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About Foul Play

Published 7 November 2014 | Blood Bowl: Team Manager

About Foul Play

Learn More About This Expansion for Blood Bowl: Team Manager

Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game and its expansions are © 2011-2014 Games Workshop Ltd. Blood Bowl, Warhammer, GW, Games Workshop, the Games Workshop logo, and all associated marks, logos, places, names, creatures, races and race insignia/devices/logos/symbols, vehicles, locations, weapons, units and unit insignia, characters and illustrations from the Warhammer world and Blood Bowl game setting are either ® or TM, and/or © Games Workshop Limited, variably registered in the UK and other countries around the world. This edition published under license to Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc. Fantasy Flight Supply is a trademark of Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved to their respective owners.

Sudden Death Expansion

Published 7 November 2014 | Blood Bowl: Team Manager

Sudden Death Expansion

Learn More About This Expansion for Blood Bowl: Team Manager

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Let the Matchups Begin

Published 17 July 2014 | Blood Bowl: Team Manager

Let the Matchups Begin

Foul Play Is Now Available for Blood Bowl: Team Manager

The Foul Play expansion for Blood Bowl: Team Manager is now available at your local retailer and online through our webstore!

A new season begins for Blood Bowl: Team Manager, and you’ll uncover more opportunities for trickery and low-down, backstabbing moves than ever. The Putrid Players’ Guild joins the Team Managers’ Union, bringing with it three entirely new teams and unprecedented levels of cheating. A fifth player may now join your games of Blood Bowl: Team Manager, and no matter how many players you have in a game, the new fouling skill is sure to upset opposing managers’ plans.

Putrid Players

In our first preview of the Foul Play expansion, we revealed some of the key players that you can expect to see in the three new teams of the Putrid Players’ Guild. The followers of Nurgle spread disease wherever they play, choking other teams and lowering Star Power with disease tokens. On the other side of the field, the goblins set the standard for sheer craziness in a Blood Bowl matchup. With plenty of flying bombs, chainsaws, and pogo sticks, the goblins offer a multitude of ways to get the better of your opponent. The final team to join the Team Managers’ Union is the Chaos Dwarfs, and they bear grudges like none other. Tackling a Chaos Dwarf just makes him more angry and more likely to exact vengeance.

Each of these teams also features the new fouling skill, which allows you to look at a Player card in your opponent’s hand and choose to discard it or not. If you reveal a powerful Star Player from your opponent’s hand, you can discard it, and your opponent draws a replacement card, but if you pull a lowly Guardsman, you can return it to your opponent’s hand, keeping him from drawing a better card to replace it.

The Penalties of Corruption

As we explored in our second preview, you’ll find more than three new teams in Foul Play. The Team Managers’ Union makes new efforts to crack down on cheating, resulting in penalties issued to managers. A thrown elbow at the wrong time might result in a player’s removal from your roster, while roughing the ref may cause you to lose fans. Fortunately for players intent on getting ahead through nefarious tactics, a corrupt ref also makes his first appearance in this season of Blood Bowl: Team Manager. This ref moves from matchup to matchup, helping you and your players cheat by giving you advance knowledge of cheating tokens.

In addition, for the first time in the history of Blood Bowl: Team Manager, you’ll find stadiums in which to play your matchups. Every stadium has its own special rules that govern how you play there, but rules are meant to be broken in Blood Bowl! You always have the option to cheat by breaking a stadium’s restrictions, but doing so incurs a penalty, which may cost you fans, upgrade cards, or players.

Ready for the Big Leagues

Nurglings, goblins, and Chaos Dwarfs burst onto the scene of Blood Bowl: Team Manager in this expansion, bringing more cheating and fouling in their wake. Play a game in a brand-new stadium, escape penalties with the help of the corrupt ref, or learn the trademark tactics of new teams. Download the rules from the support page, and pick up your copy of Foul Play at your local retailer today!

