Naughty Frogs get it all wrong but get there on pure jam
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 11:28 pm
Hi all. Long time no see. This last weekend saw me at the 3rd CAS (Capital Shield) in Wellington, New Zealand. A very sociable and beer-filled tournament.
The rules were TV110 plus SPP package, handicapped according to 2015 tourney rankings and also I think slightly by popularity. This looked to favour the Slann a bit, so I rocked up with one of my favourite teams, Pond Scum:
4 Catchers (Dodge+Guard, Dodge, -, -)
8 Linefrogs (4xWrestle)
5 RR
Apoth
Close to my perfect tournament roster (I would prefer 2xGuard, lol, but Dodge+Guard is quite good). 4xWrestle was a great luxury.
1st GAME: Beat Vampires 2-1 (CAS: 3-3). Received and scored. Got 2 excellent scoring chances on defense, both failed, but at least I got a shutout. HT:1-0. 2nd half: got 6 dice of sacks on the ball carrier, all failed. He had to score, then I managed to score on offense. A turn 16 scoring attempt (by me) failed (GFI: 1,1). At least 3 successful sacks during the match, but none converted into a score.
2nd GAME: Beat Pro-Elves 2-1 (CAS: 3-1). Kicked, failed to turn him over, he scored. With 5 turns to score on offense (and the ball in the hands of a rookie Linefrog), I struggled, due to the presence of Eldril. Eventually I lost my rag and took a risky surf attempt on him, it worked and he was CASd. The ball carrier was exposed, but I managed not to lose it. As my numbers advantage was increasing, I stalled and scored on turn 8. HT:1-1. Starting the 2nd half up 11 players to 8, I decided to stall, and managed to do so (not without mishap, i.e. sacks) for the win.
Note: this was the first time I have ever successfully stalled with Slann in any form of BB, and I managed to do it for 13 turns.
3rd GAME: Lost 1-3 to High Elves (CAS: 0-5). Whole match was in a blizzard, not good for Slann. Received, and my first D6 sequence of the match was: 2,1,2,1,1. This was one of my better dice sequences of the match, believe me. He got a turnover score. HT:0-1. Lost count of the double 1s I rolled. My TD was a consolation score at the end. Also my team was decimated, my opponent blocked well. I remember an attempted B/S pass into space which would likely have got me a turnover score (it failed).
4th GAME: Drew 2-2 with High Elves (CAS: 3-3). Received and scored, he scored back in return. HT:1-1. I sacked my opponent 3 times during the match, but each time I failed to get the ball away. Just when things were looking good, and I was all over the HEs like a bad rash, my opponent rolled 4 blocks and got 4 stuns. Eventually he scored what looked like the winner on turn 16. However, I got a riot, and managed an improbable "one-turner". No RR available. One of the jammiest TDs I have ever scored in a tournament. This was the 3rd riot of the match.
NOTE: I would point out that in the first 4 games I had not made a single turnover score (the normal stock-in-trade of Slann).
5th GAME: Beat Nurgle 2-1 (CAS: 0-2). Received, he got a Perfect Defense (a nightmare for me). I then rolled 1,3, skull, skull for a turnover. My deperate attempt on turn 2 to make a B/S pass into space failed when I rolled 1,1. The result was a turnover score to my opponent. However, I did just enough by pushing the opposing ball carrier into the End Zone on turn 6. This left me 2 turns to score on offense, which I improbably did (no RRs left IIRC). HT:1-1. In the 2nd half, I got a Blitz!, caught the ball, got sacked, a scramble ensued. I got the ball back, made another B/S pass to near the End Zone, I had been too greedy with the placement, the ball went out of bounds and scattered back. Another scramble ensued, with the Beast near the action. A jammy little Dodge Catcher escaped the Beast's Tentacles (9+) and ran the ball in for the winning TD. A tense 3 turn shutout followed (I sacked my opponent, but the ball scattered into the arms of a waiting Pestigor, I sacked him again on the last turn, my opponent couldn't quite manage to get at the loose ball on the last turn).
NOTE: Game 5 saw the first turnover score by the Slann in the tournament, which was far from orthodox (not to say jammy).
