Review of the Season

Well - that's all ten games of CBBBL V played for Khorne's Killers and I'm quite pleased with how they did.  As I mentioned in my first post, my main aim was to try to be the highest ranked Chaos team and I've done that - and only narrowly missed out on a top-four play-off place while I was at it.

The hardest thing about playing a Chaos team made up of just beastmen and a minotaur is that they're just not that tough.  I've suffered four dead beastman and another than I had to sack as he got a -1 ST injury.  The early games in the season saw me having to field loads of journeymen because of this.  The reason so many beastman had to die is that I had to save my apothecary and keep him in case the minotaur got injured.  If anything happened to him, I'd be fielding a team just linemen.  It did pay off in the end though as I had enough spare funds at the start to buy four rerolls which have been essential with a minotaur on the field.  He has had  good days and bad days - sometimes he got knocked out and spent most of the game recovering whilst other times he has reaped a bloody harvest, most notably when he killed two wood elves in the same game.  He's been such an important player for me this season that he deserves the "player of the season" award - and as he's killed more players in the CBBBL than anyone else he can have MVP too.

So - what's next for Khorne's Killers?

The Chaos players in the league thought it would be fun to have our own play-off to really decided who is the best Chaos team - our own mini-Chaos Cup if you will.  So in November I'll have at least one more game to play against one of the other Chaos teams - and hopefully I'll win that to get through to the final.  We will be following the CBBBL V play-off rules for this; after the ten games of the CBBBL league is played, you can spend your treasury money on hiring new players or buy team goods and then your team is locked.  The play-off games are played like a tournament - injuries will not carry over and you can go to overtime to get a winner.  In preparation for this, I had 300K in my treasury to spend - so I have broken with the team's starting ethos and purchased three chaos warriors.  If nothing else, they will for a nice solid line of scrimmage for my beastman and minotaur to hide behind.

I will post up a report after the first play-off game...

Chaos teams in CBBBL V :

1) Khorne's Killers - 22 points
2) The Pink Horrors! - 18 points
3) The Slaves to Pleasure - 15 points
4) Lashor Devastation - 7 points

Game 10 vs Dwarfs

Alister before the kick-off

Last game of the season.  They just had to survive one more game and their season would be ended. Khorne's Killers had started the CBBBL with very few thoughts of anything other than trying to kill and maim as many opponents as they could but, along the journey, they had turned into a fairly decent Blood Bowl team.  This was their final test though - travelling to battle against another Dwarf team, albeit one without any minotaurs...

The Killers arrived at the Netherdome, a curiously constructed twin-domed stadium with an entrance neatly in the middle of the two hemispheres.  It was obviously a masterpiece of Dwarven workmanship but it looked exactly like a big arse.  The home team were the Nether Region Ravagers, a fairly new team to the CBBBL but they were still Dwarfs - rock solid and packing a punch like a headbut from a charging billy goat.  Thankfully for the Killers their team was entirely made up of charging billy goats so they were hopeful they could do well.

The day was hot and steamy as the had Dwarfs refused to open the stadium roof and a lot of the players were looking ropey as the game commenced.  They would never last the whole game in this heat, but the teams got underway with full lineups as the ball was kicked off.  The Killers received and did their best to try to break through the Dwarf lines but a blitzing Trollslayer laid out the ball carrier and the Dwarfs stopped the Chaos players drive.  The Khorne team did their best to surround the Dwarfs and get the ball back but the game descended into a toe-to-toe punch up, both sides seeing linemen too injured to continue.  The Killers' minotaur enjoyed himself by goring a journeyman Dwarf blocker to death and then waved the still-twitching corpse at the jealous Trollslayers to tease them.  The half ended with the score tied at 0-0.

At half-time the sweltering heat took its toll on both teams with the Dwarfs only being able to get six players back onto the pitch for the second-half, the Killers also losing players but less than the Dwarfs who had already suffered some injuries.  The roof of the Netherdome was finally opened to allow the heat to escape - but the bright sun outside was blinding - no-one would be trying to pass the ball now...  With just six players on the field, the Ravagers did their best to cage the ball-carrier but there were just too many beastmen for them to take on.  One by one the Dwarfs were bludgeoned to the floor or pushed into the crowd and the Killers soon had control of the ball and slowly walked it down the pitch.  They strolled over the touchline as the final whistle blew.

It was a tough game for the Ravagers but the only serious injury done to their players was to a journeyman so they chalked the game up to experience.