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Rules of Conduct

Published 2 July 2014 | Blood Bowl: Team Manager

Rules of Conduct

Download the Rules from the Foul Play Expansion for Blood Bowl: Team Manager

Well, Jim, recent efforts to enforce penalties have certainly met with mixed success.

You’re right about that, Bob. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen so many completely enraged Chaos Dwarfs.

And that’s saying something, though some teams have been getting on good terms with the new ref…

Blood Bowl becomes more wild and unpredictable than ever with the upcoming Foul Play expansion for Blood Bowl: Team Manager. In an unprecedented move, the Team Managers’ Union has introduced penalties, and while a suitably corrupt ref is helping players cheat, rumors are wild that many of this season’s Blood Bowl games will be played in brand-new stadiums.

In our last preview of Foul Play, we looked at the three new teams that make up the Putrid Players’ Guild: Chaos Dwarfs, goblins, and the servants of Nurgle. Today, we’ll bring you an inside look at the newest mechanics in Blood Bowl: Team Manager. As an added bonus, you can now download the rules (pdf, 2.3 MB) for Foul Play from the Blood Bowl: Team Manager support page!

Penalize the Play

For the first time ever, Blood Bowl officials have decided to institute penalties, punishing excessive cheating. Managers in Foul Play can receive penalties in a variety of ways, including from additional cheating tokens. When a manager receives a penalty, he must draw a Penalty card from the deck, keeping it facedown until each manager’s improvement pile is revealed in the Scoreboard Phase. At this point, the card is revealed and takes effect.

Penalties can afflict managers in a variety of ways, but they share one thing in common – they’re almost never pleasant for the punished manager. You may lose fans from the Roughing the Ref penalty card, and Downsize may force you to draw fewer Staff Upgrades. Sometimes, Chaos Karma downs your players even as they tackle the opposition, and in extreme circumstances, a Red Card removes a Star Player from your roster!

Corrupt Judgments

Blood Bowl officials may hope to reduce cheating through the introduction of penalties, but enterprising teams find ways to cheat more and cheat better by enlisting the aid of a corrupt ref. As teams prepare for kickoff, the corrupt ref is placed by the first manager at any matchup’s midfield. Whenever you commit a player to a matchup with the corrupt ref, you immediately receive a faceup cheating token, allowing to know the effects of the cheating token ahead of time and plan accordingly.

After the corrupt ref dispenses a faceup cheating token to the player just committed to his matchup, he heads elsewhere, moving from matchup to matchup as shown by the diagram above. The corrupt ref always moves toward the Spike! Magazine deck, and he moves a number of spaces equal to the Star Power of the player committed to his last matchup. In the example above, a Bull Centaur with a Star Power of three was played to the corrupt ref’s matchup. The corrupt ref moves three spaces, moving toward the Spike! Magazine deck. When he can move no closer, he returns to the space farthest from the deck, and begins to move towards the deck once more.

After the Scoreboard phase begins, the corrupt ref punishes those who refused to work with him by issuing a penalty to each manager at his matchup who doesn’t have a player with a faceup cheating token. Then, the corrupt ref removes all faceup cheating tokens from the matchup before they take effect. By playing your team well and planning ahead, you can use the corrupt ref to neutralize faceup cheating tokens that would harm you, or to remove faceup cheating tokens that could help your opponent.

Into the Stadiums

In this season of Blood Bowl: Team Manager, matchups are hosted in a variety of new stadiums. Stadiums offer a location for your struggles against other teams at matchups. In addition, stadiums offer both sides a bonus by granting an extension to your team zone payout. The bonuses to be added to a team zone payout are shown on the stadium card and remain constant, no matter which matchup is played in that stadium.

