[Team Blog] Bintz and his dark elves

[Nikolai II]

Meh. Two random linemen (and one lineman with dodge) - I just cut the chaff from your team, leaving you with the hard solid core intact.

[bintz]

Yep, true. It's better losing 3 random linemen then 2 stars and a random lineman as Narly did last season killing a +agi blitzer and a +st lineman...

Still, I doubt there is many teams who lost 3 players in a game 2 times!

[Mico Selva]

Originally Posted by bintz

About my deads, I think Im toping death count for this season (after toping it last season)

We're even, actually. I've also lost five players so far, although no more than two in a single match.

[Rusty]

I've only had 5 players killed (plus a lot more retired...) but given that I have Ghaz's Ogres in the final game I reckon I can challenge you both yet.

[bintz]

Ok so let's the death challenge begin! (and hope I don't win it )

[Lebe666]

Happy that you didn't win the Death Challenge... but the 1-1 draw means your out of the playoffs or not ?

[bintz]

Actually, with that draw, Im in not matter what so that's a "good" result.

To summarize the game quickly: no inducement (I have 3 loners and I miss my +Ag witch), I lose the toss, Sorrow decides to receive. Of course he breaks threw middle and send a couple catchers and a blitzer into my lines. I double/triple mark his guys and can't get one of the catcher down (blitzed by my witch but to no avail).

The elves blocks and blitzed to get a receiver free but luckily, Sorrow failed a gfi (snake eye) with his thrower to lower the range. I sent my ag 5/leap blitzer to recover the ball but he failed the pickup (2+) and I had to burn a RR in the process. Shortly after, I got my first and since the RR was already used, I couldn't do anything. My blitzer was sacked (involving something like 3+ dodge, 2+ 2+ dodge, 2 gfi and a on my blitzer, using a RR in the process), pro elves recovered the ball and even though they used their RR for the turn, attempted the 3+ pass to get an early TD.

I planned to go for a slow drive but my blitzes were shitty (geting a couple more and lots of ) and I had difficulties to break through considering I couldnt get my opponents down. Luckily, the few who got down got BH. I tried to switch wings multiple times but I just couldn't advance. Eventually, on my last turn, I had the opportunity to score baring a 2+ handoff and a gfi. Of course the gfi failed.

At half time, I was up one guy but I had 2 blitzers KO (tackle one and agi/leap one), not coming back. I received and again planned to take it slowly since a draw would secure the playoff spot. But Nuffle stroke again and I started geting more and failed 3 pickups in a row (using a RR on the 3rd one...) allowing Sorrow to pressure me.

At some point, the ball got lose after some nice dodging and 1D blitz action but I recovered it and since I would never get it secure, I made a run for it with a random lino. Then the game went even crazier: Sorrow sacked my guy but couldn't get the ball back (snake eye on a gfi I think) then again I got another TO, don't remember if it was another or a failed dodge but anyways I couldn't pick up the loose ball and I was seeing the 2-0 coming.

The thrower got up, dodged away, picked up the ball and went for the pass to a lonely catcher. But the turn before I had placed a blitzer in the way (Hank Moodier, team captain!), just in case things got bad so that Id at least get a chance at an interception and that's just what happened!!! Way to go Hank

After around 6 and a bunch of 1, I had a chance at an equalizer! I had 2 turns left to score and a couple linos far enough to score in my last turn. I had no RR for a long time though so every action was a risk. I sent my linos deep, dodged away with Hank and decided to take the 3+ pass on turn 15 so that if I miss, Id still have another chance at scoring. The pass went fine but Sorrow still had a turn to mark my guy and so he did.

The best option I had was to get a guard lino into the way, blitz away with the carrier (my carrier being a loner and the blitz target a rookie lino). If I could get the lino down, TD would be secured, if I only pushed it, Id also have to take a 2+ dodge.

Blitz: (or dont remember exactly)
Dodge: ............ something over 1!!!!

And so it was 1-1.

Sorrow didn't try for the one turner (and I got a blitz...) so we went back to the locker room with a draw and without any lasting injuries.

Another loner got the MVP so I hired both the scorer and the MVP. I didnt check how much I won but with my witch coming back from MNG, I'll probably buy a rookie lino to get back to 12 players. No skillup for this game.

As I was saying at the beginning of this post, if I didn't miscalculate, I should be qualified for the playoff where I'll play either the 1st of 2nd team (respectively Pus with boots and Afterdeath Afterhour) depending on John's result against Lebe.

[Lebe666]

Yep, your in the Play-offs !

Rusty, if he wins, still has a chance of stealing John's place should he lose to me. I guess he would need more than 4 TDs

[Nikolai II]

Rusty winning can take the spot even if John draws (but then he needs a good score) - If John looses Rusty takes the spot by winning, else John keeps it (unless John looses by 4 goals )

[bintz]

A little update over here.

