Inspiration
Of all the board games I have played, Blitz Bowl (and its various editions) has held a special place in my board game collection. Teams come on plastic injection-moulded sprues that require clean-up and assembly of parts, priming, painting, and basing. As with any Games Workshop product, the miniatures have sharp details and dynamic, action-filled poses. After playing hundreds of games of Blitz Bowl, I decided to use the knowledge gained to put together a comprehensive guide of Strategy and Tactics for the latest edition of the game (Blitz Bowl Ultimate Edition – Season 2).
Blitz Bowl UE2: Strategy & Tactics
Rather than repeating everything contained in the Strategy and Tactics Guide – a document more than 50 pages long- instead I will simply post the Introduction of that document below, then provide a brief overview of the Blitz Bowl rules for those uninitiated.
“Fellow Blitz Bowl Coach, hello and welcome to an unofficial Strategy and Tactics Guide for Blitz Bowl: Ultimate Edition – Season 2. This guide will cover tenets for sound strategy and tricky tactics to out-maneuver and out-wily even the toughest opponents.
This document is divided up into two sections: Strategy and Tactics, in which the former covers general principles for Blitz Bowl success while the latter focuses on specific Challenge Cards and Abilities through which one can extract an unexpected advantage.
Note that this guide focuses exclusively on gameplay without Random Event Cards and without Ball cards.”
Blitz Bowl: A Game of Gladiatorial Mayhem
Blitz Bowl is a game that occurs during an event known as “The Crush,” essentially a brutal tryout whereby minor league Players attempt to impress their Coaches through brazen Blocks, nimble Dodges, and rambling Runs. The goal for these Players is to make a lasting (positive) impression so that they may be recruited to join one of the famed Blood Bowl teams.
However, competition is fierce and Injury rates are high, so the Blitz Bowl Player must take advantage of every opportunity they can get, and hope for some luck along the way!
While Touchdowns do play a role in selection to a Blood Bowl roster, equally if not more important is whether the Player can contribute through Runs, Marks, Throws, Blocks, and Fouls.
Each game of Blitz Bowl begins on a field measuring approximately 11 x 15 “squares,” each of which can be occupied by a single Player. The ball starts off in the center of the pitch on a trapdoor, and each team starts at their own end zone.
Teams vary in roster size from six to ten Players, and all types and forms of Players exist, from the prototypic Human, Orc, Dwarf, and Elf, to stranger creatures yet including Nurgle, Gnome, Vampires, and more! As such, there will be a wide range of skills – some Players are fast and nimble but poorly Armored, while others are slow and trudging but pack a punch.
During the course of a game, Coaches on either side will issue Challenges to their Players. Challenges can range from such tasks as “Get The Ball!” or “Show Us A Completion!” to more destructive goals as “Take Them Down!” or “Break Some Bones!”
With various challenges issued in no particular order and a whole host of teams available, the permutations of this game are endless. The one consistency of Blitz Bowl is that there will be mayhem – plenty of it!
Reflection
I worked on this Strategy and Tactics guide, on and off, for several months. Over the past few weeks, progress picked up as I endeavored to complete the document. For further Blitz-Bowl-related posts, check out Winter Gaming Frenzy, Super Blitz Bowl 2023, and Blitz Bowl Bonanza. Cheers, and roll some Kerrunches!.