LATEST NEWS

OPTIONAL RULES: SPECIAL BALLS

The rules below allow coaches to use team- SKAVEN TEAMS: WARPSTONE BRAZIER
specific balls, making use of the weird and
wacky variant balls that are included on the
Filled with chunks of raw, steaming Warpstone,
there’s no way this ‘ball’ could be mistaken for WHITE
DWARF
Orc, Skaven and Dwarf team sprues. Just like one that meets regulations. Hey, when the
any other optional rule, the rule should be Skaven cheat, they don’t muck about.
agreed between both coaches in one-off
games, and its use in league play is at the Whenever a player attempts to pick up, catch
or intercept a Warpstone Brazier and the D6
EXCLUSIVE
League Commissioner’s discretion.
roll is a 1 (after re-rolls, but before any
SPECIAL BALLS modifiers are applied), the player suffers a
Although Blood Bowl balls are usually provided temporary physical mutation! Roll a D6 on the MULTIPLE BALLS
by the stadium, many teams bring along table below to see what happens – if a player
several of their own just in case. Most of the is granted a duplicate skill it had no additional If a second ball ever
time these are standard, regulation pigskins, effect. The skill only lasts until the end of the comes into play (for
but some teams like to sneak in a surprise drive, or until they are
once in a while… (un)lucky enough to receive another example, due to the
Once per match, at the start of any drive for
spontaneous mutation from the warpstone Ball Clone special
brazier.
which they are the kicking team, the coach can play card), it is
declare that they will use a special ball. Any D6 Result
team can use an Extra Spiky Ball, but some always a normal,
1 Spontaneous Combustion. The player is
teams have access to race-specific special balls regulation Blood
Knocked Down. Add 1 to the result of
as listed below – they should declare whether
the Armour Roll. Bowl ball. Things
they are using an Extra Spiky Ball or their
team’s unique ball. 2 Temporal Instability. The player moves are mad enough
out of phase with reality, gaining the No
Before the kick-off, the coach nominates one without multiple
Hands skill.
player from their team who is on the pitch, is
not in a wide zone and is not on the line of 3 Shrunken head. The only thing worse special balls on the
scrimmage to be the one kicking the ball. (Note than a tiny head is the realisation that pitch!
that in some situations, such as when using the your helmet no longer fits. The player
Kick skill, a player will already have been gains the Bone-head skill.
nominated to kick the ball.) If the roll on the
4 Massively Obese. The player expands in Extra Spiky Ball
kick-off table is a double, the Ref calls the
size until they are a hulking mass of
kicking player out for their flagrant rules
flesh. The player’s MA is reduced by 2, to
violation, and they are immediately sent off as
a minimum of 1, but they gain the Thick
though they had committed a foul (before
Skull skill.
resolving the kick-off result). Note that even if
the player is sent off, the special ball remains 5 Leprous Flesh. Skin and flesh hang from
in play for this drive! the player in sickening folds. The player
gains the Foul Appearance skill.
For the duration of the drive, the special ball
rules (as shown below) apply to the ball. Aside 6 Thorny Carapace. The player’s body
from those rules, it still counts as a normal ball sprouts a thick, spiked shell. The
in all respects. player’s AV is increased by one, to a
maximum of 10.
ANY TEAM: EXTRA SPIKY BALLS
Sure, a lot of Blood Bowl balls have spikes, but DWARF TEAMS: MASTER-HEWN BALL Limpin’ Squig
this one takes things to the extreme! Whenever What’s wrong with a little ornamentation? Oh, it
an Extra Spiky Ball is thrown, thrown in or feels a little weightier than normal, does it?
kicked off, it will not bounce if it lands in an That must be the gemstones! The centre
unoccupied square. In addition, if the result of definitely isn’t lined with iron. Not at all!
a roll to pick up, catch or intercept the ball is a
1 (after re-rolls, but before any modifiers are When the Master-Hewn ball is kicked off, it
applied), the player making the attempt is only scatters D3 squares rather than D6. In
treated as being attacked with the Stab skill. addition, it is not affected by the gentle gust of
wind on a ‘Changing Weather’ result on the
ORC TEAMS: LIMPIN’ SQUIG Kick-off table. When passing a Master-Hewn
Squigs have long been used as a ball in the Orc ball, long bombs cannot be attempted, and the
leagues, but lopping one of their legs off to Hail Mary Pass skill cannot be used. In
stop them running away so easily is a recent addition, long passes have an additional -1
modifier.
Warpstone
innovation.
Whenever the Master-Hewn Ball is thrown,
Brazier
At the start of each team’s turn, the Limpin’
Squig will make a break for freedom. If it is thrown in or kicked off, it will not bounce if it
being carried by a player, that player’s coach lands in an unoccupied square. If it lands in a
must roll a D6. On a roll of 1, the squig breaks square with a prone or stunned player, make
free and bounces one square in a random an armour roll for that player before the ball
direction, following all the rules for bouncing bounces. If they are removed from play as a
balls. Note that this does not cause a Turnover. result, the ball does not bounce.
If the squig is not being carried by a player at If a player attempts to catch a thrown Master-
the end of a turn, it hops 3 times, resolving Hewn Ball and fails, roll a D6 after the ball has
each in the same way as a bouncing ball (see bounced away. If the result is equal to or higher
page 19 of the Blood Bowl rulebook). If it hops than the player’s ST, they are knocked down.
into a player’s square and they fail to catch it, it Master-Hewn Ball
bounces once then stops.

