AFK_Eagle
Joined: Mar 12, 2004
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 Posted:
Sep 19, 2005 - 19:52 |
 
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Just a bit of fluff reading for you bored peeps (and a touch of venting)...
The Weapon Masters, one of the oldest (152 games and counting) and, at one time, greatest skaven teams in the history of fumbbl, has finally emerged reborn after our "Time of Crisis". Team captain and star-gutter Stiletto VII explains...
"I've only been here for 23 games now, but guess that makes me the senior guy here, as nobody else has even reached 10 games yet. None of them remember the glory days, not so very long ago. Man, you should've seen us back then! The #2 skaven team in the land, man! Only a matter of time til we dethroned the top skaven team and reigned supreme, but that blasted Nuffle decided to make an example of us, showing just how far a team can fall..."
What he's referring to is an 15-game stretch of absolute disaster for the team. The team's record during this span was 3-3-9, bad enough for these very competitive rats who demand perfection of themselves. But losing games and pride was only the beginning...
Before the "Time of Crisis" began, the team was living large (TR 345), with 4 super-star players (all over 100+ spp) and two mega-star gutters (over 126), not a niggle to be seen anywhere. Add a few line-fodder rats learning the system, a promising gutter rapidly rising to star status, and a large fanbase (FF 18+), and you can see why we held the respect of many coaches and players the league over. But success breeds arrogance, which in turn leads to making mistakes in judgment not normally evident. For instance, playing high-level amazons full of guard/mb with only a single tackle on the roster. Ahh, but we're the great Weapon Masters! We can take them on!
The match was an absolute disaster. We lost the match, though hardly anybody noticed as they stood over the body of Nunchaku III, a super-star linerat of epic proportions who'd been with the team for 111 games previous. This mutant barely resembled the young linerat he began his career as, but held the respect and admiration of the entire team for his stubborn refusal to die despite wearing a fraction of his assigned armor. He was heard quoted before that fateful game...
"Armor just gets in the way of my lovely tentacles. Besides, without it I'm faster and more agile than the opposition might expect, giving us the edge."
But the edge went to the amazon fans who tore our hero to pieces when he got pushed to greet them, a riot keeping our team medic from being able to reach the doomed rat in time to save him.
Shock set in among the rest of the team, to last for the next 14 games while player after player fell to cruel blows, crueler fans and an inept medical doctor. Soon to follow Nunchaku to the bloodbowl pitch in the sky was his fellow super-star linerat Tonfa V, an extremely hard-hitting rat who took no gruff from nobody. But alas, it wasn't a well aimed fist, claw, or even boot which did this pitch-monster in...but his own two left feet, as he tripped dodging for yet another crushing blitz. Prevailing theory has it that he fell on his own claws, then swiped at the medic when he arrived, mistakenly believing him to be the enemy in his delirium and keeping him at bay until it was too late to save this valiant hunter.
Fearing greatly for the team's future, Shakar took matters into his own paws, trying desperately to boost team morale and regain our winning ways. A commanding 7-2 victory did just that temporarily, earning this rat a spot as a legend of the bloodbowl pitch, the third the team has generated (you may have heard of Sai and Shinai, two former legendary gutters who played for the team). Shakar retired with full honors, never touched by the ravages of time or enemy, believing he'd helped to reverse the team's misfortune.
But no, misfortune continued to smile on the team. Incredibly bad luck plagued the team during the coming matches, culminating in the death of that incredibly fast mega-star gutter Sabre IV, dying on-pitch without a doctor to help. Why? The coach had decided to send the team apothecary to the private residence of mega-star Shuriken V, who was feeling ill and couldn't come play without medical assistance. No worries, we were only facing woodelves, right? Sabre paid for this mistake in judgment with his life, stopped just shy of earning that coveted Legend title.
This was the last straw...something had to change! Mega-star Rat Ogre Naginata V was asked to retire gracefully, to encourage teams with fewer opposing stars to be willing to face us without this monster of the pitch scaring them away (aka lower TR). Says rookie linerat Bokken V,
"I as the team's newest member was asked to tell the big guy about his mandatory retirement. I figured I was a dead rat, ya know? But he was still kinda loopy after the concussion the elven boot knocked into his skull, so I just dropped the letter of resignation on his outstretched paw and high-tailed it out of there! I'm not even sure he can read and knows what the letter said, but I noticed he didn't show up for practice before our next game, so I think he got the message..."
