^is what I was thinking after a lucky game vs some dark elves (BloodBowl Stars!). With two weeks before the Warpstone Open I though I could take my precious time and find a real nice cherry to pick for my Lizards' final game. The plan was that I'd stick the Lizards on Gamefinder, but start playing my norse again (it was fitting because it was during last year's Warpstone Open when I last seriously played my norse and created the Lizards.) I'd just wait for a nice skaven/elf team with ~20 FF to pass by and play them.

Today, Calcium offered me a game. It was with his wood elves: one mighty blow, one DP, nothing much else that could hurt me. Only 11 FF, so it wasn't exactly the game I was looking for, but it was Calcium, someone I enjoy playing against.

Here's where I wasn't thinking. The reason I like playing Calcium is: Our games are ALWAYS blood baths, and Calcium is one of the very few (only?) people I can play where more blood on both sides is fun. Me, I'm usually a pixel hugger. Aging is the worst that ever happened to Blood Bowl, I've written (not small) obituaries for deceased players (which no one commented on...), and care enough for my team (and it's players) to write up a rather large team bio that includes feats of its past players, team records, etc.

That being said, I'm looking to prepare for the tournament not a blood bath. And it's not just "The Warpstone Open", but it is the first Blood Bowl tournament I'd ever played in. Not only was it my first tournament, but four days before the tournament starts will be the Lizards' first birthday. And this tournament won't be like this past Fumbbl Cup tournament (which also has special meaning for me) where the Lizards joined just to play in the tournament. The Lizards were looking the best they had ever looked. The Lizards just needed a bit more cash, not get any injuries, and to lose the Krox's MNG and THEN they would be ready to rock the Warpstone Open.

With me looking forward to the Warpstone Open, why would I play vs someone who averages just under 5 casualties against me? Our games usually 7 total casualties...did I think this would be any different? At other times, I love playing Calcium in our blood baths, but right now was the time I wanted to get the team ready. WHY DID I ACCEPT?!


The Game

Calcium got 4 handicaps for the match: Iron Man (MB, +AG Wardancer), Buzzing (Blodge, STR4 Line elf), Bribe the Ref, and Morleys Revenge (THREE hits: Blodge, Break Tackle, +STR Saurus, Blodge Saurus, and a DP skink.

Calcium wins the toss, Morley hits all three players.
T1: Calcium kills a skink. Right then I'm thinking "Well, now it'll be another game until we're ready for the Warpstone...ah well." Little did I know, the killings wouldn't stop at T1.
T2: *cry* my star saurus...135 SPP...Block, Tackle, MB, Break Tackle, Guard, Kick...is killed...twice.

I was shocked...stunned...crying on the inside. Dead? How...who...what?
If there was ever a time that I'd start swearing at nuffle...to cry over blood bowl...to just leave a game halfway through (well, two turns through), it would have been then. Losing star players...it happens. I would be unhappy if a star player was killed, but I would ever think about crying/quitting. What hurt me was I felt like I had a shot at the Warpstone. The Lizards were doing awesome. I was playing better than I'd ever played before (imo.) Other tournaments I'd entered, I felt like it would be fun. If I was really lucky I'd win a qualifier. Not this time around...I thought I had a shot. But now...?

Then I realized that the it was my turn...the game was still going on. And it did go on. A pretty nice skink was also killed, giving me my first ever Tombstone game.

As you can see, I wasn't the only team getting beat up...but I don't care about Calcium's players :P

As for who won: it was Calcium. I had I shot at stopping him from scoring once, but couldn't get a pow in 4 dice on T7, and my OTS failed when the fans threw a rock at the player I set up to hit. But for me, the game was over when my Saurus was killed. After that I just wanted it to end. Although the game did get more fun as it went on. I didn't mind when my +MA, +AG skink was killed...well I did flinch a bit, but it was just like Calcium and I's usual games: it was our usual blood bath fun in the second half.


Quick Notes

1. Now I get to play my Lizardmen a bit more over the next two weeks. They need a new elf killer (two would be preferable.) Aging is going to kill my chances at being ready for the tournament, I can just feel it.

2. Are there any cool teams who'd like to play the Lizards on the 9th for a birthday game? I'm not sure if we'll be locked and ready for the tournament then, but I would think that because of this game we'd still be open for more games.

3. Why is that people will give Krunchy Nutter's very brief Obituary 14 replies, when my lengthy obituary for Onearm get 0?!

4. Is this going to be the same thing. Am I going to get a very few replies because everyone prefer shorter, easier to read things? Screw the lore, just show me the essentials and then let me go on to the next thing; is that what readers would like?

5. Yes, I know I deserved what I got for planning on picking an easy game as my last prep game. But couldn't have nuffle punished me with 0/0/4 after the tournament?


Updates

1. Nuffle's punishment continues: 2/8/7 in the last three games!

2. I've now lost 237 SPP over 4 sauri in these games. One of them was due to aging, the other three were kills! And here I was thinking I was trying to get the team better for the tournament...all nuffle's done to the team is make it worse.