COSH X - EATS & 2nd with Humans

COSH 10!! - Wow. Well done to Sam and Courtney for keeping such a cracking tournament series going with such care. This again was held at 4TK in Colchester, and prize-support by the wonderful Cymbeline Games for all your dice needs!

This tournament was part of the EATS - ie "East Anglia Tournament Series" which I think is quite important to people on the east side of London... and I was there as a disruptor, of course! 😏

This was a one dayer with 4x matches in the day which merited a NAF trophy for the winner. It also should mean the winner is more clearly identified via wins rather than bonus points, which I like... but it does make for a long day!

Gotta love Sam's thoughts on 2nd place! 😉

For a complete run down of the rules, see this link to the TFF site posting.

If you have a NAF online account, you can also see more on the NAF site for winners etc.

However, should you not want to click around, here is a brief summary of the tournament tierring etc:

Only one skill per player. You could only add up to four of the same skill to your team – There was a maximum of four elite skills allowed on each team. 0-1 Star Player (TIER 4 ONLY). 0-2 Star Player (TIER 5 ONLY).

Tier allowances:

1. 110,0000 GP & 4 Skills
2. 112,0000 GP & 5 Skills
3. 115,0000 GP & 6 Skills
4. 117,0000 GP & 7 Skills (including 1 optional secondary)
5. 120,0000 GP & 8 Skills (including 2 optional secondaries)

Team Tiering:

• Tier 1: Amazon, Old World Alliance, Wood Elf, Necromantic Horror
• Tier 2: Shambling Undead, Vampire, Orcs
• Tier 3: Bretonian, Dark Elf, Elf Union, High Elf, Humans, Imperial Nobility, Lizardmen, Norse, Nurgle, Slann, Skaven, Tomb Kings, UnderWorld Denizens
• Tier 4: Black Orc, Chaos Chosen, Chaos Dwarf, Chaos Renegade, Dwarf, Khorne, Snotling
• Tier 5: Goblin, Gnome, Halfling, Ogre

I played a few warm up games against on FUMBBL, using Dark Elves, Skaven and Humans, I changed my mind from taking Skaven to Humans after seeing what Howlinggriffon was able to put on the table. Skaven felt very good, but very glass cannon, and the difference for me were the Str3 Human Catchers with blodge over the Gutter Runners with St2 with blodge & Stab... Plus the Humans had AV 9+ almost everywhere as opposed to 8+ on the more fragile rats. Worst case, Humans also had a TTM opportunity.

Well, that was the initial thinking anyway...

My roster had a Brawler Ogre (which was used in desperation more than a few times!), 2x Blodge Catchers, 2x Blitzers - one with Guard and one with Mighty Blow (made him Captain with Pro), a Kick Thrower (as well as another unskilled Thrower), 3x Rerolls and an overworked Apothecary, and 1x Assistant Coach.  The post-tournament thinking was that I could have gone with 1x Thrower and a Mascot... Were they proved right? We'll see!

Thanks Howlinggriffon for this quick video tour of the action!:

The FUMMBL warm up games was very useful. The only Blood Bowl games I play now are documented here, as I have long since extricated myself from the numerous online leagues I was in, mainly due to work, family & hobby demands on my time (as well as the hassle of booking games in), and I never really liked the Cyanide Blood Bowl version of the game either (too slow). So, dusting off the cobwebs really helped as I usually go into tournaments quite rusty these days.

Game One vs Bashman's Chaos Chosen

The Fonz has been in-touch about his (TM)!

The stadium lights were on, but this only made the red-glow coming from the eye slits of the Chaos Warriors even more threatening. Vica-Rage Road was full to the brim with home support (+2 fans), but despite this, the Chaos team were very intimidating. In a deep and grating voice the chaos coach instructed us to kick the ball to them. We did, and the ball sailed over the line of scrimmage in clear blue skies. Some scrambling in the back field from a warrior with bigger gloves than most took a few steps sideways and neatly caught the ball... and the game was underway...  

Floodlights were on for this Humans vs Chaos Chosen clash

Aided by a terrifying and unstoppable Minotaur, the Chaos scum made short work of the Mandalorian linemen, but a few phases into the game and the ball carrier tripped over a partly digested bone from the Minotaur's pre-match lunch. In reply, the massive form of Ogre-Fett was so hypnotised by the bright lights of the stadium, he stood dumbly for the first of many turns to come. The Minotaur actually looked somewhat relieved. A brave Catcher went in, picked up the ball but failed to dodge away. The Chaos side were revitalised by this and promptly slaughtered the human Blitzer (with Guard - rolling a 16 on injury - no apothecary used! - he was VERY dead!).

After some more non-action from Ogre-Fett and yet another series of failed dodges and go for its (the rerolls had long gone), the Chaos side ambled in for a 0-1 score. However, a consolation injury to a Beastman got the home fans cheering again, and the half ended 0-1 (1-1)... and the fans went off for some much needed Bludweiser and questionable hot rats.

Ok, enough with the story telling... this will take forever!!

The second half didn't start well for the humans, rolling Quad Skulls in the first turn. However, after injury (apoth used) a Chaos Warrior in turn 2, and despite double-skulling again, we managed to score quickly (ish) and were drawing by turn 4/3 1-1 (2-1).

Some hasty shenanigans meant we managed to turn over the Chaos and scored again in turn 7/6 to take a 2-1 lead. Our opponents took out their frustration by hurting another human, but the game came to an end on 2-1 (2-2).

Game Two vs dontcallmeflossy's Halflings

Halflings, yay! Uh oh... Jordell Freshbreeze & Maple Highgrove ... This was going to be tricky!

Cheesy grin asked for and delivered!

Steve had brought a Master Chef who just took away 1x ReRoll after rolling more fans for me and Perfect Weather and me winning the kick roll and choosing to receive.

