Match Report: Blood Bowl - Dark Elves vs Humans

 

We have a few traditions in my house, and one of those traditions is to play a game of Blood Bowl around the time of the Super Bowl.  Today's exhibition match is a continuation of that proud tradition.  I am glad my Skumgrod was available for this one.  Despite having the video game version, for the Super Bowl I always insist on using the miniatures.  I broke out the Winter themed board, and we randomly determined that for the game we were going to use the Black Guards Dark Elf team vs. the Nottingham Nobles Human team.

Let's get to the Blood Bowl!  I did not document every single thing that happened in the game, but tried to keep it close enough for a narrative to form.  Let's turn it over to our hosts, Lord Summervale and his co-host Mad Johan.

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Lord Summervale:  Welcome all to Bludwieser Blood Bowl Championship weekend events!  In addition to the "Big Game" Bludweiser also sponsors many exhibition matches to get your mouth watering for more Blood Bowl!  There are skills competitions, exhibition games, and star player meet-and-greets from all levels of the game, intent on celebrating the Greatest Game in the Olde World!  It is an epic celebration of Nuffle and all things Blood Bowl! 

You can tune into the big game Bludweiser Blood Bowl on Cabalvision later this weekend.  However, today on Cabalvision IV we are bringing you the best action from these celebratory exhibition games.  Each Conference, Division and League at all levels of the game have sent some of their ....errrr..... best to represent themselves here.  Altdorf is flooded with players and fans alike! 

Right now, we will be featuring the Deep North- Southern Division exhibition action!  Today we will be featuring the Black Guards led by their team captain Mori-Thai the Velvet Crush versus their division rivals the Nottingham Nobles led by their throwing captain Rick Priestley!  

As always, I am joined in the booth by my .... err..... trusty companion and great Blood Bowl mind, Mad Johan.

Mad Johan: Thanks for getting me out of the stocks in time for the match, Summervale.  I really need to lay-off the Bugman's Brew before the show starts.  As we all know, the Notthingham Nobles are a founding member of the Deep North- Southern Division.  Some say, that the entire league is bankrolled by the Nobles just so they have some other teams to play Blood Bowl with.  I mean, Sigmar knows they aren't good enough to make it in a real division!  

Lord Summervale: You know our contract expressly forbids us from talking about that Johan.  So, let me gracefully pivot!  What can we expect to see today?  

Mad Johan: Probably a lot of mediocre Blood Bowl!  The Nobles only have two Blitzers on their team, a far cry from the rest of the skilled divisions where the orthodoxy of Nuffle seems to be 4 Blitzers.  That means, they are relying on their Lineman to do a lot of the work.  I guess that's what happens when you are using out-of-the-box team building in your league.  

Lord Summervale: Mori-Thai seems to think that her Black Guards are a competitive match-up for the Nobles.  What do you think?  

Mad Johan: I think Dark Elf teams led by a couple of Witch Elves gets more people in the stands than going up against a team of Orks.  To be honest, neither team is that good, and both seem to be hoping to level up their audience by being here.  We have seen them play, they do tend to be a rather violent team, and less finesse than one might expect from a Dark Elf team.  

Lord Summervale: Well, it looks like both teams are lining up and getting ready to play.  The ref sends the commemorative coin into the air..... and it looks like the Nobles have elected to kick-off the ball to the Dark Elves.  

Mad Johan: An interesting choice, as Dark Elves have a reputation for scoring early and often, not that the Black Guards can manage it.

Lord Summervale: The Nobles have their back-up Thrower, Andy Chambers in the dug-out.  He seems to be signaling plays into Rick.  Meanwhile, the Black Guard have a back-up runner, Urlieth Val-Drakken riding the bench.  

 Mad Johan:  Let's play BLOOD BOWL! 

The Nobles in their Purple and White vs. the Black Guard in their Blues and Lizard scales

Lord Summervale: Raz-al-slam is back to receive the kick and...... Boom!  The game is underway!  A terrible kick-off that goes out-of-bounds.  The Refs toss it in to Raz-al-slam and the game gets going.  

Mad Johan: Perhaps an omen for what we are about to see out there today? 

Lord Summervale: The Runner moves up and the Black Guards quickly form a cage around the ball carrier.  However, they shift from the right hash to the left with a display of elvish speed.  

Mad Johan: Those dirty Elves are trixie!  

Lord Summervale: There is a scrum near the line of scrimmage with a lot of pushing and shoving up close.  

Mad Johan: Bang!  The Black Guards are the first to lose a player there.  

Lord Summervale: Looks like ... Jaq the Knife is unconscious.  The Nobles blitzers are moving in and... 

