Blood Bowl

from Elemental Forums

So I imagine some of you play the cyanide version of the game, and some of you may even play the table top version of the game.

 

But, here's a shout out to a nice little site called FUMBBL

 

http://fumbbl.com/

 

It is a community which uses a pretty slick java client to play online games of BB.  The site allows you to make as many teams as you want, in different divisions depending on what kind of team you want to manage (there is a [R]anked division where you must challenge, a [B]lack Box division where matchups are random, a [L]eague division where you join leagues and play against other teams only in your league, and a few other specialty divisions).

 

For those not familiar with the game, it is a tongue in cheek 'football' or 'rugby' type game using teams made from the different fantasy races found in the Warhammer universe.  So if you've ever wanted to see what it's like when 11 wood elves take on 11 dwarves on a pitch where the goal is not just to score touchdowns, but also to knock the stuffing out of the other guys (elves are better as scoring, dwarves are better at bashing) then this is the game for you.

 

http://cdn.steampowered.com/Manuals/58520/Blood_Bowl_Competition_Rules.pdf?t=1296853431

 

Is the link to the official rules for the game, the client runs with these rules (a few exceptions you can find on the FUMBBL site, but nothing too major).

 

http://www.plasmoids.dk/bbowl/LRB6Playbooks.htm

 

Links to a page with several strat guides for many of the available races.  It's a good place to look if you are new to the game (or even not) to see the kind of things which you need to think about.

 

So if anyone decides to check it out you can find me there under the nick 'licker'.  Drop me a PM, or look for me in chat.  The more the merrier :)

39,479 views 8 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

I bought the game and thought it was going to be more like chaos league and not too difficult to play...

Actually I tried and I have no clue of how to play ! The tutorial is barely helping me and each time I try to play, the computer succeed to take the ball, then he moves all his players around the player who has the ball and I just cannot get it back, they all kick my players :(

I got so frustrated that I deleted the game ! At least I was glad I bought it at a very low price during the superbowl :erk: that's what attracted me ! But I just don't understand anything about that game ! And I don't really have time to start reading 300 tutorials by players on every website :(

One day though, I might try again and try to understand how the hell is that game working ! lol

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Souls-Stream, reply 1
I bought the game and thought it was going to be more like chaos league and not too difficult to play...

Actually I tried and I have no clue of how to play ! The tutorial is barely helping me and each time I try to play, the computer succeed to take the ball, then he moves all his players around the player who has the ball and I just cannot get it back, they all kick my players

I got so frustrated that I deleted the game ! At least I was glad I bought it at a very low price during the superbowl that's what attracted me ! But I just don't understand anything about that game ! And I don't really have time to start reading 300 tutorials by players on every website

One day though, I might try again and try to understand how the hell is that game working ! lol

 

 

Ya, you really should read the rulebook to learn how to play. I'm sure there is a sticky in Cyanide's forums to help new players out.

The most important thing you need to understand is that almost every action in the game has a chance to fail which will cause a turnover, ending your turn. That means you need to do the actions that have the highest probability of success first, leaving the more risky actions last.

The second most important thing is the art of blocking: how strength, tackle zones, assists, dice come into play to determine the result of a block. That's all in the rulebook.

Another thing you should note is that not all teams are equal. Some teams have a low probability of winning, while others are more likely. Some have a comparatively more powerful team at the start, while others become powerful only after some games.

 

Personally I love the game for letting me manage a team a watch its players grow over many seasons. But, the competitive aspect in single player is lost to me because once you learn to play you will be able to almost always win.

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Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Souls-Stream, reply 1
I bought the game and thought it was going to be more like chaos league and not too difficult to play...

Actually I tried and I have no clue of how to play ! The tutorial is barely helping me and each time I try to play, the computer succeed to take the ball, then he moves all his players around the player who has the ball and I just cannot get it back, they all kick my players

I got so frustrated that I deleted the game ! At least I was glad I bought it at a very low price during the superbowl that's what attracted me ! But I just don't understand anything about that game ! And I don't really have time to start reading 300 tutorials by players on every website

One day though, I might try again and try to understand how the hell is that game working ! lol

Lol I could have written that... I love Chaos league but I seem to lack a few IQ points to be able to play BB. The tutorial was not helpful at all. There are just too many rules for me to be able to bother with it.

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

I am speccing a game in fumbbl at the moment. I am an admin there, although not under this name.

Come join the site, it is well run.

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

I think I need someone to hold my hand and go with me through a game and explain to me how things works...

Also, in Chaos league each players seemed to have some habilities you could use, like mage characters cast fireballs etc... in Blood Bowl, I was totally lost... Where are the abilities? Is there anyto use? Or are they all automatic?

I wished the tutorial was better done :'(

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

I've been thinking of getting Bloodbowl Legendary edition but I want an (internet)friend to play with then. But if it's as hard as Dominions III to learn then screw that.

It sounds as unintuitive as War of Magic tbh....no explanation of anything halfadvanced and if you don't know the finer points of the game you get roflstomped every single time....

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

You're totally right !

The tutorial is really weak, doesn't explain much !

The game is very nice though, easy controls, etc... But once you start the first match on your own... Well, you try to apply what you've learn in the tutorial and ooh surprise it doesn't work !

No, instead you lose the ball, the opposing team gets it and surround the player with the ball with plenty of other players and move towards the line and score !

I've tried many times to take a really strong fighting team and fight against a weak one with HUGE differences... But no... it just doesn't work ! There's something I don't understand at all in that game !

I tried a couple games but after a while I was so frustrated, I just deleted the game from my computer ! The manual is just way too heavy to understand and I don't have the patience right now to read it and understand it fully -_-

I'm sure the game must be pretty good and a lot of interesting stuff but learning it is just hellish ! I feel like I'm in front of X-Reunion once more ! Trust me, war of magic is just far from it, WoM is really easy to understand next to Blood Bowl, in WoM, you play 2 or 3 games and that's it, you understand how it works by yourself, it's pretty intuitive in the end... but Blood Bowl, compare it to X unless you're a board game player who has already a lot of knowledge about the game.

If you have some patience and time, ya, I would say go for it because I'm sure the game has a lot to offer :grin: and once you master it, it just must be really enjoyable... A bit like X. But I spent already too much time on X to learn to play slightly correctly so start over on Blood Bowl ? Nah, I'm not ready yet ! lol

If you want a football game, take Chaos league instead, it's easier to control and to understand ! The teams and the options are all interesting and it's just a pleasure ! Blood Bowl has been created for fans of the board game who already know everything about it without thinking about the poeple who barely start it.

Reply #8 from Elemental Forums Top

Heh...

 

Well I don't think it's *that* complicated, but like with most things, you do need to know the rules before you can play.  Games have gotten so dumbed down that most people (including me) are used to just firing them up and plowing through.

 

I did provide a link to the official rules, as well as a link to a great page with lots of information on how the different races play, and what skills/player types are important to their success.

 

Ultimately though, you just have to jump in and get beaten down until you get it.

 

And I'm *NOT* talking about the Cyanide game, because the SP in that game is horrible, really and truly.  I can't speak for the online aspect, but the players I've encountered so far at FUMBBL have been (with one exception, always an exception...) very friendly and helpful.  Just go in chat and tell them you're new, and they'll be jumping all over themselves to rip you apart... ahhh... I mean, help you out ;)