As expected Deadly Doom beat Gruesome Grinders, but although it looks like a walk over from the score board [2-0, 3-0 (1-0)] nothing could be further from the truth, as the heat was on in the mid of second half, where a tie for a moment seemed the most probable result.
The Orcs had been practicing intensely for this match against the Group C favourite (at least before the game Zhatan's Disciples - Deadly Doom(season XII, round 2)). This could clearly be felt as they seemed to be able to re-roll an extra time per half this match.
For once DD was lucky to recive the ball first, and used this to suprise the Orcs in a quick snap. Both teams had 11 players on pitch, but only DD had a player in the reserve box. But after a failed foul (only stunned) dirty player Argos was KOed when he tried to block one dice and he went down with Folterer. He never recovered from this during the match.
An extra KO on DD in turn 4 might have seemed like a problem. But at this time most orcs was lying down and already in turn 3, the agile Eata Corpus was standing one square from the end zone with the ball. Only the gobo Blutlache could reach him. But he was knocked over (without AV breaking for the third time!) in turn 4, as DD put the two wights next to him, and the two Ghouls next to the wights, in a tight square. Yet the gobo managed to dodge trice through the four players (with tackle on him) leaving him up against the ball carier. This was, however, not any help for GG, as Bram Stoker knocked the little fellow down, broke the AV, and then Blutlache was badly hurt due to his stunty nature.. A hand off later the other wight Bram Stoker could score for 1-0 in turn 5.
The DD fans loved this and used the setup time to kill the ref as DD kicked it off but nothing came of this, as dirty player Argos failed to wake up from his KO.
Due to a failed hand-off, the Orcs had no chance of scoring before the last turn, and DD could focus on getting a chance themselves but a short pass was inaccurate and DD had to settle for 1-0 at half time. The orcs used their own last turn to the full extend and made two Kos and a completion.
However, it was in vain, as both these and one of the first drives KO came back in for second half, only leaving the dirty player out, and DD again had 11 on pitch vs. the 10 orcs (no goblin!)
The orcs got a good start due to a bad kick resulting in a touch back. But already in turn 2 the orcs failed a hand-off for the second time. And next turn two orcs was KOed leaving only 8 on pitch. And then Eata Corpus got the ball and ran almost out of reach.. But two dodges later a blitz with re-roll came up on a clean and the blodger went down with the ball, who was cought by assisting line orc Knochenbrecher. In the next turn a two dice block with block against no block could be thrown by DD on the ball carier, but even with re-roll this was in vain as four arrows came up. The linorc managed to dodge from a mummy, and next turn DD could now only get a one dice block on him, but it required a go for it, and for the 5th time in the game, DD rolled 1 on a go for it (and this was only like their 7th try! And once it had been re-rolled to a double 1) so the wight decided to fall instead of using the last re-roll. This could have been quite bad, as GG now got the ball carier to the side line caged with two blitzers.
At this point it looked a little bleak for DD, as many of their players was on the wrong side of this cage. But a blitz, got two players on the ball carier and another orc close to the cage also went down. Finally an important dodge by a ghoul closed the situation in front of the cage. Never the less he was blitzed back and two dodges left the cage further down the pitch. However, this time the orcs made a mistake by placing the corner of this cage next to the pushed back ghoul.
After the rookie zombie Xorn gave Folterer a gouged eye (which will cost him next match), the ghoul pushed back the corner blitzer of the cage, and another player was run in to remove assist (making a go for it… ;) ) and then Eata Corpus blitzed ball carier Knochenbrecher (one dice) out into the crowd, who although not willing to more than stun him, was happy to help DD, by throwing the ball all the way down the Orcs side of the pitch, free of any TZ.
After that (still same turn) the GG coach was very happy that she had decided to save the apotech on the MNG, as star mummy Ramses the 5th as usual woke up at the end of the match, and this time got back in the habit of killing, when he snuffed Todschläger, who almost lived up to his own name :D But the apotech saved the orc with ease. A bad block from the other mummy Ra cost the last of DD’s re-rolls, so it was lucky for them they saved it. Cause now Bram Stoker was free from TZ, and ran to pick up the ball, and a single go for it later he was standing half way down the orcs pitch next to his co wight Lex Liche. This was truly the turn of the match for DD.
At this time the match seemed settled. An Orc blitzer was thight up near the side line and only one blitzer could blitz them (two dice against) with one dodge and a go for it. And even with the extra training the re-rols was all spendt by now and hence the blitzer of course already failed on the dodge.
Seeing this DD played it safe running the wight to the end zone, but not going for the score without re-rolls and in the games last turn Bram Stoker ran the last pace to score the TD for 2-0, and in this way he learned his second skill: GUARD
Both teams got a god winning (80k vs 70 k for DD) and even the Orc fans loved the game so both teams gained more fans.
All in all the match ended as expected, but with more excitement than expected, mainly because DD lost their re-rolls along with two turns on 5 failed go for it, but appart from that DD had nothing to complain about, wheras the orcs did not like their skills at catching hand offs!
In the end the Orcs may yet be quite satisfied, as thy earned enough for a new positional player and increased their FF, and with the apotech they even managed to come through the game with only one MNG, and will hence be ready with 12 players for next match!
Deadly Doom was on the other hand just very satisfied :D
