Oct 20, 2015

StockBowl Cup VI

StockBowl Cup VI

I was really looking forward to this tournament since I had a great time last year and it's one of the best organised tournaments that I've been to. As it turned out, I had a great tournament and just like last year, it was decided on the buzzer, but more on that later.

This year I was playing dark elves and you'll find my roster here.

As I was waiting for the first draw I walked aroud talking to some of the coaches I knew and spotted this team from equilibri, The Plaugeboy Bunnies. Excellent team. Sadly though, there's no best painted at StockBowl Cup, but if there were, I'm sure this team would have been in the runnig for it.

The Plagueboy Bunnies

The first draw was up and I was facing wood elves...

Game 1 vs Wood Elves (vs goldbaek)

FAME +2
Sleeping ball

My opponent was playing with
1 Tree
2 Wardancers (Strip Ball, Mighty Blow)
3 Catchers
1 Thrower (Leader)
4 Linemen (Wrestle, 2x Dodge)
2 RR

I got to decide if I wanted to kick or not and opted to receive the ball with the hope of getting some elves of the field. Hopefully the strip ball wardancers, as I saw him as the biggest threat to my team.
I set up a screen and moved up the pitch. I did allow my opponent a blitz with the catcher, but it would be a -2d block and even if the ball was knocked lose it was very likely that I'd be able to recover. My opponent went for the blitz and got a double pow. I could however recover the ball with a blodging blitzer.

Moving up the pitch before the catcher blitz
After the catcher blitz it was quite uneventfull until my opponent leaped over my screen with the strip ball wardancer in turn 6. He placed the wardancer in the way of my advance and I gladly surfed it. The crowed obviosly on my side decided to injure the wardancer. That was it, no more strip ball and I had the numbers advatage 11 to 9 due to the tree being rooted.

After the surf
However, my opponent managed to knock the blitzer closes to the endzone, which left me with far less options of a hand off target for a score. I had a shoot with a witch elf and decided to go for it. I blitzed the witch out of a scrum and dodged out. Staying on her feet, I counted the number of squares left to the endzone and realized that I had misscounted. She was one square short and I should have done a 3+ dodge before going for the 2+ dodge, which would have enabled me to score. A huge misstake on my part.
Note to self, count first, then recount before roling any dice.

The half ended 0-0 and I knew that the second half would be tough. I couldn't let him score.

The secod half starts with him catching the kicked ball with a catcher and then moving backwards to the waiting thrower for a hand off. 1. Reroll. 1.

I had essentially been given a free blitz, but I couldn't get to the ball, just put him under pressure.
In his turn 2, he managed to get the ball to a catcher and cage up, but left one of the corners in base to base with one of my players. I took the block and could blitz with my wrestle witch and after some ball scattering, the ball landed outside of the cage in two tackle zones.
I went for the pick up with one of the blitzers and managed to pick it up and dodge away.

Getting away with the ball

My opponent then went for a blitz with the remaining wardancer and needed a 3+ to get away. 2. Reroll. 2.

I could then move away and set up a secure screen and score in my turn 16.
My oponent tried to get to the ball, but didn't manage to either dodge through or knock my ball carrier down.

1-0 (2-1)

Game 2 vs Lizards (vs Skuld)

FAME +1
Playfull ball

My opponent was playing with
6 Saurus (2x Block, Guard, Mighty Blow, Wrestle)
1 Kroxigor (Block)
5 Skinks
3 RR

I started the game by kicking deep to him and I think he failed the first pick up, but caged up and moved down the field in turn 2.

Lizards moving down the pitch

Lizards moving down the pitch
He managed to CAS my guard blitzer in turn 3 and eventulally scored. I however had two or three turns left to score and set of down one side. That he got perfect defence didn't help.

After the perfect defence
He dodges through my screen and goes for a skink blitz, but can't bring my ball carrier down. He the decided to move the kroxigor to cover the ball carrier. he just needed to dodge once with it to do so. I jokingly said that the kroxigor will fall over and kill himself. My opponent failed the dodge and the Kroxigor fell down and killed himself. We both laughed.
After that I scored in my turn 8.

With the Kroxigor out, I was feeling a lot better about this game. All I had to do now was stall long enough for him to no have or at least having a hard time scoring in his turn.

I scored in my turn 14, giving him three turns to score. Longer than I would have liked, but better having a draw in the bag and a potential win at that.

He didn't manage to score and I had my second win of the day.

2-1 (0-2)

Game 3 vs Dark Elves (vs Harza)

FAME +1
Sleeping ball

My opponent was playing with
3 Blitzers (Dodge, Guard, Side Step)
1 Witch Elf (Wrestle)
1 Runner (Leader)
1 Assasin (Dodge)
7 Linemen
2 RR

I started the game off by kicking the ball deep. My opponent then elected to go for the ball the first thing he did. 1. Reroll. 1.

