Rat_Salat
Joined: Apr 22, 2011
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 Posted:
Jun 04, 2015 - 02:49 |
 
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So after abandoning Blackbox almost two years ago, I've heard things have changed. Rather than sit and ignorantly cast stones at the box coaches, I decided to take them up on their offer... and play 20 games of blackbox and see if my pre-conceived notions about the box, and its coaches are true.
The Team
I decided on Wood Elves for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, I'm pretty good with woodies, although by CR they are actually my worst of the four elf teams. Secondly, I'm assuming there won't be a ton of tackle or sure hands in the box, and I think I can get some favorable matchups with blodge and strip ball. Lastly, I really like having a treeman against bash, and we're expecting a good amount of bash. We start with both wardancers, the treeman, and a catcher. This leaves us with just one reroll, so the first few games will be chancey.
Game One - Eternal Greenskins Champions - Orcs - JohnDaker - Star (158.75)
Well, we didn't really want to see Orcs. Wood Elves match up really well against just about any rookie team, except Orcs. Four Block, sure hands, St4... it's a nightmare matchup for any rookie Wood Elf team. The only consolation is that his sure hands doesn't mean anything, because we don't have strip ball. This isn't his first game, he's got a MNG blitzer and is able to hire a merc goblin.
Result - 2-1 Elves
First-turn blitz ends up with the ball in a wardancer's hands. Touchdown. The next drive doesn't go much better, and the same wardancer scores again to end the first half. The elves stall for a while in the second half, but fail to score. Damage was done, and all the orcs can do is score a pride touchdown.
Casualties: -AG lineman, retired
Skills: Wardancer, Strip Ball
Game Two - HokusPokus - Goblins - iena - Super Star (160.27)
We manage to afford an apothcary after the first game, but continue with just the one reroll. We're pretty happy to see goblins game 2.
Result - 5-1 Elves
Game goes as you would expect elves vs goblins would, except the elves get three blitzes. We lay 10spp on each wardancer and move on.
Casualties: None
Skills: SB WD = Tackle. Rookie WD = Mighty Blow
Game Three - Lammer Hammers - Chaos Dwarf - strikereternal - Super Star (163.9x)
With the second reroll now purchased, we push up to 1150tv. Team three is chaos dwarves with a guard blocker and a block bull. No minotaur.
Result: 2-0 Elves
Again we start the game with a blitz, and although the CDs recover the ball, our shiny new MB blitzer and the tree do their thing and we're ahead by two players after two turns. The CDs get pretty badly diced in this one, and I'd be upset if I were the other coach.
Casualties: None
Skills: MB WD = Tackle. Two Block Linemen
Game Four - Prendisole - iena - Super Star (161.1x)
It's the revenge of the greenskins as we meet the goblin coach we beat 5-1 on his orc team. Our elves are up to 1250tv, and have to face 1410 Orcs with a couple of mighty blow and two block BOBs.
Result: 1-0 Orcs
Wizard stalls the orc opening drive, but the elves falter in the second half. An orc blitzer pows a wardancer on the 2 yard line and the orcs come back from a really poor position to win 1-0.
Casualties: None
Skills: None
Game Five - Walkers Dead - Nurgle - bladten - Emerging Star (151.04)
Nurgle is next on the menu, and these come packing 3 block warriors, one with mighty blow. Guard on the beast and block on one of the pestigors round out the team.
Result: 1-0 Elves
The elves pressure the Nurgle drive the whole first half, but can't run away with the ball. The nurgle can't make it to the endzone though, and the elves get the ball to start the second half with 8 players. Even a turn one rooted tree can't stop the elf drive though, and blodge keeps the wardancer ballcarrier upright long enough to eke out a 1-0 win.
Casualties: -MA lineman
Skills: None |
Last edited by Rat_Salat on %b %04, %2015 - %04:%Jun; edited 1 time in total |
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pubstar
Joined: Jun 13, 2009
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| Posted:
Jun 04, 2015 - 03:40 |
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I've always thought that blitz with/against a fast/agile team was one of the most unbalanced single events in the game, but from the information you've provided, I would put the games into 3 buckets:
Games with a blitz: 2 (2-0)
Normal games: 2 (1-1)
Games against goblins: 1 (Who cares)
It's an interesting project that will become substantially more interesting with more matches played. |
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huff
Joined: Dec 19, 2009
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Jun 04, 2015 - 03:46 |
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Summary of the next 5 commin? Interesting read. Well done. |
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Rat_Salat
Joined: Apr 22, 2011
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| Posted:
Jun 04, 2015 - 03:46 |
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Game Six - Les Hyènes du Mont - Dark Elf - Triton - Veteran (149.51)
Elfball lives in the box! Well... if you consider DE proper elves. This one features an AG5 blodge blitzer with mighty blow, a blodge tackle blitzer, a blodge blitzer, a kicker, and a wrestle lineman. We're outclassed and outgunned, but we DO have tackle on our mighty blow and he does not.
