Blood Bowl game Catch-All

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The game is currently out and you can get it from The Game's Official Website

It's coming out for PC, XBOX Live Arcade, PSP and DS with a release on STEAM in the near future.

** EDIT **
Here's a little guide to playing Blood Bowl. Nothing beats reading the Living Rule Book though and it's free but here's a condensed version.

BASIC RULES

- Dice: Blood Bowl is played using block dice and D6s. Other types are used for special events.

- Build a team by purchasing a minimum of 11 players. Your team can consist of up to 16 players but only 11 can be fielded. Some positions are restricted.

- When purchasing a team, an APOTHECARY (50,000$) and Team RE-ROLLS (price varies) are extremely important
- an apothecary allows you to re-roll an injury one of your player has sustained. During a season, this can be critical to your long term success
- Re-rolls allow you to re-roll any action you make (block, dodge, throw, catch, hand-off). Since a failed action can cause turnovers, they are crucial as well

- Setting up players on the field has to be done this way: three on the center line of scrimmage, a maximum of 2 players anywhere each side of the central zone.

- Team rating (1000 to 2000+) represents the monetary value of a team divided by 1000. Skills add to a players' value. Play teams your own size not to get beat up.

- Players statistics consists of MA (movement) ST (Strength) AG (Agility) AV (armor value)
MA - From 2 to 10. High speed opponents have to be dispatched first because often an entire team's strategy is based on those players.
ST - From 1 to 7. Strength is an important factor when throwing blocks and is useful with some skills
AG - From 1 to 6. Agility is extremely important for dodges, throws, catches, picking up the ball and some other skills like leap
AV - From 6 to 10. Armor is what protects your players when they are knocked down or fall down from a missed dodge or sprint roll

- The Kick-off: The receiving team begins playing. A kick-off will always scatter up to 6 squares from the target square and will bounce once or twice. Kicking the ball in the middle is a safe bet as you can be sure it will land inbound and your opponent will have to pick up the ball. A ball landing outside of the field grants your opponent to give the ball to any player on his team with no roll necessary to pick up the ball!

ACTIONS

- During a turn, your player can get up, block, move, move & throw the ball, move & foul, or blitz (move and block) an opponent.
- A moving player may dodge an opponent, pick up the ball, hand-off the ball or do an heroic sprint
- Before or after a player has taken an action, he may tackle an opponent, give an assist in a block

Block - The action of attacking an opponent. Strength is used for this skill. A block concludes your player's action
Dodge - Moving out of an opponents "tackle zone", the 8 squares surrounding a player. An agility roll must be made
Throw - resolved by measuring the distance and adjacent opponents. The closest the throw, the easiest it will be. An agility roll must be made
Hand-Off - A hand-off is always a success but the player who received the ball must do a catch roll. A hand-off concludes your player's action.
Catch - receiving the ball from a pass, a kick or a hand-off. An agility roll must be made
Blitz - Once per turn, one of your players may move AND block. You must declare a blitz before you move (the blitz icon is a lighting bolt, right of screen)
Pick up the ball - Moving into a square where the football is, your player must attempt to pick it up. An agility roll must be made
Tackle - When an opponent moves out of a tackle zone, your player automatically attempts to tackle him. A tackle is not an action (no limits)
Assist - A player in an opponent's tackle zone may assist a team-mate's block, giving a +1 bonus to ST. Any opponent in your player's TZ will cancel the assist.
Getting up - Costs 3 MA, therefore a player getting up may not throw a block unless he blitz. He may do other actions like dodging, throwing the ball, etc.
Fouls - Once a turn. Stomp an opponent who's down! Team-mates in TZ of opponent will give a +1 and it's a direct roll for armor. Roll a double and get sent-off!
Heroic move - Allows the player to move one extra square but there's a risk: 2+ / D6. Only 2 extra squares can be taken and a roll is necessary each time.

Bonus to actions : skills may give a bonus or a re-roll to your actions. The skill pass, for example, grants a re-roll on failed throws.
Penalties to actions: Opponents in your players' tackle-zone always give a -1 penalty to agility rolls and can of course grant assists against you!

Since most actions require a dice throw, it is always better to do actions that do not require any rolls first to ensure that a maximum of players will play during your turn. Keep your difficult rolls for later.

