Tag Archives: blood bowl

Cots for Tots 2023

Good day at Cots 4 Tots yesterday, which is a 24 hour charity board games tournament. Probably about 250 people in the room and various other adjoining rooms playing a plethora of games, including a 3 game BB tournament. Duffins started it off a couple of years ago and Simon ran it this year with 18 competitors, so not quite enough for a NAF shield, but pretty much the right number to find a winner with 3 games.
I took Black Orcs, hoping that a positive record would push me above 200 after my recent successes with them, and providing a good launch pad to overtake Panzer as world #1 for Black Orcs. With the obvious caveat that ranking don’t mean very much, it’s still a fun target!
 
I mirrored my World Cup build but with two fewer guard, due to fewer skills and no spamming allowed, so black orcs with block/MB, bloc, 2 guard and a tackle. 2 bribes, 2 rerolls, 13 players. First run out for the new Charlie Victor bands too, which was fun!
The field was half locals and half tournament regulars, and the clan were out in full with Enderman taking his favourite necro and Dementor using Griff/Zug halflings.
First game was against Nazgob, Chaos Renegades with Lord Borak, and a stacked Dark Elf with Block/Dodge/(third skill. Tackle?). Sadly for the game, the Officious Ref decided to send him off at the beginning of the game, which spoilt it as a spectacle. Early pressure meant that the potato was the only option, and because the marauder didn’t have any skills it didn’t work, and then it was a bit of a procession for a 3-0 win. Very few casualties though, just a lot of KOs, which was enough to win the game but not good for tiebreakers (net TD + net cas).
Game 2 was against Dan’s Wood Elves, which was a nice change as they don’t turn up much. I kicked and he surged forward, but left a two dice option on the blodging catcher, and I promptly rolled a pow. A bit of chaos in my back field ensued, ending up with me having the ball with just enough squares to make it to the end zone in four turns. At half time few KOs came back, and both wardancers were dead, so we finished 2-0 in 1 hr 15 mins, and time to learn and play some other board games!
We came very close to all the Clan being on 2 wins after two games, but fungus flinga bomb KOd Griff and spoilt that plan. There were 4 on 2 wins, and by luck of the draw I avoided Enderman, instead facing FreezingStar and his Elven Union. I’d thought about EU as my NAF ranking with them has been parked on 149.99 for a long time, but there was not enough Dodge in the build for my liking!
This was a great game, made great because of my inability to hurt elves and a quality opponent, so it was a mighty struggle to wade through the dodging pointy ears and their cage diving half dicing madness! We started with a black orc catching the ball, but he didn’t last long and the goblin who picked it up had to deal with many dice on him, somehow surviving right until the elf turn 16, and ready for a glorious finish to the tournament.
The ball popped loose, bounced into space. Gloriel (for it is she!) scooped it up and prepared for the Hail Mary punt, needing a 5 in a tackle zone for the 1-1 draw. 4, reroll 4, and the wildly inaccurate pass ends up in the end zone! Goblin dodges free and scoops it up for 3 wins in the tournament, and as table 2 drew there were no need for tiebreakers.
I finished first, Enderman third and Dementor/Griff most touchdowns with 9, despite not scoring in game 2. I picked up an Amazon team that should allow me to bring my team into BB2020, and Dementor got some Dwarfs, with trophies for both of us!
Will be in the diary for next year whether or not the BB runs again, I think!

Mooaarr Blood Bowl

Some thoughts on the eve of Birthday Bowl, a 16-coach BB tournament at my house, quite exciting!  Thoroughly enjoying my BB at moment, as it’s providing an amazingly rich tapestry of experience for just one game.

My tabletop league stalled a bit after the first round of games, but I’m expecting a flurry quite soon – currently playing Necro, and top of the league, though not sure how long that will last.  I’m playing online on two leagues on Fumbbl – the Team Scotland league, which allows me to keep in touch with my Eurobowl team mates despite not living anywhere near them, and the White Isle League, which I think is Britain’s biggest and has a good selection of decent coaches. I’m also part of the UKBBL on Cyanide, which is allowing me to meet a load more new coaches.

On the tabletop tournament scene, as well as Birthday Bowl, I’ve managed to wangle 3 tournament weekends in a row at the end of May, which is unheard of for me.  The NAF Champs is the biggest individual tournament of the year, currently nudging 130, but I would expect 150 by the time it rolls around, and it’s a great opportunity to meet up with a load of players in one place.  The weekend after is a UKBBL non-NAF tournament, which will allow me to become possibly the first person to play 25 races in tournaments (I’ve done the 24, and will be adding Khorne!).  Then it’s Cakebowl, which is our local 2-day tournament, and the boys will be joining me for that one.  Defending my title too!

ouchPainting wise, I’m looking forward to my Impact Kickstarter arriving with Pro/Dark/High Elf teams and the Scotlings, plus another that I can never remember.  I’m redoing my snotlings, and finishing off a load of individual models. I’m also going to knock together a Duel Entry for the NAFC from my bits box, to support the idea rather than with any hope of winning…

Later on in the year, I’m currently in negotiations with my employer to allow me the time off to be a ref in Lucca for the World Cup, which would allow me to do a load of media work too – writing match reports, live streaming some highlights, it would be awesome.

Fingers crossed, and on with Blood Bowl we go!