Each stadium also has its own unique restrictions. The Barak-Varr Bowl, for example, bans players from using the regeneration skill while committed to a matchup there. Other stadiums have even more exotic conditions. The Aldorf Oldbowl requires all players to have at least two Star Power, whereas the Nehekhara Death Dome allows no more than two players per side. Of course, it wouldn’t be Blood Bowl if teams had to play by the rules! You always have the option to ignore the stadium’s restrictions, but if you commit a player that breaks the stadium’s rules, you must take a penalty card.

Take Your Positions

Penalties await team managers that break the rules in Foul Play, but as usual, there are ways to get around restrictions. Head to the stadiums, gather your players, and get on the ref’s good side. A new season of Blood Bowl arrives in Foul Play!

Download the rules from the support page, then pre-order your copy at your local retailer today.

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Fresh Blood on the Pitch

Published 17 June 2014 | Blood Bowl: Team Manager

Fresh Blood on the Pitch

Preview the Three New Teams from the Foul Play Expansion

Well, Jim, we’ve certainly had a lot to see so far from the new teams of the Putrid Players’ Guild.

You’re absolutely right, Bob. Between the Nurglings’ disease, Chaos Dwarf riots, and Goblin cheating, this upcoming season might be our most interesting yet.

The fans certainly agree, and opposing teams are racing to adapt to some of the PPG’s more… unconventional tactics!

Foul Play introduces the Putrid Players’ Guild to the Team Managers’ Union and to your games of Blood Bowl: Team Manager. The PPG’s new teams distinct play styles and unorthodox techniques are sure to make a splash, and the best talent scouts are already investigating what these new teams can offer. In today’s preview, we’ll bring you an update on the newest teams to take their positions on the pitch.

Nurgle’s Rotters

As the team devoted to the Chaos god of disease, Nurgle’s Rotters rank as the most odorous players in Blood Bowl – no mean achievement! In fact, few players can use noxious disease as a weapon the way Nurgle’s Rotters can. The Pestigor, and other key players in Nurgle’s Rotters, have the Spread Disease ability, which allows you to place a disease token at midfield. When another player is committed or moved to a matchup with a disease token in midfield, that player immediately receives the disease token, lowering his Star Power by one.

In addition to spreading disease, Nurgle’s Rotters make excellent use of the downed skills first introduced in the Sudden Death expansion, especially regeneration. Whenever a player is downed, he immediately resolves any downed skills he may possess, including cheating, passing, or even regeneration. When a manager attempts to regenerate his downed player, he rolls two tackle dice. If a die shows the “Tackler Down” result, you may immediate stand your downed player, bringing his full Star Power back to the matchup.

Whether you stop your opponent’s passes with the Beast of Nurgle or use a star player like Pusbubble to spread disease, Nurgle’s Rotters have plenty to offer.

The Zharr-Naggrund Ziggurats

Masters of destruction and revenge, the Chaos Dwarfs love to walk the ball to victory over a field littered with the bodies of their former opponents. With players like the Bull Centaur and Hthark the Unstoppable in the Zharr-Naggrund Ziggurats’ roster, it’s not hard to see how they’ve gotten a reputation for fighting to the last breath and beyond. Chaos Dwarf players feature a massive amount of cheating and tackling skills, helping them crush any opponent that stands in their way. If an unfortunate player downs a Chaos Dwarf, however, he’s certain to get more than he bargained for in return. Nearly every Chaos Dwarf player has at least one downed skill to get revenge on your opponents.

The Chaos Dwarfs also showcase the new skill introduced in the Foul Play expansion: fouling. One place you can find this skill is as a downed skill for the Hobgoblin Thrower. If you choose to use a player’s fouling ability, you choose an opponent who has a player at the matchup. Then, you take one card from that manager’s hand and secretly look at it, before choosing to discard it, or replace it in your opponent’s hand. By using the fouling skill, you not only gain knowledge of your opponent’s players, but if it’s one of your opponent’s best players, you can discard it. If it’s a lowly Lineman, however, you can replace it in his hand, keeping him from drawing better cards!

