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1. 1. OWCC Season 9, Game 4 (of 5)

(Replay currently unavailable - hanging at Frame #2208. Going from (recent) memory and stats.)

Having lost Game 3 and the Conference lead to leaping Elfs, the 2-1 Expats needed this game, and fired their 12th player, a 1-game true-rookie Skink to "only" give away 620k in Inducements. And a good thing, because despite the final score, this game could have - perhaps should have, by all rights - been a lot closer.

Expats won the toss and chose to receive, and with the Wizard warming up on the sidelines the MA 9 Ag 3 Skink was chosen as the initial ballcarrier. A randomly deep kick put the ball safe but on the 1, but the Expats had set up for a 3-square Surf of the Guard Zombie - and got 3 Pushes, and a KO! But then the Necro Bash got traction - the Wrackle Saurus out MNG Turn 4, and both DT Skinks out, the +Ag BH'd but the +AV only KO'd (altho' the Krox survived Foul #1 (Turn 2?), and late-drive Foul #2 was also unsuccessful.). The Expats tried to play it safe and patient, using a loose cage against a Fireball but trying also to protect against MA 8 Frenzy and the BT star Setekh. Clearly with too much on their mind, Turn 6 misread the formation and left the ballcarrier open to the unskilled Flesh Golem - but survived (altho' a Both Down might have stopped any decent chance). As it was, T7 the MA 9 Skink scampered across the field to the Necro 8 yard line, trailed by the Ag 4 Sure Hands, and a loose screen was formed. The Lightning Bolt struck at the end of the Turn, after the Skink was marked (only prone), but a bad bounce put the ball away from the marking Werewolf. A 3D Tackling MB KO'd the 'Wolf for his trouble, and Ag 4 Sure Hands (and a GFI w/ RR behind it) took care of the rest - 1-0.

Turn 8 kick foul #3(?) was attempted - no luck, no change, no wake ups. But BOTH the Guard and 'Wolf woke up for the 2nd half, while the DTss'er Skink slept on - Lizards only fielding 8 against a starting Necro roster, both DT'ers and a Saurus MIA.


2nd Half Kick was midfield and caught via Quick Snap and advanced, but some 1st-block confusion dropped the Wrestler despite Both Down before the cage/screen could be completed, and the door was thrown open for the Lizards.
Assured it was not a mere mis-click, they BT-GFI'd the ball free w/ a RR, recovered and got free w/ a no-RR GFI, then risked another 2 GFI's w/ the MA 9 Skink to complete the screen - successfully. The Necro team swarmed toward the play, the Blodge-stepping WW marked (BH'ing the MA 9 Skink). The St 5 Saurus replied, BT'ing to blitz the ballcarrier free - no luck, despite RR. Left with few safe options and tasting the win, the Expats trusted to luck and Ag 4, and dodged past the 'Wolf - but failed the 1st of 2 necessary GFI's, ball loose on the 2 yard line, BUT the Skink only prone. Castle D declined to surf the St 5 Saurus, instead falling back to guard the ball and recover with the SH Blodge Ghoul. Turn 3 the Expats went directly for the Break-Tackle GFI Blitz, 2d w/ St 5 despite the assists against, and found a Knockdown, and the ball took a great bounce to fall into the endzone - the Ag 4 SH Skink scored easily, 2-0.

(Somewhere in there the Lizards managed to BH a Blocking Zombie - meaningless, as he was easily replaced by an identical player.)

After a RL delay of a few hours, the game was continued, and Turn 5 kick the Necro pushed up again, and again a St 5 double-GFI blitz knocked the ball loose (after the last RR), and the Ag 4 dodged straight up the middle to recover - and punt the ball even deeper, near the Necro endzone. The RR'd blitz failed to find a knockdown, the marking/screening Star Wilhelm Cheney was Cas'd out of the game, and again Ag 4 found the ball and the endzone - 3-0.

Turn 7, with no mathematical chance to win and the LoS dice going cold, Necro declined to send a lone, unsupported Guard into scoring range and volunteer him for a MB Frenzy (possibly 3d), and that was the game.


Despite anything in the above description, Castle Drachenfels seemed to consistently have an advantage and many (far too many!) of the Lizards started any given turn in the dirt and/or tied up and unable to maneuver, but the Expats seemed to find just the luck they needed when it counted to scrape together a turnover and make the recovery and score. A good game, could easily have been a LOT closer, or even a tie - shame replay's broken. :/
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