Game 24 - Does Tapper get hammered or does Hammer get Tappered?
Game 24 - Tapper vs Hammer
Finally we meet across the pich from each other. At long last my archenemy (or so I look at the Masons) is here for a friendly game of guild ball.The last man I need to face to see if I'm brewer worthy. I'm playing Wouter Raes, aka mr. Sideburns. He's also one of the regulars from my gaming club Thunderbolts Gent. He plays Masons and fate has decided this is the first time we exchange blows. We were set to meet at 8 p.m. in the WEC , one of the venue our club uses. The other being Outpost G(h)ent. I got there a little early and needed something for the nerves... no prescription needed! If you want to know my poison go visit the webpage of the brewery: Duvel - Brewery Moortgat
The table next to me:
As I waited for my opponent I set up the brand new proving grounds play mat I bought, the bits and bobs (like counters and measuring widgets) and my models next to the table where our local pundit was playing a game of Butchers vs Hunters. Enjoying their game I went up to the bar to kindly ask them to derict Wouter in my direction after he showed up, and while I was there I asked for another Duvel. My nerves ware still jumpy. Images of me losing 12-2 in a tournament against Masons (to be fair it was the first time I faced them) kept floating in front of my eyes. The little drop of alcohol helped double the image up into an unclear blur. I can compare it with an ache you can't get rid of, you know it's still there even if you take something for the pain.
Just as my opponent arrives I comment on the game next to me. As our local pundit says: "I think I'm going for the goal" I go: "you can also pass the ball to boar, use the momentum to dodge - freeing him up for a charge next activation, kill Jaecar in that activation and if you're lucky you still have the ball."
Robin (our pundit) was very tempted to do this but thought it was unfair since I came up with the play and he didn't see that as an option. I got distracted, or rather I focused my attention on Wouter who arrived to start our casual game, so I only noticed after Robin went for the play he actually missed the pass to boar (after bonus timing it), draining him of all momentum he had. Guess Robin will stick to his own gameplans next time :-/
Allright, on to my own game!
The line-ups:
Before Wouter arrived I unpacked Avarisse and Greede, thinking I'd take advantage of the extra activation. Under impulse of Robin (who swears by guild only models) - he dared me to play full brewers - I put them away in my case and went full brewers:My line-up: Tapper - Scum - Friday - Hooper - Stave -
Wouter asked me who I wanted to face, Honour or Hammer. As I shrugged in indifference Hammer popped out of the bag and joined the team on the table. All Masons:
This was his line-up: Hammer - Marbles - Mallet - Chisel - Flint - Brick
Seeing Hammer, my butt cheeks clasped together, for a moment I saw Hammer taking out Stave in one activation (read my tournament report linked above to get the full story).
We rolled to see who'd go first and I lost. Stave got to kick.
Game on:
Stave set himself up away from the fast ground and kicked the ball just over the middle close to the table edge.Turn one:
* Flint: The Masons don't fall for the 'I'll barrel lob you off the table' trick and bring out Flint to fetch the ball 'who where'd they goes' behind a barrier and in cover passes the ball to Hammer. The pass fails.* Hooper activates and gives chubby (Stave) an extra [+1] Arm.
* The monkey goes after the ball, comes back a bit and passes it to Hammer.
* Spigot tools up Friday and moves forwards a bit but not very far.
* Mallet walks up a little closer but stays well back.
* Scum goes forwards a bit and wastes the influence on her.
What happens next is blurry but I'm guessing it was a bit like this:
* Brick walks up field
* Stave goes up and misses his barrel lob against Flint
* Hammer moves closer. - he might have passed the ball to Chisel.
* Friday walks up to the cover within 4" of Spigot and throws dirty knives on Brick (being tooled up it does one DMG).
* Chisel moves a bit up field. She might have passed the ball somewhere... (I wasn't paying attention to the ball that much) It might have been Flint.
* Tapper has nothing to do so goes up to get his tactical advice.
