Match Report - 26 May 2014 - Dreadball

Finally having remembered where I downloaded the pictures to (the work laptop) I figure it's about time we got caught up on Monday's match reports.

Quite an interesting round in the club tournament - the first time we've had some seriously contested bidding in the MVP auction, not least because I started out playing Dale's Teratons, which gave me about 30MCr to play with, based on our team value difference. There were several people in a similar position, and after a bit of bid and counter-bid I wound up with the Enforcer (Speed 7! Guard) and Rico (Speed 6 Striker), both of which suit my playing style, namely "run around a lot, try not to get killed, and score". This is harder against teams like Dale's, as the Teratons are much more a "pound the opposition into a bloody pulp, find the ball when you're done and score if you need to" team.

Roll the highlights:

"Valkries against Devastators, you join us about half a dozen rushes in. Already four up to the ladies - one score to MVP Rico van Dien, and another two pointer to Valkyries' Striker Anya Anderson. The Teratons have the ball - although with them that's something of an afterthought - in their own three point zone. Over to you, Vish."

"Vish think Devastators making even bigger mistake than usual, Jase." 

"Wanna explain that one to our viewers?"

"Sure. They forgot Enforcer. He... quick."

"He is that. Coming off the bench now, a flat sprint past the halfway line, checks, shoulders past a turtle and puts some serious hurt on the ball carrier. Worth every MegaCred for that block alone, I'd say."

"Vish still think Digby shouldn't allow jump-packs, Jase."

"Maybe. But are you going to tell someone with that amount of combat training he can't? The ball spills right under the three point strike target, and here comes Anya Anderson at a flat run, sidesteps a Devastators defender, scoops it up, arches back. STRIKE! And that's a landslide to the Valkyries..."

The 16MCr I got for that win went straight on a support coach and a cheerleader - despite some folks' opinions, I reckon that they're value for money if you can reasonably predict where you're going to score, which I can with the Valkyries.

With time to kill, I went for an exhibition game against Rob's Nameless, the Arctech Unmentionables - another team that hands out serious levels of hurt, especially since he'd somehow won Buzzcut in the MVP auction. (As an aside - the drawback of MVPs is they tend to get the XP and stop your team advancing, of course.) The problem with Nameless, especially when they also have The Praetorian to score for them, is they're actually not bad at scoring, either.  Back to Jason and Vish for the final play.

 "Vish surprised."

"How so, big guy?"

"Vish really thought Unmentionables would have put game away by now. Enforcer and Rico both off pitch."

"Yeah. Either way - the ball's up for grabs on halfway. The Valkryies are still in this game - van Diem's quick-thinking four-pointer after the ball shattered gave them a lead, but the Unmentionables have handed out a serious beatdown since then, and that last score gives them a one point edge. And here comes Anya Anderson, the Valkyries #6, who's on a hot scoring streak over these past two games. Picks up on the run. She needs at least two points this rush: a glance at the left-hand two point spot..."

"She not want to do that... oh, smart move...."

"Yup. The two pointer's closer, but a harder target. She drops a shoulder, heads for the three. No-one's going to stop her... Over the four point spot, pushing it to get in ra...."

"Bwhahaa...."

"Oh my..... Steady, Vish, You'll get MegaCola on the monitor. Dear me."

 "Hahaha... oh... that frodding hysterical...."

"Sorry, viewers. Vish seems to have lost it. If I can recap... no-one to beat, Anderson clears the four-point spot, arm back to let fly, and you'd think one of the Nameless had left a synth-banana skin on the floor of the strike zone, as her feet go out from under her like an Azure IX baby deer on ice. And that's the game. Join us for Vish's closing summary after this break from our sponsor, MegaCola. If he hasn't choked to death on their product."

One measly dash roll. On four dice: one 4+ would have done. And I'd have had a two dice roll for the strike.