Blood Bowl League - Sick as a rat.

Going into game thee of the Blood Bowl league, things were looking ok. A loss to the very able Dan, and a goalfest draw against Mike's super heroes. First up, a friendly rematch against Mike. I was fairly confident of my chances going into the game, being unbeaten at Mike's for three games, and being able to use my new signing, a Rat Ogre.

Above: Mike's superheroes team. Far right is his most recent addition, Rogue.

Mike described this as the most ridiculous game of Blood Bowl he had ever played. My problem was using the Rat Ogre, his lack of the block skill, my eagerness to use him first in my activations, (and this was the most problematic problem), I kept rolling skulls on the dice, and if I used a team re-roll, a double skulls would appear again. After the fifth time, I was truly regretting spending the 150,000 GPs on my accident prone* player. My only solace, the Rat Ogre did himself no lasting damage despite his constant failures.

(*Pun intended). 

Above: Mike showing his concern as the Rat Ogre goes down following a failed block.

Above: Mike keeping a track on the unfortunate Rat Ogre's self inflicted plight. 

Above: And for a third time the Rat Ogre fails, and face plants once again. Good grief.

Above: My team for the second half. Fewer rats available.

Whilst the Rat Ogre did his pratfall comic routine, the Superheroes got on with the game, and by the end had scored five! We guessed that for my 16 activations during the game, I had possibly held the ball for only three of them. The furthest I got the ball up the pitch was two squares into the opponent's half. Even on the last turn, I had a chance to get a completion for my thrower, but failed on a 3+ re-rollable throw. It was not to be my night. And to cap it all off I only received winnings of 20,000 GPs, and I had suffered 4 players knocked out. Well, at least it was only a friendly.

League Game Three 

Above: Thoughtful Pete hatching a plot.

Third league game, and second versus stoic Dwarves, this time belonging to Pete. At the beginning of the first half Pete receives, and I am quite expecting him to keep the ball in a tight cage, and score on his eighth activation. I almost upset his plans, but when the scattered ball found its way into the crowd, it was thrown back and was ideally placed for a Dwarf to pick up and score.

Above: A familiar Dwarf cage.

Beginning the second half I got sloppy. I received the ball and begun to plan my attempt to breach the Dwarf shield wall. Well it didn't take long for Pete to force my ball carrier to drop his prize. And before I knew it, the familiar Dwarf cage formed, and the slow progress of Pete's team, like so much continental drift, made it's way slowly, but remorsefully, down the pitch. 

The final result, a two nil loss. I only had two players knocked out, but once again, I hadn't got close to scoring a goal. With the few Special Player Points I secured I could upgrade my Rat Ogre. Unfortunately, I did not get Block, so took Break Tackle instead, to make it much easier for him to Dodge out of tackle zones. Game Four beckons against another Pete, this time against X-Wing stalwart Pete W. and his human team. 

League Game Four.

As difficult as this is to say, my fourth league game was even worse than my friendly against Mike. No really, it was. Pete received the ball in the first half and carnage was wrought on my poor defenceless team.

Above: Yes, this picture is correct. At the start of my fourth activation of the first half! I had five players knocked out (three of whom were dead!) and the Rat Ogre was in the injured reserve box.

Let's just repeat this. In Pete's first four activations he had knocked out four of my player, but worse than that, he had killed three outright! It was just horrible. To be fair, Pete felt pretty awful about it. 

By the end of the first half, the Rat Ogre was still in the injured/reserve box, and despite all my efforts, refused to come out to play. He did eventually returned for the beginning of the second half, by which time I was down to five players and was losing 2-0. Pete had lost three players, (one who had tripped over attempting a dodge), all of whom would be returning for the next game with no lasting ill effects.

Above: Pete, the 'assassin', ready to steamroller me.

The secondly half was not as deadly as the first, but the rats found it impossible to achieve any scoring being so outnumbered. In fact, the pitch looked more like five-a-side match. By the time the match ended, I had four players left, and Pete had seven. But, more importantly, Pete had scored another three goals, giving him a massive 5-0 win.

Above: Lots of space on the wings. Pity I have no Gutter Runners to exploit it 

My three dead rats included a Gutter Runner and Thrower. The winnings I received gave me just enough to recruit a Journeyman to the team permanently, because he had gained the Block skill in the end game phase.

Above: Very, very sad.

My team going into game five will consist of the following:

1. Line Rat

4. Blitzer (-1 Agility)

5. Line Rat (Block)

6. Line Rat

8. Gutter Runner

10. Thrower (-1 move)

11. Blitzer

16. Rat Ogre (Break Tackle)

13. Line Rat (Block)

14. Journeyman

15. Journeyman

Not sure that my opponents will be quaking in their boots.

Happy gaming my fellow Blood Bowlers.

Alex.