AGILITY ROLLS (D6)

All actions such as picking up the ball, throwing or receiving the ball, dodging out of an opponents' tackle zone and certain skills require to do an agility roll. Most actions you will do, with an average Blood Bowl player require 3 or more on a D6, in other words giving you a 66% chance of success. The following chart gives a good idea of the odds.
--------------------------------------------------
Player's Agility ---1--/--2-/--3-/--4-/--5-/--6-
Roll for success--6+ / 5+ / 4+ / 3+ / 2+ / 1+
--------------------------------------------------
+1 making a dodge roll
- 1 per enemy tackle zone
+1 catching the football
+1 picking up the football
+1 throwing a quick pass
-1 throwing a long pass
-2 throwing a long bomb
--------------------------------------------------

The Block Dice

IMAGE(http://mysite.verizon.net/resumlib/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/dice.jpg)

The SKULL means your player falls down
The Skull and Explosion means both players are down in the square they currently occupy (players with the BLOCK skill stay up with that result)
The ARROW means you only managed to push your opponent back one square. You can only push an opponent in the 3 squares behind him
The Explosion with exclamation mark means your block has succeeded (unless your opponent has the Dodge skill, in which case the result is that of an arrow)
The Explosion is a succesful block, your opponent is down and pushed back one square

HOW TO RESOLVE A BLOCK (1-3 Block dice)
1 - measure your player's ST vs your opponent
2 - Add any assists. Don't forget that a player may only assist if the only opponent in his tackle zone is the player being blocked.
3 - You will throw a number of dice according to those rules
- - - - Equal - Throw ONE block die
- - - - Higher by 1 or more - Throw two block dice. Choose the result
- - - - More than twice the ST of your opponent - Throw three block dice. Choose the result
- - - - Less - throw your dice following the rules above but your opponent decides. In that situation, the dice will appear in red in the game

Example: A player with a ST of 4 and one assist blocks a player with a ST of 2. Your ST = 5, your opponents = 2. You throw 3 dice and decide which die will be the result.

HOW TO MAKE AN ARMOR ROLL (2D6)
1- Only the player who threw the block can give a bonus to armor.
2- Consider the skills mighty blow, piling on, dirty player, claws
3- If the armor is beat by 1 or more, throw an injury roll

HOW TO MAKE AN INJURY ROLL (2D6)
1- Only the player who threw the block can give a bonus to injury.
2- Consider the skills mighty blow, dirty player, thick skull
3- Add your bonus to your 2D6 roll
- - - - 2-7: Stunned- opponent is placed prone. During his next turn he may only be turn face up and cannot do anything else
- - - - 8-9: KO'd- opponent is removed from the field immediately and placed in the KO'd box
- - - - 10-12: Injured- Player is removed from the field, will not return. Another roll for injury is made to see whether is badly hurt, seriously injured or killed
- - - - Tip: keep your apothecary for seriously injured or killed players only, you can use it only once per game!

HOW TO RESOLVE A FOUL (2D6)
1- Count any assists. Opponents in the fouling players' tackle zone give a -1 penalty, team-mates in the player being fouled's tackles zone give a bonus of +1. Tackle zones negate the penalty or bonus.
1- Consider the Dirty player skill bonus
2- Throw an armor roll

THE TACKLE ZONE

Each of your player enforces protection in all of the squares surrounding him. It is used to prevent opponents from running freely across the field. There is no roll to enter an opponent's tackle zone, however leaving a tackle zone prompts your adversary to throw a tackle at you, therefore requires a dodge roll using your player's agility. Great players know how to use tackle zones to their advantage. Making your opponents do as many risky rolls as possible is key to master Blood Bowl and using your tackle zones is the foundation of winning at this game. You must constantly be aware of them when you move your players as your less agile players can be tackled by any opponent, no matter the size.

Tackle zones are important in movement but they're also extremely important when you throw blocks at your opponent. Never allow your opponent to easily assist players you know will throw blocks at you during the next turn. Position your team so that if possible, each player covers the next. Make sure that there are never gaps in your position where your tackle zones are not enforced.

HALF TIME, turns, etc.

The game is divided in two halves of 8 turns per player. The player who receives the ball in the first half plays first and will have to kick the ball beginning the second half.
At the end of a drive (when half ends or a touch down is scored), all players are taken off the fields and you may choose to field reserves.
KO'd players have 50% chance to come back to play after each drive.
Badly hurt, injured or dead players cannot come back for the game. Use your apothecary when the injury is sustained if you need that player to win the game!

