“COMMENTARY ON THE GAME;

Ok, so I dont usually do this but since it was exciting game here is few of my thought about the game;

First comment on pregame choices. I let go of my longest serving player Elwien.
With -AV and Niggle, he would have been too much of an liability. I also emptied
my treasury to hire 2 more line elves. I really wanted to have as many
players as possible for as long as possible in the game. One thing
I have learned is that if I have still decent amount (say 8 or 9) elves
I can still do all sorts of things with them. Decided also to keep
ST2 kicker. I recon kick is very important against lizards for early
ball and as such gage placement.

Coin toss - I get to choose, more often than not if I get to choose,
I'll take receive. Easy logic for this is that its easier to defend
with 11 players than less than that. Set-up is also one of my standard
ones. Idea is to try to get the other team to go to empty space on the
top and then move all my elves to block advance. Doesnt work often since
most of the people know this placement and dont over extend their
players.

1st turn - kick was good. ideally I would have wanted him to have to move his
BC skink (what an amazing piece that is, but with MA7 and AV6, his time is
coming to end. Faulcon just needs to get another AG4 skink to replace this
aging legend) bit more to get to ball and therefore the gage would have formed
somewhere closer to my LOS. Disappointing 1st hit, but then again, only KO and
what I didnt realise but Faulcon pointed this out, me thinks amount of KO's
compared to injuries was to be one of the keys for the game. Losing my wrestle guy
- who was great previous game - this early was sad. I had lost 2 players and
one was stunned, my pregame idea of stalwart defense was not to be and I changed my
plan to try divide his team to couple of groups.

turn 2 - Here I was hoping him to crowd my elves that were all placed
in a one group and looking for lots injuries leaving BC somehow lacking protection.Faulcon didnt take the bait... I was
sad.Instead he clears the only player that could have been of any
threat to BC and forms solid gage. Not to worry, if solid grouping doesnt make him come to me maybe ganging up on his lone player would cause him come out to help that piece...
I will keep on trying that plot for couple of turns... No luck. I am sad again.

Turn 4 - minor mistake of not leaving 2 players next to his prone Saurus. This gave him easy way of blitzing him free. By now I have formed my hit line - if I can spot 2 dice (or even 1 dice) block against his BC I will take it. The plan is for Tinuviel to leap to give guard and then another leap to blitz BC.

Now, as the gage stands at the end of my turn 4, I can get 2 dice block in with 2 leaps, which is not too bad, however when we get to turn 5, Faulcon must have anticipated my plan and build the gage the way I cant get 2 dice block. I am still tempted to try one dice with 2 leaps but decide to wait one more turn in hope of him moving his Sauruses in contact with my elves. To give him more temptation I move everybody closer to hitting distance.

turn 6, no such luck, and no I am cursing of not taking the risk earlier on... I have underestimated my opponent and over estimated his blood thirst. Ok, so, now I am ok to just let him score and hope my KO's recover.

Turn 7 and 8 sees Faulcon to have his easy TD, and me losing player banned for weak fouling.

My turn 8 is something I am proud of. We set up for 1 turner, which kind of gets ruined by perfect D. HOw I build this try is not bad, just crucial mistake that Faulcon pointed out was not blocking the saurus out of touch. It would have been 2 dice with reroll only needing push and all the other actions
I was planning after that would have had inbuild rerolls (pass, catch, dodge). Ah well, was not to be and minor mistakes like these are what really set me on the "average" level of playing skill. Still was happy to even see this opportunity...

2nd half.

I need fast TD, lucky I have plenty of elves and I get ball straight to Gillian. Plan is to move him to scoring distance and leap to TD. I did make another minor mistake with her placing but these things happen.
Now, I dont know why I changed the plan here, there was still options open to make push for TD this lane but somehow I decided I will go other side. Now, this whole sequence is typical of major mistake I tend to make at least once every game. BC is located in wrong place, instead of moving in some 2+ dodge people to give him security, screening and general help, I decide that it would
be good idea to leap blitz his skink without reroll!? This fails and Faulcons turn sees him turning ball loose!

My 3rd turn sees me wandering why my mother's son is such an idiot. That doesnt help me though, and I will put my faith in some desperate elf balling. Very lucky to get away with that but this is the reason I play woodies (and wardancers, they are amazing!).

Ok, now, its pretty good situation really, I still have full 11 elves (this was for me the key to win here) so I decide to put pressure on Faulcon straight away. Next 2 turns Faulcon rolls nothing but pushes, and this is what I needed from Nuffle.

Turn 5 I can finally see gage that I have been waiting for. Now I can get 2 dice block in, yes, I know it requires quite a bit of 3+ rolls, but bugger that, I recon this is my chance before I run out of elves.
So, here we go... I dont really know how much better that could have gone...?

Ok, now, Faulcons turn 5, lets count the arrows... 2+1+1+another couple+and one more... is that 7...
Yes, I am starting to think that I was very lucky here indeed. Loved the Krox dodge though...

I am still trying to find a way to stall for 2 more turns and moving everything I can to screen my BC location. And as Nuffle would have it, I get everybody pretty much where I wanted them. However, Faulcon is not about to give up and manages to get decent threath on my BC.

My turn 7, I recon here I might have still been better to gage for one more turn, got rerolls so with some luck I should have been able to move enough elves to protect the BC for one more turn. However, my courage
(or sense) failed me and I took 3+ with reroll (should be easy, surely?). And, it was.

Yippee, I am leading!

Ok, so now to defend, my setup is rubbish, stupid as can be, and Faulcon eliminates good few elves. my last turn I am trying to cover as many scoring options as I can, but really dont do great job there, even with Tree dodging (that tree was very good all game long).

Turn 8. After some blocking he has freed his skink to score, easy hand over with
3+ with rerolls (should be easy, surely?). And, it wasnt!

D is the winner and Champ.

Now, I have watched this game and really come to realise exactly how much Nuffle
favored me, like he has done all season long. All this makes me firmly believe that Nuffle wanted elves to win which shows exactly what kind of bloodbowl we should be aiming to play!

Thanks for Faulcon for a great game and my apologies for my luck (or more, lack of good luck on your behalf).”