Some of the more commonly used skills are Block (for fighting), Dodge (for dodging out of an opponent's tackle zone), Sure Hands (for picking up the ball), Pass (for throwing the ball), and Catch (for catching the ball). In addition, players may have special skills that affect any number of circumstances in play. This is the only stat which some players do not possess. PA (Passing) indicates how well the player can throw the ball.AV (Armour Value) indicates how difficult it is to injure the player.AG (Agility) indicates how well the player handles the ball and evades opposing players.ST (Strength) indicates the player's basic fighting ability.MA (Move Allowance) indicates how fast the player is.There are five player statistics as of the 2020 Season 2 update: To avoid confusion, the human playing the game is always referred to as the "coach" and never the player. Each player is represented by an appropriate miniature and has statistics and skills that dictate their effect on play. Teams consist of eleven to sixteen players, of which eleven are allowed on the pitch at any one time. Disparity between team values is offset by the purchase of ad-hoc star players or mercenaries, as well as bribes and additional temporary support staff, such as wizards or a halfling cook. Teams improve by the purchase of off-field staff such as cheerleaders, assistant coaches, and apothecaries. Players face potential injury or even death on the field throughout their careers. In league play, players gain additional skills and abilities based on their accumulation of experience points. Teams can include any number of players of the most basic type (usually Linemen), while the stronger units are limited to 1, 2, 4 or 6 per team. ghouls, wights and mummies in undead teams), and specialists of different roles (usually some combination of Blockers, Blitzers, Throwers, Catchers, Runners and Linemen). trolls in orc and goblin teams), exotic or monstrous units (e.g. skeletons and zombies in undead teams, various lizardmen types), guests of allied races (e.g. Elves tend to be agile and good at scoring, while dwarfs and orcs are more suited to a grinding, physical style of play.Īll teams offer a choice between player types with different statistics: related races (e.g. The player races are drawn from the ranks of fantasy races and have characteristics that reflect the abilities of those races. Players may attempt to injure or maim the opposition in order to make scoring easier by reducing the number of enemy players on the field. Game play is based on a hybrid of American Football and Rugby. The "Blood" in Blood Bowl is represented by the violent actions available to players. Using dice, cards, and counters, the players attempt to score higher than each other by entering the opponent's end zone with a player who possesses the ball. A board containing a grid overlay represents the field. īlood Bowl is a two-player, turn-based board game that typically uses 28 mm miniatures to represent a contest between two teams on a playing field. Cyanide Studio confirmed that the next videogame adaptation, Blood Bowl 3, would use the new ruleset. The rule book was also available separately, both physically and digitally. This version was released in November 2020 and included miniatures for two teams and referees, a board (pitch), templates and the rule book. In August 2020, Games Workshop announced the latest version of the game, titled Blood Bowl Second Season Edition, which features a significant overhaul of the rules. It featured a double sided board and new plastic miniatures. In late 2016, Games Workshop released a new version of the game - the first in 22 years. Blood Bowl is set in an alternate version of the Warhammer Fantasy setting, populated by traditional fantasy elements such as human warriors, goblins, dwarves, elves, orcs and trolls. The game was first released in 1986 and has been re-released in new editions since. 45-150 minutes, depending on rules versionīlood Bowl is a miniatures board game created by Jervis Johnson for the British games company Games Workshop as a parody of American Football.