Blood Bowl Chaos Edition

[Thufir]

Well, I'm quite glad I decided to go downstairs and half watch that match over Tasroth's shoulder, since I got to see the first and second ever interceptions in the league.

[Shishnarfne]

That name brings up 34 results, you'll have to be a bit clearer.

Well, I haven't used Steam the much, but the Profile name (which shows up under the handle when "View Profile" is selected) is Tim.

Oh, and I'm in US CDT. How many hours behind GMT am I?

[Sir_Mopalot]

Does anyone know if there's a way to export the statistics from a game? Because I'd be happy to play sports reporter for y'all while I wait. If you guys like the idea, if nothing else you could screen shot all the closing panes after a game and put them on Imgur, I want stats and the timeline doohickey mostly.

[Thufir]

Does anyone know if there's a way to export the statistics from a game? Because I'd be happy to play sports reporter for y'all while I wait. If you guys like the idea, if nothing else you could screen shot all the closing panes after a game and put them on Imgur, I want stats and the timeline doohickey mostly.

Well, it's possible to just upload the replay files to dropbox or something so then you could download them and play them in your copy of the game so you could watch it all. Though it might be a bit time consuming for you to sit through all of them.

Of course in my case, I am planning to make videos of me going through all my replays anyway, so those would be up for all to see regardless and I don't know if you'd therefore want to skip over mine. Otoh, if you're just planning on writing up articles or whatever that'd still work, because a reporter's perspective is somewhatdifferent to that of one of the coaches who participated in the match.

[Sir_Mopalot]

Yeah, less coaching advice, more in-universe, in-character reporting. Sports-center style. Replay files would work fine, I can either just let it run while I do other things or if there's a way to fast forward, do that, like I said I only need that final screen.

[Thrudd]

Anyone who isn't really familiar with the rules due to only having played the video game might want to read the actual Blood Bowl rulebook, it can be found online. All the rules in the video game are the same as the last living rulebook, there may only be some tweaks to pricing and the new teams in the Chaos edition. But you will have a better idea the chances of succeeding at various tasks, and a list of all the skills to help you plan out your team's progression. You will also be able to see what the other teams are capable of if you aren't familiar.

[SaruSama]

My steam name is Froish, I'm running the murderhobos. Just message me when you're ready Science officer.

[LCP]

Oh, I should say - my Steam name is Pippington.

[Dada]

Alyoshka gives me quite a lot of hits, so I'm going to need something more precise. Or you can add me, I go by Scrattlebeard on Steam.

[Thufir]

Anyone who isn't really familiar with the rules due to only having played the video game might want to read the actual Blood Bowl rulebook, it can be found online. All the rules in the video game are the same as the last living rulebook, there may only be some tweaks to pricing and the new teams in the Chaos edition. But you will have a better idea the chances of succeeding at various tasks, and a list of all the skills to help you plan out your team's progression. You will also be able to see what the other teams are capable of if you aren't familiar.

No tweaks, the rules are exactly as per LRB6, with the addition of the Khorne Daemon team and not including Chaos Pact or Slann. Or alternatively exactly as per the CRP (Competition Rules Pack, the Games Workshop 'official' ruleset) with the addition of Khorne Daemons and Underworld.
I can't remember where I eventually found the LRB6 though...

Alyoshka gives me quite a lot of hits, so I'm going to need something more precise. Or you can add me, I go by Scrattlebeard on Steam.

You guys do know you can just link your Steam profile, thus saving people the trouble of searching for you, right?

If you didn't know that, follow these instructions:

Spoiler: How to link your Steam profile

Show

1. In the top left corner of the Steam window, click 'Steam', and then 'Settings'.
2. In settings, go to the 'Interface' tab, and make sure the box labeled "Display Steam URL address bar when available" is ticked.
3. Go to your profile.
4. Copy the URL (should be "steamcommunity.com/id/[yoururlhere]")
5. Paste it in the thread.

[Dada]

Thanks for the tip.

My Steam profile: http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197963746768

[Shishnarfne]

Ok, I should've done this last night:

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198076697742/

I suppose that since Steam profiles don't require unique names, this would be a better approach.

Edit: I suppose that since I made the profile private, giving out more info wouldn't help...

[Choyrt]

Well, I'm quite glad I decided to go downstairs and half watch that match over Tasroth's shoulder, since I got to see the first and second ever interceptions in the league.

Dude, and here I was thinking I was making a calculated risk that was acceptable! TWICE. Once was his chaos warrior and the other was a beastman... they snatched it right from the air like a falling star!

[Shishnarfne]

Dude, and here I was thinking I was making a calculated risk that was acceptable! TWICE. Once was his chaos warrior and the other was a beastman... they snatched it right from the air like a falling star!

