The first grand outing for The League of Extraodinary Hockey Shirts* was at the Armor Wars Prerelease & WWHCI Qualifier on October 22nd 2005. The event was held at Loughborough University.

Ste D pulled a Unique Magneto™ in the sealed booster event, and despite some poor rolling to cause a defeat in the first Swiss Round, recorded a 2 - 1 score with over 1200 points to finishing a very impressive 8th. The team he used consisted of U Magneto™, V Ghost™, R Marina™ and R Banshee™. The first battle was nearly a white wash as magneto killed the U Iron Man™ with just 2 hits, and then began to target the support figs only to suffer from bad dice roles resulting in his defeat. However in the second battle Magneto™ was back on top form not missing an attack and eventually wiped out the opposition on his own after his rather poor minions were easily dispatched by an E Quicksilver™. The third battle was the closest game Ste has ever seen thanks to an "Armour Wars" battle field condition card being played. After all support was once again wiped out on both sides, the only pieces remaining on the map were Magneto™ and his opponent, once again Quicksilver™ this time beefed up to his V version. After a long battle and a lot of HSS, both characters came down to 2 clix of life. After both pushing to hit and both missing it came down to the final attack, Quicksilver™ needing a 7 and Mags needing a 6, Quicksilver™ went first and missed with a heart wrenching 6. Then Magneto™ just hit with spot on 6, finally ko'ing his upstart son.

Sean used cunning and guile to build a versatile and flexible team from his booster draw. He got Unique Spider-Woman™ and Iron-Man™ but decided against using either for his 300 point team. He won his first two games but was drawn against a particularly awkward double veteran Quicksilver™ in his final game and he too finished the Swiss Rounds with a 2 - 1 record. Unfortunately, a victim of his early success, the Quicksilver™ Twins dented his points total to a nice round 1000 points to secure at top twenty placing at 18th.

Ste H really let the side down. Losing games one and two and scraping a victory in the third Swiss Round, he completed the Swiss Rounds with a 1 - 2 record and no-one really cares how many points he scored or where he placed coz he was just rubbish.

Ste D, having had little or no sleep the previous night decided he had neither the will nor the energy to continue into the Contructed Format Single Ellimination Rounds and honorably dropped out despite qualification. Due to the quirk of another unknown player also choosing to drop out, Sean was given the opportunity to progress as part of the top 16 with 16 regional qualifiers. With the honour of The League of Extrodinary Hockey Shirts at stake he produced the yellow ringed menace of "The Birthday Boys" lead by veteran Deadpool™ (but don't tell the Taskmaster™).

Sean scraped a victory against a mighty impressive F4 LE Team that, with the assistance of Brilliant Tactician and the alternate FF Team Ability, managed to maintain a 20 defence for the whole team throughout the entire round. A very spawny critical hit (which he needed to hit!) from veteran Silver Samurai™ for 7 damage late in the game saw off Mr. Richard's and his teams hopes. Last 16!

In the second Single Ellimination Round, Sean was paired against a formidable looking bunch fronted by a veteran Black Adam™ and veteran Ghost Rider™. The addition of the fearsome dumpster 3-D object didn't help either. Sean had some good dice rolls in this game and his opponent had a few bad ones but also had very deep dials. In what was the tightest finish to a game possible, it all came down to the last action. As the last action was declared by the preciding judge, Ghost Rider™ pushed to hit Deadpool™ who was on his last click and scored a hit. Scarlet Witch™ had line of sight and used probability control. Ghost Rider™ needed a seven on the reroll. He only managed a five. By the skin of his teeth, last 8!

Things looked bad early doors as Sean saw the opposition for the third round. LE Polaris™ and a Phoenix™ both with Nova blast and a good selection of support figures. For what must have been the biggest team in the last 32 with a good smattering of stealth on a smaller map than usual, things looked bleak from the outset. And so it was. After blowing through a wall, a running shot/pulse wave/nova blast decimated the team for a combined 16 clix of damage (four targets for 4 each). Then to make things worse the bad rolls that were due set in. Despite a valiant effort and taking out Polaris™ and Sue Storm™ this tournament was over for Crimson Duck. A creditable placing somewhere in the top 8 was a great result for a first major outing. The only disappointment being the probability control on Robbie Robertson's death throw push attack that hit Moonstar™ only to be lost. It would have made no difference to the eventual outcome but Robbie's moment of glory was taken from him. You live by the Probability Control, you die by the Probability Control I suppose!

The bonus of third round ellimination was an earlier exit from Loughborough which meant we managed to get home for half past midnight rather than somewhere near two thirty in the morining. Just as well with a local tournament the next day back home. Somehow we all survive Ste H's sleep-deprived fits of girlie giggles on the drive home as he hugged his newly acquired Dark Phoenix™. I am sworn to secrecy on what instigated the feminine chuckles but I can say that it involved the question of performance at a forthcoming job interview.

'The League of Extraodinary Hockey Shirts*' are:

Sean Harte

(crimsonduck - #234261)

Stephen Hunt

(rasten - #208992)

Steve Date

(odo_nobunaga - #237615)

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