As you can see I didn't move up the field very far. I fear the pain the Masons can bring, with Flint in the team I find it only normal that I keep the tension in the buttocks. As I didn't generate any momentum at all I'm not surprised to lose the next turn.
Turn two:
To be honest Turn two is a blur for me. What I remember of it is that Mallet scored (I think it was him). And I ended up scooping up the ball with Friday and walking close to spigot with it, called the cat over and passed the ball to the cat. I barrel lobbed Brick towards my bunched up Brewers after almost all of them already had a go so couldn't do damage. Chisel then came up to start beating Stave. Flint ended up somewhere near the 2D low wall we said was an obstacle. Friday couldn't score this turn since she wouldn't fit between Marbles and I think it was Brick. She had to activate early since Hammer was going to zero in on her, so I went for sort of a defensive play. This is all I can think of that happened. Well I was on the bad side of a 0-4 game... Again I lose the momentum race for initiative (not that I was racing for it)Turn three:
Masons decide to start with some beating.(I have honestly no Idea if the order I write all this does any justice to what really happened. Sorry if it doesn't Wouter)
*Brick: I think the Masons want to avoid getting barrel lobbed all together. Brick charges into Stave (or at least attacks him). Knocks him down and starts dishing out damage. There was also a concussion chosen leaving Stave on 2 INF (oh I can't run and lob * snif*) and he was pushed back a bit.
* Tapper sees his target and goes in for some 'don't touch Stave you SOB' after 5 INF spent on Brick he's still alive. Meet the power of Heroic play : 'Old Jake's' only needing [2 DMG] to kill him, the cat gets an influence to play with in her activation. Tapper does his thing with the other influence and finishes off Brick.
* Flint does something something ? nothing much of note.
* Scum goes, hits Flint to drag him into engagement of Tapper.
* Mallet goes and tries to hit Friday. Nothing much happens.
* Hooper goes and drags Flint into a circle of brewers and knocks him down.
* Chisel does something something? nothing much of note.
* Friday shadowlikes to help with the dice pool against Flint next turn.
* Hammer goes behind Mallet and sets himself up to break up the brewers meeting with Flint in the middle.
I have no clue what Chisel or Marbles did, let alone that I remember what Stave or Spigot meant this turn.
Turn four:
This turn I have the initiative.* Tapper Kills Flint.
* I think Brick goes next and goes in front of the goal, blocking (again) an easy goal with Friday. (because of his charge)
* looking for another target I let Friday drop her eye on Mallet, she dirty knives him.
* Chissel sets up something nice, with Sadism and the like, some INF is left on her and Hammer is close by.
* Stave doesn't like the Masons plan a bit and puts a barrel between Chisel and Hammer. This is what the board looks like:
* Mallet swings his Hammer to hurt Friday. And misses. Next two attacks she gets one damage each. Bad rolls rule.
* Spigot tools up Hooper and engages Hammer.
* Hammer gets up. Moves a bit so he is not taking any parting blows but can hit Tapper and does not trigger the cat's unpredictable movement. Tapper gets knocked down suffers a push away and Hammer dodges out of engagement with Spigot and Friday, then he pushes Tapper away again and dodges into the cats melee, buys one more attack on the cat to Tackle her and passes the ball to Mallet.
* Hooper uses True Grit and it looks like he can't get over to where Malet is. Instead he manages to hit Hammer.
I lost what the Mascots did this turn.
This is how turn Five begins:
*Mallet goes first. He hits Friday for momentum (3 times) moves close enough to the goalpost to make a goal kick and smirks when the 8-4 enlarges the ponds under my armpits.
The ball gets thrown towards Scum and Tapper but isn't close enough to get snapped.
* Hooper goes, Pushes some momentum up for True Grit in the next attack and moves Hammer into Tapper's melee Range generating more needed momentum whilst damageing the Masons Captain.
* Flint uses the fast terrain to come closer into the game again
* Tapper activates and kills Hammer. Goes to pick up the ball, passes the ball to scum and dodges 4" inbetween scum and Stave. Old Jake's himself and Charges Flint. 6-8 is something I can live with. 8-8 is better. Flint dies again.
