Double Standards 2023 Team Tournament

 

Preamble

I hadn't rolled dice on a table top since October 2022 (well, if we ignore Cluedo at Christmas with the family!) so it was going to be nice to see familiar faces again and dust off the old Blood Bowl cob webs. The 2 day team/doubles tournament was taking place at the third new premises (hopefully that's a charm!) of Tabletop Republic in High Wycombe.

The tournament meant that both LastTimeLord, Howlinggriffon and Mr_Frodo and I could form two teams of two. We diced off to randomly decide on team mates - Howlinggriffon was lumped with me. He was taking Skaven to compliment my Orcs. LastTimeLord took Undead and Mr_Frodo coached some Lizardmen.

A little 180 look around the new venue... Can you spot yourself?

Being on the High Street should mean more footfall for the new store and being right next to a McDonalds made a quick lunch possible! 

Rules

The tournament details are laid out here... but essentially all teams had access to Star Players to some degree, with Stunties having full access and non-stunty teams having access to all but Morg, Griff, Deeproot and Hakflem. The scoring was 2/1/0. 

Rosters

I went with a no-Star roster... This may have been a mistake! My thinking was that I could take down most Stars and then foul with Sneaky Git. Good in theory... You'll have to read on to see if this worked out!

Day One, Game One vs TheShepherd's Lizardmen

TheShepherd suggesting I call for a taxi outta here!...

First up was TheShepherd. I had faced him twice before, a while ago at CakeBowl 9 and more recently at Red Trophy VI. It was 1-1.. and Dave was looking for revenge for suffering a loss to these Orcs of mine. We set up, and started rolling dice... My team mate, Howlinggriffon's Skaven were up against some Norse with Borak.

Scales vs Green...

I had more fans, the weather was Perfect, and I lost the kick off roll and was nominated to receive. The ball was kicked deep into my half, and the kick off was Cheering Fans which I duly lost - Prayers to Nuffle for TheShepherd was Bad Habits, which resulted in the Loner trait on a Guard Big Un and a Blitzer. 

And then my misery began in earnest. After ensuring I had my Blitzers and Thrower sat half way into my half, I was prepared for a quick moving Skink counter-attack. After a fairly lack lustre bout of shoving on the LoS I moved my Thrower in to pick up the ball... 2...1... and scatter. The skinks moved in, sensing an opportunity. So I moved more players deep, keeping the Saurus's engaged. Turn 2/1 saw me fail to pick up again! (4x failed 3+ in a row now)... but we did KO a Skink. However, we were exposed, and a Skink moved in, and after a rerolled pickup and a successful GFI, scored. 0-1 (0-0).

The KO'd Skink came back on, and the kick was again deep but in the corner this time. And then the Kick Off result was Time Out!... so the clocks rolled forward a turn. This couldn't have gone much better for TheShepherd... and I knew I was stuffed.

Turn 4/3 - The sense of foreboding when I went to pick up the ball again... failed the first attempt, but succeeded with the second. Things didn't get any better though as one of my Big Un's was blocked and Hurt (0-1). Turn 5/4 saw me desperately try to get the ball up field, but a double 1 on the Animosity roll meant my Thrower just stood there like a wally. 

By turn 7/6 my Mighty Blow/Tackle Blitzer failed a dodged and got Hurt.

A glimmer of light occurred in turn 7/7 has a Saurus double skulled against a Blitzer, resulting in a turnover, and in turn 8/7, my Thrower ball carrier blitzed, double skulled... but the ball bounced to, and was caught by my assisting Blitzer. Nuffle didn't end the fun there, as a Saurus double skulled against my Troll and got Hurt in the process!

And that was just the first half!! The second half began with a Skink failing to pick up in turn 0/1. A Big Un made a press into the defensive lines and promptly double skulled, with the ball safe and deep in the Lizardman half. Turn 2/1 saw my Troll hurt a Saurus... but from there, it was just a midfield scrap as the Lizards pushed their way up field and with one last double skulls from me, got to within striking distance to score in turn 6/7. 0-2. Of course, just to rub salt into the wound, the 3x Lizards I had Knocked Out came back. The game came to a halt with the Lizards (and my dice) handing the Orcs a sound beating. 0-2 (2-3).

My team mate Howlinggriffon suffered a 1-2 (2-8) loss to the fouling rampage of Borak, so overall it was a miserable start for us both... and off to the very bottom table for us!

Game Two vs AlexKay's Elven Union

Suggestion: "Don't take a taxi, thumb for a lift home!"