Result - 2-1 Wood Elves
The woodies force a turn 3 touchdown from the Dark Elves, and get to work applying mighty blow in some hot elf on elf action. The Darkies are left with only 3 players on the pitch from fouls and hits, and never see the ball again in a 2-1 Wood Elf grind.
Casualties: Catcher RIP; niggled lineman, retired
Skills: Treeman = grab. Bought thrower
Game Seven - yo the matho - Orcs - JohnKsena - Super Star (163.07)
Man. Orcs again? Fortunately they are 60tv down this time instead of 160 up. Still, they come equipped with an AG4 sure hands ball carrier, two mighty blow blitzers (one with blodge), a guard troll, a sidestepping BOB, and a block BOB. We're badly outclassed and outgunned.
Result - 2-0 Orcs
Not much to say here. The woodies finish up with two elves on the pitch, opponent trash talking the whole way. Not an enjoyable match.
Casualties: -MA SB/T Wardancer, retired. Loner RIP
Skills: None
Game Eight - English Nurgle - Nurgle - Ohwatch - Star (158.83)
More nurgle, this time with no beast. Two block pestigors (one niggled), one dodge pestigor, a block warrior, and two block rotters. Anytime you bring more mighty blow with elves than the bash team does...
Result: 2-0 Elves
The treeman is a nurgle magnet and stands tall in the middle of the pitch with three opponents around him. The remaining elves swarm the ball and despite some nice positioning and play by Ohwatch, the outcome is inevitable. The elves go into the second half up 1-0. A seven-turn elfstall closes out the game, and Ohwatch was pretty unimpressed. Good coach, bad team, worse matchup.
Casualties: None
Skills: Rookie WD = strip ball, Block Lineman = Blodge
Game Nine - Into Infinite Obscurity - Chaos - gustavdore - Emerging Star (150.03)
Wood Elves feed on underdeveloped bash teams, and we meet another one here. Two block warriors, three block beastmen and another with block/tackle. Well, he has tackle at least...
Result: 3-0 Elves
The elves take the ball to start, and our MB wardancer badly hurts two beastmen in quick succession. The elves smell blood after KOing a warrior, and score quickly to get back on defense. A second touchdown ends up with things 2-0 at the half. Strong elf dice lead to a second turnover, and a third defensive touchdown. We leave the chaos coach a bit demoralized.
Casualties: Thrower = RIP
Skills: SB Wardancer = +MA
Game Ten - 'Roid Rage [B]abes - Chaos - Calcium - Star (154.21)
Oh boy... here comes the spam. Our now 1320tv wood elves are matched up against Calcium's 1450tv facerolling chaos, fresh off an apparent haircut and down to only two killers. Still, he brings a Jump Up killer Warrior, a wrestle/guard killer beastman, an +AG sure hands block tackle mighty blow beastman, a piling on/jump up beastman, a dirty player, and a mighty blow warrior. Two babes are small consolation.
Result: 1-1 Draw
Calcium took a while to show up for this one, and I think we had about 16 spectators at peak. Bit of a grudge match, and my opponent was in no mood to be nice. A thrown rock on the kickoff leave him in a bad spot, with too many players hugging that delicious tree. Still, he manages a turn-one -MA, which the apothecary attends to. The elves look to pin the chaos deep in their own half, but a handoff lets the killers turn the table, and they surf one wardancer and foul out another on turn 4. Unfortunately, the chaos are carrying with a rookie chaos warrior, presumably to use the tackle beastman as a hitter. This comes back to haunt them, as a bothdown block by the carrier results in a turnover and near score. First half ends uneventfully, albiet with an intermission for my opponent to compose himself.
Second half, the elves get both wardancers back, thanks to their bloodweiser babes. The plan was to stall out the whole half, but after killers take out two elves in quick succession, two more leave the pitch via foul and tripping. After the tree goes down for a second time, it's time to score. with five elves out and three turns remaining, the chaos connect with a rookie beastman for the tying points on turn 8.