Mad Johan: Boom!  Kurounous the Dreaded a Black Guard blitzer lays out the Noble's blitzer Mat Ward cold!  

Lord Summervale: Mori-Thai is leading the onslaught and manages to punch an opening though the Nobles' lines.  Raz-Al-Slam makes his move and bursts past the Nobles with a fancy spin move and a burst of speed!  The Nobles' Gav Thorpe, a catcher' tries to catch-up to him but it is too little too late!  

Mad Johan: Touchdown for the Black Guard!  Plus, they did not leave much time left in the half for the Nobles to score back.  

Lord Summervale: Indeed Johan.  Plus, it looks like Mat Ward is going to stay off the pitch as the Nobles set-up for their chance with the ball.  Back-up Thrower Andy Chambers is out there with Rick Priestley.  

Mad Johan: Hoepfully for the Nobles, Ward will be back for the second half. 

Lord Summervale: The kick is up and it goes straight to Nobles' Catcher Alessio Cavatorre, who quickly hauls it in.   

Mad Johan: Pretty sure that wasn't the plan!  

Lord Summervale: The Nobles don't have much time left on the clock so they get to work!  Gav Thorpe tries to get into the Black Guard backfield, but is brought down by the Dark Elf Blitzer Darveck the Flayer.  However, Andy Chambers delivers a key block to Korounous the Dreaded, it gives Alessio Cavatorre enough space and he dances around the defenders and cuts back through the line.  He is sprinting deep into the Dark Elf backfield!  

Mad Johan: There is no one around to stop him! 

Lord Summervale: Just the clock, as the half comes to a close before he could score.  The crowd is very upset!  I guess there are plenty of Nobles fans in the audience.         

Mad Johan: A tough break, but the Nobles start the second half with the ball. Both sides have shown they can get to the end zone. 

Lord Summervale: With that, it is time for a break from our sponsors!  Gullotine Razors, a close shave everytime you use one.  Let's go back to the Cabalvision IV Studios for a quick update from around the league! 

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Lord Summervale: Welcome back to the second half of this Bludweiser Blood Bowl Weekend exhibition match between the Dark Elf Black Guards and the Human Nottingham Nobles.  The Nobles are trailing by 1 at the half, but will receive the ball this half.  

Mad Johan: If they want to get back into this game, it is now or never! 

Lord Summervale: The Nobles ended the first half just shy of the goal line due to time.  Can they get there again?  

Mad Johan: I am sure the Black Guard watched the crystal ball replay on that and learned a lot from it.  Don't expect it to be that easy this time for the Nobles.  

Lord Summervale: Let's go down to the field and get into the action.  The Nobles set-up with their Catchers out-wide, and their throwers set to receive.  The Black Guards use their Blitzers and Witch Elves to cover the wings, and their Runner Urlieth Val-Drakken as a roving safety in the back-field.  

Mad Johan: The Nobles will need to eat up as much of the clock as possible and then score to force an overtime.  

Lord Summervale: The kick is up, and the touchback goes to Rick Priestly, the Thrower in the back field for the Nobles.  Right away, the Nobles start to move, with Gav Thorpe stepping through the Dark Elf line and going deep into the backfield.  His counter-part is less successful as the lead block from a returned Mat Ward only pushes the Black Guard defender and fails to open a lane.  

Mad Johan: He is deep, but exposed.  Ker-runch! 

Lord Summervale:  Oof!  In a blow to the Nobles plans, Korounous the Dreaded lives up to his name and flattens Gav Thorpe with Val-Drakken's aid.  Thorpe is not going to be getting up from that hit until tomorrow!  

Mad Johan: Cavatoree is not doing much better, as Mori-Thai works around the edge and flattens him with a hit.  He's still in the game though!  

Lord Summervale:  Gav Thorpe's sacrifice though opened up space on the far side wing, and the Nobles took advantage of it.  The formed a cage and pushed in along the edge.  The Black Guard struggled to respond, as many of their players are tied up at the line.  

Mad Johan: Cavatorre managed to get up and sneak across the field and into the end zone.  He looks open, and he is waving to get Priestley's attention. 

Lord Summervale: I think the Nobles star thrower sees him now!  He goes back to throw, and Val-Drakken jumps to intercept.  Priestley manages to bomb it past the Black Guard defender and it is up, up, up..... this is a long throw! 

Mad Johan: TOUCHDOWN!!!!

Lord Summervale: Oh my, what a pass!  What a catch!   That puts the Nobles back in the game! 

Mad Johan: They managed a quick touchdown, but I think they may have left too much time on the clock! 

