“Lustrian Challenge Qualifier IX: Finals.

Handicaps for Poems: Bad Press and Morley's. Although Morley's had little effect on the game, Bad Press helped quite a lot, the crowd throwing rocks, getting the ref and cheering for Poems.

On paper this was an uneven game, Poems playing up 45 TS. Despite this I had hope, trusting in the violence of Poems to even the field. The thing that worried me the most was my three nigglers, two of whom I really needed to play (claw/rsc/multiblock and my only DP).

Things were bad from the start for the elves. All of Poems nigglers played, while BDC's only niggler (a DP lineelf) decided to stay put on the sidelines. Poms also started with the ball, giving them momentum. A foul KO'd the elves kicker turn one, but things really got in Poems favor after BDC's Mblow-catcher knocked himself down on a rerolled 2d block vs Grieve Not, causing an SI to him. The turn after Grieve Not killed a guard thrower, and The Charge of the Light Brigade, claw/rsc/multiblock CW niggled the elves remaining DP. After this turn the elves numerical disadvantage hampered them, making them unable to put enough pressure on the ball, and Poems scored in T8. At that time four elves were cas'ed, but the elves still had their apot.

The elves tried to oneturn but bad dice put stop to that.

Second half the elves scored quickly and with relative ease, although bad dices cost them two rerolls. They also managed a cas on a rookie beastman.

Poems receive again, and the weather shifts to pouring rain. Time Is wasn't too bothered about this though, AG5 and all. Poems KOs two of the players on LoS and a foul SI's the third, the ref was sharp-eyed and kicked my DP off the field. This left seven elves to ten chaos, but the kick had gone deep and the elves punched a hole in Poems lines and advanced en masse. Poems manage a cage but the wiz brought down two of the corners, leaving the ball open for assault!

At Set of Sun, ST5 tentacles CW, tied a couple of elves up, but they still got an assist on the ball and one of the ST4 elves blitzed. 2d pushback/skull rerolled into pushback/pushback, and Time Is was left standing. The elves pressured the ball from all sides though, three tacklezones on the ball, two of whom were blodge-sidesteppers. The Charge of the Light Brigade exploited the "multiblock negates sidestep" and cleared two players, and Time Is dodged clear of the third. Despite this Imrik, the elves SB DW managed a -2d block on the ball, knocking him down and causing a RIP! Apot was fortunately on the case, and Imrik failed to pick up the ball, using BDCs last reroll in the attempt.

Time Is manage to get the ball again, and another -2d block turned up a skull for Imrik, allowing Time Is to bugger off down the field and score in T16, giving Poems a 2-1 victory!

A very hard-fought game, Linfalass had a lot of bad dice while I had few. Both coaches played well, but the elves were unable to pull of the typical elven death-moves and with the cas going against them all the ST4 players were unable to turn the tide.

Thanks for the game Linfalass, hope to see you around for a rematch some other time. Now to rebuild for the main event. With four nigglers I really need it :)

/Leijonet”