The Lowdown Rats

For sheer insanity on the field, there’s no team that can match the Lowdown Rats. With typical goblin ingenuity, they’ve contrived entirely new ways to break the rules, whether by using pogo sticks, chainsaws, or bombs. You can use a Looney to take down your opponent’s best players with his trusty chainsaw, his Dauntless ability, and his array of offensive skills. On the other hand, maybe you prefer the wide-spread damage of the Bombardier. By pitching bombs around the field whenever he successfully tackles another player, the Bombardier can cut a swath of destruction through your opponent’s team.

Other goblins stay ahead of rivals by just being faster than anyone else. A Star Player like Scrappa Sorehead has well-developed sprinting abilities, even after being downed. If one of your opponent’s players is unlucky enough to miss a tackle on Scrappa Sorehead, you may use this player’s superior mobility to move him to safety at one of your other matchups. Whether you rely on crazy plans, frantic cheating, or chainsaws and pogo sticks, the Lowdown Rats have the tools to bring in fans and get you to the top of the Team Managers’ Union.

The Blood Bowl Awaits

The three new teams of the Putrid Players’ Guild offer unique skills and powers to any manager who can control them. There’s more to discover in Foul Play than new teams, though. In our next preview, we’ll look at some of the new mechanics introduced in this expansion, including penalties, stadiums, and a corrupt ref.

Pre-order your copy of Foul Play at your local retailer today!

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Foul Play

Published 27 March 2014 | Blood Bowl: Team Manager

Foul Play

Announcing an Upcoming Expansion for Blood Bowl: Team Manager

You know, Bob, with the addition of the Putrid Players’ Guild, I think this season is going to be very interesting!

I think you’re right, Jim. We’re definitely going to see a lot of new tactics on the pitch.

If by tactics you mean absolutely filthy, illegal and sometimes disgusting moves, I couldn’t agree more!

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Foul Play, an upcoming expansion for Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game!

Prepare for a dramatic increase in cheating, fouling, and lowdown maneuvers with the newest Blood Bowl: Team Manager expansion. In this expansion, the Putrid Players’ Guild joins the Blood Bowl tournament season as a new subdivision of the Team Managers’ Union. With three new teams and no inhibitions about how they win, the PPG is certain to make quite a splash.

But that’s not the only change you’ll find in the newest season of Blood Bowl. For the first time ever, you’ll be able to roll the week’s highlights with the stadiums where they belong! Stadiums grant extra rewards to managers that win there, but some stadiums have rather peculiar rules as well. Another first in the Foul Play expansion is a referee, who moves freely from matchup to matchup. But never fear, team managers, this ref is comfortably corrupt, and he’s more than willing to help you cheat your way to victory. Even a corrupt ref won’t keep you safe from everything, though. New penalty cards bring stiff reprimands for cheating players, but in the chaos of the tournament season, who doesn’t cheat?

New Teams in the Running

The introduction of the Putrid Players’ Guild introduces three new teams into the competition for the coveted title of Blood Bowl champions, and you’ll need to get to know them, since you’ll certainly be seeing a lot of them!

Nurgle’s Rotters: The Nurgle players are a vile bunch, constantly spreading disease and oozing their way to victory. They can even turn opponents into more Nurgle players! With disease tokens that lower other players’ Star Power, the team can only be compared to an unstoppable plague.

The Zharr-Naggrund Ziggurats: The Chaos Dwarfs are masters of destruction and revenge. Not even being downed can stop these players from fouling their opponents. With thick skulls and packs of intimidating centaurs, this team is all about victory, even in the face of death. They always fight to the last breath, and sometimes even beyond.

The Lowdown Rats: Blood Bowl is known for its fair share of sleazy players, but these goblins take the cake, bringing chainsaws, bombs, and pogo sticks to any given game. The Lowdown Rats never even consider fighting fair. They play to win by any means, but failing that, total mayhem will suffice.

