Blitz Bowl
Blitz Bowl Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Components
- Getting Started
- Setting Up
- How to Play
- Expanding the Game
- Showcase
- Assembling Your Teams
- Reference
Components
In addition to this rules manual, Blitz Bowl contains the following components:
Double-Sided Game Board
Each side of this game board features a playing arena, as well as a Score track and bounce chart. The game can be played on either side, each one presenting its own challenges. It is recommended that players use the side with one trapdoor for their first game, but after that the playing arena will be determined during set-up.
Dugout Boards
These boards are placed alongside the game board, one behind each player's end zone. They highlight the 7 actions that can be taken during a game, and also feature a reserves box; players are placed here when they are removed from the board (for example, when they are injured or score a touchdown).
Reference
- Open Players: Run, Mark, Throw
- Marked Players: Block, Sidestep
- Prone Players: Stand-up
- Dugout Players: Reserves
Block Dice: Miss, Tackle, Shove, Smash, Kerrunch!
Throw Ruler
This ruler is used when the ball is thrown by one of the players to determine how far the player can throw and whether the throw is obstructed. (Short Range / Long Range.)
Plastic Team Frames
Each of these coloured plastic frames features six players that will need to be removed and assembled before you can play. Each frame also includes a Score marker, a team coin and several balls (note that the shape and colour of the ball does not matter – they can all be used interchangeably). Go to pages 14 and 15 now to assemble the teams.
Challenge Cards
There are two types of Challenge cards included in the box – 24 standard Challenge cards and 16 Endgame Challenge cards. The Endgame Challenge cards are an optional addition to the game, and are not used unless both players agree (see The Endgame, page 12). Each card is double-sided, with a Challenge on one side and a Bonus Play on the other.
Player Cards
Included in the box are 23 player cards, but only eight of them are needed to use the rest of its contents – four for the Human team, and four for the Orc team. The other cards represent a Dwarf team, Skaven team, Elven Union team, Goblin team and Chaos team, which can be purchased separately.
Drill Cards
The 7 drill cards included in the box offer a step-by-step tutorial that will guide you through the game's core concepts.
Dice
The box contains three types of dice. Block dice have six sides, and are marked with custom symbols that are explained later (see Block Action, page 9). The eight-sided dice (or D8) is numbered 1 to 8, and is used when the ball bounces (see Bouncing Ball, page 10). The normal six-sided dice (or D6) is numbered 1 to 6, and is used for pretty much everything else – note that the 6 is represented by a Blitz Bowl symbol, but should be treated as the number 6.
Bob Bifford's Boot Camp
Before you go any further, it's recommended that you play through each of the 7 drill cards in order so that you have an understanding of the core principles of the game. Once you've mastered those, the rest of the rules will make a lot more sense! It's also a good idea to read through this rulebook at least once before playing your first full game.
Getting Started
Introduction
Blitz Bowl is a fast-paced sports game that pits two teams against each other in a battle to achieve touchdowns, complete Challenges and score the most points, through a mixture of skill, luck and aggression! The game features a number of elements that will be familiar to fans of Blood Bowl, meaning that the two games are ideal companions to each other. Players should expect to complete a game of Blitz Bowl within an hour (or considerably less once they have a good grasp of the rules), making for a thrilling quick-play experience.
Important Concepts
Coaches and Players
In these rules the terms 'coach' and 'player' are used in very specific ways. When the rules refer to a coach, they are referring to you, the reader of this manual, and any other real-life people who are playing the game. This frees up the term 'player', so whenever 'player' appears in the rules it is referring to one of the plastic player models that makes up a coach's team.
Similarly, the terms 'team-mate' and 'opponent' have specific meanings. A team-mate is a player from the same team as the one being referred to, while an opponent is a player from the opposite team.
The Pitch
The pitch is the playing area on which the Crush takes place. It is divided into squares, each of which can contain up to one player (this means that players cannot move into or through occupied squares). Each of the eight squares around a given square are said to be adjacent to it.
There are several special features of the pitch, found on both sides of the board:
- At each end of the pitch, the last row of squares is called the end zone (1). This is where the teams start, and where touchdowns are scored.
