Hello Blood Bowl fans!

 

Three matches played already and the excitement is hotting up in both the Old World Conference and New World Conference.    Both conferences are close with only one team now on a 100% record but today we are here to talk about two teams who find themselves mid-table with a chance of sneaking into the Superbowl playoffs – the Innsmouth Shadows and the Tail Slammers.

 

Team Overview:

Innsmouth Shadows

A bare bones (pardon the pun) 11 monster roster with the two greatest werewolves the HDWSBBL has ever seen.  The two time Challenge cup runner-up has the pedigree to upset any opponent as they have shown against the much favoured Talos Tobacconists.  Team superstars such as Erza Wheedon, Eleeazar Smith and Simon Orne lead the team forwards on their charge to glory but with a loss last time out to their Necromantic comrades the Universal Horrors can they come back and pick up the 3 points on offer.  A Spike! magazine rating of 325 makes the Shadows favourites for this match.

 

Season	P	W	L	D	TF	TA	CF	CA	COMP	INT	%
2515/16 Season	3	1	1	1	3	3	8	9	3	0	33
2510/11 Season	13	5	5	3	19	23	24	17	8	1	38
2509/10 Season	14	5	7	2	22	27	34	17	12	2	36
2508/09 Season	12	2	9	1	16	29	18	28	7	0	17

 

Tail Slammers

The Slammers have had ups and downs in nearly every season that they have played and now with 50 games under their belts they surely have seen everything including winning the a cup named after themselves!  Graced in the past with the greats of the HDWSBBL such as Arcani Spark and Lashiform they are currently undergoing a rebuilding season after the run in with the Universal Horrors where no less than 3 gutterrunners (and Arcani’s kin) were killed or maimed by rabid werewolves.  Now faced with the more experienced Shadows how will they cope with the wolves of war again?  With a Spike! Magazine rating of 157 the Slammers need to up their game and their inducements to get something from this game.

 

Season	P	W	L	D	TF	TA	CF	CA	COMP	INT	%
2515/16 Season	3	1	1	1	4	4	7	7	1	0	33
2512/13 Season	11	4	3	4	15	15	15	24	14	0	36
2510/11 Season	13	7	2	4	35	28	28	21	32	1	54
2509/10 Season	15	8	5	2	32	28	23	43	42	1	53
2508/09 Season	8	1	7	0	13	27	8	17	16	0	13

 

Player overview

The Innsmouth Shadows		Tail Slammers
Eleeazar Smith (Werewolf) – 117 SPP	Best Player	Lashiform IV (Rat Ogre) – 26 SPP
Eleeazar Smith (Werewolf) – 20 TDs	Top Scorer	Accorat Spark (Gutterrunner) – 2 TDs
Eleeazar Smith (Werewolf) – 25  Cas	Most Vicious	Lashiform IV (Rat Ogre) – 8 Cas
Simon Orne (Ghoul) – 14 comps	Best passer	Lorax Spark (Thrower) – 13 Comps
3 players – 1 Int	Top Inteceptor	N/A
486	Total SPP	102

 

WOW! The difference between the two teams is astounding.  The Shadows are head and shoulders above the Slammers and don’t be fooled by the stats they are not a one wolf team with Erza Wheedon, Simon Orne and Elliot backing him up.  The Tail Slammers on the other hand will need their experienced players such as Lashiform IV to help them remove some of their opponents so the rookies can shine.  However, don’t be fooled a rookie gutterrunner can be as good as any experienced skilled player especially if your opponent can’t tackle very well.

 

Tactics

The Shadows will be relying on their experience and ability to remove players from the pitch to win this game.  Pain will be the aim of the game and with a hole opened the ghouls and wolves will run through.   On offence (which should be theirs if they win the toss) (1) the golums and zombies should smash the front line (2) the ghouls should protect and scoop up the ball. (3) With the wolves a hole should be made and the ball simply run into the end zone.   Defence will rely heavily on the speed of the wolves and ghouls.  Keep them free and able to blitz away the rats and they will be solid.

 

The Slammers will want to score quickly and repeatedly to drive the Shadows moral down before they are  whittled from the pitch.  The other option is to do what all opponents of Necromantic teams is – Wolf hunting!  Remove the wolves and the ghouls and the assault on the end zone becomes easier.  Offence should revolve around speed and swarms.  (1) Get the ball defended and secured.  (2) Run with the Gutterrunners left and right to out manoeuvre the slower undead.  (3) repeat until you have no more players left!  Defence – stay away from the opposition as much as possible.  Hold them up and pick off the ghouls and wolves.

 

Conclusion

To be honest I can’t see the Slammers doing it.  This has Shadows win written all over it but what can the inducements do for the Slammers?  Buy the right help from wizards, stars ,babes and apothecaries and you never know it could be a ratty day for the Shadows!

 

See you pitchside

 

The Doc