Penalty on the Play

In an effort to provide some sterner punishment for cheating players in the Blood Bowl, penalties are being introduced for the first time in the Foul Play expansion. These penalties can be received in several ways, such as by drawing one of the new cheating tokens with the penalty icon, or by losing the new Goblin Tribal Leeg tournament. Whenever you receive a penalty, you must draw a Penalty card and resolve the effects, which are nearly always unfortunate. Whether you lose fans or have a player ejected from the season due to a Penalty card, you’ll need to find some way to deal with penalties.

You may find a corrupt ref can help you dodge penalties in this expansion. The corrupt ref moves back and forth between matchups, helping players cheat and punishing managers who refuse to work with him by handing out penalties. When you commit a player to a matchup with the corrupt ref, that player immediately receives a face-up cheating token, allowing you to know exactly what the consequences of your cheating may be. After your player has been committed, the corrupt ref moves a number of spaces equal to the Star Power of your committed player, taking his double-dealing ways to other matchups.

Another update to the Blood Bowl tournament season is the introduction of stadiums. While it may seem shocking that Blood Bowl games are played in anything as structured as a stadium, managers won’t be surprised to see the range of treacherous environments used as stadiums. Your team might clash with others in the punishing Nehekara Death Dome, the Ogham Stonefield, or within the walls of Castle Waldenhof. Stadiums remains constant throughout the season, and they offer additional payouts for teams. Be warned, however, that some stadiums enforce truly strange rules. Certain skills may be banned in a given stadium, or there may be a limit on the number of players a manager may commit to a matchup there. There might even be minimum or maximum Star Power requirements! You can always break the rules, but each offense will result in taking a penalty, and you’ll need to weigh your options carefully.

Foul! Foul!

The Blood Bowl competitive season will take on a whole new shape with the release of the upcoming Foul Play expansion. Pick your players, head to the pitch, and get ready for a rousing game of Blood Bowl: Team Manager! Look for the Foul Play expansion at your local retailer in the third quarter of 2014.

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Rise From Your Graves

Published 15 March 2013 | Blood Bowl: Team Manager

Rise From Your Graves

Sudden Death, the Expansion for Blood Bowl: Team Manager, Is Now Available

Well, Bob, I don’t know about you, but I’m really excited about the new teams entering the league!

You bet, Jim. With the Dark Sorcery Syndicate joining the Team Manager’s Union, the death toll will likely hit a record high!

You’re right, Bob. For the teams in the Dark Sorcery Syndicate, it’s hard to keep a good player down.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen a series of previews for Sudden Death, the bone-breaking, pulse-pounding expansion for Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game. You’ve made it through the pre-season and memorized the playbook; now it’s time to take the pitch. Sudden Death is now on sale at your local retailer!

Sudden Death brings three new teams to the pitch, plus a host of all-new gameplay options. Enhance existing teams with additional Staff Upgrade cards and Team Upgrade Cards, and take the competition to new heights with never-before-seen Highlights and Spike! Magazine Cards. Meanwhile, all-new mechanics like enchanted balls and contracts provide a variety of new strategies.

Three New Teams Join the Action

The Dark Sorcery Syndicate union features dabblers in forbidden magics who just don’t know when to stay down. The undead Champions of Death tear up the pitch – sometimes literally as they raise new zombies and skeletons from the corpses of former Blood Bowl players. The vampires of the Black Fangs are always thirsty for victory (and blood). And the Dark Elves of the Naggaroth Nightmares are happy to give both teams plenty of fresh corpses with which to play.

Champions of Death: Not even mortality can stand between an Undead player and the pitch! While Zombies and Skeletons are not the most durable players, they can survive nearly any beating and come back for more! And woe to the opponent who has to stand up against a Mummy or Wight.
Black Fangs: The mighty Vampires of the Black Fangs do not know the meaning of mercy—they don’t even show it to their own teammates! Whenever a Vampire player isn’t feasting on one of his Thrall players, he has got his eyes—and fangs—on his opponent.
Naggaroth Nightmares: Dark Elves are merciless players, always looking to exploit their opponent’s weaknesses to find the quickest path to victory—even if it means eviscerating the competition. Dark Elf players rely on versatility and brutality, plain and simple.

