It's been a bloody start to the South East Smackdown's first pre-season friendlies. With only 5 games played we have already seen five fatal casualties. Considering these are just friendlies, the competitive season is expected to be a bloody one. Today we are going to give a run down on the teams that have played thus far and a forecast of their prospects, as well as some of the top players who have emerged.

Shoobynoobies 1/0/2 (Amazon):

The Shoobynoobies had a rough start to the pre-season. With just three games played they have suffered seven casualties, including two deaths. Suffering two convincing defeats in their first two games at the hands of the Masters of Ballcraft (High Elves) and the Graveyard Gripe Squad (Undead); they managed to find their stride against a less than convincing Spartan Vikings (Norse), scoring a resounding 3-0 victory. However with 5 blodgers already and a thrower with 5 completions in three games things might be looking up for the Amazons.

Odds on Top Two Conference Finish: 3.00
Odds on Title Finish: 15.00

Masters of Ballcraft 1/0/1 (High Elves):

The Masters of Ballcraft have been playing at a high standard, defeating the Shoobynoobies quite comfortably and putting the Graveyard Grip Squad under immense pressure, despite entering the match as definite underdogs, the Masters have been exceeding expectations and should be expected to be a contender for a top two finish in the the conferences.

Odds on Top Two Conference Finish: 1.40
Odds on Title Finish: 6.00

Six (Vampires)0/1/0:

The Vampires revealed a far from conventional line-up for the upcoming season fielding six vampires and 5 thralls, with only one re-roll. The tactic is not expected to do them any favors, although early signs are positive with Six holding the Graveyard Gripe Squad to a draw. The match did however highlight the unreliability of Six's tactics in converting strong positions into touchdowns. Further positive developments emerged after the game with Alucard I receiving a +ST roll, making him the most valuable and potentially dangerous player in the league. The skill of the squad and a 5 ST vampire will see Six to a top two finish in the conferences, in all likelihood, but whether they will be a strong contender for the title is yet to be seen.

Top Two Conference Finish: 1.40
Title Finish: 6.00

Spartan Vikings 0/0/1 (Norse):

The Spartan Vikings showed promising signs in the first few turns of their debut but these petered out over the course of the game, partially due to bad luck as well as the tenacity of the Shoobynoobies. They go into their next game missing both of their beserkers and thus will probably struggle to perform well in that match-up also. The Snow Troll, Lacedaemon, will have to show a much better performance in his next game to justify his hefty salary. His ineffectiveness in the Vikings first half, only partially redeemed by a late second-half casualty, contributed greatly to their 3-0 drubbing at the hands of the Amazons.

Top Two Conference Finish: Too soon to tell.
Title Finish: Too soon to tell.

Graveyard Gripe Squad 2/1/0 (Undead):

The Graveyard Gripe Squad began the pre-season as a favorites, although finding their first two match-ups against the Masters of Ballcraft and Six more difficult than expected, they remain undefeated after three games. The matches against Masters and Six, however, were hard slogs and could have easily been a defeat for the Gripe Squad. Losing a six SPP ghoul in their match against the Shoobynoobies was a hiccup in their pre-season preparations but this has been offset by a strong development of Meat Grinder (Mummy) who gained block. Meat Grinder becomes one of the two most dangerous players in the league along with Alucard I. Early losses have been partially offset by the team's managing to kill and convert two opposition players to the eternal service of the Dark Lord. A top two conference finish is seen to be likely, while title contention is a realistic possibility but no longer a certainty.

Top Two Conference Finish: 1.20

Title Finish: 5.50


Top Players:

Elise Hammer-throw-owitz (Shoobynoobies):

Elise had a brilliant start to her season, gaining 15 SPP in just three games. She received the MVP twice, and rightly so, managing 5 completions in three games and contributing some of the most promising plays that the Shoobynoobies have had to offer. With Sure Hands added to her skill list, she can now safely and quickly get the ball, and this is expected to only improve the already important role she holds within her team.

Bounty Rating: 1

Jackie Quick-Hands (Shoobynoobies): This tenacious blitzer has managed to rack up three casualties in as many games, gaining her 6 SPP and adding side-step to her roster. This when added to her block and dodge, will make her extremely hard to handle and may see her expand her playbook to not only injuring but scoring as well.

Bounty Rating: 2

Alucard I (Six): This 5ST vampire has done nothing too exciting thus far. In his first game he managed a hand over and a casualty from one of his 5 blocks, but after his level up he is expected to do big things. The only visible weakness he provides to the team (other than bloodlust) is his potential to suck up all the team's SPP.

Bounty Rating: 4

Meat Grinder (Graveyard Gripe Squad): This mummy has been averaging 8 blocks a game and had for a long time failed to convert it into SPP. Grabbing a casualty and the MVP in the third game against the Shoobynoobies he rolled doubles and is now the proud owner of the block skill. This should see him be utilized more and more throughout the game, and might see a drastic increase in his casualty count.

Bounty Rating: 3

Stool (Graveyard Gripe Squad): This zombie has nothing special in his skill set to explain his exceptional performance, and yet in the Gripe Squad's first match he managed a life-saving interception against the Masters of Ballcraft, followed by a life-ending foul in their second game against Six, providing a fresh recruit Wilmot to the Undead line-up. Someone has to kill him before he actually starts getting skills, god knows what he might do.

Bounty Rating: 1

That's all for now, till next time.