Game 6 vs Belconnen Bluetongues

This round was against Gavan's Lizardman team, who are currently placed second in the league.  He invited us to play this game on his amazing custom pitch, which won an award for Best Custom Pitch at Cancon 2007 - more on that later.

Odinn's Champions take the pitch on Gavin's fantastic stadium

Good weather prevailed, and for inducements the Norse took a Mercenary Ulfwerner: giving a bench of one player and finally getting to use the figure that has been waiting for some on-field time!  An unexpected pick by the Lad, but a good one.  Total gate was 15000 fans (the Norse got +1 FAME), then the Lizards won the toss and elected to receive.

The opening moves...

Kick off result was brilliant coaching, the Norse got extra reroll, and the ball came to rest just inside the midway line.  A frenzied attack from a Saurus pushed a Norse thrower into the crowd (luckily just stunning him) but then a skink fuzzed the pickup, and blew the reroll, dropping it into 3 skink TZs.  In return the Norse blitzed a skink running downfield into receiving position, while the Yeti blocked the krox but could only push him back off the line.  In return the Krox got some support and knocked him out, before a skink grabbed up the ball and ran across field as his buddies closed in for close protection.  The next turn they pushed downfield as the Norse tried to tie them up, but the 4 strength Saurus were tough to stop with a 2 player disadvantage, though the Norse runners' Dauntless skill finally came into its own for the first time this season.  The lizards broke a hole through with a Saurus and at the end of turn 4 they scored the first TD of the game.


The Norse got the Yeti back to receive and try to even it up by halftime.  The kickoff result was a quick snap enabling the Norse to start to punch over the line. The blocks at mid pitch were inconclusive until the Yeti badly hurt the Krox (sweet!) while two runners sprinted down the left wide zone and a thrower scooped up the ball.  The Lizards moved to contain and covered the downfield runners while the midfield scrum continued and a skink sprint to base the ball carrier but tripped over.  The thrower moved up, handover off to the newly drafted thrower who spiraled a lovely pass downfield into the hand of runner number 4 (Fafnir Bearclaw) who had dodged way from his cover to dance in the end zone.  A nice 2 turn TD for the Norse: 1 all.

Touchdown by Norse Runner Fafnir Bearclaw!

Turn 6 kickoff saw the Norse get a Perfect Defence to try and hold the tied score.   The lizard turn ended quickly with a double skulls followed by rerolled both down before they could get the ball.  A Norse runner dodged through to scoop it up and head downfield with some friends while 2 Saurus were stunned things were looking very threatening indeed.    Until 3 skinks darted back to block him to the ground and the bouncing ball was finally caught by one of the skinks.    An opportunity stolen by Nuffle but at least there was now no threat of a lizard score in the remaining part of the first half.  The Yeti refused to move, the  Ulfwerner tried to blitz the ball free but could only get a couple of pushes.  The ball carrying skink dodged away and threw a long bomb way up-field to put it out of reach and the half time siren blew with the scores level at one apiece...but not before the mercenary Ulfwerner proved his mettle by killing the star Sure Feet, Sidestep skink (apoth saw him just badly hurt).

The Norse line out, out for blood...and an equalizer

The second half saw the KOed skink return, the Norse receive, and the kickoff result was a weather change which sent the ball out of bounds and the touchback went to the Norse thrower.   The opening block by the Yeti...double skulls, but luckily the reroll came through to make a hole in the lizard line.  Likewise the  Ulfwerner make some gutsy one die blocks to let the two throwers again run downfield while the rest caged up at midfield around the thrower.   Again the skinks contained the throwers, and one went down to a Saurus blitz while a side typing skink bravely darted into the Norse cage.

The Norse cage under pressure

The Yeti decided not to play again, despite a reroll (he was clearly being distracted by a cheerleader or something) and wasted the blitz while the runner tripped running downfield.  Somewhere Nuffle chuckled.  A Saurus attack on the cage chain pushed the ball carrier to the other side and badly hurt the Norse second thrower.  Skinks flowed around to base the now exposed ball carrier.  The yeti was still distracted by something in the crowd,  but the blister unmasked the ball carrier at least.  A runner got up and sprinted into the end zone and the Norse thrower ran forward to shoot a long pass for the score......intercepted by a skink!!!!...who started to sprint for glory while yelling for his buddies to protect him from the angry Norse safeties, and the Saurus took on the front line to make sure they couldn't get back into defensive positions.  


The Norse just couldn't get through to the ball carrier though (the journeyman killing himself on a dodge in an attempt to do so) and he dodged away like only a 4Ag player can to go across the pitch to score, stalled out  with a protective shield while the Saurus went head-hunting with their 2 player advantage.   The Norse had real trouble trying get in, with double skulls and failed dodges everywhere.  Poor Right Stuff was getting very frustrated as he seemingly failed every single roll he made to get there. Finally, in their last turn the skink stepped over the line to put the lizards in the lead with just 1 Norse turn to go. 

After intercepting, the Lizards stall out the remainder of the second half

The kickoff was throw a rock, which was tied and the Norse bezerker was badly hurt!  Right stuff tried to get a completion on a runner to get the SPP and skill up but Nuffle's luck was still fickle, the pass was inaccurate and the game ended with a lizard victory 2 to 1.  


Norse winnings were a very respectable 70k, enabling Right Stuff to finally buy back the missing Blizter who died way back in Game 2 against the Wood Elves (he was 10k short of buying the Mercenary Ulfwerner who got a kill).  Most Valuable Player went to to the only player in his roster with 0 SPP so no skill ups there.  Again frustrating but at least it wast the dead journeyman or the mercenary I suppose.


So a very respectable game result for one that the Norse thought they would get smashed in, and it really did come down to that interception, but thats Blood Bowl for you.  This loss sees the Norse sitting last on the table with 1W-1D-4L and next week's game, the last of the season, will be against the Human team and the top of the Ladder: the All French Company.


Sidenote: I thought Reilly's apothecary management was very disciplined.  He kept his medics on standby despite the couple of Badly Hurt results, awaiting something worse to come (and lets face it, he has had plenty of those this season).  It really hammered home when in his very last turn he almost needed it to save his only Bezerker.  I think casualty and apoth management have been our major learning points during the season - he wont start a season without a Apoth again without a lot of soul searching.

Right Stuff at the awesome stadium

Thanks so much to Gavin for being a great host and opponent.  His underworld team the Hellarious Pranksters is through to the playoffs in the minors league....may Nuffle be with you!
More pics of his fantastic pitch to follow later.

The symbol of the Belconnen Bluetongues