Blood Bowl match report: Only Fangs versus Nuffle's Numberous Nurglings

 After moving the date three times, we finally got to play this match in the final weeks of the qualifying period.  

  

As I would be going to the QF's just by showing up, I get to play know to determine my starting position and potential opponent in those.

 

And if all goes well, assassinate some key pieces of other qualifiers before they start, if I can keep my own team in a good condition.  To that end, as I faced a heap of nurglings with a lot of high strength reinforcements due to a MILLION in petty cash, I brought along some friends of my own.  

 

Or I would have, hadn't I pushed accept to fast on the TourPlay app, so no Grashnak Blackhoof for my needed muscle.  He on the other hand took, hold your breath: 3 Prayers to Nuffle, Team Mascot, Bribe, Rioutous Rookies, Dodgy League Rep, Morg N Thorg and Kreer Rustgouger.  So that would mean four S5, a S6 and a S7 on the opposing side, ouch...

 

Now, the question would be, who would transmit the most diseases, Nurgle or Slaanesh? 

 

Unfazed, I decided to meet this collection of big baddies head on though on the line of scrimmage, and of course the ball scattered to the worst possible place to start a game...

 

The fanatical ratogre started bashing left and right, while snotlings tried to make fouls and escaped the scrutiny of my referee.  But the first casualty fell from my side, as Val Steele badly hurt his Stilty Runna.

 

 

As I went to collect the ball in the far corner, the line of scrimmage kept turning out to be a pushing to and for of big guys and heavy armoured ladies.

Sabrina Sabok added another notch to her casualty list, with a snotling being pummeled of the field by a well placed heel to it's tiny appendage, doubling the little guy over moaning.

Soon after, Tanya Virago followed suit on another snotling, and the point for 3 casualties caused at least was already secured by turn 3. 

  

What then followed was a hilarious situation.  His bombardier tossed a bomb to my ball carrier, who caught it only to throw it back.  But his pump wagon intercepted this, and his return throw knocked over my ball carrier instead.

 

Shortly after, Sabien DeMonia intercepted another bomb, tossing it amongst his players and injuring a snotling lineman in the proceeding explosion.  And more importantly, it knocked the rat ogre unconscious.

  

A bit later, Sofi VonDoom tried to foul another of his big ones, but his bribed referee was way more at the lesson, and she was duly sent off by him.  But she did take out Mogg 'N Thorg, forcing his apothecary's hand.

 

A late break out of the snotlings was however thwarted, as I managed to take the little runner to the KO box right before the end zone after some dodging plays to blitz him. 

 

The half ended with Katty West injuring yet another snotling, but in all honesty to much of those little buggers kept surviving, I had hoped to have 6 or 7 down by now but I needed to add to much assists to keep the big guys and the star players in check.

 

The second half started with more tug of war around the middle line, my girls going all in on the line once again.

 

Morg 'N Thorg seemed to kill one of my ladies, but the apothecary luckily intervened and saved her from harm.

 

But it was not to be, as not much later one of his Pump Wagons rode over Raven Black, and the fiery vixen remained motionless on the pitch.  That's two casualty rolls he made over the whole game, and both resulted in a killed result, hmmmm... snotling sneaky trickery going on here?

 

As the game kept going up and down without any break outs and some fouls left and right, Sabrina Sabok badly injured another snotling in the final closings of the half to help her in her quest for most casualties.  

 

But alas, one of the snotlings managed to get through in these closing stages, as I started running out of bodies to stop the twitchy creature, snatching a last turn victory for the snotlings.

 

As I did last match against the vampires, now it was the snotlings that dealt me this closing stage loss, but in the end I can't complain.  Sure, with block and tackle I lost a good piece with Raven Black, but this could have ended much worse with all the big guys.

 

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For her role in bashing and trashing it out in the middle of the field, Kleio Valentien was elected MVP by our fans, bravely standing up against all those higher strengthened monstrosities that they brought.

 

So still, 2 points, but no skills gained this match.  Raven Black was replaced by Siri Dahl, who will bring rookie enthousiasm to the team right before the quarter finals.  And to be honest, it looks like the QF might be the hardest huddle to take on the road to eternal exstacy though.

 

But first, we have a final game to close the league phase coming up next friday normally, which is against the other, and higher ranked, Vampire team with it's two monsters of Vampire runners.  That will be a very hard game to bring to a success, but if we can hold the line and sneak through once or twice... maybe a dodging passing approach might be an option to consider for that game instead of my usual "grind down in the first half" approach...

 

We'll see how it'll go! 

Howl's Moving Castle

 So here we are, after taking care for Noshi who was sick for a week, followed by Thorin who then fell seriously ill for a week, it is my turn to probably spend a whole weekend in bed with a fever and a raw throat.

 

So okay then, let's watch anime and catch up on some Studio Ghibli movies that for some reason slipped through the maze's holes so far.

 

And let's start with the acclaimed anti-war epos, Howl's Moving Castle, which it's creator made out of protest to the american invasion of Iraq back in 2003.  Set in an alternative nation around the early 20th century, Sophie lives in a quiet nation that has come under the thread of war with a neighbouring nation.  When one night she meets the Witch of the Wastes, she is cursed to become an old woman and not tell anyone about it.  She sets out in the wild to find Howl, a famous wizard, and is taken aboard his moving castle by Calcifer, a fire demon, and his assitant Markl as a cleaning lady.

