[FMA] OU take the interstellar Cup

G'day,

Cold and windy in Tassie today so I decided to stay home with the kids
rather than head to the gaming club with Derek. Lachy and I decided to
try
out an idea for FMA soccer we'd cooked up by modifying the ranged fire
and
HTH combat to reflect passing and tackling etc.

I'll skip the gory rule details, except for the following points you'll
need
to now to keep track of what was happening...

Team strength: 9 aside as we didn't have enough suitable figs for 11 a
side.

Yellow cards: 2 of the player's dice come up as 1s

Risk Die (RD): Additional dice (<= quality dice in size) represents
luck,
risk and extra skilful moves. If a player gets a yellow card result when
using a risk die (whether the risk die rolled a 1 or not) then the
yellow
card becomes a red card instead. If a player gets an injury result when
using a risk die (whether the risk die rolled was involved or not) then
the
injury is so severe the player is stretched off an a substitute must
come on
(draw chit randomly for their quality unless keeping a roster sheet).

Morale: All start as confident. If a goal is scored against a team each
player takes a morale test at TL+goal difference. If they fail they drop
a
morale level (if they roll less than half the required value they drop
two
morale levels). If they pass and roll >2x what they needed they increase
a
level (if already at confident they become "supercharged" and have a
TL-1 to
morale rolls while in this state and may use an automatic RD which does
not
give them the threat of a red card or stretcher injury (if they choose
to
use an additional RD as normal then that carries the usual threat of red
cards and bad injuries).

Interceptions/Opportunity Moves: Must pass a reaction test. If pass the
reaction test but must race another player to intercept the ball then
each
player rolls D8 and moves that many inches towards the ball.

Goalie's: They count towards target shifts for shots on goal, but if
unactivated (or if they have reserved actions) they may attempt to save
(intercept) the shot. 

Free kicks, goal kicks, corners, throw-ins (etc): All players may move
ALL
their figures for free (even those already activated), but figures that
have
already been activated do NOT get new activations.

Kick-off: Every time there is a kick-off (due to end of half or goal) it
is
the start of a new turn.

Game length: Can be a set number of turns or a set (real-time) time (or
something) - we used 6 turns (3 turns each way) in this case.

Transfer of actions: Any unactivated player may transfer actions (it
takes
an action to transfer a single action) to activated players. The
unactivated
figure rolls QD and if the activated player is within QD" the roll must
just
be > higher of the two leadership value's (LVs); if outside QD" inches
then
the roll must be  > sum of the LVs.

AAR: So here we are at the final of the Interstellar Cup. After a
gruelling
fortnight of top rate soccer we're here to watch the decade long
champions
from the NSL face off with the little known OU team. Soccer may be
passed up
by gee-ball fans as ancient news, but for my money there is no more
exciting
and skilful game! The weather is clear today with just the hint of a
breeze
along the pitch. The team line-ups have finally been posted and they
are...

.. for the OU
Phillip Heskey = Goalie = V-1
Michael Nelsen = Left Back = V-3
Eddie Abonyi = Left Centre Back = R-1
Joel Farina = Centre Back = E-2
Maia Nicholson = Right Centre Back = R-1
Isaac Tomasson = Right Back = R-2
Peter Kewell = Left Forward = R-2
Ryan Smith = Centre Forward = R-2
David Schwab = Right Forward = V-2

A very defensive set-up but it makes sense given the striking power of
the
NSL line-up!!

Meanwhile the NSL have gone for a more aggressive line-up. 
Derk Schneider = Goalie = V-1
Ella Zeige = Left Back = R-1
Christain Linke = Right Back = R-2
Sebastian Kahn = Centre Left = R-1
Hans Lehmann = Centre Right = G-2
Karl Klose = Left Wing = R-2
Oliver Bode = Right Wing = R-2
Bernd Heinrich-Rehmer= Left Forward = E-1
Marko Baumann = Right Forward = R-1

Notice that Rommel has not been deemed fit and will have to watch his
this
one from the side-line. Guderain is also sidelined for today after
getting a
second yellow card in the closing minutes of the NSL's qualifying final
game. So the NSL team has a new face in it Hans Lehmann. He must be
thrilled
to be playing in his first Interstellar Cup, though he'll have bug shoes
to
fill if the NSL aren't going to suffer for the loss of Rommel and
Guderain.

OK with the anthems over the ref is calling for the start of play....

