Blood Bowl - for real

[Falconeer]

Go in this order:

1) Moves that absolutely cannot fail.
2) Blocks with two or more dice
3) Dodges that are extremely likely to succeed (hi goblins)
4) Pick up the fucking ball
5) Blocks with one die
6) Throwing the ball.

Given this wise list, that's what happened in my Elf (me) vs Lizardman game in turn 1.

1) Moves that absolutely cannot fail. Ok, moving around. And I did, I placed a couple men out of tackle zones on the side I was going to call my "strong side"
2) Blocks with two or more dice - I had none. Wood elves are frustrating, especially against a team of 5 saurus and a big guy or something.
3) Dodges that are extremely likely to succeed (hi goblins) - They were all at least 2 or 3 dodge rolls to push my catcher deep into enemy territory. Was I supposed to try and fail a dodge BEFORE trying and getting the ball? Wouldn't that be a turnover with a loose ball anyway? So I wanted to get the ball and then, eventually, try the riskiest move.
4) Pick up the fucking ball - This where I fell, and my thrower died because of the falling. Didn't fail to pick up, he fell on a going for it of 2+ trying to get to the ball (nasty kick), and died.


Finally, me and IainC couldn't meet yesterday. I am advancing the League to Day #5.

So I was unlucky, not much to add on that. Just saying that I didn't have much else to do other than what I did. My biggest, stupidest mistake, has been going into the game without rerolls, but honestly the ball was kinda covered so I wouldn't have spent it anyway. What I couldn't predict was the dead of the thrower because of the failed go for it. That's what pissed me the most.

[Falconeer]

Day #4 is over.

Results are:

Helm (Luscious Lizards) 1 - Scadente (Black Amnesty) 1 - Not played - forced draw
Aez 4 - Modern Angel (Estalia Crushers) 0
Typhon (Toothsome Terrors) 0 - Cadaverine (Team Bugman's) 1
IainC (Tlachtlan Tornadoes) 1 - Falconeer (Bat Country) 1 - Not played - forced draw


Here's the standings after 4 matches.



Aez gets the top, winning soundly the big match with Modern Angel. Bad news for the Estalia Crushers as they get out of the match with a few broken bones, dropping to 7th place in the Team Value chart (below). Good win for Cadaverine, at the expensive of the extremely unlucky Typhon's chaotic bunch. With 6 points and 3 games left who says Cadaverine's dwarves can't aspire to the title?
Not so much to tell about the other matches with two unplayed (forced draws), let's hope for a better week 5.



Team Value fluctuations:

Team           -          This week TV         -          Last week TV         -        Last week TV position       -         TV Variation

1) Aez                            1440                               1200                                       1                                    +240
2) Scadente                    1120                               1120                                       2                                        -
3) Falconeer                    1110                               1110                                       3                                        -
4) IainC                          1090                               1090                                       6                                        -
5) Cadaverine                  1040                               1100                                       5                                       -60
6) Helm                           960                                 960                                       7                                         -
7) Modern Angel               940                                1100                                      4                                       -160
8) Typhon                       800                                 840                                       8                                        -40

--- League Total               8500                              8520                                       -                                        -20



Now, on with

Day #5



Scadente challenges Aezl. Another challenge for the unbeaten Aez, with lots at stakes as a win is needed to keep the top spot. Scadente has a healthy team, but the impressive TV of the skaven team might be too much of a factor.
Helm vs. Typhon, the first needs points, the second needs a morale boost. Will Typhon finally get a win?
Modern Angel vs. IainC While the standings say MA should win easily, the Team Value will be all at IainC's advantage. Interesting matchup.
Cadaverine vs. a mostly harmless Falconeer to keep on dreaming about the comeback.




P.S: Cadaverine, would you be on to play this sunday?

[NowhereMan]

The only thing I find annoying is knowing what I'll have to roll for dodges, sometimes I make what I think is going to be a 2+ dodge roll move and discover it's actually 3 or 4+. Is there any way of seeing what I'll need before making it or is it just a case of memorising the rules for dodges?

[Falconeer]

No, and that has been my biggest gripe since early beta. It is seriously ridiculous that they haven't changed that yet.

[Falconeer]

Random image of the upcoming Dark Elves. This is the Heartripper.

[Modern Angel]

God I love this game.

Iain, whenever you want to play is good for me except tomorrow mid-day.