Lord Summervale: The two teams reset for a kick-off.  The Nobles try a corer blitz on the Near side, but it doesn't make much progress or open a lane.  Urlieth Van-Drakken picks up the ball easily.  The two sides clash at the line, and The Widow Ariethial uses her Frenzy ability to open a gap on the far side of the field.  

Mad Johan: The speed of a Dark Elf was needed to get through that gap!  

Lord Summervale: Indeed!  The Black Guards are hitting hard and stunning several of the Nobles' players.  That is hampering their ability to respond to the Dark Elf break through! 

Mad Johan: Mori-Thai proves why they call her the Velvet Crush after absolutely dismantling the Noble's Blitzer Jervis Johnson!  

Lord Summervale: With only a few minutes left on the clock, the Black Guard Runner Urlieth Can-Drakken walks untouched into the End Zone.  Touchdown Black Guards! 

Mad Johan: It would take a miracle for the Nobles to win now. 

Lord Summervale: Indeed!  The two teams get back for the kick-off.  It is a high kick, but goes out of the back of the end zone.  This touch back means that Rick Priestley is given the ball and the game begins again!

Mad Johan: A missed block at the line costs the Nobles dearly.  You can't make a basic mistake like that.  This is crunch time! 

Lord Summervale: Priestley dumps the ball to Cavatorre, but there is no path forward and he is held at the line.  The clock winds down, and this game ends in a rather dull finish.  

Lord Summervale: Johan, who do you think were the Bloodwieser MVPs of the game?  

 Mad Johan: Well, going back to the game notes it looks like for the Nobles it is a no-brainer. Rick is the star-thrower for a reason.  He was the one who kept them in the game.  No Rick, and the Nobles are in rough shape this game.  

On the winning side of the ball, Kurounous the Dreaded was all-over the field and making his presence known, especially in the first half.  Mora-Thai was similar.  However, Urlieth Van-Drakken scored the go ahead point, so you have to consider that long running play.  I am going with Van-Drakken for the MVP this time. 

Lord Summervale: Well, that looks like the ball game for us here.  I will turn you back to the Cabalvision IV tower for an update of all the exciting events going on this Blood Bowl Cup weekend!  Remember, if you need to cut it close, Guillotine Razors are a cut above!  

Mad Johan: I have seen worse exhibition games.....

Lord Summervale: This is Lord Summervale and Johan signing off!  

  

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On The Painting Desk: Blood Bowl II- Electric Boogaloo!

I had 7 new Blood Bowl teams to paint and all year to do it, so naturally I painted them all in a matter of days!  I started with the Chaos Goat Herders, Skaven Cheez-Ballers, and the Ork Skulsmash Reeverz.  With the momentum built up, I just kept going, night after night.  I didn't expect to nearly get this far.... but there you go.  This is more painting than I got done all of last year and it is still January!

Today, we are going to look at the rest of my teams.  They will be the Human team from the Box Set, the Dwarf team, the Dark Elf team, and the Elf Union team.  I also have an Ogre to add.  So, let's get into this....

Dwarf Rock-N-Rollers
This was the next team I started painting.  I started with the Troll Slayers as I wanted to make sure my flesh color would last through the team.  I though it was running low.  Thankfully, it lasted long enough to get the job done.  I knew traditionally Troll Slayers all had orange-Hair, but I wanted to be able to distinguish them on the field.  Therefore, the second one I went with a grey look.

I am not exactly sure where the green and grey color scheme came from.... but there it is.  I think it turned out okay.  My Blitzers were actually the last models I painted for this team.  I tended to paint them 2 positionals at a time, and three lineman at a time.
   

The Slayers and Blockers had enough alternate heads that I could tell them apart easily.  However,t he Runners and Blockers all had doppleganger sculpts.  To help tell them apart on the field I went with alternating Helmet colors.  One set of guys all had Grey Helmets while their twin had green helmets.  A simple and easy solution to tell them apart on the field but still fit in with the team color scheme.   

There is the full Dwarf Rock-N-Roller team in all their glory.  Deciding the beard colors was one of the most fun parts of the team.  I used a soft tone wash to give them a less "gribbly" look than the Skaven and Ork teams.

Human Nottingham Nobles
The next team I *ahem* tackled was the Nottingham Nobles.  The astute reader will notice that they are all named after the G.W. Designer staff back when the Dev Team were mini-gaming celebrities and Games Workshop used a more "Cult-esque" marketing strategy like the one used by Apple.

Unlike the Dwarf team, I sat down and panted half the team all at once.  I decided to go with a Purple and White scheme.  Purple is the color of royalty, and with a name like the Nobles you were saying you were a cut above.  However, I also used this color scheme as if masked my own local NFL team.

