I haven written in a long time. I started to put pressure on myself to win and enjoyed the game less. I had a couple of tournaments like it until I played lizardmen at KlingenCon L, where I didn't put pressure on myself because I had barely played the race before. I then went to a tournament after it, taking wood elves, as I now thought that I might have gotten my mojo back, but no. I didn't lose a game, but didn't win any either. So, what should I do?
Well, I figured that I should start taking stunties again, as they naturally come without pressure on the coach, as you're already in a bad position (although it can be argued that it isn't the case anymore).
I had already turned in my roster, using the same one as I used at KlingenCon L (see below), so no (just some speedy) stunties for me. Then I listened to a podcast where they said that the great players didn't go in to a game or a tournament with the mindset to win, but rather leave the opponent thinking "that was a hard fought win". Kind of the same mindset I had when I played halflings. I figured that I should give it a try. Just one game at a time and just do my best. Don't get upset about the dice and try to enjoy the game.
Let's see how this works out.
Roster
6 Saurus (5xBlock, Wrestle)
4 Skinks
Chameleon
Kroxigor
2 RR
Apothecary
Tournament
Before I get in to the games, I have to give a hugh thank you to the organizers. This was such a well organised tournament, with so many great people. I had a blast. Just look at the wooden spon (the cake).
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| Prize table |
I'd also like to thank spudWorks for organising a get together at his place on the Friday evening. This made me feel like no matter how my games went, I had a great weekend, even before rolling a single dice.
Game 1 vs humans
I kicked and the ball was caught by a lineman, which turned out to be a bad thing for my opponent.
The humans went to one side, where most the their team was (left in the picture) and blitzed the far left saurus. The lineman with the ball could however just make it to the hatch marks. This meant that I could divide the human team in two and put pressure on the cage. My opponent panicked and ran his lineman back to the right, but couldn't manage to protect it. This meant that I could blitz the now alone ball carrier with three dice and the ball was on the ground. A skink picked up the ball and I could stall out my score until turn 8.
I was in a good position and stalled my drive out for a score in turn 16. My opponent went for some difficult dodges to blitz my ball carrier and managed to get the ball on the ground and pick up the ball. In my turn 16 I then failed to get the ball off him and the game ended 1-0 (1-0).
I would previously probably have been upset about not getting the 2-0 win, but now I just liked that my opponent went for the impossible play and made it. A win is still a win, so it didn't matter in the end.
Game 2 vs dwarves
This was a very weird game and I know that the dice seldom decide a game by themselves, but I haven't seen so much bad luck in one game.
I got the ball first in the sweltering heat and the audience decided to storm one side of the field, stunning there dwarves there. I went for it, trying to take advatage of the hole created by the lizardmen fans. I started my turn with a double skull, but rerolled and pushed through. Second turn, double skulls, but pushed through again. My opponent did everything to get to my ball carrier and put me under pressure.
I got away and in hindsight, should have scored, but decided to stall a bit more. My opponent managed to base my ball carrier with a blitzer and it came down to a 3+ dodge with a reroll, but it failed. The half ended 0-0.
My opponent argued the call and rolled a 1, looked at me and said, "I'll use my bribe". I then declared that he couldn't as that's not allowed anymore (see bribe description). When then rolled for the heat, where I lost three saurus and my opponent lost all his AG3+ players bar one. The half was 8 vs 8 and indeed a weird game.
The blitzer picks up the ball and runs forward and I pressure the dwarves, trying to overwhelm them with pure strength. Due to a quad skull from my opponent, the kroxigor stayed on his ball carrier, but couldn't get him down with two tries with three dice. I finally got the ball carrier down and a skink ran away with the balland scored in an attempt to get more saurus in the game as the weather had turned back to nice on the kick off for the second half.
More bad luck from my opponent and I could steal the ball again and scored for a second time.
The game ended 2-0 (0-0) for me.
Game 3 vs necromantic
I decided to take the ball in the first half and tryied to take things slow, moving side to side and hopeing for a removale or two, as my oppoent only had 11 players. I managed to CAS one zombie on the first block, but it regend. The numbers advantage proved very useful and I could score in my last turn, but my opponent did a good job of putting pressure on me and I had some key dice rolls that I needed to make for the score.
I was able to put my opponent under pressue in the second half and managed to steal the ball for a 2-0 (4-0). The four casualties looks like a lot, but three regend, but was still a factor.
