Hammabowl 2018

This was my first Hammabowl and I had heard just good things about the tournament. I wasn't disappointed. The venue was great and there were just under 60 coaches there!

Waiting for the tournament to start

I was initially planning on taking dwarves, to take my painted deathroller for a spinn, but decided against it for two reasons. One, I didn't really feel like playing dwarves with this rule set and second, I wanted to break the 200 barrier with my wood elves (so close after GTB).

My roster

2 Wardancers (Strip ball, tackle)
1 Thrower (Leader)
2 Catchers
5 Linemen (Block, 2 wrestle)
Treeman
Re-roll
Apothecary
Assistant Coach
Cheerleader

Game 1 vs chaos dwarves

FAME -2
Nice weather

I kicked the ball deep in to my opponents half and braced myself for the LOS hits. Fortunate for me, AV7 seemed more like AV10 (the whole game). My opponent decided to pick the ball up with a bull centaur, which was fine by me. Less ST4 hitting me and more exposed AV7. I don't know why, but my opponent settled for a mega cage, surrounding his ball carrier with seven players.

Kick off!

I managed to funnel the cage towards the sideline and stall it to a halt. I then got shots at the ball carrier after chain pushing some players away. Sadly, the ball bounced back to the dwarves and was caught by a chaos dwarf. This left my opponent with a 4+ hand off, 4+ dodge and 3 GFIs chance off a score. It wasn't to be thought and the half ended 0-0.

The wood elves get the ball in the second half

This meant that I was in no rush to score and could stall the game out, but I was forced to score in turn 13, but I still liked my chances of keeping my opponent out of the endzone.

As it turned out, I wasn't only successful in keeping my opponent from scoring, but I managed to score myself after a 3+ pick up, 2+ hand off and 2 GFIs.

End 2-0 (1-1)

Game 2 vs undead

FAME -1
Nice weather

I kicked the ball and rolled a blitz on the kick off table. Not a bad start as the ball was in reach of my players.

Catching their own kick

My opponent could however recover, but we now were in his half and neither team could get the ball safe. My strip ball wardancer was MNGed in his turn 3, so I decided to use my apothecary. Fortunately for me, I rolled a BH and the wardancer would be back in the next drive. I took the risk since my opponent didn't have sure hands and the strip ball wardancer is such a valuable player.

A fight for the ball

I could recover the ball and score in turn 6.

Elves scoring

I thought that I had weathered the storm when he used a both down on his mummy and my treeman, but I relaxed too soon as the treeman was CASed by the mummy. Such a bold choice by my opponent, going for the both down result.

This ended the half and I was up 1-0, but I had suffered three casualties along the way (one being apo'ed).

This meant that I needed to score quickly in the second half, which I did, in turn 11.

The undead now had almost a half to score an equalizer, but I somehow managed to steal the ball again and the game ended 3-0 in my favor.

End 3-0 (3-5)

Game 3 vs dark elves

FAME -1
Nice weather

I received the ball and set out to slowly making my way up the pitch. I was hoping to inflict some kind of damage in doing so, but it wasn't to be. The half was quite uneventful (except for a KO on my team) and I could score in turn 8 after a 3+ and a 2+ dodge with re-roll.

Set up for the kick off

The second half was quite like the first, a tactical game where nothing happened and my opponent scored in turn 16. This left me with the one turner, but after a perfect defense, that was impossible and the game ended in a draw.

End 1-1 (0-0)

Game 4 vs norse

FAME -1
Nice weather

I kicked and the kick off result was a riot.

Kick off

I tried to funnel the norsemen towards the sideline and I was quite happy that my opponent went for the tree. Especially since the yeti wasted the blitz two turns in a row in doing so. My opponent then decided to put a lot of assists on the tree and in trying to get in down (it was blocking the path back to the middle), but the block dice just came up as pushes.

Stuck between the tree and the sideline

This meant that the norsemen were stuck between the tree and the sideline. Not ideal. Things got worse as they went men down in turn 6 (casualty, apo used). They still managed to score in turn 8 with a bit of luck.

When then set up for the one turner and I failed the second to last GFI. A double one, such a shame.

I was forced to score early (turn 11) and the norsemen had a good chance of winning the game, if they could score.

I played aggressively and rendered the chances of the norse scoring in turn 16 to quite small, but it almost worked. The thrower pick the ball up in a tackle zone and dodged out. Then threw it down the pitch to an ulfwerner, who dropped it. If the ball had been caught, there would have been two more GFIs to go.

Turn 16 for the norse

End 1-1 (0-3)

Game 5 vs norse

FAME -1
Nice weather

I received and managed to score in turn 8. Not much to report here, but my opponent then managed to casualty a lineman (apothecary not used) and KO another one in his turn 8. Not great for the second half as the KO didn't come back.