  To differentiate the players in the same pose, I again went with an alternating color scheme using white shoulder and knee pads instead of the purple ones.  Of note, this team is almost complete painted using cheap acrylic paint from a big box retailer using brushes from said retailer.  I then washed them all with Army Painter soft tone.

I really enjoyed choosing the colors for the Blood Bowl balls on this team.  I have no idea why but it was a chance to throw in some off-the-wall colors from the rest of the team.

Dark Elf Black Guards
I picked up this team while traveling and was really excited to put it together and try it out.  However, they were not assembled in time for the Princess Owayonna Tournament.  I had a vision of what I wanted to do with this team's paint scheme early on.  I wanted Dark Blue pads, very pale skin, and a purple wash.

I actually painted the Blockers first.  I can't call them lineman, because there are two ladies in their midst.  I decided to differentiate the players with different color Cold One hides and a small shoulder ribbon of different colors.

Then I tackled the positional players.  I am not a fan of the Runner sculpts, but they turned out pretty neat once painted.  I think the purple skins turned out better than the green, but there you go.  Again, i mostly painted these with the cheap big box acrylic paints.  I was growing more confident in what they could do and didn't even bother to water them down at all.  They take a tad longer to dry, but I think the results turned out just fine.  Plus, the price was right and I had easy access to a large selection. 

I really enjoyed painting the Lilac hair on the Witch Elf.  It is not as striking as the red, but I really like how it turned out.

Ogre Blocker
I remember it was getting late, but I was on a roll!  I had just painted the Black Guards and wanted to keep going.  It was the perfect time to start on the Ogre.  I decided I wanted him to look different enough from each team that he looked like a hired thug just added to the roster so I could move him about as needed.  I wanted to give him a mix of metal armors.  I settled on jumpsuit Orange as his main uniform color to add to the thug look.

    
I actually painted his teeth brown instead of a whiter color so they would look gnarled and rotted.  A simple but effective paint job mostly using block colors and a quick Dark Tone wash to pull out the details.

Elf Union Superiors
The final team was the Elf Union team.  I have never really played any elf teams in the past and was interested in getting this guys painted and on the field.  I also bought these guys while traveling.  However, they were the last team I bought.

I started out with the Blockers and I knew I wanted Green and white somehow.  For some unknown reason, I started by painting their leggings a Lime green, the brightest green I had.  From there I went to an evergreen for the pads.  I did not know how it was going to come out and I was a bit nervous.  I was again using the cheap craft paints and these colors required a few coats to get the right coverage.  They were a bit thin.

The new sculptors did a great job on the athletic shoes most of the Blood Bowl models are wearing.  I just wish my painting skills could have made better use of the detail on the shoes.  I could imagine the players hawking contracts for their shoes on Cabal Vision, they were that detailed.  For the Elf team I went with white shoes, white ribbons, and white loin clothes.  The loin clothes were not fun to paint.  You will notice this team also uses a mix of male and female blockers.

The positional players were next.  Again, their hair and the Blood Bowl balls were fun to paint since they gave me a chance to break the scheme up.  For one of the throwers, I decided to go with pink tips on his white hair.  I really wanted him to stand out as a bit of a showboat.  I also tried to use more Blonde hair on this team than any of the other teams, but I really like the way the red-hair on the blocker turned out.  A soft Tone wash from army painter was again used after blocking the main colors with cheap craft paint.

My last Blood Bowl team was painted up.  I will probably add two more teams to my league, but I am going to wait for the Lizardmen and Chaos Dwarf teams.  Nurgle's Rotters and the Undead team just don't do that much for me.  However, my family may feel differently when they go the FLGS so we will see.

With all my Blood Bowl models done I painted more int eh first month of 2019 than all year for 2018.  A good start.  I went down to my stash and started digging around for what else I had to paint, but didn't find much. I checked my Hobby Cash stash, it it was looking a little low, so I will have to wait before I can get new Plastic, Metal, or Resin dudes to paint.  Try to self-fund my hobby from Wargame sales is hard!

*Shameless Plug* If you want to help me out, go to the Wargame Vault Blood and Spectacles page, and pick-up some games.  You can even pay what you want for them!* 

Thanks for looking.  I can;t wait to get these guys on the pitch in 2019.  I am very curious to see how these Elf teams play.     

Blood Bowl: Princess Owayanna Tournament Report- Humans vs. Skaven

Lord Summervale: Welcome Ladies, Gentleman, and other assorted gribblies to Cabalvision IV's coverage of the semi-final match-up in the Princess Owayanna Bottled Healing Spring Waters Tournament. Today is a semi-final battle between the Human Nottingham Nobles and the Skaven Rat Packers.

