Match Report: Blood Bowl- Skaven vs. Orks

Lord Summervale: Welcome Blood Bowl fans! I am pleased to have you join us for Cabalvision IV's coverage of the Deep North- Southern Regional conference. I am your host Lord Summervale and as always I am joined in the booth by the great Blood Bowl mind and Hall of Fame player Mad Johan.

Mad Johan: Glad to be here as always, even if it is Freeboota Field, the home of the Skulsmash Reeverz, led by their team captain Grimgrod Rotgut. It is one of the premier stadiums in the Deep North- Southern Regional Conference.... if you are an Ork.

Lord Summervale: Indeed. Today, the Skulsmash Reeverz are facing one of their fellow underworld teams, the Skaven Cheez-Ballers led by their captain King Chedda'.

Mad Johan: The Reeverz have had some trouble with Skaven teams in the past, when they lost a close game in Overtime to the Rat Packers during the Prince Owayonna Healing Spring WatersTournament.

Lord Summervale: At least it was to the team that eventually won the entire tournament.

Mad Johan: Sure, but as Nuffle says.... a loss is a loss.

Lord Summervale: Johan, what do you think will be the keys to the game today?

Mad Johan: Great question. The Cheez-ballerz are a bit more bashy as they have two blitzers on their team, and only two Gutter Runners. We have also seen them try to run it up the gut in previous games using the cage, so they are not as flashy as the Rat Packers. I think they will need to bunch up the Reeverz at the line, start to bash through with their Blitzers, and then send the Gutter Runners deep to do the actual scoring in a thinned out Ork backfield.

Lord Summervale: Okay, what about the Skulsmash Reeverz?

Mad Johan: Well, the great thing about Ork teams is they can take a licking and dish it out. I think their plan is a bit simpler. Pound the Skaven into meat. You know what I say, it is hard to win a game of Blood Bowl if.....

Lord Sumervale: …. half your team is in the dug-out. Indeed.

It looks like King Chedda' and Grimgrod Rotgut are ready for the coin toss. The Grot ref has the coin up... and it looks like the Orks have won. They decide to receive the ball.

Mad Johan: That makes sense, they can control the ball and use this time to thin out the ranks of the Skaven team. That way, if you kick to them in the second half they will be in a tough place to recover.

Lord Summervale: The Cheez-ballerz go with the minimum number of players on the line. Meanwhile, the Orks match them and deploy in a surprisingly deep formation.

Mad Johan: Both sides fans are cheering loudly, but it sounds like the Orks may have the edge in their home field.

Lord Summervale: Boom! The kick is up. It is a very short kick that lands behind the far side line of scrimmage. The Ork line man Bowelburna trundles up and grabs the ball. The front lines jostle each other while the Orks start to move up.

Mad Johan: The Munster of the Midway unloads a powerful hit on Gutrippa that stuns him and stalls the Ork rushing advance.

Lord Sumervale: There is some additional confusion at the line as the Black Ork Big Ammer and the Skaven line man Brie Bumbler both go down.

Mad Johan: The Orks are not getting the ball moving the way they would like, plus these Skaven are putting up a bit of a resistance.

Lord Summervale: Indeed, the Skaven have managed to penetrate into the backfield in the gaps created by Gutrippa and Big Ammer being down. The Munster of the Midway gets a clear line and unloads on Bowelburna which knocks the Ork lineman from the game and into the KO box. The ball is loose.

The back-up thrower Runthugga manages to scoop up the ball and looks down field for his options.

Mad Johan: There aren't many options. However, Bad Axe drops a skaven lineman with a punishing hit and sends him packing to the dug-out. That's what these Orks need to do!

Lord Summervale: Look at that line play Johan. Brie Bumbler and his fellow lineman have teamed up and have taken Big Ammer down, he looks stunned!

Mad Johan: He's not the only one.

Lord Summervale: The other Skaven blitzer Pepper Jack manages to knock Gitsplitta into the crowd. A group of Skaven fans quickly take him out, before the Ork ushers get them off the poor player. He's going to the dug-out.

Mad Johan: Out cold. These Orks seem out of sorts today.

Lord Summervale: Rotten Rochefort tries to catch Runthugga with some help, but the Ork manages to stay elusive in his own backfield.

Mad Johan: In the center, you see King Chedda' doing his own dirty work for a change. He just KO'd Badgob.

Lord Summervale: Looks like the Skulsmash reeverz didn't take your advise Johan. They are the ones getting taken to the dug-out.