6th and last GAME: Beat Dark Elves 3-1 (CAS: 0-1). Received, scored in 3 turns IIRC. My opponent tried to stall, but eventually had to give this up (I think I sacked him a couple of times) and I "forced" him to score on turn 6. This was just enough for me to get a jammy 2-turn score on offense (1D blitz, pass to a Linefrog, hand-off to another Linefrog in a TZ, leap and GFI to the End Zone). HT:2-1. In the second half my opponent tried again to stall, but yet again I kept sacking him, so eventually he decided to score, passing to a Witch Elf in the End Zone. However, the Froggies' jam was still working, as she rolled a 1 and dropped the ball, it scattered back, and I had just enough movement to get the ball and pass it upfield to the waiting receiver and score.
NOTE: Game 6 saw only my second turnover score of the tournament. Even this one was not orthodox, as it came from a dropped catch rather than a sack. Note that the patiently waiting receiver had been waiting in the same spot (middle of the opponent's half) for 5 3/4 matches before receiving his only pass.
So, i had had a decent tournament, thanks to a combination of unorthodox (for Slann) play (e.g. stalling) and jam. The main thing I did right was to force my opponents to score when I could, allowing me a 2-turn score in reply (this happened twice, on one of these occasions I pushed my opponent into the end zone, it is the first time that trick has worked for me in a tourney - I rarely try it). Also, I hung in there in the (many) games when things were going pear-shaped, most games went to the death. You need a strong stomach to play Slann, they can roll a lot of "bad dice", you have to just suck it up and carry on regardless.
Imagine my surprise when I was handed the "calligraphy" (I get asked to write the names on winners certificates) to find that I had won the tournament! 4 wins, 1 draw (thanks to a riot) and 1 loss is not a great score (I have had 5 wins and 1 loss and come 3rd before), but it was enough this time. 2 coaches had finished on 3 wins and 3 draws, but a win and a loss counted for more than 2 draws, so I beat them fair and square (although I never played them!). I think there must have been a draw at the top table in the last round. Note that I would have easily lost any form of tie-break
NOTE: I played 4 out of 5 Elven teams at the tournament, and 5 of my 6 opponents were AG4 teams. Very hard work for Slann, they prefer easy meat like Orcs etc.
All the best.
The rules were TV110 plus SPP package, handicapped according to 2015 tourney rankings and also I think slightly by popularity. This looked to favour the Slann a bit, so I rocked up with one of my favourite teams, Pond Scum:
4 Catchers (Dodge+Guard, Dodge, -, -)
8 Linefrogs (4xWrestle)
5 RR
Apoth
Close to my perfect tournament roster (I would prefer 2xGuard, lol, but Dodge+Guard is quite good). 4xWrestle was a great luxury.
1st GAME: Beat Vampires 2-1 (CAS: 3-3). Received and scored. Got 2 excellent scoring chances on defense, both failed, but at least I got a shutout. HT:1-0. 2nd half: got 6 dice of sacks on the ball carrier, all failed. He had to score, then I managed to score on offense. A turn 16 scoring attempt (by me) failed (GFI: 1,1). At least 3 successful sacks during the match, but none converted into a score.
2nd GAME: Beat Pro-Elves 2-1 (CAS: 3-1). Kicked, failed to turn him over, he scored. With 5 turns to score on offense (and the ball in the hands of a rookie Linefrog), I struggled, due to the presence of Eldril. Eventually I lost my rag and took a risky surf attempt on him, it worked and he was CASd. The ball carrier was exposed, but I managed not to lose it. As my numbers advantage was increasing, I stalled and scored on turn 8. HT:1-1. Starting the 2nd half up 11 players to 8, I decided to stall, and managed to do so (not without mishap, i.e. sacks) for the win.
Note: this was the first time I have ever successfully stalled with Slann in any form of BB, and I managed to do it for 13 turns.
3rd GAME: Lost 1-3 to High Elves (CAS: 0-5). Whole match was in a blizzard, not good for Slann. Received, and my first D6 sequence of the match was: 2,1,2,1,1. This was one of my better dice sequences of the match, believe me. He got a turnover score. HT:0-1. Lost count of the double 1s I rolled. My TD was a consolation score at the end. Also my team was decimated, my opponent blocked well. I remember an attempted B/S pass into space which would likely have got me a turnover score (it failed).
