Those who are familiar with previous editions of this blog will already admire the stoicism and self control I displayed when greeting the troubling news that The Rules Are Changing.

I am aware of others who also met this paradigm shift with a similar level of unflinching courage and sense of proportion and I wondered; how does one find the inner resource and strength of will to look such challenges in the eye? To stare boldly back into the heart of darkness and remain unmoved? What separates those who collapse into a quivering pool of recriminations and invective from them that, square of jaw and resolute in purpose stand bloodied but unbowed in the face of the storm?

To find out, I undertook to examine in detail my own behaviour and that of others and put the results down for posterity. To serve as a kind of example and model for future generations if you like.

I shall start at the beginning. It was some weeks ago when the rumours first surfaced that all was not well in Blood Bowl land. In fact it was probably far earlier than that but as I am generally the kind of person who is not only the last to hear of anything but also one who will never acknowledge an unwelcome truth when I can bury my head in the sand and ignore it, it is not so surprising that it took me so long to see the approaching cataclysm.

I had returned home from my daily toil and scotch in hand had repaired to my den to browse the internet and possibly sneak in a cheeky bit of fumbbl when my repose was disturbed by a discordant bell on my mobile telephone. My league group was in an uproar. Some grainy photographs of doubtful provenance had been unearthed and they apparently purported to show a new BB rule book pencilled in to appear at the end of the year.

The general tone of discussion ran the full gamut of emotions. A few stood for denial. They flat out refused to believe it and scorned those gullible souls that gave this item even the most cautious credence. Others, naive fools to a man, were excited and overjoyed(overjoyed I tell you!) over this development and looked forward to further revelations. Some, and I need not tell you I was firmly in this latter camp, were appalled and nauseated by what we were seeing.

Now dear reader, I am not one to jump to conclusions you know this as well as anyone. I have long preferred to be in possession of all the facts before passing judgement. Also I find canvasing diverse opinions can give me valuable insights that I can then pass on as my own and thus bolster the aura of knowledgeable and robust good sense I like to cultivate.

I quickly copied the offending pages and sat down to read. My horror mounted with every page. WTF is Arm bar? and Orcs now have Animosity!!??!! And their blitzers are Movement 5!! Passing stats and their attendant skills nearly carried me away entirely and by the end I was a physical and emotional wreck.

Fists clenched in rage and weeping uncontrollably I stumbled from the room and went to find my beloved in search of comfort and to share the full monstrous injustice of it all.

My darling wife was all concern and solicitude and held me to her breast. What was the matter she asked, cooing softly and stroking my tear stained face. In a halting voice I poured out my trouble, and told her the terrible news.

Unaccountably, I felt her harden, her sympathy evaporating and her sweet voice turned scornful. Was that all? No one had died? I tried to explain the full implications of the season system and TV cap but she remained unmoved. Rather her fury increased. I was peremptorily banished back to my room with no cocoa and ordered on pain of terrible punishment not to bother her again. With a final rejoinder of "pull yourself together" and "its only a game" ringing in my ears I was dismissed.

Even the cat was avoiding me though why I thought the homicidal little malcontent would consider me good company is anyone's guess.

It seemed I was all alone in the world.

I shall continue my story in the next chapter.