This meant that I for the second time this tournament got a free blitz. I put pressure on the ball and even picked it up. My guard blitzer is CASed in turn 2 and I respond by CASing his guard blitzer. The ball changed hands a couple of times, but I could bring it in for a score in turn 6. I only score because I had a player KOed and wanted to get to chances at getting my player back and I was also down in numbers, which meant that I didn't think I could keep the ball safe enough to stall further. I also figured, that if he scored 1-1 I'd have my drive to score the wining TD.

He doesn't manage to score, so it's 1-0 at halftime.

I'm feeling confident for the second half, but the drive starts with a thrown rock, which takes CASes one of my remaining blitzers. Already down in numbers. I pick the ball up and move forward. He then blitzes a witch elf with the assassin, CASing her, which meant that it was 11 vs 8. Not great.

I must say that I gave this game away. I played badly and left a hole for him to get through, which he did.. Funny though, I tried to use dump off with my runner to have the ball land among my players, making it difficult for him to pick the ball up. The pass was inaccurate, which was fine, but it scattered back to the runner, who caught it. A lot of dice rolling for nothing.
He stole the ball and scored in his turn 15

I didn't mange the one turner, so the game ended 1-1.

1-1 (1-1)

Game 4 vs Chaos Dwarves (vs Kaju)

FAME -1
Sleepig ball

My opponent was playing with
2 Bulls (2x Break Tackle)
6 Dwarves (3x Guard, Mighty Blow)
4 Hobgoblins
3 RR
Apo

This was one of the match ups I didn't like to see due to the amount of tackle, but it was a good opportunity to see if my roster would work, eventhough it just had 2 rerolls.

I start the game off by electing to kick and I'm lucky and granted with a deep kick.

My opponent kept a bull and two hobgoblins in the back and tried the pick up with the bull (after some blocks and a blitz), but failed to pick the ball up. I was hapy with that since it meant that my opponent would be stressed at the end of the drive, needing to move the ball forward faster than he'd like.

I made no advance to cover the ball or pressure him. Instead I tried to knock down some dwarves and screen them, so they couldn't move up the pitch. My opponent then managed to pick the ball up in turn 2, but didn't enter my half of the pitch. I kept doding back one square and got a lucky KO on the mighty blow dwarf. My opponent CAS-fouled one of linemen, but that is all that happened in the first half. I stopped him from scoring in his turn 8.

In my drive, I receive the ball and moved up the pitch, screening and then scoring in my turn 15.
Me being lucky again, the ensuing kick was also deep and my opponent couldn't score in his turn 16 due to the many tacklezones on his intended receiver, if he'd made the long pass in the first place.

1-0 (0-1)

Game 5 vs undead (vs Kfoged)

FAME +1
Stab ball

My opponent was playing with
2 Mummies (Guard, Block)
2 Wights (Guard, Frenzy)
3 Ghouls (2x Block)
2 Skeletons
4 Zombies
3 RR
AC
Cheer

I elect to kick and I'm awarded with both a deep kick and a riot.
Great start to the game!

I try to elfscreen and I'm doing an okay job of it until I hit a 1 reroll 1 and he can advance more than I would have liked. I also make a big misstake in turn 15, going to the ball carrier when he caged up in my half. He could just blitz a hole and make two GFIs for the score. I should have just gone for a cage corner and marked his ball carrier. He could still have score, but would have had to roll more dice.

The half ends with 0-1 (1-1) since I can't set the one turner up in a correct way.
I need more practice when it comes to one turners.

The second half starts with a blitz and he puts me under pressure, but his ghouls can't dodge even if their life depended on it. We counted it to six ghould dodges during the game and three successes and all dodges had the dodge reroll. My opponent was unlucky, to say the least.

The set up before the blitz

I move down one side and screen. When the picture was taken, I was considering switching sides, but my opponent cleverly postioned his ghoul at the bottom in such a way that I needed to blitzes to go through.

Moving up a side
In my 12th turn I'm faced with the decision of stalling out for the draw or scoring and hoping that I can either steal the ball or keep the draw. I go for the TD and cross my fingers.

We set up again and it's another deep kick. Good for me.
I roll on the kick off table and it's a blitz!!

After my blitz
I try not to overcommit and just send a couple of players down within striking distance of the ball.

My opponent then fails the pick up and the ball scatters accross the field parallell with his endzone.
After some lucky breaks for me I can scope up the ball and score in my 16th turn!

2-1 (2-1)

This places me on the top table against the defending StockBowl Cup Champion and we're four coaches with a chance of walking away with the NAF trophy.
The last draw

Game 6 vs Lizards (vs MartinS)

FAME +0
Sleeping ball

My opponent was playing with
6 Saurus (5x Block)
1 Kroxigor (Block)
6 Skinks
2 RR

I kick ed the ball and tried to elfscreen, stopping him from advancing to much. I also tried to blitz a skink every turn, if possible and divide some of the sauruses from the cage. One of my blitzers goes down (CAS) in his 3rd turn. A big blow to my team. I needed my blodgers to stay on the field.

Trying to keep the cage at bay
It all looks good until that dreaded 1 reroll 1 and he moves his cage down my left side in his turn 7.
I notice, that he's left a small hole in his cage and go for it. A 4+ dodge to hit the skink ball carrier with the wrestle witch.The dodge is successful, but I skull the blitz. Reroll, skull. The skink runs the ball in for a 0-1 lead.

