Blood Bowl 2020: Second Season

Veteran’s Guide - Moving from BB16 to Second Season

By Sann0638

This is a guide to those moving from the Blood Bowl 2016 rules to those in Blood Bowl: Second Season.
These will be referenced as BB2016 and BB2020 respectively. If you are picking up Blood Bowl for the first
time with BB2020, this may be interesting as a historical document - if you are moving from BB2016, then it
should allow you to move to the ruleset more smoothly. I will try and draw attention to the significant changes,
but will often say “check the rules on this” if the change is huge (e.g. passing).

This document will focus on “in-game” events, so it can be used in tournaments or leagues. League play, e.g.
development and inducements, has changed significantly enough that everyone should pretend they are
starting from scratch (and also, each league has its own individual rules).

Finally, this document is a companion to the​ clarifications I wrote for the SAWBBL league​. That document
incorporates the GW Errata on bloodbowl.com and some other areas of ambiguity in the rules. I will take the
GW Errata as the rules, and try to point out other ambiguities.

Building a Team
● Player costs have changed, and come in multiples of 5k instead of 10k
● Fan Factor has become Dedicated Fans, and the effect has changed

Start of Game
You now roll for Fan Factor instead of Fame (p37).

Weather
Sweltering Heat is a random number of players on each side rather than rolling for each player.

Characteristics
● Players now have a passing characteristic, separate from Agility.
● Agility, Passing and AV are expressed as 3+ instead of Ag 3, and modifiers are applied to the dice roll.
For the majority of players the old Agility stat has been a straight move to Agility, and then the Passing
is new. This is only not the case for the Nurgle Lineman, who have gone from Ag3 to 4+.
● MA is capped at 9 (as is ST, but less important).

Team Re-rolls
● You may now use as many re-rolls per turn as you like.
● You still cannot re-roll a single die more than once.
● The Pro and Brawler skills allow re-rolling one die from a “dice pool”, e.g. a 2 dice block, so if you use
one of these you may not then use a Team Re-roll.
Passing and Throw Team-Mate
Passing the ball has changed significantly, so worth reading the rules carefully.

● A bad pass can now be Wildly Inaccurate, which will cause it to Deviate d6 in a d8 direction from the
thrower.
● Passes can be deflected as well as intercepted.
● Passing using the Passing characteristic, not Agility.

Blitzing
You declare the target of a Blitz when you declare the Blitz action. This has various knock-on effects with
Dump-Off, Foul Appearance, and also how the action is used (i.e. you can’t change target half way through).

Kick-Off Table
There is a new kick-off table with some new events on. Some of the previous events have been changed:

● Riot has become Time Out, and the wording has changed.
● Perfect Defence has become Solid Defence, and the effect changed.
● Cheering Fans now references Prayers to Nuffle, which is a completely new rule for BB2020.
● Brilliant Coaching and Weather have switched places.
● Quick Snap is now a random number of players.
● Blitz is no longer an “extra turn” as such, but a random number of players can activate. Team Re-roll
may not be used.
● Throw a Rock becomes Officious Ref, and the effect changes.
● Pitch Invasion has changed the way it takes effect.

Illegal Procedure
It’s gone. Let us not speak of it again.

Terminology
Go for it has become Rush

Jumping
Any player can now Jump a prone/stunned player, but not an empty square or a standing player. Leap and
Pogo Stick build on this to make more effective Jumpers. Described on p45.

Casualty Table
The casualty table now uses a d16. In tournament play the Apo will be effective on a 1-6 of a d16.

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Fouling
● Guard now allows assists on fouling
● A successful Argue the Call causes a turnover but the player stays on the pitch, not to reserves.

Stalling
Stalling is now defined in the rules (p64), but only comes into play in conjunction with Prayers to Nuffle or
cards, so is a minor game mechanic.

Stars
● There are many fewer stars - only those with existing GW miniatures, or those coming soon.
● Stars all have their own unique special skill
● Stars can generally play for more teams. Each race has a special rule on the roster, some of which
define which stars can play for them.
● Stars have generally got cheaper, so expect to see more of them!

Skills
This section will describe where a skill has changed, been removed, or been introduced. If it’s on a team
roster and is not mentioned then its use has stayed the same.

There is a new line on p74 that says that if a player has lost their Tackle Zone they may not use skills unless
otherwise noted. This will mean that Block, Dodge etc cannot be used.

Defensive New Skill - negates Guard during opponent’s turn.

Diving Tackle If a re-roll is used when dodging away from Diving Tackle, Diving Tackle may only be
used on the re-roll if it was not used on the original roll. This is still debated in some
places but this is the best of my understanding.

Leap No longer ignores tackle zones, allows Jumping over empty squares and standing
players.

Safe Pair of Allows the ball to be placed instead of scattering when Knocked Down. Not when Strip
Hands Ball is used or when Falling Over.

Sneaky Git Not sent off for a double on armour. May move after fouling.

Dirty Player +1 Same, but Deathroller has DP+2, which allows 2 to be added.

Pro Allows a re-roll of a single die, not all of a roll, and is on a 3+.

Shadowing Roll taken by the shadowing player, and calculation has changed. D6+ MA differential
has to be 6+ to be able to shadow.

