“Linkoping Ghosts calls heads, wins the toss, and elects to receive.

The Wolves’ kick starts a riot (rumored to be started by a female werewolf snapping a rib-bone off of a Linkoping fan, gnawing on it, and then saying it was “not rotted enough” before throwing it on the field). By the time the stands were calmed down, the ball came to rest directly behind the formidable line of the Ghosts. It bounced to the Mummy Papa Nihil, who batted it to Grohl the Zombie, who used his patented “Foo Fighter” technique to make “Something from Nothing” and hit the ball to his “Hero”, the other Mummy, Papa Emeritus, who knocked it back to where it landed.

Papa Nihil wasted no time at the start of Turn 1…er 2 for the Ghosts, immediately laying the smack down on the Wolves’ Ghaaarrrttt, stunning him. Papa Emeritus tried to imitate his Mummy bro, kicking zombie Jhaaaymmmz right in the face which was followed by zombie Jhaaaymmmz dropping to the turf. In a little zombie on zombie action, the eminent Persener of the Ghosts went World War Z on Graaahhhg, sending the Necrarch player to the sidelines permanently and scoring the Ghosts’ first casualty of the franchise. Dave the Bound, team necromancer simply shook his head as Graaahhhg’s collarbone charted a new route through his shoulder muscle. Ghost Wight Cardinal Copia blitzed Wolf Zombie Bhraahn off the line, opening the left side of the field. A tactical move that was lost on Wolf Coach Harakan. After some Wight and Ghoul movement from Cardinal Forge and a Nameless Trio (Water, Ether, Wind) formed an early cage formation around the ball, Nameless Fire decided he would just go pick it up. Which he did. Zombie Tobias started some more Zombie on Zombie action, fouling the prone Jhaaaymmz but his slow approach attracted the Referee’s attention and he was banned for a perfectly ordinary, allowable, and good Blood Bowl action. He should be fired. The Ghosts’ coach disagreed with the call, arguing that Jhaymmmz was “partially up” but to no avail. The referee still made a bad decision.

Turn 1…er 2 for the Wolves was much less eventful. A zombie moved. A flesh golem moved. Wight Gooden decided that Persener should be punished for his maiming Graaahg (can you maim a zombie?!?) and blitzed him, narrowly avoiding going down himself. Persener took it like a champ but still went to the pitch. A bunch of Wolves moved around, to include the actual Werewolf, but the Necrarch’s team did nothing of note.

Turn 3 for the Ghosts began with a Zombie rising and a Wight blitz action as Cardinal Copia took on Bhraahn and put him down. After some Nameless Ghoul movement, Zombie Grohl took on Wight Gooden. The mummys did some shaking, another Ghoul moved. Everything was headed to the left, again, lost on the Wolves’ coach. Cardinal Forge dodged away from the Wolves’ line and headed to the right side. Just kidding…he went left…you probably guessed would happen. Harakan didn’t.

Turn 3 for the Wolves was all about reinforcing the left side of the field. Or not. You judge. Ghraaahsin, showing some of his former intelligence, took off to the left. But showing how much intellegince he lost, he took a bad straight line instead of an angle. Frank, the Fancy one, followed in Wight Gooden’s steps from Turn 2 and blocked Persener, knocking him back down. Good job keeping the zombie on the ground while the Ghouls are running away, Frank. Frank, the Fabulous one, and two zombies headed straight into the pile at the line of scrimmage, making sure to place themselves further up field instead of going behind the line towards where the ball was going. The Werewolf decided to blitz … Papa Nihil?!? … instead of oh, I don’t know, dodging away and heading to get in the way of the Ghouls headed down the left sideline. The mummy went down, but Harry’s claws got tangled in tunic and were ineffective.

Turn 4 for the Ghosts was a bunch of movement down the left, setting up blockers for the ball carrier. The one lonely Wolf zombie who was in the area, Ghraaahsin, got blitzed by Cardinal Forge, who stayed in contact through the blitz. A mummy stood up. A zombie, Grohl, then dodged away from Fancy Frank and Wight Gooden because why not?

The Wolves began turn 4 with the coach, Harakan realizing his mistake too late to do anything about it. A zombie moved. A wight moved. Fancy Frank knocked Persener back down again forming a theme. A zombie moved. The werewolf, Harry, decided he wanted another shot at Papa Nihil, pushing him, frenzying, knocking him down and actually stunning the Big Guy. Well done, you…you took out a slow moving guy far from the ball, having no impact on the game or the future of your team. Harakan can be heard muttering, “I built my team around *that*?”. Fabulous Frank stretched himself to near the limits of his endurance, blitzing into the ghoul Nameless Water but only had enough energy left to push him back. Ghraaahsin gamely took on a defensive minded Wight in Cardinal Forge who dropped into Block position for the one-on-one attack. Ghraaahsin went high, going over the block and putting the Wight on the ground.

