Excerpt from the SSS: Sartosa Grog-Swillers @ Upside Down Shadows

6th Match:

Grog-Swillers Become Confused against the Upside Down Shadows at Preece Pack Dungeon Stadium

Written by Armando Blackquill

Avast mateys! We are now in the second half of the conference for our boys in Teal and I have to say that their performance on the pitch has been less than stellar. Management at Landlubbers Stadium have already made motions against Coach Coachem, telling him that if he doesn't at least get one win during the season, there will be repercussions once the League ends, to which our ex-Captain had only this as a reply: "But me boys crunch lots!". We can see that his heart is in the right place, but that still doesn't excuse the poor performance of the Grog-Swillers.

Still, it is clear that at least some of the training is paying off. Chugem, taking on from the late Smashem Bones (may he rest in peace), has learnt how to use his brute strength to break tackles, which should allow him to break open from markers much more reliably. As well as that, our runtpunter, Bootem Hy, has taken an active leadership position in the team, which will hopefully mean that our boys will be more likely to do what needs to be done (smash their opponents) and less likely to just stand around, dazed and confused. A new Ogre to replace Smashem was also hired, with Beatem Down joining the team.

This week, the Grog-Swillers will be going to Preece Pack Dungeon Stadium, that some say is in another, more hellish dimension (and no, we aren't talking about downtown Altdorf here), in order to face the Upside Down Shadows!

Upside Down Shadows: Analysis

The Upside Down Shadows have a long, storied and, quite frankly, weird history. Although they bill themselves as as Necromantic Horror team in the DBL register, they lean far more towards the latter part of that rather than the former. They hail from the Upsidedown, a shadowy mirror dimension, and have come to our dimension to strike fear into the hearts of all who value their souls (or win rates). Their stadium is known to suddenly shift into their hell dimension on a whim, and the proprietors claim no responsibility for any loss of life, limb or soul if that ends up happening.

In previous billings, they have played as a team billing themselves as Shambling Undead in the SBL, and even managed a respectable top of the table result at Thrud. For the DBL, however, they have fired their mummies and replaced them with Flesh Golems (although, to be frank, they look more like tentacles than flesh), and also hired the services of two ghosts and a couple of Demigorgons from the Upsidedown (who seem to play surprisingly similarly to a werewolf). Notable in their roster is Judge Jefferies, who previously haunted a hotel in Dorchester, as well as the Ghost of Olo Greenhand, who had previously played for the halfling pirate team the Brandy Buckoneers, having the notoriety of being killed in one of his first games on the pitch.

Within the DBL, the Upside Down Shadows have had a fairly solid start, starting with wins against the Van Killa Ice Ice Gobbos and S'Elf Flegellation, and losing against the Skolcrushers. Since then, they have only managed draws against Lil Creepers and Papa Pow, and they are clearly hoping to return to their winning streak soon.

Match Analysis

What goes for weather at Preece Pack Dungeon Stadium was apparently perfect for a game of Blood Bowl, even though it was pretty confusing for the weather mages to understand what was going on most of the time, due to the constantly shifting nature of the hell dimension. 

Karla had followed the Grog-Swillers from their last game, promising to help the struggling team to at least one win within the League, and it was clear that her help was going to be very helpful in the coming match up.

First Half

The ball is up in the air!

The Upside Down Shadows won the toss and elected to receive within the first half, hoping to grind down the Grog-Swillers and then hold them within the second half from scoring any touchdowns. The Ogres set up with a strong line of four players on the line of slaughter, with Karla and Bootem on the wings ready to protect either the center or the sidelines, as need be. The Upside Down Shadows set up to meet the challenge, packing the line of slaughter with most of their team in order to smash down the Ogres in front of them.

As soon as the ball was up in the air, Karla was quick on the draw, immediately blitzing one of the Demigorgons on the edges, although she only managed to push the horrid beast back. Still, she was now in position to support Gougem. Meanwhile, the Gnoblars swarmed forward, hoping to contest the ball. As soon as the ball touched the ground, the Upside Down Shadows started punching, clawing and biting, as was their wont, either pushing back or sending the ogres to the ground, and even managing to stun one of them with their first block. Kyle, one of the ghoul runners, then picked up the ball that had been kicked deep, and proceeded to move towards the safety of the front line. 