Sudden Death features new teams, new gameplay options, and even more cards for your current experience. This jam-packed expansion is sure to raise your spirits...and maybe a few others. Learn more visiting our Sudden Death website, and look for it on store shelves now!

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Study Your Playbook

Published 18 February 2013 | Blood Bowl: Team Manager

Study Your Playbook

The Rules for Blood Bowl: Team Manager - Sudden Death Are Online

Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen previews leading up to the impending release of Sudden Death, the bone-breaking, pulse-pounding expansion for Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game. Now, with its release nearly here, we’re pleased to announce that the rulebook (pdf, 9.4 MB) is available on our support page!

Download this four-page rule sheet today to learn how this death-defying expansion brings a host of options to the pitch, including three new teams, new Contract payouts, new enchanted balls, and more.

The Dark Sorcery Syndicate

Champions of Death: Not even mortality can stand between an Undead player and the pitch! While Zombies and Skeletons are not the most durable players, they can survive nearly any beating and come back for more! And woe to the opponent who has to stand up against a Mummy or Wight.
Black Fangs: The mighty Vampires of the Black Fangs do not know the meaning of mercy—they don’t even show it to their own teammates! Whenever a Vampire player isn’t feasting on one of his Thrall players, he has got his eyes—and fangs—on his opponent.
Naggaroth Nightmares: Dark Elves are merciless players, always looking to exploit their opponent’s weaknesses to find the quickest path to victory—even if it means eviscerating the competition. Dark Elf players rely on versatility and brutality, plain and simple.

Sudden Death features new teams, new gameplay options, and even more cards for your current experience. This jam-packed expansion is sure to raise your spirits...and maybe a few others. Learn more by downloading the rules, then look for Sudden Death on store shelves in just a few short weeks!

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Blood on the Pitch

Published 7 February 2013 | Blood Bowl: Team Manager

Blood on the Pitch

A Preview of Sudden Death, the Upcoming Blood Bowl: Team Manager Expansion

Well, Bob, I don’t know about you, but I’m really excited about the new teams entering the league!

You bet, Jim. With the Dark Sorcery Syndicate joining the Team Manager’s Union, the death toll will likely hit a record high!

You’re right, Bob. For the teams in the Dark Sorcery Syndicate, it’s hard to keep a good player down.

Sudden Death, a bone-breaking, pulse-pounding expansion for Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game is just a few more weeks away! This death-defying expansion brings a host of options to the pitch, including three new teams, new Contract payouts, new enchanted balls, and more.

In our most recent preview, we heard from designer Jay Little about the Champions of Death, the Undead team debuting in Sudden Death’s new Dark Sorcery Syndicate. We also learned about downed skills, abilities that take affect when a player is tackled, and regeneration, a downed skill that gives its players undeniable longevity. Today, we’ll head into the locker rooms of the merciless Naggaroth Nightmares and the insatiable Black Fangs, and we’ll see how these two teams remain every bit as brutal as the Champions of Death while still maintaining their own unique play style.

The Naggaroth Nightmares

Dark Elves are merciless players, always looking to exploit their opponent’s weaknesses to find the quickest path to victory, even if it means eviscerating the competition. Dark Elf players rely on versatility and brutality, plain and simple.

But sometimes to exploit a weakness, you must first create one. The Dark Elves are adept at choosing a single target, pummeling it into submission, then reaping benefits from that target’s suffering. The Assassin, for example, is a strong believer in the saying “the bigger they are, the harder they fall.” He’ll single out players with a Star Power of three or higher, bringing them down with a few well placed jabs of his dagger. The Witch Elf is likewise talented when it comes to tackling; her Star Power momentarily increases when she makes a tackle attempt!

