Game 36: Breaking Esters virginity hurts a little - but it was fun!

Playing against the Butchers and losing again.

As my last game in the league I faced Ox and his minions again. Piloted by non other than Jeroen (you don't know him guys, and if you do, you're one of the lucky ones). Here's the story of how the ugliness went down:

Shortly after I enter the venue at the WEC and order my brew, as is accustomed by now, I'm greeted by Wouter (the Masons player on my blog) We talk for a bit and as it turns out I'm talked into trying something new: ESTERS (well, new to me at least - and talked into is exaggerated, I had planned on playing her before, I just didn't get around to it yet)
 

So here's the line-ups:

My female led brewers: Esters, Scum, Friday, Spigot, Mash and Stoker. 

Who faced these meat-lovers: Ox, Princess, Boiler, Brisket, Boar, Minx 

Let the games begin: 

I win the roll and decide to receive. 

 Turn 1: 

* Stoker goes in and picks up the ball, passes it to Mash (who has no influence) and looks to set a piece of terrain on fire since Brisket kicked off and is already in cover of a terrain piece. I fall short so have to resort to put Brisket herself on fire wasting one INF.
* Minx comes up closer since Brisket can't reach me and throws marked target on Stoker.
* I'm tempted to let Brisket come so I can kill her - but I try to play a different game than the Tapper game so - I activate Helga (Esters) and put Fire on both Minx and Brisket (who is already on fire) and throw some rough ground in front of them. - She also puts +1 strenght on Friday.

* Princess walks up to another piece of terrain, centre field and hugs a barrier. 

* Mash unsnaps the ball and it snaps to Spigot 

* Ox comes closer but doesn't do much. 

* Spigot passes the ball to Friday and tools her up, then goes to the other side of the barrier where Princess is sitting. 

* Brisket throws dirty knives on Spigot 

* Friday drops the ball, the cat picks it up. Then she goes up field and throws dirty knives on Brisket and Princess hitting them both.

* Boar goes towards the side of the field. 

* The cat runs away to the side of the board keeping the ball away from all players. (I should've moved her just out of range of Boar. to start playing footy but hey... I'm used to Tapper)

* Boiler closes in on the group but can't reach anybody. 

Turn 2: 

I lose the roll even though I'm ahead in momentum. 

*Minx charges Stoker and does a little bit of damage. 

*Stoker answeres with some pain on Minx

* Brisket puts the hurt in Friday. 

* Esters thinks she can save Friday and walks in to block the rest going in on the fragile female brewer. She actually charges in forgetting her turn ends if she fails. Brisket dances away with her UM and my plan to throw another set of flames on the butcher crumbles. A 4 INF distribution for the drain + a free kill my captain move... 

* Ox is up for a challenge and hits the fat lady - What happened to the gentlemen on this world? - She loses like 10 HP. 

* Mash goes into the middle to Tag Ox 

* Princess moves up towards Friday. 

* Spigot tools up Friday 

* Boiler deletes Friday. I'm waking up and am asking myself "why am I fighting the butchers again?" 

(* Friday is dead )

* I activate the cat instead an do some calculations to be able to reach Spigot next turn but stay out of Boars threat range. 

* Boar walks up further to the sides. 

I feel like a dumb nitwit and try to get my head into the footballing game, cheered on by Wouter Raes on the sidelines. 

Turn 3:

What is that again? Initiative? Don't know what that is sir... (I lose the roll-of for first activation)

Friday comes on looking for Scum and the ball. 

* Boar comes up to block the path between a forest and the barrier. Thus making my imminent attempt on goal a bit more difficult.

* The cat has a go and is looking to pass the ball to Friday, she fails the pass (no momentum darnit!), but the ball snaps to her anyway. 

* Boiler deletes Esters and then advances into Mash who UM's away.

(*Esters is dead)

* Stoker hits Minx pushes her 2 inch out of his way and charges Boiler. (hard not to fight, attempting ... failing)

* Minx goes into Stoker again. 

* Mash who has 3 and can't UM is afraid of being deleted next so he moves away and hits Minx (who he should've killed but instead he just push dodges her out of melee with Stoker thinking he'll save him that way...) 

* Brisket hits Spigot a couple of times. 

* Friday walks closer towards Spigot, stops in his aura and passes him the ball at TN5. That worked! 1MP is a fine result! She might have dirty knives out, but can't remember on who and/or if it hit.

* Ox goes and hits Stoker. The Charge does damage, but all the rest of his swings are fluffed thanks to the wonderfull dice-rolling skills Jeroen has.

* Thanks to a wonderfull pass from Friday the brewers are now able to make some magic happen: Spigot activates, passes the ball to Friday and dodges out of melee with Brisket and into melee with Boar. Friday one touch football's the ball back, Spigot dodges again forfaiting any additional MP's and is no longer engaged. (yes both times the pass hit the TN) Spigot has only a hair or two to shuffle towards the goal as his advance (I should've measured if I could place myself further away from boar into a 'safer' area - as in next to the goal itself for cover since it's a barrier or something more usefull) The dice roll for the shot on goal and I come up with two 1's, a 3 and one 4! The score is tied. 

*Princess howls a bit for not having any influence and walks into Stoker. 

Turn 4: 

Who needs to go first anyway...

*Boar charges Spigot

(*Spigot is deleted.) I use that card that gives me 2MP for it 

*Esters walks back on and charges Minx, after singing her song on herself for some real pain. Minx is deleted! I activate the legendary sing some more defense up for Mash and Stoker heal myself for 4 using MP and heroic for 2HP on stoker AND heal him up 4 to. The score is tied again.

(*Minx is deleted.)

* Brisket sees the ball and thinks: "why not?" She scores a goal. The goal kick lands a bit away from Friday 

* Friday shadowlikes to pick up the ball. And charges Boar with the plot card 'steamroller' pushing him 2" back.  She wraps for 6 DMG in total (whatever) and pushes Boar away. We activate the heroic 'drink a beer to shoot better', bonus time and have that goal transformed into a screamer. The score is tied again at 10-10 Can't remember where the ball landed now, but who cares, it's game over anyway, who am I kidding: 

* Boiler activates and deletes Stoker to give the victory to the butchers. 

A well played game from Jeroen with a DESERVED victory. 12 - 10 to the butchers.

Thoughts about the game in general:

As this was my first game with Esters I must say I enjoyed it, although I had to keep repeating to myself not to play the Tapper game I'm used to. This way of playing has cost me many a game already.
I was able to keep up in the end by using a plot card but I was CHASING the VP's Jeroen scored like a Whippet following a dummy in a lure coursing race. You know the dummy comes in first so no victory for me... 

The way Jeroen played his butchers you can see he's got a keen eye for tactics. I would, however, advise him to play Boar more actively into his middle scrum OR switch to another player like Shank to play more disruptive towards the ball or Tenderiser as a means of guarding the goal. (whatever he thinks is best for his play style)

Thoughts about my line-up: 

I can only say one thing here: I went 2 to 3 times in my head with: "Where is Stave when you need him?" With Esters I see him playing a disruptive game with more control elements on enemy positioning + I missed the KD's in this game. I think Boiler got KD'd twice. But then I must ask myself who do I take out of this team? Surprisingly I didn't use the 2" reach of Mash a whole lot. So I might substitute him. On the other hand I'm keen on giving Gutter a go in a brewer team, but Esters isn't much for Union models, me thinks, ah Tapper, you will always be my number one...

That's it for today guys! 

See you next time! 

Bob Out