First half

It was now 9 vs 11, but that changed in turn 10 as a catcher was killed. I responded by KOing a lineman (apothecary used) and killing an ulfwerner.

Norsmen moving up the field

I managed to get his ball carrier down and even pick up the ball with a catcher. I left the catcher in contact as I didn't feel like rolling more dice (without a re-roll). In hindsight, I should have dodged out and punted the ball.

Should have punted

The norsemen responded by getting the ball back and scoring, which left me with some time left to win the game, but it wasn't going to be easy.

Things went from bad to worse when I rolled a one for the pick up and the norse put me under pressure. Things turned in to a scrum, but I managed to pick the ball up and run down the field with a catcher, but I made a huge mistake here. I put the catcher next to the sideline and the plan was to dodge out a lineman as support and for preventing the surf. I should however had remembered the golden rule in blood bowl, always count on things going wrong. The lineman dodge and it was a one, followed by a stunned lineman.

I should have put the catcher away from the sideline and even if it was blitzed down, the lineman could then have picked the ball up (things weren't helped by the fact that people were trying to check our teams out for best painted, as we should put them on a table after the game, but people were done with their games....)

The catcher was then surfed and the ball was thrown directly back, still in my opponents half and I believed that the draw was at least saved, but oh no. In turn 16, my opponent managed a 3+ pick up, 6+ long bomb, 3+ catch and a GFI for the game winning touchdown (without a re-roll).

End 1-2

Game 6 vs wood elves

FAME -1
Nice weather

I received the ball and the kick off result was a blitz.
Fortunately for me, my opponent deemed it too risky to go for.

Set up

The game was uneventful until turn 5, in which I inflicted a casualty on a block lineman (identical rosters) and the apothecary wasn't used.

I then scored in my turn 8, being a man up.

The one turn attempt was then stalled when a pow was re-rolled to get a push, but it was a skull and the blitzing wardancer was KOed (apothecary used).

Me being up in numbers meant that I could screen the other team up and force my opponent to score in turn 12.

I then managed to stall the game out and score the winning touchdown in turn 16.

End 2-1 (3-0)

Conclusion

I ended up in 13th place and was not unhappy, but the loss in game 5 stung. At least I can learn something from it.

I liked the roster and will use it again (probably at the Dungeonbowl next year).
I also managed to break the 200 barrier (by 0,56 points).

Thanks for reading.

Berlin Open

I was co-organizing the tournament as well as playing in it, which should be fun, but stressful (also the reason for the lack of insight game reports).

We sadly had some drop offs just before the tournament and were a bit disappointed that we just managed to get 20 coaches. The positive side of it though was that there were many new coaches (or at least new to the Berlin scene), which is always nice.

The tournament rules were simple and the same as the rules for NAFC, back in the days.

TV110 and 5+1 Skills.

Roster

I decided to play undead since it had been a while since I played them back in 2014. I don't know why I haven't played them in a while, since I like to play undead. Maybe it's due to the miniatures (my first painted team).

2 Mummies (Block, Guard)

2 Wights (Guard, Tackle)

3 Ghouls (Wrestle, Block)

5 Zombies

1 Skeleton

3 Re-rolls

Assistans Coach

Cheerleader

I like this roster as it sturdy and it enables some fouling. The alternative would be to field all four ghouls, but while making the team faster, it's also more fragile.

Game 1 vs Chaos Dwarves (peterd)

FAME 0
Nice weather

I kicked the ball to start the game and couldn't stop peterd's offense. His claw mighty blow minotaur removed some players, but I had a chance at the ball after a mistake from peterd, but couldn't capitalize on it.

Lining up for the kick off

I then scored late in my drive and peterd had an opportunity to win the game. I could however get his ball carrier on the ground, but the ball bounced around and finally landed on his minotaur! Peterd could still win the game, if his minotaur behaved, dodged and GFIed, which didn't happen, but it was a tense last turn.

Minotaur with the ball!

A fun game against one of the nicest coaches in blood bowl.

End 1-1 (2-3)

Game 2 vs Dark Elves (Danbob)

FAME ?

Nice weather

Dan was a lovely chap, but new to the tournament scene and his inexperience showed. I could score in my turn 8 and then stole the ball in the second half. Dan did have an opportunity after I stole the ball, but failed too many dodges to take advantage of it. If it wasn't for a double 1, the game would have ended 2-0, but a win is a win.

Cage moving up the field

End 1-0 (1-1)

Game 3 vs Dark Elves (BroccooLi)

FAME 0
Blizzard!

I get to receive the ball first (and the weather changes to nice) and move up the field slowly. BroccooLi defends well and I needed a bit of luck to score in turn 8, but I managed. The OTTD was a failure, but it was close.

The undead team moves up the field

BroccoLi then gets the ball in the second half, pushing to score quite early and then lightning strikes and I have three players KOed and one CAS in a single turn. I couldn't stop the dark elves after that, but luckily got me, the KOs came back and we now had an exciting game on our hands.

