The snotlings ducked to avoid the hurled cast iron pot, cowering again as it hit the ground with an almighty crash.
“You were given one job!”
Still sooty faced, the pint sized creatures tried scurrying away from the indignant head coach of the Shreking Balls. A wine jug was hurled next, the arc taking it into a smashed heap on the floor. As the snotlings fled the room, Günther Weyrauch slumped into his chair. The only solace he had was the art gallery fire wasn’t linked to the team, they could barely afford the team’s upkeep without any fines being accrued. Günther’s skin drained of all colour as the realisation set in. They would have to play against a full strength Har Ganeth. And a healthy Belphegor.
Günther needed a lie down.
A knock on the door woke the Head Coach from his sleep. Groggy from his rest, Günther Weyrauch stumbled to the door. The brightly clothed man flamboyantly produced a letter and began to read, “Dear Misser ‘ead Coach, I iz afraid dat I cannot make dis game. I ‘ave a touch of the ‘alfling ‘ot Trots. Sorry, Bomber Dribblesnot.”
The messenger rolled the letter up and handed it to the bemused head coach, “I believe I had the pronunciation correct there, Sir, have a nice day.”
And with that the man turned on his heels and headed off towards town. Günther could feel his stomach knotting. Hoping it was merely the nerves of the forth coming game, and not another batch of the stomach flu.
The tension in the stadium was palpable as the team entered. The news of the injury to Cuchilo, Har Ganeth Reivers’s star Assassin, came as an unexpected blessing to the Shreking Balls team. Günther felt a chill down his spine as he heard the menacing war cries of the predominantly Dark Elf crowd. The servants of Khaine were in a particularly bloodthirsty mood.
The fiery eyed gaze of the Dark Elf team was matched by the glazed over look from the Ogre front line. The slow witted Ogres were left grasping at air as the agile elves began their attack. With barely a flick of the wrist, Belphegor deftly passed the ball downfield. Mab leaped into the air, plucking the ball to her chest, and running in for the first Touchdown of the game.
1-0 with barely any time on the board. The Ogres were confused. Snots argued with each other. Ferdinand was still tying his boots.
Günther Weyrauch raged on the sidelines, the tightening of his stomach returning. He beckoned for Winda to come over, the only snotling capable of a little Reikspiel.
“Get the ball! Stop fighting with each other!” he bellowed to the nonplussed snotling. As Winda ran back onto the fied, Günther trotted off to the backroom lavatory.
Both teams lined up for the kickoff. As the ball went skyward, the elven speed was back on show. Before the Ogres could react, the Dark Elves blitzed forward. Weechee was knocked away by the momentum of the onslaught, and the Kar Ganeth Witch Elf, Kali, caught the kick to begin a dangerous Druchii attack.
With a grunt the Ogres snapped out of their confusion and started an aggressive attack on the elves. Bodies flew and bones were broken in the assault. The next few minutes were a blur of violence as the ball was surrounded by the bulk of the Shreking Ball Ogres.
The remaining elves bounced out of the melee and backed away from the frenzy. With no one else to hit, the Ogres remembered the ball in the middle of the scrum. Fungus picked up the ball and ran. Farkle was upfield, scratching his behind, and enjoying the view of the violent crowd. He had barely turned as the ball came flying towards him from the pass from Fungus. Clumsily he grabbed towards the ball, surprised that it landed in his hand, and ran towards the end-zone, dodging away from the final Dark Elf defender before scoring before the end of the half.
The Touchdown celebrations continued into the locker room with songs and belly beating reverberating around the room. Günther emerged from the lavatory confused at the noise. Whatever he had caught had made him miss the half. Ogres celebrating didn’t mean anything. They’d celebrate all day for seemingly no reason. But there was no use trying a team talk. The celebrations were boisterous and far too loud for any tactical conversations.
Whereas the Ogres returned to the pitch in a jovial mood, the elves appeared scalded and tense. The lines were formed, and the ball was kicked deep into the Shreking Balls half. The snotlings swarmed the ball and they swept it out to the flank, a bulky Ogre wall blocking the elves.
The yellow bulldozer continued down the pitch until an elf managed to trip the ball carrying snot. The snotling lay mangled on the floor, and the ball bounced once again to Farkle’s hands.
The smell of blood changed something in Flobablob, and he quickly sent two Reivers to the injury room. Before long the Dark Elves had only a handful of players on the pitch, smashed aside by the Shreking Balls attack. As the clock ticked down, Farkle scored his second Touchdown of the game, smashing aside a defender on the way in.
The action, or should that be inaction, of the Har Ganeth Reivers angered their fans. Bloodthirsty fans poured onto the pitch, tearing apart the referee, ripping up parts of the pitch, and fighting amongst each other.
The pitch cleared, and a nervous looking second referee on the pitch, the teams returned to continue the game. Deej kicked the ball into play and the teams clashed again.
With seconds ticking down, the remaining Har Ganeth Reivers players sprinted forward. The ball was thrown in a perfect spiral to the outstretched hand of Kali the Witch Elf. The ball tipped just before it reached, leaving the Dark Elf grasping at air as the ball fell to the ground.
The horn sounded and the match ended. The Shreking Balls won the game 2-1!
The rest of the week was a blur of celebration, feasts, and drinking. Günther Weyrauch wasn’t foolish enough to try and step between an Ogre and his feasting. So he spent the week planning alone for the next game, hoping he would catch nothing from the upcoming game against Nurgle.
Visit Element Games here (Use the code DAN2300 at Checkout for double points)
Günther Weyrauch sighed. He raised his drink to his lips, took a great gulp, placed the goblet on the table, sunk into his chair. The game against the Amazons was a harsh jolt back to reality after the training week. If heavy was the head that wore the crown, then how about the one working for a maniac Orc?
The snotling server topped up his goblet with Estalian wine, almost knocking the jug over the table. Günther moved his stack of papers out of snotling harm. He had been keeping notes for a while. Strengths of his own players, weaknesses of the opposition, tactics to work on. Even going s far as to pay a youth to spy on their opponents. Whether the lad was caught or overwhelmed by watching the Amazonians in secret, Nuffle only knows.
At any rate the preparation had come to nothing. The Amazons had outworked, outplayed, and outhit the Ogre team. Although one thing came from their training week, a surprising passing play from one of the snots. Surprising as the ball is almost the same length as the snot is tall.
Günther sighed. At least the 2-0 loss wasn’t as harsh as the 6-0, but Elfs were on the horizon again, the Har Ganeth Reivers. He thumbed through his notes. The bounty on Belphegor was well worth the retainer paid to keep Bomber Dribblesnot for another game, and the buying of the sixth ogre… even if he was a few quail eggs short of a luncheon.
The was the game Weyrauch was looking forward to. He despised Dark Elfs. The game plan was simple: Hit hard, Hit fast, Leave only corpses. The same as the Dark Elf raids on his homelands.