"When you throw the ball, three things can happen, and two of them are bad." It's more true in Blood Bowl than the NFL; as long as there's an opposing player upright and alert in the throwing lane, there's at least a 1 in 6 chance that they'll come down with the ball.

But yeah, two picks from a Chaos team? Elves are lucky to snatch that many out of the air in a game.

[shadow_archmagi]

Played a practice game with Cogwheel to test my internet; all things went fine, and I'm ready for my first match against the chaos dwarves tommorow!

[Shishnarfne]

The (Undead) Poets Society had a successful debut against the Orgrimmar Lawnmovers, despite some poor tactical decisions on the first drive.

After winning the coin toss and electing to kick, a blitz result for the kick-off roll allowed for a fair bit of pressure into the other side of the pitch. Including two mummies who wound up healthily out of position. The Orgrimmar Lawnmovers capitalized by breaking through the weakest point in the Undead position: right down the middle. A few blocks, maybe a dodge or two, and the thrower was in easy range of the end zone. With really only one Wight in range of the ball carrier, and few good ways to grant an assist. One badly hurt player for each side, and four KO'd Undead made it 10v6 on the pitch. Until a 1-die block from an Orc Blitzer against a Zombie (or maybe a Skeleton, I don't exactly recall) came up Skulls. Which left the player free to grant an assist on the ball carrier, and the 2-die block knocked the ball loose on turn six. A ghoul was able to run down and pick up the ball (using the last reroll), rather than being the assist on the ball carrier. Of course, the Orcs had these outnumbered, and a 2-die Orc Blitzer block on the ghoul came up Defender Stumbles. Luckily, Ghouls Dodge.

I decided that my best chance was to get the ball as far away as possible, so I dodged the Ghoul into position to make a short pass to an open Wight. Somehow, the ball was caught, and two turns, one dodge, and 3 GFI's later, it was 1-0 Poets Society. Halftime saw all four KO'd players return to the pitch.

The second half was relatively routine, with a second touchdown added when a Touchback and Blitz event left one side of the field overloaded and the ball nowhere near there.

An interesting, fun match, where I was able to make the most of my good luck. Interesting note: one casualty for each side, and no free zombie for murder today.

Looking forward to next match already!

[shadow_archmagi]

Gnoman has to validify each game before we can move on, right? Does that mean that if my internet does poop, it doesn't result in an auto-loss, as he can just declare the game invalid and let us redo?

[Thufir]

Gnoman has to validify each game before we can move on, right? Does that mean that if my internet does poop, it doesn't result in an auto-loss, as he can just declare the game invalid and let us redo?

Indeed. Last season he had to invalidate my first attempt at playing the Ekrund Infiltrators, because I got some weird glitch where first I couldn't actually select any actions and then my UI vanished completely, so UnnamedProtagonist had to abandon the match (My menu button had also vanished). And then we replayed the match.

[Luzahn]

The Dark Elves have won their first match, against the Lizardmen. A close game at 1-0, the Gold-blooded were one pass away from tieing it up. An extremely fun game, Elves and Skinks were leaping around everywhere.

Our only injury was on Boethiah the Lineman, who must now miss the next game. A pity, but the apothecary was being saved for a possible Blitzer permanent.

[Winters Heart]

Played a practice game with Cogwheel to test my internet; all things went fine, and I'm ready for my first match against the chaos dwarves tommorow!

And the Chaos Dwarves are yearning to taste some blood, yours or theirs is no matter to them.

[Luzahn]

Eol the Blitzer has been consigned to the slave pits long-term recovery hospital. In his place, we are proud to welcome Feanor the Blitzer. May he stab our enemies for more than one game before he gets a niggle.

[Dada]

The (Undead) Poets Society had a successful debut against the Orgrimmar Lawnmovers, despite some poor tactical decisions on the first drive.

<...>

Nice writeup and nice match.

The Ork thrower did not understand the concept of "totchduwn", which angered the dice gods and turned what should have been a 1-0 lead into a 0-1 deficit.

(I got greedy, forgot I didn't have reroll backup on my completely unnecessary 1-dice block, and got punished waay harder than I though possible)

After that, the Poets Society played a solid and safe game against a slightly tilted Ork team.

Looking for revenge next week though!

[Octopus Jack]

The Dark Elves have won their first match, against the Lizardmen. A close game at 1-0, the Gold-blooded were one pass away from tieing it up. An extremely fun game, Elves and Skinks were leaping around everywhere.

Our only injury was on Boethiah the Lineman, who must now miss the next game. A pity, but the apothecary was being saved for a possible Blitzer permanent.