- In the middle of the pitch, players will see either one or two trapdoors (2). Whenever the ball comes into play, it will be thrown in through a trapdoor. Players can stand on the trapdoor, but do so at their own risk!
- The pitch also has a number of blocked squares containing statues (3). Players cannot move into these blocked squares, but the ball can be thrown over them.
- There are five spaces along the edge of the board for Challenge cards (4) – one space for the Challenge deck, one for discarded Challenge cards and three for active Challenge cards (marked 1, 2 and 3). These are explained on page 11.
- Next to the spaces for Challenge cards is the Score track (5). This is explained in Scoring Points, page 11.
- The star with the numbers 1 to 8 around it is the bounce chart (6). This is explained in Bouncing Ball, page 10.
Player Cards
Each of the player types in a team has its own player card. For example, the Human team has four player cards: one for the Catcher, one for the Thrower, one for the Blitzer and one shared card for the three Linemen. A player card shows:
- The player's type and team.
- How many players of that type are in the team.
- A photograph of the player's miniature.
- The player's Move, Throw and Armour values.
- The player's special ability, if it has one.
Challenge Cards
Each standard Challenge card has two sides, showing the following information. The front (Challenge side) of each card shows:
- The name of the Challenge (in other words, what the coaches are shouting from the sidelines!).
- The conditions that must be met for a coach to claim the Challenge card.
- The points scored for claiming the card. Endgame Challenge cards have the same information, but also state that they are an Endgame card.
The back (Bonus Play side) of each Challenge card shows:
- The name of the Bonus Play.
- How the card can be played.
A Coach's Hand
During the game, coaches will have the chance to claim Challenge cards and put them into their hand. Once a card is in a coach's hand, they can look at the Bonus Play side – this is kept secret from the other coach until the card is played.
Throw Checks and Armour Checks
If a coach is told to make a Throw check or an Armour check for a player, they roll a D6 and compare the result to the player's Throw or Armour value (depending on which check is being made). If the result is lower than the relevant value, the check fails; otherwise, the check passes. Some rules will modify the result of a check – this is done before comparing the result to the Throw or Armour value, and multiple modifiers can apply to the same roll. However, before any modifiers are applied, a roll of 1 always fails and a roll of 6 always succeeds.
Re-rolling Dice
Some rules will allow a coach to 're-roll'. This lets the coach pick up the dice they just rolled and roll it again. If they rolled multiple dice, they must re-roll all of them. A re-roll cannot be used on the same dice roll more than once – you can't re-roll a re-roll!
Open Players
A player who is standing, and who is not adjacent to any opponent, is Open.
Marked Players
If a player is standing adjacent to an opponent and neither is Prone, they are Marked by each other. A player can mark, and be marked by, multiple opponents at once. Marking has a number of effects in the game, which are explained later in the rules.
Prone Players
A player who is laying on the ground is Prone. A Prone player cannot mark other players.
Dugout Players
A player will sometimes be placed in their team's Dugout – this represents the player either waiting to return to play after scoring a touchdown, or recovering from their injuries so as to take to the field once more.
Setting Up
First, the coaches decide who will control each team. Then each coach takes their six players, matching coloured score marker, coin and dice, and team player cards. They place their team's player cards face up in front of them where they can be easily referenced.
Next, flip one of the team coins to determine which coach wins the toss. The winning coach chooses the arena they want to use and places the game board in the centre of the table with that side face up – it does not matter which way around the board is placed, so long as there is an end zone directly in front of both coaches. A Dugout is placed at each end of the game board.
Now shuffle the deck of 24 standard Challenge cards and place it Challenge-side up next to the board adjacent to the Challenge deck icon. Then deal out the top three cards, Challenge-side up, onto the active Challenge card spaces – the top card of the deck is dealt onto the '1' space, the next onto the '2' space and the last onto the '3' space. Challenge cards play no part in the game until both coaches have completed their first turn, so can be disregarded until the start of the second round.
Next, the coach that won the toss sets up their team in their end zone, then the other coach does the same. Each coach then puts their Score marker on the '0' space of the Score track, and puts their team coin near the board – they may need it later.
