Blood Bowl Team Development
This article is the base for the addition of Blood Bowl teams documenting their inception, theme, roster, modelling and painting, and even game reports.
First you need to have ‘that cool idea’ for use in your team creation, whether it revolves around some of the base “knock offs” of real NFL teams found in the Blood Bowl Living Rule Book (Insert LRB link here).
Theme
How will your theme be carried through to the playing field? This can be achieved through many ways. Having a cool idea sometimes doesn't meet the playing field as well as you'd like. This is where the Theme must be played through into some parts of the actual rules or models...this can be through the use of something specific (team captains can be good here) or something off the wall but modelled appropriately.
Starting Rosters
Here are a list of starting teams 1000K gold value suggested rosters with a short explanation as to why and a list of next purchases for team growth:
Amazon -
Amazons are one of the cheapest teams, not only to buy positionals for but re-rolls as well, and can start their team with a full loadout.
4 Blitzers
2 Catchers
2 Throwers
4 Line women (1 Reserve)
3 Rerolls
10K banked to buy an apothecary at first opportunity.
Variations are taking the apothecary and dropping the reserve but I found the light armour tends to find a lot of KO's when knocked down and being able to have more nubile bodies on the pitch helps more.
Next purchases after the apothecary would be more line women and re-rolls.
Chaos Dwarf -
Chaos -
Dark Elf -
Dark elves play a particularly nasty running game and having access to 10 positionals gives great all round abilities for the team. My experience says that you need to start with an apothecary based on the cost of their players and being able to save one in the early games can make or break the team.
4 Blitzers
1 Runner
6 Line Elves
1 Reroll
1 Apothecary
Variations include dropping the apothecary for an extra reroll and purchasing the apothecary as soon as you can afford it. Another is dropping 1 blitzer to take a pair of runners to hop scotch the ball up the field if they find them selves blitzed. Basically starting the lineup with more line elves to allow buying of more rerolls and an apothecary will set you back winning games. The dark elves need tons of gold and getting it means winning games. Make sure you start your lineup with the best chance of winning the games and then worry about your next purchases.
Purchase progression order:
Positionals! Taking more line elves at this point is a waste. Depending on how you play, taking that second re-roll can be key as well.
Dwarf -
Elf -
Goblin -
Halfling -
High Elf -
Human -
Khemri -
Lizardmen -
Necromantic -
Norse -
Nurgle -
Ogre -
Orc -
Skaven -
Undead -
Here is a great all round team with cheap line fodder that regenerates, access to 2 strength 5 players that can use team rerolls and their other positional support.
My experience with this team dictates taking at least 3 rerolls to start. Anything less becomes crippling in their play style and lack of general skills.
2 Mummies, 2 Wights, 3 ghouls, 3 zombies, 2 skeletons, 3 rerolls
Things to buy next are simply another ghoul more re-rolls (and zombies if like me you can't kill anyone either not stunty or strength 5 or greater).
Variations include dropping back to 2 ghouls for the 4th reroll at the start which is also very valid. Not much to do with cash other than save up to replace the crippled or killed players. I try not to get too attached to ghouls as they die like flies when hung out to dry with no regeneration and AV 7.
Vampire -
Wood Elf -
Modelling and Painting
For example: BeefyG's Nightmare on Sesame Street Blood Bowl Team
