Today the Blood Bowl design team shines the spotlight on a team that usually remains hidden in the shadows of Sylvania, waiting for the opportune moment to drag some poor, unsuspecting Halfling into the eerie darkness – Necromantic Horror.
While most teams in Blood Bowl can be characterised as either Bash (they like to punch the opposition into submission) or Dash (they prefer to score quick, often, and without contact), Necromantic Horror teams are more of a Hybrid team, able to adapt to whichever style of play suits them at the time. Often, this will materialise as the opposite of their opponent’s playstyle, and good Necromantic Horror coaches can play the best of both styles.
The Roster
Werewolves are undoubtedly the stars of the show. Their blistering MA of 8, combined with skills such as Claws and Frenzy, makes them ideal Blitzers, hunting down opposing ball carriers and other key targets. Their speed also makes them great for carrying the ball.
Speaking of ball-carrying, that is largely the job of your Ghoul Runners. With a MA of 7 and Dodge, these flesh-hungry fiends should be your main scorers. Rather than risk rushing them ahead alone in an attempt to score quickly, it is often sensible to get your ball-carrier safely within a cage* as you wait for the opportune moment to score.
Flesh Golems are the ideal corners of a cage, blessed with a ST of 4 and Stand Firm. It will be very tricky for an opponent to punch into your cage through one of these monstrous constructs, allowing you to dictate the flow of the game.
Though they cannot actually hold the ball, Wraiths are an important part of the line-up. With Block as standard, plus Sidestep, Wraiths can take a hit before moving to the best place to hit back during your turn.
Zombies are cheap, expendable, and ideal for throwing under a particularly strong opponent! Regeneration gives them a chance to return to the pitch after suffering a casualty – it’s a trait shared by all their team-mates, except the Ghouls, which makes them surprisingly durable. They just keep coming back!
One thing to bear in mind is that Necromantic positionals** are expensive, and when building your starting roster you will have some tough choices. Do you go with speed and take two Werewolves straight away – potentially at the cost of a Flesh Golem – or do you stock up on tougher players and save for Werewolves later in the season? Either is fine, and the decision will depend on your preferred style of play.
Skilling Up
Here are our picks for which new skills to consider when levelling your team up.
Zombie: Being Linemen, Zombies can be built to fit the role you need them to. The likes of Tackle and Wrestle are great choices for helping them take down slippery ball carriers.
Ghoul Runners: Taking Block makes your Ghouls very hard to knock over, while Sidestep or Sure Hands will help with their main task – getting the ball and scoring.
Wraiths: Grabbing Guard is a great choice for Wraiths, as they can support the team with offensive assists. Mighty Blow (+1) is also great for that added oomph.
Flesh Golem: As your strongest players, and the most likely to be constantly punching the opposition, Block is essential for Flesh Golems. After that, Mighty Blow (+1) will rack up the casualties even quicker.
Werewolves: Getting both Block and Dodge*** onto your Werewolves should be a priority as it makes them super-hard to knock down, and able to dish out even more punishment. The only real choice is which one to take first!
Top Star Player Picks
Necromantic Horror teams can take Star Players from the Sylvanian Spotlight. Here are our top five picks.
5 – Akhorne the Squirrel
Although not undead himself, this rabid rodent can play for any team. Fast, agile, and deadly, Akhorne is a great choice when you need a cheap Star Player to murder a key opposition player. Dauntless, coupled with his Blind Rage special rule (which lets him re-roll on Dauntless), lets him take on bigger guys with a bit of luck. Claws plus Frenzy is a killing combo.
This undead Dwarf is a great choice mainly because he offers something you lack – a reliable Thrower. Sure Hands reliably picks up the ball, while Accurate, Nerves of Steel, and Pass ensure the ball will end up in the willing jaws of a well-placed Werewolf.
3 – Frank ‘n’ Stein
At ST5 with Mighty Blow (+1), Frank ‘n’ Stein is a real beast on the gridiron. He may be slow, but Frank doesn’t want to be moving that much anyway – just a few squares forwards each turn to keep the cage grinding down the pitch and get the ball closer to that end zone.
Bryce is a great choice for chaos and carnage. For just 130,000GP, Bryce can be bought with a Bribe to keep him on the pitch for an extra drive, so he can keep cutting things down to size with his ghost-powered chainsaw!
1 – Wilhelm Chaney
The best boy in Blood Bowl, Wilhelm Chaney is fast and strong, with all of the benefits of a standard Werewolf.
ST4 and MA8 make him great for hunting down breakaway runners, and wrestle is great for taking down ball-carriers. For a truly terrifying team, take a triple-Werewolf build including Wilhelm – watch your opponent’s face fill with fear!
And there you have it, a quick look at the Necromantic Horror team and how to get the most out of them. Join us next time, when we’ll be taking a look at what makes another team tick.
* A cage is a formation in which the player with the ball is surrounded by team-mates, one in each square diagonally adjacent to them. This is traditionally very hard for your opponent to break down.
** The term for players who aren’t a standard Lineman.
*** A.k.a. ‘Blodge’.
