Jul 23, 2017

Sturm der Hiebe 2017

Sturm der Hiebe 2017

This was my first time attending one of DocMAXs smaller tournaments (he organizes the Dungeonbowl), but it won't be my last. Everything from the chilly for lunch to the actual blood bowl was great.

Roster

I took my wood elves to the tournament as I like playing them and feel like I can get better with them.

Treeman - Guard
2x Wardancers - Strip Ball (orange)
2x Catchers
Thrower - Leader
5x Linemen - 2x Wrestle (green), Block (neon green)
2x Reroll
Assistant Coach
Cheerleader

Game 1 vs Lizards

First game was against my friend Spielmacher and we've played several game against each other. I was a bit disappointed to play him, since we play each other so often, but our games are always fun. I also knew that it was going to be tough since he's a good player.

Nice Weather
FAME +1

The game kicked off with some brilliant coaching from the opposing team (one reroll awarded on the kick off table).
The teams aligned for the kick off
The lizards could scoop up the ball and move down the pitch and even CAS a catcher in turn 4, but that's when their advance was halted.

I managed to get a 1d blitz with strip ball on the ball carrier which resulted in the ball being on the floor.

Ball on the floor
I didn't manage to pick the ball up  until two turns later and wanted to pass one of my war dancers, but I had to risk an interception from a saurus and off course my opponent rolled that 6.

Start of my turn 6
End of my turn 6, Taurus interception
The saurus walked in on turn 8 which left me with a shoot at the one turn touchdown, which I almost made. I failed the firs GFI out of three. A shame. I would have felt much better about the game if I had gone in to the second half with a 1-1 result.

The one turn TD set up
The second half started with a riot and a quick score from the wood elves (in turn 11).

The elves then kick off to the lizards, but managed to change their defensive set up in the process, which meant that the lizards were under pressure directly.

I went for some elfen bull shit in my next turn and dodged my strip ball wardacner in to the lizard cage/screen for a 1d on the ball, which was striped, but still in two tacklezones. I then leaped with the dancer, picked the ball up and dodged away.

End of my turn 12. The ball is with the strip ball dancer
I then scored in my 13th turn and the kick off result was a quick snap.
The lizards didn't manage to pick the ball up, which meant that I could go for it and I got the ball in turn 14.

The lizards failed to pick the ball up
The elves make the most of the failed pick up
This resulted in a third touchdown for the elves in turn 15.

End 3-1 (0-3)

Game 2 vs Orcs

Nice weather
FAME -2

I started by kicking the ball to my opponent, which is how I like to start a game against a slow moving bash team. The kick was shallow and the ball ended up close to the LOS. No ideal, but it also put my opponent under pressure to pick up the ball in his first turn.

The ball being kicked close to the LOS
My opponent was fairly new to the game and he left an opening for me in my turn 4, which I took. I got a 2d blitz on his thrower (without block) and could pick up with the blitzing wardancer.

The strip ball wardancer with the ball after the blitz
I however had to sacrifice a lineman, which was surfed, but he blitzed the lineman out, which meant that my ball carrier was safe.

I then scored in my 5th turn and on the following kick off an orc blitzer was stunned by a rock.

A stunned orc blister next to the ball
I was able to keep my opponent out of the endzone and the half ended 1-0 for me an surprisingly without casualties (but two KOs for me).

9 (well, 8 and a tree) should be enough to score against 11 orcs, but the half started with a pitch invasion, which had me worried due to the +2 FAME for my opponent. I was extremely lucky that he only stunned two of my players.

After the pitch invasion
I scored in my 11th turn (still no casualties) and set up 8 players against his 11.
The weather changed to a blizzard as I kicked the ball to my opponent, which was good for me as it should slow the orcs down.

Elves scoring the second touchdown

Things were starting to change to the more normal state of elves going off the pitch. The orcs scored in their turn 15 and had by then inflicted three casualties, but it didn't really matter as I had won the game by then.

End 2-1 (0-3)

Game 3 vs Lizardmen

Nice weather
FAME -1

Second game against lizardmen and I was yet again up against a good coach. This time it was Junior84 and he got the ball to start the game which he didn't even have to pick up as a saurus caught the ball as it bounced in to its hands. In hindsight, this was a good thing for me as it was once less saurus to worry about. One player less, that was swinging away at the elves.

Saurus (behind the Kroxigor) with the ball
The first turn saw a lineelf leave the pitch at the hands of the remaining sauruses, but the half was otherwise quite uneventful as the elves zig zaged to where ever the lizards were going.

Elves moving from side to side to stop the lizards
This continued until turn 6 when the Kroxigor rolled a double skull (first action of the turn) and failed its loner roll.

Start of turn 6 for the lizardmen
This presented the elves with the opportunity to strip the ball but they couldn't pick the ball up. It did however scatter quite fortunate for the elves and the lizards didn't manage to pick the ball up for the rest of the half.

Failed pick up but a good bounce. The ball ended up next to the block lineman in turn 7
As I was getting the ball in the second half my plan was to score quickly to at least secure the draw which I did, after some risky actions (3+ leap, 1d blitz and 2+ dodge (with dodge)) in turn 11.

Elves on their way to the endzone
My opponent came very close to scoring in the second half, to tie the game, but failed a GFI just in front of the endzone.

End 1-0 (1-1)

I was happy with the result and after day 1 I was now on 3-0-0 and I already knew that I was up against the other wood elf player, also on 3-0-0.

But before that there were some activities in Marians garten including grilled sausages and beer.
A nice evening and I very much enjoyed having a chat with the other players outside of the tournament.

Game 4 vs Wood Elves

Nice weather
FAME +1

I kicked the ball to my opponent and if I had had the chice, I would have wanted the ball as well, just to get some blocks in and maybe gain a numbers advantage, but my opponent didn't take the opportunity and just left the treeman in contact.

