Game 1 vs Chaos Dwarfs (Thursablot)
The first draw was in and I was up against chaos dwarfs. Not the greatest start to a tournament when you’re playing ’flings. On the positive side, my rival and friend brocCooLi (the other ’Fling player and the greatest rival for the Stunty Cup) was also facing chaos dwarves.
This would be my third game against Thursablot. We’ve so far won one each, but this match up was not in my favor.
We rolled for the ball and it turned out to be a stab-ball. I also got fame and was forced to receive the kick-off. First thing that happens is that one of my ’flings is badly hurt by a thrown rock from the chaos dwarf fans. Already down a player.
I don’t remember too much from the game but he pressured me and I was loosing players to dodges and blocks. He stole the ball and scored in his turn 8.
In the second half I can line up with 9 players (3 trees, no Puggy) and the game ends 2-0 after a perfect grind from the chaos dwarves.
TD 0-2
CAS 2-3
Game 2 vs Dwaves
After the first game I was hoping for something softer than chaos dwarves. I had a look at the match up for round 2 and felt another loss coming my way.
We once again got a stab-ball and I’m forced to receive the ball.
The kick-off result is a blitz and puts me under pressure. I screen of my ball carrier, but make the mistake of not seeing a troll slayer behind on of my trees (I thought it was a regular blocker, might be that he also had a blue skill ring). It was hard to tell the positional apart. They all looked the same, except that the base edge was blue (troll slayers), brown (blitzers) or grey (runners) instead of black.
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| Pink dwarves, where I had a bit of trouble telling the positional apart |
He then blocks my tree with the slayer, needing a 4+ on the dauntless roll, which he succeeded with. He made three dauntless blocks on my trees during the game, needing 4+ for two of them and a 5+ against Deeproot. He made them all. This opens up my screen and he can get to my ball carrier.
Fortunately for me he can’t get to the ball so the half ends in a draw. He’s however lost dwarves and I’ve got a man up on him in the second half.
In the second half, I try my best to stop him from scoring, but he breaks through my defense and he’s in a semi safe position. He stops at the goal line and I surround him with ’flings. After a couple of tries I can blitz his ball carrier with Puggy and get the ball. I scramble up the field to a waiting tree who then throws the ’fling. Sadly, he scatters out of TD range by a square. He does however land. At least that is something.
The game ends in a draw, which I am very happy with.
TD 0-0
CAS 3-3
Game 3 vs Norse (Skoberget)
Not the greatest match up, but the best so far.
Once again it’s a stab ball, but this time I don’t win the fame.
I’m forced to receive the kick off and start by killing one of his linemen. Great start to the game.
I then set up a screen and try to move up the field. In my turn two, I start by blitzing with Puggy to move the screen up the field, double skull. My turn ends and I’m now under pressure from my opponent and he can blitz my ball carrier. The ball bounces around for a while before it lands in the branches of a rooted tree. The half ends in a draw.
Of the five KOs (one of them Puggy) only a side stepping ’Fling wakes up.
It’s now 10 ’Flings (incl. 3 Trees) against 8 Norse.
He moves down one of my flanks and I can pin him with my trees. After a coupler of turns, I get a blitz on his ball carrier with a ’fling. 2d up hill, but it’s a pow and a dodge pow. The ball is on the ground. My opponent then has a turnover when blocking/blitzing (double skulls) and since he doesn’t have any rerolls (I’ve got them) I can pick up the ball and run for the endzone. His players screened of by trees.
'Flings running away with the ball
I score in my turn 8 and that ends the game.
TD 1-0
CAS 5-0
Game 4 vs Underworld (Jox)
Final game of the day and I’m getting tiered. I’m up against underworld, which I’ve never played against in a tournament.
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| A great looking Underworld team. The game is always better with nicely painted miniatures |
The game starts with me kicking off to him and he moves down one of my flanks, where I then pressure him with my trees and screen of with my ’flings.
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| Before my 'fling loses the ball |
This leave me with two turns to score. He kicks deep and I spend one turn getting the ball to the LOS. I get two productive turns, KOing one player and CASing Skitter Stab Stab and a goblin.
I also land with my ’fling in turn 8 and he runs in for the score.
My opponent made two errors here, setting up his guys at the endzone, which meant that the landing was as easy as it could be and I didn’t even have to dodge in, thanks to a lucky scatter. (He didn’t have enough players to cover the whole line.) He also place Skitter Stab Stab within blitzing range of Puggy.
This meant that I had 8 turns to grind up the field against his 9 players (against my full team).
I got some more CAS and scored in turn 8.
TD 2-1
CAS 5-3
Before game 5, I was leading best stunty and most CAS.