The only original mega-star remaining was Shuriken V, whose agility and mutated big hand had led him to becoming one of the all-time greatest skaven throwers in fumbbl history. He convinced the coaches to allow him to remain one more game, achieving his life-long goal of Bloodbowl Legend in his 52nd game with the team and pesonally scoring the game-winning touchdown. (Coincidentally, this also upped his retirement benefits significantly...glad Naginata isn't aware of this little tidbit, else he'd demand to be let back on long enough to reach Legend himself!) Satisfied the team is back on track, Shuriken hobbled away towards his life-long season ticket seats on the 50-yard line.
The final tally after this 15-game stretch:
Record: 3-3-7
Cas Suffered: 22/15/9
Players Lost: 12 (RO, Thrower, 2 Storm Vermin, 2 Gutters and 6 Linerats)
Players Replacement Value: 840k
Income over these 15 games: 390k
SPP Lost: 1004
Estimated TR Reduction: 285
We were able to ask head coach AFK_Eagle for one last comment before he joined the team for their daily practice session:
"Most teams would just up and quit after receiving such tremendous losses in personnel, players we won't soon be able to replace, if ever. But the remaining players on the roster, though mostly rookies, have demanded we continue to play. They grew up watching our team's games, dreaming of one day playing on the team. Now's their chance, and if they're eager to try playing undermanned for a while until the team's coffers have the cash to field a full roster again, then who am I to say no? We built up to tremendous highs before; the only thing keeping us from doing so again is a little patience and hard work! Now if you'll excuse me, it's time to start in on that hard work part!"
Keep an eye peeled for future games of the Weapon Masters...it's a name you're certain to hear again! |
_________________
Listen to Eagle! Eagle is good, Eagle is wise!
Founder of the E.L.F.--These elves will play anybody!
Last edited by AFK_Eagle on %b %28, %2005 - %18:%Sep; edited 3 times in total |
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Cloggy
Joined: Sep 23, 2004
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| Posted:
Sep 19, 2005 - 19:57 |
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Good luck with the rebuild! Always good to see the old teams staying in there!
Hope you make it in time for the Fumbbl Cup  |
_________________
Proud owner of three completed Ranked grids, sadly lacking in having a life. |
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jimimothybodles
Joined: Mar 31, 2004
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Sep 19, 2005 - 20:03 |
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nice story and a great team!
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_________________
"Give a man a match, and he'll be warm for a day.
Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."
~Ancient Snotling Proverb |
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Mezir
Joined: Aug 02, 2003
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| Posted:
Sep 19, 2005 - 20:41 |
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I just pushed through a match report for the Weapon Masters in which Tonfa V died - seems like even now Nuffle isn't giving you a break. 
Keep it up, it's always great to see a legendary team run around the place.
I'd suggest getting rid of two re-rolls as well. And of course the thrower now that he's a legend. Then hopefully you can rebuild like a run-away train with that high FF of yours. |
_________________
Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day; set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life. |
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Captain1821
Joined: Jun 23, 2004
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| Posted:
Sep 19, 2005 - 20:58 |
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I noticed that you just won a game and Shuriken V became a legend!
Congratulations and good luck with this team |
_________________
STATUS: CLOWN |
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AFK_Eagle
Joined: Mar 12, 2004
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| Posted:
Sep 23, 2005 - 06:38 |
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Update: it took about 20 games, but we're finally back up to 11 players to field for our next game! (Assuming the one niggled linerat shows up...) Don't ask about our record during that span...a couple wins, a couple draws, and a whole lot of forgettable matches, but hey, we're starting to climb back into competitiveness once again! |
_________________
Listen to Eagle! Eagle is good, Eagle is wise!
Founder of the E.L.F.--These elves will play anybody! |
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Qlar
Joined: May 17, 2005
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Sep 24, 2005 - 02:57 |
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Wooohooo!
Great Story! |
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Wizard
Joined: Jul 09, 2004
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Sep 24, 2005 - 03:05 |
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I had a Darkelf team that played against AFK
I must admit - he is persistant, and i like that alot
GO WEAPON MASTERS!!!! |
_________________
"As long as one person lives in darkness then it seems to be a responsibility to tell other people." |
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Captain1821
Joined: Jun 23, 2004
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Sep 24, 2005 - 03:23 |
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Nice to hear good news from your team! |
_________________
STATUS: CLOWN |
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Laviak
Joined: Jul 19, 2004
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Sep 24, 2005 - 04:03 |
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Very nice write-up eagle. Tis nice to see some well written fluff on the boards
And a good reminder that you don't have to bail on a team just because it's lost a couple of star players. |
_________________
We Fink Wer Orks
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Help save blood bowl, foul an elf today!. |
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