The Nottingham Nobles are coming off a convincing win againstthe Khemri Forever Jackals led by their team captain, Rick Priestley. Meanwhile, Da' Rat Packers and their high-powered triple Gutter Runner offense defeatedthe Ork Skulsmash Reeverz in a close run match.

Today, I am joined by my colleague Mad Johan. Mad Johan, what do you think the keys are for today's match-up?

Mad Johan: Both of these teams have demonstrated their will to win and the ability to score touch downs. It is going to come down to who can put the most points on the board. For the Nobles, look for the key connection between Rick Priestley and Gav Thorpe. Meanwhile, on the Rat Packer side of the ball Favre Da Cheese-monger is going to be looking to Sneaky as his go-to receiver down the field. Both teams can score early and often.

Lord Summervale: Da' Rat Packers only Blitzer Bashy is out with a broken arm. How do you think this will impact the game?

Mad Johan: Da Rat Packers relied on Bashy to lead the effort to make a hole in the opposing sides line. With him out, it will be tougher for the Gutter-Runners to break out into the back field of the Nobles.

I went to talk with Jervis Johnson, or as I like to call him J.J.; about the Noble's strategy for the game. Here is what he had to say....

Jervis Johnson: We always had a bit of the physical edge against these guys, but so did the Skulsmash Reeverz, and they ended up losing. You can't just rely on your strength, you need to neutralize their threats early...

Mad Johan: … Of course, he is exactly right. The key will be if they can hit and take out those Gutter-Runners before they can become a nuisance. You know what I say, if half the enemy team is in the dug-out it will hard for them to score points. J.J. Also had this to say about his team captain....

Jervis Johnson: …. these Skaven teams can get into the back field and harass your thrower pretty quickly if you aren't careful. However, I have been teaching Rick a few things and I think they will find him a bit tougher to take down than they expect....

Mad Johan: …. my sources tell me that Priestley has been training hard with the Blitzers coach to get tougher.

Lord Summervale: So, it sounds like you think the Nobles might have the edge?

Mad Johan: Well, talking about taking out Gutter-runners is a lot easier than actually taking them out. I talked to Sneaky about their high-powered offense and he had these comments.....

Sneaky: <Squeak, squeak, Sqeeeeeeeak, Squeak.>

Lord Summervale: Wow. He sounds pretty confident to call out the Nobles defenders like that.

Mad Johan: Indeed, Favre and his team seem to think the difference will be in dodging past opposing lineman and blockers and then using speed to rocket into the back field. That has worked well for them in the past.... but this isn't the qualifiers anymore. There is a lot more at stake.

Lord Summervale: Indeed. The two captains have gone to the center of the beautiful Citadel arena for the coin toss. Favre and Da Rat Packers have won the toss and are electing to receive the kick-off first.

Mad Johan: They used this strategy last game against the Orks, and it paid off with an early score. That left the Orks on the back foot the rest of the match.

Lord Summervale: With that, both teams take their positions and get ready to play some Blood Bowl!

Rick Priestley is in the dug-out, while Andy chamber tries to pin the Skaven deep in the backfield with a solid kick. Favre goes over and retrieve it. The Rat Packers had stacked the line while the Nobles tried to defend in depth.

Mad Johan: A big hit by Pincher leads the way as the Rat Packers blast through the line of scrimmage and penetrate into the secondary.

Lord Summervale: Jervis Johnson moves up to fill the gap along with Andy Chambers.

Mad Johan: It's not enough as Nipper puts a punishing hit on J.J.!

Lord Summervale: Right, and Pak has done the same on the near side. Oh no, Sneaky and Squeaky, two Gutter Runners have gotten into the Nobles back field. However, a big mid-field collision sends Fodder off the field K.O.ed.

Mad Johan: Mat Ward the Blitzer sees his chance to off a Gutter-runner and takes it. It pummels him into the ground, but fails to take Squeaky out of the game.

Lord Summervale: Krunch! Another big mid-field collision sends Andy Chambers tot eh dug-out knocked-out.

Favre and Pak work together and send Paul Sawyer to the ground. This opens up a lane. Sneaky puts on some moves and dodges away from and around Mat Ward. Favre dumps him the ball, and the Gutter Runner turns up field and turns on the speed.

Mad Johan: Those were some amazing moves by Sneaky. Just like I said, Favre was looking to dump it to him for a scoring connection and they did.

Lord Summervale: Da Rat Packers Touchdown!

Despite being down by one, as Rick Priestley takes the field, the crowd here at Citadel Field are starting to chant.