TURN 1: NSL kick off. Heinrich-Rehmer taps back to Baumann and then runs
down field. Kewell runs up to Baumann to take the ball, but Baumann out
manoeuvres him. Baumann tries to dribble around Kewell, but Kewell
steals
the ball and Baumann can't retrieve it. Smith calls to Kewell and Kewell
passes it to him. Smith then turns and passes the ball on to Schwab.
Bode
moves to cover that wing, while Schwab dribbles forward and feints past
Zeige to have space for a shot. Kahn manages to get over to close down
the
angle though and the shot bounces off the wood-work in to Schneider's
hands.
Schneider rolls the ball to Linke. Nelsen sprints to cover Bode. Linke
dribbles forward and goes through a gap. Nelsen breaks off his man to
pursue, but Linke is too fast. Abonyi comes across to cover Linke and
challenge for the ball. The ball goes loose and skids toward
Heinrich-Rehmer. Lehmann alerts Heinrich-Rehmer who runs forward and
takes
control of the ball. Nicholson sprints to shut down a potential shot
from
the open wing as Klose runs down the wing out wide hooking back into the
corner of the penalty box. Heinrich-Rehmer puts a good pass to Bode who
runs
onto the ball and takes a solid shot on goal. Tomasson comes in too late
to
close down the shot, but Heskey takes it down cleanly and boots it to
the
other end of the field. Zeige up front for the NSL dodges past the
surrounding OU players and gets to the ball first. Farina moves to cover
Heinrich-Rehmer. While no cause for alarm just yet, the NSL will really
need
to settle those nerves if they're to keep the Interstellar Cup from the
blossoming OU team. 

TURN 2: Schwab now moves to Zeige and challenges her for the ball
stripping
it out with a clever flick of the toe. Zeige gets the ball back, but
can't
get clear of Schwab. Smith fires up Schwab who gets the ball away from
Zeige. Lehmann urges Zeige forward and Zeige gets the ball back from
Schwab,
but is fouled badly in the process. Those kind of fouls end careers! The
ref
is pulling out a card. It's a red card! Schwab has been given a red
card!!
He's protesting it, but he's going to have to leave, the ref couldn't
miss
that it was right in front of him! Lehmann shouts at Zeige to take the
set
piece shot, which she does, but its deflected and the ball ends up
flying
past Klose who heads it at the goal. Luckily for the OU Heskey dives to
his
left and hugs the ball to his chest. Heskey gets up and kicks the ball
down
the field, but Heinrich-Rehmer intercepts the kick and takes another
shot on
goal. Nicholson knocks it down though and clears the ball to open ground
in
the centre of the park. Lehmann comes forward to collect the ball, but
Nelsen gets there first and tries to pass it quickly. Kahn gets in the
way
though and passes the ball on to Bode who pushes forward and takes a
wild
shot (under heavy pressure) on goal. The shot isn't a good one, but
Baumann
comes across and gets it under control. Abonyi slides in to take the
ball
from Baumann, but Baumann slips it back away with a fancy twist of the
hips
and takes a shot on goal in one smooth turn. Unfortunately Baumann fails
to
get over the ball and it goes soaring over the top bar. The goal kick is
taken by Heskey who knocks it to Smith. Smith gets it under control and
hammers it at the NSL goal. Zeige tries to help Schneider cover the
goal,
but she doesn't come far enough across to really cut down the angle. Te
ball
is flying for the top corner of the goal, but Schneider dives up and
plucks
the ball from the air! What a spectacular save!!! Schneider fires the
ball
back down the park, Linke sprints on to it, dodges past 3 OU defenders.
Linke's bet 3 defenders and only has Heskey between him and the goal.
He's
chipped it over Heskey!!! It's a goal!!!!!!!
 
TURN 3: OU kick off, with Kewell passing to Smith before running down
the
field. Kahn moves to cover Kewell. Smith pushes the ball in to the open
and
dodges around the other side of his man into the open. Schwab beats
Zeige to
the ball and takes a shot on goal, but Schneider takes it easily.
Schneider
shoots the ball off to Baumann and then stays to cover the goal. Farina
runs
forward to cover Baumann and Bode runs down the wing. Nelsen comes
across to
cover Bode. Baumann passes the ball to Heinrich-Rehmer and then runs
down
the right wing. Tomasson comes to cover Heinrich-Rehmer, while Klose
runs
down his wing. Tomasson moves to cover Klose and Lehmann pushes forward
to
cover centre field. Heskey rocks on his toes to cover the goal. Linke
pushes
forward to set-up the offside trap. Heinrich-Rehmer tries to dribble
forward, but Nicholson knocks it away. Heinrich-Rehmer beats Nicholson
to
the ball and pushes it on to Klose who takes the shot, but its deflected
wide of the goal by an OU defender. Klose takes the corner and strikes
it to
Lehmann who tries to head it in, but Heskey gathers it in cleanly. Half
time
whistle blows. The NSL may be leading one-nil, but the OU are definitely
settling into their game and starting to look stronger and more settled
as
we head to the half time break.