Mad Johan: The Ork team just looks disorganized out there. They are not playing as a team.

Lord Summervale: Pepper Jack and the linerat Swanky Swiss are swarming all over Runthugga. It doesn't look like he is getting away this time. Pepper Jack knocks him down and the ball gets scooped up by Swanky Swiss and makes for the end zone. However, Runthugga manages to trip him up. However, the ball is loose deep in Ork territory.

Mad Johan: In the center, the Orks show a spark of life as the team Kaptin Rotgut smacks King Chedda' to the dug-out. Meanwhile, Lungbursta manages to stun Feta Fiend.

Lord Summervale: Closer to the ball, Pepper Jack clears Runthugga away from the ball. Swanky Swiss manages to get the ball and runs it into the end zone for a score.


Mad Johan: That did not go the Orks way, and about half of the 1^st half has been eaten up by the Orks shoddy play.


Lord Summervale: Again both, teams send the minimum number of lineman to the line.


Mad Johan: I do not understand this. The Skulsmash Reeverz had success before against skaven by flooding the line. What are they doing?


Lord Summervale: The Ork and Skaven fans again take up their respective chants. Boom! The kick is up and this time the Ork Thrower Runthugga gets to the ball and picks it up.


Mad Johan: Again poor line play by the orks leaves a gap as Lungbursta and Stinky Limburgher both go down at the line.


Lord Summervale: Despite the gap in the front line, Ruk-Ruk the Ork Blitzer rushes past Skaven defenders on the far, outside wing. Runthugga sees him and hits him with a long pass.

Mad Johan: Despite getting past the frontline, the Skaven were more than ready for the Orks.

Lord Summervale: Indeed. The skaven swarm Ruk-Ruk and quickly take him down. The ball is loose in the Skaven territory.


Mad Johan: … but they are the only ones who are in a position to pick it up.


Lord Summervale: Indeed. Horrible Havarti picks it up and sits on it to end the half.

Mad Johan: If I was a Reeverz fan right now, I would not be happy. That was just ugly and uninspired play.


Lord Summervale: Well, after we return from the Cabalvision IV half-time report we will see if the Ork Skulsmash Reeverz can pull it together. They currently trail the Skaven Cheez-ballerz by 1. Remember, today's game from the Deep North- Southern Regional Conference is brought to you be Bloodwieser. Bloodwieser for the Bloodweiser god!



** ** ** ** **
Lord Summervale: Welcome back to Freeboota Field for the second half match-up between the Ork Skulsmash Reeverz and the Skaven Cheez-Ballerz. The Skaven are up by 1 and they are receiving the kick.


Mad Johan: The Orks are going to have to do much better this half. It all starts by getting the ball back from the Cheez-ballerz without them scoring. That means they are going to need some deep penetration early. Their Blitzers will be critical here.


Lord Summervale: The two teams are lined up. This time the Orks are a bit more committed to busting open the line and have their black Orks up front supported by lineman.


Boom! The kick is up. King Chedda scrambles and gets the ball. The Skaven quickly form a cage around him and start pressing through into the line. I think this was the strategy you talked about before the game Johan.


Mad Johan: Runthugga stiff arms Swanky Swiss and stuns him, leaving a gap at the line for the Orks to exploit.


Lord Summervale: The Skaven cage starts to splint, but the Gutter Runners have gotten into the backfield and into scoring position. King Chedda' has been flushed from the pocket and rolls out to make a short pass.

Mad Johan: Runthugga is onto King Chedda's tricks and stays with him.

Lord Summervale: King Chedda pulls back to pass....

Mad Johan: … Runthugga got a hand on it and the ball is loose near the line!

Lord Summervale: Lungbursta is there, and he manages to pick-up the ball!

Mad Johan: This is exactly what the Orks needed to do this half.

Lord Summervale: A collision away from the play leaves the Black Ork Bad Ammer and Feta Fiend both on the ground.


Mad Johan: Again?


Lord Summervale: King Chedda' and the Gutter Runner Rotten Rochefort team up on Lungbursta and lay a punishing hit on him. The ball goes loose, but I am unsure if he's going to be getting up from that one.

Mad Johan: I think I saw the flash of a blade there. Those Skaven..... welll if you aren't cheating you aren't trying!


Lord Summervale: Neither team seems that interested in the ball anymore. They are just pushing and shoving each other all across the board.

Mad Johan: Gobsmacka looks like he is after revenge for Lungbursta and unloads on Rotten Rochefort.


