Bloodbowl: Moortoen Flinggers vs Red Mountain Spiders

I managed to catch up with Toby tonight and we got in a long overdue game of Bloodbowl.  The Spiders (Goblins, TR 167) threatened to overrun the Moortown Flinggers (Halflings, TR 139) early on the game by breaking away to 1-0 and injuring four Halflings and killing one more.

The Halflings equalised late in the first half with the classic "run, hand off, run, throw, catch and run" play.  A one turn touchdown from one end of the pitch to the other.  The photo below shows the majestic moment.

The Spiders responded with the ever classic "Toss a Goblin" play and scored with their own one turn touchdown.  Not to be outdone the Halflings answered with their variation "Toss a Fling" which was successful right up the llast go for it roll in the endzone, rolled a one, burnt a re-roll, rolled another one.  One turn touchdowns aren't very common but to almost have three back to back is incredible.

Early in the second half the Halflings managed to even the scores at two aside.  It came down to the last two turns where either side could have scored.  The Spiders' luck managed to hold out longer than the Halfings and walked away with a 3-2 win.

A lineman and one of the treemen each managed to get their second skils.  Probably go with Diving Tackle for the Halfling and Guard for the treeman.

A great game and a great start to the season for the Halflings... well at least we were competitive, another turn or two and we could have walked away the winners.

Big Win for the Little Guys

Made it to BADGA this Saturday and got the Halflings on the table for their second game of the season. I play young Liam H and his human team the Couronne Cats (TR 149). I had a player out this game so my Team Rating was 108 which afforded me a nice 410,000gp of inducements. I took star player Deeproot Strongbrach (250k), the ever faithful Halfling Master Chef (50k) and the all important Wandering Apothecary (100k).

The perfect BB weather attracted 27,000 screaming fans to the stadium and the Cats opted to receive. The Halfings started with the now standard three treeman center line up and braced themselves for the pain.


What actuall happened next suprised everyone, the Cats were completley caught off guard by "Muscles" Manglepie who had worked quite hard in the off season and managed to bulk up considerably, some are actually claiming it to be a side effect of certain steroids found in fast food chickens however this in completley unsubstantiated, although most likely entirely correct.


A strong hit by Manglepie followed up with the "pile on the ball" tactic found the Halflings within scoring distance by the end of turn 3. The treemen quick went to work ensuring that as little of the Cats team were left standing on the field. Next turn Halfling #86 Fritz McMuffin scored his second career touchdown. The kickoff for the next drive broke out into a riot and after getting everyone back into the stands the referee set the clock back one turn. Two turns later the humans answered with their own score, touchdown to Cats #10.


The Halflings moved quickly (well you know what I mean) and within three turns the had retrieved the ball from the Cats, thanks in large to Deeproot for almost putting Cats player #11 into a pine box and to Foggwick Shakebelly who showed that all the time spent on the treadmill can make a difference. It's not often you see a Halfling run, let alone run the ball into the end zone. Running and shaking Foggwick made it look easy.

At the big break the scoreboard showed it was 2-1 the Haflings way and even more suprising was the casualty count of a low 1-0 to the Halflings.

Second half started with the Halflings to receive. The next quarter of the game was your typical I drop the ball and you pick it up, you then drop the ball and I pick it up type of affair. A mere two turns we went from this:


To this, thankfully the catcher failed his go for it roll and even more thankfully the mast chef ensured that by this point of the game the Cats had no team re-rolls left.


On turn 12 Halfling #17 Bagwise Oddfoot found himself with the ball and ran for dear life towards the end zone, touchdown to the Halflings. The last three turns were highlighted by a superb break out to the right and pass the ball long play which was promptly intercepted the Cats player #11. Who then failed to dodge past a treeman and turned over the ball. A quick pick up and hand off found the ball once again in the small hands of #17 Bagwise Oddfoot. Touchdown number four to the halflings on their last turn.

Post Match Comments
I'm pretty happy with how the Halflings handled themselves. I was really impressed with Liam and his handle on the rules, I can see him being a coach to be reckoned with in a few years. Although I think he needs to work on his constant, incessant chanting of "fail, fail, fail, fail" every time I went to roll a die. It was funny at first, then not so much.

Favourite Moment of the Game
This wasn't really a part of my game but the one going on next to me between Steve and Brad. Steve was having a bit of a bad run rolling 1 after 1 after 1. He eventually vented his frustration by throwing the die in question away. The die flew across the room, bounced off the wall and rolled all the way back to his chair. The result: a 1.

The League
I dunno where this puts us but it should get us a few points away from the bottom of the ladder. I have now no less than nine players, including both treemen, who need 4 SPP's or less for their first/next skill.

