“Warpstone Open IX: Qual XI Round 1

Where, oh where, do I begin? At the beginning, I suppose. Before the characters of Firehurler had taken their first turn, we were down two players. By the time the half ended, we were scrambling to keep a few bodies around for the second. We were down 1-0, and only a glut of bench players allowed us to have 11 for the second half kick.

Second half, we split our team unevenly top and bottom. We took a chance that we'd be able to win the smaller of the two battles, and it looked like maybe we would. After taking out one of our blitzers, Orci left a pestigor on the sideline. Ten-Wolf just needed to NOT be dumb, get a push, and surfs up! *DUH* D'oh!

Eventually we managed to get a catcher free bottomside, where she could be safe from blitzing (marking was as far as anyone could get), but she snaked the catch. Next turn, we ogre-blitzed the ball clear of Nurgle warriors and failed a pickup. Two turns later it took a -2db blitz push to get the catcher free of the sidelines and scoop up the ball to score the tying TD.

1-1, OT.

We received with 8 players left, and receiving was out only real hope. We set up for a quick 2-turn passing play and screen for the catchers. Pitch Invasion! Both our catchers go down, and we only have 6 players up. We retrench and go for a top/bottom split again while our +AG lineman goes back for the ball (Kyrus was -MA, so there was no thrower). As Nurgle forces are closing in, our last remaining advantage comes into play: rerolls. We have one, they don't.

A double-skull block for a self-cas removed a pestigor and set up our winning play. We passed into a disturbing presence, but Juliana Archon made the catch and ran up the sideline. We took our blitzer and parked him in front of a Blackle/ClawMB pestigor--the only one who could reach Juliana. Given the choice of blitzing out blitzer to mark Juliana, or dodging 4+3+ with a GFI to get 2 dice on her, Orci tried the latter and failed. We didn't hesitate and Juliana scores, reaching 178 spp and making Legend in style.

GG Favalessa. I thought you had me at several points in this one. Still not sure quite how I squirmed free, even after writing it all down.”