A Blood Bowl: Team Manager tournament
The Neff's are preparing to host the 6th annual April Anarchy! This annual tournament pits Ben vs Jen in a 2-player tournament of 6 initial matchups -- all of the official Blood Bowl Team Manager teams -- against one another to determine which will reign supreme for this year! NOTE: The 2022 tournament was postponed indefinitely due to unforeseen disruptions in the (crystal ball) Cabal Network.
The teams are divided into bracket-style, head-to-head matchups in a two-player, single-elimination format. After 6 teams win and advance, if a either player has two teams that are now matched up head-to-head, they will select which team they wish to control going forward.
Each round, the losers of a match will be eliminated as the winner advances. From 12 teams to 6 teams to 3; At this point he two lower scoring teams them play a "Semi-Final". The winner will play the other remaining team where finally one will be crowned the champion of April Anarchy! Check out last years results here: April Anarchy 2024 and here: April Anarchy 2024 (BGG Forums). In 2023 & 2024 we considered implementing a "Loser Bracket", giving one team a chance at getting back into the Semi-Finals. Due to time constraints, the league elected not to offer that option in 2023 or 2024, we will see if we do this year.
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| On the left: Order of finish in 2024 On the right: Ranking overall per record of our plays |
The teams are ranked into seeds to determine their overall strength, based on personal opinion and last years results, although lower seeds may be well suited to cause an upset and defeat a higher ranked favorite - especially since the Wood Elves did so poorly last year, so as usual nothing is guaranteed. To preview the teams and learn about their strengths and weaknesses, go to:
Fantasy Flight Games.com - Bloodbowl Team Manager - Team Analyses
BGG thread "wich-team-best"
On March 24, 2025 we drafted our teams and set up a bracket.
Ben draftees: , Chaos All-Stars {Chaos}, Champions of Death {Undead}, Zharr-Naggrund Ziggurats {Chaos Dwarf}, Skavenblight Scramblers {Skaven}, Black Fangs {Vampire}, Gouged Eye {Orc}
Jen draftees: Athelorn Avengers {Wood Elf}, Lowdown Rats {Goblin}, The Grudgebearers {Dwarf}, Reikland Reavers {Human}, Nurgle's Rotters {Nurgle}, Naggaroth Nightmares {Dark Elf}
Matches start on 3/28/2025!
RESULTS:
Round 1
Game 1 -- March 28, 2025
The Chaos All-Stars came into the matchup eager to prove they are better than thier recent record. The dwarves were defending the 2024 championship, thier first ever AA trophy.
The dwarves were cocky and let beastmen take a couple wins in questionable matchups. Squat runners took off with no backup, or blockers got separated from stunty teammates.
Both teams hired Morg’NThorg, the notorious Ogre Mercenary, in the third matchup, but the Chaos All-Stars were his original home and it showed - he played harder for the team of chaos... and the fans roared at his betrayl of the dwarf team!
Ample cheating saw the refs looking the other way, and the All-Stars move on in a squeaker, while the dwarves go home to forge a new grudge.
Chaos All-Stars (Ben) 32- THe Grudgebearers (Jen) 29
Game 2 -- March 29, 2025
The Nurgle team was so close last year! They changed coaches after barely losing the AA Finals in 2024. The new leadership bought unpredictability and the new strategy was to have the Pesitgors rush forward at the beginning of each matchup.
Hobgoblin lineman ran interference for Hobgoblin throwers who would try to toss the ball around at the other match ups. After two rounds the score was 14-9, for the Ziggurats.
Then in a very close highlights contest in round 3, the Chaos Dwarves showed toughness in the mud, holding onto the ball, standing their ground hit after hit, wining all three matchups.
The Blood Bowl was rendered almost meaningless, but the Rotters still gave it thier best. Unfortunetely for them, Pusbubble defected to the Hob-gobbos and the Chaos team swept the 2024 second place team from the tournament and trampled over them into the next round.
Then in a very close highlights contest in round 3, the Chaos Dwarves showed toughness in the mud, holding onto the ball, standing their ground hit after hit, wining all three matchups.
The Blood Bowl was rendered almost meaningless, but the Rotters still gave it thier best. Unfortunetely for them, Pusbubble defected to the Hob-gobbos and the Chaos team swept the 2024 second place team from the tournament and trampled over them into the next round.
Nurgle's Rotters (Jen) 16 - Zharr-Naggrund Ziggurats (Ben) 40
Game 3 -- April 2, 2025
The Champions of Death undead team came into this game confident. Chanting of cheating death and cheating the rules rose from the Death fan section... "Die, Cheat, Win!"
The undead wept the initial matchups, but only led 10-6. The Reavers bounced back, winning the next round, hiring some star power, and taking a small lead.
The Champions pulled out the big guns, revealing Ramtut, Luthor von Drakenborg, and finally Morg'N'Thorg all overwhelming the pitch on the Spike Trophy tourney... leaving the Reavers to cleanup both highlights, on Rivaly Week no less!
The necromancer leading the Death had overspent. Sending three ghouls out to collect more bones, each was foiled by a timely block or swipe of the ball by the rolling Reavers. The humans ball skills shone and they will move on to the quarterfinals, avenging thier close loss in Round 1 last year.
Champions of Death (Ben) 30 - Reikland Reavers (Jen) 40
Game 4 -- April 4, 2025
The Vampires are eager to get to the finals, and had plenty of thralls in tow. The wood elves were embarrassed by their thrashing by the Rotters last year and were champing at the bit to get running.
The first round the play was balanced and the elves made more upgrades while the Vampires netted more fans.
In the second set of matchups the star power was unleashed and three major Vampire stars showed up, holding court with the fast elves, winning 2 of three matchups and taking a edging out to a 15-12 lead.
In the third round, the rain was pouring. The wood elves showed no sign of slowing, while the Vampires refused to take the pitch and muddy their uniforms. In a set of matchups that saw not a single tackle attempt and some bored fans, a roster of thralls manages to eke out one matchup while the help of ample cheating, and the elves took the other two and the lead, 22-19.
In the final Blood Bowl the elves were first, staking claim to a few fans at a highlight. The Vampires showed a ground swell of local support, getting 3 fans from another highlight. Then in a tirade of star players, Morg’N’Thorg took the ball for the elves, then a spry Deeproot, THEN Eldril Sidewinder, each one opposed by a Vampire. At first the blood-suckers were out numbered and overpowered. But in time they showed bloodlust, and their Ravenous Hunger had a Force of Will behind it, winning the final matchup and the game! 31-28.
Black Fangs (Ben) 31 - Athelorn Avengers (Jen) 28
Game 5 -- April , 2025
The Gouged Eye underperformed in 2024, but not as much as the dark elves, who didn't make it out of Round 1 last year.
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