Better yet, once your rank-and-file players have brought the other team to its knees, your Star Players can make sure their suffering doesn’t end. Horkon Heartripper’s special ability takes care of any would-be martyrs who might otherwise defend their teammates, but for the true epitome of Dark Elf savagery, field Queen Nefaria herself. Not only does she prevent the Guard ability, but she singles out downed players for some added punishment!

The Black Fangs

Want to chew your opponent up and spit him out? The mighty Vampires of the Black Fangs don’t know the meaning of mercy; they don’t even show it to their own teammates! Whenever a Vampire player isn’t feasting on one of his Thrall players, he has got his eyes (and fangs) on his opponent.

The Black Fangs’ ability to enhance themselves at the expense of lesser units is represented by the Bloodlust ability, which is tracked with the new blood tokens. Each time a player gains a blood token, his manager places that token on the player’s card...meaning a potentially significant increase in Star Power.

This is because each blood token on a Player card increases that player’s Star Power (and downed Star Power) by one. Blood tokens remain in play until the “Clear the Pitch” step of the Scoreboard phase, but that’s plenty of time to do their damage.

The Vampire, for example, can use his Bloodlust ability to add to his already impressive Star Power of three. And with his Always Hungry ability, he needn’t limit his appetites to the other team; any Thrall Lineman, Thrall Thrower, or Thrall Blocker unlucky enough to cross the Vampire’s path may just become his next meal.

If the Black Fangs’ thirst for blood isn’t quite enough for you, consider one of their six included Team Upgrade cards (Sudden Death features six Team Upgrades for each of the new teams, plus one for each base game team). Subliminal Advertisements exerts mind control powers over your foes, robbing them of their valuable skills. And when coupled with Star Player Luthor von Drakenborg, this effect can leave the opposing team blinking confusedly on the field. Alternatively, you might simply overwhelm your enemies with your Force of Will, which increases the value of blood tokens!

Whether disemboweling the opposing team or dining on the flesh of their underlings, the Naggaroth Nightmares and the Black Fangs are two remorseless teams that do whatever it takes to win. Keep checking back for more on Sudden Death in the coming weeks, and place your pre-order through your local retailer today!

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Champions of Death

Published 25 January 2013 | Blood Bowl: Team Manager

Champions of Death

A Preview of Sudden Death, the Upcoming Blood Bowl: Team Manager Expansion

Late last year, Fantasy Flight Games announced the upcoming release of Sudden Death, a bone-breaking, pulse-pounding expansion for Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game! This death-defying expansion brings a host of options to the pitch, including three new teams, new Contract payouts, new enchanted balls, and more.

Now, with the release of Sudden Death a little over a month away, we’re pleased to present our first in a series of previews examining its new teams, cards, and mechanics. In today’s preview, we’ll look at the irrepressible Champions of Death, and we’ll see how new mechanics like Downed Skills and Regeneration keep the Undead in the game. First, however, we’ll read a word from Blood Bowl: Team Manager designer Jay Little, who will share his insights and influences surrounding Sudden Death.

A Word from Designer Jay Little

I was really excited when I saw Sudden Death on my project schedule. I am a diehard Blood Bowl tabletop player, and had a great time designing the Team Manager base game. Even with six teams included in the base game, I couldn’t wait to add more teams!

I’ve played in a number of Blood Bowl leagues over the years. I’ve fielded a variety of teams, from Norse and Amazon to Humans and even Halflings (boy, that was a painful season). But the most success and the most fun I’ve had in a league was when I fielded my Undead Team, the Death Rattlers. And of the Blood Bowl teams I’ve painted, I think the Death Rattlers came out the best, resplendent in their gore-spattered jerseys, ready to pummel their opponents into the pitch. Aaah, good times.

