Thrud charity team: Slann

 Even though I'm trying to make a dent in my own pile of grey shame (which has grown rather a lot recently), I accepted a request to do a charity painting job for the wonderful people who organise Thrudbowl and the auction in aid of MIND.

The team is the Punga Slann one, great sculpts, and should be relatively quick to paint. I'm opting for a classic theme with everyone having green skin and gold armour. I did want to make some colourful frogs but maybe I'll save that for my personal slann team.

Quick WIP shot below:

Tournament write-up: BBBL Winter Classic

I tried, fairly unsuccessfully, to play Norse in our league (ECBBL) last season. Tbf I took the wrong build really and marred by many 1/9s and batting collapses throughout the season meant I was tempted to leave them in the display cabinet for 2025. However, I thought I'd give them another go in the league (this time opting for a berserker, an apo and some fans to start) and also try to play them in tournaments where even if the package isn't great I can at least go for the painting competition.

Bromley's Winter classic however, at 1 million limit and 6 skills for tier 1 seemed the perfect opportunity to give them a go. I figured it would be heavy on the stunty-star combo so Norse it was. 12 men and women, 2rr, no boars, no apo. 2 tackles on the berserkers, guard and block on the Ulfs, Block and wrestle on the valks.

Game 1 vs halflings! Result! It went pretty much as expected. My opponent did roll a lot of poor dice and mine were decent. Lost of cas and 3-0 to me meant top table for game 2.

Game 2 vs orcs. Well this was also expected I guess...winning game 1 meant inevitably facing someone with the same idea. He chose to receive first iirc and failed to remove any of my players early on whereas I took out one of his making his drive all the more difficult and I was able to defend successfully. In my drive I was able to punch a hole and push through, allowing me to stall for a couple of turns before the danger became too much of a risk and the score was done t4. With a full team still I figured I had a good chance of defending again and despite a KO or too the orcs were held to a 1-0. Win!

Game 3 vs Dwarves! Fellow ECBBLer and Fumbbl player, Schoolyb with 11 boring bearded bastards all with block (I can't say much taking Norse but Dwarves are more boring by a country mile). A very well fought game. Again the Norse were sucking up the punches, thick skill coming into play quite often. Dwarves received and despite a last ditch effort with a dodge and GFIs from an Ulf to attempt surfing the BC, ending in double both down, they were able to score in 8. However a lucky removal or three from the norse meant the draw was at least on. Again, I elected to score early enough so at least one of us could try to win it (preventing the filthy star-studded snots of purplechest another trophy) and although looking like a draw by t7, the norse somehow came through for the 2-1. Win!

3-0-0 but was it enough? 6 TDs and 2 out of 3 bonus points for doing stupid shit meant, yes! My first tournament win! Absolutely smashing start to the year.

Tournament write-up: Race to the Finish

Name:Race to the Finish

Date: 20th April 2024

Location: Ye Olde Cock Tavern, London

Format: Bloodbowl 7s

I haven't been taking part in as many tournaments this year as normal. In fact I had tickets for both the NAFC and UKTC already but following a bit of 'BB burnout earlier in the year' I decided to take a step back from playing and concentrate more on the painting and hobby side. I'm still playing on FUMBBL occasionally but regular leagues and tournaments I'm leaving until next year when I've hopefully managed to get through the pile of shame enough to field some new teams that have been waiting in the wings.

Having said that, I did play in the Kent Team Championships earlier in the year and had already committed to a 7s tournament, Race to the Finish, that I am going to talk about here.

TO on the day was CptOats. It was NAF registered and open to all but apart from one player from North of Watford somewhere it was essentially a jolly for ECBBL and DBL players. 

The idea was simple. Play fast. I have never played 7s before but if anyone who has played me knows I do play somewhat quickly. Trying to work out the play in my opponents turn in order to give me more time in my own turn. This works OK for 11s but proved more than useful for 7s and especially on this day, although with almost 0 rerolls the turnovers came thick and fast.

I took skaven (boo, I know) and they were very good. 3 naked gutters, a blitzer with mighty blow and tackle stacked and 4 line rats and a 'desperate measure', all for 600k.

I'll spare you the play by play, but I faced OWA, Gnomes and Tomb Kings and went win, win, draw. I totally forgot to use my Banana skin desperate measure in the Tomb Kings game which would have been 3 wins for the day (but probably wouldn't have been enough for a prize anyway).

Winner for the day was Matt Jarman with Elven Union with some very nice proxies - cat people from DnD, Tabaxi?

All in all I very much enjoyed the format, maybe I'll search out some more 7s tourneys in the future. Thanks to CptOats for organising and supplying beers!