Player #86 Fritz McMuffin skilled up with a nice double 4 so he now has Block. A Blodger, I have a Blodger, mwahahahahahaha. I just have to keep him alive now.

Next game I get Samin Finefettle back from injury. I still havent decided wether to retire poor Chundwise Windblossom who suffered a broken neck (-1AG) a few games ago. Good for the line of scrimmage when things are going bad I guess, but the little guy only needs 2SPP's for a skill.

This Season (W/L/D): 1-1-0
All Games (W/L/D): 3/3/1

BloodBowl: Moortown Flinggers vs Hawk Eaters

I managed to make the trip down to Guildford on Saturday to play in the opening round of BloodBowl for the 2009 season. After the usual meet and greets it was settled that I would line up against Brad and his Orc team the Hawk Eaters. It was a spur of the moment decision to come to this session so I didn't have my Orc team ready. I also left my camera at home so I'll try to get some of the shots taken by the other guys and add them later.

Brad has a couple teams which are more of the "hitty" persausion and being an experienced coach also made him a more dangerous opponent. I needed a team that could either match him in strength or have the agility to run around his team.

I played neither. I played Halflings and for a couple of reasons.

1. They were in my case and they were painted. My new years resolution is not to play with minis unless they're painted and I intend to stick to it.
2. Halflings are a weak team but everyone underestimates them. You can use this to your advantage and if the dice gods are watching and they're in your favour...
3. The only way a team gets better in BloodBowl is to play BloodBowl.
4. I wanted to use my new Treemen minis.

The difference between the two teams (TR173 - TR111) allowed me a nice 620,000gp as inducements. My choices were simple enough:

• Star Player: Deeproot Strongbranch (250k). Three treemen on the field just made the line of scrimmage get that little more interesting.
• Halfling Master Chef (100k). Taking your opponents Re-Rolls is always a great way equalise things somewhat.
• Wandering Apothecary (100k). Umm we're playing Orcs, we're really going to need him. In fact I almost got two of them.
• I bought three Special Play Cards. Dirty Trick (50k): Gromskull's Exploding Runes, Speacial Play (50k): Going the Extra Mile and Misc Mayhem (50k) Fanatic Invasion.

The Game
The weather was fine and the Orc fans were there in fine voice giving their team the +1 FAME bonus. The coin was tossed and won by the Orcs who opted to receive.

The First Half
The Master Chef was in fine form taking 2 re-rolls from the Orcs but they managed to increase their two back up to three by winning the Cheering Fans kick off event.

The Halfling kick off was short and poorly aimed resulting in the ball going out of bounds. The ball came back into play in the hands of Black Orc #1, this was not good. They're slower than a Halfling but I'd need four of my guys to have a chance of taking him down. I needed my line of scrimmage to hold up this turn, alas it wasn't to be. Block after block from the Orcs resulted in Halflings getting knocked down or stunned. I started my turn with maybe three Halflings within running distance of the Black Orc. Two of them made their way to the Orc before the third failed his dodge roll and subsequent re-roll, faceplanting himself into the turf. It was a sign of things to come. The Black orc continued his slow lumber to the end zone while the remaining Orcs continued to pull apart my line of scrimmage.
My turn three started with only one real option: to use the "Going the Extra Mile" card and hope that the 4 successive Go For It rolls would come off, I only had to roll 2+, 2+, 3+ and 4+ right? Then a two dice Block his way? It was that or let the brute (the Orc, not Brad) get an easy touchdown. In pure Halfling fashion I failed the 3+ roll (and re-roll) with 1's. Wooo Halflings rule.... sigh.

Touchdown to the Hawk Eaters. Fast forward to my turn 6. I have the ball and the Hawk Eaters have deployed in a strong defending formation, read that as: 3 chumps on the line and everyone else in front of the End Zone. I'm almost flattered, but very worried. I need to equalise or the game will get away from me. I could throw a Halfling with the ball and then try to run it in but that's too risky when I still have time to run it in. While the Treemen deal with the Orcs on the line my most experienced player Neddy Crimpwit tucks the ball under his little arm and runs towards the rest of the Orcs. The plan is to use his Leap skill to bypass the wall of green, angry Orcs. Next turn I need to use one Go For It roll (2+) to start the leap, then it's a simple 4+ for the land. I fail the Go For It roll... twice. Neddy lands in the end zone face down and stunned. The Orcs start to move in one Neddy and things don't look good for the little guy. Within miniutes a bruised and battered Neddy Crumpwit is laying on a stretcher in the dugout awaiting his turn with the apothecary. The wandering apothecary manages to reduce a smashed ankle(or hip, can't recall which exactly) to a badly hurt (miss rest of game).

