Underground Cup II

Underground Cup II

It was time for the second installment of my co-organized tournament and this time around we had 20 coaches, which is a decline from last year, but it was an improvement to last year in terms of venue.

Since I was organizing and playing, I didn't really have time to note down my games and this will be a brief report.

I was playing halflings, since I wanted there to be a stunty cup (or at least I hoped that there would be one, since I handed my roster in before anyone else).

Gesundbrunnen Picknick Packers

2 Trees (2x Block)

10. Halflings (4x Side Step (green ring), 2x Diving Tackle (yellow ring), Sure Feet (white ring))

Puggy

Deeproot

Master Chef

Cheerleader

Assistant Coach

There was one coach brave enough to join me in taking a stunty team and the stunty cup would be won by either halflings or goblins. Let the games begin!

Game 1 vs Norse

I was facing a norse team with just eleven players and if I managed to get them of the pitch, this could work out. My opponent elected to receive and I managed to shut him out in the first half and reducing him down to just six players for the second half.

Halfling defense holding tight

I felt confident that I'd least get a draw out of this game as we started the second half, but that changed fast. I don't know how, but I couldn't pick up the ball and my opponent dodge through tackle zones, picked the ball up and somehow managed to score in turn 16. I lost the game, not a good start to the tournament.

Halflings can't pick up the ball

0-1 (5-3)

Game 2 vs Slann

This was a fun game, but also horrible. My opponent was also playing with an eleven man roster, which made me happy. Frogs without block against three mighty blow block trees? I should have the upper hand when it came to casualties. 

I got to receive the ball and I got one lineman out from the get go. Secured the ball and handed over to my opponent. He just leaped over my screen without any problem. I thought I had him, when he leaped a blitzer over my diving tackle and then dodged away, but he managed to roll a 5 on the reroll. Darn. He knocked my ball carrier down and leaped a catcher over my screen, dodged into two tackle zones, picked the ball up and dodged out. It was a series of 4s, 5s and 6s, just when he needed them. He scored in his second turn, because I couldn't get the catcher down with three block dice (blitzed with Puggy against a catcher with dodge). Frustrating, but such luck couldn't possibly continue, right?

Just before the frogs steal the ball for the first time

Second kick off and he does the same thing and by turn 4 or 5, I'm behind by two TDs. At least I'm up on casualties and my hope was that he'd run out of players, so I could at least tie the game.

I managed to score the 1-2 and he was running out of players, but I didn't manage to score again and the game ended 1-2, but it was close and exciting until the whistle was blown.

1-2 (4-1)

Game 3 vs Skaven

Skaven is one of the teams that I don't like to face with halflings, due to their speed and that proved to be the case in this game as well. I defended and shut him out in the first half, but a gutter runner managed to get the ball from me in the second half and scored at the end of the game. A fun and close game against a rookie tournament player.

0-1 (4-1)

At least I was up on casualties and actually in the lead for most CAS. Having lost all my games so far, I should be up against a soft team and I might be able to score even more casualties. Yeah, that's the plan, let's go for most CAS.

Game 4 vs Dwarves

How can you be on the bottom table and face dwarves? I was not liking this match up, but it proved to be a game in which my luck turned. The game started with a pitch invasion and I had +2 FAME. Eight dwarves were stunned. 8!

Pitch Invasion!

With such a lucky start, I managed to shut him out in his drive and then scored in mine. Also worth noting is that I managed to CAS three dwarves. 3!

1-0 (3-3)

Game 5 vs Dwarves

Facing dwarves twice in a row isn't really what you want as a halfling player. This was the first game in which I didn't stop my opponent from scoring in his/her drive. My opponent scored in his turn 6, which left me with enough time to score an equalizer before half time.

Jelly Nelson on his way to scoring the equalizer

I received the ball in the second half and my opponent was very aggressive, leaving me little room to run. He did however overcommit. I managed to get my ball carrier next to a tree, free the tree with a blitz and then throw the halfling with the tree. An okay scatter and some dodges later, he was screened of from almost the whole dwarf team. There were two longbeards who could reach the ball carrier, but they needed to dodge. To make it even more difficult, I dodge Puggy through his line and managed three 3+ dodges to be in a position where only one of the longbeards could reach Jelly Nelson with the ball. If I had gone for a fourth dodge, he would have been out of reach for the whole dwarf team, but I didn't want to push my luck any further. The longbeard dodged out, GFIed twice and knocked the ball lose. 

I had a second chance, to pick up with a halfling, but didn't manage the pick up in a tackle zone. My opponent then picked the ball up, KOed or CASed the players who could reach the dwarf with the ball and scored the final touchdown in turn 16. What a close game and I'm still debating if I should have made the fourth and final Puggy dodge.

1-2 (0-6)

My opponent later got Most CAS. His skill choice was 6x mighty blow and yes, he was thrilled to have faced halflings.

Game 6 vs Humans

This game was against my co-organizer Spielmacher, who had to fill in for day two. We play a lot of games against and they're all fun games. So was this one.

I managed to yet again stop my opponent from scoring in his drive (first half). It was pouring rain, which helped neither team. I did however managed to pick the ball up on a bounce in the second half, but spent to much time trying to be safe, that I didn't make enough progress forward. The game ended 0-0.

0-0 (3-3)

I was happy with how I played, stopping my opponents in all but one game. I just need to work on my offense. It was fun playing halflings again after a couple of tournaments with dark elves.

Here are some pictures from the tournament

The prize table

Players in action on table 2 and 3

Players in action

Worth noting is that the winner of the tournament, Melisqus had a 6-0-0 and won Most TD, with dwarves! Very very impressive.

What's next?

EurOpen is almost here. I'm leaving for Sweden tomorrow and will be playing in the EurOpen with Spielmacher and JBone. I'm taking dark elves, but with a different build this time.

4x Blitzer (2x Dodge)

1x Witch (Wrestle)

1x Runner (Leader)

5x Linemen (2x Block)

2x Reroll

1x Fan Factor

Apo

I've tried this roster in a couple of games and I like that it's more resilient and less "all eggs in one basket". Wish me luck!

Practice game vs Spielmacher

Wood Elves

A quick update on the wood elves, which are still on track for being painted for the first tournament of the year, next year. Preußenbowl on the 25th and 26th of February

I'm currently working on the wardancers

and here's the rest of the team

Thanks for reading!