In hindsight, I made a stupid error here. I should have dodged with my other witch elf first, taking the assist away from the skink, then having two dice blocks instead, but I just had that 1 reroll 1 fresh in my mind and didn't want to risk it. I also wanted to keep the second witch for the ball, but talking to Kfoged later, that was also stupid. Don't plan for a pick up if you're not sure of getting the ball first. If I would have prevented the score, I would have had a better chance at winning the game/tournament.

On the following kick off, the ball started flapping (-1 to passes).
I set up for a one turn TD, but didin't even try since I'd mad an error in my set up.

In the second half, I tried to go for one side and I was hoping that he'd move his team over to that side, which he did. The problem with going back to the other side was that his team is equally fast. I also missed that one of his sauruses could blitz my ball carrier with GFIs, which he did and the ball was on the ground. He managed to pick it up with a skink, but I blitz the skink down. I then failed the pick up, but so did he in his following turn. His kroxigor was also standing around for two turns without doing anything (no tacklezones) and I could go through a hole in his line, set up a screen and score in my 14th turn. I did so to be able to steal the ball or stall out for the draw. It worked in game 5. Maybe I'd be lucky twice in a row.

Set up for the last kick off
It's once again a deep kick and he picks the ball up but moves the skink back towards his endzone. I cover his receivers and send some players up in scoring range, but he moves his skink even further away. He's got one chance, a long pass, with a stunty player and a flappy ball to a receiver in two tacklezones. He fails the pass and the ball scatters off target. The game ends in a draw.

1-1 (1-1)

We were now three coaches on 4-2-0 and we didn't know who'd won.
It was down to tiebreakers, opponent score being the first one. As it turned out, MartinS and I had the same opponent score of 42, but he had a better TD and CAS raiting, thus winning the tournament. So for the second year in a row, I dididn't win the tournament/stunty cup on tiebreakers, but, I was still very happy with my performance and a second place is still good. My best placement to date. You can view the tournament results here.

I got to go home with this

Conclusions/Leasons Learned

There's some things that I need to do better and one of them is the one turner. I need to practice it and not just pictures. I need to set it up on a board and learning it that way. That's leason number 1.

The second leasons woul be that I need to take better decisions in my turn 7 when I'm defending. I could have stopped MartinS by doding the second witch elf in to remove the assists. I didn't need to get to the ball to stop him. The same goes for game 5. I didn't need to get the ball or push my opponents ghoul back. It would have been better to forcing my opponent to roll more dice.

Regarding my roster, I was very happy with it, but I think it's due to the fact that you get all your skills from the start at StockBowl Cup. For Dungeonbowl I might need to rethink the roster a bit. Depending on the amount of tackle, three dodge players might not be enough (Block and wrestle on witches and dodge on a blitzer day 1).
I also found that my opponents ignored my runner since he didn't have leader or any other skills. I might keep him because his MA7 was very useful for getting the ball or giving assists.

I'd also like to thank Mago and Ozt for a great tournament!

Thank you for reading

Oct 13, 2015

Roster for Stock Bowl Cup VI

So, here we go. (Probably) The last tournament for the year and it's Stock Bowl Cup VI.
I had a great time last year where I lost the stunty cup on one point of opponent score and was in the running for most cas.

This time I'll be playing dark elves, but I was very much tempted to play halflings. However, I didn't like how the last tournament (Underground Cup) went and I'd like to improve with the dark elves.

Let's have a look at the roster. Since I don't have anything but 4 blitzers, 2 witches, 4 linemen and a runner painted, that's what I'm going for. I'll probably play a different roster once my dark evles 2.0 are finished, but it's going to be a while.

For skills, I went with the 5+1 pack and here is where the changes to my normal dark elf roster comes.I decided to skip leader on the runner in favour of dodge on a blitzer and I went for block on a witch instead of wrestle. I'm hoping that having four blodgers and a wrodger will be a tough nut for my opponent to crack.

Finger's crossed, that I won't have to face too many dwarves. I'm hoping that it will make the team a bit more resiliant and it forces me to play safer since I've only got two rerolls. That's also why I went for the AC and Cheer, to hopefully get me more rerolls.

4 Blitzers (3x Dodge, Guard)
2 Witches (Block, Wrestle)
Runner
4 Linemen
2 RR
AC
Cheer

Wish me luck!

Oct 6, 2015

Nurgle Team

A while back I shared my plans for a nurgle team and I've since realised that I'll probably never play the team in a tournament and hence never finish them.I've got so many other teams to finish and so little time.

With that in mind, I asked the other coaches in our league if they'd join me in giving it to our nurgle loving league commissioner for his birthday (on which he also organises a small tournament). With everyone onboard, I started with the team.

Here's the result and I'm very happy with it and I can't wait for next season, when I'll hopefully be able to play against the team.

Pestigors

Warriors and the beast

Rotters

The Team

The Team