[kaid]

The only thing I find annoying is knowing what I'll have to roll for dodges, sometimes I make what I think is going to be a 2+ dodge roll move and discover it's actually 3 or 4+. Is there any way of seeing what I'll need before making it or is it just a case of memorising the rules for dodges?

Oh yes this is one of my biggest bitches about the game. There really should be some display of the numbers needed to dodge so you have some gauge of how hard it will be specially for the non runty teams.

[Aez]

Could play today Scadente.  What's your steam name?

[Hoax]

The worst part is the dodge table doesn't even make sense in the living rulebook so I'm not sure how the rule even works in all honesty.  I assume anything that isn't AG3+ and only trying to dodge Out of 1 tackle zone into 0 tackle zones will be a 5+ and only worth going for on a prayer, that isn't a great way to play but since I stick to bashy teams it works ok.

[Cadaverine]

P.S: Cadaverine, would you be on to play this sunday?

Yes, I can, sir.  Any particular time that works for you?  I'm free all day, and have no life in particular. 

[Aez]

Waiting for you on steam.

[Aez]

I just checked the Dark elf team in the rulebook.  They look completely overpowered.

They have :

2 assassins with the stab skill :  armor roll every time they hit with out a chance a rolling an attacker down or both down.
4 blitzers with 8 AV, 4 AG and block - sigh.
regular linemans with 8 AV and 4 AG - sad.

[Cadaverine]

Don't they have ridiculously high point values, though?  Much like Chaos typically does.  Or did, anyway.

[Typhon]

Awesome Day 4/Day 5 post Falc, thanks for all the effort.

Thanks all for the coaching.

Helm!  I can play pretty much any time this weekend.  I'm GMT -4 (US DST), so early your morning is not doable.  Statistically speaking, I'm a force to be reckoned with!

[Modern Angel]

Don't they have ridiculously high point values, though?  Much like Chaos typically does.  Or did, anyway.

Absurdly high points values. They're good but holy fuck you can't start loaded.

IAIN IMA CALLING YOU OUT FOR TOMORROW

[IainC]

I'm good for tomorrow except for the evening (i'm in Colorado still so on Mountain Time). Let me know when you'll be around via f13 as I don't have Steam and I'll make sure I'm there.

[NowhereMan]

Don't they have ridiculously high point values, though?  Much like Chaos typically does.  Or did, anyway.

Absurdly high points values. They're good but holy fuck you can't start loaded.

With players that powerful I would expect to see a lot of people abusing the fuck out of the journeyman system (free players to fill your team up to 11, which can be used instead of spending money) in order to save up the cash for a full team.

[Scadente]

As previously said Im in the boot-shaped-country untill the 30th, and I only have a five year old powerbook as a computer here. Im not back till the 30th (+1 day realistically). So if you can wait, great, but If Im holding you all back I will just forfeit the match!

[Aez]

I should be on a good part of the day cadaverine.  Hit me on steam if you want to play.

[Modern Angel]

I'm good for tomorrow except for the evening (i'm in Colorado still so on Mountain Time). Let me know when you'll be around via f13 as I don't have Steam and I'll make sure I'm there.

I have a family function until about 2 Eastern. Would 4 Eastern work? That's 2 Mountain, I think.

[Falconeer]

I should be on a good part of the day cadaverine.  Hit me on steam if you want to play.

You are against Scadente, Aez. I am against Cadaverine.

[Falconeer]

P.S: Cadaverine, would you be on to play this sunday?

Yes, I can, sir.  Any particular time that works for you?  I'm free all day, and have no life in particular. 

Anything between 8pm to 1am Center European Time (should be 2pm to 7pm US East time) would work. I'll be on Steam.

[Der Helm]

Helm!  I can play pretty much any time this weekend.  I'm GMT -4 (US DST), so early your morning is not doable.  Statistically speaking, I'm a force to be reckoned with!

I'll be home sometime tomorow, I'll let you know.

[IainC]

Modern Angel and I played our game this afternoon. Final result was a fairly comfortable 2-0 victory to me. To be fair to MA, he suffered some atrocious luck with GFI rolls causing some badly timed turnovers. He also threw a lot of blocks with 2 dice against which generally didn't go well for him. Another shot of bad luck for him came when I pushed his ball-carrier off the pitch and the throw in landed in his TD zone and just within 2 GFI rolls of an unmarked Skink to put the win firmly out of his reach. Later on in the match I could have made it 3-0 but my Skink failed to pick up a loose ball on the very last turn.

