Dungeon Bowl is available to pre-order this Saturday, and takes the ultra-violent fantasy football action below ground. However, it’s not the first time that this subterranean version of Blood Bowl has seen the light of day – the original edition was first released in 1989. Instead of reminiscing about the classic edition, though, we’re going to tell you why the new Dungeon Bowl is even better!
1. Streamlined Rules
One of the key changes introduced in Blood Bowl’s Second Season Edition was a more streamlined rules set. Dungeon Bowl shares the same core engine, so the gameplay is more refined, and its rules are more accessible and easier to master. Since the underground setting introduces its own quirks, that’s a major plus. So you can now throw the ball against the wall for a ricocheted pass, teleport between magical portals, and even heal players with a literal magic sponge.
2. Refined Dungeon Generation
The process of setting up a dungeon arena has been totally reimagined. You now work with your opponent to generate a play area before tossing a coin to determine your respective starting positions. This means that you can gamble on a high-risk, high-reward strategy by weighting the dungeon layout in a particular way when you set the dungeon up before kick-off, in the hope that you’ll win the ensuing coin toss and seize the advantage!
3. Each Room Has Unique Rules
Blood Bowl is renowned for its wacky and unpredictable nature, yet Dungeon Bowl takes it to a whole new level. Each room tile now comes with its own special rules for your players to interact with their environment. For example, when making an Armour roll in the Armoury, you’ll get a +1 modifier to represent your player clobbering their opponent with one of the weapons lying around! And if you stumble into the Dragon Youngling’s lair, you’ll be knocked down on a 5+ – causing a turnover if your player is carrying the ball. It’s bedlam down there!
4. Dungeon Terrain
In addition to the iconic spiked ball and 26 miniatures for the players representing the Colleges of Fire and Shadow, the set includes ‘dungeon terrain’ in the form of six portals and treasure chests. Having 3D terrain adds another dimension (literally) to the game and helps to immerse you in the setting. Gone are the tokens of old, replaced with actual miniatures.
5. Team Recruitment is Far More Diverse
As we revealed in our article on the Colleges of Magic teams, the talent pool is now far more varied. Each of the eight colleges has its own unique pool of players to draw from, many of whom usually play for vastly different teams. And that’s not to say that every player from a particular team even attends the same college – Zombie Linemen attend the Amethyst College, for instance, while Werewolves prefer to play for the Amber College.
So there you have it – five reasons to sign up for one of the College of Magic teams in Dungeon Bowl! The boxed set is up for pre-order from Saturday, so choose your college and get ready to take your team underground.