End of the half with the Hawk Eaters up 1-0 on the scoreboard.

The Second Half
The Flinggers came back from the half time break looking fresh, detemined and well fed. There was a glint in their eyes and a spring in their step. Things could only get better... right? I mean we've been through the worst of it... right?!? One look at the Orc lineup gave a simple answer: no. Turn two of the second half saw two events unfold. Firstly the Hawk Eaters were in scoring distance again and it didn't look like the Halflings were going to pull a draw from this one, let aone a win. Secondly the Halfings decided to try something a little unusual and brought the fight to the Orcs. Well it was more of a slapping really, with little hands. Imagine a 3 year old in a full tantrum and you're getting close, now multiply that by every player left standing on the field. Ok yes... stop laughing, please. The treemen continued to knock over (but not injure) the greenskins when Deeproot Strongbranch got his angry on and hit Orc Blitzer Jughead with enough force to plant him 2 feet into the soil (casualty roll 62 - Dead). The Orc apothecary tried his best but alas rolled a 63 - Dead(erer).

It seemed like the tide was changing in favour of the Halflings. What actually happended was we made the Orcs angry. Yeah I was suprised too. The details of the next 4-5 turns are kind of fuzzy. There was a lot of yellin' and screamin'. Have you ever seen 9 halflings all trying to climb and hide in the same treeman. It was so funny that it was sad, or is that the other way around? Anyway what we do know about what happened is that the Orcs scored again. Chundwise Windblossom walked off the flield with a broken neck (-1AG) which was only discovered when he complained that wearing his Carmen Miranda fruit hat made his head hurt and his legs go all wobbly.

The Result
At the final whistle the Orcs run out clear winners 3-0 on the scoreboard and won the casualty count 4-1.

The Moortown Flinggers
31 - Foggwick Shakebelly got the MVP and skilled up (rolled 10: +1MA/AV or skill).
7 - Chundwise Windblossom will miss his next game while nursing his broken neck. I would retire him but he's 2SPP away from skilling up.
78 - Samin Finefettle managed a completion but will also miss next game with a broken jaw. The poor guy cried himself to sleep... although I think it had more to do with the fact he couldn't have any of the post match pie.

The Hawk Eaters
1 - Black Orc Gort Morn had 1 casualty and 1 TD.
2 - Black Orc Orrrgh Stonehead caused 1 casualty.
3 - Blitzer Fourngit had 1 TD.
4 - Blitzer Kilboy had a completion.
5 - Thrower Throo'it recieved the MVP.
6 - Line Orc Duurgh had a casualty.
15 - Blitzer Jughead also got a TD but later died of massive bark poisoning.
Trogg the Troll caused a casualty.

Wrap Up
A great game that was a lot closer than the final score line shows. Yeah yeah I know everyone says that but I felt there were moments where the game could have turned my way but for a few crappy rolls. I think my tactics were sound and I wouldn't change much next time around. Maybe fouling a little more, I have the reserves to deal with a player (or three) being sent off. Also I could have done with the third apothecary and got less cards, lesson learnt there, poor little Windblossom. No point dwelling on it, now where did he leave that hat: Let's do the Copacabana... It's tropical people go to your feet and make you feel latin...

Impact Order

The last of my Christmas purchases finally arrived today, an order from Impact! Miniatures.

First up is some treemen for my Halfling team The Moortown Flinggers. Up until now I've been using two Heroclix Swamp Thing miniatures. The fit between the two halves insn't all that great but it's nothing a bit of greenstuff can't fix. Also in the order is a Goblin referee, my little green guys will take all the help they can get. Remember to click on the images to see a bigger version.

Next up are some tokens to help with game play. I've got a couple big guys that are huge, my Reaper treeman is over 80mm high, and I don't like laying them down on the table. The weather tokens should help those games where I remember we're playing in a blizzard only after I've set up a long pass play... it happend twice in the same game. And pictured last are some 2.5mm base magnets to stop the ruddy ball from falling off the base all the time. I'm also thinking of using them for my Warhammer armies to allow weapon swaps.
The tokens are a little on the small side, well compared to what I expected anyway. But they are pretty distinct and should easily fit into my BB dice/token box. Here's a shot of them next to a lineorc for size comparison.

The text on the tokens are etched into the surface so you can use a crayon to "fill in" the text. Takes me back to the days of the Dungeons and Dragon basic sets, the first two boxes came with etched dice and a crayon.
And a shot of all the tokens completed. The yellow didn't come out at bright as I'd hoped but it will do.

Now I'm off to put the treemen together.

Timbo