There are many other things to know, but that's the basic stuff. Once you master this, you can start thinking about building your skills. Feel free to contact me if you see me on Steam. I have a vent server and I'd be happy to do practice games with new players. One of the key elements of this game is building a great 1000 rating team from the start. Bad planning can result in an abysmal season!

I used to play Blood Bowl (and Dungeon Bowl) quite a lot, but haven't picked it up in a year or two. It was always a great game, but the newer edition rules really improved it. I loved the first game, and it's hard to believe that this version won't be excellent as well. I can't wait.

There is a little Blood Bowl thread over in the Sports forum, but since that doesn't get as much notice, I won't tell if you don't tell. My hope is that everyone in the world picks this up and creates world peace through fantasy violence.

I hope this is really done well, I loved to play this back in the stone age, and it'd be great to see an accomplished online version.

I've dug up some more information

The game will be playable in real time but also turn-based according to the Living Rulebook 5

This means they will use the official rules that have been updated through the years since the game's last release many years ago. The last update of the Living Rulebook was done this year I believe so everything will be up to date.

It's scheduled to hit in March 2009

Really looking forward to this. We played a couple of tabletop leagues a few years back - great fun, although I lost every single game I played in (really. Lizardmen suck).

I've also played some of the free multiplayer Java or somesuch contraption that's available somewhere in the interwebs. It works well.

I never got into Blood Bowl, although I love WHFB. I'm pretty excited for a game though

Can't say I've ever played the tabletop game, but it certainly looks interesting. Might at least take a look at this, depending on the reception.

Confirmed:

Online play, Tournaments & Leagues with customizable rulesets

found in interview at Eurogamer.fr
http://www.eurogamer.fr/article.php?...

Leagues, nice!

Looks awesome.

I'm super anxious for this to come out already! Hopefully it will sell well and they'll have a dungeonbowl expansion.

Never played the board game but I've always been very interested. Can't wait for this to come out

Loved the first PC game, I had an unbeatable Skaven team. I remember winning one match through wiping out the entire halfling team... I think I actually killed a good half dozen too, poor buggers couldn't field a full team after that.

Redwing wrote:

I remember winning one match through wiping out the entire halfling team...

That's hardly a feat!

Try doing this against Orcs or Dwarves now. Halflings are one of the most difficult races to play and shouldn't be a challenge for anybody

I played Goblins for a long time (too long) and the stunties, they just can't take a good hit and if you throw them, your troll will either eat them or they'll be injured if they don't land it

a bit sad really. t'was fun playing the gobbos

interstate78 wrote:
Redwing wrote:

I remember winning one match through wiping out the entire halfling team...

That's hardly a feat!

Try doing this against Orcs or Dwarves now. Halflings are one of the most difficult races to play and shouldn't be a challenge for anybody

I played Goblins for a long time (too long) and the stunties, they just can't take a good hit and if you throw them, your troll will either eat them or they'll be injured if they don't land it

a bit sad really. t'was fun playing the gobbos

I suppose it wasn't anything too special, but I still found it terribly entertaining.

Oh, and I hated taking on the dwarves... I think my usual tactics there were basically just hope I end up with the ball then run away a lot, preferably towards the correct end of the field but that was largely optional. God help me if the dwarves ended up with the ball, I think my rat-ogre was the only one who had a remote chance of taking one down. Had to hope for dropped passes or a lucky tackle as they ran past me.

Orcs strangely enough weren't so bad, they didn't seem quite as tough to take down. They hit hard, but at least I had a chance there, even if my players got a little knocked around.

Here's a link to a new video on Kotaku

Oh man I can't wait to play! I loved the little gobbo yanking on the ogre. Which system to get it on though?

Last I heard (quite a few months back, in the old forums) they (well, I think the publishers) were still intent on sticking with Starforce as a DRM system with Blood Bowl. After registering my opinion on that , surprisingly calmly and politely for me given my loathing of DRM/Starforce in particular, I got flamed to hell and received a forum ban. Needless to say it sort of killed my interest, even though I love BB and have been involved in numerous tabletop leagues and official GW events. Anyway, does anyone know if they're still going to go with Starforce, or has the weight of people (my poll showed >50% of respondants didn't like Starforce but would accept another DRM system) changed their minds at all?

