It’s the biggest sports game of the year this week, and we have all the coverage. That’s right, the Warhammer+ Battle Report team are playing their first ever game of Blood Bowl, and you can get sideline seats. It’s a big one – an Exhibition Match between the Bögenhafen Barons and the Thunder Valley Greenskins! We join gaming presenter Nick down on the touchline with more.
Nick: Greetings Sports Fans! Indeed, this week on Battle Report we head to the Astrogranite for a brutal game of everyone’s favourite fantasy football game, Blood Bowl. My fellow gaming presenter Si and I have played in countless leagues over the last 20 years or so (Nuffle’s name, that’s a long time - Jim) but for this episode, we wanted to play a very special Exhibition match. Blood Bowl: The Official Rules contains full rules for playing one-off big games with your models, and let me tell you, it’s a whole bunch of fun. So, what makes Exhibition Play different, and why do Si and I love it? Well, allow me to elaborate…
Design that Dream Team
In Exhibition Play, you get to design the Blood Bowl team you’ve always dreamed of from the ground up. Agree with your opponent on the size of your Team Draft Budget and go from there. There really is no limit, and as long as both you and your opponent agree, open the coffers and make that crazy team with all the big guys, sideline staff, re-rolls, and dedicated fans you want!
Skills to Pay the Bills
When you create an Exhibition Team, you can also agree on a number of Star Player Points (SPP) to distribute amongst your teams, allowing them to instantly gain skills that they would otherwise have to earn in league play. Because you can decide where to spend your SPP, you can design those crazy players you always wanted to use. That Wood Elf Thrower with Pass, Sure Hands, Accurate, and Nerves of Steel? You got it. That Gutter Runner with Sprint and Sure Feet? That’s the joy of Exhibition Play!
Star Players
In Exhibition Play, you can just straight-up include them in your starting team, so long as you have the gold to pay them! In our episode, we had the legend that is Griff Oberwald and the brutal terror of Varag Ghoul-chewer in play. Some of the coolest models in Blood Bowl are Star Players, so it’s always nice to have an excuse to paint them up and get them on the gridiron.
Hall of Fame
Why not play as one of the famous teams in Blood Bowl’s annals by using the Hall of Fame teams from Blood Bowl’s history? We did exactly that for this episode, rolling out the legendary Bögenhafen Barons against the notoriously brutal Thunder Valley Greenskins. Both teams appear in the Blood Bowl Spike! Presents 2021 Almanac – two pre-made teams with all the skills, sideline staff, re-rolls, and everything else we needed, all worked out for us. You can find loads of these Hall of Fame teams in each copy of Spike! Journal as teams are released, and then again in the Almanacs later on.
Risky Business
When you play those league games, you’re often terrified to throw your veteran player anywhere near the line of scrimmage. Not so in Exhibition Play – as there simply are no consequences! We were able to take big risks we never would have tried in league play and they led to some seriously awesome moments!
Blood Bowl Takeover on Warhammer+
Jim: Thanks, Nick! But you thought that was all from us this week did ya?! Ha! Nope! We got loads more!
Bob: We sure have, Jim! Who’s this character? He says he can make your turf look so good it makes the Greenfield Grasshuggers’ groundsman green with envy!
Join Ed on Citadel Colour Masterclass as he takes you through some top tips for basing your Blood Bowl miniatures.
Jim: Ahh! It’s Cabal Vision’s very own Elf storyteller, come to weave us another tale, I’ll wager!
Bob: I just love the sound of his voice, Jim!
Alex has an episode of Loremasters all about the history of Blood Bowl, its famous teams and biggest matches. This week on Warhammer+ is tastier than a McMurty’s half-time sandwich. Get subscribed to catch it all!
