Fumbbl Cup

[sann0638]

'Tis the season for large tournaments - as well as the NAF World Cup in a couple of weeks, the Fumbbl Cup has just kicked off online. This has over 300 teams in a straight knock out competition.

Worth having a look:
http://www.fumbbl.com/FUMBBL.php?page=g ... &group=195

There are TVs from 1000 to 3000 at least, so could be some interesting matchups.

My 1700 Amazons have got some 1950 Dwarves in the first round, so will be looking at a wizard and a couple of babes.

Mike

[Oly1987]

Best of luck to you, couldn't really be a worse match up for you first round. Saying that there has been a couple of upsets already so your match will be an interesting one to watch.

[spubbbba]

mattgslater and I have been drawn to face each other in round 1.

I hardly play non-league games on FUMBBL anymore but have dusted off my old High Elf team for the big cup as it’s always exciting.

We are due to play Sunday at 19:30 UK time.

Should be an interesting game as his Orcs have almost as much dodge as me, an AG4 thrower and a couple of players with SS to my none.. But they have less block, no DP, only 1 MB (same as me) and I think 5 guards to my 2.

My team was built for LRB4 and I haven’t used them in the new system so they are a bit bloated with 5 re-rolls and high FF, so give away 350K in inducements.

Links to the teams can be seen here.

[garion]

are we taking predictions....

if so. I predict a very very long game resulting in a 2-1 win decided by the overtime coin toss.

Hehe, I was right, a 2-1 win decided in overtime, and a very very long game 3 hours + I believe

[Thadrin]

Only play league. The games are drawing big crowds it seems.
Watched an extremely arrogant dick of a player CLAPOMBing his way to victory.
Watched the world's slowest player lose because the thinking time didn't help.
Now watching some elves get completely diced by some Skaven.

I might have considered taking part if I played anything other than [L] these days. Only play [R] vs mates who happen to be on when I am. For some reason I never seem to get matched up the rare occasions I decide to enter the Box. Should really try again at some stage I suppose.

[EpicFale]

Only received 1 CAS (-AV on a rookie longbeard) vs a team with 3 cpomb. Next round probably against necro.
Looking good for my dwarfs!

Woodstock

[sann0638]

Well, I got walloped! Highlights included using my wizard to open up a channel to the ball carrier, only for my chainsaw to fail the GFI and loner to hit him

Oh yes, and I lost 4 players in the first two turns. Bad times.

[Ullis]

I never would've guessed spectating computer games would be so exciting as for big tournament games on Fumbbl! I saw Morgnthorg with the ball, surrounded by dark elves, fail a 3 dice block to blitz himself free on turn 8, wasting a reroll on loner. After the failed blitz the ogre dodged to the end zone (5+, 4+ and 3+), equalised to 1-1 and took the game to overtime.

[Hitonagashi]

I've ground my way through 2 rounds so far with my Lustrian Lanterns (2100 TV lizardmen with 7 blodge), taking out an equal TV CD and a 1700 TV chaos team.

Now however, things get fun, probably having Phoenixx's killer chaos dwarves the round after, and if I get past that, the mighty Chuck Vs Bloodbowl, tipped by many as tournament favourites awaits....

[mattgslater]

Still alive. Bummer that I had to KO Spubbbba, though. Better luck next tourney, man! That elf team will be pretty solid in 10 games.

Wish me luck, guys! Tomorrow at 11, I have a mirror-match!

Golgoth is a lot like RidF, with a little less development, a somewhat deeper bench, and a Bloodweiser Babe.

You can always predict a slow match when RidF plays.
1) I'm slow. I know it, I'm really honestly trying to get faster, but it's still true.
2) I play control games. I don't like PO, so I don't deal a lot of Cas per block, but I still do serious damage because I block so much. This is slow.
3) It's harder to game against overblocking control teams. It takes more thinking every turn, because you have to work out a strategy based on a lot of variables. Since I bash for position rather than damage, my opponents get more actions than they do vs comparably successful bashers.

Tomorrow in particular, my opponent (Oazard) is also both good and slow, and has a very similar team to mine. Expect a long but exciting game, much like the last one, but maybe not with so much scoring. I'm hoping for a 2-0 win; my best plausible outcome is a defensive takeaway, either for 1-0 at the half or for two scores. He's got two more MB than me, I've got two more Guard than him. He's got two Dodge and one Tackle, I've got six and two, but he's got a ST point (or 2 if a guy goes down), some AV, a reserve, and a Babe on me. I have a Thower with AG4, he doesn't have either asset, let alone both stacking together. My guys will be in their blue "away" unis; Oazard's Frog buddies will be there to cheer his side on, so any support from the TFF (and/or USA) crowd would be great.

My team is a little more developed, his has a better record, both of us have comparable CR (before the new CR calcs somehow stopped counting all his games, he was 162). I'm a little more versed in the new rules and have a better record overall, but I don't think either of those factors is very meaningful; in fact, the time of the match might favor me more than those factors do, as his 9pm is my 1pm.

