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 Issue 13 - August 28th 2511
Blood Bowl Mindset, does it exist?
by Ehlers

While reading this article the FUMBBL forum is past its Claw-POMB endless debates so far. Other hot topics about min maxing, sweet spots and the rules of CRP pop up and the debate is on again. It settles down and out come Christer and Kalimar with L and the option of house rules. And we are back arguing about if it is CRP, CRaP or should be FUMBBL RULE BOOK. This article will explore if there is a mind set of a Blood Bowl player. I am going to use my Team Corrupted Danes and their run in the Warpstone Open VI Qualifier XI.

How did I end up with entering a one match rookie Nurgle Rotter team?
The Black Box major was running at the same time and then I just entered for fun my team into the Ranked Major. I had not planned to enter at all because of very little play time due to real life events. So I was surprised to see my team in it. If you take a look in the forums or IRC, then people will ask about what is the best team for winning a major or what are the best skills to have? Surely my team composition would not come as an answer.

First qualifier match
Corrupted DanesTV 1040k (2) vs (1) TV 2030k Melodic Harmony [Orc]
Clearly a walk over, right? I knew that I was going to be the underdog. But why already think you have lost the match? The Orc team was not pumped with MB, PO or Blodge players. Lots of other utility skills, but I could over come those skills. I have always wanted to win a major, so why not give it a try even with the hardest route. I had looked at his previews matches and tried to get a picture of how he would play. I got an idea on play style, but still not that useable. Yet I was very calm, compared to my other majors. I really enjoyed that so many spectators had shown up to see my team get destroyed. I had marked a few players and thought out a strategy. So off to the game along with Morg and Blackhoof. It was clearly from the start of the game that Morg was going to be target, but not put in a Tackle zone. So free to roam with him as he was the only one with skills enough to do what I had planned. Even though I got to 1TD, I still had in my mind that I was the underdog and most likely going to lose the game. In the end the dice were even, although at critical moments such as a dodge&pass action and his GFI made me win the game.

Second qualifier match
Corrupted DanesTV 1150k (2) vs (0) TV 2810k Momentos Miticos [Ogre]
ARGH, LRB4 Ogre and 1660k on inducement. I was just happy that I won my first match, which seemed very hard on paper to me. But I then get a 12man strong Ogre team! I will be destroyed, I wont have a team left at all was my thoughts as I keep looking at the page and hitting F5. Hoping that it was a mistake and I would get another team. I slept on it and looked some of his replays through. I got a generally idea of that he played them defensively and with no snotlings on the field. No one on the whole forum would dread to bet money on my team. So with a mindset of going in to have fun, see my team destroyed, stay calm and know the weakness and strengths of my own team and the other team. During the whole game I had this feeling that the other coach already thought he had won this game, yet played defensively. Not marking my rookie players, not putting Morg or Borak in a tackle zone so I had free movement with them. Also fielding no snotlings made me believe if I kept calm and played flawless the Ogres would bone head out to my advantage.

Third qualifier match
Corrupted DanesTV 1140k (0) vs (3) TV 1970k Popes of Mope [Elf]
In the other two matches I have clearly felt that I had no chance of winning it. Looking at the Elf team I did not get that feeling of “They look scary, I cannot win”. I knew that I was the underdog, but I have played to my best in the two other matches. Why should I not be able to win my qualifier? Dolls is clearly a good Elf coach and never really played that many matches versus Elf. So I jumped into IRC and asked how to beat him. I got the advice of talk friendly banter with him and get him drunk. Oki, that sound easy… but I will give it a try. First mistake towards getting out of my perfect mind set zone. Second was that I got a good start. I forced Dolls back and Dolls told me after the Match that he thought that the Danes would run over him and win as they had done in their previous qualifiers. I got over confident and I too thought it was home. Then Nuffle gave Dolls a window of opportunity and well my Major ended there. I was not calm, I friendly bantered away like an idiot. That got me out of my perfect Blood Bowl Mind set Zone. Second I got overconfident and made too many mistakes.

So the big question, is there a so called Blood Bowl MindSet? I believe you have one. I know that I play better with some races than others. I know that if I play against some races I simple play more bad and make more mistakes if against other teams. I hate Khemri to the core of my bones and this effect my play style a lot. To the point where I will make mistakes which could easily have been avoided. Also if I have had some bad runs with some coaches and I play them again, it also effect my play. Coaches who keep whining make me begin to use my energy on something else than the game and if I dont pay attention to what is going on then my play level drop.

So how about you? Do you need to have a pie next to you if you play Flings to win? Do you need to have your favorite music playing in the background while you smash the other one to pieces? Do you need oil on your body when play elves?

 
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