Chicago Skirmish Wargames

Club member and classic Bloodbowl Superfans Mattia and Michael have been running a periodic Bloodbowl campaign. This is a spotty, belated attempt to cover the first few Games.

First Game May 2023.

The first game was only slightly recorded. The first league result is:

Syntownne Abbey Manglers (Humans) vs. The Gouged Eye (Orcs)
Result: One-all tie

An unfortunate injury for #3 Eberhardt Everhard will put him on the sidelines for next match. But Blitzer #5 Niel Tudorgroyne picked up a touchdown and MVP and rolled a +Agility advancement! A promising start. We look forward to seeing what else he can achieve for the club.

 

Game 2 February 2024

A rematch between the Gouged Eye Orcs (Michael's team) and the Synntownne Abbey Manglers (my human team). It was an exciting match with the Humies managing to steal the ball during the Orcs first drive and score (well done to Blitzer #6 Stuttgart Strangl!!), only to open the second half with the Gouged Eye returning the favor! It was then down to some daring blitzmanship from rising Synntowne Abbey star Neil Tudrogroyne (#5) to force the ball through a nasty scrum to pull ahead. Despite their best efforts and a riot on the pitch, the orcs were not able to equalize in the last few turns of the second half. They did, however, get a few extra hits in, which for them is at least as good as scoring points.

Final score:
Touchdowns: 2-1 to Synntowne Abbey.
Casualties: 3-1 in favor of the Gouged Eye.

MVP for the humans went to Stuttgart Strangl, who then rolled doubles on his skill advancement and took the Dodge Skill! This will make him an incredible asset on the field as having both Block and Dodge (known colloquially in BB as "Blodge") makes a player very hard indeed to knock down. Between Stuttgart (blodge) and Neil (+Agility), the meathead monks look to be developing a robust blitzing core!

Furthermore, the Manglers picked up a handsome 80k in winnings this game, which puts them within spitting distance of hiring an Ogre to anchor their line of scrimmage.

Game 3 February 2024

Had another great game last night between the Manglers and the Gouged-Eye.

It was a beautiful day for bloodbowl and the stands were packed with Manglers fans, giving them a significant home field advantage. The Monks of Melee opted to receive to start the game. Thanks to the grace of Nuffle, in spite of a fierce blitz defense from the orc team, the Manglers were able to execute a picture-perfect drive off of a short pass, giving #7 Catcher Smit his first career touchdown! The orcs then had a tough row to hoe to try and get a touchdown before the end of the first half, but the Manglers defense held and the Gouged Eye settled for a few stiff blocks before the whistle.

The Gouged Eye received to open the second half and the holy brothers of bash were in for some penitence as despite their best efforts the orc offense ground them into the dirt, seriously injuring the human's first string thrower #1 Ober Underwald. A couple of unfortunate turnovers with half their players eating grass meant that Gouged Eye Blitzer Mug was able to stroll into the endzone and equalize the game.

This left only three turns in the half for the Manglers to play for the win, and to make things worse the weather turned VERY SUNNY, making a long passing plan more difficult to execute. They instead stacked the right side with blitzers to break a running path forward, bravely headed by rising star #5 Neil Tudorgroyne, who managed to badly hurt an opposing lineman. They were able to get the ball deep in the orc half of the pitch before the orcs blitzed down the ball carrier. However, a couple of lucky bounces put the ball within reach once more of Catcher Smit, who jumped on it and sprang into the endzone just before the final whistle (after his blitzer teammates flattened everyone in the way).

On the human side, with his two TDs, Catcher Smit really showed his stuff and picked up the Block skill as a result. #5 Neil Tudorgroyne picked up the Strip Ball skill. Blitzer #3 Eberhardt Everhard was awarded MVP in recognition of his clutch support in the final turns of the game, which allowed for the winning touchdown. He didn't skill up this game, but we look forward to what he has to offer the club.

Both teams earned enough gold over the course of this three game series to hire Big Guys for their teams; a new Troll for the Gouged Eye, and a new Ogre, Brother Prodigious Gloat,for the Fightin' Friars of Synnetownne Abbey.

It was a nail-biter there at the end and an excellent game. Thanks Mike!

Game 4 March 2024

The bells of Synnetowne Abbey tolled the loss of two brave bloodbowlers this week, giving a poignancy to the victory pennants that normally flutter so gaily after a Manglers victory.

The Manglers faced off against the Gouged Eye once more in this exhibition series, and at the outset it looked like it would be a fantastic game for the mighty monks. After kicking off to the orcs, the human defense put up stellar pressure. Blitzer #3, Eberhardt Everhard badly hurt an opposing lineman, and eventually forced a fumble from the offence. Fan Favorite #5, Neil Tudorgroyne dodged into the fray, scooped up the ball, and completed a pass to Blitzer #4, Stuttgart Strangl, who walked it into the endzone in the final seconds of the first half.

The second half saw things turn to trial for the holy ballers. In spite of Ogre #2 Prodigious Gloat's debut anchoring the human line, several players were knocked out in the first half. The Manglers were left short-handed to mount their offence. This was made even harder when a brutal block smashed lineman #12, Swif Uppercut Jr., to the pitch for the last time. Even still, with craft, patience, and sheer faith, the remaining players put up an impressive drive in Swif's name. Unfortunately, however, the losses mounted and their push ground to a halt in the face of a seeming impenetrable wall of orc fists. Things went from bad to worse then, as the orcs blitzed down the Mangler's ball-carrier, recovered the ball, and then pushed Blitzer #6, Spiek Pfiste, into the Gouged Eye section of the crowd. He was unable to recover from the orc fans rowdy reception and perished from his wounds.

Fortunately for the Fightin' Friars, there wasn't enough time left in the half for the Gouged Eye to get the equalizing touchdown, and the final whistle sounded with the score 1-0 in favor of the Manglers--but naturally, the celebrations were muted.

It was a painful reminder that Nuffle gives, and Nuffle takes away. Though the club can take some comfort in the fact that the winnings from the match were enough to recruit a new Blitzer, #6 Flint Locque, to replace the fallen Strangl. We pray that his career be a long one.

Meanwhile, a funeral mass (closed casket) was held for Stuttgart and Swif. They were interred in the baller's field, the cemetery consecrated specifically for the Abbey's fallen athletes. Their jerseys were hung above the chancel of the Abbey's chapel, alongside legends from the club's past: Bobby Yore; Swain Regretsky; Tragic Monson.

A few pics from the games.

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