Welcome back sports fans to Touchline Tactics, where we get the inside scoop on the teams of Blood Bowl. We assess their playstyles, discuss which Skills to advance, and choose our top Star Players to accompany them on the astrogranite.
We’re taking a trip into the dark, dank, and dingy underworlds to learn more about diminutive dealers of death and deception. We’re talking about the Goblin teams, who’ve made a name for themselves on Nuffle’s sacred turf for their love of dirty tactics, their crazy playstyle, and, as all good coaches will be aware, their devotion to secret weapons!
Playstyle
Goblin teams are among the most popular in all of Blood Bowl. They have a unique style of play – a blend of sneaky tactics, carefree mayhem, and a sprinkle of secret weapons thrown in for good measure. Opposing coaches often overlook them and only realise their mistake when their players get blown up by a wayward bomb or find themselves pinned to the pitch by a whirring chainsaw!
Goblins are cheap, and their life expectancy isn’t very long and they’re as likely to get pummelled into the ground as they are to be on the receiving end of one of their own malfunctioning contraptions – there is even the risk of getting eaten by their own Trolls! Thus, a canny Goblin coach needs to have cash ready to replace players who suffer unfortunate mishaps.
Goblin Linemen get in the way, nip at the heels of opposition players and put the boot in if the opportunity arises. They have another use: as a high-velocity projectile to take out troublesome players from afar.
That is where the Trolls come in. Hulking brutes who block hard and smell worse, Trolls bring the pain by any means necessary. Trolls act as throwers, launching a willing (or sometimes unwilling!) Goblin across the pitch to knock down an opponent, or even score an impressive touchdown.
Then we have the more specialised positionals. Some carry Secret Weapons with the sole purpose of causing carnage. Fanatics use a great Ball & Chain to whirl around, clobbering anyone foolish enough to stray into their path. Loonies wield a Chainsaw to slice and dice the opposition, whilst Bommas chuck explosives at unsuspecting opponents for little more than their own amusement.
Tactics
Goblins thrive on mayhem rather than worrying about triflingly small issues such as the ball, and are favoured by coaches who want to have fun. That’s not to say that Goblin teams can’t win – but a Goblin coach will want to focus on a few key aspects to get results.
Firstly, Goblins excel at playing dirty. Use their Secret Weapons as often as possible, and keep them protected until they are ready to be unleashed. Try to make use of as many Foul actions as you can during a game – a good tactic is to target a player with a bomb, chainsaw, or ball & chain, and jump in with a cheeky Foul while they are on the floor.
There is one drawback to this though: those pesky do-gooder referees ruining good, clean fun! Luckily, Goblin teams have the Bribery and Corruption special rule, allowing them to buy Bribes for half the usual cost (50,000 gold pieces) and re-roll the first 1 they get when attempting to Argue the Call. Bribes help keep your players, and particularly your Secret Weapons, on the pitch, avoiding being Sent off on a 2+, as Goblins get Sent off a lot, this is incredibly useful.
Skilling Up
Here are our top picks when gaining new Skills:
Goblin Lineman – Goblins prefer not to have too many Linemen with additional Skills. Improving them increases their cost, and leaves less room for those all-important Bribes. However, you can’t go wrong with Dirty Player (+1) or Sneaky Git, as they both aid Fouling. Sidestep is another great choice if the Goblin is a ball carrier.
ʼOoligan – As a Goblin dedicated to Fouling, Sneaky Git is ideal for these infuriating creatures. Sidestep is a good pick to stay near downed opponents.
Doom Diver – Dodge gives them added protection should they land safely behind enemy lines with the ball and Sidestep is also handy.
Pogoer – As the quickest members of the team, Pogoers need Skills that help them move. Sprint and Sure Feet are perfect for this, giving a potential move of 10 squares a turn!
Secret Weapons – As casualties caused by Secret Weapons don’t generate Star Player Points, these players don’t gain Skills quickly. However, if chance arises, the likes of Accurate or Pass for a Bomma, Dodge for a Loony, and Mighty Blow (+1) for a Fanatic, make them hit harder.
Trained Troll – Strong Arm is a great choice for a Troll tasked with launching Goblins, while Brawler makes a Troll more reliable at Blocking*. Pro is another good choice, giving them the chance to re-roll Always Hungry or Really Stupid.
Star Player Top Picks
Goblin teams can take Star Players from the Badlands Brawl or Underworld Challenge leagues.
5 – Fungus the Loon
The mushroom-addled maniac Fungus the Loon adds additional clout. His Whirling Dervish special rule allows him to re-roll the direction he spins in each turn – making him surprisingly reliable.
4 – Nobbla Blackwart
Having both the Block and Dodge skills makes Nobbla resilient to being knocked down, and Kick ʼem while they’re down! Lets him apply his Chainsaw to a downed opponent without using your Foul action, and without risk of being Sent-off!
3 – Scrappa Sorehead
The pinnacle of pogoers, Scrappa is quick and nimble. His Yoink! rule can play havoc with passing plays, giving him a chance to intercept a Pass on a 2+ should he be underneath the ball's path.
2 – Bomber Dribblesnot
Once per game, Bomber can use his Kaboom! special rule to detonate a bomb caught by his opponent before they have the chance to throw it back! This is perfect for taking out key players, or blowing up the middle of a cage.
1 – Ripper Bolgrot
This big Strength 6 guy doesn’t suffer from Always Hungry and Really Stupid, maximising his threat. On top of that, Thinking Man’s Troll grants him a single re-roll each half!
Join us next time when we’ll be taking a look at another team and how to make them excel on the gridiron.
* Well, as reliable as you can get for a Troll anyway!