The first playoff game was against Tronak's necros. I'll just copy/paste what I posted in the result topic:

He won the toss and decided to receive after hiring a wizard, I spent the whole half trying to find a hole into his splendid defense and I eventually scored on turn 8. At that point, my tackle blitzer was MNG and I had a dead lino (one of those loners I hired after he got a TD in a previous game).

We were seting up for Tronak's 8th turn when my game crashed. When I reconnected, he asked me if we could go straight to his turn 8th with my 2 cas left in my EZ, I agreed and we set up some completions so that he would lose all the spp he earned in the first half (and interception and the 2 cas).

I was geting a very hard time geting his guys down, geting lots of against his almost all block team. A almost cost him his drive but I got a snake eye short after and he scored on his 16th turn. So with overtime I'd have 5 turns to score back. With the KO I got, I was down to 8 guys.

From there, I played as safe as I could in front of one of the better defense I played against. I went back and forth from one wing to another but couldn't break through so we went into another overtime.

At some point, he gets a chance at a clear hit on my runner. I dump off to a witch who fails to catch the ball but the blitzing ghoul get stunning itself in the process. I then go for the almost open wing but after I fail a leap, Im still quite exposed and since the witch as wrestle, the ball gets down again.

A rookie ghoul manages to pick it up, I get her down and the ball bounces back into the hand of Marcy (wrestle/agi witch) again. Then Tronak fails to get her down after something like 5 blocks (2 from each wolf and one from a zombie) and on my 23th turn, I go for 4 2+ dodges, a 2+ handoff and score the winner since necro's fail on the one turner short after.

I then had to face Barmution's nurgle team. Even though it looked way softer than Netsmurf's NNN, the game wasn't expected to be easy! Just before the game, I sacked the lino who was supposed to be dead from the previous game and hired Courtney Love and Eric Erlandson as rookie linos.

Fun fact: after losing all members of Nirvana, all members of Smashing Pumpkins are also dead. Let's see how it goes with Hole. I think Chris Cornell (+ST, kick, block lino) is the only one of the original cast. Nurgles tipped in an extra 10k to be able to buy a bribe.

I won the toss and decided to receive, I got an extra RR and proceeded to bash a bit were I could using my guards. I aimed for my left wing. Barm blocked the road well in spite of having his NB going dumb a couple times and after giving and receiving some blows, his star beastman and one of my star blitzers were both in the KO box.

At some point, there is an opening middle and after blitzing away a rotter, I can infiltrate and get almost all my team into his back field. From there, I get a very loose cage around my carrier and wait for the clock to tick. I'm forced to score on my 7th turn, giving him 2 turns to score back.

1-0

Both KOs get back, we set up and play the last remaining turns of this half. Barm can't reach my end zone but gets a couple KOs but they're meaningless since they come back directly. What isn't meaningless is that a NW tripped on a failed gfi on his way to trample a dark elf and KO'd himself and didn't wake up for the second half.

Second half is Nurgle drive and that's when they taunted Nuffle. They went for a passing play, with Nurgle! Accurate beast picked up the ball and passed it to extra-arm beast but even though the pass was accurate, a snake eye deny the reception!

The ball bounces in a nice spot and I can already see my agi/leap blitzer coming in to steal it. Before doing it, I blitz with Chris Cornell to clear an annoying TZ. , RR,

Ok, stealing the ball will have to wait. That free turn allows Barm to cage nicely on the LOS. He also fouls Chris Cornell and get him into the KO box, burning his bribe in the process. But the bribe surely wasn't enough and the rotter is sent out anyways. Knowing that I won't be able to do much if I let him cage (3 NW + NB have guard), I go for a risky play. I first 1D block the NB with my witch (NB doesn't have block), it works and this way I get rid of a cage corner with guard. I then leap in with my blitzer and hit the extra arm beast which is carrying the ball.

Blitzer runs, leaps with elegance, lands perfectly and the beast... RR...

The ball bounces a couple times but more important, the beast is KO again!

The situation isn't really secured though but it's way better. All the action turns into a big pack of fresh and unfresh meat with guys geting pushed on the ball, the ball bouncing around, super-agile elves picking it only to be blocked down just after... and eventually, after those turns of chaos, a bounce gets the ball in a very nice position for me.

I manage to dodge away and after screening wherever I can, there is not much Barmution can do to catch up. I score on the very last turn for a 2-0 victory!

Thanks a lot to Barm for the game. I haven't been able to upload the replay to BBM yet cause it was down all weekend but I think my injuries roll were quite high (got something like 4-5 KO and a BH) even though I don't feel I broke armour a lot. Regarding the other dices, my blocks might be a bit above average and Barm's a bit bellow.

I also got a level up for Lew Ashbier (tackle blitzer). A normal roll will logically give him dodge, a double would be a problem since Id normally go for MB but since there is only heavy AV teams left in the cup, Im not sure if I should pick guard over it, a +ag/+st would of course be taken and a +mv would be turned down.

The MVP went on another blitzer (don't remember which) but I think it will still be 1 spp short from leveling.