For the Killers though, they had won their seventh game of the season and gotten within a hair's breadth of qualifying for the CBBBL playoffs.  They had done Khorne proud and were looking forward to retiring after their final game.  Khorne had other ideas for them though...

Final score 1-0 win.

Rosters:

Killers : 1 minotaur, 11 beastmen, 4 rerolls

Opponent : 2 runners, 2 blitzers, 2 troll slayers, 3 blockers, 2 journeymen, 3 rerolls, 1 wizard, 1 travelling apothecary, 1 bloodweiser babe

Game 9 vs Chaos Dwarfs

Rodders - a tough opponent!

“Hang on a minute – didn’t we play these blokes last week?” complained the players.  Khorne’s Killers were still travelling in the Dark Lands and had been scheduled against another Chaos Dwarf team.  Neither the minotaur or any of the beastmen were happy about it – the evil dwarfs were surprisingly spiky and their beards smelt funny.  Even more worrying than the grooming habits of the followers of Hashut; there was another minotaur on the field.  They would have to trust to Khorne and let the blood flow where it would.

This was a far different game from the previous match.  The ball surged one way and another and most players ended up prone or stunned at some point.  It was the Dawii Zharr Rockets who were the first to draw blood – a punishing blow from a bull centaur killed the Killers’ kicker.  As he lay struggling to breathe, he beckoned the team’s apothecary hoping to be saved.  The medic just shook his head, pointed to himself and then to the Killers minotaur – he was the personal physician of the big cow and everyone else was destined for the post-game BBQ…  As they first half concluded, the Rockets had scored (a quite unusual touchdown as it was a blocker who’d trundled in to score).

The second half kicked off and the Killers fell to pieces immediately.  The minotaur had aimed himself towards his counterpart on the Rockets team but got himself into such a rage that he lost control and just trembled in anger and frothed at the mouth.  This left the Chaos Dwarfs an easy chance at surging into their opponents half and, before long, they had scored again, this time by one of the bull centaurs.

Knowing they were doomed to lose the game with such little time remaining, the Khorne team focussed on punching opponents really hard – and it paid off when a bull centaur was killed.  Too busy celebrating the slaughter, they failed to notice the Rocket’s apothecary pull out a resurrection scroll and in seconds the fallen player was on the sidelines waiting to get back into action.  With the reduced number of evil dwarfs on the field, the Killers managed to get the ball into their opponents half and, somehow, scored – merely a consolation goal though.

The Rockets finished the game in a fine show of brutality but to no real end as they caused no further injuries.  They had been the better team and deserved their win.

As the Killers limped back to their ship they swore never to come to the Dark Lands again.  There were no skulls for Khorne here.  Only hair gel and smelly chainmail underwear…

Final score 2-1 loss.

Rosters:

Killers : 1 minotaur, 11 beastmen, 4 rerolls, 1 babe

Opponent : 1 minotaur, 2 bull centaurs, 6 chaos dwarfs, 2 hobgoblins, 3 rerolls

Game 8 vs Chaos Dwarfs

My mate Barry - very decent chap indeed

The Killers sailed deep into the Dark Lands to the stadium of the Forge of Vulcan, a Chaos Dwarf team with a cunningly named stadium of “Vulcan’s Forge”.  Still fairly new to the CBBBL, the Forge were only in their second game of their season whilst the Killers were now well used to the rigours of Blood Bowl and were hoping to do well.  A huge crowd had followed the Khornate team and crammed themselves into the already packed stadium which gave the game the honour of having the highest number of fans of the CBBBL so far – over thirty-nine thousand supporters watched the match.

Those vast number of supporters were hoping to see an amazing game – but they were, unfortunately, very much disappointed.  The only significant theme throughout the entire first half was a distinct lack of both casualties and touchdowns.  At half time, both team coaches had severe words with their players and they emerged for the second half looking more composed.  The Killers started playing like they used to, causing a casualty on a hobgoblin and scoring whilst trying to avoid the lightning bolts being thrown by the Chaos Dwarf sorcerer.

As the teams reset, the Chaos Dwarf team surged down the field towards the Killers end-zone and were looking confident of getting a touchdown to equalise.  It was then that the Chaos team’s ship signalled an alarm – they had received a message that the Killers’ home stadium was under attack by barbarians and they needed to head back immediately to defend their territory.  As the Killers were running from the field to their ship, the Chaos team’s coach shook the hand of the Chaos Dwarf coach and conceded – only  to be told that the Chaos Dwarfs would not accept a win by concession and that the game be recorded as a draw.  They would meet again in another league and play again...

Final score 1 -1 draw.