“Runt!” he shouted to the snotling server. The snotling squealed and pottered over, still holding the wine jug.
“Uh?” the snot squeaked. Günther was slowly learning that this could mean ‘yes’, ‘hello’ or ‘excuse me’, but found it best to gesticulate in return. This wasn’t always perfect. His imitation of a large ogre had the snotlings bring him the portly priest of a local town.
Günther showed the snotling the illustration of Belphegor. He pulled out a dagger and thrust it into the portrait. The snotling squeaked “Ug”, believed to be a phrase of acknowledgement, and scarpered off.
Günther Weyrauch sipped his drink and smiled, looking forward to the upcoming game
The snotling servant reached the small fire the other snotlings had congregated around.
“ere,” he squeaked, “da boss wantz uz t’ bust up da art gallery.” He shrugged, “Orderz is orderz,” and the snotlings gathered up their weapons.
Visit Element Games here (Use the code DAN2300 at Checkout for double points)
Well I will start with an apology for taking so long to make a blog post. I am aware that it’s been a while. So lets get into what I have been up to
Waterbowl League
In Round 7 my Ogres took on Matt Shaw’s Elven Union team and …… got absolutely decimated.
I despise Elven Union/Pro Elves and came out of this game on the painful side of a 6-0 loss!
Which is why, if I am being honest, I haven’t written a fluff piece on the game. I could barely look at my notes afterwards, And I was happy to take a break during the Bye Week.
Round 9 will be against the always great Ringbeard with his Amazon team, followed by Dark Elves in Week 10
In other tabletop, I helped Ringbeard with his NAFC preparation. He ran Halflings (my new love) against a Nurgle team. The game ended 1-0 to the ‘flings, with me making a mistake in the first half to deny myself a score; I need to count squares away from Treemen.
Getting away from Ogres was a nice palette cleanser, Nurgle being the team that seems to fit my playstyle a little easier.
SAWBBL
I am using Halflings in the FUMBBL based SAWBBL league. Even though I am not from the Swindon area, the Halfling Half Biscuit are there to prop up the division.
I am also recording each of my SAWBBL games on my YouTube channel, so check the playlist out there!
FUMBBL
I am using FUMBBL a lot more for my Blood Bowl fix. My record on there isn’t the greatest, but this is down to two reasons:
I mainly use Halflings, Nurgle or Ogres
I don’t cherrypick games
Unskilled stunty and Nurgle teams are very difficult to use against teams with even a couple of skills, with them being Tier 2 or 3 in usual tournaments.
The cherrypicking in Ranked games is something that I don’t buy into. I will play against any team, regardless of TV or Tier. This has meant my Halflings have been up against Skaven, High Elves, and Undead of all varieties.
If I was playing it to pad my rankings up, my Halflings would only play other Stunties, for example. But I like to play, so I don’t turn games down.
And speaking of which, if you would like to challenge me, and possibly appear on the channel, sling my an inbox on my Profile Page there.
….and finally
I am proud to announce my membership to the FLING NATION!
With the newly released Halfling team, along with the YouTube channel and FUMBBL, this Waterbowl season will be the last I use anything but Halflings for the foreseeable future!
Special thanks go to the Two Drunk Flings cast for inspiring me in this decision.
I am just waiting for my shirt now!
Visit Element Games here (Use the code DAN2300 at Checkout for double points)
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH GÜNTHER WEYRAUCH, HEAD COACH OF THE SHREKING BALLS
Günther Weyrauch’s tenure as Head Coach of the Shreking Balls hasn’t gotten off to the grandstand start that many of the yellow faithful may have wanted, but it hasn’t been without its high points. The signing of Ferdinand, the fifth Ogre to line up for the team, has given the team a solid attacking line.
In the build up to the match against the Purple Show Ponies, we managed to get an exclusive interview with the man himself.
How have you settled in at the club?
It has been a great experience and a real eyeopener. Everyone has been amazing and being the first human involved in the running of the club is a real honour.
Your debut as Head Coach was against the Magenta Maniacs. The goblins have been tricky in the division so far. What did you tell the players before that game?
I didn’t want to change too much too soon. The ogre siblings were told to ignore the fanatic and attack the goblins to whittle down the numbers. Of course Fergus saw the spinning ball and stood next to it all game. Thankfully we got the draw, and Fergus escaped with just a bit of bruising.
You were integral in bringing Ferdinand into the fold. How is he settling in at the club?
Very well. I brought him in to help the front line, letting Farkle have more room to get around the pitch. Well that’s the theory anyway.
Where did it go wrong against the Sisters of a Down? At one point it looked like a draw was almost guaranteed
I’m not too sure. One minute we have the ball yards from the opposition end-zone, the next the ogres are staring into the crowd, the ball is loose, and the Sisters score!
We have had a lot of attention training this past week, which will hopefully come to fruition in the next game.
The injury to Deej in the last game must have been tough. How are you preparing for the next game without him?
Deej could have been a star in the next game. Elves rely on agile running, and his defensive skills are the finest of the snotlings.
Ferdinand in particular is looking forward to the next game. Being the only non-sibling ogre gives him extra incentive to stand out.
After the game against the Purple Show Ponies you have a bye week. How will your team spend it?
That depends on the result. If we pick up a win then the team will be treated to a trip to the Swamp Spa. If we lose or draw then we need to spend the time training on defence.
Thank you for your time, sir
My pleasure
YouTube update!
At long last I content on my YouTube channel!
The first video in ‘Fancy a Fumbbl’, the series where I shall be posting games of Blood Bowl using the FUMBBL game client
In preparation for the SAWBBL FUMBBL league, I played a practice game, pitting my Halflings, Halfling Half Biscuit, against a Goblin team in an all Stunty clash!
If you would like to take on my Halflings, and possibly appear on the channel, contact me here or on FUMBBL (username TheGngrNoob)
The hypnotic clunking of the cart wheels helped relax Snux. The thoughts were swimming in his head. Tactics for the next game, team talk ideas, escape plan if they lose. The team were in high spirits, however. Farkle was bragging about his new ‘Up an’ over’ punching technique. Fungus and Wicket had been working on a throwing move, with half the week spent teaching Fungus which direction they are supposed to move. The rest of the team were involved in the usual pre-game jokes and squabbles. All of this completely washed over Snux, if it wasn’t for cheering fans he wouldn’t have snapped out of his trance before they reached the stadium.
The shadow of the newly renovated Onion Bowl loomed over the team convoy. Snux noticed that he could barely see the hole where the runaway mule cart collapsed a holding beam. As the team departed the various carts the players reverted to their pre-game states. The Snotlings were often very energetic, bouncing around and chattering. Each of the Ogres were quiet. Snux often wondered whether it was meditation or a lack of brain power. Whatever it was, they seemed more focused than usual. “Perhaps I will survive after all”, thought Snux.
With minutes left until the kick off there was a knock on the door. Without a second’s hesitation the door sprung open. With a grand flourish a man entered.
