NEW TEAM COLOURS UNVEILED

To celebrate finishing at the top of the Blacksand Division, Hipcat has surprised fans with a re-release of the team uniform. Where before the Phunky Phantasms played in White, Gold and Sky Blue, now the uniform features a vibrant purple.

Commenting on the release, Hipcat said, "While the old uniform was a strong brand and aesthetically pleasing, I had started hearing rumours in some corners calling it effete; even camp! Well, let me tell you: There's nothing more masculine than playing in purple!"

Sales of the new playing strip to the fans are expected to help raise revenue for the Phantasms, facing a run at the finals without Argyroz "The Shivering Snare" Scaleblighter. Inside sources, however, report Hipcat embezzling money at a record rate to find a rumoured return to the Southern Chaos Wastes. Is the Head Coach fleeing a sinking ship?...

A really really frustrating first half. I chose to kick, and in the first 6 turns generated 4 clear opportunities to blitz the ball carrier. Two resulted in snake eyed GFIs, one was a double push after all the rerolls were gone and another I did manage to get the ball, but got immediately crowd surfed. 1-0 at the half was inevitable after that (especially as I was 8 vs 10).

Second half Chris put a lot of pressure on the ball carrier, and even managed to spill the ball twice, but both times I got lucky and caught the ball, finally managing to run in an equaliser in T16.

What can I say, a sloppy 1st half gave multiple chances to the dwarves but the rats managed to fluke it and keep the fanatic spinning for 7 turns (sadly only 1 injury). The dwarf recieve added another couple of ko's and all three failed to come back for the 2nd half.

Valiant Skaven action sadly lost them the 1 turner (MNG no less - and he is vital for a skaven player like me who has no idea what he is doing) but did generate a couple of ball pops, which the dwarves caught on 6's. The end of game 1 turn attempt was thwarted by the ball going too far back and leaving the rats one rodent short for the pushes they needed.

But really after the first half I did not deserve a win!

The match started with luck in the HEE favour, a failed leap with a reroll allowed the HEE to steal the ball and go 1-0 up against the play. This was a whirlwind game which the elves ended with a lineman attempting to catch the ball in the Slann half, effectively to win the game, and failing his catch roll on a 2+. This left the Slann with a difficult combination to achieve the draw, making up for the two failed Slann GFIs in the first half, which they took with aplomb. At the end of the first half, Finrod Luenwe, the star thrower, failed a crucial short pass to go 3-1 up and make it difficult for the Slann. A Blitz for the elves at the end of the match, with the Slann needing a 2-turn TD, made it especially hard, but they boinged their way to the score.

A very enjoyable game. The elves received and scored quickly. Then a very long hard pull it out of the black hole score for the norse at the end of first half.
Second half started badly with the Yethee knocked out by a rock on turn zero. Then hallmark norse play - where every tactical 'mistake' was punished brutally instantly (by Nuffle and Aran) - leading to inevitable failure at the very end. I can't believe this shit. :)

A game that swung this way and that - where Val really needed a point (ideally 3) and I needed 3 to win my division.

My big guys started really poorly and Val prospered, but then a quad skull from Val gave me the opportunity to pressure Val into scoring. Well that was the plan, a skull reroll skull from Val and his ball carrier was toast. A proper scrap ensued but the pact came out on top and headed into the second half 1-0 up and now receiving.

Despite being players up, the norse forced me into heading off down the pitch and when a 3+ with reroll to lock it down failed, Val was back in it. Another scrap ensued and Val came out on top and his blodging sidestepper made off with it. I had one chance to bring him down, with a tackler, on one dice and when it worked, the game looked won. But Val was not to be denied, some chain pushing cleared a path, the ball was scooped, the scorer survived a two-dice blitz and dodged out for the critical (to both teams) equaliser. Helluva game. Good stuff Val.

Well those vamps were annoyingly well behaved. Pro made them a tough proposition saved from disaster lots of times by that 4+. Crucially though there was a failed bloodlust to prevent a score at the end of the first half meaning that it finished one all. He bit a couple of his players and I killed a thrall ensuring that I got another player.

First half I kicked. Hepcat attempted a drive upfield. I stole the ball but could not get it out. A good screen was blown apart by a spate of hypno gazes that worked and he was able to secure and move it out. I then was out of position but saved by that failed bloodlust. Second half he got blitz but his team got suddenly useless and it did nothing.I broke out and scored in 5. Hep had 4 turns to score and did so.

Really enjoyable game with lots of end to end action. Overall I think it was pretty even in terms of luck, Alex just played a solid game, forced me to roll a lot of dice, and waited for the turnovers. All of the casualties came towards the end of the game, with the death of a catcher in a failed leap on the last turn of the game (after I had previously used the apo to save a dead linefrog).

I kicked, Alex scored without too much trouble, and then got a blitz on my return but fortunately the ball was to deep for him to collect, I scored after a few pressurised turns. The next drive a perfect defence helped me slow things down then a bit luck leaping into a cage to one dice blitz the ball carrying ST4 wardancer, put me up 2-1 at half time and left the wardancer in the KO'ed box, at this point I was starting to feel quite confident….

My drive and another blitz, this time the kick was short and the elves were all over it. So my turn 1 I had 2 2 dicers at the catcher who caught the ball from the blitz, couldn't knock him down and next turn he ran in to make it 2-2. Crucially the ST4 wardancer now came back from the Ko’ed box. A perfect defence but on the next drive and my first roll of double both down, reroll double skulls put me in all sorts of trouble. It was quickly 2-3. My next drive got into a bit of trouble with couple of early failed leaps leaving me a touch exposed, the wardancers took out my ball carrier deep in my backfield, and a well placed catcher stood up, picked up and ran in to score. 2-4. My next drive I finally managed to get thing going, and scored. 3-4. Alex then had a couple of turns left to get a 5th but didn't get the dice he needed.

Not much to say, very tight, even game, where me and Stu both kicked the heck out of each other, although what few armour was broken ended up being only stuns.
I received and scored and then Stu equalized , 2nd half the opposite happened, 2-2 final score.

So now i have only Paul left to play, although even if i do beat him i still could not catch him or Hipcat on points so my only hope now is to get a wildcard spot...

Stu writes: Chainsaw did nothing, beast was ineffective, he couldn't hang on to anyone or stand up to the dauntless catchers. Had difficulty dealing with all Val's guard. Neither of my TD's were at all comfortable so fairly happy with a draw.