Playing like its 1988
A Game of 2nd edition Blood Bowl
Last month I brought you a game of 1st edition, which I enjoyed with all of its idiosyncrasies. However, the version of Blood Bowl I really wanted to play was 2nd edition. After scouring eBay for a reasonably priced copy, and failing to find one, I contacted my brother and sorted out getting my copy sent over from the UK. I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly Royal Mail was able to get my childhood treasure over to me. When it arrived, Sunday, 19th October, a day that I will long remember, I unpacked it eagerly, and felt like a child on Christmas day again.
The box has seen better days, but the art on the lid is still as glorious as the first time that I beheld it. I did have to add a bit more Sellotape to keep it from falling apart, though. Still the game is not far off of forty years old and was well loved back in the day, so what more could you really expect?
The rules came back to me pretty quickly, but for the first game I thought it would be better to stick to the rules in the main rulebook. I`ll definitely add many of the rules from the Companion, and the Star Player books once I`m comfortable with the basic rules.
I decided to pit my dwarven team, the Barak Varr Buccaneers, against my skaven team, the Kingsbury Critters, in 90-minute match.
Match Report-From Cantwara Entertainment
Hello, sports fans! James Vambraces here, bringing you the highlights from this pre-tournament clash between the Barak Varr Buccaneers and the Kingsbury Critters. Both teams have made the trek to Alkham Valley for the South East Albion Invitational Cup, and while waiting for the other challengers, their coaches decided to put their squads to the test in this pre-tournament showdown.
The Critters won the toss and will start with the ball. You can bet these ratmen are looking to strike fast and often in this 90-minute battle. On the other side, the Buccaneers will likely try to grind them down with their signature hard-hitting style. It’s set to be a thrilling matchup!
The Buccaneers are rolling out their jumbo package—six blockers, four blitzers, and two linemen! They’re clearly gunning to wreck the more skilled Skaven players, and all eyes are on their lightning-fast blitzer, Thorgrim “Flash” Killack. Can anyone stop him once he hits top speed?
The ratmen are streaming down the field! Their linemen are locking horns with the stronger dwarves in the centre, while the catchers and blitzers split left and right, weaving through the chaos. Can the Buccaneers hold them off, or are the Critters about to strike quickly?
The Buccaneers are not holding back! Their reaction to the Critters’ sweep? Smashing as many ratmen as they can! Across the field, the Skaven are hitting the astrogranite hard—crash after crash—but wait! One of the receivers slips past a diving blitzer! That Skaven agility is just too much for the dwarves to handle—he’s still on his feet and racing forward!
Roland “The Rat” isn’t about to let this one slip! He spots the blitzer charging straight at him, ducks, and fires a lightning-quick pass to the open receiver in the end zone. Thwack! The ball lands cleanly in his gloves—what a catch! And just like that, the Critters are up by one!
And the Buccaneers have the ball! They’re looking to strike fast, and it’s handed straight to “Flash” as a loose cage forms around him. You can hear the thunder of the dwarves’ iron-shod boots echoing through the stadium—tension building with every step!
I can see the Critters’ coach snickering as he watches the dwarven formation. He can’t believe his luck—there’s no way the dwarves can break through with a loose rolling cage! His squeaky voice barks out orders, and the ratmen snap into action like a well-oiled machine. The blitzers swing around the edge of the formation and level “Flash” before he even knows what’s happening! The crowd gasps—some fans are still wincing from that crushing hit on the star player!
The ball’s bouncing around like it’s got a mind of its own! The Buccaneers’ players are scrambling—arms and beards everywhere—trying to get a handle on it! But wait—out of nowhere, a flash of red! One of the Critters dives in and snatches it clean from under the dwarves’ noses! He’s off—cutting through the field like lightning! It’s Tee Mee “The Mallet,” the new blitzer for the Critters—charging for the line—and he’s in! Touchdown Critters!
After that touchdown, the Buccaneers waste no time—ball’s back in the hands of Flash! He’s off, powering downfield, churning up puffs of dust from the astrogranite with every step! The Critters’ defence is hanging by a thread—just a few ratmen left trying to slow that dwarven wall! But the Buccaneers’ juggernaut just keeps rolling! Flash is through—he’s across the line—but wait, the whistle’s blown! Time’s up! Too late for the score, and the Critters take it—two touchdowns to one!
