CLAW Blood Bowl

This was a 2-day, 5 game tournament in Mold, Wales. Chris (Silentknight), Dave (Dusher) and I were all there and all did well.

It was a generous, high variance ruleset at 1.2M with Stars allowed, increasing in value at lower tiers. I thought the sweet spot was Humans and elected to give Ivar Erickson a run out. I know Skrorg is popular, but I really like the idea of Ivar + the stability of playing with an extra S4 guard blitzer. His special rule seems overpowered too, although most opponents played around it very well.

Skrorg is dangerous.

The early exchanges saw a couple of rabbits leave the field and were followed by a dance of trying to avoid exposing the important positionals to Skrorg while taking pot shots at weak targets. These interactions removed the Ogre (apo’d). After some jockeying back and forth, time was running low for Ronnie. He made a break down the sideline that looked a little unsupported as there was a potential surf of the ball carrier. Multiple rushes and a 1D block all failed at first attempt and passed at second, leaving me out of RRs before I made it to the final 2D on the carrier…. alas even Pro let me down on that last hit and the ball carrier was safe. Ronnie solved the remaining problem relatively easily with a couple of high probability blocks and a final 3+ to lead 1-0. In the stromash, my leader thrower also was stretchered off.  

With humans having dual option Fling toss and push one turn, Ronnie’s defence was a compromise and I took advantage. With no thrower, and no RRs, the 34(3)(3) to get the ball to the receriver were all unlikely, but all worked and I took advantage of the mixed D to hit all three line brets and then push the catcher into range for an unlikely 0RR OTTD. 1-1 HT.

In the second half, it was my damage dice that were hot early and again late as we pushed left and right down the field, picking off the AV7+ pieces. The turn 7 pressure was good but by then I’d journeyed so far downfield and removed so many Brets that I could take the score. There was a bit of a hairy 2-turn chance, but the ball ended up on the wrong side and in the end, there were just too may dice needed. Win 2-1.

More danger. Back-to-back Skrorg games.

Ollie’s drive started with 2x LOS removals and continued in that vein. It was pretty horrible. He did a great job of ensuring Ivar Binface couldn’t profit from his special ability and eventually was able to score untouched on 8.  Well, the ball carrier was untouched. Despite all the early removals effectively ending the drive early, the final turn on the half saw the removals tide shift in my direction. I set up for another one-tun attempt and this time the ball location and snowy weather conspired to ensure that my only option was fling toss. I got the ball to the little fellow, chained him forward two squares but the Ogre messed up the throw and a failed loner ended the attempt. Note that I didn’t fling him first as the push OTT wasn’t on.  0-1 HT

I started the second half looking to keep flexible to score early if the removals came. And the removals did come. Whereas I had had a torrid time in the first half, the second half saw a couple of middle turns where every knockdown seemed to be terminal. But just as the game had pivoted my way, it was tough to get into range and we ended up scoring on 6. Risky. Later than I wanted to push for the win, but early enough that Ollie had a chance.

Despite the attrition, there were enough of Ollie’s humans available; but you don’t win by playing for the draw.

We brought some pressure, put in scoring threats and Ollie responded by getting the ball to his catcher and legging it downfield. Big dice time. A dodge, 1D with RR took down the ball and it scattered into the crowd, then floated deep downfield for a thrower pickup/handoff and catcher to run it in. 3 RRs were used on that magical T16, with the final one a snow-for-it to score. Match stolen. Win 2-1

CLAW-off on table 1.

For the third game in a row, the LOS hits killed a rabbit and it wasn’t long before I was looking at a pile of hurt bunnies. Again, the drive felt over and the decision between team preservation and trying for exceedingly unlikely sack plays was in my head. At this point, Chris took his foot ever so slightly off my rabbits necks and I took my “one last chance” to go for the 2D uphill needing pushes to generate a 1D hit on the carrier. That worked perfectly with Pro RR on the blitz getting the ball down. It scattered into double rush range for my thrower… he recovered, and hurled the ball max distance downfield. Nice. Drive stopped.

However, Chris then managed to regain the ball, and on T8 he rushed, passed, double rushed, handed it off to go nearly the length of the field to score. Damn.

Still, I had my one turn and again got the ball to the catcher and got all the pushes needed without using my blitz. The ball-carrying catcher then was able to full-pow blitz through the backline defence and… tripped over the goal-line tripwire. So close and leaving me ruing putting my final RR into trying to down his scoring threats on T7. 0-1 at HT.

Again, I started the second half thinking “perhaps I can score early and try to win.” But that plan disappeared quite quickly, as the run of removals continued. I pushed left and right and it was becoming increasingly difficult to do anything safely. On 14, it was time to go and a turn with multiple rushes took the ball carrier into a full X-cage near the line. We survived the 2-heads cage dive and scored on 15. Not ideal, but I fancied my chance of stopping a Chaos 2-turn. However, changing weather then caused a touchback, ball onto the 2-headed beastie on half way and Chris could blitz through into a side cage. After weighing up the 3+ 3+ -2D halfling dodge uphill surf, I elected to get multiple pieces in front. I did end up with a full screen (below).

