Welcome back sports fans, to Touchline Tactics – where we get the inside scoop on the playstyles and peccadillos of your favourite Blood Bowl teams. We assess their gameplans, look at which skills to advance, and take our top picks of Star Players to bring to the gridiron.
In this instalment, we’re revelling in the glorious bloodshed of Blood Bowl as we invite the Khorne teams to the dugout. Their primary modus operandi is frenzied bludgeoning, with scoring touchdowns being a quaternary concern – after all, a bloody and violent spectacle will please the Blood God far more than a passing game.
Playstyle
Khorne teams are a quintessential Bash team, with much of their gameplay revolving around hitting the enemy team as much as possible until the opponent has too few players to stop them from scoring. The abundance of Frenzy makes for more opportunities for Blocks, and therefore more opportunities to cause casualties!
However, Frenzy is a double-edged sword. Having to follow up every Push – and Block again if the pushed player is still standing – can result in unfavourable situations without foreplanning. Actually scoring Touchdowns is not easy for Khorne, as their lower Passing and Agility can make moving the ball down the gridiron a slog. It’s generally better to focus on causing enough casualties to be able to saunter the ball in later, rather than trying to score early on.
Your roster
Bloodborn Marauders are the backbone of every Khorne team. They are cheap, and therefore easily replaced should they suffer a glorious death in the name of the Blood God! They come with Frenzy and an Armour Value of 8+, so there is a decent chance they will end up in fights they can’t win unless you work very hard to back them up. Luckily, they’re plentiful and Khorne cares not from where the blood flows!
Khorngors are your lifeline for touchdowns. Horns and Juggernaut make them excellent Blitzers, and their AG of 3+ means they can serve as the team’s ball carriers.
The best fighters on the Khorne team are Bloodseekers. Their ST of 4 alleviates the dangers of Frenzy somewhat and their AV of 10+ keeps them around for longer. Bloodseekers are natural corners for a cage* and a hammer to smash through a solid defence.
Bloodspawn take everything Khorne and ramp it up to eight.** Claws make a mockery of heavy armour and Mighty Blow (+1) makes KOs and Casualties more common – they’re far less reliable when it comes to non-violent tasks however, so focus them on hitting players!
Skilling up
Bloodborn Marauders: The first Skill pick should nearly always be Block or Wrestle, which make your Bloodborn more reliable. If a player gets a second skill, then Tackle or Kick are good choices – though only one player needs the latter.
Khorngor: At least one Khorngor should be built as a ball carrier, and so Block is always a good first choice. Dodge is a decent second skill, or Two Heads for a cheaper but lesser option, to make them harder to knock down. From there, you might want Sure Hands, Extra Arms, or even Big Hand to help pick the ball up in the first place. Another option is making a dedicated blitzer, with Tackle, Strip Ball, and Two Heads all good options for this.
Bloodseekers: As with other players, Block is a good first choice for Bloodseekers, though Guard offers an excellent supportive alternative. Mighty Blow (+1) and Claws will result in more casualties, which in turn means more SPP!
Bloodspawn: Guard or Brawler are contenders for useful first Skills, with one giving the Bloodspawn greater utility and the other making a bad roll less likely to hurt.
Top Five Star Players
A team that fights a lot is likely to suffer a few of their own injuries, so a Khorne team might need some help from time to time. Here are our top picks for Star Players that can provide such aid:
5: Max Spleenripper
A chainsaw fanatic with the Maximum Carnage special rule, Max Spleenripper has the ability to make two Chainsaw Attack Special Actions once per game to carve open the opposition defences at the perfect moment.
4: Akhorne the Squirrel
Bloodthirsty and relatively cheap, Akhorne is a furry bundle of Blind Rage (his special rule) and Claws. Akhorne shares the spirit of Khorne teams – and will quickly make mincemeat out of any opposition player foolish enough to underestimate his adorable, yet extremely violent, little frame!
3: Glart Smashrip
With Block, Claws and Juggernaut, Glart is a highly skilled Bloodseeker disguised as a giant, overfed rat. Glart is slower than every other Khorne player so has to be positioned well, but an extra ST4 player is always a welcome addition. His Frenzied Rush special rule temporarily gives him Frenzy too!
2: Grashnak Blackhoof
Need a fast moving and deadly friend for your Khorngors? Or an upgraded replacement while they recover from their injuries? Well, Grashnak Blackhoof is your minotaur! Horns and Mighty Blow (+1), plus a high strength, mean he hits hard and is fast enough to keep up with your Khorngors.
1: Hakflem Skuttlespike
Yes, the number one Star Player for a Khorne team is a Skaven, but with good reason. Bringing everything the Khorne team is lacking – speed, agility, and reliable ball carrier skills – Hakflem is a fantastic addition to a struggling team, allowing the other players to focus on the ‘smashing opposing teams to a pulp’ part of Blood Bowl.
Now you’re familiar with the basics of using a Khorne team – hit the opponents, and maybe score, if you needed a summary – you can grab a Khorne Team boxed set and put them into action on the pitch.
* A cage is a type of defensive formation around the ball carrier, the most simple involving a player in each diagonal space adjacent to the carrier.
** That’s as high as Khorne can count.