After suffering through round 1, both Darren and I were hoping for better in round 2. I was up against Alexkay's Elves, with Howlinggriffon in a Skaven-off. Dice were rolled. I had fewer fans, Perfect Weather and lost the kick off again... and was nominated to receive... again. Oh no. Could it happen again?

Classic Agility vs Strength

There was a Pitch Invasion on Kick Off with a single elf being stunned. With the Kick skill the elves kicked deep into my half. Turn 1/0, after some ineffective LoS blocking, I picked up the ball!!! Alex looked at me with an eyebrow raised as a whooped in delight. He wasn't there man, he wasn't there!

Alex rolled some poor dice (lots of 1s) in turn 1/1 which ended in another prone elf. Turn 2/1 saw me foul and KO him. Turn 3/2 I hurt a Lineelf (0-1)., and by turn 5/4 KO'd a Catcher... We simply weren't doing enough damage though and the usual Guerrilla warfare elven tactics were working nicely in defence... and so the Orc advance slowed to a halt and the half ended 0-0 (2-0).

The second half began and the elves pressed their attack, and in no time at all were 0-1 up (2-0).

I had plenty of turns to equalise, but it says a lot about my pathetic block dice and armour/injury rolls that we were able to score in turn 7/7 inflicting no further casualties 1-1 (2-0).

However, this is then where I used up the entire weekend's quota of luck. After Cheering Fans got a Big Un Knuckledusters, the elves secured the ball and surrounded the ball carrier on the right wing, with the ball in the hand of a Blodger.

Some careful blocking and manoeuvring saw we have a chance at a one dice blitz on the ball carrier who was one square away from the side lines. Push. Reroll. POW!. The elf went back (uninjured of course) but the ball scattered into the crowd! The 1 in 3 roll I needed saw the ball sail squarely in to the centre of the elf half.

My Troll and Goblin (now unmarked) looked at each other with a glimmer of an idea crossing their tiny minds. The Troll passed both the 2+ Really Stupid and Hungry rolls, picked up the Goblin and passed him... and the Goblin landed on a 6... ran towards the ball, picked it up on a 3+, and made the GFI to score!!! OMG! 2-1 (2-0). Alex was crestfallen but took it like an absolute gentleman whilst I sat their completely amazed, shocked, and delighted all in one. The planets truly aligned for that one!

Howlinggriffon drew 2-2. So a team win!

Game Three vs Frodo's Slann

The Slann with a plan...

Now, my Redshirt Team mate wants to make it very clear that there aren't two Frodo's... He instead is MISTER Frodo (Mr_Frodo)... 😀 

Still on a high from the last turn of the last game, I had to collect my thoughts to face off against Slann who, avid readers might know, are my absolute bogey team. It was the last game of the day and we were both tired, and to make matters worse I was facing a Proxy team. Not too bad though this one... bloated long-legged Squigs as the Frogs of Slann. I eventually got the hang of the colour-coding! Howlinggriffon was up against Lizardmen and Akhorne.

Squig-tastic defence!

We rolled dice, and I had fewer fans, in Perfect Weather, but I won the Kick Off roll for the first time and decided to receive.

Turn 1/0 saw my Sneaky Git sent off, due to rolling 6,6 and 6,6 on armour and injury on a LineSlann. (1-0). Not the best trade in the world, but it at least was a trade at least. Turn 2/1 saw me KO a Slann Blitzer. The Orcs did what Orcs do and by turn 4/3 there were 3x Slann KO'd and were into the Slann half of the field. We eventually score in turn 6/5 - 1-0 (1-0) after we simply wouldn't take the risk of any more hopping shenanigans. Fortunately for us, 3x Knocked Out Slann stayed that way.

Turn 6/6 saw a Solid Defence on Kick Off, with 6 open players moving, and the ball was deep in the Slann half, close to the end zone. However, we didn't have it all our own way as a Lineorc was KO'd... but the Slann couldn't make it any further up the field, and the half ended 1-0 (1-0).

Turn 0/1 saw Changing Weather, but the ball bounced round harmlessly. The Orcs set about a strong defence, but only really managed to injure one more Slann the entire game, and that was the Krox who we somehow managed to crowd surf. After that the green wave of muscle just supressed the frogs and strong armed their way to a second TD, and with Paul suffering physically, the game ended 2-0 (2-0). Sadly Paul wasn't well enough to return for the second day. 

Howlinggriffon won 3-2, so a team win!

Day One Summary

Day One - Team Standings

I finished Day One on 2/0/1 - [4-2 TDs] (6-3 Cas). Howlinggriffon was on 1/1/1 having faced Borak and Akhorne, and we sat on 2/0/1 as a team! We were in 8th place, on joint 7 points, but it was the overall lack of net TDs and a big casualty deficit that meant we were last of 4 other teams also on 7 points.