However, a ball carrier horns blitz, 4+ leap over the downed player and 32 dodges and 22 rush all passed for Chris to take the win.

Loss 2-1. But maybe not tournament over as everyone had dropped points on day 1.

Dave had been having fun playing his EU more aggressively than normal and had surprised opponents with Turn 1 sack attempts. However, I felt equipped with my 3 tackle pieces, 3 Guard and 2 MB to chew through the Onion boys. Operation make him roll many dice every turn was enacted from turn 1. And Dave promptly started rolling 1s.

After a couple of turns of being pressed backward, Dave decided he had spotted a half gap to get partly through. The pic above is the start of that turn… All it needed was to take down the KangaOgre and then roll a load of 2+ dodges between the Leader and the Catcher. However, every dice seemed to take another RR until his penultimate one was spent on snake. That left a route to the ball and by the end of T3 it was in my blodge catcher’s hands. Still, it was easy to get a 2D with wrestle… except another failed dodge ate the final Union RR and the 2D left the catcher still standing happy. Now the humans could consolidate around the ball, and we took a turn to stabilise, then banged it in for 1-0.

Dave continued to roll horribly on his short drive with not one but two dub skulls, the second coming at a critical moment on T8. Just pushes on that hit would have left a 2222 to score. Puzzle of that position will be shared sometime soon, HT 1-0.

The second half KO sailed into my endzone, and very cognizant of a team split I dropped deep. Still by T10 there was chances for 2+, 5+, 2+ for -2D vs my blockless thrower…and Dave went in. Ball down, but recovery was hard for the Elves. We scrapped for a few turns, with Elves leaving the pitch and the dice attempts becoming increasingly desperate as I was able to first stabilise and then advance. On T16 I had a (3)22 with 3RRs available to score, but the fail state was pretty awful as my attempt to get Dave’s only viable scoring threat down failed. I contented myself with caging near the endzone and there was just too many dice required. Win 1-0.

Back to Table 1 as the two matches above me had both ended as ties.

I love Necro, but this ruleset seemed too light to play a standard Necro build; only 6 skills. This team had two naked Ghouls and no star. I did hunt those Ghouls and one spent a lot of the game sidelined.

For the fifth time, I kicked and this time the T1 removal was Count Ivar Binface on a 2D (into uphill) Wolf blitz that I thought wouldn’t have been appealing enough to take on. The apo did save the bin, but my star wasn’t going to be contributing much in the first half. After a couple of turns, my team was locked in a battle around the LOS that we couldn’t win; being out guarded 4 to 2 now Ivar was off.

So, I took the first chance I could to (3)22(3)2D down the ball carrier. Although I didn’t get the recovery, the drive was destabilised and the rest of the drive was a messy back and forth affair with multiple successful recoveries by MiGui followed by further sacks. Pic above is T4 with ball down again next to my Blitzer.

Lots of 3s were rolled, and all those Necro RRs were invaluable as they finally managed to get the ball home on T6.

With 3 turns and my own RRs depleted I was happy to catch the kick off and presented a strong feint left which drew just too many Necro over in their desire to take out Ivar. So, I took a position on the other side, in scoring range. The Necro forced their way onto the ball carrier, but couldn’t get much in front, so it was just a (3)2D to score. HT 1-1.

The second half started with a Charge! Kick off which allowed the Necro to Guard-bully my line and kill a hapless rabbit. Soon after another rabbit left the field to be stewed and it felt like I was running low on options. I took my hits on 3 and then popped the ball in. Relying on getting some numbers back and believing in my ability to contest a defensive drive.

We’d played the whole game in sweaty heat, and this time the 2 removals were a Ghoul and a Wolf. This left MiGui with only 2 hands pieces on the pitch. I soaked-up hits and gummed-up everything centrally with chaf, leaving a wolf and a wraith as the sole protectors of the ball carrying Ghoul to face my positionals.

By now, there was quite a crowd forming as we were the last game being played on the top table.

My first chance at the ball carrier disappeared as double pushes blocked the route through and I was sitting thinking I would take the next 5+ that was on, when the Wolf and Wraith pushed forward but failed to generate enough penetration to get properly safe. The Ghoul sat on the sideline and on T15 there was a chance to put a couple of pieces in to fill out the box and dodge off a catcher to give an assist for a 1D chain-surf of the ball carrier combined with pow of the wolf. In one hit the game was effectively over bar the shouting, The next turn, a little bit of stomping by my halfling took the wolf off the pitch and the shouting could begin.

Win 2-1.

This was MiGui’s just second tournament and he was playing on the top table for a win…impressive. Lots of online games were evident as his play was solid throughout

Final record 4-0-1 and I won the championship (on strength of schedule).

Special shout out to Chris, who beat me and also went unbeaten on 3-2-0… finishing 3rd. Dusher finished 9th on 2-2-1. (The scoring here was 3 pts for a win and 1 for a draw). Strong showing from the CLAW boys.

Big shout out to Tony for running a great event and to the Sponsors, Charlie Victor, Tabletop Goodies, and Greasy Miniatures for some lovely prizes! Excellent lunch, perfect venue and a fun, not too serious ruleset. Would highly recommend for next year.