 

Meeting also a living scarecrow along the way she calls Turnip Head, she becomes a voice of reason and point of support for the inhabitants of the magical place, while trying to help Howl and his connection with Calcifer, while trying to stop the war.  When she learns of his past, she also learns how it is all connected and she can break both his and her curse as a result.  The war is ended due to the scarecrow turning out to be a missing prince of the other nation, and while a new conflict brews, Howl, Sophie and the others fly off towards better places.

 

Apart from it's obvious message, it also carries a sort of "reversed Beauty and the Beast" vibe with it, but with the same conclusion that love will bring rescue in the end for the two tragic lovers.  It is a great film, and to be honest, while I still think Totoro the best Ghibli film out there, it sure ranks highly in my favorites list.

 

So yes, go for some great family movie entertainment and watch this film, it's even on Netflix overhere. 

Sparks of Tomorrow

 When Kyoto Animation creates something, you just pause what you are doing and sit down, because they have really taken animation to an art form.

 

And with Sparks of Tomorrow (available on Netflix), a new visual masterpiece has been made. 

 

Taling place at the very beginning of the 19th century, in an alternate version of Japan, technological advancements have been slowed by reliance on steam engine technolgies instead, and the resulting smog.  A young man named Kihachi however wants to change this, as he follows the dreams of his deceased elder brother and bring the miracle of electricity to Japan.  

 

He meets Inako, the daughter of a sake brewer who is about to enter an arranged marriage with Yosuke, an engineer versed in steam power.  Together, they set out to complete the Electric Catalogue, a book his brother made with all diagrams to generate electric power.  As they find the missing half of the book, Kihachi starts creating the devices, to the dismay of Yosuke.  A former comrade in arms to Kihahchi's brother, he has made a steamdoll resembling him in his memory, and wants to make an electric brain to bring him back in a certain way...

 

So visually this was a fantastic anime, though storywise and such it was at time to chaotic, which is a shame as this could have been really high in the "ever rankings of anime".  Now, it stays (far) above mediocre, but it just didn't make that last step to greatness, think of it in age of tier lists as an A-tier anime, but falling short of S-tier.

 

Still, definitly worth watching on Netflix, it is one of the better originals they have on there! 

Smoking behind the Supermarket with You

 Sometimes, an anime doesn't need something spectacular to happen, or teary eyed stories and pasts, just to be good.

 

And that is the case with this series, which is basically about two employed people having a smoke together.  And nothing more.

 

Sasaki is your typical japanese overworked salaryman, who finds some relaxation in shopping at the local supermarket and seeing the smile of the cashier, Yamada.  One day, he goes for a smoke after Yamada's shift apparently already ended, and meets a rock and roll girl called Tayama.  This is actually Yamada, who develops a one sided crush at Sasaki.  Sasaki on the other hand neither picks up her crush, nor the fact she is actually Yamada...

 

A friendship springs between the two, as Sasaki and Tamaya bring smiles to each others faces after busy working days, while enjoying a smoke together.  At times, Tamaya comes close to being discovered for who she is, but gets away with it at the knick of time.  But for the most part, this is just a warming tale about some genuine friendship between two people, and me now wanting to start reading the manga to see how the story develops...

 

Because yes, I love my innocent stories at times between all the high action series out there, for that little peace of pace and sitting back watching and relaxing.  

 

And so should you, so go check out this series as soon as possible! 

The Haul Report 444

 Time for another Haul report update, and it's a lot about TCG's still.

 

More precisely, the games I am focussing a lot on to complete master sets, and as such look for promo cards and the likes.

 

 

And the first things I got, where some Participation Packs for the Gundam TCG, to hopefully get some holes already filled in in the binders.

 

 

But that is not the only things I got for this TCG series, as you can see above, including a booster box and all.

 

 

Now, I am a sucker in TCG's for deckboxes, sleeves and playmats, and I got a couple of each of those.  Strolling through Vinted during nightly hours isn't to great for the piles on that part, but at least these don't go on the pile of things I still need to paint. 

 

 

As well as the necessary binders to prepare all the spots for completing sets in Weiss Schwarz and the Gundam TCG. 

 

Talking Weiss Schwarz, I grabbed a few boosters for series I try to complete, as they aren't that easy to come by overhere. As well as a big lot of Quintuplets cards to sort through and see which ones I didn't have yet for my collection.

 

 

 

 

I also picked up quite a few bulk amounts to up the numbers of my Cardmarket account, as I'm planning on starting to chase my Weiss Schwartz missing cards in earnest next year, spending the many euro's for the stamped cards by flipping bulk. 

 

 

However, not everything was TCG this period, as I obtained some of the new Efteling Droomvlucht blind bag pins as well, together with their just recently released hotel series. 

 

As well as a boardgame from one of my all time favorite anime / manga series... 

 

The final pick up was a bit of an essential, a new tripod for my cellphone as the old one broke ages ago. 

 

So quite a big and hefty haul for certain, now to get everything online for the cards so we can start building up the collection of Weiss Schwarz and such with the returns of the bulk cards!