Worlds Within Worlds

The game began with some fanfare from the Matters, who's star Wardancer paraded about in his new magic helmet before kickoff. The buildup was less propitious for the Machine. Their Saurus missed the game, injured in training by running into a wall; also absent was their Norse Blitzer, who had a touch of the flu.

The Matters won the toss and elected to receive. Their Wardancer's early break down the sideline came to an abrupt end when he tripped and fell on his face; the ball was quickly snaffled up by the Machine's Dwarf Runner and moved across, via a Chaos Warrior, to the other sideline. As an afterthought, the Wardancer was blatantly fouled by the Machine's Skaven Lineman, resulting in both players taking no further part in the game... or would they?

The Machine moved the ball down the field, their Troll Slayer delivering Matter's players to the baying crowd. The Matter's Kroxigor was amply tied up by the Machine's Amazon Linewoman until she was badly hurt, and the Machine delayed the score until the end of the half. Half-time: 0-1 to the Machine.

After the Matter's regaining a number of players earlier pushed off, the second half began. A bad-kick-turned-good placed the ball deep in the Machine's backfield. Compounding this problem, the Machine's Dwarf Runner failed to pick up the ball, allowing the Matter's Human and High Elf Blitzers through the Machine's understaffed line into to chase it down. Desperate and panicking, the Machine's Runner tried to throw a long pass to a Chaos Warrior, but was wildly innaccurate, and the ball was recovered around midfield by the Matter's Skaven Lineman. His own quick pass to his open High Elf teammate, however, was fumbled: the Machine's Runner recovered the ball and was successful passing to the Warrior second time around.

The Machine broke for the endzone, again tieing up the Kroxigor with unhappy meat shields. Again, the Kroxigor scored an injury: this time it was the Machine's Troll, his vaunted powers of regeneration availing him not. Despite this setback and a last gasp attack from the Matter's High Elf Blitzer, the Machine's Chaos Warrior trundled across the line. 0-2.

As the now 6-man(thing) Machine were to kick mid-way through the second half, the Chaos Gods chose to intervene. One seemed to say: 'Where is this great Wardancer? We did not come to see him fall and be stamped upon by tiny rat men! We shall restore him!' Another said: 'Then let us be fair! We shall restore all of them!'. So it was that the Matter's Wardancer and the Machine's Troll and Linewoman were brought back into the game, in their respective endzones. Oh, and one of the Matter's Orc Linemen, who nobody cared about much.

The Matter's, buoyed by the return of their star player, scored quickly, breaking again down the sideline. This time tha ball was carried by a more sure-footed High Elf Blitzer, amply protected by his team mates. Dodging through the slow defence of the Machine he went unbothered to the endzone. 1-2.

With only a little time left on the clock the Machine received and caged up in their own half. Despite the best efforts of the Matter's Kroxigor/Wardancer combo, and a High Elf blitz on the ball-carrying Linewoman in the final moments, the Machine held on to the ball and thus the victory.

Final Score: Dark Matters 1-2 Hate Machine

Ultimately, the luck was against the Matter's coach in this one. Though he removed a couple of my players at the start with cards, he didn't really have one good turn the whole match.

Other (possibly) interesting stuff: my Chaos Warrior and Dwarf Runner levelled up, getting Block and +AG respectively. The Matter's Wardancer levelled up, skill to be decided. We both made 70k with no change in FF.