Playoff is upon us again in the DLE. I, Robbert Graaf, will talk you through it, and bring you all the right winners (and whiners) just as I did last season. I was slightly better than a monkey with a dice, and I went 6/11 last season. It will get better this season.

First we have the Wildcard week, where seed no 3-6 meets in both conferences. Seed 1+2 has a byeweek in both conferences.

We start with Karl Franz Conference(KFC):

Nuln Gunners (3rd) vs San Luis 49ers (6th).

Gunners has run a very solid campaign this season, and ended 3rd very close to the byeweek. Being 3rd seed they are ofcourse the favorites in this game. Coach Horekim has recently said at a pressconference that the team has taken many losses this time and dosn't work like a united force anymore. However, the Gunners still have 2+ AG5 catchers in T. Y. Hilton and Tim Brown. They are differencemakers on their own. They also bring Gerald McCoy with 28 cas in his last 30 games! And QB Russel Wilson with his MA7 and Ag4. On the flipside we see a couple of rookie linemen and an almost rookie Ogre. San Luis 49ers, went through a "hostile" takeover as coach Mobo resigned midseason, and DLE saw an old face return to his former team. The campaign #BringBackNeubau2018 was a succes, and he came from a serious backwheel and made the playoffs very late in the season. He comes in good form, and with a team not all the way as he like it, but some of the keyplayers from his first run was still there to greet him upon his return. 49ers stars are the league vampire catcher Alshon Jeffrey with his Ag4 ST4, and thrower Joe Montana, also ST4. The usual killer blitzers is Nunley and Wilcox. A deadly duo. This game will bring death with it.
But who will win? I see this game as more close than a 3rd vs 6th seed game maybe should be, but I will go with the small upset here.
San Luis 49ers will win this one.

The other KFC game is:

Marienburg Foxes (4th)vs Middenheim Classics (5th)

Foxes come from a big brawl in the division where 3 teams were fighting it out until the very end. Spots were decided in week 16(last week of regular season). Foxes ended up drawing the longer straw, and here they are. Ready to fight and in the team they have players like Catcher Steven Van Buren (ma9, ag4)and killer blitzer Jack Youngblood. Foxes is a solid sde with not many flashy players, but a good core of skills like Guard, and a couple of Ag4 catchers. Like a true Fox, they have a couple of tricks up their sleeve. According to DLE Blitz! after week 15, Foxes took the 5th least blocks of all teams in the league. Foxes play a tight game, not giving much away.
Classics are another story. The cursed franchise is not so cursed anymore. They made it to the promised land for the first time in franchise history. Playoff! Classics have a good team, with a mix of +ST +AG +AV on various players, and the stars they need to shine are players like Blitzer Le'Veon Bell (+AG/Dodge/SS) who is the main ballcarrier, but also a player like Vincent Jonkers must shine in this game for the Classics to move on. On the downside Classics are missing a guard sidestep blitzer, and that is a very important player for the team. That could be their downfall. Unlucky injuries. Still cursed? just maybe.
The winner in this matchup will be Marienburg Foxes.


Moving on to Sigmar Heldenhammer Conference(SHC).

Here we have what I would call a battle of giants as soon as in the Wildcard round!

Brionne Buccaneers (4th) vs Erengrad Vikings (5th)

Bucs has once again been hacked to pieces through the run of regular season, but they still made it into the playoffs as division winner. Only 1 win in the last 6 games speaks of a battered team. But they also only lost 1 of the last 6, so the fighting spirit is intact still. Bucs need to rely on players like thrower Brad "J-Man" Johnson (ST4/AG4) to lift the team. But 3 players missing, among them Franchise player ogre Friedrich "Gentle" Dunkelhelm. Can they pull out a win here, then the team will look better and they can be a serious bet in a superbowl spot, but they need to win this one first. Bucs are rated split 4th in dealing cas to the opponents after week 15. So they still bring a proper punch! Vikings (The injured franchise) brings 16 players to this game, so fouling will be a thing here! they also bring 10 perms on the team, just as Vikings always do. Keyplayers are Thrower Stipe Lipican (ST4) and killer blitzer Juqua Parker.
The fact that Bucs are heavily damaged, and Vikings are in good form, so I think Erengrad Viking will take this one and move on.

Last up is Bilbali Rangers(3rd) vs Grenzburg Greenskins(6th).

Rangers. Where to start. They have had an amazing run this season. DLE BLITZ! Magazine after week 15 says Rangers are some bad boys to face. 1st ranked in cas given(67), Split 1st in conversion ratio that is CAS and blocks combined, 1st in fouls made(82), 1st in running yards(542). The Rangers are brutal but somehow the Greenskins can resist them, and the 2 divisional rivals more than often plays a draw. For the Rangers to win they will look to players like killer blitzer Ramiro Maextu with 49 cas in his last 31 games(Insane!), and Félix Ajona the running monster (ST4/Dodge/MB).
Where Rangers were secure for a playoff spot the Greenskins just pulled it home with this week 16 draw. Rangers must hate themselves for not sending Greenskins out before the big games. Greenskins are also a fierce opponent. 2nd in blocks given (743), 3rd in Block Ratio(blocks for/blocks against = 1,22). The Greenskins gets in a lot of punches, but doesn't take that many. They want to get close and personal! Greenskins will look to players like Catcher Art Monk the TD mashine(AG4/Block/SS/Fend) and their very brutal core of blitzers to move on from this round. They can hit you where it hurts most.

So. We have Deadly Rangers vs Blocking experts Greenskins. Two teams very familiar with eachother from the divisional rivalry. But I have to pick a winner here. I will say the game is a draw, and we face overtime where Rangers wins it.


I will be back with more in the divisional round!

Yours truely
Robbert Graaf