In this heat we were hoping for a brief forest fire with all those Treemen on the pitch!

Again, with the flood lights on (yes, we were under a bright light!) the humans took to the field, and they had one thing on their mind... murdering halflings. Unfortunately this plan went straight in the bin as my Tackle/Mighty Blow Blitzer decided to get himself crowdsurfed after rolling double-skulls and then pushes. Soon after, one of the trees hurt a lineman (0-1). We were already up against it... so of course we rolled another set of double skulls. Those two remaining rerolls were gone by turn 4's completion!! 

However, we made a good fist of it with the ball, and Jordell failed to take the blodging Catcher down. After going 1-0 up in turn 6/5 we made a couple of casualties of our own and the half ended 1-0 (2-1).

The second half began how it ended, with some dreadful Halfling luck... their Chef failed to steal any of the Humans rerolls, much to my relief.

Jordell Freshbreeze went from being a threat to being a liability. He managed to secure the ball and looked odd on to run away... it would take some rotten luck to just get the push backwards he needed to remove ANY human threat to him... and of course he rolled double skulls, failed a loner (but stayed on the pitch). Steve and I couldn't believe what we had just witnessed. This was on top of the Trees failing generally do roll anything but low dice for armour or injury, but did get the players on the floor.

We were quick to secure the ball again and run down as far away from Maple's tendril roots/branches and score in turn 6/6 to go 2-0 (2-1) ahead. Just to rub salt in the wound (someone up there doesn't like Flings!) I rolled Charge!. Any hopes of a consolation went up in smoke. Steve took it like a champ, but they were some shocking dice destined for the bin!

Game Three vs Mr_Frodo's Dwarves

A very non-dwarfish haircut for a Dwarf coach!

Andrew had twice as many fans in perfect weather and decided to receive. We kicked (after clarifying the kick rule) and a Time Out! was rolled. On the LoS the Dwarves quickly set about handing out punishment to the linemen, knocking one out. This fired up the humans into action who retaliated with an injury to one of the Tackle Troll Slayers. Unfortunately my Ogre-Fett rolled a skull & both down... Brawler Time! - oh... a skull. Both coaches spent their rerolls furiously early doors, but we couldn't stop the progress of the Dwarves and they went 0-1 up.

We had a couple of turns to get the ball up the field and with every dwarf defending the end zone, we engineered a blitz leaving us needing a human catcher to make 3+ dodge away, then a 4+ 3+ to score with Dodge (but no rerolls)... we failed.

The second half was a travesty of dice. Everything we tried failed with 1's and skulls aplenty, whilst every block or blitz against my blodge catchers rolled splats. Granted, we didn't roll a Bone Head, and the Dwarves had got players down, broke their armour, but tended to only get a stun. Our Guard Blitzer was totally nullified by Defensive, and the lack of block and two-dice blocks was telling for the team.

In the end, an aggressive but semi-risky move left the ball carrier exposed. After a bunch of dice, the human ball carrier was crowd surfed and some neat dwarf dodging meant that the ball went back into the middle of the pitch to the awaiting dwarves. Lest it be said, the game was over early in the second half and it was seen out to a frustrating 0-2 (1-2) loss.

Time for some fresh air!

Game Four vs Sandwich's Halflings

Jordell Freshbreeze again! I hope his bad luck continues from where I last faced him in round 2!

James had all the confidence of a halfling coach that had seen them humiliate other opponents that day, but he also knew fate was fickle - still an enjoyable game played in good spirits - I had calmed down after the dice from my previous match. 

The humans began with more fans, in perfect weather and I chose to receive... however, the Chef took 2x Rerolls from me. 

We began with a halfling injury (0-1) but kept back in a cautious tactic as Jordell was fast and a leaping threat! The treemen accompanied by the Block Hefties gave back more than they got, and soon an injured lineman was carried off the field.

However, we managed to score in turn 8/7 after injuring both Hefties and another fling. The halfings had a worse time of it with 4x 1's in a row being rolled (1 - Root - Reroll 1, and then double 1 for a Jordell go for it. 

The second half began with all three human rerolls going to the halflings. I'm sure James enjoyed saying "I'll just use one of your rerolls!" throughout the half just a little too much! 😆

By turn 6/6 we had overturned the ball and scored again to go 2-0 up with (5-2) injuries. This meant that despite the 4x subs bench, the halflings were struggling with 9 players on the pitch (ie once KO's were taken into account).

However, a desperately made Throw Team Mate led to a halfling leaving the field injured after failing to land in a tackle zone. My Thrower got the ball, and without rerolls passed the ball to an awaiting catcher, and after using his Catch skill, ran in for a final turn touchdown. The game ended 3-0 (6-2). Some much needed (and as it turned out) vital bonus points! 

RESULTS

I'm sure most of you have scrolled down just to see the winners pictures, so... here is a summary of the results:

I only went above Mr_Frodo on bonus points. Had it been Strength of Schedule first... hmmm!

The CR went up at least! Two good Halfling coaches there for sure. I struggle with any stunty team to get over 150! Three Redshirts in the top 5!! I don't think Jack will take Gnomes again though.

And the pictures...

WINNER! - 03philpota - Congratulations!

2nd place for this handsome man! - Wotfudboy

rigrogrig wins Stunty Cup & Most Casualties!

I used AI to give Courtney eyes again... it was horrible. Using the original!!

Sandwich with most TDs (Joint with me but I have a trophy already!)

mevans with the Rustmonster Sportsmanship award

Last comment - At Sam and Courney... Get a better back drop for these photographs!! Thank you for a really well run tournament as always! Thank you to all my opponents too. 

For those that haven't come to a COSH tournament before, I can recommend it!