To the Victors ...

It only seemed right that the developing players should get a little tender loving care. Two players had moved along and picked an extra skill.

Black Orc - 'Vultog Flame Basher' acquired Block which seriously improves his blocking skill. (by 16.66%) I thought that I would add to his model making him stand out from the other Black Orcs.

First I built a hat from green stuff and some bits from the Orc Bitz Box. I went for the 'broken horn' look.

I also added another shoulder pad. I went for something smaller than the one on the left.

Finally I added a disk to the bottom of the left shoulder pad. This can be used to write his number on and keep him looking the same as his team mates.

Blitzer - Karfu Eye Cutter acquired Mighty Blow. In future when he knocks down opposition players they will have to add '1' to their AV roll or add '1' to the Injury Table roll (Ouch!!) making it more likely that he will cause serious damage. My existing Blitzer model are the same. I figured that a 'new build' was appropriate. Karfu actually has the most SPP's on the team with 10. In game 2 he caused a casualty, scored a touchdown and was the MVP. A bit of a superman really. He is therefore closest to getting a second skill and becoming a bit of a monster.

I returned to the Warhammer Savage Orcs box set. There is a running orc model with only one foot on the floor (in fact 4 of them...how fitting) So I picked the one I liked best. I do like the head, a broken undead limb in his mouth.

I went for the 'both hands in the air' look. You can feel the 'mighty blow' that he is about to deliver.

I added shoulder pads and again used some green stuff to make the metal disk for his number.

Now if it would only stop raining I could get outside to put some primer on him. But that doesn't look likely today.

In summary our narrative is developing nicely.....

Yakstick Sticky Hand (chief goblin) has acquired a reputation. Super scorer, dodger supreme and target for the 'bucket' treatment!!

Bolgot Bone Snapper (troll) has proved to be the much needed immovable object in the middle of the field

Popeye Wind Rider (Thrower) has become the lead ball handler / Thrower having completed an accurate pass in game 2.

Vultog Flame Basher (Black Orc) has become the lead casualty causer, with 3 so far.

Karfu Eye Cutter (Blitzer) is the current 'super star' and will be the one to watch going forward.

What next? - we are discussing an away match later in the week and not sure who the opposition will be yet, Dark Elves, Humans, Undead or maybe even Khemri? Will Nuffle be sated by the much anticipated Auzzie coloured Block dice? Bring it on.

2-0 but Da Gobo bites the bucket

Hi there Blood Bowl fans. Today saw the much awaited rematch between the Orcland Raiders and the Gravesend Gutchewers. What a day, what a day.

Had the Darktemplar managed to organise some coloured 'Block' dice? Would the god 'Nuffle' hamper his efforts? Would the goblin be 'Da Man'? Had the Black Orcs learned how to foul in true Orc'ish style? And would the Mummies be able to do their job, in spite of their tendency to trip over bandages? So many questions........ anticipation .......... and Blood Bowl mania.

The Gutchewers were in town.

The Dark Templar had painted up the MVP Zombie from game one and he was looking good. Couldn't resist the double skull in front of the Mummy - but surely it couldn't happen again? Could it?

Well the first thing to say is that a big thank you is due to the Dark Templar for his visit today - great fun indeed! A gent.

The game was much different to the first. We were both much more aware of tactics and the game reflected this.

The interesting thing is that the Undead seem incapable of picking up the ball. This is serious in terms of bringing any kind of predictability to the game. This proved a real problem at the beginning of game 2. I took advantage by Throwing Team-mate in the middle of the problem, very funny to have a goblin arrive where he is not wanted. I also applied some Blitzer pressure.

It felt so good to throw the goblin for the first time. Very orc'ish.

However it was tough for the Goblin. Old Yakstick Sticky Hand was bashed about a bit and finally the Gutchewers ganged up and badly fouled him. Foul ref, foul!!! The referee didn't see it and Yakstick ended up in the injury bin.

There was a certain amount of jubilation as a promise made on Dark Templar blog was delivered. 'The goblin was going home in a bucket!' I must admit to being somewhat dismayed.

But this was to ignore the 'Nuffle effect'. The Darktemplar has been in total fear of white dice for sooooooo many years. Every time he has tried to use them they have burnt him badly - I'm am being really serious about this. We joked beforehand because coloured 'Block Dice' had been ordered, from Australia but they had not arrived. We talked about the double, double skull and laughed .......

I kid you not - it happened again!!

The Gutchewers couldn't roll dice to save their lives, well they are undead. It was amazing. I felt for the Dark Templar. There was a plan but ......... Nuffle had intervened and did so regularly!

I got the ball and opened up the right hand side of the pitch.

The new Thrower 'Popeye' did the business, picked up the ball, carried, threw the ball and it was successfully caught. Touchdown Orcland Raiders!

Towards the end of the half the Gutchewers lost some players to successful Blocking and Fouling and so started the second half 2 men down. A big disadvantage.