“I…,” began the man, putting a deliberate delay between his words, “am Horatio X. Schottenheim, Master Mage extraordinaire!”
The Snotling chatter stopped. An Ogre grunted.
The man continued, “I am here today to prove to you that I am the most mind boggling, magnificent and mesmerising mage from here to Middenheim!” and he conjured a ball of smoke and flame in his hands. A couple of the rookie Snotlings applauded. A second Ogre grunted.
“Fanks, Mr Mage,” Snux squeaked, his tongue struggling with most human speak, never mind Schottenwhatever. “We will see you on da pitch.”
By game time the ogres had woken up. Guttural roars and head crashes were the new routine. For the snotlings it was time to avoid the belly charges of Farkle and Fungus. The 18,000 or so cheering fans got to see some pre-match action as Farkle and Fergus got into a scrap, before Felicia pulled her brothers apart. Snux rubbed his hands with glee, at least the lads were up for a fight!
The referee brought both team captains to the centre circle for the coin toss. Towered over by both an Ogre and a Chaos Warrior, the referee flipped the coin high into the air. The monstrous Mighty Gorgons captain yelled out first. “Heads!” he shouted, the voice seemingly projected from 8 directions in succession. The coin spun to the ground. Tails. “Dey Kick,” growled Farkle as he lumbered back to his team.
The whistle sounded and the ball was kicked high into the air! Fists flew and bones crunched as both lines collided. Weechee found himself in possession of the ball. As he was almost the same height as the ball he knew this would be tricky. His fear increased as he saw Crag Hack, Beastman and part-time poet, cruelly smash through one of the rookies. Weechee scrambled forward, the cheering crowd unable to drown out the screams of injured snotlings. Weechee kept running. Running away from the screams. Running with the ball. Wait, did he just score? He had the ball, and was in the end zone, and the referee blew his whistle.
One nil to the Shreking Balls!
Snux bounced up and down in the dugout. They might win this, and he might live! Sure a few of the boys were injured, but nothing a bit of spit and rest won’t fix. “Oi ladz,” he shouted to the closest ogres, “Git at ’em quick, an’ git at ’em ‘ard!” Fergus gives the boss a nod and a grunt as he lumbers to the scrimmage.
Punches were thrown before the ball was even in the air, but luckily the referee’s eyes were skyward. The Mighty Gorgons attack was hard and fast. Another snotling was destroyed in the onslaught of Chaotic fury. Snux looked down the line to where the Master Mage had perched himself on a wooden stool. “Oi! Do summthin’!” Snux shouted. Horatio bounded up, cloak billowing behind him. He nimbly manoeuvred his fingers, flailed his arms, sang praises to Aqshy, and launched a fireball towards the charging Chaos players. The fireball barely singed the Beastman’s hair as it missed by a good ten strides. “What waz that?!” Snux bellowed, kicking the ground with anger, “We paid yer gud money!” The Beastman was already celebrating his touchdown yards from the line. Enough time for his teammate to wipe out another snotling. One all as the whistle blew for half time.
Snux slammed the door of the changing room. Besides the heavy breathing of the ogres, the room was silent. “Youz were doin’ well, yer got sloppy, dey got a score.” He walked over to Fergus, “You were rubbish!” Over to Weechee, “You were gud.” Snux walked over to the pot of brew in the corner. He poured himself a drink while he tried to regain his composure. Blowing away the chunks from the bowl, he took a gulp and carried on. “Lissen. Dey are a gud team. If we played ’em ten times, dey might win nine. But tonight we are gunna hurt ’em. We are gunna get in dere faces and beat em!” The snotlings in the dressing room all cheered in unison. The ogres cheered a few moments later. The team were ready for the second half.
A long kick began the half. The remaining snotlings watching in fear as the block of Chaos Warriors charged forward. From out of no where Farkle began to thunder towards the Mighty Gorgons. He charged past two dumbfounded players and collided with the ball carrying beastman. The player and ball soared into the air. Snux watched on as the ball bounced into the crowd, who launched it across the pitch. It landed at the feet of the hapless Paploo.
Paploo looked at the ball. Every fibre of his body screamed at him to run away from the ball. “If I don’t have the ball, they might not hit me,” he thought out loud. Then he looked at the pile of his injured team mates, remembered his boss’s words, and sprinted up field with the ball above his head. As he scrambled towards the sidelines his team mates clouded around him. Ducking under outstretched arms the snotling swarm scurried towards the midfield. As fast as their tiny legs were caryying them, they could not outrun the Mighty Gorgon defence. Too late to dodge away, the horns of the braying defender clattered Paploo to his back, the ball bouncing away.
“No!” screamed Snux. He put his head in his hands. “I’m not goin’ in da pot!” He ran over to the Mage, half thinking he should run to the exit. “Right, yer gonna earn yer money dis time. Don’t let dat ball get near our line!” He’d barely go to the dugout when he heard the crowd grown. Looking towards the pitch he saw singed grassed and a fleeing Mage near the endzone. Snux was white. He gulped and slumped into his seat.
Jabarkas bucked and brayed on his way to the end-zone. On defence his single mindedness was an asset. Here, though, he failed to see the hog pie thrown towards his head. He dropped to the floor, snout on the touchline, ball next to his horns.
The Shreking Balls fans howled in derision at the prone beastman. Snux looked up from his sulk. The ogre players were busy punching their opposite Chaos numbers, but the snots might be able to get the ball. “Run run RUN!” he squeaked. Snux prayed to Gork, to Mork, to Nuffle, to anyone that was listening. Across the pitch Winda began running towards the ball. “Yes! Yes!” Snux cheered. Winda dodged under the legs of a Gorgon defender, then tripped over his own feet. Snux’s prayers were to go unanswered.
The booing echoed around his head. Jabarkas stood up and brushed himself down. Staring at the Shreking Balls fans he strolled over to the ball, picked it up, and scored the easiest touchdown of his career.
Snux wasn’t hanging around. He cursed the game, he cursed the mage, he cursed the team. Sprinting past his injured former players he headed towards the exit. If only the players were this nimble, he thought as he saw the light shining through the closed gate. Locked. He pounded his tiny fists on the wood and yelled in frustration. He looked around for any sort of exit, a hole to crawl through, a sewer to wade through. Suddenly the light went black. The canvas bag was around his head and body and he was upside down.
The day after the match, an announcement was made that Snux was being sent on early retirement and The Shreking Balls were proud to unveil Günther Weyrauch as new Head Coach, the first Human coach in the Ogre teams history.
A fluff piece for my 2-1 loss to Chaos. First time I have ever been leading a match with the Ogres though!
