“Entering the game, we are in a current state of declining form. With the aim to correct the form slump, we set the following goals:

GOALS:

1. Learn from my opponent, and see what they do well so I may use it for the future.

2. Avoid becoming frustrated, and play to the board state.

3. Identify something we did well, and try to be kind to ourselves despite any mistakes.

UNDEAD

This is my favourite team to play with, so coming up agains them was interesting. We see how a superior coach uses them, and my opponent used them well.

1. Uses Ghouls like Elves. I don't think I've ever seen a coach use Ghouls with such mobility. They gave me all sorts of headaches. In this game the pulled off some incredible plays, multiple dodges, pick ups, rushes. They are well developed and protected with blodge, too. It opens my mind to what is possible with them when used aggressively.

2. Mummies in wide zones on defence. This certainly hurt our chances of making the 1st half score. I must consider it when setting up on Undead defence.

3. Pressure, and forcing dice rolls. We are double based many times with no way of blocking out. At the end of the game, we are forced into multiple 2db to clear a path, a hand off to get free, and eventually a dodge to score. All these things could have gone wrong for us. We were never safe at any time and luck had to be pressed.

CHAOS

1. In turn 2 of defence we overextend into the backfield, whilst simultaneously not double screening the defence. This allows Undead to blitz through middle to clear a path, then use free ghouls and wights to press up deep into our end zone.

We are genuinely disgusted with ourselves, and it took much strength to bring ourselves back from the tilt. We keep pressure on, and are able to force a score. We have 5 turns to score back. Not all is lost, and in theory should be OK.

2. 5 turns to score. We feint up the north flank, but our opponent is too smart for us and covers the south, whilst blitzing and locking down the north. We force the middle, but make poor decisions which will follow. One positive, is that we attempted something new- the feint.

3. 1d Blocks. Whilst pushed into the middle, we take a 1db (with block) and skull re roll into skull. This opens door for a 1db on our ball carrier, which is a pow. It is most likely here we lost the game. Perhaps unlucky, but also perhaps unnecessary... Fail state was 3%, but we still found it. Successful zombie dodge into 1db sack would have been 36% (so we were 64% safe). The 3% risk was perhaps worthwhile. But it is where we lost the game.

We attempt to salvage, but.. another 1db skull occurs and we are done. So, resist rolling 1db seems like the learning here.

4. Turn 4 of 2nd half we make a positioning mistake, not protecting a ball, and leaving it open for 1d blitz. The pow is found. Another frustrating mistake, identified and exploited by a superior opponent, making the 27% play. This is frustrating, and compounded our frustrations, but we did better to avoid tilt.

SUMMARY

We were completely schooled by a better opponent, and happy to take the learnings away with us, and learn from the failures. Frustrations did creep in, but we did OK, and only OK, and keeping them in check. ”