Casualties: Lineman niggled, retired
Skills: Lineman = dirty player |
Last edited by Rat_Salat on %b %04, %2015 - %04:%Jun; edited 2 times in total |
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BillBrasky
Joined: Feb 15, 2005
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| Posted:
Jun 04, 2015 - 03:49 |
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I didn't see this.
But looking at the teams, you either had bad luck, or played poorly. I think a rookie wood coach would have won this 4-1. |
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Rat_Salat
Joined: Apr 22, 2011
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| Posted:
Jun 04, 2015 - 03:57 |
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| BillBrasky wrote: | I didn't see this.
But looking at the teams, you either had bad luck, or played poorly. I think a rookie wood coach would have won this 4-1. |
Which game, bill?
| pubstar wrote: | I've always thought that blitz with/against a fast/agile team was one of the most unbalanced single events in the game, but from the information you've provided, I would put the games into 3 buckets:
Games with a blitz: 2 (2-0)
Normal games: 2 (1-1)
Games against goblins: 1 (Who cares)
It's an interesting project that will become substantially more interesting with more matches played. |
Well this is a lot less about what my team does and more about what teams I am playing against. It's not a brag thread, it's my story of my return to box.
Also, numbers can say whatever you want them to say. You could easily say that the team is 1-2 against orcs and 6-0-1 against everyone else. I've noted the blitzes, and games where dice or lucky removals were a factor. |
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garyt1
Joined: Mar 12, 2011
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Jun 04, 2015 - 04:06 |
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Interesting to read, though probably should be a blog. Doesn't look like your matchups have been too bad overall so far.
It is always good to see match reports, bar ones just with a sentence complaining of rolls. I find reports are not only good for interest/amusement but partly also they can be good to have a quick look back on if you are about to play someone you have played previously.
I would love it if more opponents did reports but it all takes time.. |
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“A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.” |
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BillBrasky
Joined: Feb 15, 2005
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Jun 04, 2015 - 04:34 |
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I was referring to the Calcium matchup. He didn't really have anything for woodies to fear. |
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Rat_Salat
Joined: Apr 22, 2011
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| Posted:
Jun 04, 2015 - 04:39 |
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I dunno... surehands/ag4 and two killers isn't exactly fun when you've got 5 loners. Did my best, but he made the turn 8 touchdown pass. |
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mrt1212
Joined: Feb 26, 2013
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Jun 04, 2015 - 04:46 |
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| Rat_Salat wrote: | | I dunno... surehands/ag4 and two killers isn't exactly fun when you've got 5 loners. Did my best, but he made the turn 8 touchdown pass. |
we were laughing our asses off when that happened |
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MattDakka
Joined: Oct 09, 2007
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| Posted:
Jun 04, 2015 - 05:11 |
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| Rat_Salat wrote: | | I dunno... surehands/ag4 and two killers isn't exactly fun when you've got 5 loners. Did my best, but he made the turn 8 touchdown pass. |
We must tell markor that! 
By the way, entertaining match reports, welcome back to the Box!
Never give up with your Wood Elves! |
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Rat_Salat
Joined: Apr 22, 2011
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| Posted:
Jun 04, 2015 - 05:16 |
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| mrt1212 wrote: | | we were laughing our asses off when that happened |
4+ 3+ with no reroll... what you gonna do?
Works a third of the time I guess. |
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MattDakka
Joined: Oct 09, 2007
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| Posted:
Jun 04, 2015 - 05:22 |
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| Rat_Salat wrote: | | mrt1212 wrote: | | we were laughing our asses off when that happened |
4+ 3+ with no reroll... what you gonna do?
Works a third of the time I guess. |
Yes, 33.33 % success chance. |
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seanh1986
Joined: Jul 16, 2005
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Jun 04, 2015 - 05:26 |
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Congrats on rejoining the box! Definitely enjoyed the reads |
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mrt1212
Joined: Feb 26, 2013
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| Posted:
Jun 04, 2015 - 06:32 |
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| Rat_Salat wrote: | | mrt1212 wrote: | | we were laughing our asses off when that happened |
4+ 3+ with no reroll... what you gonna do?
Works a third of the time I guess. |
That's the hardest thing to appreciate about this game sometimes - unlikely events happen and are absolutely part of the game and can sometimes seemingly make a mockery of the preceding turns played.
I've kept my sanity by rooting for longshots to pull through - they hit just often enough to be delightful no matter the side I'm on. |
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Gnomes are trash
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