Visit Element Games here (Use the code DAN2300 at Checkout for double points)
The air inside the tent was thick. Fungal brew bubbled away on a fire in the corner. A withered boy slave poked at the mixture with a wooden spoon. Pinpricks of light shone through the tattered cloth above, making the rotting table glimmer like an old Dwarven mine. Snux sat in his chair. He had been waiting for Kuldag to speak for fifteen life times so far. At least that’s what it felt like. But the old orc wasn’t one to rush. And Snux wasn’t going to rush him. The snotling coach knew well why he was here in the Big Boss’s tent.
Kuldag sat back in his chair and stretched his arms out, his sinuous body cracking from years of hardship. “Dey said I was mad in the ‘ed when I started dis Ogre team. ‘Why not an Orc team, bring yer old friends along?’ dey would say. But after I won dat bet with a slaver for four baby Ogres, I knew what I ‘ad to do. Trained dem from babies, I did. An’ all for a coach to mess it up.”
The orc glared at the small snotling. Snux felt a yelp bubbling in his throat as he squirmed in his chair. “I shoulda coached the team me self. But dat ban. All’s fair in Blood Bowl dey sed. A game for da toughies dey sed. But yer lets Squigs into one Khemri trainin’ ground and get booted from the league!” Kuldag emphasised this by booting the boy slave in the behind, sending him clear out of the tent. The Orc smiled, still got it he thought. He walked back to his chair and let his enormous body slump into it. “Let’s go through da games den?” If Snux could get any paler he’d be whiter than the Mountains of Mourn.
“Match one was against Skinnies. You might as well ‘ave stayed at ‘ome! No scorin’, no urtin’, nuthin!” Kuldag smashed his meaty fists on the table. It buckled under the impact, only the fungal rot keeping it together. “Farkle ‘ad fun, but e’s fick, int he?” The boy slave reappeared, carrying a plate of meats of dubious origin. He scrambled over to the table, placed the plate down, and scampered back to stirring the fungus brew. Kuldag grabbed a handful of meat and crammed it into his maw.
“The next one wuz betta. Couple of scores. But no krumpin’? These humans are like twigs to snap!” he bellowed, spraying flecks of meat over the shivering coach. Kuldag turned to the slave boy, “Oi! Dat brew ready yet?” The boy cowered. He ladled out a bowl for the enraged orc. He placed it on the table at almost the same time as running out of the orc’s reach. Kuldag drained the bowl in a few gulps. Snux couldn’t tell if the brew caused the Big Boss to calm down, but his rage seemed to subside.
“Dis last game…dis last game I liked. If yer aren’t gonna score, hurt ’em. So we lost a few snots. You lot aren’t important. Get you by the bucketload if I want,” the orc grinned. The snotling didn’t. “So, ‘ere’s what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna let you ‘ave one more game in charge. Yer beat the Mighty Gorgons, or I eat yer. Simple as dat. Now leave, before yer go in pot!” The orc grabbed at the last of the meat. Snux was sure he recognised one of the chunks.
“Erm, thanks boss,” Snux squeaked as he clambered down from his chair. Snux didn’t know what to do. Was this a trick? Should he run away now and become a troll rider? How would he get the rabble to beat the league leaders?
The threats were still pounding in his head as Snux made his way back to the team practice field. Fungus and Fergus were playing catch with Wicket. Farkle was attempting to learn a new touchdown dance, even though he’d never held a ball for longer than a blink. Deej was lying on the floor, back still hurting from the previous game. Three new snots were over the far end trying to stop Fungus from getting past them. New, and stupid.
Looking over his team, Snux realised he would need some outside help…
Just a short fluff piece as I haven’t done a write up for any of the games so far. I may go back to full write ups for the next game, or I may do a fluff style write up, similar to this. Unsure yet, cheers!
Visit Element Games here (Use the code DAN2300 at Checkout for double points)
February marks the return of the Waterbowl Weekender. The 6 game tournament boasted over a hundred entrants from such exotic places as Denmark, Spain, and Derby!
The Team
After the Nurgle did so well last year I opted to increase the difficulty with a Tier 3 team. So it was decided I would use Ogres, the same as I am using in this year’s league.
As I did last year I took the 5 normal, 1 double option for additional skills.
3 Re-Rolls, 1 Fan Factor, 1 Assistant Coach, 1 Cheerleader
The Shreking Balls!
I opted not to take an Apothecary, as I figured that having the extra re-roll and bodies would help more. I was right, but not in the way that I figured. But in that if one Ogre went off, there would be another following soon behind!
Skill wise I copied the Diving Tackle Snotlings from my League Team, while adding in Break Tackle for both offensive and defensive reasons. In hindsight I should have loaded up on skills for only the Ogres. But I wasn’t to know what I was in for…..
…..Insert Swirly Time Travel Music…..
DAY ONE
The Future’s Bright…..
In my eagerness to reach the tournament I arrived with an hour to burn. I headed to the Beefeater for a pre-tourney breakie. As I enjoyed my breakfast and copious cups of coffee who would arrive but the lads from the Two Drunk ‘Flings Cast.
A cracking catch up with a hungover Liam was interrupted with Alan’s order of breakfast. 7 bacon, 7 sausage and at least one of each other item from the menu. “I’m training to be a competitive eater,” he reasoned.
TWO PLATES! (also, Johnny “Nicest Man In Blood Bowl” Bull at the table)‘Fling Coach Extraordinaire, Liam “Longstride”
After hobnobbing with Blood Bowl Podcast Royalty (?) I headed over to Element Games for the first round
Round One – Howza with Skaven
For the second year running I faced Skaven in the first found. With this being Howza’s first tournament, it was a Noob by name Vs Noob by nature game
Unfortunately my Ogres didn’t want to play with the ball this game, losing 2-1.
Casualty wise they faired much better, with the score 3-1.
In “non-scoring” casualties, he managed to crowd surf an Ogre. Two of my Snotlings managed to foul the Rat Ogre into the injured box, with the sending off being a fine swap.
Howza is a lovely chap and I wish him all the best in his future Blood Bowling activities
0 Wins 1 Loss
Round Two – Jasmin with Humans
Round 2 was against the lovely Jasmin. With the weather perfect, and me winning the FAME roll, I thought I may have done well here…
There was one survivor, nestled safely in the KO Box!
One solo Snotling survived. He lives to fight another day!
The game began with a Blitz result on the Kick Off table and a quick score for the Humans. The next kick started a long grind and my first two conceded casualties. And an infuriating 3 Bone Head rolls in Turn 8 was just a cherry on a poor half for the Ogres.
0-1 (0-2) Half Time
Once things started going wrong for me it spiralled out of control. Six more casualties and another score made the game out of my hands.
Kick Off roll showed a Perfect Defence, making even a flukey OTTD off the table. Two casualties and a fouled Ogre casualty topped off a resounding win for the overseas coach.
2-0 Loss
10-0 on casualties
Completely pitch cleared by Turn 16!
Jasmin was a joy to play against, and his generosity showed when he donated dice to Alex’s nephew. Lovely guy!
This wasn’t one for the neutral and both teams struggled moving the ball at times.