* Brick comes up and looks like he wants to charge something.
* Stave activates his legendary and barrellobs Mallet towards him (hitting Tapper in the process . Tapper ends up near the barrels and stops dead against them. Stave buys another attack on Mallet. And knocks him down.
* Marbles fails Goad on Friday
* Spigot tools up Friday and helps Tapper on his feet with 2 momentum.
* Chisel activates and engages Friday, Friday survives.
* Friday Shadowlikes herself up to Chisel calls the cat (but for some reason I do'nt bring her into melee with Chisel - might have been the 'towards' that prevented me taking a turn around the wall...) and swings at her. You gotta love a model on low health with brewers. Chisel dies. 10 - 8 (thank you for pointing out I didn't take the points innocent bystander!) Friday walks into snapshot range outside of Bricks 6".
- Masons are out of activations with Hammer dead.
* Scum, with all the momentum he needs to pas the ball and let Friday pull of a snapshot with bonus time, is just a plain stupid cat isn't he? He brings the ball towards Friday, but does it inside the 6" of Brick. Since this is a game deciding play I don't feel like being a dick and ask to annul the move. No, instead, I take it like a man, after all, Flint hasn't had his pleasure yet this game. Brick knocks the Cat down and the ball lands on his feet. He has to snap it, cause I have momentum and can stand up again, snap the ball and pass anyway, so he takes the ball. Standing Friday up with 2 momentum is the last thing the cat does and I end the turn.
Turn Six:
The dice Gods are against me. I loose the initiative roll and Wouter goes: 'I need two kills in one activation...' I look at the influence he distributes and feeling stupid for my last move isn't enough anymore. Pure dread fills my soks, my pants, even my undies. Forgetting the move Brick can make will cost me the game. But then Wouter goes:* 'I activate Chisel' Chisel does kill Friday and dodges within reach of the cat, but fails to kill her. (even while she is engaged by Hammer AND Brick)
This is how the game looks like after 10-10 is on the board and Friday off it.
Brick is on 5 HP - Tapper has 4 INF. Let's do this!
* Tapper activates, kills Brick. 12 - 10 Brewers win. I earned another Duvel!
Overall idea of the game:
I must admit the nerves part in my report are not exaggerated, even during the game I kept thinking: It's a close game but you can make it! We'll do it!! I had loads of fun but I still hate Masons with a passion. I struggle against them, so I hope to play them more often. Against them or with them, cause if you can't beat them, join 'em!About the report... Well I had a real hard time remembering all the plays. Hell I might have even mixed up two turns and blended them into one turn. - I'm pretty sure I did something wrong cause I can remember engaging Brick with Spigot at some point, but I don't know where. - So this is the best my memory can bring you guys, I hope you enjoy the read as much as I enjoyed the game (and my Duvels).
Where I improved my game:
I finally got some use out of Spigot. I have been reluctant in giving him influence in most of my previous games, which is part of the reason I sub him out sometimes. I like my gameplan as it is. Keep the ball away from them, kill 4 guys and look for a goal. But don't forget about free (counter)charges .I also played with Hooper more and looked to use his 'shove the boot in' on targets within Tappers Aura. I made some playbook choices that were not damage related but more push related because I'm starting to see positional advantage more.
Thoughts about my line-up:
This clasic line-up works really well. Still I feel like bringing Avarisse and Greede (or Gutter when I get around to painting her) is a good choice to put in there. As I stated I'm a little bit afraid of Greede getting killed, and not putting him on the board would cost me an influence in an alrady influence low team...In that matter Rage works really well with my style of Brewers play. I need more games! I want to play more games! Allas real life is here and I must content myself with one game a week (tops).
As a final word I would like to thank Wouter for playing me at last! I'm keen on playing him again. I feel like there will be some vengeance about... But I know what to do! Keep calm, drink a Duvel and squeeze the bum tightly shut!
That's it! End of my report! If all goes well my next game will be against Filet! The lovely lady will make my eyes bleed... (any pointers on how to beat her are welcome!!)
See you next time!
Bob Out
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