[Modern Angel]

Two very bad games in a row for me. A few bad moves on my part but holy shit the dice have hated me for two games. I'm also a man down AGAIN next game.

[Aez]

After lots of game, I'm starting to wonder the level of skill vs luck.

It's closer to poker that it is to chess if you ask me.

[gryeyes]

Any indication of this game ever coming out on steam?

[Modern Angel]

It's coming out on Steam in September for the main release so far as I know.

[Hoax]

After lots of game, I'm starting to wonder the level of skill vs luck.

It's closer to poker that it is to chess is you ask me.

It feels like that sometimes  but I'm fairly sure that over a larger sample of games the cream will rise no matter what.  I still can't beat dwarves, its starting to make me go a little crazy, I managed a 0-0 draw versus them but I was the one with 8 guys left on the pitch (one dead the rest ko'd or badly hurt) at the end of it and got 5 spp only to show for the game.  That is my real beef, the fucking thick skull skill denies me any spp since I can't hurt the little fuckers to save my life.

[IainC]

After lots of game, I'm starting to wonder the level of skill vs luck.

It's closer to poker that it is to chess is you ask me.

It feels like that sometimes  but I'm fairly sure that over a larger sample of games the cream will rise no matter what.  I still can't beat dwarves, its starting to make me go a little crazy, I managed a 0-0 draw versus them but I was the one with 8 guys left on the pitch (one dead the rest ko'd or badly hurt) at the end of it and got 5 spp only to show for the game.  That is my real beef, the fucking thick skull skill denies me any spp since I can't hurt the little fuckers to save my life.

Sometimes the dice will just decide to take a dump all over you and there's nothing you can do about that but part of the challenge of the game is placing the odds in your favour as much as possible. Against MA, I never had a block with less than two dice, I never had a pick-up roll of more than 3+ or a throw at more than 4+ and I always had a reroll for anything that was important. There were still a few times when a 2+ Dodge with a reroll failed or a block came up with two skulls of course but making a lot of marginal moves every turn is just asking the dice to kick you in the nuts.

[Aez]

You are playing lizardmen, don't brag about always blocking with 2 dices 

Skaven, Human, Goblin and to a lesser extend wood elf have to tempt fate if they want to accomplish something. 

Also, I roll two 1 in a row with a reroll or surehand/doge almost every game. My last game yesterday ended up in a draw because I rolled two 1 in a row while a was going for it to block a lone runner close to my TD line.  To get that lone runner close to my TD line : he picked up the ball on a 5+ with out surehand, made 2 going for it, threw the ball with out a pass skill and 3 agi, and the catcher caught it with out the catch skill and 3 agi. The catcher then ran and made two other going for it.

[IainC]

You are playing lizardmen, don't brag about always blocking with 2 dices 

Skaven, Human, Goblin and to a lesser extend wood elf have to tempt fate if they want to accomplish something. 

Also, I roll two 1 in a row with a reroll or surehand/doge almost every game. My last game yesterday ended up in a draw because I rolled two 1 in a row while a was going for it to block a lone runner close to my TD line.  To get that lone runner close to my TD line : he picked up the ball on a 5+ with out surehand, made 2 going for it, threw the ball with out a pass skill and 3 agi, and the catcher caught it with out the catch skill and 3 agi. The catcher then ran and made two other going for it.

I threw more than a few blocks with Skinks as well where you need minimum 3:1 odds against anything to get 2 dice. Also my team has picked up practically no SPPs, I don't have a single player with Block or any skill that gives a reroll - off the top of my head I think I have one Skink with +1 agility and one with +1 movement and that's it for advancements. Forcing your opponent to take as many tests as possible - dodges, GFIs etc is an important part of strategy. Assume that any move will fail and position yourself to either capitalise on his failures or backstop yours.

[Falconeer]

Sorry Cadaverine, I've been out all day and I've been an ass enough to not let you know. I apologise, I am so sorry.
Can we try again today?

[Cadaverine]

Sorry Cadaverine, I've been out all day and I've been an ass enough to not let you know. I apologize, I am so sorry.
Can we try again today?

No worries.  I will be available a bit after 5 PM CST, which should be Midnight your time.  Gonna be the same deal through Friday, so if that's too late for you, we can do it on Sat/Sun.

[Falconeer]

No, it's late but should be fine. I'll wait until 5.30 though. Beyond that it would be definitely too late.