Fifth annual Blitz Bowl tournament - Holiday Havok V! (2024 edition)
I participated in the Blitz Bowl Brawl Bonanza V (BBBBV)
this summer/fall of 2024 and loved some changes that the Ultimate Edition (both
1 and 2) made to the game. We were excited to debut the new versions of some
teams from the Ultimate Edition, with the war in the Mottland over (I finished
assembling and painting the Troll and Treeman
) . We played during Thanksgiving
to Christmas, using the newest Ultimate 2nd edition Blitz Bowl rules. No
completely new teams debuted this year. Rumor has it the Snotling, Vampire,
Norse, and Amazon teams are eager to join next year. We shall see...
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Open Play Round
Game 1 – In the first game, the Lustria Instagators (Lizardmen) charged to the middle of the pitch, itching for a fight. The Gutterpunks abliged and the team trade blows over the ball. Both Skinks scored and the favor was returned by a lithe Gutter Runner and quick Skaven Thrower. In the end the teams tied, and the Lustria team disputed the victory by the Skaven. That, and a hefty bribe, got them assigned another match vs the Harbingers. Lizardmen 24* - Skaven 24 *assigned another match
Game 2 – In a matchup of brawn vs skill the Elven Union team the South Sea Coast Breakers and classic Orc team, the Orcland Raiders, each made a rush out to get the initial ball. The teams formed lines and squared off. The orcs took the ball and ran around the flank. Injuring an elf lineman in the process. The sea elves tried to free up the ball but failed and the orc thrower Purge Dribblesnot ran in the first TD! The sea elves took the new ball around the opposite flank but failed to convert to a score – instead the orcs pancake the catcher – another injured elf. Sudden Death victory loomed – the elves spread out and got moving, but it was too little too late! The Raiders stormed off the pitch victorious. Orcs 19 - Elven Union 9.
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| The teams form lines and square off |
Game 3 – Coach Ben was eager to show what he had learned in BBBBV with the Stoneskulz. Goblins swarmed the pitch and the Troll ‘Big Toof’ laid out a beastman right away. This match between Chaos Chosen and Goblin teams did not wait for the officials to start the game! The chosen of Chaos tackle the troll and move the ball into scoring position. Goblins get into formation around the ball carrier. The Blocker lines up the middle gobo and, SMACK, the goblin is down and out, the blocker strolls into the endzone for the first score of the day.
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| Big Toof misses a Beastman |
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| The troll is down! |
Multiple balls launch! This seemed to bode well for the elusive and
over-numerous goblin team. But the other blocker picks up one ball while a
gobbo gets the other. The goblin scores in graceful spins, the crowd loves it,
and the StoneSkulz take a lead for the first time in the game. Shortly after the Chaos blocker scores as
well. Another ball launches, the goblins rush the ball as do a beastman and
chaos blocker. Another beastman tries to foul the troll, who is still down, but
he does not even notice. A scrum forms and the seconds tick down. The troll
stands, and a goblin picks up the ball. The chaos coach is yelling to free up
the ball, and the goblin smartly throws the ball away! Oh no --- the dumb troll
caught it!! A beastman tries to take ‘Big Toof’ down and fails. The troll
smashes the poor guy and moves the ball toward the chaos team endzone, 5… 4… 3…
the goblins lead by 1 point! Seconds tick as the troll is caught up in a tackle
by a blocker and beastman… the ball rolls free from his grasp and as the
whistle blows the Blood letters have won!
Chaos 27 - Goblins 26.
Game 4 – The dwarven
team, The Grudgebearers, fire aggressively out of the gate. The Runner and
Blitzer take the ball up the side of the pitch, and the Troll Slayer was
injured right away! The Nurgle faithful cheer as the Puswater Pestilence soon
pry the ball free and a Bloater is running with it! A rare sight!! The Bloater
tries to throw the ball to a wide-open Pestigor, but the ball wriggles out of
his fat fingers. Oh no – that ball is an offspring of Pusbubble! I hate
Pusbubble – that thing is disgusting.
Anyway, the Bloater picks the “ball” back up and runs – another Troll Slayer
runs out of the gate intent on causing injury – oh look at that nimble fat guy
move! What a sidestep… I think maybe the Slayer was distracted at the last
moment by that Pestigor bearing down on him… oof that was a big hit. The
Bloater gets help from his fellow Nurgle-ite and is into the end zone for a
rare TD, and the Puswater Pestilence have won. Nurgle 19 - Dwarves 8.
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| Nurgle faithful rewarded |
Game 5 – In a tough defensive game, the Treeman planted himself in the middle of the double trap door dwarven hold pitch. The ShadowKnives dark elf team was wily, racking up small points here and there with positioning and maneuvering. A couple of hopefuls tried for a score and ended up injured. The elves completed a throw to a lineman who danced past the Hefty and side stepped to an inspirational TD. This triggers Sudden Death! The stunties pounced on the next ball and scored to keep the game close. The treeman fouled a dark elf blitzer and the halfing are within 1 point after almost being out of the game! A diving tackle by a dark elf lineman missed, the hopeful sidestepped. But another tackle by the blitzer replacement broke some bones and the game was over, quite a low scoring affair for a complete game. Dark Elves 19 - Halflings 15.
