Sunday night saw the Twicksters and Wasteland Runners assemble at the field ready to play their hardest. However religious fanatics had turned up en mass to protest the game, something about playing blood sports on the Sabbath. The fanatics threatened to impale themselves upon the field in protest, and although the crowd and the Skaven players were happy to oblige, some of the Elven players expressed concern about getting their uniforms dirty, so the match had to be re-scheduled for the following night.
The scandal had brought a massive crowd on Monday night, so much so that the stadium was full up, again delaying the match until they could organize seating for all the would be spectators. But finally the game got underway.
The twicksters kicked to the waiting skaven thrower, who promptly grabbed the ball from the ground. The Runners Rat Ogre however, must have been nervous in front of such a crowd, as he clearly wasn't watching what he was doing and fell to the ground at the line of scrimmage. The rest of the team were stunned at 'The Boss's sudden inability to play. The elven team did not waste this opportunity though, and ran through a bewildered defensive line to take down the skaven thrower. Some of the Wasteland runners players ran back to defend, but it was too late. The elves had the ball and were in the end zone before you could blink an eye.
The ratties once again received the ball, and this time they had recovered their composure, making a textbook pass, hand off, run across the line. The elves were unable to defeat this well rehearsed play, that has seen the Wasteland runners to 3rd place in the league.
Entering into round 5, the elves after a proficient pick up and pass, ran the ball down field, trusting on having enough players to keep the rats at bay, but they didn't count on 'The Boss' who was angry at his earlier embarrassment, and swiftly charged the elves, smashing the knee of the Elves star catcher. The elven apothecary ran onto the field to assist, but declared that he could fix the knee only by using nerve endings from the players neck. Wisely the Elven catcher declined the surgery, and limped off to the benches.
Though the pressure was on, the elves managed to retain the ball, and push over the line to make a second touchdown.
Once again the ratties took the ball, with only a couple turns to score, the elves were concentrating on the gutter runners, keeping them firmly on the ground. but in a pinch any rat will do, and a phenomenal dodge out of the mass of elven bodies, and two pushes took a line rat into the touchdown zone in the final seconds of the half.
The second half started with both teams having scored twice, and the elves to receive. Though they executed text book finesse with the ball. The Skaven managed to take down the ball carrier before he reached the end zone, and hold onto it. Elven bodies threw themselves in the way of the ratties. Making it very hard to progress the ball, whilst the down field gutter runners, spent most of the time on the ground. Finally the wasteland runners moved up their biggest weapon, 'The Boss' blitzed his way forward, and provided cover for the ball carrier.
Things looked especially bad for the Twicksters, at 2 all, and only a couple turns remaining, the Skaven had a solid cage around the ball carrier, the elven blitzers were either locked in battle near the opponents end zone, or struggling to rise from the pitch. Only a single cathcer stood in front of the cage of ratness, that was poised to score the final and winning touchdown of the day.
The coach was out of inspiration to give the players, but with grace borne out of pure desperation, elves rose from the ground, pushing themselves to the limit to put tackle zones on the rats. Dodging from opposing players, to get closer to the ball. One lineman managed to push his way into the cage, and stood next to the ball carrier, eying the rat ogre off nervously.
But the rats had not expected such resistance seemly from nowhere, and a failed block gave the elves a chance. The catcher trusting on his team mates to hold off the rest, blitzed the ball carrier to the ground, the ball landing besides a fuming rat ogre. The lineman who had pushed his way into the cage, in a spectacular display which earned him the MVP for the game, stepped up and snatched the ball from the ground, dodged past the prehensile tail of 'The Boss' and made a long pass to another lineman who caught the ball despite fending off two opponents. The line rats who had spent their whole game on the line of the scrimmage, had not been this close to the ball before, and spoiled their chance to grab it with another failed block.
The line-elf who was just as startled that he had actually caught the ball, responded to a call from the elven blitzer, who had dodged away from his opponent to stand in the end zone. Dodging from the the remaining rat defender, the line-elf ran as close as he could get tot he waiting blitzer, and made a quick pass to waiting hands, sealing the game for the elves, and making blood bowl history.
Luck was definately on my side this game. The skaven were a tough opponent, and I count myself fortunate that Beldenox had so many double skulls and both downs, forcing him to use up re-rolls, although he did get at least 3 free re-rolls from kickoff's.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile most of my plays worked, I failed a lot of pushes, even re-rolled ones, but post match details showed that I suceeded 20 out of 20 dodges, and all my passes completed.
This game really could have gone either way, and I thought I was done for when he managed to cage up not 5 squares from my end zone near the end of the second half.