Mad Johan: As a player, that is such a great feeling!

Lord Summervale: Boom! There is a short kick. Rick Priestley retrieves the ball just behind the line. The Nobles linemen go to work. A big hit up front by Adrian Wood lets Gav Thorpe into the flat.

Mad Johan: I am guessing that is where Priestley will look to throw.

Lord Summervale: Favre moves up and hits the lead blocker for Thorpe out of the way with Squeaky's help. The rest of the Gutter-runners move up to contain him.

Mad Johan: Another big collision on the far side of the field sends Nigle Stillman to the Dug-out! I expected a more finesse game than we have seen so far!

Lord Summervale: Indeed! Jervis Johnson puts a big hit on Favre the Cheesemonger and clears a path. Rick dumps a pass to his outlet receiver Alessio Cavatorre who takes the ball up the middle. It doesn't look like anyone can stop him!

Mad Johan: Not so fast, Squish-Squish is coming streaking from an uncovered position, but Cavatorre manages to stiff arm him away!

Lord Summervale: Alessio dodges away and goes in for the score! That means we are all tied up!

Mad Johan: Wow, I knew this was going to be a high scoring game, but this looks like it is going to be a shoot-out!

Lord Summervale: It looks like the Nobles plan on flooding the line of scrimmage to get penetration and come off the edges. The Skaven are still short handed as one of their lineman is still unconscious. They are going with a weak near side set-up.

Boom! Another strong kick by Chambers puts the ball in the near side corner by the end zone. That is going to be tough for the Skaven.

Mad Johan: Don't under-estimate their speed.

Lord Summervale: The Skaven try to push back the far side and are making progress, but a mis-step by Nipper sends him to the dug-out! Mat Ward comes up the weak near side and takes shot at Squeaky who manages to stumble away from the block.

Favre is drifting to the far side, as Sneaky tries to get around the near side edge, and Pokey gets set-up to try to break across the line of scrimmage. The Nobles are sensing blood and moving in for a sack.

Mad Johan: J.J. Snakes through the line and manages to come to grips with the Gutter Runner Pokey and send him to the turf!

Lord Summervale: Time is running short for the first half, but Favre has run across mid-field. Pokey was sprung by a strong block from Bucktooth on Jervis Johnson. They are both streaking down field. Favre tries to dump it to the Gutter-Runner, but he fumbles it!

Mad Johan: Rick sees his chance and zones in on Pokey and sends him to the dug-out with a K.O.! What a big hit by the Noble's team captain!

Lord Summervale: Mat Ward takes a shot at Squeaky again, but fails to connect in a meaningful way.

There is the half time buzzer! The score is tied 1-1. This is still anyone's game! Now, enjoy a few words from our sponsors as we send you back to the Cabalvision IV halftime report!

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Lord Summervale: Welcome back. Now you have all the updates from around the Olde World. This is the second half of the semi-final match-up in the Princess Owayanna Bottled Healing Spring Water tournament. The Nottingham Nobles are tied with the Skaven Rat Packers 1 to 1.

Mad Johan: Right now, Favre is probably questioning his coin toss choices now as they are kicking to the Nobles to start the second half. Let's see if the short handed Skaven defense can stop the rampaging Noble line.

Lord Summervale: Indeed! It looks like the Nobles are skipping the subtlety and just plan on using a Human wall to smash the smaller Skaven out of the way. Team Captain Rick Preistley is back to receive the kick-off, flanked by his two catchers.

The fans get a bit rowdy up in the stands. Skaven and Human fans are known to not like each other, but this is taking it to another level! It looks like the clock is running as the teams cheer their fans on for a change. Eventually Ogre security steps in and restores order.

Mad Johan: A few fans are going to regret their choices tomorrow!

Lord Summervale: Boom! The kick is up! Priestley goes and retrieves the ball on the near side. The Human line starts pushing their way past the Skaven. On the far side, Jervis Johnson blasts Nipper off the field and into the dug-out, opening up a lane.

Mad Johan: Space McQuirk follows J.J.'s lead and sends his rat to the dug-out too! The Rat Packers won't have much of a defense left!

Lord Summervale: The Nobles let Jervis Johnson lead their drive as he knocks Favre out of the way. He is followed by Gav Thorpe in the flat. Rick steps up in the pocket to throw, but he fumbles the ball instead.

Mad Johan: That was odd, but it looks like the Skaven are in no position to recover it.

Lord Summervale: Oh? Sneaky dodges around the line and manages to scoop it up! His fellow Gutter-runner Squeaky manages to follow and break out. Sneaky dumps the ball to him, and they try to stretch the Nobles back field.