Finally place a ball on the trapdoor (note that the colour and shape of the ball does not matter; the ball does not belong to either team, and all balls follow the same rules). If the coaches are using the side of the board that has two trapdoors, the coach who won the toss rolls a D6. On a result of 1, 2 or 3 the ball is placed on the trapdoor to their left; on a 4, 5 or 6 it is placed on the trapdoor to their right.
The game is now ready to begin.
Commentary with Jim Johnson: Understanding Your Team
Each team consists of six players – three Linemen, who are decent all-round players but do not have any special abilities, and three unique players. Both the Human and Orc teams have a Thrower, who is good at picking up and throwing the ball, and a Blitzer, who is good at blocking opposing players. In addition, the Humans have a Catcher, who is quite fragile but can make an extra move when they catch a thrown ball, while the Orcs have a Black Orc Blocker, a hulking brute who is slow but deadly! Playing to the strengths of your different players is vital to winning the game.
How to Play
Object of the Game
During a game of Blitz Bowl, the teams are trying to score as many points as possible. The most straightforward way of doing this is by scoring touchdowns – that is, running the ball into the other team's end zone – but coaches should also bear in mind the Challenge cards at the side of the board, because they offer plenty of alternative ways to score points. The game ends when one coach's score is ten points higher than their rival coach's, or when the Challenge cards run out. Either way, the team with the highest score wins! If the scores are tied when the Challenge cards run out, the game ends in a draw.
Game Sequence
The game proceeds across a variable number of rounds. In each round, both coaches take a single turn with their team, beginning with the coach who set up their team first (coach A), followed by the other coach (coach B). After completing a round, start a new one, and keep on playing rounds like this until the game ends (see Winning the Game, page 12).
When it is a coach's turn, they make three actions with the players in their team (see Available Actions, page 8). From the second round onwards, a coach can claim one active Challenge card after making each action, provided the conditions listed on the card have been met. See Challenge Cards on page 11 for more information.
Round of Play
A single round of Blitz Bowl proceeds in the following sequence:
Coach A's Turn
- If there is no ball on the pitch, a new one enters play
- Emergency Reserves*
Action 1
- Make an action
- Claim Challenge card**
Action 2
- Make an action
- Claim Challenge card**
Action 3
-
Make an action
-
Claim Challenge card**
-
Refresh Challenge cards**
Coach B's Turn
- If there is no ball on the pitch, a new one enters play
- Emergency Reserves*
Action 1
- Make an action
- Claim Challenge card**
Action 2
- Make an action
- Claim Challenge card**
Action 3
-
Make an action
-
Claim Challenge card**
-
Refresh Challenge cards**
* Emergency Reserves are described on page 10, and only come into play if a team has fewer than three players on the pitch. ** Challenge cards are not used in the first round of the game, so this step is skipped by both coaches in their first turn.
Available Actions
A coach can divide their actions between their players however they wish, and a player can make more than one action in a turn. The only restriction is that a player cannot make the same action more than once a turn. For example, the Human coach uses their first action to Run with their Blitzer. They could not make another Run action with their Blitzer this turn, but the Blitzer could make another action – for example, they could Mark an opponent. Note that the coach could still make Run actions with other players on their team, as long as no player makes the same action more than once.
The actions a player can make are dependent on their current status, as shown below.
Open Players:
- Run
- Mark
- Throw
Marked Players:
- Block
- Sidestep
Prone Players:
- Stand Up
Dugout Players:
- Reserves
Free Actions
Some player abilities and Bonus Plays allow a player to make a free action. This is done in the same way as a regular action, but does not count towards the total number of actions that team can make during their turn. Also, a player's free action can be an action they have already made this turn, and making a free action does not prevent a player from making an action of that type later in the turn.
For example, a Human Catcher has the Catcher's Instincts ability, which allows them to make a free Run action when they catch a thrown ball. In the Human team's turn, the Catcher could make a Run action, catch the ball thrown by a team-mate, then make the free Run action (even though they've already made a Run action this turn). This would also only count as using two of their team's actions for the turn.