Lord Summervale: Badgob stuns the Skaven lineman Brie Bumbler in the general scrum.


Mad Johan: King Chedda again does his own dirty work and takes out the troublesome Runthugga.


Lord Summervale: The Refs blow the whistle for the end of the game. The ball is still loose and no one has bothered grabbing it. The game has come to an end with the Skaven Cheez-Ballerz victorious.


Mad Johan: The Cheez-ballerz were surprisingly hard hitting in this game. They played the Orks game and still managed to win. However, the Skulsmash Reeverz were completely disorganized this game.


Lord Summervale: Indeed. With the game over, let's go the injury report.


Mad Johan: Rotten Rochefort will miss the next game due to a broken jaw. I don't think the Cheez-ballerz will miss him too much as there Blitzers have been doing most of the work in there offense.


Lord Summervale: Reports are coming in from our grot sideline reporters that Lungbursta was hauled out of Freeboota Field in a body bag. He will not be rejoining the Skulsmash Reeverz line.... because he's dead.

Mad Johan: Too bad, he was maturing into a skilled lineman.

Lord Summervale: Yes, a shame. Speaking of Lungbursta, who do you think was the Guillotine Razor close have player of the day?


Mad Johan: Let's start with the Skulsmash Reeverz. Runthugga as the back-up thrower was all over the field, disrupting plays and making plays. Badgob and Gobsmacka also were hitting rats pretty hard. Ultimately, I am going to go with Badgob. He is a probably the Skulsmash Reeverz most effective lineman.


On the Cheez-Baller side, there were a couple of stand-outs. King Chedda was active in hitting and trying to drive the offense. Swanky Swiss did a good job against Black Orks. Finally, in the first half the Munster of the Midway was the key play maker. Ultimately, my Guillotine Razor player of the game is Munster of the Midway.

Lord Summervale: Well, that brings us to the end of our coverage for the Deep North- Southern Regional Conference. The Skaven Cheez-Ballerz have triumphed over the Ork Skulsmash Reeverz here at Freeboota Field. We will now return you to the Cabalvision IV booth for additional coverage of Blood Bowl across the Old Worlde. This is Lord Summervale with Johan in the booth signing off!

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Blood Bowl: Princess Owayanna Tournament Match Report- Finals: Chaos vs Skaven

Lord Summervale: It all comes down to this! Welcome one and all to Cabalvision IV's coverage of the Princess Owayanna Bottled Healing SpringWater Tournament! Teams across the Deep North League- Southern Regional Conference gathered to battle for the illustrious Princess Owayanna Cup and a season long supply of her bottled healing spring waters.

We started with 8 teams coming into this competition, but now we are down to the final two competitors. Today, our match will be between the Skaven Rat Packers and the Chaos Goat Herders.

Mad Johan: Both of these teams had to battle through some fierce rivals to get here today! Da Rat Packers bested the Ork Skulsmash Reeverz in a game that came down to the wire, and then defeated the Nottingham Nobles. The Chaos Goat Herders took on and crushed the Skaven Cheez-Ballers and then rocked the Dwarf Rock-N-Rollers to pave their way to the path to glory here at the tournament.

Lord Summervale: By Nuffle, this is going to be one heck of a match. The speed of the three Gutter-runner offense versus the brutality of the 4 Chosen chaos line. Johan, what do you think the keys to the game are?

Mad Johan: Both teams are going to have to focus on what they excel at and try to force the other team to try and play by their terms. You know the Rat Packers are going to try to dodge through the Chaos lines and get their play-makers into the back field, meanwhile the Goat Herders are going to simply try to grind the opposing team into dust. You know what I always say, it is hard to win a match when half you team is in the dug-out.

Lord Summervale: Both teams have injured players returning to the line-up. The Goat Herders have their Team Captain Asquith Kneecapper return after a mysterious injury during the game against the Rock-N-Rollers.

Mad Johan: Yeah, I'm still not entirely sure what happened? One minute he was there holding off two Dwarf blockers and the next minute he was being dragged off to the Dug-out.

Lord Summervale: The Rat Packers have their one and only blitzer, Bashy; returning.

Mad Johan: The Rat Packers like to have Bashy to clear the key lane for the Gutter-runners to get to the back field. They were successful without him last game with the Nobles, but you can bet that Team Captain Favre the Cheese-monger is glad to have Bashy back.