Claws Unmodified 8+. Only applies on your own turn.

Iron Hard Skin Negates Claws.

Prehensile Tail Affects jumping and leaping as well as dodging.

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Tentacles Roll taken by the player with tentacles, and calculation has changed. D6+ ST difference
has to be 6+ to hold the player.

Accurate Quick and Short only.

Cannoneer Accurate but for Long Pass and Long Bomb.

Cloud Burster Re-roll interference for Long Pass and Long Bomb.

Dump Off Activated at the beginning of the blitz move.

Fumblerooskie Place the ball on the floor as part of a move or blitz action.

On the Ball Combines Kick Off Return and Pass Block. Move when passing does not have to affect
the pass, and multiple players can use at the same time.

Running Pass May move after performing a Quick Pass.

Safe Pass Fumble does not cause a fumble, and no turnover, though activation ends.

Arm Bar +1 to Armour or Injury on a failed dodge away from this player.

Brawler Re-roll a single both down result when blocking.

Break Tackle +1 when dodging, or +2 for ST 5 or more.

Grab Still cancels Side Step, but in addition can be used if opponent has Side Step.

Guard Affects fouls

Mighty Blow +1 Can now have +2 (Deeproot and Morg at the moment). Only applies on your own turn.

Strong Arm Only affects Throw Team-Mate.

Thick Skull Interaction with Stunty changed, otherwise the same.

Pile Driver When you knock down a player you then get a free Foul action.

Animal New version of Wild Animal. If the roll is failed the player attacks a team-mate before
Savagery taking the action. If no team mate is available the Tackle Zone is lost.

Animosity (X) Animosity is against specific players, as described in the team rosters.

Ball & Chain - Does not need to move all squares.

Bombardier If a bomb is caught, it explodes on a 4+, otherwise it can be thrown again.

Chainsaw A kick back is not a turnover.

Decay +1 to casualty roll, only one roll.

Hypnotic Gaze Works on a 2+ for Vampires, as it is still a pure Agility roll.

Kick Changed to be like Throw Team-Mate, but fumble is worse. Does not use Blitz action or
Team-Mate Throw Team-Mate action.

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Loner (X+) Variable roll needed to use a Re-roll.

Plague Ridden New Nurgle’s Rot. Player joins during the game.

Pogo Stick Ignores Tackle Zones when jumping and can jump over empty squares and standing
players.

Projectile Vomit Like stab, but with kick back on a 1. No turn over if failed.

Right Stuff Only applies if ST is less than 4.

Stunty No longer affects passing, though interference is easier against passes made by
stunties.

Swarming No change from Snotling Spike. D3 extra players on the pitch.

Swoop Scatters d3 in a d3 direction, no +1 to land.

Take Root Player can block as part of a blitz after failing a take root roll.

Unchanneled Old version of Wild Animal, still on some players.

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Rosters
There have been tweaks to most rosters, so check the roster carefully for your race and the race you are
playing against. I will not list cost changes, as these are across the board, nor will I list the new passing
characteristic, as that is completely new, so should be checked for all players.

Each roster has a special skill, some of which just define which stars they can use, but others confer special
rules (e.g. cheaper bribes) as shown on p106.

Rosters with existing GW teams are listed in the box, other races are listed in Teams of Legend on
bloodbowl.com.

Amazon No roster change.

Black Orcs New roster, in the box.

Chaos Chosen Get one of a troll, ogre or minotaur.

Chaos Dwarf No roster change.

Chaos Renegade Choose 3 big guys from troll, ogre, minotaur or rat ogre.
Marauders have lost S and P skill access.
Thrower added to the roster.

Dark Elf Assassin now MA7. Check changes to passing.

Dwarf No roster change.

Elven Union No roster change. Check changes to passing.

Goblin Trolls have loner 3+ and vomit, Ooligan has Dirty Player.

Halfling No roster change. Check changes to passing.

High Elf Passing skills changed. Check changes to passing.

Human Halflings added to roster. Check changes to passing.

Imperial Nobility New roster, in the box. Adapted from the Bretonnian roster. Blitzers lose Dauntless
and are 0-2, Bodyguards gain Stand Firm, and they have an Ogre.

Khorne Pit fighters lose P access.

Lizardmen No roster change.

Necromantic Horror Wight is replaced with a Wraith.

Norse No roster change.

Nurgle Linemen become less agile.

Ogre No roster change.

Old World Alliance Dwarf Blockers are different to standard Dwarf Blockers. Treeman added to roster.
Human Thrower now different to standard Human Thrower.

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Orc Black Orc becomes Big Un with an extra square of movement. Animosity across the
board. Troll gets vomit.

Shambling Undead No roster change.

Skaven Rat ogre changes to Animal Savagery. Check changes to passing.

Slann Produced by the NAF on thenaf.net/nafdocs. Check changes to passing.

Snotling Troll has loner 3+ and vomit.

Tomb Kings Blitz-Ras and Thro-Ras get Thick Skull.

Underworld Choice of Troll or Rat Ogre. Snotlings added to Roster. Otherwise same as Spike.

Vampire Blood Lust replaced with Animal Savagery. See Hypnotic Gaze adjustment too.

Wood Elf Catchers lose Sprint. Check Leap change and changes to passing.