Hello all!

What with all of the arguments that seem to fly around on this here website about the new rules, I thought I'd carve out a place to record my progress in my recently joined local LRB 5+ (i.e, with the rules expected to be LRB 6) league, and also ask for advice, note things I like / dislike in the new rules, etc. For those of you in the Manchester area, it's the Waterbowl, so I suppose they deserve a free plug! I'm playing in the play when you want league, not the scheduled one, so that I can dip my toe in and work won't bone me. I think it would be sort of neat if a few of us did this, if I'd seen a few blogs on people's RL teams, I might have approached this differently and learnt things. Plus, it's fun to talk! Or at least, I think it is, feel free to shoot down in flames...

So, my team is a fine set of High Elves, painted and used by our own pigstar-69, and purchased by the painting allergic me! :)

I built for the long term (teams in this league can hang around for ever, I think I'm right in saying; you'll have to forgive the numbers, it seems piggy can't count!):

White Isle Interlopers

1. pac - Pheonix, (yes, I'm using the old names) Pass, Safe Throw
2. PeteW - Dragon, Block
4. JockMcRowdy - Dragon, Block
5. Gritter - Lino
6. SillySod - Lino
7. spubbbba - Lino
8. phil78 - Lino
9. Unstoffe - Lino
10. Wilf - Lino
11. Borgen - Lino
15. Russo - Lino

3 RR's, no fans, cheerleaders, coaches.

Game 1 - White Isle Interlopers 2 - 1 Hungry Hungry Hypnos

So, game one was against some LRB 6 Vamps. So this means, bites are capped at BH, Vamps can finish their action (like hit on a blitz) pre bite without trouble, end of a GFI Gaze I think isn't a change but a client thing. My opponent (a lovely chap (Jimany for NAF bods) who fed me tea) had 3 Vamps (one of which was ST5) and Thralls up to 12 men, one had Guard. So, two good skills! Sadly, we forgot inducements, so nothing to report there.

The Interlopers kicked first, and big 10! The WILIs (see what I've done there) started life with a Blitz! Sadly, with no Lions on the team, there was little pace to push with, so I settled for a Thrall hit and a TZ on the ball. Jim recovered well, and, most worryingly of all, got the ball to the ST5 Vamp. The Guard Thrall got a CAS, a KO followed, and the Interlopers reeled.

As the drive progressed, my strategy was to hit Thralls and try to leave the ballcarrying monster under protected. I got little to no joy on armour, but, luckily for me, Jim's Vampires were very thirsty. It was a while ago now, but I think I remember a couple of CAS and 2 KOs coming from 3 bites and a blitz, and the Thralls were dwindling. The Vamp made a break for freedom in T5. 1 on OFAB! Rerolled, there was no Thrall ahead. Dodge! Another 1! The Interlopers pounced, pac scooped and threw to Gritter, who sped away to stall out for a T8 score.

Second half and at 10-10 on numbers, the new Safe Thow thing bewitched me like a pretty lady. The old Purp, stay back, be conservative, wait for the thrust melted, and the safety of SF threw Elves forward. I was able to score in T3 with a pac Comp to Russo, but felt a little dirty, that wouldn't do, too many dice.

Jim responded in T6 as my dice melted away (my great luck ran out), and I survived the final 2 turns, pac surrounded with the ball as if it was cash money.

Game / Rule Feeling

I feel I was a lucky boy, the OFAB crippled the Vamp drive, I don't think I was ever getting 2D at ST5, him falling over was golden. Second half was 50/50, but I had enough 2+'ses to get over the line.

Post-game; Gritter MVP'd to Block up, 40k winnings, and +FF! New TV = 103.

Overall on changes, Safe Throw bewitching me was bad from a tactical point of view (won't happen again), I still think having experienced it for the first time after reading the rules it's a bit much, frankly. I mean, HE are good enough already without giving them license to fling the thing safely or hang on on all but 1's. Although, maybe sucking people into longer passes is part of the thought process behind the new skill? Anyway, going forward, I hope never to have to use it. I pushed with comps to try and get pac towards a skill, since he's the easiest member of the team to get to 6spps, after all!

Vampires, ewww. More bad than good, imo. With Journeymen (that's a separate rant; gone is the skill of playing undermanned these days), only BH on Thralls and apo privaledges for Vamps gives the team a bump I didn't feel it needed. Middle of the road Vampires just feels wrong, they should be crap yet niche and capable of wonderful things, at least in my view. Adding longevity to players seems a bit counter productive, you always want crap Thralls to eat to keep the good ones... Anyway, I think it's a minus of a change. I like the ending of actions pre-bite though. Seems good mechanically, felt right and not too much, just a tweak.

Game 1 - White Isle Interlopers 2 - 1 Altering'em Followers of Chaos

Game 2 was today, Chaos Pact. New race, much to think about and discuss!