The Grog-Swillers reply was pretty standard, with Karla and the Ogres striking back, and the Gnoblars swarming forward in order to attempt to pressure the ball carrier. Bootem attempted to send one of the Gnoblars towards the ball carrier through the means of a kick, but only managed to knock out the little imp, who had to be carried to the dugouts.One of the Gnoblars, however, managed to mark the ball carrier, and while a melee developed on the front line, this plucky Gnoblar managed to tangle the feet of Kyle as he was dodging away, not only making him drop the ball, but also land badly, smashing his head into the ground and going limp, life leaving his body one final time.

Taking the opportunity, the Gnoblars swarmed the ball and started heading for the end-zone, and Karla disengaged to screen for them. Although the Ogres were taking some lumps, they were dealing them back. One of the Demigorgons managed to create a corridor to the Gnoblar ball-carrier and sent him flying, but Karla was quick to reply and Getdaball was able to pick up the ball and carry it to the end-zone, making the score 1-0 for the Grog-Swillers.

With quite some time left in the first half, the two teams set up once again, but this time the Upside Down Shadows were unable to pick up the ball, although they still managed to beat down some of the Ogres on the front line. With one of the Demigorgons picking up the ball at last, they moved to the front line, with the remaining Ghoul setting up as a scoring threat. Unfortunately, a whole swarm of Ghouls and Ogres screened Baby (the Ghoul), and with the time winding down, the Upside Down Shadows instead opted to smash down some of the Gnoblars while they could (and honestly, who can blame them?). With no scoring opportunities for either side, the whistle sounded for the end of the half.

Second Half

Karla with the ball, being screened!

With the score 0-1 for the Ogres, Coach Coachem had a very simple strategy for the second half: give the ball to Karla and protect her as much as possible for the entirety of the half. Before the kick-off even occurred, there was some confusion on the part of the timekeepers and the referee and before the half had even started, the clock had run down, something that ultimately benefitted the Ogres. With the kick going deep, the Grog-Swillers smashed the line of Zombies in front of them, while the Gnoblars screened the ball and Karla went for the pick up. Unable to hold the ball at first, the Upside Down Shadows infiltrated the Grog-Swillers line easily, putting pressure on the star player, while their Demigorgons beat down on the Ogres. Even though these demons had razer-sharp claws and fangs, they were somewhat unsuccessful throughout the game, failing to penetrate the thick armour of the Ogres and even when they did, merely stunning the big lads. 

Eventually Karla, with the encouragement of Coach Coachem, was able to pick up the ball and moved ahead to a more defensive position, being helped at the front by her Ogre team-mates, and being screened at the back by the Gnoblars. With so much strength holding the cage, and with no real motivation for the Grog-Swillers to move forward, time winded down as the Upside Down Shadows attempted to bust up the cage, with several good attempts but no managing to threaten Karla herself. 

Another, more personal bout was happening on of the sidelines, as one of the especially skilled Demigorgons squared up against Grindem Tudust, almost driving him to the sidelines and off the pitch, even despite the strength disparity. Fortunately, Grindem was able to extricate himself through the application of a swift punch that sent the Demigorgon to the ground.

Meanwhile, the cage was eventually shown to be a bit too vulnerable, especially with only Gnoblars protecting the back, and Karla moved to the side, protected by Grindem and followed by a gaggle of Gnoblars. Although unable to push ahead for another score, Karla kept the ball throughout and with Baby marked, the only scoring threat for the Upside Down Shadows, it was not possible for the Undead team to both blitz Karla and also hand off the ball to Baby, and the whistle was blown to end the half, securing a victory for the Grog-Swillers.

Post-Match Analysis

Finally a victory for the Grog-Swillers, their first in the DBL both for the team and its coach. It is clear that Karla was a key lynchpin in securing the win, both with her screening of the Gnoblars during the first half, as well as being a solid ball-carrier in the second half. Although the team was overtly cautious in the second half, in the end it proved a solid tactic, although one that won't always be available, since Karla is not going to be a regular fixture on the team roster. The Upside Down Shadows were also unlucky to lose one of their star Ghouls in the first half as well, and unfortunately for them, that set their momentum for the rest of the game. With this victory, there is still a chance, however slim, that our boys in Teal will make the playoffs as well!