“Just a quick report this time because I need to go and get my dinner!

It was all me for the first few turns, scoring on offence, scoring on defence and generally making the most of Kondor's terrible dice until I was 2-0 up and looking comfortable. Did I say comfortable? I meant over-confident. A death and a turnover and a KO later, and I was looking at a single-score lead at the half with the dark elves receiving to start the second half.

Then the KOs and BHs started piling up and Kondor decided he could easily go for the win with only half a bunch of wood elves to oppose him. There was a little bit of judicious fouling to ensure the major threats stayed off the field, but sadly for Kondor/luckily for me, the thrower shrugged off several boots and only went as far as the KO box.

With only five on offence I did consider getting the ball to the tree and running him four squares downfield each turn, but the problem there was with the getting the ball to him bit. Kondor had a kicker, so the ball was never going to scatter out of bounds, and that's pretty much the only way the tree was ever going to get his hands on the ball. So I ran it instead (after my lineman acting as back-up thrower was hit by a rock) and made it to within 2 squares of the endzone - close, but no cigar, thanks to a ball-stripping witch elf. After that, it was no trouble for the dark elves to get the ball back, pass it downfield and run in the winning score.

Final turn TD? Tough with just six players, but the thrower was back so the possibility was there. That's when the dark elves went with the blitz they'd obviously be cunningly planning all game, and not only did they push the catcher backwards, the also planted one of their own blitzes right underneath the ball and what do you know, he caught it! And not even a blitzing tree could get it back off him.

Two things of note: first, Kondor is a great opponent - and not just because he chose not to stall! We both had a fun time, had a fun chat, and played some pretty good elfbowl. My thrower was especially pleasing to watch, having found his mojo once more after a couple of desperate games. He threw two nice long bombs for the first two scores, including a TD pass from his own side of the pitch.

Secondly, I found the player photos for Birdbrained just a little bit creepy. I'm ornithophobic, so maybe it's just me, but bird-headed people? Yick! Why couldn't he have called his team Teadybearbrained instead?”