Mad Johan: That is why you need to take those Gutter-runners out of the game early!

Lord Summervale: Squeaky did not run far enough as Rick Priestley manages to chase him down and knock him over. The ball pops loose again! Gav Thorpe drops back and scoops it up.

Mad Johan: A big collision at mid-field causes Paul Sawyer to leave the game unconscious.

Lord Summervale: Bucktooth dashes ahead and smashes Gav to the turf. The ball again is loose. This time, Sneaky dodges over to the ball and scoops it up. Sneaky breaks away from Rick and stumbles into the end zone. Sneaky tosses it to Squeaky for a touchdown.

Mad Johan: Favre better look out or Sneaky is going to be taking his job!

Lord Summervale: The Human fans fell silent after that Skaven touchdown. I don't think they expected that to happen!

Mad Johan: It all stemmed from a bumbled pass by Rick behind his own line of scrimmage. Tough break.

Lord Summervale: As both sides line up for the kick, the fans are starting to get unruly again. This time, it doesn't look like Ogre security can hold them back!

Mad Johan: A Pitch invasion! During a semi-final match like this! They should be ashamed.

Lord Summervale: The fans are surging across the field and Ogre security is having a terrible time trying to gather them up and herd them off. I have lost track of the players in the mess, and it is clear the Human and Skaven fans are fighting fiercely with each other.

Mad Johan: The inhumanity of it all!

Lord Summervale: As the Ogres forcibly eject fans, it is clear that many players were caught up in the melee. Almost all of the human players are down! However, some key Skaven players are down too!

Mad Johan: The refs just whistled play to begin, but most of the players are still down!

Lord Summervale: Boom! The kick is up. It is a short kick, and Rick scrambles to retrieve it. He is not going to get much help out there as the only Noble left standing is him and Adrian Wood!

The Skaven swarm Rick with warm bodies and toss him to the ground. The ball flies up and is pulled in by Pincher. Adrian hits him in the back, but the linerat manages to hand it off to Sneaky. He easily dodges past a flailing Priestley and runs it into the endzone for another Skaven score!

Mad Johan: I can't help but think some Skaven shenanigans were behind that pitch invasion! It allowed them to take a commanding lead late in the game!

Lord Summervale: Perhaps. The fans have been pretty rowdy all day. However, now Citadel arena is quiet. Maybe as the home team is down by two late in the day; or because the Ogre security force kicked out half the crowd. It is hard to tell.

Mad Johan: As this Noble team lines up, you can tell they are still a bit stunned at this turn of events.

Lord Summervale: Boom! The kick is up and it is very, very high. This should let Rick easily grab it.  Which he does, but it is deep in the Nobles' zone. The line starts to push forward.

Mad Johan: Warwick Kinrade still has some fire in him, as he sends a Skaven to the dug-out!

Lord Summervale: Rick Priestley dumps off a quick pass to Alessio who moves up behind the line.

The Nobles jab and push to the Skaven secondary, but it will be too little too late. There is not enough time and the clock brings the game to a close. The Nottingham Nobles have been eliminated from the tournament by Da Rat Packers in a score of 3 to 1.

Mad Johan: What a daft second half! According to our sideline Grot, there are no serious injuries from this match. However, it was surprisingly hard hitting.

Lord Summervale: Indeed. Despite the loss, who do you think the MVP was for the Nobles?

Mad Johan: It is a tough call, but I think Adrian Wood did a good job being where he needed to be and standing tall, J.J. of course, and then Rick. However, the late fumble on a blown pass makes me question if he should be the MVP. Despite the fumble, he kept his team in the game. I think Rick has to be the Noble's MVP!

Lord Summervale: Interesting choice? I am sure you will hear about it on the after match fan line! How about for the victorious Rat Packers?

Mad Johan: Bucktooth was a big presence and had some key blocks late in the game that allowed or made scoring drives possible. Sneaky of course has to be a candidate considering he had more completions than the thrower and was all over the field. Lastly, his buddy Squeaky turned a Nobles possession into a Skaven scoring drive that really stuck the boot in. However, the MVP for this game is going to be..... Squeaky.

Lord Summervale: Well, there you have it folks. The Skaven Rat Packers have defeated the Nottingham Nobles. The Rat Packers will move onto the finals to face the winner of the Rock-N-Rollers and Chaos Goat Herders game that will be played later this week.

Until then, this is Lord Summervale and Mad Johan signing off of Cabalvision IV from Nottingham's Citadel Arena! Bye-bye!

Blood Bowl: Princess Owayanna Tourney Report - Humans vs. Khemri

Lord Summervale: Welcome to the opening match of the Princess Owayanna Bottled Healing Waters Tournament. Today, we are going to The Citadel, home of the Nottingham Nobles. They will be taking on the Forever Jackals of Khemri.

