Blood bowl can be a very emotional game sometimes. I think most of us have lost it during a game, some time or other. Whether its the death of a prized star player, losing a game (or ten) because of bad dice rolls, or what the other players have says (like calling gg early) or any other personal reason that gets you to fly off the handle in rage. However, like a bad hangover we usually end up paying a prize later. We play worse than usual or try clear out the bad taste with another game, perhaps leading to more "bad" games and digging ourselves deeper in to the hole.

Normally, the advice freely given by others of calmer mind is to remember that it is just a dice game or laugh about it. While sounds advice, it is kind of advice that doesn't help when you are already seeing red. As someone who has lost it on several occasions and hopes to be better in the future, I've listed out a few things that have helped me.

1) Sleep on it. As already covered here, playing another game while upset isn't going to help but can make it worse. Take a break and come back when you no longer expect Nuffle to give good luck in reparation of the bad one you just had, because that's not how the %&#"#¤ operates.

2) Don't expect to win every game. This is one that especially plagues good coaches. If you are going into a game expecting to win it before the first dice is rolled because the matchup is totally in your favour for some reason or other, losing it can cause unsightly outbursts like calling your opponent a lucker and such.

3) Don't give up too soon. When you're getting an unlucky start like rolling quad skulls while the enemy scores a TD or two on your drive, it is very tempting to just call "gg go next" and mentally distance yourself from the inevitable loss. But if you give up too soon, you are never going to get that crazy comeback victory, and even if you still end up losing the game will probably have been more fun if you at least tried.

4) Players die, deal with it. Pretty much same as the previous except concerning players. Sure, teambuilding is an aspect of the game that some players enjoy more than others, and owning that ST5 Wardancer is a nerdier version of a hot sports car, and when some sore loser keys your Ferrari on turn 16 it will sting. For me, it helps to think that every player is already dead at the start of the game, and if they survive for one more game its a win.

5) Chat with your opponent. While it is sometimes hard to believe, most people playing this game are pretty decent human beings. I generally like to talk about lots of things, including occasionally whining about the totally unfair and dysfunctional dice. Main thing to remember is just to not attack the other coach for his in-game decisions, team build or whatever. A great example of this is BillBrasky, who coaches one of the meanest, single purpose killer chaos teams in the box, and against who I have enjoyed every one of the numerous games we've played because of the chat. He laughs at both the deaths his team gives as well as receives, and this is an attitude we could all adopt more.

6) Make the game into a story. Part of what is so captivating about this game is that it has great potential for narrative, and a good story has both great wins and horrible losses. Especially when things are going against you, it might help if you turn it into a story. Hold grudges, put bounties on the players who cost you, declare them your nemesis or any kind of fluff you can imagine. We cannot all write up great hype like Painstate, but that shouldn't stop us from trying. Just remember to keep it "in-game".

That's all I have for now, hopefully some of these will be a help for you or me the next time we are seeing red. Very likely some of you have other ways of dealing with frustration, as this list is not even meant to be exhaustive, and you can share them with the GLN staff if you like. For now, cheers and see you on the pitch.