Lord Summervale: The fans are all ready warmed up to a fever pitch here at the beautiful Citadel Arena, which is normally home to the Nottingham Nobles. However, Nottingham won the bid for the Tournament Cup event from Freeboota Field and Khaz-a-Killid. That has only fueled the rivalry between the three teams and their fans.

Mad Johan: I think the committee made a good choice for the Cup-event to be held here. This new venue is amazing and Nottigham has been a great place to stay. I am a big fan of Bugman's Brewery.

Lord Summervale: You and apparently 90% of the fans here today! This looks like it could get rowdy early.

Both Team Captains have gone to the center of the Pitch. Kneecapper looks to have his normal, aggressive stride back. The two shake hands as Nuffle demands prior to the coin toss. Da Rat Packers win the toss.

Mad Johan: In the last two games, they elected to get the ball first. Will they continue with that strategy?

Lord Summervale: Yes, that is exactly what they do. Favre the Cheesemonger decides his team will receive to start the game! Both side start to line-up for the opening drive.

The beastman Hack has been practicing his kicking, and he is going to boot it for the Goat Herders. Boom! The kick is up!

It is a short kick that drops just behind the secondary of the Skaven line. Squaeky runs up and picks up the ball. The rest of the Skaven push on the near side and make a gap in the line. The Goat Herders were playing back from the line, and a pair of Beastmen quickly move to close the gap.

Mad Johan: Brisbane Skullthumper starts the game off with a bang and punishes the skaven linerat Pincher with a powerful hit.

Lord Summervale: Seeing the gap close, the Skaven use their speed and shift the point of attack to the far side of the field. A good block by Nipper springs the corner, and Pokey gets deep into the back field alone.

Mad Johan: Now is the time for the Goat Herders to hit him hard....

Lord Summervale: The Chaos team seems to take your advice as three beastmen converge on Pokey and knock him down.

Mad Johan: They then start kicking him while he is down! That's how you play Blood Bowl!

Lord Summervale: The refs are too busy watching where the action is and miss the fouls. However, Pokey looks stunned from Grafitti's hooves.

Another block by Nipper breaks Squeaky and Sneaky loose! They dart down the field. Squeaky tries to dump it to Sneaky, who bobbling catches it and runs to the corner, right at the end zone.

 However, the Beastman Payne manages to rush over and knock him out of bounds before he can score.

Mad Johan: The crowd of frenzied Chaos fans sends Sneaky to the Dug-out. The Chaos coach must be giving a prayer to the gods!

Lord Summervale: The Beastman Dance party sends Pokey to the Dug-out as well. Graffitti and Payne seem to have taken your advice Johan.

Mad Johan: The ball is still loose in the end zone after the crowd tossed it in. Todd Organgrinder and Murder drop back to cover Squeaky, but the Skaven may still steal a touch down out of this yet if the Chaos Goat Herders are not careful.

Lord Summervale: Squeaky tries to sneak in behind Payne, and manages to avoid him, but he fails to pick-up the ball.

Mad Johan: The pressure got to the little guy as he normal has very sure hands.

Lord Summervale: Payne easily knocks him into the crowd and takes the last Gutter Runner off the field.

Mad Johan: Finally! Someone knows how to play against this offense! It is a bit away from the play but Brisbane Skullthumper has lived up to his reputation and stunned two Skaven linerats. He is doing More than his part to take the Skaven out of the game!

Lord Summervale: Seeing their plan to score early fall apart, the Skaven try to dodge away from their opponents and set up a defense in depth to stop the Goat Herders from scoring this half.

Murder picks up the ball in his own end zone and starts the long journey back to score. A cage quickly forms around him while some of his fellow beastmen that are free head for the end zone.

Mad Johan: The Skaven linerats are doing their part and start to try to break the cage open. A powerful hit by Fodder stuns his foe.

Lord Summervale: The cage holds and the Beastman manage to block the line-rats away and let Murder rush past the Skaven defenses.

Mad Johan: Over on the near side, Violence tries to block Bashy, but misses his footing and goes to the dug-out!

Lord Summervale: Squish-squish breaks loose from his defender and manages to lay a hand on Murder. However, the Beastman manages to stiff arm him away and stay on his feet..... er hooves.

Mad Johan: This Chaos team has done a good job keeping the dodgy Skaven pinned. More times than not, the Skaven have not been able to dodge away as another linerat goes down to a tackle zone.

Lord Summervale: Bashy manages to come across field using that Skaven speed and pummel Murder to the ground. The ball goes loose and Favre final evades Asquith Kneecapper. He scoops up the ball and launches it back to mid-field with a completion to Nipper.