Mad Johan: We have seen hard hits from both of these teams, but the Nobles have proven to be a bit fragile in pre-season.

Lord Summervale: That's true Johan. Under their captain Rick Priestley they were decimated by the Skulsmash Reeverz but got their feet under them playing the Cheez-Ballerz.

Mad Johan: Meanwhile, in pre-season the Forever Jackals lost a close first game after some embarrassing ball handling... or lack there of.

Lord Summervale: ….but they brought the pain against a heavily armored Chaos Goat Herderz team. The hits were big and if they keep it up, will be on the highlight reels for a long time to come.

Mad Johan: It is all going to come down to who can keep their players in the game and scoring more touch downs.

Lord Summervale: With that bit of wisdom, let's get kicked-off. The Nobles are going to kick it to the Jackals to get the game started. ….. Boom! There is the kick!

Anoobis drops back and picks up the ball. The skeletons of the line move up and start to create a cage for Anoobis while the Tomb Guardians start to push the humans back.

Mad Johan: Here comes the Nobles Blitzer Jervis Johnson.... POW! He has flattened Anoobis and forced the ball loose!

Lord Summervale: I think Anoobis' head just popped off. He is stumbling towards the sidelines for help.

Mad Johan: Look at the violence inherent in the system! This scrum for the ball is getting vicious. Skeletons and Humans are being tossed around like straw men. Players are crawling off the field or laying stunned on the field.

Lord Summervale: Finally, Andy Chambers manages to pull the ball from the scrum and breaks across mid-field. He finds Gav Thorpe nearby and dumps it off to him. He begins to streak down the field with one eye on the clock for the end of the first half.

Mad Johan: The Jackals are all out of position.

Lord Summervale: Gav Thorpe ends the first half of the game by walking into the endzone for a Nobles touch down.

Mad Johan: With the Forever Jackals kicking it to the Nobles in the second half, the Khemri team is in a tough spot.

Lord Summervale: Indeed Johan. The Nobles lead the Forever Jackals by 1, Let's go back to the Cabalvision IV studios for a breakdown of more Blood Bowl action across the Old World. Our sponsors Guillotine Razors remind you that nothing shaves closer than a Guillotine.

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Lord Summervale: Welcome back to our main event game from the Princess Owayanna Healing Bottled Water Tournament. The Nottingham Nobles lead the Forever Jackals by 1 touch down. The Jackals will be kicking off to the Nobles to start the second half.

Mad Johan: The first half was a bruising battle of bashing. The Forever Jackals lost many of their key players to the dug-out, but the Nobles took a beating too.

Lord Summervale: I expect the second half to be just as rough. The Jackals kick it up, and Rick Priestly recovers the ball. The Humans take their time and set up a cage.

Mad Johan: They are putting on a clinic of ball control and execution. The Forever Jackals are desperate to knock the ball lose, but the Nobles are not going to let that happen.

Lord Summervale: Indeed. They have managed to steam roll their way through the flank of the Forever Jackals.

Mad Johan: I think the Noble's blitzer Mat Ward just obliterated Mum-skull. The skeleton literally came apart on the field from that hit!

Lord Summervale: The Khemri Tomb Guardians have managed to maintain control of the line, but the Nobles bypassed them on the flank and are grinding their way to the end zone.

Mad Johan: Even Ra-Men the Unspoiled can't slow down the train as he is gang tackled and brought low by a horde of Nobles players!

Lord Summervale: Again, as the second half comes to a close the Nobles Andy Chambers carries the ball across the end zone for another score, and sealing the Human teams victory in the tournament!

Mad Johan: As the game comes to a close, I am getting an sideline injury report. It looks like I was right, Mum-skull was completely knocked to pieces and all of the Pharoah's men can not put him back together again! In addition, Ra-Men the Unspoiled had his arm broken and will not be available for the next game. However, it didn't go all the Nobles' way as Lineman Nigel Stillman was badly injured as well.

Lord Summervale: Well, for the Nobles Nigel will probably be back for the next game of the Tournament. The Forever Jackals will have plenty of time to heal up as they will be spectators for the rest of the Tournament.

Mad Johan: Congratulations to Rick Priestley and his team as they advance to the Semi-finals.

Lord Summervale: Stay here on Cabalvision IV to see the next exciting match-up in the Princess Owayanna Bottled Healing Waters Tournament, also sponsored by Guillotine Razors and Bloodweisser. Next up will be Da' Rat Packers versus the Skulsmash Reeverz. Stay tuned!