The latest iteration of Blood Bowl was a labour of love, long in the making. Jonathan Taylor-Yorke (aka JTY around here) was a key member of the design team, based in no small part on the wealth of experience he’s accrued as a long-time Blood Bowl coach. Now that the Second Season Edition has been out in the wild for a while, we tracked him down to learn more about the design process and discover some of his favourite bits from the official rulebook.
JTY: Writing a new edition of Blood Bowl was always going to be a challenge. The game has been around for a long time now and, since the release of the 1994 edition, it has evolved gradually rather than undergoing any large-scale revisions.
When creating the Second Season Edition of Blood Bowl, we wanted to stay true to the previous version of the game. The gameplay has always been good, capturing just the right amount of tactical skill and luck.
Like when coaching or watching real-world sports, Blood Bowl gives coaches moments of both incredible elation and crushing disappointment. These two feelings generate unforgettable moments that are talked and laughed about for years to follow. There's something appealing about that, and we were determined to retain it in this update.
What we wanted to change, however, was the language. Over the years, various edits and alterations made the ruleset seem very much of its time, and it became somewhat tricky for coaches to understand.
The first task was to start again and rewrite everything. The aim was not to simplify things, this edition retains the complexity, but to update the explanations. For example, veteran coaches told us they simplified the Agility test modifiers when teaching newcomers, simply telling them the target number, rather than the maths required to achieve it – so we did the same.* That's just one example among many.
Without even mentioning the larger changes, I encourage even the most experienced veterans to take the time to learn the new edition. You should treat it more like a new game than an update.
You'll find that many things work differently now, in small but significant ways. It may be how you calculate a modifier, how skills combine, or what causes a Turnover. A lot of elements changed for the sake of consistency, some for ease of understanding, and others to better reflect the character of the game and the races that play it.**
Our desire to stay true to the character of Blood Bowl informed the larger changes as well. The new system of player progression gives coaches the ability to focus a player's training, concentrating more on the skills they learn than lucky characteristic increases.
Elsewhere, the changes to the passing game ensure the ball travels more often, rather than simply being dropped when things go wrong. This adds more jeopardy and excitement without favouring passing teams unfairly.Likewise, the changes to Inducements, the introduction of the Prayers to Nuffle table, and the ability to jump over Prone and Stunned players have all had an impact on how games are played. These are big changes and, when they’re combined with the many smaller updates, they create an exciting game that’s new but feels familiar.
Writing a new edition of what is, unashamedly, my favourite game was a long and arduous process. But it was a huge privilege. I hope coaches enjoy it, whether it’s learning new things or starting a new favourite game from scratch.
It's an incredible time to be a Blood Bowl fan!
We couldn’t agree more. You can pick up a copy of the Blood Bowl: Second Season Edition right now and try it out for yourself. Every current team and Star Player profile has been updated in the new ruleset, so you can get your collection on the pitch right away.
* We thought briefly about including a veteran coach in every box, but there weren’t enough volunteers.
** This is important, a team should perform according to what it represents in the world of Blood Bowl. Models are more than just playing pieces, they represent something far greater. One or two teams drifted away from this slightly, and we wanted to pull them back.