You portray it as much evener than it was I did enjoy actually causing an injury and Vanilla-Ice being his usual macho self whilst fending off elves, shame he didn't get another kill. Also a shame that there is apparently a bounty on Mr Ice's head...

[Shishnarfne]

Nice writeup and nice match.

The Ork thrower did not understand the concept of "totchduwn", which angered the dice gods and turned what should have been a 1-0 lead into a 0-1 deficit.

(I got greedy, forgot I didn't have reroll backup on my completely unnecessary 1-dice block, and got punished waay harder than I though possible)

After that, the Poets Society played a solid and safe game against a slightly tilted Ork team.

Looking for revenge next week though!

I was just hoping the ghoul wouldn't fumble the pass so I could reach halftime on even terms. Checking numbers afterwards, I think that I had roughly a 60% chance to get the ball to roughly midfield (non-fumbled pass), and the odds of the catch were below 25%. I only had about a 55% shot at scoring on turn 8 with the 3+ dodge and GFI (and I'm glad that I used two GFIs turn 7, as otherwise the Black Orc could have blitzed him!). Frankly, I had no right to expect that kind of success there. (At least for an undead team, elves do that kind of craziness far more often.)

Given the Skill access of the team, unless desperation leads to inspiration, it could be a long time before I throw the ball again.

Although I'm pleased that the MVP went to one of the mummies, I can't help but think of a few players that certainly played a more direct role in the result.

[Thrudd]

"When you throw the ball, three things can happen, and two of them are bad." It's more true in Blood Bowl than the NFL; as long as there's an opposing player upright and alert in the throwing lane, there's at least a 1 in 6 chance that they'll come down with the ball.

But yeah, two picks from a Chaos team? Elves are lucky to snatch that many out of the air in a game.

The Chaos gods are indeed mercifull. Praise Tzeentch! Of course, next game the Chaos gods will most likely express their blessing in the form of a dead beastman and a chaos warrior with a smashed collarbone, or by never allowing a chaos player to pick up the ball. That has been my experience with them in the past. *lol* Hooray Chaos!

[shadow_archmagi]

By the way, huge thanks to whoever posted the Dodging breakdown- I had no idea it was TZs you were jumping *into* that counted. That changes the math quite a bit! It was really helpful during my practice match against Cogwheel- My amazons were able to hop around quite successfully.

[Thrudd]

I was just hoping the ghoul wouldn't fumble the pass so I could reach halftime on even terms. Checking numbers afterwards, I think that I had roughly a 60% chance to get the ball to roughly midfield (non-fumbled pass), and the odds of the catch were below 25%. I only had about a 55% shot at scoring on turn 8 with the 3+ dodge and GFI (and I'm glad that I used two GFIs turn 7, as otherwise the Black Orc could have blitzed him!). Frankly, I had no right to expect that kind of success there. (At least for an undead team, elves do that kind of craziness far more often.)

Given the Skill access of the team, unless desperation leads to inspiration, it could be a long time before I throw the ball again.

Although I'm pleased that the MVP went to one of the mummies, I can't help but think of a few players that certainly played a more direct role in the result.

Yes, undead aren't known for their passing game. But hey, if it's the last turn or two and your only chance at tying or winning the game, you might as well go for it. MVP's and casualties are the only way your mummies, skeletons and zombies are going to get SPP's, so that is really the best you can hope for. Your wights and ghouls can score and don't really need the MVP's. Ironically, in Blood Bowl the players who really deserve "most valuable player" are the ones who generally don't need it and you don't want to get it.

[JustSomeGuy]

Has anyone ever been soa far as to consider a use for human teams?

I mean, generally you pick a team that suits you preferred tactics and playstyle, but humans are not particularly suited to anything. Unless it is playing the opposite style your opponent is built for, except they will be specialized to that style and you will be cuffing it on the fly, so they'll prolly be better at doing their thing than you will be at countering it.

Ps. i only play human teams, but only because i am both stubborn and not terribly clever. Although i can only play AI teams so there's that!

[shadow_archmagi]

they'll prolly be better at doing their thing than you will be at countering it.

This seems unlikely, given the nature of countering. It only takes *one* blitzer in the back to clobber a runaway Wood Elf/Skaven, or *one* bastard with Dodge and Catch to slip past Dwarf lines, catch the ball, and scurry to the touchdown line.

A well played human team could almost certainly do well for itself.

[Ivellius]

Any advice for someone trying to get into this game and just get a handle on things? I got the Legendary Edition this week as part of the Humble Bundle, and I think I have the rules down, but I'm not winning games and it's hard to figure out exactly why.

If it helps, I played one of the undead (I think it was Necromantic, actually) teams against a human team (0-4 loss) and a couple of Lizard games (one against Dwarves and one against Goblins, both to a 1-1 tie).