Mad Johan: Bashy and Favre just saved their team from going down by 1.

Lord Summervale: There is some jostling and shoving, but the half winds to a close with neither team scoring.

Mad Johan: The Chaos Goat Herders should be pretty proud of themselves. They manged to stop this Rat packer offense from getting points on the board, and threatened scoring themselves. I said the team that is going to win today will need to force their opponent to play their way. This Chaos team did that to the Rat Packers and did something no team has done yet this tournament, kept the Rat Packers from scoring.

Lord Summervale: You are indeed a fine Blood Bowl mind Johan. With the half, we will send you back to to the Cabalvision studios for highlights from around the Olde World and a word from our sponsors. Bloodweiser would like to remind you that with a Bloodweiser it is always an Oh-Positive experience. Johan and I; Lord Summervale; will return with continuing coverage of the Princess Owayanna Healing Spring Bottled Water Tournament Finals between the Chaos Goat Herders and the Skaven Rat packers. See you back here soon!

** ** ** ** **

Lord Summervale: Welcome back to Cabalvision IV's coverage of the Princess Owayanna Healing Spring Bottled Water Tournament finals between the Chaos Goat Herders and the Skaven Rat Packers. The score is currently tied at 0 a piece after a surprising first half.

Mad Johan: Yeah, the surprise was that the Rat Packers got the ball first and did not score!

Lord Summervale: Indeed. The Goat Herders seemed to take your advice Johan and sent all the Gutter Runners off the field by fouling or sideline pushes. In fact, Sneaky; arguably the Rat packers star Gutter Runner is still in the dug-out.

Mad Johan: Well, the Chaos team is going to receive so it makes sense that the Gutter Runners stay in the dug-out and the extra linerats come out.

Lord Summervale: Since the Goat Herders are getting the ball first this half, what do you think will be the keys to the game?

Mad Johan: Well, if I am the Goat Herders I am going to play ball control. I am in no rush to get down the field and score. Ideally, I should be walking it into the end zone right when the buzzer for the second half rings. The Rat Packers best weapon is their offense, so I do not want them putting their offense back on the field. Instead, I want to use this second half to grind their team down because the Skaven need to get the ball from me.

Lord Summervale: What if you are the Rat Packers?

Mad Johan: You need to minimize where and who they can hit you with. Then, you need to time your blitz right to knock the ball loose and use your speed to recover and score. You can not let them grind your team into pulp, or eat up all the clock. Of the two teams, the Rat Packers have the harder job now. They really needed to score first and early.

Lord Summervale: With that, let's get back to the game. The Chaos Goat Herders are set to receive the kick. And ….. BOOM! It is up.

It is a very short kick and barely makes it past the line of scrimmage! Gore slides over and retrieves the ball. His fellow team mates quickly form up an extra thick cage around him.

Mad Johan: Ker-runch! Todd Organgrinder finishes his block strong and sends Pincher to the box. So far, the Chaos team is executing on the right plan.

Lord Summervale: Pokey and Bashy team up on Brisbane Skullthumper and push him back. This allows Kil-kil a chance to start breaking open the chaos cage. However, the Chaos team made it extra thick.

Mad Johan: The Chaos Chosen are doing their job and grinding the Skaven linerats up. Asquith Kneecapper takes Bucktooth to the dug-out, while Brisbane Skullthumper stuns Nipper. However, Winston Azhander runs into a tougher nut as Bashy and him square off in the center of the Chaos cage.

Lord Summervale: I bet the Rat Packers are glad to have him back!

The Skaven line puts on a clinic on how to break into a cage and push their way into the ball carriers face, despite the extra protection the Goat Herders tried to put on him.

Mad Johan: Bashy is leading the way again. He is trying to make up for lost time and be an MVP this game!

Lord Summervale: However, the Chaos team excels at grinding the ball forward, and here we see them keep pressing forward, very slowly.

Mad Johan: That's how you handle Gutter-Runners. Hack managed to break loose from the scrum and lay horns on Pokey. He sent him to the dug-out right quick!

Lord Summervale: The Goat Herders look like they may have broken through the Skaven line. Gore tries to dump the ball to Malice, but the other Beastman drops the pass. This could be the Skaven's chance to stop the Chaos push.

Mad Johan: The Rat Packers will miss their Gutter-runners now.

Lord Summervale: Favre dodges away from Todd Organgrinder and scrambles for the ball. He manages to scoop it up. He pivots while Nipper dodges away from a defender on the far side. Favre da Cheesemonger hits him with lightning bolt strike and the little linerat scampers away at full skaven speed into an open back field.