The set up
















He wanted to score in two turns and set up to do so, but failed the hand off to his catcher (in a tacklezone) which meant that I could steal the ball.

Before the failed hand off to his catcher

He got the ball on the ground with his strip baller and I did the same in my turn 3, but failed to pick it up due to a 1 reroll 1.

I lost a catcher in my opponents turn 4, but retaliated in my turn 4, removing one of his linemen.
I also got the ball in turn 4 and could score in my 5th turn.

The first touchdown off the game is scored
















My opponent responded by scoring in turn 7 and I failed to score again before the half.
I was still okay with a 1-1 at halftime and I also had the numbers going in to the second half (10 vs 9).

My opponent somehow scored from this position in turn 7















All I had to do now was to slowly move up the pitch in a cage, forcing him to leap and hopefully fail something as he just had two rerolls. This was my plan going in to this game, but don't ask me why, but that's not what I did.

Moving up the pitch behind a screen instead of a cage
I think I was being influenced by my opponents play stile and the kind of game it had already been, so I moved up the field behind a lose screen. The opposite to what I should have done. My opponent leaped in, striped the ball and was off with it. He scored in his turn 13.

As we set up for the following kick off, I still thought I could save the draw. He rolled for the kick off event and it was a BLITZ!

I still managed to get the ball and made a run for it, but didn't make it. The game ended in a loss, but was still an exciting game. I should have stuck with the plan I had formed the day before, but in the heat of battle, you tend to forgot stuff.

End 1-2 (1-1)

Game 5 vs Lizardmen

Nice weather
FAME +2

I kicked to my opponent and rolled a perfect defense. A good start.

Set up before the perfect defense
 It was a deep kick so I decided to put pressure on my opponent immediately.

Pressuring the cage
I could even get a blitz on the ball carrying skink in my turn 3, but wasn't able to recover the ball.
In my 5th turn, I made a fatal error. I hadn't blitzed yet and could still move my thrower. My gut feeling was telling me that I shouldn't jeopardize the thrower, but I went for it anyway. I wasted a rerolled on a dodge for the thrower and got pushed for the blitz on a skink. I followed up the blitz as well, which meant that my opponent blocked the thrower and injured him, leaving me without the leader reroll for the second half. This was foolish on my part. Lesson to be learned, you don't need to blitz overturn just because you have a blitz action.

In my opponents 7th turn, he injured a lineman as well, which meant that I would be down on players for the second half.

Lizards moving up the pitch

The first half did end 0-0 as my opponent blitzed a wrestle lineman with his guard saurus (to open a lane for his skink) with a double both down result. He didn't have any rerolls left and I didn't use wrestle.

It was now 8 elves and a treeman against a full team of lizardmen. The quick off was a quick snap.
My plan was to stall as long as possible, but I believe that this was the wrong plan. In hindsight, I should have scored quickly to ensure the draw (more or less), but instead I started to lose more elves and used up my rerolls. I eventually lost the ball due to a 1 reroll 1 dodge (including a injured elf) and the ball was scoped up by my opponent for a touchdown in turn 14.

Kick off after the lizardmen scored
By this point, I didn't have the numbers nor the rerolls to tie the game.

End 0-1 (1-3)

Game 6 vs Lizardmen

Pouring Rain
FAME -2

I was hoping to kick the ball to my opponent, forcing him to pick the ball up in the rain, but he got the choice. He then rolled a weather change on the kick off table, but the rain kept pouring down.

I scored in my 5th turn as I couldn't safely stall and I knew that he'd probably have a difficult time picking up the ball. At least I hoped he would, but a saurus caught the bouncing ball on a 6. So much for that plan. Bright spot though, the ball was on a saurus, which meant that there were less saurus hitting my players.

I managed to stop him from scoring, which meant that it was 1-0 at halftime.

I had 9 players for the second half and he had 10.
We both got a reroll from the kick off event as he moved up the pitch after picking the ball up in the rain.

Stealing the ball
I managed to steal the ball from him and could score in turn 11. It was a weird game as I had inflicted 2 casualties to his zero so far.

The next kick off gave us another set of rerolls and I went all in for the ball. Worst thing that could happen was a 2-1, but I managed to surf his ball carrier and could scope up the ball for a turn 16 touchdown.

End 3-0 (0-3)

Conclusion

I ended the tournament on a 4-0-2 record and 4th pace, which isn't bad. I also came in second for the best painted, which I'm also happy with. But where did it go wrong?

I talked to my wife on the way to the tournament on day 2 and she said that I'd, as always, lose on day 2. She was right and it's because I put pressure on myself for day 2. The games meant something as on day 1, I just played every game, not considering the tournament as a whole. I need to learn from this and go in to day 2 with a more relaxed mind set. I also should have taken a step back in game 4 and reflected on my game plan. I had the feeling "I've got this" on both game 4 and 5, which meant that I lowered my guard a bit. I need to stop that.

The tournament as a whole was great and I'll try to be back next year as well.

Moving forward

Remaining two linemen
I wasn't sure off the roster and I'm going to make some changes to it. I've now painted the remaining two linemen for the team, which enables me to play them as pro elves and the following roster.

1 Treeman
2 Wardancers (Strip Ball)
1 Catcher
7 Linemen (2 Wrestle, Block)
3 Rerolls
1 Fan Factor

I think that this roster fits my play style better as it's more strength 3 players and I'm not relaying on the leader reroll. I'm not sure about the remaining two skills yet, but I'm thinking off putting dodge on two linemen. The guard on the tree is sometimes great, but other times a waste. I guess the same argument could be made for dodge, but I see more use there.
Any suggestions? Frenzy/Tackle on the second wardancer perhaps?

The finished team
Thanks for reading