Run Action
When a player makes a Run action, their coach moves them a number of squares up to their Move value. A move can be made into any adjacent square that is not occupied by another player (either standing or Prone) or blocked (as described on page 4), and players cannot move off the pitch. Trapdoors do not block movement; players can move onto them freely, but as they fly open whenever a touchdown is scored so that a new ball can enter play, they can be quite hazardous – you have been warned! In addition, when a player makes a Run action, their move cannot take them adjacent to an opponent.
Commentary with Jim Johnson: Run Actions
Run is arguably the most important action in the game – it lets players move around the board, and is the only action that lets players pick up the ball (this is explained in Taking Possession of the Ball, page 10). However, it has an important restriction, in that a running player cannot move adjacent to an opponent. This means that if the ball is next to an opposing player, you'll need to clear them (with a Block action) before you can pick the ball up. Of course, if you're feeling lucky, you could also use a Mark action to move onto the ball, which would make it bounce in a random direction… and as we all know, Nuffle favours the bold!
Mark Action
A Mark action is a move of up to 2 squares, following the rules for moving described above, but when a player makes this action they must finish their move adjacent to an opponent, and can move adjacent to opponents as they move.
Throw Action
A player holding the ball can use this action to throw it. Pick a target square that is in range of the throw. To see whether a square is in range, place the throw ruler so that the curved end is in line with the edge of the player's base (as shown in the diagram); a square is in range if the throw ruler can reach its centre. Note that the throw ruler is split into two halves; if the centre of the target square is in the more distant half of the ruler, this will be a long throw (and will be harder to achieve). Also, if any part of the throw ruler between the thrower and the target square is touching a blocked square, or a square occupied by an Open opponent, the throw is obstructed.
The range ruler is placed in line with the player's base. The grey shaded area is in short range, whilst the red shaded area is in long range.
If the target square is occupied by an Open team-mate who is adjacent to the thrower, they automatically take possession of the ball (this is called a hand-off). Otherwise, make a Throw check (see page 5) for the throwing player. Subtract 1 from the result for each of the following:
- It is a long throw.
- It is an obstructed throw.
- The target square is occupied by a Marked player.
If the check succeeds, the ball lands in the target square. If the target square is occupied by an Open or Marked player, they take possession of the ball. If the target square is occupied by a Prone player, or the square is empty, the ball bounces (see Bouncing Ball, page 10).
If the check fails, the ball bounces from the target square. If the result is 1 or less after modifiers have been applied, the throw is fumbled and the ball instead bounces from the thrower's square.
Block Action
When a player makes a Block action, their coach picks an adjacent standing opponent (the target) and rolls a Block dice. The result is then resolved, depending on which of the symbols explained below was rolled.
Miss: The target is unaffected. In addition, the blocking player cannot make any more actions this turn.
Tackle: The target is Knocked Down (see page 10). In addition, the blocking player cannot make any more actions this turn.
Shove: If possible, the target is pushed one square directly away from the blocking player, who can choose to move into the square their opponent left. If this would move the target into an occupied or blocked square, or off the board, the target is Knocked Down instead (see page 10).
Here, the Human coach has rolled a Shove result on the Block dice. This causes the Orc player to be moved back one square.
Smash: The target is Knocked Down (see page 10).
Kerrunch!: The target is Knocked Down (see page 10). When the Armour check is made, subtract 1 from the result.
Assisting a Block
If the target of a Block action is also being Marked by one or more of the blocking player's team-mates, the block is assisted. This means that the blocking player's coach rolls two Block dice instead of one, and chooses which result to use. Note that a block cannot benefit from more than one assist – a maximum of two Block dice can be rolled.
Commentary with Jim Johnson: Assist
Coaches who are familiar with Blood Bowl, the classic board game from which Blitz Bowl draws a great deal of inspiration, might be looking for a rule that lets them cancel out assists. The short answer is that there isn't one! As long as a player is adjacent to an opponent, and both players are standing, they are marking each other, regardless of what any other players are getting up to around them.