Rosters:

Killers : 1 minotaur, 11 beastmen, 4 rerolls.

Opponent : 2 bull centaurs, 4 chaos dwarfs, 7 hobgoblins, 3 rerolls,  1 wizard, 1 extra reroll

Game 7 vs Wood Elves

Andy with his dice cup

The Northwind Walkers were the rather nervous looking visitors to the Killerdome in their game against Khorne’s Killers.  Coach Pringlefister had spent long hours on extra training for the Wood Elves and they looked match fit, lean and hungry for action.  The Killers coach had not fed them for three days so they just looked hungry…

Pringlefister had a dirty trick stored for dealing with the Killer’s minotaur.  He had purchased a Witch’s Brew and managed to spiked the beast’s Kroxorade bottle with it before the match.  You never quite know what’s going to happen when dealing with witches but, as the minotaur ambled out on the field, the Elf coach could see the desired effect had taken place – the big cow was dozy from being sedated.

Winning the kick off, the Chaos team set upon their woodland enemies with gusto.  A hapless line elf was knocked out in the first few seconds and this flurry of violence sparked the minotaur into action.  Bursting towards the Wood Elves’ treeman, the poor ent was hacked to the pitch and injured.  Even the assistance of the tree surgeon couldn’t get him back into the game.  The minotaur seemed pleased with himself despite spending the rest of the game trying to tweeze splinters out of his muzzle.

Despite the loss of their woody team-mate, the elves were determined to break the chaos team’s hold on the ball.  Their star wardancer leapt into the middle of a scrum and stripped the ball out of the grip of the goatman holding it.  This proved to be the tactic of the Wood Elves throughout the first half – the beastmen would cage with the ball and the wardancer would lithely dance into the middle of them and slap it out of their fingers.  Finally having enough of this, the chaos team decided to focus on taking out the vexing wardancers.  First the star dancer was pummelled unconscious and then the second was bludgeoned to the floor.  The beastmen surrounded him and soon a loud crack echoed around the stadium as a cloven hoof snapped his neck, killing him instantly.  Humbled by the violence and their reduced numbers, the elves were in no situation to stop the Killers from scoring.  As the first half was drawing to a close, the Wood Elves had just six players left on the field but even then looked capable of scoring.  Only an unfortunate trip by the remaining wardancer stopped them from equalising.

For the second half of the game, the Wood Elves were still left with only six players on the field and they again did all they could to get a touchdown.  Seemingly protected, the sole wardancer was within scoring distance – only for him to be blitzed back into unconsciousness by a charging beastman.  The ball scattered loose and the Killers protected the ball whilst ensuring the elves were unable to move without being flanked by a hulking goat.  Now reduced to a handful of players, Pringlefister’s efforts with the extra team training seemed pointless as they had no way of fighting back.  The Killers grabbed the ball and marched up the field, scoring again just as the final whistle blew.

The Killers had won 2-0 but Khorne was more pleased with the two deaths that they had caused.  Blood for the Blood God – especially if it’s come from a Wood Elf…

Final score 2 - 0 win.

Rosters:
Killers : 1 minotaur, 11 beastmen, 4 rerolls.
Opponent : 1 treeman, 2 wardancers, 1 thrower, 7 linemen, 2 rerolls

Turn 1 carnage

Game 6 vs Orcs

Alex ready for kick off

Khorne’s Killers arrived at Killa Park ready for their next game in the CBBBL.  Their opponents, Astun Killa, were far different from their previous squishy Elf opponents; they were a mass of green orc flesh, hard muscle and solid skulls.  The orcs cajoled their new player onto the field, a huge lumbering troll with a rather vacant expression on his lumpy face.  This was not going to be easy...

The orcs won the toss so the chaos players lined up to kick off.  The more experienced players ensured that they were set up away from the line of scrimmage – let the more recent team hires welcome that troll to the game, they thought.  When the whistle blew, a black orc kicked the troll to remind him that it was his turn to do something.  The troll lashed out automatically at the beastman opposite him but managed to take himself to the floor along with his opponent.  It was an embarrassing start for the troll but the crowd cheered and jeered him anyway.  While the orcs were trying to help the troll up, the chaos players took the opportunity to sprint down the field towards the ball, the minotaur keen to test his new claw against black orc armour.  He proved adept at slicing though the metal plates but couldn’t quite get through to the internal organs.  After a bit of a brawl, the ball popped loose from the scrum of players and a beastman broke free to snatch a quick touchdown.  With only a couple of turns left before half time, Astun Killa decided to focus on taking the minotaur out of the game.  Ably assisted by few team mates, an orc blitzers smashed into the minotaur and knocked him clean out.