I was up against a Troll, Ogre, Mino (BT), a DE Lino (Block), a Rat Lino (-MA), a Gobbo (Two Heads) and a bunch of 'Marauders' (read: Human Linos) to 12, one with Sure Hands. Inducements for WILIs were Babes z 1 (KOs now wake up on 3+) and a wandering APO (new apo rules are reroll injury and choose, player placed in reserves bin, can halt a KO). So lots of newness to think about.

Funny old prospect, Chaos Pact. I think I like them, but more of that later.

WILIs kicked off, and straight away, Ogre 1, Troll 1, Mino both downs, and the big guys did their thing. PeteW charged up the middle at the ball, but he and 'Stoffe just got themselves KO'd (no doubt blaming the coaching) and we were at 9. Luckily, quickly Gritter found a CAS (he is swiftly becoming the star of the team) and we were at 9-10. The Sure Hands Lino drove, but the big guys remained spread. Eventually, in T6, my oppo (another lovely chap who fed me tea, this is a good league! Beanbag was his handle) opened a turn with a Two Heads Gobbo dodge for an assist to punch through with the ball, snakes! To that point, 3db Mino blitzes had reigned, but I couldn't really blame them, Pact seem a bit of a randomiser, what else are you blitzing with... But now I had a chance. pac blocked for a CAS, spubb knocked the ball free, and that man Grit again scooped, threw, and Russo was in under the sticks in T8, babes to the rescue, and WILI to 10 men Vs. 9.

Good half! Second period, and the T4 scoring move was spubb handoff to pac, throw to get within 1spp of a skill to Russo, stall, next turn handoff to Borgen for 2-0. He was later to CAS, bringing his total to 5 in the game.

The Pact pushed to reply, and the Interlopers ran away. Eventually a 1D shot was opened up, ball down, scatter to Troll! TROLL SCORE! Great stuff! :D

2-1 it finished, despite a T16 Blitz! Causing a worry, pac got another comp to skill, MVP to Unstoffe, 40k, +FF. Good stuff! I purchased an apo (the wandering version had wowed me with saving a late mng on poor Jock), and rolled Guard for Russo and a normal for pac... Was a thinker. With Leader now being a normal roll, it was tempting, I might not need RR 4 for a long while. I decided on Block so he was of use on D and to steer away from a dedicated passer. Aiming for Leader at 16, where hopefully he'll have buddies to look after him. New TV = 114.

Game / Rule Feeling

Hmm, Chaos Pact. It's a very odd team to play against. Obviously, the Gobbo / DE / Rat and Big guy units are vital. Should the BGs fire, forget about it, but there's not that much behind them. It's not like you're giving Ogres a DE Lino and an insta Two Headed Stunty (which I went after like you wouldn't believe! Fale...). It feels like a Vamp level team, but when the rolls work for them, it's not intricate Gaze ball springs and flying away, it's crash, smash, Human Lino's assist and keep big guys moving, 3 funny stuck out oddities scoop up and do the business. I must say I liked them, I don't think they're ever going to live with a top tier race, but as they build, around 170 up, they could be a good unit, when PO is maybe added to BGs and the Linos start to skill. I'd liked to have seen a real new team at this sort of level rather than a hotchpotch, but there is no denying it has qualities and interest, even if it is a lazy race design. It seems to push toward BG blitzing too early, which makes for dicey fun...

So - the game, pretty good rolls again, caused a niggle, a -ST, did what I wanted with the ball, and the Big Guys didn't make too much hurt. I think my current TT dice are compensating for my [R] DE just stinking the joint up; I can't remember the last time I had a top tier team start 1/0/4, maybe never!


Current Team:

1. pac - Pheonix, Pass, Safe Throw, Block , 6 spp
2. PeteW - Dragon, Block
4. JockMcRowdy - Dragon, Block
5. Gritter - Lino, Block, 11 spp
6. SillySod - Lino
7. spubbbba - Lino
8. phil78 - Lino
9. Unstoffe - Lino, 5 spp
10. Wilf - Lino
11. Borgen - Lino, 5 spp
15. Russo - Lino, Guard, 6 spp

3RR, 2 Fans.

Phew, that was a lot of text!

So, what do we think of new Safe Throw? Was my team too conservative to start? Anyone else had new Vamp or Pact experience yet? What do we think? Inducements - did I pick good or bad (I know Silly thinks bad)?

I think I'm playing in a mid-Season Cup next week, 3 games in a day, so I hope to push on and recruit a Lion or two and get me some pace. 'Stoffe and Borgen are a Comp away from some skills, and I really need to get a Tackle Dragon soon.

Thoughts? Advice? Anyway, was nice to do a bit of fluff for a change, unlike me. Would be interested to read how other FUMBBLers are getting on on tabletop! Shall report back next weekend on games 3-5, that is, unless I get 50 odd 'shut up' posts. :D