The Ghosts began turn 5 with a mummy blitz. Papa Emeritus took on Wight Gooden. As he took aim high, his coach yelled “Low you dummy mummy”. Papa went low. Wight Gooden went high. Wight Gooden went down…face first into the turf, like he was trying to get his nose on the white line. Cardinal Copia and some Nameless ghouls moved further up the left field line, but there was nothing in the way of the Nameless Fire. The Ghosts coach took the time to throw zombie-on-zombie block before Nameless Fire scored the first TD of the match and the first of the Ghosts’ season.

As the teams lined up for the kickoff, there was a palpable tension in the air as some Wolves fans in the crowd actively called for Harakan’s head for his stupidity. Sensing the opportunity, the Ghosts coach blitzed. The kickoff landed in the end zone right where the Ghosts scored the first TD. It’s like it wanted to go home. Ghouls moved, Cardinal Copia blitzed Bhraahn and put him down but did not follow. More Ghosts players moved and the blitz was over. Bhraahn stood up and made contact with the lead Ghoul, providing an assist for Harry who immediately blitzed somehow putting Wind on the turf. Ghaaarrrttt decided to throw a block one-on-one with Persener (who else?) resulting in both of them falling down for a turnover.

The Ghosts start moving again, heading for the ball while the Wolves players stand flatfooted. Papa Emeritus takes a quick shot at Fabulous Frank, who quietly and non-fabulously goes down. Papa Nihil takes on a zombie instead of a Flesh Golem, but gets the same results as Ghraaahsin goes to the ground. Cardinal Copia blitzes his azure-hued nemeses, Wight Howard, putting him on the turf before running past his prone foe going for the ball but coming up one step short. Zombie Grohl and Nameless Water move after Nameless Wind stands up and its time for another Wolves’ screw up.

The Necrarch’s chosen (bad choice, lady) start turn six with a werewolf locked up with a ghoul as the only player that can reach a ball that Ghost Cardinal Copia is standing there ready to pick up. After one zombie stands up and another moves onto the line of scrimmage to assist possible blocks on the line, Harry decides to blitz the guy by the ball. Good call Harry! He pushes Cardinal Copia a square before dropping him to the turf, stunned. He goes for the ball, almost drops it, but manages to pick it up. Standing on the goal line. With no moves left. And the ball. After a blitz. Can’t throw it. Just have to hope. Wight Gooden knocks Papa Emeritus down. Fancy Frank and Papa Nihil go down in a heap. Frank gets the worst of it, stunned.

The Ghosts turn 7 starts with Nameless Ether taking up position in the end zone next to Harry. Cardinal Forge blitzes Harry and stuns him. The ball scatters into the end zone next to Nameless Ether. Nameless Wind immediately heads into the end zone but fails to pick up the ball despite a lively second effort. The ball bounced off the prone Harry and into the waiting hands of Nameless Either for the Ghosts 2d touchdown. It’s not luck. “It’s what happens when preparation meets opportunity” the Ghosts Coach probably said.

The Wolves began turn 7 down 2-0 with the ball sitting in their own end-zone. Again. Seriously, the Ghosts kicker is “da real MVP”. The lone first half highlight came on their second action. After an unsuccessful blitz of Papa Nihil by Fancy Frank, Ghaaarrrttt blocked Zombie Grohl off pitch and out of action. As he was carried off the field he moaned “nneervannaah” before closing his eyes to … sleep? Do undead really go “unconscious”? Anyway, nothing interesting happened for the rest of the half.

Grohl remained on the sidelines, apparently waiting to get more foo in his fight. Ghraaahg continued to bemoan his broken collarbone.

The Wolves got the ball to start the 2d half and things started promisingly enough. Wight Howard caught the kickoff like a super man but with no cape. Or eyeglasses. The rest of the team lined up on the left – the scoring side of the field apparently. A bunch of blue guys moved and then he ran over to hand the ball to Harry.
Mmmaargh got the wild idea to solo block a Mummy. It went about as well as you would think. He thought he had broken his hand, but Dave the Bound looked at it and said “Dude, it was already broken. Sit down.” Regardless, the turn passed to the Ghosts.

The Ghosts started with a little mummy on zombie action with predictable results. Ghaaarrrttt tried to put up a fight, but Papa Emeritus put a little extra “pop” in his “Papa” and stunned the over-reaching zombie. Papa Nihil took a blitz at Ghraaahsin and “Nihil”ed him to the ground. A few uneventful blocks and the Wolves went again.

Turn 2 for the Wolves had a wight knock down a ghoul, and a ball-carrying Harry knock down Cardinal Forge before backing back into a cage-like formation. Jhaaaaymmmz used some help from friends to take on Papa Nihil and knock him down. Bhraahn failed to knock down Nameless Water, but succeeded in pushing him back.

The Ghosts’ turn 2 saw some movement towards the ball by Nihil and Copia, with the Cardinal blocking Bhraahn and overcoming his weak resistance. A flurry of movement towards the ball ensued, leaving Cardinal Forge, Nameless Ether, and Nameless Wind between the cage and the end zone.