And into Day Two...

Unfortunately (and coincidentally) both Frodo and Mr_Frodo were not well enough to attend the second day, meaning our Team Redshirts mate, LastTimeLord, was paired off with the bjjoyjoy.

Annoyingly, my flask of coffee leaked in my bag, ruining the corner of my Undead pitch box (fortunately the pitch itself seems okay after drying out). Oh well. Live and learn.

Game Four vs Talonbay's Underworld

Underworld, Overworld, in a killing-spree...

Sadly, day two carried on from where the spilt coffee left off. I was up against (the other) Gary's Underworld & Bomber Dribblesnot. I had fewer fans, perfect weather and won the kick off, deciding to receive. Howlinggriffon was up against Lizardmen again!

Little did the Orcs know, just lining up was going to be as good as it got for them

Turn 1/0 saw Changing Weather going into Very Sunny (EDIT - it's at this point I'm now remembering that this should have affected Bomber Dribblesnot's passing game! - D'oh!! which was important because...) We had a very ineffective LoS blocking session... so turn 1/1 saw Dribblesnot launch a bomb at my Tackle/MB Blitzer... but he caught the bomb!... only for Dribblesnot to hit the auto-destruct button... and promptly injured the Blitzer (0-1). Game changer!

Any Orc coaches should look away now... it didn't get any prettier...

Turn 2/1 saw my Troll Knock Out a Snotling, but dear reader that was the last of the effective blocking for the half, after 3x dice pushes and 3x dice stumble rolls and rolling armour rolls of 3 or 5 simply meant I couldn't put another Snotling down.

By turn 5/5, in contrast, Dribblesnot hurt the Troll (although he Regenerated - but was off the pitch) (0-2) after the Troll also caught the bomb on a 6 but the bomb went off on a 4+. I think the ball was also loose at this point, because in turn 6/5 my Goblin had to pick up the loose ball after the Two-Heads Gutter Runner failed a 4+ pick up. The Underworld Troll (with Block) was so annoyed, he injured a Big Un in turn 6/6 (0-3), but we were forced to hand off to an Orc Blitzer who promptly (and successfully) one-dice blitzed his way to a Touch Down. 1-0 (0-3) in turn 7/6.

However, the Underworld team were not done yet. After hurting a lineorc on the LoS (0-4) the TwoHeaded Gutter Runner secured the ball and got himself well protected and in range of the end zone in turn 7/7. We did what we could to put up a defence, but the +1 to dodging on a Ag2+ Dodge player was just too much for us, and Talonbay refused to roll snake-eyes! 😀 1-1 (0-4) and end of half.

Unfortunately, without the Tackle Blitzer, the Goblins and Snotlings simply had a free reign of the pitch in the second half. When Talonbay  rolled TimeOut! on the kick off it was looking doubley grim as the Gutter Runner went on to secure the ball and amble in for a TD in turn 4/5 1-2 (0-4).

Suddenly, and ever so briefly, the Orcs remembered how to block and injured one Goblin and KO'd another in turn 5/5, but the Underworld team laughed at this and Dribblesnot was back on to hurt my Sneaky Git Goblin. (1-5)... and not soon after the Underworld sacked the ball carrier through snotling dodging through for assists and scored a third 1-3 (1-5). We managed a consolation injury on a Goblin but the match ended 1-3 (2-5). I couldn't help but feel a little bruised after that encounter. Dribblesnot was amazing (EDIT - but if only we had remembered Very Sunny!! - still, he had Accurate too!).

Howlinggriffon drew his match 1-1, but it was still a team loss.

Game Five vs Tadhgy's Dwarves

A fellow Watford fan!

This game was at least a more simple affair... the old grudge match of Orcs vs Dwarves... and with a Deathroller no less! And to be honest, not much happened... it was quite dull... lots of hitting but (spoiler) no casualties at all. Not one...

That is one big Deathroller!... yes, there's a Trollslayer behind him!!

We rolled dice and I had fewer fans... IN A BLIZZARD!

And with that, I won the kick off and decided to receive anyway. I wanted to score quickly and get that Deathroller off the pitch!

We managed to collect the ball and shuffle up the pitch, with lots of complicated Guard tacklezones and working out assists. I tried to hit the Deathroller over, but the Troll was having none of it, choosing to hit himself in the face instead (skull). However, by turn 5/4 we had scored 1-0 (0-0) and more importantly the Deathroller was sent off, and so was the coach when trying to argue the call!

Nothing happened in the rest of the half as the Orcs resisted the Dwarven counter attack. The only thing of note was that the Blizzard changed to Very Sunny.