4th GAME: Drew 2-2 with High Elves (CAS: 3-3). Received and scored, he scored back in return. HT:1-1. I sacked my opponent 3 times during the match, but each time I failed to get the ball away. Just when things were looking good, and I was all over the HEs like a bad rash, my opponent rolled 4 blocks and got 4 stuns. Eventually he scored what looked like the winner on turn 16. However, I got a riot, and managed an improbable "one-turner". No RR available. One of the jammiest TDs I have ever scored in a tournament. This was the 3rd riot of the match.
NOTE: I would point out that in the first 4 games I had not made a single turnover score (the normal stock-in-trade of Slann).
5th GAME: Beat Nurgle 2-1 (CAS: 0-2). Received, he got a Perfect Defense (a nightmare for me). I then rolled 1,3, skull, skull for a turnover. My deperate attempt on turn 2 to make a B/S pass into space failed when I rolled 1,1. The result was a turnover score to my opponent. However, I did just enough by pushing the opposing ball carrier into the End Zone on turn 6. This left me 2 turns to score on offense, which I improbably did (no RRs left IIRC). HT:1-1. In the 2nd half, I got a Blitz!, caught the ball, got sacked, a scramble ensued. I got the ball back, made another B/S pass to near the End Zone, I had been too greedy with the placement, the ball went out of bounds and scattered back. Another scramble ensued, with the Beast near the action. A jammy little Dodge Catcher escaped the Beast's Tentacles (9+) and ran the ball in for the winning TD. A tense 3 turn shutout followed (I sacked my opponent, but the ball scattered into the arms of a waiting Pestigor, I sacked him again on the last turn, my opponent couldn't quite manage to get at the loose ball on the last turn).
NOTE: Game 5 saw the first turnover score by the Slann in the tournament, which was far from orthodox (not to say jammy).
6th and last GAME: Beat Dark Elves 3-1 (CAS: 0-1). Received, scored in 3 turns IIRC. My opponent tried to stall, but eventually had to give this up (I think I sacked him a couple of times) and I "forced" him to score on turn 6. This was just enough for me to get a jammy 2-turn score on offense (1D blitz, pass to a Linefrog, hand-off to another Linefrog in a TZ, leap and GFI to the End Zone). HT:2-1. In the second half my opponent tried again to stall, but yet again I kept sacking him, so eventually he decided to score, passing to a Witch Elf in the End Zone. However, the Froggies' jam was still working, as she rolled a 1 and dropped the ball, it scattered back, and I had just enough movement to get the ball and pass it upfield to the waiting receiver and score.
NOTE: Game 6 saw only my second turnover score of the tournament. Even this one was not orthodox, as it came from a dropped catch rather than a sack. Note that the patiently waiting receiver had been waiting in the same spot (middle of the opponent's half) for 5 3/4 matches before receiving his only pass.
So, i had had a decent tournament, thanks to a combination of unorthodox (for Slann) play (e.g. stalling) and jam. The main thing I did right was to force my opponents to score when I could, allowing me a 2-turn score in reply (this happened twice, on one of these occasions I pushed my opponent into the end zone, it is the first time that trick has worked for me in a tourney - I rarely try it). Also, I hung in there in the (many) games when things were going pear-shaped, most games went to the death. You need a strong stomach to play Slann, they can roll a lot of "bad dice", you have to just suck it up and carry on regardless.
Imagine my surprise when I was handed the "calligraphy" (I get asked to write the names on winners certificates) to find that I had won the tournament! 4 wins, 1 draw (thanks to a riot) and 1 loss is not a great score (I have had 5 wins and 1 loss and come 3rd before), but it was enough this time. 2 coaches had finished on 3 wins and 3 draws, but a win and a loss counted for more than 2 draws, so I beat them fair and square (although I never played them!). I think there must have been a draw at the top table in the last round. Note that I would have easily lost any form of tie-break
NOTE: I played 4 out of 5 Elven teams at the tournament, and 5 of my 6 opponents were AG4 teams. Very hard work for Slann, they prefer easy meat like Orcs etc.
All the best.