Leo, Steve, Harry and Sanngrior

After a week of heavy celebrating in the local taverns, the team truly earned their team name of The City Sickers. Almost every place they celebrated, most non Nurgle folk couldn’t stand the smell of rotting flesh and other disgusting sights. Most were sick if they stayed, some left as soon as the team and fans entered the bars, all except one old Dwarf. He had seen everything over the years, nothing fazed him and absolutely nothing would take him away from his beloved beer. Also, having no sense of smell was a bonus.
During the week of festivities, coach Rob Top was searching for another Pestigor to fit into the squad. Searching up and down the wastelands eventually coming across a young tough beast called Harry. Harry, being large was surprisingly quick for his size and his anger could be an issue, but seeing as he could find nothing else, Rob signed him up and met up with the rest of the players.

The week’s drinking had taken its toll on a few of the players, especially Leo the Leper. Leo, who swears was a Dwarf in a former life drank two beers at a time to save journeys to the bar. Leo, with his limbs just about staying connected to his body was the trusted lineman who would take hits for team. Not really interested in playing the match, more interested in the gold after every game to get to the nearest tavern and enjoy the sweet taste of hops and barley.

During training, it was noted how dedicated to blocking Steve the Scumbag was doing. Steve, confessed to hating Norse players, their Gods would praise them by giving them blocking skills, whereas Nurgle, the supreme God would bless them with disease. Steve earned his nickname the scumbag because of his extraordinary foul appearance. His rare skin disease coupled with his regenerating rotting body parts made him a disturbing presence, so being a warrior he was, along with his anger for Norse, this looked to be an exciting game. “Norse think they’re so tough, and stupid enough not to wear proper armour in front of me” He would shout in his deep growling voice.
Game 2 – The City Sickers (Nurgle TV 1110) vs The Fjord Squad (Norse TV 950)
The first game in the wastelands, 12.000 Nurgle fans outnumbered by 15,000 Norse fans. Both teams had won their first game of the season and both sets of fans were in good spirits.

The pitch had 2 trapdoors to access the areas under the grass, but these trapdoors were missing leaving 2 big holes in the ground. Anyone falling into one of them with get an instant injury.

The Norse team were missing 2 players, one, the Yeti and a lineman and the Norse team needed 2 journeymen to help make their team up to 11 players.
The game started with The Sickers kicking to the beer swigging Norse and just like the first game, a Rotter, this time it was Leo the Leper, who took a full whack in the head from Bjorn Ironside with such force that Leo was dead before he hit the ground. Leo the Leper will be missed that’s for sure.

The Norse drive worked its way down the side but got stuck at the half way line. For a good hour, it was a hitting contest, with each team doing well, the most notable performance was from Gary “the giant” Testie using his foul appearance to great effect stopping a blitz and a number of blocks. Then a failed breakthrough from The Fjord Squads catcher Ivar the Boneless loses the ball which got picked up by Elf skilled Pestigor Mike, but with most of the team in tackle zones, Mike’s dash was soon stopped and the half finished 0-0.

With some coaching form Rob Top at half time, the plan was simple. Cage up, slowly get the ball forward and score at the end for a 1-0 win.

The ball was kicked to the Sickers, but the Norse team blitzed before the ball landed causing mayhem in the Nurgle flanks. Plans were thrown away and the back up, which was never discussed was to fight the Norse again. However, once the Norse broke through the defence, Morbid Mutant Mike, even with his Elf skills was no match for the Norse attack, he got hit to the floor, recovered the ball only to lose it again. Part of the failed plan was about some confusion, not only the blitz, but a cheer leader had suited up some armour and was now playing for the Norse team. Although only ST2, this woman was fearless, with her blocking skills, dauntless and in full frenzy mode. She didn’t make a difference with the ball, but her sheer presence was enough to distract the Nurgle enough to get her team the first touchdown. After the drive she left the pitch with her other 2 cheerleaders following her close behind praising her for her efforts.
With only a few turns remaining and being outnumbered by the Norse, there could only be one plan. Get the ball and run. Gary “the giant" Testie smashes Sanngrior to the ground, stamps on heer head and kills the Norse lineman, her body quickly gets taken away by the Necromancers servants and work begins in raising her body. With the Necromancers skills, her body is transformed into a Rotter and Sanngrior will be ready for the next game.

