Grudge Match

I picked up the wood elves set for Blitz Bowl (technically, it's for Blood Bowl, but the two games use the same miniatures) to see how a pass-focused team plays in comparison to the versatile humans and the run-based dwarves. In today's game, Matthew elected to play the elves, and Nathaniel claimed the dwarves. Although Matthew scored a pretty touchdown in the early going, the dwarves soon caught up and began to grind out points on challenge cards. The game ended with a 14-8 triumph for the dwarves, and in observing the action I learned a great deal that I'll be able to apply to my league once I get through my hockey playoffs.

Touchdown!

Is it just me, or does it seem like every NFL game reaches a point in the fourth quarter after which defenses evaporate and the teams keep trading scores until the clock runs out? Nathaniel and I got to experience that phenomenon today in our first-ever game of Blitz Bowl. 

I've been waiting for the latest edition of this slimmed-down version of Games Workshop's celebrated Blood Bowl to be released, but with Amy and Matthew enjoying the gifts of Grandfather Nurgle, today seemed as good a day as any to drive up to our semi-local Barnes & Noble and pick up a copy of the soon-to-be-obsolete current edition. This boxed set includes models for humans and dwarves, but also game stats for all the other factions. I'll see if I can pick up the models for another team or two and create my own solo-play league, like with my historical Strat-O-Matic stuff. 

First, of course, I needed to learn how to play the game. Nathaniel and I worked our way through the "drills" that teach the basics of the rules, and then we jumped into our first match. He opted for the fleet-footed humans, leaving me the slow but solid dwarves. I jumped out to an early 6-0 lead after completing some objective cards (one or two points each) and scoring the game's first touchdown (three points). Nathaniel fought his way back and we were running neck-and-neck as time (measured by the deck of objective cards) was running out. Nathaniel pulled into the lead at 12-10. On my penultimate turn, one of my lumbering linemen managed to pick up the ball at midfield and went rumbling, bumbling, stumbling toward the end zone. Nathaniel deployed his forces for a goal-line stand, but, on my last turn, this surprisingly balletic bruiser managed to spin away from the defenders and leap into the end zone. I scored three for the touchdown and another point for completing an objective, so that put me in front 14-12. Nathaniel had just one last turn and needed a touchdown to win or two points' worth of objectives to tie. With half my team off the pitch due to injury, there was a lot of open space for the ol' two-minute drill. Nathaniel managed to run the ball, hand off to another player, and then run again into the end zone on the very last action of his final turn. With that buzzer-beater, the humans came out on top by a 15-14 margin!

New GW Board Games

Games Workshop just announced a ton of new board games. Check out the full list here. I'm going to tag Blitz Bowl (a streamlined version of Blood Bowl) and Space Marine Adventures (a cooperative 40k board game) to remember to check back for them in a few months!

(War)hammer Time

I guess all this time spent playing Blood Bowl and Space Wolf on my tablet has given me a hankering to try 40k again. I've ordered the most recent starter set -- apparently this version, Battle for Vedros, includes simplified rules that I might now have the patience to learn.

Worlds of Warhammer

I've been looking around lately for good mobile games (I ain't got one of them fancy-dancy console game systems) to tide me over until the sequel to Injustice comes out later this year, and I've stumbled upon a couple of Games Workshop gems: Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf, a turn-based game of Space Marines tactical action, and Blood Bowl: Kerrunch, a game of fantastical football-themed combat and part of GW's long series of Blood Bowl titles. Both are free and highly recommended!