Blood Bowl: the complete guide to the fantasy football board game

Blood Bowl is a two-player fantasy football game played with miniatures on a pitch, in which each coach moves a team of fantasy creatures towards the opposing end zone. It suits anyone who likes tactical, dice-driven games with plenty of drama, and it works well as a first miniatures game because a match needs only one small team per side. The easiest way in is the Blood Bowl – Third Season Edition boxed game, with the official rulebook as the reference you will keep returning to.

What is Blood Bowl?

Blood Bowl takes the Warhammer fantasy world and turns it into a violent, slapstick sport. Elves, dwarfs, orcs, undead and stranger things take the field, and the game is as much about knocking opponents down as it is about carrying the ball.

Players are not soldiers on a battlefield. They are athletes with individual strengths and weaknesses, and a single bad roll can end your turn on the spot. That tension is the heart of the game, and it is why matches are so easy to tell stories about afterwards.

How does Blood Bowl play?

Two coaches alternate turns. On your turn you activate players one at a time to move, block, pass or pick up the ball, and the dice decide whether each action succeeds. If an important action fails, your turn can end early, so the skill lies in ordering your actions and taking risks in the right sequence.

A few ideas are worth knowing before you buy anything:

• Risk management. Safe actions first, gambles last.
• Team identity. Every team plays differently, from sturdy and slow to quick and fragile.
• Leagues. Many groups play a series of games in which players gain experience, suffer injuries and develop over time.

The detail lives in the book, so we deliberately do not quote it here. Check the current rulebook for the exact procedures.

What should I buy first for Blood Bowl?

For most newcomers the answer is the Third Season Edition boxed game. It is built as the starting point for the current version of the game, so you are not assembling the basics from separate pieces.

After that, a sensible shopping order looks like this:

1. The boxed game, to learn the flow of a match.
2. The Official Rulebook – Third Season Edition, as your detailed reference.
3. One additional team that you actually want to paint and play.
4. A Sevens pitch with dugouts if you want a quicker, smaller-scale format or a second playing surface.

Which Blood Bowl team should I choose?

Pick the team whose miniatures you most want to look at for the next few months. Playing well matters, but you will lose games either way when you start, and a team you like painting keeps you coming back.

Straightforward, durable teams

If you like hitting people, look at the heavier, tougher sides. The Dwarf Giants are a classic choice for a patient, grinding game. The Thunder Valley Greenskins are a Black Orc team that suits coaches who want to bully the opposition. The Fire Mountain Gut Busters lean into very large players.

Fast, open teams

If you prefer movement and passing, the elf teams are the traditional answer. Options include the Caledor Dragons, the Athelorn Avengers, the Elfheim Eagles and the darker Naggaroth Nightmares. The Skavenblight Scramblers offer a different flavour of speed, with a scrappier feel.

Undead, chaos and the macabre

For something gloomier, there are the Champions of Death, the Wolfenburg Crypt-Stealers, the Nehekhara Nightmares and the Drakfang Thirsters. On the Chaos side, you can choose the Doom Lords, Nurgle's Rotters, the Skull-tribe Slaughterers or the Zharr-Naggrund Ziggurats.

Characterful and unusual teams

Some teams are chosen for personality. The Greenfield Grasshuggers, the Glimdwarrow Groundhogs, the Scarcrag Snivellers and the Crud Creek Nosepickers reward coaches with a sense of humour and a liking for clever tricks.

Other rosters worth a look include the Kara Temple Harpies, the Brionne Barons, the Gwaka'moli Crater Gators, the Norsca Rampagers, the Middenheim Maulers and the Underworld Creepers.

What are Big Guys and Star Players?

Big Guys are the oversized monsters that some teams can field. They are memorable, they look impressive on the pitch, and they come as separate kits. Options include the Ogre, the Troll, the Treeman, the Gnome Treeman, the Minotaur and the Rat Ogre.

Star Players are named individuals that teams can hire for a match, such as Morg 'n' Thorg. They are a fun way to add a centrepiece model to your collection. Check the current rulebook for which teams can hire which Stars.

Painting your Blood Bowl team

Blood Bowl is a forgiving game to paint for. Teams are small, so you can finish a whole roster in a reasonable time, and bold colour schemes read well from across the table. A consistent set of team colours, applied cleanly, looks better than a few over-ambitious models.

If you are new to the hobby, start with our guide on how to start painting Warhammer miniatures. For help choosing colours, see the Citadel and Warhammer Colour paints guide. The pitch itself can be part of the project too.

Rules, books and the Spike! Journal

The Official Rulebook – Third Season Edition is the definitive reference for the current edition, including team rosters and league play. Keep it beside the pitch.

The Spike! Journal is a periodical that adds material for the game, such as new options and updates. We stock Issue 21 and Issue 22. They are best treated as add-ons once you are comfortable with the core book.

If you want to explore the wider setting, our Black Library reading guide is a good place to begin, and our Warhammer buying guide covers the other games in the hobby.

Blood Bowl FAQ

Is Blood Bowl good for beginners?

Yes. You need only one small team to play, and the central ideas of moving, blocking and managing risk are easy to grasp. The depth comes later, in team choice, tactics and league play.

Do I need to know Warhammer to play?

No. The game stands on its own, although familiar races and creatures will feel at home to Warhammer fans. You do not need any other army or rulebook.

How many players do I need?

Two, each with a team. You also need a pitch, which the boxed game supports, and a rulebook. Many people buy a second team so that friends can play without sharing a roster.

What is Sevens?

Sevens is a quicker format played with smaller teams. The Sevens pitch with dugouts is designed for that style of play. Check the current rulebook for how the format works.

Which team is easiest to learn?

Sturdy teams such as the Dwarf Giants are often recommended for new coaches, because they forgive mistakes. In the end, the best first team is the one you enjoy painting.

Do you ship Blood Bowl outside Spain?

Yes. Universe TCG ships worldwide from Spain, and our shops in Mollet del Vallès, Barberà del Vallès and Segovia are happy to advise on a first team.

Related guides

• Warhammer at Universe TCG: the complete buying guide
• Citadel and Warhammer Colour paints: the complete guide
• How to start painting Warhammer miniatures
• Black Library reading guide: where to start