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Blood Bowl – Designer’s Commentary on the Gutter Bowl Expansion

We recently announced the upcoming release of Gutter Bowl – a brand new way of playing Nuffle’s great game with its own unique spin. But what exactly is Gutter Bowl? We caught up with Lead Games Developer Jay to get the low-down on this exciting new game mode.

Jay: Gutter Bowl is the vicious little brother of Blood Bowl. It's not exactly regulated or legal within most cities, and it’s mostly played between the patrons of various taverns – who, having enjoyed a couple of beers while watching the pros play on Cabalvision, naturally take to the streets eager to prove their own skills in a makeshift game.

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Teams are a mix of ale-addled old-timers, former players who ‘could’ve gone pro if they wanted’, cocky young upstarts who think they have a shot at the big time, and all manner of other misfits.There’s no referee and barely any rules – just the bare minimum required to provide some semblance of structure for the game and determine a winner – it’s pure carnage!

How does it play?

Gutter Bowl uses the same core mechanics as regular Blood Bowl, though it’s more of an organised punch-up that resembles a game rather than a proper sport. There are some rules differences between the two games – Gutter Bowl is shorter and played by seven rather than 11 players. The players are out of shape and they’ll likely collapse if they have to run too much! This results in a quicker, more chaotic experience, meaning you can play more games during an evening should you wish.

It isn’t played on lush grass turf like its bigger brother. Instead, it is played within the streets or sewers of the Old World, with the boundaries marked out by makeshift chalk drawings and jumpers. Players need to navigate around buildings, market stalls, and sewer pits as they try to score, all of which can have a hazardous and hilarious impact on the game!

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The pitch has two sides – the Street Pitch and the Sewer Pitch – with various obstacles, as well as a number of Barricades which are tricky to traverse safely and will likely hurt all the more if a player is shoved into them. 

On the Street Pitch, market stalls are impassable to players, but their wares make for an excellent makeshift weapon, and players that get shoved into one are far more likely to end up as a crumpled heap on the floor! 

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Though players may not willingly enter a sewer gate on the Sewer Pitch, an opponent may seize the opportunity to send them toppling into the slop! They may just end up smelly… or they may end up on the wrong end of something far more sinister.

What are the differences?

Probably the most obvious difference in Gutter Bowl is the lack of a referee. With no ref, players can’t get Sent-off for any reason, and they are free to foul opponents without risk – though there’s still a limit of one per turn though! 

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Secret Weapons therefore work slightly differently. Instead of being Sent-off at the end of a Drive, they instead roll a D6. On a 4+ they have got away with it, though on a 1-3 the watching fans have become annoyed and drag them off the pitch to enact their own brand of justice.

I really like the unique Kick-off and Weather tables. Each pitch has its own versions with suitably wacky results that can cause all kinds of chaos! 

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You may have to contend with the city guards, loose dogs pinching the ball, rogue washing lines falling onto players, riots, and even Mrs Miggins at number 12 launching flower pots at players for disturbing her afternoon nap! Or you’ll encounter swarms of rats, an influx of fresh sewage, or a tentacled terror that lurks in the depths may decide to get involved, dragging one unlucky player into the gloop!

Thanks Jay! Gutter Bowl will be available to pre-order soon, so keep an eye on Warhammer Community for more details.