After a Turn 2 score for the Slann, the ball was kicked to the Ogres. My second turn of 3 failed Bone Head rolls was followed by a 2 re-rolled into a 1 on the ball pick up. By some miracle I managed to score in Turn 6, causing a casualty before half time.
1-1 (1-0) Going into half time.
The second half just upped the incompetence level of both teams, to the chagrin of me and Drewcifer. The Slann caused a single casualty and a TD in an uneventful second half
2-1 Loss, even 1-1 on casualties, and two completely inept teams.
The streak continues!
0 Wins 3 Losses
At the end of Day One I was searching eBay to see the sell on value of an Ogre team. But as I am using them in the League, I must persevere.
DAY TWO
I started Day Two refreshed. An earlyish night and a leftover takeaway for breakfast put me in high spirits for the day.
I also knew that my Round Four opponent would be Porter Sorter, a great guy that I had spoken to a lot on Twitter. So that would be a good start!
With a hushed prayer to Blood Bowl creator Jervis Johnson I headed off to Stockport
WWJJD
As I listened to my music on the journey my phone beeped.
…REDRAW…
So out goes the Ogre vs Chaos Pact match I had barely planned for.
Round Four – Nadsokor with Skaven
My Round Four opponent was another overseas coach, this time from Denmark. We ended up seeing a lot of each other this tournament as he bounced between three adjacent tables.
My second game vs Skaven of the tournament started off better than I expected. Two swift casualties gave me hope.
Then I conceded.
I managed two more casualties, one from a foul, before the whistle blew for half time.
The second half was tough. Nothing of note happened. But my poor opponent had the worst run of luck.
Snotling armour was titanium.
Ogres were impervious to harm.
The ball was glued to my team.
I scored in Turn 16 to pull off a draw!
0 Wins 1 Draw 3 Losses
Round Five – Zerosgiven with Elven Union
In Round 5 I played against Elven Union with the special addition of Jordell.
Jordell, who is an absolute bastard.
Jordell, who I curse with all my life.
Fuck Jordell.
The first turn had casualties inflicted on both sides, followed by a quick touch down for the pointy ears. I caused two casualties and the Elves caused one against me.
I was winning the fighting, but losing the scoring. The game was pushed out of my reach with a second score for the Elven Union shortly before Half Time.
As Round Five had a bonus point available for 3+ Casualties, that was the focus of the Elf team. Again the Snotlings became massively resilient to pain, with no further damage caused to the Ogres. (Although I caused another)
Now some of you may think this helped me out, with my knowledge of the team…..you would be wrong.
The first half saw me cause zero casualties and concede three plus a TD.
A few assists on this foul!
I was lucky to only go into the half 1-0 down and playing 10 vs 11 would make the second half difficult. Of course my luck then decided to dip again, with my first double skulls re-rolled into a double skulls of the tournament.
Highlight of the second half was when Blessed Knight’s Bloater fouled a Snotling, got sent off, and failed to break the armour!
The Nurgle team scored in Turn 16 to win 2-0! MY FINAL RECORD
0 WINS 1 DRAW 5 LOSSES
Well it could have gone better
FINAL RESULTS
Winner: Monkeytrumpet (Lizardmen) Runner Up: Don Vito (Amazons) Third Place: Winkle Picka (Wood Elves)
Best Overseas: Candlejack Best Kid: Lolcaesar Best Painted: Darkdan (Amazons) Stunty Cup: Mjallen (Goblins) Wooden Spoon: Ben Shaw (Humans)
My Team
Overall I played as well I expected. I did everything I could do right, to a point. But squishy Snotlings and Bone Head ruined any plans.
I should have taken Guard on at least one Ogre too.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Absolutely fantastic tournament Thank you to Alex Wormall for organising the event and to Element Games and the staff for being such great hosts.
Also, I didn’t finish bottom!
Next year I think I’ll use a “proper” Blood Bowl team Of course I only have to use the Ogres for a further 11 games in the league … Unless I make the playoffs by some miracle…and possibly the Stunty Slam. Then it’ll be Skaven time!
Visit Element Games here (Use the code DAN2300 at Checkout for double points)
Roleplaying games are great. They give us the ability to disappear into fantastical worlds of magic and danger, or planets of aliens and, well, more danger. But when you first start off these games it can be overwhelming. Each game system has its own set of rules to learn, spells and abilities to keep track of, and often a multitude of different dice.
With all this to keep track of, sometimes it can be difficult to keep up the Role aspect of roleplaying. So here are my beginner’s tips to create characters that both fit the game archetypes and are easy enough to imagine.
First Games
Plagiarise
I know, dirty dirty word. But we aren’t talking about writing a film or book here.
For your first games I would take an existing character that you love and implant them in the game system. Now it would be tough to have Judge Dredd or Batman in D&D, but not their personality. So you have a character that has a strict sense of right and wrong. One more Lawful than the other in the two examples here, but it is a jump off point.
Or even PIRATE BATMAN!
You already have seen enough stories and scenes to make a guess on their actions. You even have a cool gravelly voice to put on if you roleplay like that.
I would change up their role however. So imagine, if you could, Batman but as a Wizard. Less hand to hand fighting, but keeping that sense of justice and use of fear. In game it may influence you to use the more psychological spells, or become a spell based bounty hunter. That would be cool.
Of course the next step is to slightly change them. Some platforms make this easier than others. In my Play by Post WFRP game, Lukasz is based on Captain America. This may seem strange at first if you read the game play. He says and tries to do the right thing at all times. But given that I can write out his thoughts, it is all shown to be a charade. Whereas Steve Rogers lives and breathes his actions, Lukasz is doing it all for his selfish glory. He is desperate to be liked. Both he and Captain may save a child from a building, but Lukasz would be upset if he wasn’t praised afterwards.
Before you know it your character will evolve. Even if it isn’t a big in game thing (losing an arm will change up the character whether you like it or not), your character will slowly morph into the PC you want to play.
Building Your Character
Next Steps
Once you have wet your feet, or don’t want to use an existing character, it is time to try and make your first original character.
This will depend a little on your character’s class and race in the game system. You’ll have to tie the class into the background, with some needing a bit more development than others. For example, a wizard class would need the explanation of where his spellcasting ability came from.
A game that has randomised stats/characteristics can spark off some imagination too. All it takes is filling in the gaps and reasoning for the stats. A high weapon skill could mean that the character was a natural fighter in their youth. A high intelligence would be a top of the class student.
Lukasz rolled low on toughness and charisma. So in the background he was injured as a child, and is very vain.
Appearance
What do they look like? How old are they?
After deciding or rolling the race/species, the first place I start is the appearance.
How old are they?
What is their hair and eye colour?
Do they have any scars or tattoos?
What are they called?
For our example we will have a character named Jacob.
Jacob is a 23 year old human. He has brown hair and brown eyes, with a scar on his left eyebrow. He is a fighter (DnD class)
Give them a home life
Try not to go for the clichéd dead parents, you are better than this.
