Blood Bowl: Match Report- Humans vs. Skaven- Exhibition Play

I all ready had a Chaos, Khemri, and Skaven Blood Bowl team when the new version came out. I had never had the templates of a pitch of my own though. Therefore, I got the new boxset, and was a bit disgruntled to see that the new minis were a bit bigger. I was unsure if I wanted to get new teams to match up.

Then, a new FLGS opened in my town and they had good prices on the new Blood Bowl boxed teams and I soon found myself with new Dwarfs, Skaven, and Chaos. Ostensibly, my wife encouraged my to buy them as she wanted a few teams to play with me and my daughter. How could I refuse?

The Dwarf teams and the Skaven teams went together great and pretty much needed little or no glue. The Chaos team.... not so much. The poses were great and dynamic, but putting them together was a chore. However, now that they are all assembled, they are ready for the pitch. Maybe I can even convince myself or my wife to paint them one day..... maybe.....

At least I was able to convince her to play. I took the Skaven per the rules in the box for the Skavenblight Scramblers and she took the human Nottingham Nobles. This should be a good match-up.

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Lord Summervale: Thanks for watching Cabalvision IV and their ongoing coverage of Blood Bowl post- NAF and the outgrowth of smaller leagues.  

Mad Johan: We know it is only the pre-season but there is still plenty of mayhem to dish out! It may not count on the record books, but you can still see a a skaven get punched in the face. That is worth the price of admission right there!

Lord Summervale: Indeed Johan. Today is another exhibition match featuring the Nottingham Nobles and their team captain Rick Priestly in the lovely Citadel arena. Their opponent was a new Skaven team calling themselves the Cheese-Ballerz, led by their captain King Chedda'.

Mad Johan: The Deep North League- Southern Regional Conference has two Skaven teams this season. Favre' Da Cheese Monger leads a high powered offense with three gutter-runners on Da' Rat Packers. However, these ratmen seem to have a more traditional offense with two Storm Vermin blockers and two Gutter Runners. These Cheese-Ballerz will pack a bit more punch, but it might hurt their scoring ability.

Lord Summervale: Well, the Nobles haven't exactly been scoring power houses in their last two exhibition matches. After the coin flip, King Chedda' has won the toss and elected to kick-off to the Nobles. The Nobles set-up with Priestley ready to receive. A missed block up front by Adrian Wood let the Cheese-Ballerz front line stream through towards the Noble's thrower.

Mad Johan: They are coming through like a rat.... urr.... ummm.... chasing after.... oh nevermind.....

Lord Summervale: Priestly manages to dump it off to Gav Thorpe who is rushing around the edge of the Skaven line. However, the Skaven see it coming and chop him down at mid-field. He coughs up the ball, and it is scooped up by the Feta Fiend, a line rat who makes a break for the end zone.

Mad Johan: Down field his fellow clan rats seem to have Priestly covered, and on the ground.

Lord Summervale: Holy cats! Somehow Priestly broke loose and managed to knock the ball free from the Feta Fiend! That just saved a score! That was enough and the Nobles have somehow recovered it!

Priestley manages to dump it to Gav Thorpe again, and this time, he is being escorted by Jervis Johnson and Paul Sawyer to the end zone. The Cheese-Ballerz fail to respond, stunned by the sudden turn of events.

Mad Johan: Looks like Priestly and Thorpe are going to try to be star players this season!

Lord Summervale: That puts the Nobles up by 1 late in the half. They set-up for a deep defense against the speedy Cheese-Ballerz. Both of their Gutter Runners are out on the field for the kick-off; Horrible Havarti and Rotten Rochefort.

Mad Johan: Boom! There is the kick!

Lord Summervale: King Chedda' collects the ball while his line rats push the line back. Horrible Havarti goes deep, and the Nobles move to intercept him. Meanwhile, Rotten Rochefort goes on a crossing route escorted by the Munster of the Midway storm vermin. They are wide open after some blown coverage by Warwick Kinrade.

Mad Johan: That looks like a touchdown right there.....

Lord Summervale: King Chedda' drops to pass and launches a nice tight spiral to the streaking Rotten Rochefort. However, the Gutter Runner turns up field too early and drops the pass!

Mad Johan: That was all on Rochefort.... I guess they do not call him rotten for nothing.