TURN 4: OU kicks off. The OU have reorganised their position, opting for
more offensive positions for the second half. Schwab sprints down the
left
field in his new position on the left wing position. Baumann moves to
cover
Abonyi and Kewell runs to mid-field. Heinrich-Rehmer comes in to shut
down
the OU front line. Smith passes in to open ground on his left before
wrong
footing his man and dodging in to the open on his right. Tomasson comes
up
and gets the ball, while Baumann comes across to cover him. Tomasson
passes
to Schwab who takes it on the volley with a backwards over the head kick
and
knocks it into the goal!!!! The crowd is on its feet!!! So early in to
the
second half and the OU have equalised!!!

TURN 5: NSL kicks off. Klose runs down into space. Schwab comes into
centre
circle. Bode runs down his wing and loops into mid-field. Kewell comes
in to
the circle too. Baumann kicks it to Heinrich-Rehmer. Kewell and Schwab
rattle Heinrich-Rehmer, but Heinrich-Rehmer flicks it past them, dodges
round and runs on to the ball again. Farina comes forward and challenges
for
the ball, but doesn't get it. Its passed to Kahn, who runs into the
clear.
Tomasson urges Farina in to challenging again. Farina strips the ball
from
Kahn, before following Tomasson's directive to pass it to Kewell.
Heinrich-Rehmer intercepts the pass though. Kewell slides the ball away
from
Heinrich-Rehmer (and was lucky not to get a yellow card!), but to no
avail
as the ball rolls to Baumann. Baumann passes the ball back to Linke who
miss
kicks it and sends the ball skittering towards his own goal! Schneider
dives
on the ball though. Schneider quickly rolls it back to Linke (the only
NSL
player in easy reach who is unmarked). Abonyi moves to cover the goal
and
Klose. Zeige sprints down her wing. Nicholson also moves to cover the
goal
and an NSL attacker (Kahn). Linke lobs the ball into centre field of the
OU
half. Kahn takes it on the bounce and tries to head it in to the goal,
but
Heskey hugs it to his chest before slamming the ball down the field
toward
the NSL goal. Schneider easily gathers it in and hits the ball back into
the
OU half. A gust of wind catches the ball and carries it on to the NSL
goal.
An awkward bounce sees it bounce down off the crossbar, but luckily
Heskey
is good enough to catch it before it goes over the line.

TURN 6: Nelsen moves wide. Linke covers his wing. Smith moves down
field.
Lehmann covers centre field. Schwab moves down the park too. Zeige comes
back over to cover Schwab. The NSL are going to have to pick up the pace
and
take control of this game before time runs out! Kewell goes down his
left
wing. Klose comes back to cover Kewell. Farina pushes in to open
left-centre
field. Bode moves forward to pressure Heskey who passes the ball off to
Nelsen. Nelsen passes it to Kewell, with Heinrich-Rehmer trying to
intercept. Heinrich-Rehmer just makes contact with the ball and toes it
to
Zeige. Zeige tries to clear the ball, but Abonyi knocks it down and
passes
it to the edge of the NSL penalty box. Schwab races to the ball just
ahead
of Lehmann. Schneider comes across to cut down the angle and Kewell
moves to
cover the far post and clean up any scraps. Smith urges Schwab forward
and
Schwab confuses the NSL defenders by over running the ball. Schwab
flicks
the ball off his heel over his head before slamming in to it on the
volley
and sending a curving, spinning ball over Schneider's out stretched
fingers
into the top corner of the goal!!! The OU have the game in the bag!!!
The
NSL can't come back from here!!! Yes that was it, the full time whistle
goes!!!!!!!!!! The OU have taken the Interstellar cup!! The poor NSL
players
are lying despondent on the ground and Schneider's in tears, but the OU
are
ecstatic. For the first time on twenty-five years they've taken the
Interstellar Cup!! They're racing around hugging and jumping. They're
will
be wild scenes in Oceania tonight!!!

Lachy would've like a more "blood bowl" kind of game I don't doubt, but
Janneke was impressed with FMA's flexibility (as was I, it really looked
and
felt like a soccer match!!!!)

Cheers