How is your character’s relationship with their parents
Do they have siblings? How do they get on? Sibling rivalry is a great motivator
Are they a wealthy family?
What do they do for a job?
These are the corner pieces of the character jigsaw. From these simple questions the rest is easily built upon. For each question you answer, ask why.
Example:
How is your character’s relationship with their parents? Jacob loves his mother but dislikes his Dad Why? His Dad is violent
Do they have siblings? Jacob has one brother and two younger sisters. His brother joined the army; his sisters are school age How do they get on? Jacob looks up to his brother, but resents him for leaving the family. His sisters are practically raised by Jacob.
Are they a wealthy family? They aren’t poor, but are comfortable. Dad works as a market trader, Mum is a housewife. Jacob contributes how he can by doing odd jobs.
What job does he have? Jacob does odd jobs, but is often a rat catcher at the local tavern
So from that we have a frame:
Jacob is a young man living at home with his parents and two younger sisters. He has an older brother that is in the army. Jacob is proud of him, but is also resentful as he believes his brother abandoned the family. Jacob’s Dad is a violent man. Often he beats them when he gets home from working on the market. Jacob often sees his father at the tavern when he helps rat catching in the cellar.
We can deduce that he will look after younger people, has a strong sense of familial duty, can trap, and that he probably hates bullies.
Long and Short term goals
What does your character want in life?
This is split into long and short term goals as they can be massively different.
A short term goal would be earning £100. A long term may be saving £10,000
Examples of short term goals:
Buy a new sword
Travel to the big city
Pass a school test
Example of long term goals:
Graduate from a Sword Mastery school
Start a new life in a big city
Become a teacher
For our sample character, I see his goals being tied into his class as a fighter.
Jacob’s short term ambitions are to train in swordplay, with a long term goal to win a sword fighting competition.
The call to adventure
Joseph Campbell’s The Hero With A Thousand Faces details the standard cycle of adventure stories. The third section of this is the ‘Call To Adventure’. The Hero learns that they must leave the known world behind and travel into the land of adventure.
The Hero must then decide how to answer the Call:
Refusal of the Call: The character refuses it, often to then get forced into it.
Think Luke Skywalker refusing to go with Obi-Wan, until his Auntie and Uncle are killed
Jumped at the Call: The character enthusiastically leaves to go on the adventure.
The MCU version of Spider-Man is this. He jumps at the chance to be the hero.
Now the majority of RPGs will start after the character jumped at the opportunity.
What would make your character leave the relative comfort of the status quo? What will push them on that first step to adventure?
My DnD gnome, Shia, jumped at the call. It was to prove himself to his family. As the middle child he was often overlooked. Nothing was keeping him from leaving.
From the earlier section, Jacob has both a reason to leave on adventure (his Dad, admiration of brother), but also a reason to stay (his mum and sisters). So what are his goals?
Jacob longs to get away from his abusive Dad, but is torn between leaving and looking after his family.
So what will be the inciting incident to get him to leave?
Escaping a military draft?
Runs away with his family, but is separated?
He is on a job in another town and is arrested? (Forceful call to action)
While on a job in a different town he was arrested in a case of mistaken identity. He ends up in a prison cart on the way to the nearest big City. While he is there, the actual criminal is apprehended. He is released, but penniless and far from home.
Flaws
Flaws are important in your character, and they are great for a DM to add to campaigns. My WFRP character is vain and is scared of bears. I tied both into his background, explaining the bear thing with an incident as a child.
Indiana Jones is afraid of snakes.
Batman is fearful that his family/friends will be killed
Being extremely angry or shy could be a flaw.
Flaws could also be vices. Old standards are drink and drugs, but maybe your wizard is a glutton.
Jacob doesn’t drink; he has seen the damage it has done to his family. However he has become extremely preachy about this. He is known on occasion to lecture people in tavern, much to the chagrin of others.
With this we have a basic overview of our character.
Jacob is a 23 year old human. He has brown hair and brown eyes, with a scar on his left eyebrow. He is a fighter (DnD class). He lives at home with his parents and two younger sisters. He has an older brother that is in the army. Jacob is proud of him, but is also resentful as he believes his brother abandoned the family. Their Dad is a violent man. Often he beats them when he gets home from working on the market. Jacob often sees his father at the tavern when he helps rat catching in the cellar.
Jacob longs to get away from his abusive Dad, but is torn between leaving and looking after his family. Jacob doesn’t drink; he has seen the damage it has done to his family. However he has become extremely preachy about this. He is known on occasion to lecture people in tavern, much to the chagrin of others.
Jacob loves sword fighting. His goal is to train in swordplay and to eventually win a sword fighting competition.
While on a job in a different town he was arrested in a case of mistaken identity. He ends up in a prison cart on the way to the nearest big City. While he is there, the actual criminal is apprehended. He is released, but penniless and far from home.
Not a bad little background overall. The next step is to learn how to roleplay as the character.
Roleplaying
Separating player and character
One thing about roleplaying is separating what you as a player know, against what your character knows. As a character you may know that Orc Warlord Uglud the Masher has an army in the area, but Clarence the Bard wouldn’t. Clarence would have to ask around for information.
Now this separation can be tricky when first starting out, but in time it is easy to “forget” that information. Some DMs will purposely hide this information from one or more players, which may be helpful at your gaming table.
Game System
Another thing to remember is that your character won’t know that he only has a 1 in 3 chance of making the jump to save the burning orphanage. Your hero will attempt that jump, if it is in their nature. This can be where the old DnD alignment chart comes in. I will link it here, but an easy way to look at it is whether your character is selfish or selfless, and if they veer towards good morals or bad. Again, these can be open to interpretation. Stealing a loaf of bread to feed a starving child may not be ‘lawful’, but it can certainly be seen as ‘good’.
Remember your goals
Your character has their needs and wants. What are they doing to work towards them? Jacob helping an Old Man to market won’t directly help him further in his sword fighting, but the two coins he gets as payment could go towards swordplay lessons.
Incorporate the other players in a positive way
If another player is adamant on Greebo the Half-Orc charging headfirst at a dragon, because that seems characterful, don’t discourage it. You character may tell their character not to do it, but you as a player shouldn’t stop any other player from carrying out a characterful act.
Instead, think of what your character would do:
Harkin the Dwarf watches Greebo charging towards the dragon. Shaking his head, he readies his axe, and charges as fast as his stumpy legs will take him. Onwards towards the scaly beast.
Now Harkin and Greebo may die because of this. But would a proud Dwarf really let a half-orc take the glory?
Don’t be too stubborn
So your party has been hired by a corrupt King to take out a troll cave. He has promised you plenty of riches. But your character is anti-establishment. He wouldn’t normally help royalty.
You as a player need to give him a reason.
Your character could agree to help, while secretly planning on using the money to fund a coup.
They could be scouting the castle for weak points.
Find a reason for your character to help further the story.