The Raiders were also receiving! A good offence position. We suffered a Blitz at Kickoff. Wow - that was interesting. Puts you on the back foot a bit.

I had stood off the Gutchewers but the Blitz allowed them to get right in my face. A painful start to the the half. However I did manage a second Touchdown  to make it a 2-0 result.

The new look Orcland Raiders are now looking good.

I have some new skills, a Blitzer with Mighty Blow and a Blocker with Block. I also have a new team reroll. Getting stronger all the time.

The orcs remain the team to beat but I got to say that 'Nuffle' played a big part and I am eternally grateful. Thank you great god.

Going tribal

Well as the team develops I figured that I needed each player to have some individual personality. Over the christmas I was having a look at the Savage Orcs from Warhammer and really liked them. I purchased a box set and have had a bit of fun creating some new Black Orcs.

Plenty of broken bones on display, well they were scattered all over the field following the visit by the Gravesend Gutchewers. It was only right to make use of them ;-)

And it is always handy to have a 'weapon' now that we will be be doing a little more fouling!

Bring on the rematch.

New Thrower revealed

Yes folks, its true - the Orcland Raiders have signed up a new Thrower. Mr 'Popeye Wind Rider' a very popular choice with fans. Here he is in his first team photo wearing the Raider colours.

You can see old 'Boghat Dragon Shooter' in the back there sporting the yellow stripe on his helmet. He is missing the next game with a mear 'gouged eye'. This is not going down well with the fans and talk has started about that yellow stripe travelling further south, right down his spine.

This is a real opportunity for 'Popeye'. If he can put in a good performance and earn some Star Player Points he may find himself being first choice. Old Boghat didn't see much of the first game, being pushed off the field in turn six and certainly did not earn even one Star Player Point.

And folks - rumours of a rematch surfaced today. We understand that this could be as soon as the weekend. Oh my - this is exciting!

We are also hearing stories that the Orcland Raider coaching staff felt the first game was far to 'clean'. Not one of da boyz 'stuck the boot in'. This is very unorc'ish indeed. Some of the players were held back after practice today and did some 'additional work' away from prying eyes. Emmmm - I think that a few more of those Gravesend Gutchewers might be coffin bound after the next match.

Bring on the Christmas Gaming.

Blood Bowl lessons from the Orcland Raiders

The game against the Gut Chewers was great fun. It moved fairly slowly as we were getting back into the rules but at the end of the day a lot was learned?? So this is me thinking out loud .....

The edge of the board is not your friend! In Blood Bowl teams are supported by large crowds of enthusiastic supporters. Should any player leave the field of play they are set upon. This is not a good thing. There are no saving dice rolls applied and the player goes straight to the Dead / Injured box. You miss the rest of the game and there is potential for longer term trouble when rolling on the Casualty Table at the end of the game.

In short this is the best way to damage the opposition and therefore something to be very aware of both on offence and defence.

It is worth taking a risk to push an opposition player off the field!

I lost my Thrower from this 'safe looking' position. A few well organised 'Push Backs' and I was off the board.

Team rerolls are important. They are expensive but they are your one protection against the vagaries  of the dice gods. I started with 2 but I had a Cheerleader and an Assistant Coach which increased my chance to get another free reroll on the Kick Off table. A roll of 6 or 8 triggers this. For two of the three halves that we played I benefited from this.

Don't waste a reroll. When you are out of rerolls bad things can, and usually do, happen at crucial points in the game. Think before you use a reroll. Is it really worth it early in the game? What is the upside you are looking to achieve?

You have to pick the ball up! Seems obvious but if you are not in possession then you can't score. It is good to have someone that has an increased chance of picking the ball up. Failing to pick the ball up is also a Turnover so it is even more important to have the right player doing the job. The orc Thrower is the best person on the Orcland Raider team for the task as he comes with 'Sure Hands', a free reroll should he fail to pick up the ball first time.

I lost my Thrower during game one and really missed him. The ball seemed to turn into a bar of soap after that ;-)

Doing nothing is better than doing something stupid We all feel the pressure to move and score but there is no need to over commit. Be patient, apply some slow pressure, let things develop, sometimes you can just get plain lucky.

It is better to not risk a chancy Block so that your player stays on his feet with his tackle zone intact. This puts a different kind of pressure on the defender who may, in turn, make a mistake. This is particularly true of the troll. His use in the game is to be a road block - this can rapidly turn into a large hole if he is forced to the ground.

Zone defence. You can reach a point where it is more important to fall back than to continue to pressure the ball. Its about having a plan B if plan A is stalling. A regroup can be a good thing and can allow time for players to get back on their feet.

The half is 8 turns long Remember that you have to have a plan to score within the turns that remain. This puts pressure on slow moving teams and sometimes you have to take risks to give yourself the chance. You have the 'Go for it' rule and there are times when it essential to use it. Factor it into your plans.

