BLOOD BOWL PLAYERS!

We had a World Cup! And what a tournament it was!

So the world cup had 372 teams, and we were one of them! The first round opponents had been drawn a while before leaving and we got… All the President’s Men. Out of all those teams, we got these guys? And I have to play Purplegoo round 1? Well that is actually just excellent! If we lose, well that’s expected, and if we win… let’s go! We had some time to discuss their teams and I took time out to play a game coaching the Purplegoo skaven team. I was not feeling better after that!

Arriving in Alicante I had the pleasure of encountering a small horde of Swedish players at the airport. Having no relationship to the tournament or TT scene I didn’t know any of these people even if there were a few that I had exchanged words with online. A great bunch, as really every coach I encountered for three days turned out to be. We’d end up playing Swedes at the end of day 2, including the one I had managed to spend a bit of time with this first day, SpoiledSquid. Very nice fellow.

Now to find my team mates! I didn’t know what anyone except Sean looked like, so we sent some pictures to each other and soon we had all found each other and were having a drink under the trees in the midst of Alicante. I already knew that these guys were very good at the fine game of Blood Bowl, but I soon learned that I was also in the company of quite excellent people in general, and over the course of three days we were going to become friends for life, if I dare say so much.

Opening ceremony, we have donned the shirts of the Red Leaf Mercenaries. Spirits are high, and the others are finding old friends, saying hello and being happy. I managed to meet Karrashantemi, hello friend! Excellent coach name too, now that I understand it! After leaving we were approached by Geggster, who would continue to seek us out and be supportive and just the nicest guy for all of the tournament. We had a little chat about the game next morning, and we left with a feeling that maybe ATPM were not feeling super confident about it all. Even if a couple of us in the team look like nobodies if you search the NAF site at least these guys knew who we were and that tomorrow morning would not be any pushover.

I woke up so early and left before the sun rose. We met up in the city, got our stuff in order and went to the bus. These took us to the venue a long time before round 1 would start, and we actually had to stand around outside for a while before the doors opened. But then we were in. A throng of people, a vast area filled with tables and around it some food stalls, a café, and vendors selling different things. The noise is noticeable but not pressing down on you. We eventually find our table and start setting up, getting to have a morning chat with All the President’s Men. Playing coaches of this level is all I could hope for going to this, so for myself this was the best possible way to start, and I think everyone agrees, regardless of what the outcome had been. Purplegoo was a gentleman while I was being a bit unfamiliar with a few things, since I’ve not really been playing table top outside of my own home for twenty years.

I am playing 1 wolf necromantic to have reserves and rerolls. I am facing skaven.

I chose to kick. First kick off is Blitz! Rats are immediately in a worse position but the ball is not threatened. There follows a well controlled game where PG uses speed and positioning to make sure I never get any good shots to turn over the half. There is a critical moment when he feels the need to reroll the rogre double skulls (it has juggernaut you know!) and makes it. The best I can do by turn 8 is a couple of dodges and 8 rushes to force a scoring dodge into a TZ. 0-1 but pretty good though! Start of second I get a hit on LoS and I have removed one gutter runner in first and I have the ball. There is a fair chance I can push a score by turn 4 if I go for it, leaving the end result up to my chances of breaking his offense. I take a short break to just ask Sean if I need to push for a win by scoring fast. He replies quite fast: go for the draw. I do so, but not without a real scare on the way when the strip ball works and the runner catches the bounce. I luckily get it back next turn and can score safely in T16. Rats have one turn. They have the juggernaut rogre, but not their side step runner and only 8 players. He looks intently at my side steppers flanking the stand firm for a few minutes before concluding: it can’t be done. No special kick off and the result is 1-1!

Looking up and around, I get the result: we win the round, going 3-1-2. Mind blown!

Celebrations are in order, and the news of the morning result will eventually reach a lot of people who will come by and congratulate the team and cheer us on. Next up we played A Block Project. I had another enjoyable game apart from the fact that I got completely destroyed by Mr_Rohlborg and his orcs. I don’t have all the details but orcs got a Blitz! on first kick off and I never ever removed a single one of his players. 0-2 and I don’t think I ever got the ball further than 1 step into his field. That turned out to be our only loss of the round if I remember correctly, I think we won 4/1/1 - so two wins now!

The third game has been delayed by quite a bit, and I’ve slept too little and it has been an intense day. I am tired by this point, as I’m sure everyone is. I face skaven once again, now coached by LordUhr. I can’t remember everything going on, his Block rat ogre was everywhere removing 4-5 of my guys but also a couple of his own. I got downed on my offence but managed to neatly surf the runner that stole the ball and the bounce gave me zombie pick up to wolf handover for 1-0 first half. Second the rats start crumbling and they are forced to gamble on a difficult TD but make it. Now I have two turns and the ball lands in my own end zone. Ugh. I push ahead and on the rat turn the rat ogre fails the rush that is forced on the frenzy follow up so my wolf is free up ahead. Just need the 5+ pass and catch… It’s a Touchdown!! 2-1 final result and we win the round just barely (I think). What a way to end the day, me going 1/1/1 and us going 3/0/0 as a team!

Spirits are as high as you can imagine, we have some food and sangria though it is very late. Andrew is not too happy about day one, having gone 1/0/2 but he will get his chance to carry the team tomorrow. Sandune is 3/0/0 and will play table 1 for us for the rest of the tournament (except one game?) and maybe Underworld are a tiny bit OP heh, but really he is doing a rock solid job there.

Tomorrow we will face some stiff competition. We head back to sleep, too late, but feeling very excited. I’ve been smiling all day. We don’t plan to take the bus as early next time!

Continued in Part III: Day 2.