“This was an excellent game, against an excellent opponent with an excellent team and he played them excellently. Oh, and as well as being excellent, it was also very tough and a lot of fun.

So let's see if I can remember everything...

It began with the worst thing possible for UKMDnick, and the very thing I was complaining about in my last game - a blitz on your opening offensive drive. It ruins all your plans, and takes away the advantage of receiving first. Having said that, UKMDnick dealt with the situation admirably and was able to get a good strong offence together after such a ropey start.

There then followed six long and challenging turns in which the humans were pushing forward wherever they could find a gap and the wood elves were slowing them down as much as possible. The tree was particularly effective in this part of the game, going for it several times and blitzing his way into the thick of things, even picking up a cas along the way.

But every time I thought I had the humans trapped, they managed to block or, more impressively, dodge their way out of trouble. And despite my best efforts, there was nothing I could do to stop the inevitable score.

But I still had two turns left in the half, which should have been plenty for a return score - or at least a good effort at one - but UKMDnick paid me back for my blitz by getting one of his own, and although I was able to keep control of the ball, I was then denied the score with a failed gfi, and then a failed dodge on the following turn.

At the start of the second half I was receiving, of course, and I wasted no time In securing a typically quick, two-turn elven touchdown to even the score.

And then, partly thanks to a convenient KO from a thrown rock and a couple of timely successful blocks, I did some more elfy stuff to knock the ball free, throw it out of trouble to a catcher, and then dodge my way into the endzone for my second score.

The final drive began with another thrown rock, but this time no one left the pitch. UKMDnick moved a few of his players downfield to give himself plenty of targets for the throw and/or hand-off and seeing a sneaky opportunity, I nipped in with a quick blitz against the ball carrier. Sadly I failed to knock him over, however, and on the following turn the humans were able to move the ball all the way upfield and put it beyond my reach, ready for the final-turn TD to leave us at 2-2.

Which, I have to say, was a perfectly fair result. The humans were much tougher during the first half and really made a lot of risky dodges that could easily have ended in disaster. In the second half, the woodies had all the luck, made some impressive passes and got the POWs when they needed them most. I think if UKMDnick had taken a couple more wood elves off the pitch in the first half, it could have been a very one-sided second half, but luckily for me my armour held out.

According to the stats, UKMDnick is currently on a coach standing of 1336. I have no idea why this isn't a lot higher, because he certainly didn't play like it today. Those first six turns were some of the toughest and most challenging Bloodbowl I've played in a long time.

Excellent stuff.”