At the end of turn six, in game one, I managed to get myself out of a very tricky situation. There was both judgement and luck involved. At the end of the turn as I proudly surveyed the safe position that I had achieved (my Blitzers in possession of the ball tucked in behind a Black Orc alongside the troll) I realised that I could not score in turns remaining.

That feel good moment was short lived!

Fouling has its place We didn't really do this at all which was a missed opportunity. It is another method of getting rid of players from the field and remember that assisting players force +1 per player to the Armour roll. It is worth ganging up on a downed player and sticking the boot in, especially a high value player.

We play for fun at the end of the day we play this mad game to have a good time, to be with friends, to laugh out loud and revel in the stories that develop. We had a great day. I have not laughed so loud in ages. The build up was also fun. Assembling the team, poking fun at the opposition, buying on ebay, painting up the team and crowing loudly. I reckon that we had a good months worth of fun from this one game. Blood Bowl we love you. May the next venture be equally good.

Post Match Sequence

So we went through the 'Post Match Sequence' following the first game.

Injuries

My Thrower was in the Dead / Injuries box. I rolled D68 resulting in 43 'Gouged Eye' with the effect that he misses the next game. Ouch! I will need a replacement as he is a key player with some decent skills.

Star Player Points

There were 3 Casualties during the game, 2 caused by Black Orc no. 4 'Vultog Flame Basher' and 1 by Black Orc no. 6 'Gunrukk Skull Killer' therefore they receive 4 points and 2 points each. My goblin 'Yakstick Sticky Hand' scored the only touchdown and so receives 3 points.

Most Valuable Player

Before the game we had elected the each Coach could chose their MVP resulting in the award of 5 points. It was tempting to chose one of the Black Orcs but that just would not have been fair to Yakstick who was clearly Da Man! So MVP was awarded to him.

Improvement Table

As a result gaining over 5 points in total Yakstick has moved from being a Rookie to being an Experienced player and as is entitled to an Improvement roll. Following the roll he is entitled to an extra skill. I think that Catch would be appropriate as this allows him a reroll for a failed 'hand off' and reroll for a failed 'catch'. Bound to be useful in the future.

Gaining a new skill also increases his value to the team by 20,000 gp.

Post Match Sequence

1. No players were killed.

2. Winnings - FAME and dice rolls together with the pre agreed extra cash from page 32 resulted in 160,000 gp to spend.

3. Cash Transfer - N/A at present

4. Dice rolls resulted in an improvement to the Fan Factor. It went from 5 to 6.

5. Extra players need to be purchased. I am thinking that I will need another Thrower as 'Boghat Dragon Shooter' misses the next match with a Gouged Eye. That costs 70,000 gp and I would like a team Apothecary, cost 50,000 gp. That leaves me with 40,000 gp. This could purchase me another Goblin or ....... should I save it towards the cost of another reroll?? Decisions, decisions ........ Maybe I'll save it.

6. Journeymen - N/A at present.

Spiralling Expenses

N/A at present.

Summary

So there we have it. Yakstick has a new skill 'Catch', Boghat misses the next game because of his 'gouged eye', I have employed a team Apothecary and procured the services of a new Thrower. And I have 40,000 gp in the bank.

All in a days work.

Ho ho ho - happy christmas

What a day - what a day. Well I guess the Orcland Raider fans will be going home happy this evening. Could there have been more drama? I think not!! There are some days when gaming is just fantastic fun, the highs, the lows, they were extreme. Would we have it any other way - I think not.

And a certain somebody has got 'game ball' and will be sticking it in his trophy cabinet as a keepsake.

I give you - the one - the only .....

Yakstick Sticky Hand - you Da Gobo dude!!! (background suggested by the Dark Templar - although I have no photoshop skills, so this is my best low technology attempt)

So two games and 2 victories by 1-0. Both touchdowns scored by the goblin of all goblins Mr Yakstick himself. A truly unbelievable day. Never was someone so ineptly named. At one point Yakstick actually rolled six '1's' in row as he attempted to pick up the ball. (Yes, a lot of team rerolls were used, over a number of turns) This was interspersed by the Dark Templar actually rolling a double, double skull to block - no team rerolls left = 2 turns passed. I mean the dice were just insane - but it added to the atmosphere and the orc fans have gone home happy, happy, happy.

The goblin ability to ignore tackle zones and dodge like a man possessed proved to be the difference on the day. There were many attempts to Block him out of the game but he survived and ultimately triumphed.

Thankfully there were no lasting injuries to either side.

Lots of lessons to be considered and some decisions to be made on spending some of the cash. I think they will wait for another day.

Other than that I think it safe to say that the Gravesend Gutchewers will not be underestimating a goblin called Yakstick any time some.

There are days when I just love Blood Bowl!! I have not laughed so much in ages.

Thanks to the Dark Templar and  28mm victorian warfare for the games. Hey - Victorian Warfare - you just know that there is an elf in you somewhere that wants to Throw and Pass!! I sense a free flowing style in you .....