The second half saw the Orcs kick deep into the Dwarf half, and it took them a while to get back up the pitch. By around turn 5/6 the Dwarf Runner ball carrier with Block/Dodge was essentially forced to make a do or die break for it, rolling a number of dodges starting with a 4+, and even made some GFI's to move from the LoS to the left wing deep in the Orc half. 

Surely Nuffle wouldn't snatch this away? With a rallying cry, the Orcs swept backwards, and with an assist already in place, a Big Un came in to Pow the blodging dwarf. From there it was a case of securing the ball and getting as many players back (and keeping LineDwarves pinned/marked further up the pitch). Still, with a Dwarf Blitzer and that annoying blodger in my back lines there was always a risk... and with some 6's he almost was successful... fortunately, I was able to cling on for the win, 1-0 (0-0).

Elsewhere, Howlinggriffon out-scored some Snotlings & Morg winning 5-2 (with the game called with 4 turns still left to play!).

Game Six vs Goblinscorcher's Ogres

Yes, I almost forgot to take the piccy!

Paul (who went on to win Best Painted) had Ogres and Griff. Oh dear! After some dice were rolled I had more fans but lost the Kick Off and was nominated to receive. He must have known something, because...

Action shot of the first half... Fouling Griff! If only he had died!!

...Blitz! Turn 0/0 saw both a deep kick into my end zone and a sweeping tide of Ogres, Gnoblars and of course Griff... When Griff rolled 1 on a GFI, we checked and found that he couldn't use his Sure Feet skill... but then we weren't sure if he could use his one-time only dice reroll skill... I agreed he could (as Paul wouldn't have GFI'd in the first place if he'd known!)... and he remained on his feet.

However, Griff was taken down by the MB/Tackle Blizter (with help) and then gang fouled... and fouled again... Nothing more than a stun. Pffft!

By turn 4/4 the Ogres get hold of the ball after threatening with Break Tackle/Block Ogres... and Griff gets the ball and scores 0-1 (0-0). Yes, it was turning into another game of not being able to knock over a Gnoblar, or when I did, rolling lamely!

However, after a quick coaching session with the greenskins, we made one cas in turn 5/4 and another in turn 6/5 (2-0). By turn 7/6 we had a chance to run away with the ball into the Ogre half for a likely score... but an Animosity roll of 1 used up my last reroll and then of course the thrower rolled a 2 then 1 on the pass, and the half ended 0-1 (2-0)

The second half saw a Big Un killed in the first turn, (2-1), but we had some minor revenge in turn 3/3 by inflicting another injury (3-1) but it was starting to get desperate as we just couldn't escape the threat of Griff who seemingly could reach anywhere on the pitch.

Turn 4/4 and I forget what happened, whether it was Griff rolling snake eyes on a dodge with the ball, or him doing that leaving the ball carrier open... either way, we got the ball and broke away in a "stretch play" to score (after delaying - but rolling fast as there wasn't much time left) in turn 6/6 leaving the Ogres two turns to score. 

Despite the end of tournament clock running out, I rolled my dice fast enough to allow Griff to scrape through for a 2nd TD, but I still had a a TTM chance in turn 8/8. It was at this point Tom said "no" and the game ended. Perhaps I should have carried out a bit of gamesmanship and slowed down my rolling to leave the game at 1-1, but it didn't sit right with me to do it. I also knew that Darren had already lost to Orcs and so we were already on a team loss, but I wanted to see if we could finish the match, but it was not to be. 1-2 (3-1). 

Day Two / Tournament Summary

I finished on 3/0/3 with [7-8 TD's] and (11-9 cas). Darren finished on 2/2/2. As a team we ended on 3/0/3, but Darren did collect a Most TDs award (after the winner).

The Doubles winners (posted here on the NAF site) were TheShepherd and torquemada.

TalonBay was the highest placed coach.

...both of whom I lost to! 😅

Final Doubles-Team Standings

Final Coach Standings

I think it's safe to say we were mid-table on both Teams and solo efforts. Special mention to our friend Lasttimelord who got his highest solo ranking - 7th out of 28.

Lessons learned from the weekend. I think as a team we agreed we might give Star player access tournaments a miss for the time being... but we did learn a lot. Also, I threw my leaky-sealed coffee flask away... Carry it in a plastic bag next time!! I think also, if there is a chess clock available, and round timings are tight and I'm playing slower-rolling coaches, I think I might grab a clock. This is particularly important vs stunty teams who have lots of rolling to make.

Thanks for the weekend of gaming everyone!, and well done to the winners. As Peter Crouch says, we'll be back stronger!