Blood Bowl is, at its heart, a very simple game of probabilities. Make an action and roll some dice to determine the success. However, as simple as the core game is, there is a level of depth that can take years to master. Don't let that dissuade you; once you learn the basics, you'll be enjoying yourself immensely as blood spills, touchdowns are scored, and star players emerge.
There's 2 aspects to playing blood bowl - managing your team, and playing the game. This page is about playing the game. Team management is all about the reference material, which you'll find in the CRP (see Glossary).
The Game
A game is 2 halves lasting 8 turns. One team kicks to the other, then the coaches take turns playing with their team until a touchdown is scored or the half ends. At the end of the game, whoever has the most touchdowns, wins. It's that simple!
Actions
Each of your players can take just a single action in a turn. Once declared (or begun if using FFB) then you can not go back, so think carefully before starting each action.
Failing an action results in a turnover i.e. the immediate end of your turn. As a general rule, a dice roll of 1 always fails and a dice roll of 6 always succeeds.
Standard actions - you may make as many of these as is available in a turn:
- Move - you can move any of your players if you don't want them to perform another action.
- Block - if an opposing player is adjacent to one of your players, you may block that player. A player can't move if making a block.
- Blitz - a blitz is like a block but you may move your player as well.
- Hand off - you may hand off the ball to a player in an adjacent square, requiring only a catch roll to be made. You can move before making the hand off, but the hand off ends the players move.
- Pass - you can throw the ball to another player or an empty square ("punt"). As with hand off, you may move until you pass.
- Foul - naughty boy! Kick a player that is down, but risk being sent off.
Once you have finished making your actions, or have suffered a turnover, then control switches to the opposing player.
Active vs Inactive
A player who is knocked over - prone or stunned - or is suffering from really stupid, bone-head, or gaze is considered inactive. This player simply occupies the square they are in and can do nothing else until they recover.
An active player may assist, catch the ball, etc.
Tackle Zones
Understanding tackle zones is critical to playing Blood Bowl. They significantly effect movement and blocking.
A player's tackle zone is the squares adjacent to the player. If a square is covered by multiple tackle zones, they stack i.e. a square adjacent to 2 opposing players is said to be in 2 tackle zones.
If a player is inactive then they have no tackle zone.
Moving
Each player can move as many squares as their MA. In addition, once the movement is expended, a player can move 2 additional squares by making "go for its" (roll a 2+).
If a player is prone, they use 3 MA to stand up.
If your player is in a tackle zone, to leave the tackle zone you must make a dodge roll. The dodge roll is an agility roll +1 (see Tables) with -1 per tackle zone that you are dodging into. Thus, if you are dodging from 1 tackle zone in to 3 tackle zones, you subtract 2 (+1 -3) from the roll. If you are dodging from 3 tackle zones into a free square, you just add +1.
Failing a dodge or a go for it knocks the player down and you make an armour/injury roll.
You do not need to make a dodge roll to enter a tackle zone unless your player is already in one.
If a player moves over the ball, he/she attempts to pick the ball up with modifiers the same as dodging.
Failing a pick up scatters the ball and results in a turnover.
Blocking and Assists
Players that are stood adjacent to an opposing player may block them. If the result of a block pushes the opposing player back, you may choose to have your player follow up the block i.e. move to the vacated square.
When blocking (or blitzing) an opposing player, you first determine how many block dice are required.
If the players are of equal ST, you roll a single block die. If the ST of one player is more than double the other player, you roll 3 dice. Otherwise you roll 2 block dice.
The player with most ST chooses the dice result.
Often, there are tackle zones affecting the players involved with the block. These are called assists. Assists are critical to getting favourable block situations i.e. 2 or 3 dice in your favour when blocking or blitzing.
A player may only assist in the block if he is not in an opposing player's tackle zone (excluding the attacker/defender) or has the guard skill. Offensive assists are players adjacent to the defending player. Defensive assists are players adjacent to the blocking player.
For each offensive assist, add 1 to the attacker's ST. For each defensive assist, add 1 to the defender's ST.
Armour and Injury Rolls
Whenever a player is knocked over, as a consequence of a failed go for it, dodge, or by a block, you make an armour roll using 2D6. If the roll is greater than the players AV, then you make an injury roll (see Tables).
If the armour roll fails, the player is placed prone, and must stand up next turn to act.
If stunned, a player takes a turn to recover i.e. a stunned player becomes prone.
Knocked out or injured players are removed from the field.
Amour and injury rolls may be modified, for example by mighty blow which adds +1 to the armour roll if necessary, or +1 to the injury roll if the armour roll passes unmodified. So be careful - some players are more dangerous than others!
Hand Offs and Passing
A hand off is the simplest way to move the ball from one player to another. To hand off the ball, the player with the ball must be adjacent to the player catching the ball. A hand off is treated like an accurate pass.
If the ball needs to travel some distance, you can pass it. The difficulty of the pass depends on the range of the pass (see Tables) and the number of tackle zones on the thrower (-1 per tackle zone).
Be warned, passes can be intercepted by players in the path of the pass (agility roll - 2).
Passes can also fumble (scatter from the thrower's position) or be inaccurate (scatter from the catcher's position).
To catch the ball, make an agility roll with a +1 modifier if the pass was accurate and -1 per tackle zone on the catcher.
Remember - failed actions result in a turnover, and passes are inherently risky.
Scatter Catches
If the ball scatters into a square occupied by a player who is active, the player automatically tries to catch the ball.
The important distinction between this kind of catch and a catch from a pass or hand off is that, as this catch is not part of an action, failing this catch does not incur a turnover.
Re-Rolls
You have a number of re-rolls available to use during each half (determined by your roster). You may re-roll any dice roll that except for armour, injury, and casualty rolls. Remember - you can only use one re-roll per turn and they are in short supply, so choose your moments carefully.
The Crowd
The crowd plays an important roll in a Blood Bowl game.
Players pushed in to the crowd are often injured; the armour roll is bypassed and an injury roll is immediately made.
When the ball goes in to the crowd, they throw it back a random direction and distance.
Skills and SPP
There are many player skills that affect play, and learning and understanding the benefits of these skills is one of the real nuances of playing Blood Bowl.
Skills typically allow you to re-roll critical dice without using a re-roll, or maintain position, or modify dice rolls to make them easier or more dangerous.
To gain skills, you must earn SPP (star player points) by completing passing (+1), making casualties (+2), and scoring touch downs (+3). At the end of each match, each team is awarded an MVP (+5) to a random player as well.
I recommend you read through the detailed descriptions in the CRP. Once you are familiar with the skills, there is a Skills cheat sheet for quick reference.
Kick Off Results, Inducements, Star Players etc
This basics guide only touches on the many details of playing Blood Bowl.
As you play you'll learn more about managing your team, inducements that give the underdog a sporting chance, wizards that can be used to open up tight defenses, and plenty more.
