+ inload: Blood Bowl playtest teams +

+ inload: Blood Bowl playtest teams  +

+ Valley Dwarf Teams +

+ Not all Dwarfs dwell in their mountain fastnesses – after all, someone's got to grow the beer-barley and tend the livestock for feasts. While most dwarf settlements in the valleys are small, insular and tied strongly to a nearby Stronghold, some have grown large and independent enough to operate as thriving market towns, inviting trade, cultural exchange and – of course – Blood Bowl. Dwarf teams of the valleys tend to play a less defensive and more mobile game; though they are still dwarfs, with the concomitant advantages and disadvantages! +

                    Cost    MA  ST  AG  AV  Skills

0–16 Linemen        70,000   5   3   3   8  Dump Off, Thick Skull

0–4  Running backs  80,000   6   3   3   8  Sure Hands, Dump-Off, Thick Skull

0–4  Blitzers       80,000   5   3   3   9  Block, Thick Skull

0–8 Re-roll counters: 60,000 gold pieces each

+ Skill access +

          Normal  Double

Linemen     G      SAP

Runners     GP     SA

Blitzers    GS     AP

+ Famous Valley Dwarf Teams +

+ Bryn's End Ravens +

+ Pant-y-Gyrdl Tanglers +

+ Be-Neath +

+ Designer's Notes +

+ Less well-armoured and disciplined than regular Dwarfs, but better at handling the ball, Valley Dwarf teams have younger linemen in place of longbearded blockers. This makes them faster and more nimble, but less hard-hitting (with access to S skills only on a double) and  more vulnerable to injury. +

+ Broad starting access to dump-off is their answer to lack of block – by opening up their area of play, they force the opposing coach to make decisions on where to throw their blitz – as the ball is unlikely to end-up where they want it! + 

+ Valley Dwarf teams that can afford to build up their specialist players can play a strong running game, and even try a passing game in a pinch. Opponents would be well-advised to focus on the dangerous running backs early on in a league, before the Valley Dwarfs can capitalise on general dwarf toughness. +

+ Suggested starting line-up +

7 Linemen

2 Running Backs

2 Blitzers

2 Team re-rolls

Fan Factor 5

+++

+ Stormcast Eternal Teams +

+ Like all good-thinking gods, Sigmar is a keen Blood Bowl enthusiast. While most Stormcast Eternals are spirited away from their home-planes and reforged into mighty warriors, Sigmar also summons the greatest athletes, girding them with Sigmarite shoulderpads and jockstraps before sending them to do battle on the gridirons of the Mortal Realms. +

                             Cost    MA  ST  AG  AV  Skills

0–16 Stormcast Impeders      80,000   5   4   3   9  Dauntless

0–2  Stormcast Precipitators 90,000   5   4   3   9  Nerves of Steel, Strong Arm

0–4  Stormcast Apprehenders  100,000  6   3   3   9  Nerves of Steel, Sure Hands

0–8 Re-roll counters: 60,000 gold pieces each

+ Skill access +

              Normal  Double

Impeder         GS      AP

Precipitator    GSP     A

Apprehender     GS      AP

+ Famous Stormcast Eternal Teams +

+ Celestial Bulls +

+ Chic-Cargo Beareaters +

+ Western Hammers of Sigmar +

+ Designer's Notes +

+ The Stormcast Eternals are a slow team to start up; you're unlikely to get more than one specialist in a starting team, and you'll be heavily reliant on luck to do much with the ball. On the other hand, the Impeders are excellent all-round linemen/blockers – arguably the best in the game. Similarly, the Apprehenders combine a Runner/Catcher role, while the Precipitators serve both as blockers and throwers. +

+ Initially encouraging a defensive playstyle, Stormcast Eternal teams are vulnerable to injury and letting their players get isolated. With no fast players and with so-so handling skills, the Stormcast Eternal coach must get their cage organised quickly and into the opposing half if they hope to score. +

+ As the team skills up, Stormcast Eternals' durability and strength can begin to dictate the play. With all their team having normal access to Strength skills, players with Grab, Juggernaut and similar offensive skills can begin to leverage their excellent ST stat to open up the field of play and let the Appreheders through. +

+ Suggested starting line-up +

10 Stormcast Impeders

1 Stormcast Apprehender

1 Team re-roll

Fan Factor 4