“Fumbbl Cup
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Handicaps:
Bad Press
Smelling Salts
Buzzing (Purpur)
Palmed Coin
I am the Greatest
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The prestigious Fumbbl Cup was finally here and the Nigglaz got a nice draw in the semi-professional dark elf team SpVg Schwarzer Krug. The odds were heavily on the Nigglaz side, but there was some concern about what the dark elves might have done to even out the odds or if the niggled orc players could be fielded. The clouds of concerns scattered though when all Nigglaz players showed up for the match. The only distraction was that Skorla da Skoundrel and Bash Bonechewa argued so fiercly over who was going to be the main blitzer that the coach Dub decided to separate them from each other and only fielding one at a time.

The dark elves won the kick-off, but their offense immediately halted when they set up a cage and then missed the pass into it. The Nigglaz LOS line rushed forward, pushing dark elves to the side and crowding the ball. The dark elves scrambled frantically for the ball, but couldn't get to it and surrounding it a series of minor skirmishes broke out. That nerves were involved on both sides was evident by the weak blocks and ball handling skills portrayed in the opening of the match.

The referee, Harold Highenmighty, also put his mark on the match at an early stage by ejecting one player on each team for fouling. Both teams learned their lessons and there would be no more dirty tricks from either side throughout the match.

Suddenly the Nigglaz could put their advantage in strength to use and shoved the dark elves aside enough for Zoom to get to the ball. With most of the dark elves cut off a part of the Nigglaz team broke off and made their way towards the end zone line. Along the way the ball was handed to the gargantous black orc Rugg Flingbelly.

The dark elves were now down several players, having suffered casualties from trying to dodge away from the troll and being thrown out into the audience, but the remaining players rushed towards their defense. A single blitzer could dodge his way through greenskin opponents and threw himself with all his might onto Rugg. The surprised orc giant lost his balance and fell towards the ground, letting go of the ball in favor of bracing himself for the impact. Fortunately the agile Ruuk Metal'ead was there to snatch it up in mid-air and then blitz through the exhausted dark elf for a TD just before the half time break.

In the second half it stood clear that the dark elves had been pummeled hard. They could only field 8 players for their defensive drive, while the orcs had fresh reserves on the bench even with their full eleven on the pitch.

The elves didn't give up though and encouraged by the importance of the match they launched a surprise assault that caught the Nigglaz off guard. The greenskins formed a cage close to the LOS line, but in the confusion when the dark elves tried to get to the ball it dissipated into a scrambled rush along the left flank, with the scorer Ruuk carrying the ball.

Meanwhile the other orc troops were now properly warmed up and put some heavy hurt on the elves. With the apothecary used to keep the buzzing Purpur on the pitch, the Nigglaz star player Bash Bonechewa pummeled the dark elves only blodger to death.

A new courageous individual attack from the dark elves resulted in a seemingly impossible blitz on Ruuk, but the momentum involved to sweep by the troll and bring the agile orc to his knees made the dark elf crash to the ground after his tackle, and the Nigglaz could immediately recover the ball. The dark elves were now broken and the Nigglaz could score again through the mighty Rugg Flingbelly.

There were still time for a last offensive drive for the dark elves, but with two TD's down they had no chances of winning and with only 6 players left standing they were quickly surrounded and cut off from the ball.

2-0 for the North Tribe Nigglaz and their first ever tournament victory, an achievement that sounds more impressive if you neglect to compare the teams strength. In the next round both the orcs and their coach have to step their game up when they face the respectable and highly succesful dwarf team Drinking For World Peace.
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Thanks for the match, Luminus! You did what you could with such poor conditions and you kept the game a lot more open than I had planned for at least 3/4 of the match. See you around!”