Hello all, and welcome to a nice quick blog with no news or significant events to talk about. Or not!
Since I last wrote in this space, news of the Blood Bowl 2020 edition has of course landed. The internet has melted into the usual rainbow of news, reviews, panic, excitement, pleasure, pain and everything in-between. The most common question I have (quite reasonably) been asked is ‘Well, what does this mean for NAF tournaments?‘ The answer is: Wait and see.
We, the NAF Committee, have already met once to discuss the way forward and the WhatsApp group is burning as brightly as the sun, as you might expect. We are formulating the best route through the release based upon what we know today, but we recognise we don’t yet have all of the information. When we do have all of the facts (so basically, at launch), we will quickly and calmly post our (I hope!) clear and exhaustive view of the future of NAF tournaments and how we move forward together. I know that many of you want news right now, but we simply aren’t in the fully informed position that we like to be in before getting you that news. Please, bear with us and remain patient!
More immediately, Snotlings have landed. Read what we have to say about that here. Essentially, like all BB2016 new material, they’re good to go at TO discretion after a short lag, and we’ll review their inclusion at the next Annual Review. So, the usual, consistent way of dealing with things.
Life is not yet normal. I like to round up in this space the BB you’ve been playing in the month just gone, but it’s currently pretty tough to do so. Our online offerings continue on both FUMBBL and BB2, and I know tabletop tournaments are back, I just don’t know how many. With a super busy month personally and no response to my calls for tournament reports, I’ve stolen a video from Facebook showing the Garden Bowl below. A Danish tournament described as ‘NOT a drinking competition’ by infamous Danish legend MrNuffle, this is an event I’ve always had one eye on. Remember. NOT a drinking competition. I forget you can’t see me winking through the monitor, at times. September will be an easier month for rustling up a report or two, considering Major NAF Blood Bowl is back on the menu, in the form of the Chaos Cup.
‘Report’
Lovely video! Must make this, one year… Well done to Tripleskull for taking home the win with his Woodies.
TD Notes
Submissions to the NAF database are picking up. The team and I estimate that we’ve approved 23 tournaments this month (including 4 Sevens and a Dungeonbowl), and I guess this shows that confidence in moving minis about is building. I know not all of you are feeling it yet (and to be honest, I am among that number), but it’s great to see people getting back to the Astrogranite and embracing the new normal.
I don’t have an incredible amount to say in this space, this month. A lot of what I’ve / we’ve been up to is ‘BB2020 prep’, and we aren’t ready to talk about that yet. We’re also maturing an announcement about the next World Cup bidding process and something else I alluded to last month, and you can expect these news stories to come your way over the next few weeks. Exciting stuff, but nothing I can spell out in much detail here right now.
One thing I would like to write a short paragraph about is the NAF Live series of weekend events on FUMBBL, which came to a close this month. We have run tournaments for as few as 8 and as many as > 220 coaches, and the membership seemed to really embrace the idea of holding BB tournaments on FUMBBL in ‘real time’ during lockdown. It is natural that, as the sun has come out and restrictions have eased, the demand for these events has dwindled, but I think they served a really useful purpose. Thanks to the whole team both on the NAF and FUMBBL sides that helped me put these events on, and I’m glad they were as well received as they were. The effort involved was not insignificant, so a round of applause for the whole gang.
Holiday plans
It feels like we can start at least thinking about travel again, maybe some time in the not too distant future. What does spring ’21 look like, if life has returned to normal? Let’s ask the NAF database…
24 Hour Ironman Challenge 2021 23 / 24 Jan. No messing about here, why not return to tabletop with a proper tournament? Hardcore down under Blood Bowl at it’s finest!
Dutch Open 2021 6 / 7 Feb. Known as the ‘proper old school’ European gathering from the olden days, the Dutch Open combines Bowls both Blood and Super.
Waterbowl 16 20 / 21 Feb. Manchester’s finest return for the 16th Waterbowl. 16! Blimey. No CD this year, but fear not, I’m sure your ears will still be assaulted for 48 painful hours. 😉
Next time
I’ll be back here, come rain or shine. It will be super to report on Major NAF Blood Bowl being back, in the form of the Chaos Cup. September, eh? It’ll soon be Christmas!
Stay safe.
Phil.