Dec 13, 2021

Blood Bowl: Black Winter Bowl: RagnaRock Ravens - Sheogorad Saints 1-1

Blood Bowl fans! It is time for the inaugural Black Winter Bowl, played in the dead of winter. This year, it's a rematch: last year, the Sheogorad Saints and RagnaRock Ravens determined the winner of the Turboleague in a tie game that left two Saints dead and the Ravens champions.



After a little break since facing the Carmelites, here are my Saints:

#5 Jenassa Samarys - runner (12 SPP, Dodge)
#11 Barenziah Targaryen - witch elf (8 SPP, Block)
#27 Vermith Targaryen - blitzer
#33 Raven Dren - assassin (11 SPP, Side Step)
#44 Irileth Targaryen - blitzer (13 SPP, Guard)
#69: Darane Mencele, line-elf (6 SPP, Kick)
#71: Hlireni Indavel, line-elf
#73 Brelda Quintella, line-elf
#77: Endroni Dalas, line-elf (1 SPP)

Joined once again by journeyelves #75 Morgiah R'zamenar and #66 Nephithah T'rizaron. I made a skill marker, or if you like, a skull marker for my witch elf:


The Ravens arrive fresh off their game against the Reid Death, with several newly leveled players but missing blitzer Hans von Helvete due to an injury.

#2 Harald Hårdare - blitzer (3 SPP)
#3 Geri - werewolf (5 SPP)
#4 Freki - werewolf (10 SPP, Guard)
#5 Leifur Eriksson - runner (3 SPP)
#7 Thor Åkenskaldi - thrower (8 SPP, +1 MA)
#8 Reidar Horghagen - lineman
#9 Tomas Haugen - lineman (2 SPP)
#10 Stian Tomt Thoresen - lineman
#11 Sven Atle Kopperud - lineman
#12 Per Yngve Ohlin - lineman
#13 Erik Nordman - lineman

Due to the difference in team values, the Ravens were awarded incentives, which they spent on mercenary blitzer #1 Ragnar and a Bloodweiser Babe.

**

Since this would be the last game of the season for both teams, the Ravens arrived at the Dagon Fel Superdome roaringly drunk. When the game finally got started, the winter sun was low over Sheogorad, and the glare made passing attempts difficult. The Ravens won the coin toss and elected to defer.


As the Saints secured the ball, the usual brawl broke out at midfield, with several players knocked over.


In the fracas, Ravens werewolf #3 Geri overextended himself, and got pushed into the crowd by Saints witch elf #11 Barenziah Targaryen! Geri was knocked unconscious by the fans and was only recovered with difficulty by Ravens staff.


Meanwhile, the Saints caged the ball on their left and tried to fight off the drunken Norse tidal wave coming at them.


Worse was to come for the Ravens when witch elf Barenziah blocked and injured thrower #7 Thor Åkenskaldi, taking him out of the game! Her second casualty of the season takes Barenziah Targaryen into the league lead in casualties inflicted.


The Saints shifted their attack to the right, trying to keep the ravening Norse away from the ball and get some receivers clear.


As the Saints made a break for it along the right sideline, Ravens mercenary blitzer #1 Ragnar clawed back the odds for the Norse team by knocking out Saints journeyelf #75 Morgiah R'zamenar.


Quickly, a wall of Nordic flesh blocked the Saints' forward progress.


Spotting an opening, Saints runner #5 Jenassa Samarys dodged free and sent the ball across the field to assassin #33 Raven Dren for her league-leading sixth completion.


Back on the sideline, the carnage continued as Saints line-elf #71 Hlireni Indavel sent Ravens blitzer #2 Harald Hårdare flying into the crowd! The Ravens' apothecary heroically rescued the blitzer from what looked like certain death at the hands of the rabid fans, leaving him sidelined with a fractured leg. However, the Saints' numbers advantage was short-lived as Sheogorad kicker #69 Darane Mencele failed her dodge and knocked herself out!


In revenge for his blitzer, Ravens lineman #9 Tomas Haugen knocked out Saints #71 Indavel, but Saints assassin Dren fought off a desperate last blitz by Ravens runner #5 Leifur Eriksson.


On the Saints' last turn of the half, Dren took the ball into the Ravens end zone for her league-leading third touchdown of the season and a 1-0 Saints lead.


Ravens werewolf #3 Geri and Saints kicker #69 Mencele recovered in time for the next kickoff, where Ravens runner #5 Eriksson scored a completion and some elves were knocked over, bringing the half to an end with the score 1-0 for the home team.

**

When the teams lined up for the second half and the Ravens' reception, the sun had dropped behind the hills around Dagon Fel, removing the glare from the players' eyes and leaving the match to continue under the eerie green glow of the midwinter aurora. All knocked-out players made a full recovery, leaving the Ravens a man short.


The half got off to a rocky start for the visitors as Leifur Eriksson failed to pick up the ball.


This gave the Saints time to set up head coach T.Rex's time-honored elfball defense.


The Ravens formed up for their infamous "box-play" while the elves tried to keep their distance.