Knocked Down
If a player is Knocked Down, they are placed Prone in the square they are in. If they are carrying the ball, it bounces (see opposite). Then, their coach must make an Armour Check (see page 5) for them. If it succeeds there is no further effect, but if it fails the player is injured.
Injured Players
If a player is injured, they are removed from the game board and placed in their team's Dugout.
Sidestep Action
A Sidestep action is a move of 1 square, following the rules for moving as described in Run Action on page 8, but when a player makes this action they must finish their move so that they are no longer Marked by any opponents.
Stand Up Action
A Prone player may make a Stand Up action. Stand the player up in the square they are occupying.
Reserves Action
A player who is in their team's Dugout can make a Reserves action. Set the player up in their team's end zone. They cannot be set up adjacent to an opponent unless there is no other option, and cannot be set up in a square containing the ball.
Emergency Reserves
If a team has fewer than three players on the board at the start of their turn, they gain one free Reserves action, which they must make immediately.
The Ball
Taking Possession of the Ball
There are a number of ways that a player can take possession of the ball. When they do, the ball is moved onto their base to show that they are carrying it (some of the balls have a small peg that fits into the hole on the player's base for just this purpose). When the player moves, the ball moves with them.
A player keeps possession of the ball until they lose it in one of three ways:
- They are Knocked Down (see Knocked Down, left).
- They throw the ball (see Throw Action, page 9).
- They score a touchdown (see Scoring Touchdowns, opposite).
Moving Onto the Ball
If a player moves onto the ball while making a Run action, they take possession of it. If a player moves onto the ball in any other way – for example, when making a Mark or Sidestep action, or when pushed by an opponent – the ball bounces.
Bouncing Ball
When the ball bounces, it moves to an adjacent square. Roll the D8 and look at the bounce chart printed on the game board to see which square it moves into. What happens next depends on the square the ball moves into.
- If the ball bounces into a square that is occupied by an Open player, that player takes possession of the ball.
- If the ball bounces into a square occupied by a Marked or Prone player, it bounces again from the occupied square.
- If the ball bounces into an empty square, it stops.
- If the ball bounces into a blocked square, or off the board, move clockwise around the bounce chart until a valid square is reached.
In this diagram, the ball has been thrown to the target square and has bounced 1 square in the direction indicated by the D8 result.
Multiple Balls
In some special situations, more than one ball might be in play at once. Only one ball can occupy a square, and each player can only carry one ball. If a player carrying a ball moves into a square containing another ball, that ball bounces. If a ball bounces into a square containing another ball, or a player carrying another ball, it bounces again.
No Ball in Play
If there is no ball on the board at the start of any turn, a new one enters play. First, the trapdoor opens – if there is a player standing on the trapdoor square, they are immediately injured and placed in their team's Dugout! Then the ball is placed in that square, and immediately bounces.
If the coaches are using the side of the board that has two trapdoors, the coach whose turn it is rolls a D6 at the start of the turn. On a result of 1, 2 or 3 the ball will emerge from the trapdoor to their left; on a 4, 5 or 6 is will emerge from the trapdoor to their right.
Scoring Touchdowns
To score a touchdown, a player must end their action meeting the following three criteria:
- They must be in the other team's end zone.
- They must be holding the ball.
- They must be Open.
If a player scores a touchdown, the ball is removed from play and that player's team scores 3 points. In addition, the scoring player is hauled out of the arena (no doubt to be congratulated by their fellow aspirants) and is placed in their team's Dugout. The team can complete their turn as normal, even though there is no ball on the pitch – this is a great chance to reposition and maybe make a block or two!
Scoring Points
Teams score points by scoring touchdowns and claiming Challenge cards. Each team's score is recorded by the position of their Score marker on the Score track. Once a team's score reaches 10 points, their team coin is placed on the +10 space and their Score marker is returned to 0. The same happens when their score reaches 20 or 30. So, for example, a team with a score of 17 would have their Score marker on the 7 space and their coin on the +10 space.
Challenge Cards
In the first round of the game (each coach's first turn), the rules for Challenge cards are not used – they come into effect from the second round onwards.