Look at all those KOed players!

Once the ghoul had the ball in his hands, the undead team went for a power drive to the right, but the dark elves overcommitted and I could run the ball carrier back to the left side and after two GFIs, he was out of reach for but a handful of players. I also screened off the dark elves to force them to dodge, which they did. 1 re-roll 1. It was the worst of times to have a turnover and I just needed to blitz one player away before scoring in turn 16.

End 2-1 (1-2)

Game 4 vs Chaos Dwarves (Claymore)

FAME +2
Swealtering Heat

I kicked the ball and the game started with a get the ref!, which I think was more in my fortune than my opponents.

I MNGed a chaos dwarf early in the half and my opponent used his apo, which resulted in another MNG. My opponent was now one dwarf down and without his apo. That looked bad and I had managed to put him in a bad spot, which wouldn't be easy to get out off. Things didn't get better when I cased three players in one turn!! I then continued to up the pressure and fouled a bull centaur off the pitch. The half ended 1-0 to me.

As I received the ball for the second half, it was 11 undead vs 6 chaos dwarves (well, not dwarves as half the team was now made up off hobgoblins).

I then fouled the second bull in to the casualty box and stalled the game out for a 2-0 win in turn 16.
I could probably have scored earlier and ran up the score, but I felt that a safe 2-0 was better than a potential 2-1 (if the KOs came back and my guys were out due to the heat).

End 2-0 (4-0)

I was very lucky in game 4. Surely, that couldn't continue?

Game 5 vs Dark Elves (Sprinter)

FAME 0
Nice weather

I kick the ball to my opponent and rolled a blitz! and the ball was close to the LOS.
My tackle wight blitzed to open up a path to the ball and managed to cause a serious injury. The apo was used and the result was another serious injury. Great start to the game for me and my luck from game 4 was continuing. I didn't put anyone underneath the ball as I wanted to screen up the area for a safer pick up in turn 1, but the ball bounced on to my tackle wight, who caught the ball.

My opponent then knocked the ball free, but wasn't in a good position, close to my team and I could put pressure on the elves. Sadly, I made an error in my first turn, dodging my block ghoul out off contact after a blitz which ended with a ghoul in the casualty box. I should just have left the ghoul in contact (was next to the guard wight) and could have dodged out the turn after (if needed) to cover the area which I wanted to cover directly. This opened up a path for the elves along the sideline, which they took.

I was now in pursuit and tried to catch up. I had left a safety (my wrestle ghoul) which was blitzed and put in the casualty box. I was now down to one ghoul (currently not on the pitch) and chasing dark elves with my slow players. I did however catch up as Sprinter decided to stall out the half, which turned out to be a disaster. A witch dodged and 1d blitzed a mummy -> Skull!. That ended the half and I had somehow been very lucky.

I received the ball in the second half and it was a relatively deep kick. Sprinter put me under pressure, running his team in to my half. I had to run up with my ghoul, who then made a pass to a wight. Phew, it worked and I could move up the pitch with the wight, using my slower players to delay the dark elves.

The teams only ghoul takes the ball up the field before the dark elves flood the backfield

My numbers prevailed and I could score in turn 16.
The game was closer than game 4, but I had still been lucky.

End 1-0 (6-1)

Game 6 vs Dark Elves (Ignaz)

FAME -1
Nice weather

I kicked the ball deep to the dark elves and stayed put in my half of the pitch, playing a zone defense.
Things looked okay, but I couldn't break any elves. The dark elves were pinched towards the sideline and I had tried to make the score difficult in turn 8, but my opponent made all his roles including a blitz with a witch elf (with the ball) which included a 3+ dodge, 1d block (x2 due to frenzy), 2+ dodge and a GFI, without a re-roll. Not too difficult, but I would have liked to see it fail.

Well, the game wasn't over as there were a half to play still and I suspected that I just needed a draw to win the tournament. Hopefully I'd break some elves and manage an eight turn score.

It was however not to be as the second half started with a perfect defense and the ball ended up next to the sideline. I failed the pick up (with a re-roll) and the ball fortunately stay in bounds, but the dark elves now flooded my backfield and I was very much under pressure. I managed to recover the ball in my next turn and set up a cage deep in my own half. The dark elves continued their attack on the ball and I had to fight to get it safe each turn and I couldn't progress. Matters weren't helped by the fact that I was loosing players and the elves remain on the pitch (my opponent played an 11 man roster without an apo).

It was a matter of time before the elves could get the ball and score in turn 16.

End 0-2 (0-1)

Conclusion

The loss at the end was annoying as I just needed to draw the game to win the tournament, but that's the way it goes sometimes. I did enjoy playing undead and will do so again in the near future. This was my fourth Runner Up and I hope that I can break the spell sometime soon.

The standings after game 6

Thanks for reading.