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WARNING WARNING WARNING

This match report may contain language that you find distasteful.

If you are easily offended, sensitive, have no sense of humour, or have had something tragic happen to yourself or a loved one then look away now in case you have a reaction to something in the report.

The following terms may or may not be used in the following match report:

Assault
Bad coaching
Bad luck
Bash
Block
Bloody
Crap
Crud
Death
Dice
Dice rape
Hit
Kill
Lucker
Lucky
Murder
Smash
Splatt
Unlucky
Useless
Whiner
Whining
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Handicaps were:

Illegal Drugs (Given to Wardancer to make him Str4)
Knuckedusters (Given to Str4 Wardancer)
Bad Press
Morleys (on both Witches)
Doom and Gloom
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Was a fun match between two good coaches and two highly developed teams. The Falcons were far more powerful hitters, but the Dodgers were much better scorers and defenders.

In the end, my opponent played better (I made at least two biggish mistakes being sleep deprived) and also had a very unlucky snake-eyes to even the score in the first half (instead conceding a TD) and also had a lot of luck to set up another score, but failed the last 2+ GFI to make it home in the first half.

Against a team like mine when all players turn up, a little bit of luck and a lot of skill is usually required to win so no disrespect to Lorion is intended at all when I say he had the better luck when it counted (scoring wise) but more importantly, he did not make the big mistakes I did.
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The Dodgers started in offence but after setting up strong on one wing, were blitzed on the other!

The Falcons pushed forward two players and flattened the Dodgers DP, but left a wide gap down that side. The Dodgers moved the ball down that wing and then game my first tired mistake. I had a blitz on the ball carrier that I did not evern see! Well, I thought it would be too difficult to set up, but looking at the replay, it was just a simple 4+ dodge (with a Dodge RR) to get a 2 dice blitz on the ball carrier. I had to dodge once past Tackle Diving and had a team RR for either the 2 dice hit or GFI afterwards towards the ball.

The Dodgers would have a great chance of stealing it back, but you never know what might of happened there with a few other dodges with my other players to get support down there.

The Falcons blitzed the Dodgers Wardancer and caused a Badly Hurt, and the Dodgers used their apothecary straight away and rrisked further injury to the team just to give themselves the best chance of winning.

This is where I made another mistake, but it didn't matter with the dice rolls I got then. I could have done two GFI to put a tackle zone on hiis ball carrier. Instead I go to set up a foul on the Wardancer (I really wanted him gone) and roll snake eyes on a GFI to make room for an extra assist., so I woulda snaked my GFI on Valdrek anyway.

The Dodgers attack Valdrek and delay scoring just on the endzone. Another mistake. I was so tired and not thinking straight that I did not realise I had a 2 dice blitz with Tackle Mighty Blow on the Catcher.

Instead I just put a tackle zone on him, and then hit his Wardancer again to no avail.

The Dodgers KO'd Valdrek then scored.

The Falcons were at a bit of a disadvangate on the next drive. Valdrek was still knocked out, and both Witches were suffering from Morleys.

Their opening blocks were not as great as they would have liked, but they managed to get two players deep and one just past the line of scrimmage.

The Dodgers applied some pressure, and knocked over one interloper and putting tackle zones on the other two.

The Falcons had a great round of blocking, causing 3 KOs, but critically, were unable to knock over the Str4 Bldoge Tackle Wardancer that was marking a potential scorer.

The Dodgers fouled and caused a KO and then the Falcons set up to score. The pass was caught and it was just a hand off to a player now in scoring range. Snakes. Accursed luck there at the worst time!

My opponent blitzes away one tackle zone, and then makes 3x 2+ dodges with his AG5 player to get a 2+ pick up and 2+ throw (I fail 6+ intercept). He makes a 3+ catch, 2+ dodge, another 2+ dodge, a GFI but finally fails the hand off to score.

Still a very distorted set of rolls to get to that position.

The Falcons then had some more amazing hits, with 4 blocks causing 3 KOs. With no RR left, the Falcons Thrower made two 2+ Dodges, a 2+ pick up and a GFI to come into long pass range and made the 3+ pass. The ball was caught and the Falcons had a tough choice. 2 GFI to score, or a hand off to a Str4 player. The Falcons had no RR so it could be very difficult to score with DT and sidestep in play.