Lord Summervale: Well, with that we end the half with the Nobles up 1 to nothing. The first half was pretty back-and-forth but the Nobles have a well deserved lead. Now... let's go to the Cabalvision IV half-time report brought to you by Wierdstone Sasparilla....it is the Wierdstone that gives it kick!

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Lord Summervale: Welcome back to Cabalvision IV's coverage of the Nottingham Nobles versus the Skaven Cheese-Ballerz in the Deep North League- Southern Regional Conference pre-season play. Today's game is brought to you by our sponsors at Bloodweisser- We are O Positive that you will love it!

The Nobles have taken the lead with 1 touch down. However, the Cheese-ballerz team captain, King Chedda'; wisely elected to receive in the opening of the second half.

Mad Johan: Skaven teams are well known for being able to score quickly, so they are not out of the game yet. Both of their Gutter Runners are on the field.

Lord Summervale: Indeed. The kick is up, and King Chedda scrambles to receive it. The Nobles lined up for the deep defense again, trying to space out and stop the deep strike. However, their plan does not work to plan as the Cheese-ballerz managed to overwhelm the line and break out on the flanks.

Mad Johan: Wow, a punishing hit as both the Munster of the Midway and Space McQuirk go down!

Lord Summervale: That was enough. A super accurate strike from King Chedda' to Horrible Havarti gives the speedy rodent more than enough time to run into the end zone and tie the game up!

Mad Johan: I told you these vermin were fast!

Lord Summervale: This time, the Cheese-Ballerz send a high short kick to Priestly in the backfield. His fellow Noble smash through a flank and surge across mid-field. Priestly looks to pass.

Mad Johan: Look at the nice cage they have started to form around Jervis Johnson. I would expect to see the pass go there.

Lord Summervale: Hold on Johan. It looks like those line rats have other ideas! They have easily managed to bust through the line and are swarming Priestly. They knock it loose and there is a mad scramble for the ball.

Mad Johan: Those rats were eager to get there, but they can't seem to come to grips with the ball.

Lord Summervale: Indeed, for the second time in the game Rick Priestly has managed to recover the ball and unloads it quickly. This time he finds Jervis Johnson.

Mad Johan: Some great blocking downfield allows J.J. To scamper into the endzone.

Lord Summervale: Looks like The Nobles are up by 1 again.

Mad Johan: The team that is going to win this game has to score more points than the other....

Lord Summervale:... um, yeah.... The Nobles kick-it off back to the Cheese-Ballerz. This time, it is the Nobles who smash through the line and get some quick penetration. King Chedda' dumps it off to a Gutter Runner in the back field, but it isn't enough and the Nobles pop it loose. Gav Thorpe scoops up the ball and dashes it into the endzone.

Mad Johan: It looks like the Cheese-Ballerz are not the only team that score quickly.

Lord Summervale: The Skaven line-up to try again. This time, King Chedda' squeaks some encouragement and threats to his line rats. He does not want to see the Nobles get through so fast again. The kick is short, and Horrible Havarti catches the kick and begins to move it up field.

Mad Johan; Look at that Summervale! The Skaven are actually running a cage right through the teeth of the Nobles line!

Lord Summervale: You do not see that everyday! The Nobles line was spread to prevent a quick strike, and the Cheese-ballerz led by the Munster of the Midway and Pepper Jack; the Storm Vermin have slammed it up the gut!

Mad Johan: It looks like the cage is starting to collapse, that is why Skaven teams are better at the quick strike game....

Lord Summervale: Not so fast Johan. Horrible Havarti has flicked it out Rotten Rochefort. He has found the flat and easily runs in for the score!

Mad Johan: ...those dirty rats!

Lord Summervale: It is late in the second half and the Cheese-Ballerz are kicking it to the Nobles. The kick is short, but Gav Thorpe manages to recover it. He and Jervis take it deep into their territory. The rats desperately try to break through, but it doesn't look like they will be able to get there in time.

With that, time runs out and the Nottingham Nobles have won their first match! The crowd goes wild.

Mad Johan: It just goes to show, if half your team isn't in the injury box, it helps you win!

Lord Summervale: Thanks for watching this exhibition match between the Nottingham Nobles and the Skaven Cheese-ballerz on Cabalvision IV. The Nobles have their first win of the pre-season by a score of 3-2. Nuffle be praised.

We now turn you over to the final moments between the Dwarf Rock-N-Rollers and the Chaos Goat Herders all ready in progress.... bye-bye!