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| The red cape for most CAS |
Game 5 vs Undead (Skuld)
I’ve played Skuld once before at Oktoberbowl and we had a good time. I was expecting no less from this game and I wasn’t disappointed.
For the first time in the tournament, I had a sleeping ball.
I kick the ball off to him and then I screen his progress, putting him under pressure, which he escapes by dodging his ball carrier away, followed by me yet again forcing him to dodge. He even had to go backwards after the picture below was taken.
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| Ball carrier under pressure |
I was happy with my defense and if I hadn’t failed a dodge with the last ’fling, who was supposed to plug a gab in my screen (between the rooted trees), I might have been able to hold out longer. My opponent did, because of this gab, dodge his ball carrier out, pass the ball to a waiting ghoul, who the ran out of my range. He scored in turn 7, leaving me two turns to throw a ’fling, which I did in turn 8. He however scattered out of range and didn’t land.
In the second half, he kicks very deep and he gets his ghouls through my screen, dodging through two tackle zones and can steal the ball for his second score in turn 7.
I once again try to throw a ’fling, but I yet again scatter out of range, but I improve upon my last try by landing.
My opponent didn’t fail any dodges during the game and he made at least two every turn (sometimes into tackle zones). This killed me even though I think I played some good defense in the first half and that was with two rooted trees (knocked down in turn 1, rooted in the turn they got up (turn 2 and 3)).
TD 0-2
CAS 1-2
This meant that I was no longer leading the most CAS, but brocCooLi also lost, which meant that I was still in the lead for best stunty. All I had to do was win my last game.
Game 6 vs Amazons (Bim)
I haven’t played a lot against Amazons, but they aren’t a good match up, since they do what you do, only better and with blodge and guard.
The ball doesn’t want to be caught and there’s a -1 modifier for handling the ball.
That’s great, since I’m kicking to the Amazons, but she managed to pick up the ball and moved down one of my flanks. I once again put pressure on my opponent with Deeproot (both the normal trees rooted, even with a reroll, in turn 1 and 2). The amazons can’t escape Deeproot and he blitzes the ball carrier, knocking her down and the bouncing ball lands in the hands of a ’fling (o a 5+). He then runs of as fast as he can, while I try to screen the amazons of. She manages to blitz the ball carrier in turn 7, but he’s got side step and just steps in to the end zone (I was stalling as much as I dared, forcing her to dodge and GFI to get to him. She didn’t have any retools left, so I felt kind of safe doing this, since she couldn’t blitz with a block player and I had side step).
In my turn 8 I then KO one and CAS two Amazons.
Second half and I’m feeling quite good about the situation as the ball goes to sleep on the kick-off.
I move up the field, screening my ball carrier, but mid through the half, I leave a space for a blitz (which I didn’t see. Damn Willy trees, being so large). She knocked the ball lose and I change my plan to just screen the ball off so the Amazons can’t get to it. Thanks to a couple of chain pushes the ball finally bounce out from the scrum of trees and ’flings. This was a great play from my opponent and the Amazons can then score in turn 6.
This leaves me with two turns to score. It’s no over yet.
I catch the ball on a high kick and set up for a throw, but after handing the ball off to the waiting ’fling, I decide to throw in my turn 8. I decided to do so for one reason, being that if I fail, I don’t want to leave my opponent two turns to move it the length of the field (which is possible for Amazons).
I start regretting my decision when my opponent start basing my throwing tree, but due to a failed dodge, the Amazons just get one lady next to the tree. Peggy then pushes her away and the tree throws the ’fling in to the air. He scatters within range of the endzone. I just need to land and make a GFI.
The landing is a 6! My pulse is running high. I can win this!!
I lift my dice cup to reveal a 1. A 1!!!
(I know, I didn't lose the game on the one, but rather on my positionning during the second half)
(I know, I didn't lose the game on the one, but rather on my positionning during the second half)
To make things worse, the ball scatter into the crowed, who then throws it straight down the pitch. It lands in a good position for the Amazons to score in their turn 8. I hold my breath as my opponent dodges out, picks the ball up (using a reroll), hands it off in a tackle zone, dodges out again, passes and fails. The ball scatters, but it lands just next to the reciever. The game ends in a tie.
TD 1-1
CAS 3-3
I was now on 6 points after 6 games (2-2-2) and had a look at how my rival was doing. brocCooLi was winning, which meant that we were tied at 6 points.
That left it down to the first tie breaker, strength of schedule, which he won by one point. One point!
If it had gone to net TD and CAS, I would have won on a plus 3 to his plus 1.
So close!
I’ll get you next time brocCooLi!
I really enjoyed the tournament and I’m quite happy with how I faired.
Thanks to the organizers and all the players.
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