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1. 1. NWFL Season X, Game 10

The glass cannon Norse lived up and down to that reputation as they brought the bash with twice the blocks (42:24) but took twice the casualties (4:2), and suffered the game's only perm on one of their best players, +Ag Sure Hands Tackler Vigo Jorikson -MA'd (chosen over Niggle by Apo).

The Helfs chose to receive (possibly losing the game then and there), sent 1 blodge Catcher downfield who survived the blitz, and scored easily Turn 2, but not before KO'ing a rookie lino and the only Blodger and one of only 2 tacklers on the Norse roster (for this game), MA 8 blodgestepper Stigandr Sigvardrson - who did not return for the Turn 2 drive.

Only 1 Elf was KO'd until Turn 5, when five things happened that suddenly changed a routine drive into chaos: 1) the Norse had changed from a cage to a screen, ballcarrier on the Elf 6, 2) the Norse Snow Troll was MNG'd, 3) the Elfs used St 5 Ag 5 to dodge though the screen and 2d the ballcarrier to the ground, which 4) permed the Norse +Ag ballcarrier, putting them up 10:9 Players, and 5) in reply the Norse BH'd 2 HElfs (the St 5 Ag 5 MB, and the Loner) and surfed another (the Ag 5 Blodge Thrower) into the reserves. However, the remaining 7 HElfs were still positioned to pressure, and an attempt to dodge to score early failed despite RR, ball on the 7 yeard line marked by 2 Norse and 1 HElf. Turn 6 started with a Blitz to clear a marker that only found a Push, chosen onto the ball, but a bad bounce only made things worse, now in 3 TZ's. The remaining Ag 5 Thrower failed the 4+ dodge despite RR (and before getting to the pickup), and the Norse used the last RR on the field to recover, and brought their DP into action for the first time so far, KO'ing that Thrower and screening with Guards. A snaked dodge aborted the HElf Turn 7 early and allowed the Norse to shift the cage off the sideline and to midfield on the 2 yard line, but not before KO'ing a MA 9 Guard. Turn 8 a St 4 remained among the last 5 stat-freak Helfs, and they were able to mark the ball with him and a blodger. Last Turn of the game, no RR's, the Norse gfi'd once to set up a chainpush, and found a Pow to take the blodger down and push the St 4 off - and a walk in score, 1-1.


The 2 better KO's woke up for the Helfs (the Blodger slept on), as did the Norse MA 8 blodge ballcarrier - 8 HElfs facing a diminished 11 man Norse roster. A Pitch Invasion Stunned 3 of their key players, but a medium-deep kick minimized the significance of that. However, it did give the Norse the luxury to push everyone up and, after KO'ing a rookie Lino, to gang-foul a blodge-tackler (who had been stunned on the LoS) MNG, and all before sending the ballcarrier back to field the ball.

With only 6 players, and all of them +Stat or Double-skills, Coach Powermonger then announced he was not going to contest the final game-winning score - but then Blitzed a Norse rookie, RR'ing to find a knockdown, and repeated the blitz Turn 2. The Norse pondered this contradiction, but only briefly, and declined the surrender, fouling the HElf +Ag Thrower (only Stunned, but surrounded) their Turn 3 to emphasize their view of the "non-surrender", and the remaining HElfs took the hint and ran the other way as a crowd.

Turn 4, knowing that the race for post-season was tight and that they were behind in tie-breaker points, and still with a Wizard on the bench, the Norse took a calculated risk and chose to score in hopes of getting a 3-1 win, but giving the 6 remaining HElfs + 2 KO's 5 Turns to tie it up. 1 KO woke up - 11 vs. 7, for the game.


Their Turn 4, the HElfs started well, BH'ing a lino but using 1 of their 2 remaining RR's, making a risky pass within blitz range, and sending the same blodge catcher downfield solo. This time, however, he did not survive the blitz - KO'd, and the rest of the Norse pressured, swarming the LoS and moving up toward the ballcarrier. Turn 5, the Helfs BH'd another rookie lino, but then snaked a GFI (using their last RR), leaving the ball carrier in Frenzy blitz range! But 4 dice could not find a Pow, and the Wizard did not break AV 8, so Turn 6 the stat-freak HElfs were able to dodge (RR'd w/ Dodge skill), scoop the ball in TZ using Ag 5, Pass (RR'd w/ Pass skill), the 5+ not quite enough to Int, and the Catcher then blitzed free but, without RR, didn't risk the 1 GFI that would have put him beyond blitz range. A Norse Ulf double-GFI'd and found a Pow on the Wrodger, and more GFI's (and a RR) got the ball safely back in Norse hands - no one in scoring range, but the win saved. Without RR, the Turn 8 Helf 1d blitz found only a Push - and even then, no HElf could have recovered and scored - game over, 2-1.”