Back to the game, Sam Scabface gets the ball and quickly runs to the halfway line, some good screening protecting him. The next turn he makes another dash with two go for its to get within scoring distance for the final turn. The Norse see the danger, regroup and see the move, a blitz to open a gap and surround the ball carrier, but double skulls on the blitz saves Sam Scabface and he only needs one more go for it to score and equalise. But, his fragile legs couldn’t take running the full length of the pitch in three turns and give up on him in his moment of triumph.

Final score 1-0 to The Fjord Squad.

It was hard choosing the MVP for this game, it was a tough call, but Steve the Scumbag rallied his team, stayed upright all game and caused enough mayhem to be awarded the best Nurgle player of the day, he learned enough from the Norse team today that he now knows the block skill for the next game.
Then from inside the tent outside the stadium, the Necromancer shows his first work to the team, behold, Sanngrior now has her head fixed but the Necromancer needed to use some of her body parts for other projects, Sanngrior will now be called “Sanngrior the rotten”

As both new teams took to the pitch, it was clear that Wulfgang’s Wanderers reaped the benefit of a Brilliant Coach gaining an extra re-roll on the initial kick-off. The ball landed just off center in the The Fjord Squad's half and bounced right through Ivar the Boneless' hands. Luckily Ivar was able to scoop the ball up before feinting down the left hand side of the pitch.

Wulfgang took the initiative and spotting an opening. With blistering speed he unleashed and frenzy-surfed Frank into the reserves box, much to the relief of the fraud squad's coach. With enraged retaliation Bjorn Ironside put some damage onto Razor Raymond who, in true Necromantic style, regenerated the injury.

During the pitch-wide brawl some underhand fouling was made by the Fjord squad (not that they would admit it) with coach "The Dude" convincing the ref that the play was legal. While the rest of the players on both teams got down to business, Ivar made a break for the right wing gaining some good ground before being swatted to the ground.

Luckily Bjorn's offering to the gods was heard and he grabbed the ball before legging it to the touch line for a turn 5 touchdown.

Both teams setup for the second drive under a veil of unending Banshee screams that appeared that appeared to cause the referee much discomfort. With a rare flame of anger in the dead eyes of Secret Seven, a deadly block was made denying Hrund entry to Valhalla as she moved off in the direction of Wulfgang’s Wanderers dugout leaving a trail of blood and body bits as her soul was consumed by Necromantic forces.

The second half saw both teams down to 10 players. As the kick when up the ref was no where to be seen and was replaced by a line judge. Slippery Steve, in true Ghoul style, plucked the ball up and mad a run down the left wing whilst Wulfgang and a heap of flesh made some decisive blocks on the right wing.

Wulfgang’s Wanderers slowly dragged each limb forward with, what can only be described as, apathetic yet deliberate formation. Struggling to react with dwindling numbers, the Fjord squad did what it could to stop the advance. Skellring Hrím, finally understanding where the ball was, lumbered towards Slippery Steve before stopping in an admittedly useful position blocking entry.

Wulfgang, somewhat perturbed by the yhetee's new found mobility, fluffed a block giving the remaining Norse players time to get some sort of defence in place. Slippery Steve, not fancying the double dodge long run doubled back and with a failed dodge sealed the fate of Wulfgang’s Wanderers. With their attention now turned to violence, a horde of zombies descended on the bewildered yhetee.

With all the zombies broken bones pointing in the right direction, Skellring was set upon by Secret Seven et-al, smashing to the ground with a loud thud. Now focused only on adding to their ranks, the horde then began kicking and stomping all over Skellring.

Somehow Snuffed it Steve, a former Hip Surgeon, used what muscle reflex he had left to exact irreparable damage on the Yhetee's hip. Much to the relief of the on-site physios, who were trying to figure out how to move the massive ball of fur and claws off the pitch, the end game whistle was blown.

Week 1 of the 2019 season started with a bang, seeing the City Sickers visit the Mordheim Preservation Society ground to kick off their title chase.

Both teams had a great showing with the Sickerss having the advantage in the stands. Despite the best efforts of the Society's goblins ground crew the pitch was totally waterlogged, something Dame Matilda Kingsley of the Society team groaned about at length in her pre game interview.