Do NOT get too hung up on the rules
The Dungeon/Games Master’s word is final. I know the wording there seems stern, it is meant to be. Roleplaying games are first and foremost storytelling games. If the DM decides that it would be cooler if the castle walls are un-scalable, then don’t argue that your massively high dexterity levels would let you do it. Accept the ruling and move on.
If you really want an explanation, ask after the game in a polite manner.
Of course, they aren’t infallible. Perhaps you could suggest that because of your character’s background as a gymnast that you roll an agility based test to avoid an axe strike, instead of some form of weapon skill. But suggest, never demand.
Bringing it all together
To bring it all together, here are some scenarios. Going off your character’s background and nature, how would they deal…
…with a thief that has just robbed a wealthy but cruel man?
…with being outnumbered by two orcs?
…if they were given the task to hunt down an unhappy man that has left his wife?
Run through each of these and other scenarios, and try to get into the mentality of your character.
Why not pick one of your favourite films and honestly decide what your character would do.
Maybe Clarence the Bard couldn’t have stopped the terrorists at Nakatomi Plaza, but he could have distracted them for long enough until the reinforcements arrived.
It will help with your gaming as well as being really fun!
Remember it is a game
Finally, enjoy it. It is a game. The people you play with have given up their time to pay this game with you, respect that.
The story might now go exactly as you thought.
The dice definitely won’t.
Don’t take it so seriously that it is no longer fun. That’s what your job is for!
Visit Element Games here (Use the code DAN2300 at Checkout for double points)
Over 350 pages of Old World action! For me, roleplaying has always taken back seat to wargaming. But between my love of the Old World lore and themed armies, there’s always been that inkling.
Now this book is stunning. Great artwork is liberally sprinkled throughout, most with that early edition feel to it.
My favourite piece
By Sigmar!
Now this isn’t a full review. Better reviews exist on the web.
All I will say is that I immediately looked online for a Play By Post game. From this searching I found the Discord channel The Rat Catcher’s Guildas well as the website Tavern Keeper. Both of these proved amazing for my first forays into WHRP.
With book ready and messages sent I was accepted into my first campaign: The Doom of Grafsburg!
Creating my Character
One of my favourite aspects of the book is the character creation. Specifically the randomisation. Being a big fan of the old Realm of Chaos charts this shouted out to my very soul. After all, leaving everything to fate seems a very Warhammery thing to do!
Step 1 – Species
Warhammer Roleplay gives you a choice of 5 races:
Human
Halfling
Dwarf
High Elf
Wood Elf
As the game is set in The Empire, the random chart is skewed in an Imperial fashion.
RANDOM SPECIES TABLE
1d100s
Species
01-90
Human
91-95
Halfling
95-98
Dwarf
99
High Elf
00
Wood Elf
So with the first roll……my character will be a Human!
No real surprise
NEXT!
Step 2 – Class and Career
Next up is Class and Career.
Class is set up into 8 different sections, with each of those having 8 Career paths. Each Career has advantages and disadvantages, as well as setting a Character’s social Status. Marked Brass, Silver and Gold, these will impact how NPCs portray the Character.
With the second roll our becomes a Cavalryman!
By now the Character’s background has began to come into my head. Ideas flitting about before we start the next section.
Step 3 – Attributes
The statline of the character is next to take shape. Familiar to those that played Warhammer Fantasy or the older versions of 40K. With DEX, INT, WP and FEL being different. As Cubicle 7 describe it:
Initiative (I) – speed of thought, reaction, and awareness
Agility (Agi) – coordination and natural athleticism
Dexterity (Dex) – ability to perform delicate manual tasks
Intelligence (Int) – powers of thought, analysis, and understanding
Willpower (WP) – strength of mind and determination
Fellowship (Fel) – ability to influence and befriend others”
Each of the Races gains different pluses and minuses in these characteristics. Humans are the standard, Dwarfs get a big boost to their Willpower but lose out in Agility. Halflings are lower in WS and Strength but have advantages in the non-combat stats. Elves, however, have the best stats across the board, but lose out in some of the roleplaying aspects, being less trustworthy to certain NPCs.
Stats are randomised with a 2D10 roll with which ever bonus.
Example:
Humans roll 2D10 + 20 for Strength
Halflings roll 2D10 +10 for Strength
With this next batch of rolls the unnamed character now has a statline of:
WS
32
BS
27
S
32
T
22
I
34
Agi
33
Dex
33
Int
31
WP
32
Fel
24
Toughness and Fellowship are both low here. Perhaps a new money noble that isn’t as tough as he thinks.
Here your career gives you 5 points towards characteristic advances. In the Horseman’s case these are allocated between WS, S and AGI.
I’ll stick 1 in WS, 2 in S, and 2 in AGI
Step 4 – Skills and Talents
Here you pick your skills depending on Racial species. 3 of those Skills gain a +5 Bonus, 3 Gain a +3 Bonus. You also roll on the Random Talents chart if eligible. My picks are:
Animal Training: +5 Charm: +5 Gossip: +3 Leadership: +3 Lore (Reikland): +5 Ranged (Bow): +3
The Talent rolls here have given me: Suave, Sixth Sense and Very Resilient.
For my chosen talent I have chosen Savvy. Human characters also gain the talent of Doomed.
Doomed is a rule that gives the player’s Next character an XP boost on creation IF the first character does in a specific way.
So if the portents of fate predicted death by weeping sores, and this happens, then the next character benefits!
However, this is kept a secret between you and the GM.
Following this, based on your character’s career, you allocate 40 points to any of the 8 skills listed, as well as gaining a single talent.
You may have noticed so far that I have picked Talents that increase stats. This is simply as it is my first WHRP campaign and I want to reduce the amount of bookkeeping needed.
Step 5 – Trappings
Trappings are the equipment associated with your class.
Additionally you get monetary wealth based on your status tier and level
The money roll gave me a purse of 13 Silver Shillings, with trappings of Clothing, Hand Weapon (Hammer), Dagger, Pouch, Leather Jack, Riding Horse with Saddle and Tack.
I shall name my horse Starwood.
Step 6 – Adding Details
Now for the proper Character building part. And Yes, I am randomising this. Except the name
▪ Character Name: Lukasz Erkunden
▪ Physical Details:
Age: 23
Eye Colour: Blue
Hair Colour: Dark Brown
Height: 5ft7
▪ Ambitions:
Short-Term: To slay a beast
Long-Term: Become a hero
Step 7 – Party
Well this part is tough as I am unsure so far. So I shall leave this blank
Step 8 – Bringing Your Character To Life
This section gives you 10 Questions to flesh out the character a bit more:
Ten Questions
▪ Where are you from?
Lukasz was raised in Braunlet, 12 miles east of Fleckeby, Ostland.
▪ What is your family like?