Note on modelling special balls: they all have a peg so they can be slotted into a player’s base, but each team comes
with two of the ball, so you can clip the peg off of one and use that for when the ball is on its own in a square.
 ALL THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE BLOOD BOWL WORLD
AL

GO D AFTERNOON,
GOO
SPORTS FANS! JIM
JOHNSON HERE,
STADIA OF THE OLD WORLD THE OLD BOWL
BRINGING YOU ANOTHER
The home turf of no less a team than the
GREAT ISSUE OF SPIKE!
Reikland Reavers, the Old Bowl is one of the
MAGAZINE. LET’S SEE
finest stadiums in the Old World. Still in the
WHAT WE HAVE IN
possession of the Reikland Reavers, due to the
TH
STORE FOR YOU THIS
prudence and planning on the part of the team
MONTH!
owners (a rarity bordering on the mythical in
the great game of Blood Bowl), it’s stood the
test of time for nigh-on a century of play.
THE DOOM DOME
This month, Spike! Magazine’s roving reporters were The stomping ground of the Gouged Eye, the
invited around the finest stadiums across the Old World. Doom Dome is the archetypal Orc stadium –
From the lowliest field to the glittering lights of the Old the perfect blood-soaked altar to Nuffle, where
Bowl, we’ve seen them all. Except the Lowdown Rats’ Humans, Elves and even Dwarfs fear to tread
one – we don’t pay them enough for that! (although the stunties would never admit to
it!). It’s still in the gnarled hands of the Gouged
DOWN ON THE PITCH
Eye in no small part thanks to the huge coffers
In the distant past of Blood Bowl, it was the
of their owner, Emperor Skullcrush XII, and his
done thing for many a team to own their own
even bigger armies of Orc warriors.
stadium, with many of these structures
DID YOU KNOW... becoming as famous as the teams themselves. GREEN ACRES
But as can be expected, when the NAF This Halfling-run stadium is well regarded for
Despite the manifest
proof of their existence collapsed, many teams were forced to sell off the quality of its pie stalls, but it’s earned
(like all the wars!), a their digs to avoid bankruptcy (or buy a one- something of a reputation amongst serious
lot of people across way ticket to Lustria to avoid their creditors!). students of Blood Bowl as an example of
the Old World are still Today, it’s rare for a team to still own their own forgoing logic, critical thinking and basic
convinced that the rat-like site – the few that do are either ludicrously rich common sense in favour of a slavish devotion
Skaven are little more or, like the Lowdown Rats, are in possession of to the writ of Nuffle. The playing field is the
than a myth fabricated festering deathtraps that they can’t even pay requisite number of paces (100 x 60, as any
by drunks and lunatics, investors to take off their hands. Typically, true fan knows) but they’re actually rather
– a fact that has put a stubby Halfling paces, making it drastically
stadiums are now owned by the Colleges of
serious dampener on the smaller than the standard field. Nevertheless,
Magic, nobility or municipal authorities, each
Skavenblight Scramblers’
taking a cut when a fixture is played there. That it’s popular with Ogre teams, whose bulk grants
promotional tours season
being said, some stadiums do stand out as firm them an even bigger advantage on the titchy
after season.
favour
favourites
urites of both players and fans.
both p
pla pitch – oh, and because of the pies.

PLAYY OF THE MONTH This issue’s Play of the Month details an impressive
display of sure-footed dodging by the Rattenberg
Nibblers Gutter Runner Heek the Sneek.
Having taken a pounding from the Griffons earlier in
the match, the Nibblers were down to just seven
rats on the pitch. Unfortunately for the Griffons, the
ball-handling skills of both Arno ‘Softy’ Gottfried
(No. 3) and ‘Tank’ Muller (No. 8) left much to be
desired, and a disastrous string of fumbles left
them standing near the end zone with the ball on
the ground. And that was where Heek the Sneek

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stepped in. With no other players able to reach

past the Griffons’ numbers 9 and 10, then past

the tackle zone of Arno. He then picked up the ball
while in Arno’s tackle zone, threw the ball to Blitzer
Kill-kill Sharpfang (No. 8), who then shoved his way
through Lofty Tonks and onwards to the end zone
before the whistle. What a beautiful display!

MORE FROM THE MAKERS OF SPIKE! MAGAZINE AT: WWW.BLOODBOWL.COM

DESIGNERS’ NOTES

SHADOWS OVER HAMMERHAL

Hammerhal, the Twin-tailed City, is threatened by a plot growing beneath its streets. A band of
disparate heroes gathers together, ready to save their home by delving into the depths below. We take
a look at what this new Warhammer Quest game is all about.
his month sees the release of the by paragons of an era and backed up by

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outwitting devious traps and battling bands of itself is dictated by the roll of a dice or the turn
RXWVLGHRIWRPEVDQG monstrous villains to complete adventures, of a card, in Shadows Over Hammerhal this
WXQQHOV solve puzzles and get treasure. Unlike falls under the control of the gamemaster. In
Warhammer Age of Sigmar, you are not in many ways, the ‘director’ of the game, the
command of armies of well-thewed warriors led gamemaster controls everything beyond the