The Wolves coach saw an opening and took it. “When trailing 2-0 you have to take some risks,” he probably thought. A blitz by Fancy Frank put Cardinal Forge on the sideline and Wight Gooden shoved him into the crowd. A frustrated werewolf in the crowd yelled “Dammit – wrong side!”. I think it was the same one that started the riot … not sure. Seeing an opening, Harry made a break for the end zone. He dodged between the Nameless two, stumbling before catching himself and then stretching for the end zone for the Wolves first TD, narrowing the Ghosts lead to 1. For now (cue weird music). Harry’s howl of victo…accomplishment was echoed by that damn female in the audience. I wonder if they know each other?

The Ghosts received the Turn 3 kickoff with little fanfare. Grohl returned to the field. The Wolves audibled on defense and the kickoff landed in the middle of the field. Maybe they could kill the Ghosts’ kicker and give the body to Dave? Another mummy on zombie collision resulted in another zombie headed to see Dave as Ghaaarttt’s spleen fell out. Wight Howard rebounded the spleen, but the ball goblin had to retrieve it after he missed the free throw to the sideline. Dave reattached the spleen and sent Ghaaarttt to the reserve area. The rest of the turn was unveventful until Wind tried to throw the ball to Water but found earth.

The Wolves started turn 4 with the ball on the ground and an inkling to tie the game. Then they played the turn. A Fabulous second effort by a Flesh Golem overworked Cardinal Copia’s initial block defense, knocking him down but not out. Then Mmmaargh used that anti-momentum to fall to zombie Grohl.

The Ghosts turn 4 started with a mummy “PapaNihilating” Fancy Frank causing a loss of some stitches and an arm falling off. Dave started a collection with the crowd for “suture materials” as Frank writhed in the box, never to return to the field. Grohl anti-anti-momentum led to him taking on the remaining Flesh Golem with help from the two Cardinals. The Fancy One hit the turf face down, staining his immaculate (for a Flesh Golem) uniform. The turn ended when Persener tried to take himself off the pitch, slipping in something unrecognizable on the field.

The Wolves had high hopes for turn 5. The ball was still on the ground! After some maneuvering to get closer, Harry, still on a high from his TD, blitzed Nameless Water and got absolutely soaked before pushing through. Then Harry, still on a high from his TD, tripped while trying to follow up for a frenzied block, nearly injuring himself. The Wolves stopped having hope at this point. As did many of their fan. That’s not a typo. Only the female werewolf was still cheering for them. She has to know Harry somehow …

The Ghosts looked at turn 5 as a gift. After two turns of not even trying to get the ball, it was still unthreatened by any Wolves. The Ghosts ran around the left …. again, pushing zombies around without much effect before Nameless Ether tried to make a name for himself by throwing a pass. He valiantly chucked the ball over the outstretched arm of Jhaaaymmmz who would have had it if he had been able to open his hand after it was smashed earlier in the game. That was enough interference to prevent the catch by Nameless Fire, but it was also enough that he failed to catch the ball on the bounce, either.

The Wolves’ coach tried to signal his team to go for the ball, but Harry got impatient seeing a Ghoul next to the sideline. He attempted to blitz Water … again. This time he got a push in before he hit the ground, howling. Nobody else on his team got to move. Harakan was again heard muttering about picking better players to build around.

The Ghosts turn 6 went “block a zombie, blitz a zombie, block a zombie, score!” as Cardinal Forge took out Jhaaaymmmz and Nameless Fire grabbed the ball and ran it in for his second score of the game.

Wolves turn 7 saw the Ghosts pull an audible. Fabulous Frank knocked down Grohl, then Graaahsin fell down trying to set up an assist for a werewolf blitz on a ghoul. Harakan yelled something about “doors” and “acting in descending order of risk”. And then he hit himself in the head.

Ghosts turn 7 went “block a zombie, block a zombie” with no blitz or score. Cardinal Copia then blitzed Harry, pushing him back a step before several teammates moved to surround the ball the Wolves never bothered to pick up, the turn ending when Nameless Fire tried to score before he had the ball, tripping and falling on it.

Wolves turn 8 started with an attempt to get the ball! No, that would have violated the DOOR policy. Instead Mmmaargh once again targeted Persener, finally getting revenge for Ghraahg as Persener went to the bench badly hurt with an undisclosed injury and earning the Wolves’ first casualty of the year. Another Wight hit the turf before Harry continued his wild play, nearly killing himself trying to take down Cardinal Copia. Copia’s blocking skill sent Harry to the sideline. It was nearly five minutes before he started breathing again. For once, the female werewolf in the crowd was silent. Except for the whining.

The Ghosts finished the game in uneventful fashion with Nameless Water dodging away from a zombie (how hard is that, anyway?) before Nameless Wind lost a fight for the ball with gravity.

The Linkoping Ghosts win the match 3-1 over the Wolves of the Necrarch. Both teams received good gate results as the MVPs were announced to be: Cardinal Copia for the Ghosts and Harry the Werewolf for the Wolves. The Ghosts fanbase appeared to grow this day, as the Wolves remained uninspiring. Harakan was last seen talking to Dave the Bound about the process of signing a ghoul.
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