Krush Kill N Destroy - 2019

Roster

The tournament was payed using the world cup 2019 rules. Game 1 and 2 used the rules for day 1 and game 3 and 4 used the rules for day 2.

I tried my slann roster and I've more or less settled on the following roster

1 Kroxigor - block*
2 Blitzers - 2xblock'
3 catchers - 3xdodge*
5 linemen - wrestle* and wrestle**+strip ball**
3 Re-rolls
Apothecary

I'm still not completely decided on the stacked skill. This could also be a skill for one of the blitzers, like guard, mighty blow or perhaps tackle.

Wrestle and strip ball is good, great even, but how often will it be useful?
There will be some teams with sure hands and the extra skill on a blitzer might provide more uses.

I'll have to test it sometime soon as the roster needs to be submitted in August.

Game 1 vs Dark Elves

First tame was against a standard dark elf roster with a wrestle witch, a block witch and a leader runner. I had recently played a test game against dark elves, which I won, so I was feeling quite good about the match up.

Frogs kicking of the game

I got to kick and I didn't put any pressure on my opponent, just defending my half. My opponent moved the ball carrier up quickly and made a pass towards another player, but the ball was fumbled and the frogs could get the ball and score a couple of turns later. This left the elves with time left to score in the second half, which they did, dodging away from diving tackle for the score.

I wasn't too upset though as I was receiving in the second half. The plan was to stall it out until turn 16 and things looked good up til turn 14. My opponent could blitz with a witch, but failed a GFI for the blitz. I then moved up and marked the witch with a blitzer, forcing my opponent to dodge through my screen to get to the ball carrier (no re-rolls left at this point). He managed and got the ball on the ground. To add insult to injury, the witch picked up the ball. I spent a re-roll on my blitz in turn 15, but I couldn't get her down with four dice. The elves failed to score in turn 16 and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

It was a draw, but it felt like a loss. I should have scored in turn 15 and would at worst have a draw. This way, I could even have lost, but a double skull stopped my opponent from even being able to try.

In hindsight, I should have scored in turn 15 or fouled the witch with a catcher, but that's the way the game is sometimes. Getting fooled in to thinking that you're save, when in reality there's a one ins six chance of anything to work, even that difficult dodge to get to your ball carrier.

Event hough I didn't lose the game, it felt like I did and I was going in to game two a bit tilted.

End 1-1

Game 2 vs Humans

I was up against a human roster with a low number of re-rolls, but a bribe onboard.

As we rolled for weather, we got very sunny, which I wasn't too found off. However, it got worse when I kicked the ball to my opponent, as the weather changed to sweltering heat.

Fortunately for me, the first foul triggered the bribe and a failed pick up enable me to put the humans under pressure quickly.

Humans under pressure

This forced my opponent in to bad positions and I had a 2d blitz on his ball carrying catcher without block. I didn't get the catcher down with my blitzer, so I decided to use my re-roll to get another set of two dice, but without a positive result. This forced my opponent to score quickly and I was left with enough time to score back. I managed to do so before the half, but without my kroxigor, which figured that it was too hot.

We rolled for sweltering heat and three of my players were out. This meant that I was now down in numbers and under pressure without the ball even having been kicked.

I had to go forward, but lost the ball and I had one last chance, a leap, 1d blitz with a lineman. This enabled me to chainpush players off the ball and then leap a blitzer on to the ball and if I had managed the pick up, I would have scored and hopefully ended with a draw (at worst).

Sadly, I failed the pick up and the humans could scope the ball up and score at the end of the game.

End 1-2

Game 3 vs Bretonnians

I was up against a newer player and I managed to get the ball off the bretonnians in the first half and also score before the half.

I felt quite good about the game, but I made one fatal error, miscounting the squares from my ball carrier to his knight. The knight stunned my catcher and I could still salvage the drive, if I could just dodge a catcher back to act as an assist for the blitz, but I snake the dodge and the knight could scope up the ball for a 1-1 score.

Still enough time to score, so I could just win the game. No more mistakes and I'd be alright.
Well, it didn't help that it took two turns to pick up the ball (even using a re-roll on the second attempt). I was again under pressure, but I could get the ball away. I just needed a 2+ leap to get away with a catcher. A 1 and I was already out of re-rolls due to a double skull in the beginning of that turn. My opponent then had one last chance for the win. Dodging with a lineman, 2 GFIs and a long bomb, but it failed. The game ended in a draw.

End 1-1

Gamve 4 vs Chaos Pact

For the last game, I was up against Morg'n'Thorg and his friends. There was a troll with claw, a skaven and a goblin plus a bunch of renegades.

My opponent picked up the ball with Morg and my wrestle + strip ball lineman really came to its own in this game. I could steal the ball from Morg and score in the first half.

All I had to do now was keep the ball for the second half and that's what I did. Morg got the ball once and I just got it back. I could have scored in turn 16, but failed a dodge. Still won the game though, so it didn't matter.

End 1-0

Conclusion

I like the slann team and most games are fun, which is great for the world cup and the reason for me taking them. However, as a blood bowl coach, I need to be able to reset. A bad first game shouldn't tilt you and set the tone for a whole tournament. I need to work on that. Learn, release and reset before the next game. I kind of did, but the sweltering heat just took me right down again, as I was playing well up to that point.

I need to play a couple of test games with a stacked blitzer instead of the lineman. The lineman was great in game 4, but not as much in game 3, due to sure hands. A skill that I believe will be quite common at the world cup. A blitzer with guard might be more useful. I'll give that a try. I've also been playing around with the idea of three blitzers. More team value on the pitch.

The painted team

As a side note, I won best painted at this tournament, which I'm very pleased with.

Thank you for reading.