The Falcons went for the score and rolled a one on the second GFI. The Dodgers got the ball, handed off and got the ball to the line of scrimmage with one potential scorer. The Falcons made a couple of GFI to set up a two dice blitz on the ball carrier but no Pow or Dodge/Pow. The Dodgers then made a 3+ leap and 3+ pass to score and take a 2-0 lead into half time.

A nice score and well played by my opponent, but if not for the snake-eyes on my hand off, the game would have been completely different...

With one turn left and no RR, the Falcons knocked over the opposing LOS and then did a revenge foul on the Tree (causing a stun) and then skilled their 30 spp Lineman with a pass. Hurray!

Second half, the Dodgers only had 10 on defence due to some below average KO recovery rolls. The Falcons advanced the ball with Valdrek with 3 screeners down one wing. The Dodgers crashed the cage and put some pressure on Valdrek. Now came some more crappy play.

I had to get a push on his Lino to open up an easy 2+ dodge path for Valdrek. I get Skull + Skull/Pow. I then forget all about my Witch Elf who can blitz that guy away with Frenzy for two chances, even push him out of bounds without a dodge required, all I had to do was bring up my rear blitzer and get two dice on the Tree to knock him over (onlyl needing Skull/Pow) with several free players.

I could then either dodge and pass to my Leaper (after running him to the endzone) or a safer bet was dodging Valdrek backwards and handing off to my Safe Throw Accurate Thrower. Being too tired, what do I do? I blitz with Valdrek and do two 3+ and a 2+ Dodge to score. Not great play in hindsight...

The next drive the Dodgers KOd two players, creating a gap down one wing. The Falcons KO the Str4 Wardancer and the dodgers push down the other wing with the ball.

In a confused state, I don't even play decent defence. I put a tackle zone on his ball carrier using 2 GFI, but I don't even put the TZ in the right spot, leaving him an easy 2+ dodge instead of forcing 2 dodges or a blitz at least to push me away, which would also require a 2+ Dodge and then the block dice to bring up a push or pow... Looking at the replay now, man was I playing badly... I was so focused on starting an offensive drive with rookies to get SPP for them that I did not play decent defence at all...

On the next drive, the Falcons pushed through several players, and badly hurt one Dodger. The Dodgers badly hurt one in return, but it was an easy score for the Falcons after the Dodgers pass blocker was screened off and then knocked over.

The Dodgers on offence blitzed down one side with Tackle but failed to knock the Falcons sidestepper over, burning a team RR trying. The Dodgers then failed a hand off to their Thrower who was only a short distance from the LOS.

It looked like an excellent chance for the Falcons to take the ball and possibly level. However, on the critical blitz to get players through, I got Skull and Skull/Pow rerolled into the same. Pretty fair really as that is what my opponent got the previous round. I dodged a player through and tried to dive on the ball with my player who would be two GFI from scoring distance and I failed. In hindsight, it mighta been better just to leave him in scoring range but not try to pick up the ball yet as I still had an AG5 Leaper to move who needed some a 2+ leap, 2+ dodge and then could do a 2+ pickup and dodge again or hand off. More rolls, but only needing 2s instead of the 3...

Anyways, my opponent pushes my potential scorer back two but snakes a sure hands attempt to pick up the ball.

My turn and I need to do two pushes back to be in scoring range. Not an easy score by any means as there was a DT player near the ball but still a chance.

I just needed a little luck but didn't it. The crucial failure was the two dice hit on his Guard player. A push anywhere would have set up the push attempt (as I had a leaper and then only needed 3+ dodge or no dodge if my opponent stepped in the wrong square). I get Skull+ Skull/Pow. This means that I now needed a 3+ dodge and a 4+ dodge to set up the blitz that pushes my Blitzer within scoring range (but needing to dodge against DT and pick up, then possibly one more dodge and 2 GFI (so not easy).

I failed the first 3+ dodge despite using a RR and the game is won by my opponent.
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Anyways, I really enjoyed that game. I did have some crappy first half luck to be 0-2 down instead of possibly 1-1 or only 1-2 down, but overall I did not deserve to win or draw as I made several mistakes due to tiredness and it was only my final turn that really got my mind into gear to set up a possible but difficult score.

The better coach today won for sure. Anyways, I look forward to playing Lorion again some time as he is a very good coach.

On a positive note, double 5 advance for the Leap AG5 Lino, and no FF loss (thanks to Bad Press!).
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