The way I see it, the matchup is best illustrated by looking at player #7 on each roster.

I've watched about a dozen of his games, including most of his current team's matches and all his LRB6 games (mostly with Humans). I've got a good handle on his tendencies and come up with counters for his various defensive structures. I don't think he's ever seen anything like RidF's new defense, and even if he's as much of a film student as I, I'm not sure it's much of a preparation.

What I've learned of his play:

1) He's best (by far) with interior defenses. I'm best (by far) against interior defenses. This will be strength-vs-strength.

2) He still fouls too much. This concerns me slightly, because I'll have to field a Goblin all the time. I'm going to have to get somebody out in the first half, and vs all-AV9 with only one MB, that might not be easy. I'll foul with my Goblin any time I can get 4+ assists.

3) He plays as hard as I do, and tends to pour it on down the stretch. I've got to get a handle on him in the positioning game, and if I don't get any key breaks I may be in trouble. I think I can stuff him on defense, so I'm not afraid of scoring on offense and setting up again, if there's not more than 4 or 5 turns to go.

The winner of this matchup will get to face a Nurgle team, Nekran's Naughty Nurses. They've won twice as underdogs, both RidF and Golgoth won as 'dogs, and the team they beat won their match as 'dogs. This game, I'm hoping to turn the tables and win as the favorite (80K), then come out and win as a slight 'dog (Wizard = consolation for not getting any skills; if I do get skills, I may hire bodies). I feel good about my odds in both games, though I have to say Oazard has said he feels the same way. We can't both be right; we'll find out tomorrow at 2100 GMT if the problem is bad escargot or if my cherimoyas have fermented on me.

[WhatBall]

Good luck in your match Matt.

I will admit I was one of those using /crickets while watching your 3 hour marathon with Spubbbba, but the fact is, I did watch it. It was a great game tactically to watch.

[mattski]

I've watched some really fun games in X but I am wondering if the tourney doesn't highlight some of the fundamental issues with the game in that caging and clawpomb are simply so dominant as styles of play that I wonder if eventually they won't be the only types of teams left??

Some really thrilling stuff though (agreed with the above comment above that I never thought that I would say that about speccing a game online!) and if nothing else we are seeing that the underdogs can still be competitive with inducements. Some scary teams left though it has to be said.

Good luck to you all.

[IronAge_Man]

I've watched some really fun games in X but I am wondering if the tourney doesn't highlight some of the fundamental issues with the game in that caging and clawpomb are simply so dominant as styles of play that I wonder if eventually they won't be the only types of teams left??.

Once skilled, the Elves & Skaven are pretty unstoppable too. The teams that struggle are the hybrid teams - Undead of various hues, Lizardmen, Humans etc. - if you look at FUMBBL Major history, you'll see it was the specialists that have always dominated: http://fumbbl.com/help:FUMBBL+Major+Tournament+Winners

[mattgslater]

Good luck in your match Matt.

I will admit I was one of those using /crickets while watching your 3 hour marathon with Spubbbba, but the fact is, I did watch it. It was a great game tactically to watch.

Thanks. That means a lot to me, coming from one of the great masters of tactical BB. I've spent hours speccing your replays, and they're very impressive, almost like a hybrid of the best traits of Joemanji and PurpleChest.

It was a fun game. Spubba is brilliant, and I can only hope one day to emulate his consistency. Something in my brain really luvz chainpushes, and winning a game like that on a play like that is something I don't think I'll ever forget.

I'm starting to think that big underdogs have an advantage, once they've got a few games under their belt. Little underdogs, T3 teams, and rookie teams are at a disadvantage, maybe. But once you've got the core skills, medium/big inducement value (150k+, sometimes 100k+) pulls its weight nicely. I think for a lot of 1600k teams, it's easier to play a 2500k opponent than a 1700k opponent.

[mattgslater]

I've watched some really fun games in X but I am wondering if the tourney doesn't highlight some of the fundamental issues with the game in that caging and clawpomb are simply so dominant as styles of play that I wonder if eventually they won't be the only types of teams left??

Some really thrilling stuff though (agreed with the above comment above that I never thought that I would say that about speccing a game online!) and if nothing else we are seeing that the underdogs can still be competitive with inducements. Some scary teams left though it has to be said.

Good luck to you all.

Yeah, I'm kind of bummed out about the teams I'm going to have to get through to get to the top 16. I like those plucky underdogs, especially Ranked teams, and my next two victi... er, opponents, are both in that mold, as was Spubb. If I beat them, I'll face either a 2100 solid-looking, more mobile-than-average Finnish School Chaos team with no PO but 3x ClawMB+Tackle, or the winner of two huge [R] bog teams: Sigmar1's kind of boutiquey 2600 Chaos or Toriel's shockingly tight 2400 Orcs with way too much Tackle for my liking. So, it'll be two games at my own TV, then two games as a huge 'dog, all against superheavy bash.

No worries. I'm in it to win it, and in a 322-team elimination tournament, 321 coaches gonna come away disappointed. Better that they go down to a Ranked team like me, right?