolved into a scrum in the middle of brocCooLis half.

I did get the ball back after a strip ball wardancer blitz, but lost it again.
This was a nerv wrecking game as the ball possession changed a couple of times.

I dodged a wardancer in and picked the ball up in a tackle zone, then dodge back to pass the ball to a catcher that was in a tackle zone. Interception! Oh no, I thought that I had lost the game.

The ball changed hands again as I managed to leap in with my strip ball wardancer to have the ball bounce into the hands of a catcher, who went off downfield towards brocCooLis endzone. The catcher was then blitzed and brocCooLi rolled a dodge pow + push, rerolled for a double push.

That was the end of it and I could score in turn 15.

The next kick was deep and I could mark both the ball and the scoring threats, but brocCooLi had a chance, but a double skull stopped it all.

2-1 (2-3)

The best game of blood bowl I've ever had!
I can't describe it in words but it was a great finish to an awesome tournament.

Conclusion

This is the most fun I've had in a tournament. Everything was perfect. Great games with fun opponents and late evenings with games, beer and laughter. I hope that next year can live up to this.

I'm also happy with my result, 3-1-2 and the 22nd spot. My loses were close calls, especially game 5. I liked the roster better and will try the seven lineman roster in the next tournament that I take wood elves.

Thanks to the organizers, my opponents and all the attendees for making dungeonbowl great again!
See you in 2018!

Thanks for reading.