Active Challenge Cards
The three Challenge cards in the spaces marked 1-3 are active, and can be claimed during a team's turn. The card on top of the Challenge deck is not active, although it is visible to both coaches – this way they can see at least one card that will become active next turn. Note that coaches are not allowed to look at the backs of any Challenge cards until they take them into their hand.
Claiming Challenge Cards
After making an action with a player, a coach can claim one active Challenge card, provided the conditions listed on the card have been met. When a Challenge card is claimed by a coach, its points value is added to their team's score and the coach takes the card, adding it to their hand.
If a coach has more than three Challenge cards in their hand at the end of their turn (not counting any cards that they have played in front of them), they must discard cards from their hand until they are left with three.
Clean Sweeps
If a coach claims all three active Challenge cards in a single turn, this is a Clean Sweep, and their team scores 2 bonus points as the crowd goes wild!
Refreshing Challenge Cards
At the end of each player's turn, the active Challenge cards are refreshed. If all three cards are still present, the card on space 1 is discarded. Then, any remaining cards are moved along the board to the lowest free number to fill any gaps, and new cards are drawn from the top of the Challenge deck to fill any remaining spaces, starting with the lowest-numbered space.
In this diagram, the card on space 2 has been claimed this turn, therefore the card on space 1 is not removed. The card on space 3 is moved to the now vacant space 2, and the top card of the Challenge deck is placed onto space 3.
Bonus Plays
The reverse of each Challenge card shows a Bonus Play – a special one-off boost that the coach can use to gain an advantage. Each card states when it can be played, and during a team's turn, their coach can play any number of Bonus Play cards from their hand, discarding the Challenge card after they have done so (unless the card text tells them otherwise). The only restriction is that no duplicate cards can be played in the same turn; for example, a coach could not play two Inspiration Bonus Plays in their turn.
Discarding Challenge Cards
When a Challenge card is discarded, place it onto the designated space along the edge of the game board (marked with the discard icon), with its Bonus Play side showing.
Winning the Game
If one team's score exceeds the other team's score by 10 points, the game ends immediately and the team with the higher score wins. This is a Sudden Death victory.
Otherwise, once the last Challenge is dealt out and becomes active, each team has one more turn, then the game ends and the team with the highest score wins. If both teams have the same score, the game ends in a draw!
Expanding the Game
The Endgame
Once both players are familiar with how the game works, the Endgame rules can be introduced. These rules introduce the special Endgame Challenge cards, which make sure the game ends in a suitably impressive way!
During set-up, take the 16 Endgame Challenge cards and shuffle them. Then deal out 6 at random, Challenge-side up, onto the Challenge deck space next to the board. The 10 remaining Endgame cards are returned to the box, and are not used. The 24 standard Challenge cards are then shuffled and placed on top of the 6 Endgame Challenge cards. This creates a Challenge deck of 30 cards in total, the bottom 6 of which are Endgame Challenge cards.
As soon as an Endgame Challenge card becomes active, the Endgame has begun. From this point on, a Sudden Death victory cannot be won – the game will not end until the entire Challenge deck has been dealt out. As soon as the last card from the deck becomes active, each team has one more turn, then the game ends and the team with the highest score wins. If both teams have the same score, the game ends in a draw.
New Teams
The game box includes player cards for five additional types of team: Dwarfs, Skaven, Elven Union, Goblin and Chaos. These teams are available separately from Games Workshop, and using them is a simple case of switching out one or both of the teams included in the Blitz Bowl box with the appropriate type and number of miniatures, as shown on the player cards.
Showcase
The Averland Knights
Few Human teams are as flamboyant as the Averland Knights, their bright yellow uniforms approaching Elven levels of ostentation. Mad Marius Leitdorf himself was an avid supporter of the team, saying 'not even my egg yolks are as yellow as these guys!' Despite their obsession with striking uniforms, the Averland Knights know their stuff, and have won numerous titles, including Averland's own Sunset Cup seven years in a row. One of the team's signature moves is the Blazing Sun – the Linemen dazzle their opponents with reflected sunlight off polished shoulder pads, while Catchers and Throwers send the ball hurtling towards the end zone. Weather permitting, it sometimes even works.