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| Halfllings get hopeful |
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| Dark Elves reform for the win |
Game 6 – The Lustria
Instagators and Hochland Harbingers meet for the first time on a double trap
door pitch. The Saurus blockers waste no time flanking the ball in this
replacement game they earned in a tie with the skaven. The human lineman do the
same. The thrower gets the ball to the flank and the Harbingers score the first
TD, but the lizards control the middle of the field. One blocker takes down the
Blitzer Dreng Sturmblud… then fouls him! Injury!! The whistle blows and the
lizardman is tossed out. A pair of
skinks look to score, the Thrower steps in the way but gets side stepped and it
is a TD! Uh oh – multi-ball! The Thrower scores and a human lineman takes off
with the other ball. Oof! A Saurus takes him down. Another foul committed by
the chameleon, and again the human is injured and the lizard is thrown out of
the game. The humans score again, but the Instagators clear the pitch breaking
bones on their 3rd foul of the game! The remaining Harbingers refuse
to take the pitch and the game is over. Lizardmen 30 - Humans 29.
Elite Eight
Quarter Final #1
The first quarterfinal was between the Orcland Raiders (Orc) and the Casket Jumpers (Shambling Undead). The orcs and undead almost completely ignore the ball – hammering each other on the side of the classic two-door pitch that the ball popped out. The mummy drew first blood, and soon an Orc Blocker and Blitzer had been injured. More orcs poured onto the pitch and the ball was always just a bit too tied up to move. The orcs had an 8 pt lead slowly whittled down to 2 pt. and a Gang Up on an orc tied the game. The ghoul wanted to score badly, but could not figure out a way to get the ball. The mummy tried to throw it to him and failed. The orcs took down a zombie and the crowd, bored with the lack of action with the ball, pushed onto the pitch and the game was over. The Orcs were going to move on to the Semi-finals. Orcs 14 - Undead 12
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| This game devolved into a massive scrum |
Quarter Final #2
I cannot imagine a more opposite matchup, the tree loving sylvan elves Enternal Twilight and the faithful of Nurgle, from the festering swamp called Puswater. The Wood Elves took an early lead on a quick TD before the Nurgle Pestilence locked down the center of the wooden palisade 2-door pitch. A nifty score by a Pesitgor resulted in Multiball! A Nurgle faithful is inspired to pick up one ball, but is slammed by the Wood Elf thrower in a diving tackle. The other ball is carried by an elf, but Nurgle players surround her! The thrower picks up the ball and now both balls are in scoring position for the Twilight! A pestigor misses a charging tackle attempt and the Wood Elf scores a second TD. The Pestilence get the other ball back, working it down the field. An elf commits a foul, scoring BSB. The pestigor Ram Badtouch gets help ganging up on an elf, and he scampers to the endzone to tie the game… no wait – time has run out!! The Twilight win! Wood Elves 22 - Nurgle 20.
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| On a new pitch, the Wood Elves out maneuver the Pestilence |
Quarter Final #3
The skaven streamed onto the field in standard white and teal. They grabbed the initial ball and ran it up the side. The Blockers failed to take down the skaven thrower with the ball, and he was able to pitch it over the fire sconces to a linemen for a TD! The Gutter Runner put the next ball into the end zone and put a quick end to this quarterfinal matchup. The skaven looks strong, but will have their work cut out for them in the next round vs the Orcs. Skaven 16 - Chaos 6.
Quarter Final #4
The DuneStar Dark Elves dominated the
center of pitch, scoring a quick touchdown, as the Lizards respond in kind. The
Witch Elf was holding court, moving like a ghost and causing injuries to match.
The lizard could not keep up. This was a quick and brutal exit for the
Lizardmen in their third game during their first Holiday Havok appearance. Dark Elves 22 - Lizardmen 9
Semi-Finals
Semi-Final #1
Unfortunately the cabal feed for this game was lost and no
officials for the league returned from the game. The wizards responsible for
the feed blame a phase of the moon and interference from a random wind of chaos
from the north. They declared the Dark Elves to be the winners! Despite bitter
complaints from Wood Elf thrower Jordyn Turissleaf of the fix being in, the
league has accepted this result and the Dark Elves will go the Finals to try to
be the first team to repeat as Holiday Havok champions!
Dark Elves 22 - Wood Elves 20
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| The dark elves plan a comeback (and a bribe of the Cabal officals) |
Semi-Final #2
Holiday Havok V - Finals 2024
The Chittering Gutterpunks and DuneStar ShadowKnives face off in a dwarven great hall, with the Knives trying to become the first team to win two Holiday Havok championships, and the Punks attempting to avenge their loss in HH II. The skaven take the ball and run it right at the Dark Elves in an arrowhead formation. The blitzer Dorian Morbidian tries to tackle the ball carrier, but only succeeds in shoving him.
The gutter runner side steps and waltzes into the end zone. The resulting launch of a new ball is caught by the skaven Blitzer. He likewise dodges the incoming block from a dark elf lineman, scores a second TD in the Gutterpunks 3rd turn, and the game is over!!!
Just like that, the
championship belongs to the Gutterpunks and the crowd is stunned! This is the fastest
game on record, and the quickest set of back-to-back TDs in league history! Skaven
12 - Dark Elves 0
Champions - Chittering Gutterpunks [Jen - skaven]
Link to My Skaven painted team
We enjoyed the new art, teams, and different action cards in the Ultimate Second Edition. I observed more sudden death victories with the 4 pt. TDs and some new cards that seem to make getting cards easier. We had several close games as well, though - some with scores in the high 20s or low 30s which was very fun.
I hope to add 1-2 teams to the next tournament. Vampires would be fun!
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