“Final of Scheduled Smack Pro XXII


What a nerve jangler this one was. I'm not sure about PurpleChest, but this game felt like a real classic to me, and I'm not saying that just because my team won the coin flip! My amazons have gone through a dwarf team, another amazon team and faced off against Purple's chaos dwarves in the final. I didn't give myself a price, we all know how good he is, and I knew I needed some real luck to win it.

Handicap for me was Morleys, which turned out to be the game clincher really as it hit Short Wild Purple every kick off. I also hired Zara, compared to Purple's wizard, so it was interestingly balanced. I received, with the chaos dwarves down 2 blockers thanks to the spiked drinks. To be honest, my first half performance wasn't great as I was very hesitant and far too scared of making 3+ dodges from the blockers.

It should have cost me really, as Purple's minions got the ref as well, and quickly fouled out a blodger after I had failed to do any damage to his prone troll. A short kick had left me in real troubles, despite the chaos dwarves not having a kicker, and after I attempted to free it by knocking over the AG3 SF bull (man is that player annoying!), an unlucky scatter landed in the hobgoblins hands.

Purple was able to switch flanks a couple of times, and I was left chasing shadows and trying to tie down at least parts of the cage. I was helped by below average block dice for SWP, and PurpleChest was even called on to use the apo after I BH a side step/guarder with the boot.

Every time he swapped flanks though I was able to run a few over to pressure the ball carrier and eventually the bull had to retreat. With lots of dodges and GFIs I managed to knock him over twice, but my catcher failed the 3+ with reroll to score the opener and the second time the blitzing Zara caught it and we went in 0-0 at the half.

By this stage I had lost a -AV dp to death, which I left, and another blodge lino BH. Fortunately Morelys struck again removing the troll and a blocker for the second half.

A pitch invasion wasn't too painful - 2 chaos dwarves and 3 zons being stunned. It got more painful after a KO and BH with the opening blocks and a touchback to the AG3 bull.

That was fouled by a KO from a foul and I suddenly have 7 players. PurpleChest caged up and I had to resort to targeting hobgoblins to make some sort of leeway. I did KO one, but was regularly losing what few players I had stunned. This continued until turn 7, and now down to 5 players, when Purple left me the slightest opening for a jump up zara to exploit. She took it, knocking over the bull, and forcing the sure hands hobbo to roll dice and he thankfully failed the pick up. Into OT at 0-0 then.

Thanks to Morleys again it was 9vs9 and nuffle took pity on the zons playing their nemesis and gave me the ball. I had 4 rerolls to 1, and was feeling reasonably confident. But OT was just as tense, with it seesawing right until the final whistle.

A quick snap helped, and zara finally did something by stunning the irritating bull. I caged up the ball and attempted to find a way through. Then Purp threw the wizard at me, which stunned my ball carrying thrower and knocked over one of her friends. Hmmm.

The annoying bull break tackled away and picked up the ball before heading into another cage and I thought that was it. I threw a desperation half dice blitz, which ended in the inevitable double skull and things were looking bleak. But then a skull by a blocker let the zons back in with a chance. It did require a 4+ dodge, which the zon achieved, and I knocked over the bull with the ball two squares from the sideline. To make matters worse, I BH one of the remaining 2 hobbos on the field with a 1 dice block (MB).

It was here that Purple's dice really left him as the bull got up and rolled a skull when only really needing a push. I ran a blitzer clear and finally got my hands on the ball again. It wasn't to be as the bull centaur got a 1dice pow on the ball carrier, badly jurting her.

Once again Zara came to the rescue, knocking over the bull with an assist but I couldn't get the 4+ with a reroll to throw the ball clear and fumbled it instead. Again the bull recovered and stole the ball, and again zara knocked him over, leaving me with a 4+ pick up and dodge clear with a thrower for a chance at the win. I failed the pick up, decided not to dodge, and fumbled the throw again.

Some decent blocking freed up a hobbo dodge, ball pickup and 2 gfis to and AG2 bull for a possible winner, but the hobbo tripped up on the gfi and it went to a coin toss.

A bad way to decide the game in which for 2 halves I was never really in it, but I think it would have been an enthralling game to watch. I had to work very hard in this one, constantly down players, so I'm pleased with the result which was helped by some average dice on PurpleChest's part.

Part 1 of my plan to win one of all the smacks is complete, but I really didn't expect the amazons to pull it off against my opponents. Thanks for the game PurpleChest.



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