Roster: Lineman 1, Lineman 2, Lineman 3, Thrower, Blitzer, Catcher.
The Ironcrag Decimators
A more brutal group of greenskins than the Ironcrag Decimators is hard to imagine. The Decimators chose their name after their coach, Muckimus Orkedia, discovered an ancient Tilean scroll in a privy, detailing the practice of decimation – dispatching of a tenth of a fighting company as punishment for failure. Deciding this was the key to a successful Blood Bowl strategy, Muckimus trained his players to deliver decimation on the pitch – simultaneously crippling and demoralising the foe. So far the play has brought considerable success, but this might have less to do with philosophy and more to do with the Orcs' inability to work out how many casualties amount to a tenth.
Roster: Lineman 1, Lineman 2, Lineman 3, Thrower, Blitzer, Black Orc Blocker.
Assembling Your Teams
This box contains two teams of finely detailed Citadel Miniatures, representing the Human and Orc teams. The models come unassembled and unpainted, although you will notice that the Orcs are red and the Humans are yellow, meaning that even if you don't paint them, you'll easily be able to tell the teams apart at a glance! If you've never assembled plastic models before, don't worry, just follow the step-by-step guides on these pages.
Before you can assemble any of your players, you will need to remove them from the plastic frames. It's best to remove your players from the frames one at a time. If you take everything off at once, it's very easy to lose pieces or get confused as to what goes where.
All of the miniatures in this set have been designed so that the pieces push together snugly enough to stay together during play.
The Human Team
Numbered step-by-step assembly diagrams show how to build each of the six Human miniatures – Blitzer, Lineman 1, Lineman 2, Catcher, Lineman 3 and Thrower – by attaching heads, arms and other components to each model's body before mounting it on its round base.
The Orc Team
Numbered step-by-step assembly diagrams show how to build each of the six Orc miniatures – Black Orc Blocker, Blitzer, Lineman 1, Lineman 2, Lineman 3 and Thrower – by attaching heads, arms and other components to each model's body before mounting it on its round base.
Warning. Small parts. Sharp points. Product for ages 8+ only. Adult assistance and supervision required.
Blitz Bowl © Copyright Games Workshop Limited 2018. GW, Games Workshop, Citadel and Blood Bowl are (R) and Blitz Bowl and all associated logos, illustrations, images, names, races, vehicles, weapons and characters are either (R) or TM and/or (C) Games Workshop Limited.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.
Games Workshop Ltd, Willow Road, Lenton, Nottingham, NG7 2WS, United Kingdom.
Reference
The back cover of the rulebook reprints a condensed quick-reference summary of the round sequence, available actions and Block dice results, for use during play.
Round of Play
A single round of Blitz Bowl proceeds in the following sequence (as detailed in How to Play, page 7).
Actions
Open Players:
- Run: Move the player a number of squares up to their Move value. They cannot move adjacent to an opponent.
- Mark: Move the player up to 2 squares – they must end the move adjacent to an opponent.
- Throw (only if carrying the ball): The player throws the ball.
Marked Players:
- Block: Resolve a block against an adjacent standing opponent.
- Sidestep: Move the player into an adjacent square so that they are no longer Marked by any opponents.
Prone Players:
- Stand Up: The player stands up in the square they are occupying.
Dugout Players:
- Reserves: Set the player up in their team's end zone.
Throwing
Throwing Penalties
For each of the below conditions, subtract 1 from the Throw check:
- It is a long throw
- It is an obstructed throw
- The target square is occupied by a Marked player
The Block Dice
Miss: The target is unaffected. In addition, the blocking player cannot make any more actions this turn.
Tackle: The target is Knocked Down. In addition, the blocking player cannot make any more actions this turn.
Shove: If possible, the target is pushed one square directly away from the blocking player, who can choose to move into the square their opponent left. If this would move the target into an occupied or blocked square, or off the board, the target is Knocked Down instead.
Smash: The target is Knocked Down.
Kerrunch!: The target is Knocked Down. When the Armour check is made, subtract 1 from the result.