I'd *really* love to be able to love this game, but limited installs or Starforce would kill it for me and leave me sticking with my tabletop game and local friends. Le sigh.

Brizahd wrote:

Oh man I can't wait to play! I loved the little gobbo yanking on the ogre. Which system to get it on though?

It was actually a troll.

Last I heard they were looking at a June-ish release.

Strewth wrote:
Brizahd wrote:

Oh man I can't wait to play! I loved the little gobbo yanking on the ogre. Which system to get it on though?

It was actually a troll.

Last I heard they were looking at a June-ish release.

So it is... should've known by the stomache. Anyway still a cool vid. Have they released one that has any announcing going on?

Brizahd wrote:

Which system to get it on though?

Personally I'm getting it for PC (for updates & mods), XBLA and probably also a portable version. Most of my friends own a DS so there's 90% chances it'll be on DS.

I was thinking of getting it only for PC and DS but since XBLA games are not very expensive, why not eh.

I'd say for someone on a shoestring budget the XBLA version is probably the way to go but I would bet my shoes that the PC version will be the best and most supported/played around the world with leagues, mods, etc.

interstate78 wrote:
Brizahd wrote:

Which system to get it on though?

Personally I'm getting it for PC (for updates & mods), XBLA and probably also a portable version. Most of my friends own a DS so there's 90% chances it'll be on DS.

I was thinking of getting it only for PC and DS but since XBLA games are not very expensive, why not eh.

I'd say for someone on a shoestring budget the XBLA version is probably the way to go but I would bet my shoes that the PC version will be the best and most supported/played around the world with leagues, mods, etc.

My willpower is weak and I'll probably buy it the xbla,ds and the pc. Just to maximize my bloodbowl playing potential.

Main website has a few screens and a video of Chaos on the field.

It's also not cross-platform compatable.

I thought I read somewhere that the developers are going with Starforce DRM again on the pc version, but I can't find the article now. Does anyone know?

Such a pity if they do. I'm sure Chaos League and it's expansion wouldve sold better if they hadn't used that particular solution. I actually have Chaos League and its expansion sitting in my gaming vault... all dust covered... and unfortunately there they will stay.

The videos look great, but if its got that same old drm... no pc version for me.

Strewth wrote:

It's also not cross-platform compatable.

Thats a bit sad. They could've made it the turn-based versions cross-platform since the rules don't change.

I guess it would be a bit technical though

Looks interesting, and I'm glad to see Games Workshop really pushing it in the video games market. I'd probably pick this up on XBLA and if I'm into, for the DS. I'm not touching it on PC if it has Starforce.

The original computer version of this game was very poor, but I really got into it anyway. I was pretty broke at the time and couldn't afford anything else, so this was all that was on the menu for awhile. With nothing else available, I adapted, and actually ended up liking it a lot.

I mostly played the Undead, because while they didn't move all that fast, and weren't very good ball handlers, it was big fun killing the players on the other team. Don't like the superstar receiver? Get in there and murder him -- literally.

It really changed the dynamics. If I remember correctly, my team never did well early in the season, but near the end of the game year, I'd eaten so many of the other star players that I was able to lurch my way to victory. I don't think I'd ever play that way against human opponents, but I felt no pity tearing the computer teams to shreds. And snacking on them. Mmm, brains.

Irongut wrote:

I thought I read somewhere that the developers are going with Starforce DRM again on the pc version, but I can't find the article now. Does anyone know?

Such a pity if they do.

I have no idea if they are going to go with Starforce or not, but just wanted to point out there's different types or levels of protection with Starforce. So just because they might use it doesn't mean it's the most intrusive version that installs drivers. Their DRM ranges from simple CD checks to online activation, just depends on what the publisher decides to use. I'm not saying I'm happy with any of it. I'm just saying that when you see "Starforce" that doesn't mean it's anything other what SecuROM might do.

Unless you're boycotting just on the principle of Starforce's behavior and things they've done in the past. If that's the case.. carry on.

Malor wrote:

The original computer version of this game was very poor, but I really got into it anyway. I was pretty broke at the time and couldn't afford anything else, so this was all that was on the menu for awhile. With nothing else available, I adapted, and actually ended up liking it a lot.

I tend to agree. It wasn't really a great game, but I kept on playing it and playing it. The whole concept is so much fun. I'd buy this one and the Dungeon Bowl expansion that will come.

I think I'd rather see Necromunda.

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