In the ensuing mêlée, Saints blitzer #44 Irileth Targaryen blitzed Ravens lineman #11 Sven Attle Kopperud, newly recovered from a broken jaw caused by a fan-thrown rock, and scored the Saints' first franchise fatality when he didn't get up again.


Despite the death of their team-mate, the Norse cage rolled on down the field.


As the Ravens kept on coming, eventually the Saints, secure at the top of the league standings with a tie game, decided that holding up the frenzied norsemen wasn't worth any more elven blood, and stood aside.


This left Ravens #5 Leifur Eriksson free to score his fifth career Turboleague touchdown and tie the game.


With one turn remaining on the game clock and the score tied, the teams took to the field for one last kickoff.


Saints blitzer Irileth Targaryen scooped up the ball and scored a completion to kicker Mencele, and then some absolutely outrageous scenes unfolded at center field. Saints assassin and goal-scorer #33 Raven Dren blocked Ravens newcomer #13 Eric Nordman, leaving him badly hurt, while blitzer #27 Vermith Targaryen scored her first career casualty and the second fatality of the game with a block that left Ravens lineman #12 Per Yngve Ohlin dead!

**

With these acts of senseless violence, the game and the season ended for both teams. Since the result was a 1-1 tie, victory in the inaugural Black Winter Bowl goes to the Sheogorad Saints on the strength of four inflicted casualties to none. The Saints-Ravens rivalry is officially the bloodiest in Turboleague history, with a total of four fatalities out of six casualties altogether, as well as two other players injured.

MVP honors went to Ravens survivor #8 Reidar Horghagen and Saints blitzer #27 Vermith Targaryen. Ravens runner Leifur Eriksson gained a level, as did Saints blitzers Irileth and Vermith Targaryen, and assassin Raven Dren. Vermith rolled a new skill or MA/AV increase, and just for the hell of it, I've decided to get her the +1 MA. With a 50,000gp gate, I now also have the money to hire a third blitzer. We will therefore no longer require the services of journeyelf #75 Morgiah R'zamenar. With that, +1 fan factor and the levels, my team value is now 1 320 000 gp.

It's really nothing short of amazing how my star player points have accumulated on my positional players. We lost one MVP title to a journeyelf, and one line-elf got an MVP and then a completion for the level, but every single other star player point this season has gone to my positionals, and I haven't made any particular effort to have it turn out this way.

Since that was my last game of the season, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all my opponents, spectators and online commentators! I look forward to many more games next year.

**

League table [pts, goal differential, casualty differential, fatalities, completions, interceptions]

Sheogorad Saints (Dark Elf) (2-0-3) 14 pts, 7-5, 5-6, 2, 7, 1
RagnaRock Ravens (Norse) (1-0-2) 8 pts, 3-2, 3-5, 0, 2, 0
Griffon Gate Griffons (High Elf) (0-0-2) 4 pts, 3-3, 0-1, 0, 6, 0
Reid Death (Human) (0-1-1) 3 pts, 1-2, 4-2, 1, 1, 0
Lake Bodom Carmelites (Human) (0-1-0) 1 pts, 1-2, 2-1, 0, 2, 0
Vindaaagh Pulling (Orc) (0-1-0) 1 pts, 0-1, 1-0, 0, 1, 0

Touchdowns:

Raven Dren (Saints) 3
Barenziah Targaryen (Saints) 2
Bel-Zothius the Beast (Griffons) 2
Freki (Ravens) 1
Harry E Mitchell (Death) 1
Irileth Targaryen (Saints) 1
Jenassa Samarys (Saints) 1
Leifur Eriksson (Ravens) 1
Sister Wilamina Ironbludgeon (Carmelites) 1
Tarec the Artist (Griffons) 1
Thor Åkenskaldi (Ravens) 1

Casualties:

Barenziah Targaryen (Saints) 2
Ed Ranger (Death) 1
Ernie R Jaurigui (Death) 1
Harald Hårdare (Ravens) 1
Harry E Mitchell (Death) 1
Irileth Targaryen (Saints) 1
Jay Blanchard (Death) 1
Raven Dren (Saints) 1
Sister Consuelo Mandanger (Carmelites) 1
Sister Eleanor Meatpummel (Carmelites) 1
Tomas Haugen (Ravens) 1
Thor Åkenskaldi (Ravens) 1
Vermith Targaryen (Saints) 1
VIP#52 (Pulling) 1

Fatalities:

Ernie R Jaurigui (Death) 1
Irileth Targaryen (Saints) 1
Vermith Targaryen (Saints) 1

Interceptions:

Irileth Targaryen (Saints) 1

Completions:

Jenassa Samarys (Saints) 5
Ferreha the Particular (Griffons) 4
Sister Pearlie Stoneknuckles (Carmelites) 2
Darane Mencele (Saints) 1
Irileth Targaryen (Saints) 1
Leifur Eriksson (Ravens) 1
Randall Gnant (Death) 1
Shirduzus the Discrete (Griffons) 1
Shudris the Sage (Griffons) 1
Thor Åkenskaldi (Ravens) 1
VIP#8 (Pulling) 1

No comments: