PreußenBowl

The first ever Preußen Bowl and I was playing dark elves. Going in to this tournament, I thought that I might have a chance, since I'd be doing good in the RTTNAFC, so far. I was also using the same roster.

It wasn't to be and below you'll find my report from the tournament.

Game 1 vs Wood Elves 2-1 (1-1)

First game and I'm up against one of the newer players in our league. A shame, since I'd rather play someone that I don't play otherwise.

Fame -2

Nice weather

Fist half
He get's the choice of kicking or receiving and elects to let me kick. Things go to plan and I can put pressure on him although he's got two of my players out by his turn 2. He goes for the score in turn 3, but I'm okay with that. It leaves me with 6 turns to equalise and hopefully get some of his players of the field and then stalling out for the 2-1 win in the second half.

Just before he scores

This is also what happens and I can score in my turn 8, ending the first half 1-1.

Second half
My armour roles start to get better and his players start to leave the pitch (just KOs). I also surprised my opponent by using a different cage than normal, leavin two players in the middle and thus having him either base the cage and leaping in from one end (the end that I kept furthers away form his wardancers) or having to do a -2d blitz. It worked quite well and I didn't lose the ball.

Second half (not the cage I'm talking about in the text above)

The game ends 2-1 (1-1)

(Both of the CAs were kills)

Game 2 Dark Elves 1-2 (2-0)

I was up against one of the better players in this tournament and so far neither of us has won in either games we've played.

Fame +1
Nice weather

First half
I chose to kick because I like to know what I need to do in the second half and if I can pressure my opponent to either score fast or steal the ball, I've got good chances of winning the game.

This is also what I managed to do. Sadly not steal the ball, but I forced my opponent to score earlier than he'd probably have liked. He afterwards told me that he was impressed with my defence and that he felt that he was constantly under pressure.

He left me two turns to equlise, which I managed to do in my turn 8, making it 1-1.

Second half
I felt good about the second half, since I was up on players and this advatage was increased by a thrown rock.

I advance up the field, caging, but he blitzed a corner away and put two players in contact with my ball carrier. I was fine with that, since he'd put his entire team next to my cage. All I had to do was set up another cage, dodge the ball carrier free and then screen his team of from my cage.

I set the cage up and dodge away. A one. Well, I've got a reroll. A 1! (Due to two double skulls in the two previous turns, that was my last reroll.)

The ball bounces free and he can pick it up and screen me off instead. I've still got more players on the field, so I try to blitz his ball carrier with my wrestle witch, but I can't get him down and he scores 2-1.

I've still got a couple of turns left of the half to try and tie the game.

In my turn 16, all I've got to do is make two GFIs and a hand-off. 3 2+ withouth a reroll. 

Not impossible, but the first GFI is a one, thus ending the game I should have one.

Thinking back I still think I made the right decision. I couldn't have chain pushed my ball carrier free and a 35/36 chance of making that dodge were the best odds I had.

Game 3 Wood Elves 2-2 (2-1)

Fame +1
Nice weather

First half
I elected to receive and I was hoping for some arour breaks and getting some wood elves of the field.

He set up one square away form the LOS and I was hoping for a quick snap, which we also got. Sadly, I couldn't break the armour of the wood elves.

I played badly and lost the ball to a blitzing wardancer early in the game which then lead to a wood elf score in turn 4. 

I try to shake it off and stay focused which leads to a score for me in turn 8.

In his turn 8, we get a riot, but he still goes for the one turner and succeeds. 

I then try a one turner in return, but the wood elf goes down on the blitz and I decide to just try and get some of them off the field instead.

1-2  at halftime

Second half
I have to pull off a tie here so I really focus and when he leaves a hole in his screen, I go for the ball carrier, dodging a witch elf into two tackle zones, getting the ball free. I scope it up and set up a cage with two players in the middle. He's then forced to leap into it and blitz my ball carrier with a -2d block. Double pow!

That's the worst thinkg that could happen and the ball goes out (frenzy wardancer, I wasn't standing next the side line), but I can still get it and after some tense dice rolls I manage to score in my turn 16.

I managed to tie this game, which I was very happy with. It was the best game of the tournament and I need to studdy the one turner more. How I defend against it better.

Game 4 Lizards 1-3 (1-2)

Fame 0
Very sunny

First half
I started off by kicking, but I would have chosen it as well, given the chance.

I got a perfect defence on the kick off and I cold set up to counter his attack.

Set up after the perfect defence

My plan was to get through his big guys and tie them of from the skinks. I manage to get through, but got over excited and didn't leave enough players in my backfield as well as not screening well enough.

He could set up a stable cage and I was in trouble. In turn 3 he kills one of my blodger blitzers and my turns keep ending on ones when I try to get away from his strong players.

I had one shot at the ball carrier, needing to dodge in with a witch, but I was affraid of the follow up and thus dodged a blitzer through a tackle zone to get to his assists. I failed with dodge, but what reallt lost me the game was me not counting. The with didn't have enough movement for the follow up and I cold have left the blitzer where he was. (I wanted to blitz with the wrestle witch since his ball carrier was a bloding skink)

He scored in turn 5, which wasn't that big of a deal. I just needed to equalise before half time. I had 7 elves to his 11, but I could still be done.

I line up to go down his weaker flank and start of by blocking one of his lizards with a blitzers. Double skull. I use my last reroll. Double skull!

He can advance all his lizards on the open flank towards the ball and base it with two players. I then try to pick it up with my runner, dodge out and pass it towards my six remaining players just to stop him from scoring. Due to it being very sunny, I fumble the pass and without rerolls, I can't do anything about it.

He blitzes my runner and KOs him. He can score 2-0 in his turn 7.

Just before 2-0

I give it another try and move my players forward for the 2-1 score in turn 8.

I manage to get as far as having a witch elf in the endzone, waiting for a short pass from a blitzer, but because it's very sunny, the pass fails and scatters of the pitch.

Second half

Down 2 TDs and 7 players to his 11 players I need to score quickly, get my KO back and then steal the ball for the draw. 

I scored in my 3:ed turn.
One KO from three came back. 6 players against 10.

If I tie this game now it's a miracle.

What could go wrong?

Well, everything. 

After a deep kick, we get a riot and one less turn for me to steal the ball.

He places the ball in a secure cage after I failed to dodge away from his strong players. 

In his turn 16 I even point out how he can score 3-1, which he does.

At the time I felt as if I lost because of the dice, but I didn't. Not entirely at least.

I lost this game because of my aggressiveness in the begining of the first half and my inability to count (the witch elf blitz in the first half).

Game 5 Skaven 0-2 (0-1)

Fame -1
Nice weather

First half
I decided to kick because I like to find out what I need to do in the second half.

Riot!

He picked the ball up with a gutter runner and left him next to his endzone in his backfield.

I tried to contain the rest of his team and did a fairly good jobb, forcing him to make a break for it, down one of my flanks. I reacted and put him in a tough spot and he started by blocking with his rat ogre. Double skulls and a 2 on the loner roll. See picture.(The rat ogre was stunned)

Double skulle with the rat ogre and a 2 on the loner roll

This is when I thought I had this game. I managed to push the ball carrier out and the ball bounced towards my backfield. I set up a screen on the way to the ball and moved my runner down to pick the ball up, which he did. I however decided to make a GFI to move the runner behind the screen and roled a one. Sadly, I didn't have any rerolls left because of a couple of double skulls mid half.

In his turn 8, he then dodge a gutter runner down, picked up the ball, threw it to a waiting storm vermin for the 1-0.

Second half

Riot!

I made some bad decisions and focues to much on the rat ogre, which he used very well, to force me to either knock it down or dodge away on a 3+.

I got bogged down and he could get the ball away from me.

He ran a single gutter runner down, but decided to not GFI the last field in to my endzone which left me with a chance of pushing his gutter of the field. I blitzed with my witch, but failed my GFI for the blitz and since I'd used all my rerolls on skulls earlier (which turned in to more skulls) he scored 2-0.

Did I lose this game to dice? No, I didn't, even if it felt like it at the time.

I should have checked my screen of the ball or just put my players next to the ball, not even trying to pick it up in my 7th turn. That would probably have been the better option. Instead I got overconfident and started to focus on how I could score, instead of making sure that I had prevented him from scoring.
If I had put my players next to the ball, making it very hard for him to dodge in and pick it up, I could have tried a long bomb to a waiting blitzer in turn 8, but most probably ended the half 0-0. Being down 0-1 in the second half pressured me to take more risks, which I shouldn't have done.

I should have stayed as far away as possible from the rat ogre and tried a 3+ after moving all my other players, instead of trying to get it down (and maybe out).

Conclusion

I don't beleive in losing to dice, it's probably something else, leaving you to do risky or flat out bad moves.

I need to stay cool and really consider what I'm doing.

That's what I do when I play 'flings, because it's the only way. One misstake and you've lost the game. I had too much faith in the AV8 and AG4. That and I need to studdy one turners and how to stop them.

This was a wake up call and my worst tournament to date (1-1-3).

On a side note, I got my Impact miniatures kickstarter reward and I'm looking forward to painting my own elf team and getting some well needed practicec with them.