Father became a grifter shortly after Lukasz’s mother died. Travelling around local towns selling wares, doing oddjobs and gambling. One day he developed the plans for a long con, one that gained him lots of money through trading gold with Dwarves. Unfortunately this gold was fake through the spells of an apprentice Aethyric wizard. They killed his father in vengeance, but not before Lukasz had grabbed a bag of the money and fled.
▪ What was your childhood like?
Lukasz was raised believing that his father was a noble merchant. His father used to dress in furs and often spent beyond his means. While Lukasz’s mother was alive she regaled him with tales of the great heroes of the Empire, heroes that Lukasz grew up wishing to emulate.
When Lukasz was three he was knocked over by a bear that had escaped a travelling Kislev circus, he has feared Bears ever since. This caused him to grow up sicklier than other children, but he persevered through his own determination.
▪ Why did you leave home?
Lukasz left home to escape the wrath of the Dwarves. He now sees this as his first step to become a hero of the Empire.
▪ Who are your friends?
Being of a bumptious nature, Lukasz rarely keeps friends for long. His hardly earned sense of self is grating in the long term.
▪ What is your greatest desire?
Lukasz aspires to be sung of in the great tales of heroes.
▪ What are your best and worst memories?
Best memory would be saving a towns girl from a wild dog.
Worst memory would be the bear attack
▪ What are your religious beliefs?
Worship of Signature and only his light
▪ To whom, or what, are you loyal?
To the people, as long as they adore and/or pay
▪ Why are you adventuring?
Money, fame, adoration
Step 9 – Advancement
Here I can spend the experience accumulated during character generation. This is used to increase the 3 Characteristics, 8 Skills and/or 4 Talents available to your career.
As I have randomised everything, this is a hefty 120XP boost.
100XP will be used adding the Roughrider talent go Lukasz, with the remaining 20XP boosting Charm Animal two more times.
And with that it is time to fill out the sheet, which hopefully looks like this:
AND with that it is time to begin the adventure into the grim Old World!
Visit Element Games here (Use the code DAN2300 at Checkout for double points)
We now reach our final division preview with possibly the most open. A large concentration of high strength players, wiley veteran coaches, and fiery upstarts, could make this the tightest of the three divisions.
Something is Rotten in the state of Denmark – Nurgle – Kfoged
Last season’s champion, all around nice chap, winner of a fair few competitions. Kåre coaches Nurgle this season with sights to leverage the beginning bonus skills. Two block rotters will come in handy against the Stormhelm Rhinos in Round 1.
With clever coaching, and is there anything else from the Great Dane, the longwinded Something is Rotten in the state of Denmark should saunter to the playoffs this season.
Orange Crush – Chaos Dwarfs – Maxik
Last year’s Dwarf coach has turned to their Chaotic brethren this year, with hopes to improve on the average last season. An opening game against Halflings will create opportunities to rack up casualties early. And they will be hoping for skills to help in tough games against Undead and Orcs in the second and third round respectively.
Pitch Black – Dark Elves – elperas
Waterbowl 13 must have given elperas a taste for the dark side, with another run out for the Dark Elves this season. An extremely strong showing with Orcs last season shows that playoff ambitions are on the cards this year.
I think Pitch Black will be ending the season in the Top 5 positions.
Butchers of Gladden Field – Halflings – campmark
The sole stunty team in the Darknail division. The Butchers of Gladden Field will need to steal every re-roll and ride their luck in a tough opening few weeks. Chaos Dwarfs, Lizardmen and Khorne will be the tricky opponents for the pint sized warriors.
Stormhelm Rhinos – Humans – Fireolli
Closing in on 200 NAF tournament games, Fireolli will be looking to pull from this experience in a tough division.
The Stormhelm Rhinos face league favourites Something is Rotten in the state of Denmark in a tough opening game. And the pressure stays on with the next two games. After a bye week, Undead are the reward for the well-rested humans, with Chaos Dwarfs the opponents in the following game.
Altdorf Greatswords Bteam – Humans – caeser-22
While not as overall experienced as the other Human team coach, caeser-22 has coached his Humans in almost 50 NAF games. A brief foray into Halfling coaching last year could have helped with defensive positioning, a skill which will come in handy this year.
Dark Elves, Undead and Orcs will be a tough task for the rookie Humans.
For the Skulls Thrown – Khorne – Cunning
Cunning may be the coach’s name, but cunning is rarely a Khornate trait. For the Skulls Thrown start the season with a clash of Chaotic Gods as they face the Nurgle team Four King Blight Crusaders.
I can see Cunning making it back to back Playoff qualifications this season, conceivably going all the way.
Stockport Surf Club – Khorne – Isvan
A more Frenzy heavy version of Khorne, the Stockport Surf Club will be looking to live up to their name this season. High risk, High reward is the name of Isvan’s game, with prior experience coaching Vampires.
If his luck is in, then the coaches of Darknail could be in for a tough time. Round 1 coach The Martian has been warned.
Sultans of Skink – Lizardmen – The Martian
And now onto the aforementioned coach. The lizards will look to outmanoeuvre teams from the off, with only the Round 4 Undead opponents having players able to just about keep up with the nimble skinks.
If she can keep the skinks from getting squashed, I can see The Martian being a real Wildcard in this division.
Four King Blight Crusaders – Nurgle – Blessedknight
The second of the Nurgle teams in the division, the Four King Blight Crusaders. While not as illustrious as the other Nurglite coach, Blessedknight will be full of enthusiasm for the new season.
Two Prehensile Tail rotters will help solidify an already defensively minded team. While it may not be of much use against the first two opponents, Khorne and Nurgle, their third game against Lizardmen could be where it comes into its own.
Los Orcos Negros Salvajes de Nuevo Toledo – Orc – CarolusMagnus
2018 Norsca playoff qualifier CarolusMagnus enters this season with a solid Orc roster. Round 1 sees some greenskin on greenskin action versus the Teesside Tomahorcs.
The classic Orcs vs Humans match follows, with a third game against Division seed Kfoged.
Teesside Tomahorcs – Orc – KillerB
KillerB’s Orcs have the tougher run of the two Orc teams. After the mirror match follows games against Khorne, Chaos Dwarfs and Nurgle. If their armour has held up still, Lizardmen and Undead follow. The medical team will be overworked in the early stages of the season.
Staying Alive BBC – Undead –DrewCleary
The large roster of Undead shamble onto the pitch as the final team in our preview. The Undead are always a tough team to face in both early and late season games. A good mix of skills could make this a successful season.
First up for the Staying Alive BBC are Maxik’s Chaos Dwarfs in Round 2.
Predictions
Making up my predictions for the Top 4 are KFoged, elperas, Cunning and CarolusMagnus.
As for the last playoff place….I can’t predict it.
Caeser-22 has the team experience, Maxik’s Chaos Dwarfs only need a couple of skills to compete, and the rest all have a real chance.
Except The Halflings. Sorry, campmark.
Visit Element Games here (Use the code DAN2300 at Checkout for double points)
thegngrnoob.wordpress.com 