At halftime, the Killers team coach did his best to encourage the minotaur to get back into the game but he was too dazed to do anything other than lay in the dugouts.  Receiving the ball, the chaos team had to rely on just beastmen to take the game to the orcs once more.  They got the jump on the orcs at the kick-off and got themselves in a position to push through the orc defences and, thanks to both Nuffle and Khorne smiling on them, they’d surged halfway into their opponents’ half with the ball before the orcs knew what had happened.  Despite a valiant attempt by an orc blister to sideline the ball carrier, the chaos team’s luck held and the player was merely pushed about.  With an assisting blitz from one of his team mates, the beastman ball carrier was free to score.  2-0 to Khorne’s Killers.

Despite being two touchdowns down, the orcs rallied when they realised that the troublesome minotaur would be knocked out for the rest of the game.  They switched up a gear and started to do what orc teams do best – dish out punishment and in large helpings too...  The chaos team suffered injury after injury; the team apothecary being able to do nothing but carry the players from the field to the injury box.  With few beastmen left on the field to oppose them, the orc thrower picked up the ball and marched down the field, scoring only when the chaos team had been reduced to just six players.

With few players and no time left on the clock, the remaining beastmen opted to try practising throwing the ball to each other and trying to keep out of trouble.  The game ended 2-1 to the chaos players but there was no doubt to who had been dominant – those brutal orcs!

Final score 2 - 1 win.

Rosters:
Killers : 1 minotaur, 11 beastmen, 4 rerolls.
Opponent : 4 black orcs, 4 blitzers, 1 thrower, 1 troll, 3 linemen, 3 rerolls

Orcs are dangerous!

Game 5 vs Elves

Luke using my Bunny Girl team as his Elves

Vitesse Arnheim needed a gentle recovery match as, in their previous game against a Chaos team, they'd suffered a large number of casualties.  After the pasting they had received, the unfortunate Elf team's manager had been forced to bring in six journeymen just to get the team to the requisite amount for a standard Blood Bowl game.  Finding he had been scheduled to play yet another Chaos team, Arnheim's coach bid his players a cheerless "Good luck - you'll need it!" and retreated to the bar where he could wait to see which of his players survived.

Khorne's Killers were unused to playing against such agile opponents and found they had to attempt to mark opponents rather than just punching them and hoping for the best.  This proves surprisingly effective for them and they scored halfway through the first half just to prove they could do it.  Elf teams are always a threat, even with journeymen and reduced numbers.  Being in the lead, the Killers opted to do what comes naturally to them and started beating up their opponents.  Again, this proved surprisingly effective.  The Killers stopped their opponents drive and the game was left at 1-0 as the half time bell sounded.

Arnheim's team had been much reduced in the second half whilst the Killers had only lost one beastman.  With the Chaos team outnumbering them, the elves struggled to make an impact.  The minotaur of the Killers certainly did know how to make an impact though as he gored a journeyelf into eternity.  The corpse of their erstwhile team-mate still dangling from the horns of the mighty minotaur, the remaining elf players retreated to try to preserve their honour and their lives.  The overpowering numbers of the Killers proved too much for them and the Chaos team had soon taken the football from the elves and scored again.

With only a couple of turns of the game left, the Elf team set up their remaining players so they might try to push through the beastman ranks and hope for a last minute touchdown to get some glory from the game.  The sweaty bodies of the pungent beasts had made the pitch wet and the breakaway elf slipped over in a heap.  This allowed the eager beastmen to charge down the field towards the ball carrier whilst the minotaur speared another journeyman with his remaining horn.  He seemed pleased with his dead elf embellishments.  The poor elf holding the ball did his best to throw away but, in his terror, he panicked and dropped it on the floor next to him.  Moments later a beastman ploughed into him and bludgeoned him to the floor.  The ball was soon scooped up and thrown to a beastman waiting in the end-zone.  The game finished 3-0 to Khorne's Killers.

Pleased with the minotaur's efforts, Khorne blessed the murderous animal with a gift of a pair of razor sharp claws to match his razor sharp horns.  The Elf team's coach emerged from the tavern to find that his paid players had suffered no terrible injuries and that he didn't even need to pay for the burials of the two journeymen as they had been totally devoured by the minotaur!

Final score 3 - 0 win.

Rosters:
Killers : 1 minotaur, 10 beastmen, 4 rerolls.
Opponent : 1 thrower, 1 catcher, 1 blitzer, 2 linemen, 6 journeymen, 2 rerolls