Mad Johan: Wow, you don't get to see it much but even linerats can accelerate quickly.

Lord Summervale: Inspired, Pak takes out Payne and sends him to the dug-out.

Arson drops back and tries to stop the nimble linerat, but he can't keep up and gets tripped up and falls. He gets ups and chases the winded linerat again, but the Beastman again tumbles to the ground.

Mad Johan: It looks like Arson is going to be the goat for this game.

Lord Summervale: Really..... With very little time left in the game, Nipper runs in for the touch down. The skaven fans go crazy!

Mad Johan: That was exactly what the Skaven needed to do this half. What makes it worse for the Chaos Goat Herders is that the turn-over was an unforced error. I don;t know who is more likely to be sacrificed to the media and the Chaos gods tomorrow.... Malice or Arson?

Lord Summervale: Maybe both!

The two teams line up for the kick, but it would take a miracle for the Chaos team to score. Murder retrieves the kick.

Mad Johan: Asquith Kneecapper seems like he wants to make and example out of someone and smashes Fodder to the ground, stunned.

Lord Summervale: Violence gets into the back field and Murder hits him at long range, but the beastman drops the ball.

Mad Johan: You really need to catch those in this league.

Lord Summervale: Favre scrambles forward and scoops up the ball. At this point the game is essentially over even though there is time on the clock.

However, Favre dumps it back to Bashy who catches it. He then steam rolls forward and blasts Grafitti... sending him to the dug-out. With that the game ends.

Mad Johan: What a bunch of unnecessary showing off and violence at the end of the half.... Nuffle would be pleased.

Lord Summervale: With that, we have a new Princess Owayanna Healing Spring Bottled Water Tournament Champion! Congratulations to the Skaven Rat Packers led by team captain Favre Da' Cheesemonger! They win 1 to 0 over the Chaos Goat Herders.

Mad Johan: This is one of the few teams remaining from the old Deep North- Southern Regional Conference and their veteran nature really helped them overcome some adversity this tournament. They barely squeaked out a win against the Ork Skulsmash Reeverz and then lost their only Blitzer to injury. Despite that, their offense managed to overcome these drawbacks.

Lord Suumervale: Indeed, now Favre and his team can add this Chamionship trophy to their locker room, a season long supply of Princess Owayanna Healing Spring Bottled Water, and the tournament prize money.

Looking back at the game, who do you think were the MVPs of this championship game?

Mad Johan: Well, let's look at the Chaos Goat Herders first. No one really stands out as they had a really strong team effort. It is easier to point out who will be reviled by fans, press, and the gods tomorrow. However, I think Brisbane Skullthumper did his job very well, Grafitti took out one of those Gutter Runners early by leading a stomping party, and Payne's goal line stand all stick out in my mind. I think the MVP for the Chaos Goat Herders is going to be.... Payne.

Lord Summervale: Sounds like the key, positive plays for the Chaos team came in the first half. How about MVPs for the Rat Packers.

Mad Johan: This is easier to choose. The Gutter-runners went out early in this game, and that left space for other players to step it up. You have to include Nipper for his last minute touchdown drive miracle, Favre Da Cheesemonger for his scrambling and passing, and Bashy came back with a vengeance this game to stiffen the Skaven line and really lead the team.

I have a feeling Favre and Bashy will get their chance to be MVPs int eh future, but how often does a lowly linerat get to be the MVP instead of a casualty? I'm going with Nipper.

Lord Summervale: With the inaugural Tournament complete, what do you expect to see develop in the Deep North- Southern Regional Conference now?

Mad Johan: This conference has a great fan base and a diverse population. Therefore, I expect it to keep growing with more teams and more great games of Blood Bowl. I mean, after this Tournament you have to think the Chaos Goat Herders and the Rat Packers are in a position to lead the Conference to the Championship. However, The Dark Elf Black Guards and the latest addition to the League the Elf Supremes will change things up as we go forward.

Overall, I expect more big hits, more incredible scoring drives, and great Blood Bowl action.

Lord Summervale: With that, let's rejoin our Cabalvision IV studios. Thanks for joining us for the final championship game of the Princess Owayanna Healing Spring Bottled Water Tournament. Thanks to our other sponsors as well; Bloodweiser and Gullotine Razors. Until next time, this is Mad Johan and Lord Summervale signing off!

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!

** ** ** ** **

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!