Game 4 vs chaos dwarves
I had the choice of starting on defense, which I did as the rain was pouring down. The ball landed close to the LOS and my opponent failed to pick it up and I could blitz a dwarf on to the ball, which bounced towards my lines. I tried the pick up with a skink, but failed after using a reroll.
A large scrum ensued until the ball finally ended up in the hands of the minotaur around turn 5. I then blitz it with a skink and some friend, managind a pow and the ball was on the ground again. It ended up in the hands of a saurus after another scrum and the half ended 0-0.
My chameleon managed to catch the ball on the kick off and I could move up the pitch and score in my turn 4. The rain cause issues for my opponent and his sure hands bull centaur was out. Fun fact, his minoutar manged the same amout of casualties on his team as my team. There was four chaos dwarves/hobgoblins in the dug out and I could steal the ball with my numbers advatage.
The game ended 2-0 (2-0).
Game 5 vs dark elves
I don't like this match up, for either team, so I knew that I was in for a tough game. My oppoent decided to receive and nothing really happend until turn 2, whwn a saurus was killed and later in the drive a skink. I tried to keep my cool and try to get the dark elves to score early. It became more and more difficult and I couldn't stop the elves from scoring at the end of the half. My OTTD-attempt failed and I had to make a decision to go for the draw, unless something happend.
I played very conservative and tried to move a bit every turn, but I couldn't get through. The dark elf defense was solid and I had to put some pressue on the evles. I moved my saurus in and forced my opponent to do something. Sadly, I missed a chain push and my opponent pushed my skink one square backwards, out of scoring range. One elf was next to my cage though and after what felt like a lifetime of thinking, I saw a chain push (the elf had to be pushed four or five times). Things wasn't made easier due to the crowed gather around our table. I went for it and managed to push my ball carrier back in to scoring range and scored, 1-1. I've never gotten applause after a turn of blood bowl, but now I have.
My opponents OTTD-attempt was stopped by a solid defense and the game ended 1-1 (0-2)
Game 6 vs khemri
Last game of the tournament and I was up against khemri. The bone guys received and started with twleve players on the pitch. I noticed during the kicked off and told my opponent. I didn't want to win the game (and tournament) due to that error, so we just removed a skeleton and put it back in to the dugout.
The khemri picked up the ball directly (a shame) and I tried to get in the way of the cage and split it from the rest of the team, but things were made hard by the krox not doing anything for the first four turns and me having to use my rerolls on double skulls. I did my best, but couldn't stop the khemri. Sadly, my OTTD-attempt was cut short as the chameleon couldn't manage the pass.
In my drive in the second half, I went side to side and managed to make the bone guys over commit, which left an opening for my score in turn 4.
It was a do or die situation, I needed to steal the ball and score for the win. I got a good chance as a pitch invasion cause the throw-ra in the back and the killer blitz-ra to be stunned and it was a deep kick, but I failed a one in nine dodge with a skink when I tried to screen off the players in the back of the khemri team. I tried to put pressure on and my opponent went for a potato play at the end of the drive.
Two skinks dodge out and powed the potato throw-ra and then managed to pick up the ball. My opponent left his throw-ra on the floor and blitz with a tomb guardin. Three dice, no pow. Reroll, both down and pushed. The both down is chosen and the skink lives, the ball bounces in to a tackle zone.
I was now face with the decision to either secure the tie or go for it all, which I did. I had to blitz a throw-ra marking a saurus away with a skink blitz, including two GFIs, then pick up in a tackle zone (4+), make a pass (5+) and then catcht with the now free saurus (5+). All I had to do after that was two GFIs and I made it all without using a reroll.
The game ended 2-1 (0-2).
That meant that I had now won my first NAF tournament. Yes, I had luck along the way, but most tournament victories do.
Conclusion
It would be to easy to make the conclusion that "as long as you don't pressure yourself, you win", but I think that my formula is to stress out less and accept the game as it is. Just try your best and the rest will come. I guess it's why I liked stunties so much, becuase that's exactly how I felt when I played them.
So, why don't you give stunties a go? Perhaps a team you haven't played before, which looks interesting. For me, that would currently be the khorne roster.
All I know is that I will try to stop putting pressurre on myself and just play the game, trying to give my opponent the toughest game possible. If I lose, they will hopefully think "that was a hard fought win".
Thank you for reading.