I couldn’t wait to get started with the Sudden Death expansion, and I started working on the Undead team first. The intimidating Champions of Death were heavily influenced by my personal experience with the Undead team. In fact, several members of the Death Rattlers ended up making their way to the Undead team’s Star Player roster in the expansion. Run, Jibber, run!

The first design challenge was to figure out a way to integrate one of the Undead team’s signature features – regeneration – into the game in a way that was easy to resolve and felt right. Since the card play in Blood Bowl: Team Manager represents a Cabalvision highlight reel rather than an entire game, regeneration had to be reliable enough to be highlight-worthy without being overpowered.

But regeneration isn’t the only thing that makes teams like the Undead so nasty. There’s a certain persistence or tenacity to these teams. They’re vindictive and relentless. Sometimes knocking them down only makes them madder.

Suddenly there was something else I could incorporate into the design. That’s when downed skills were created. Now there were two game mechanics that helped properly convey the nastiness of the Undead team. Even better, these ideas thematically fit well with the other two teams in Sudden Death – the Vampire and Dark Elf teams.

Essentially, Sudden Death is a whole expansion of nasty, vile players with a seething hatred for everyone else. Sounds like a good time to me.

Thanks, Jay! Let’s take a closer look at downed skills and regeneration, two mechanics that make the Champions of Death (as well as the other new teams) such fearsome opponents.

Down, But Not Out

Even when brutally tackled, the Undead have a way of making life miserable for the other players on the field. After all, an animated corpse doesn’t need to be standing (or even have legs) to grasp and claw at the living. Downed skills are a feature new to Sudden Death that represent this threat.

Similar to the way downed Star Power is a factor for tackled players, downed skills are listed along the side of a card’s face, to take effect when that card turned. In fact, downed skills trigger immediately (and in order from left to right) when that player is tackled, even if this interrupts the active manager’s turn!

This means that not only are downed skills a great way to claim revenge on a tackling player, but they’re an effective deterrent for being tackled in the first place. Any would-be tackler will have to ask: is it really worth trying to take that Wight down, given his inclination towards cheating when he’s tackled? And even if someone tackles the mighty Mumma Hotep, won’t he just tackle them right back?

Up and At ‘Em

What’s more, many Champions of Death players boast the new regeneration skill as one of their downed skills, meaning there’s a chance they’ll get right back up after they’ve been tackled. This new skill, indicated by a pair of crossed bones, reflects the raw tenacity of the new Dark Sorcery Syndicate teams in Sudden Death.

This optional downed skill means upon his regenerative player being tackled (keep in mind that downed skills must be resolved in order, left to right), a manager may try his luck at returning that player to a standing state. To use regeneration, the manager rolls two dice and chooses one to apply. If he applies an “X” (tackler down) result, he may bring that downed player back to his feet!

With the Champions of Death, not even mortality will keep you from dominating the pitch. Keep checking back for more on Sudden Death in the coming weeks, and place your pre-order through your local retailer today!

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Sudden Death

Published 24 August 2012 | Blood Bowl: Team Manager

Sudden Death

Announcing an Expansion for Blood Bowl: Team Manager - The Card Game

Well, Bob, I don’t know about you, but I’m really excited about the new teams entering the league!

You bet, Jim. With the Dark Sorcery Syndicate joining the Team Manager’s Union, the death toll will likely hit a record high!

You’re right, Bob. For the teams in the Dark Sorcery Syndicate, it’s hard to keep a good player down.

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce the upcoming release of Sudden Death, a bone-breaking, pulse-pounding expansion for Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game! This death-defying expansion brings a host of options to the pitch, including three new teams, new Contract payouts, new enchanted balls, and more.

Three Death-Defying New Teams

Champions of Death: Not even mortality can stand between an Undead player and the pitch! While Zombies and Skeletons are not the most durable players, they can survive nearly any beating and come back for more! And woe to the opponent who has to stand up against a Mummy or Wight.

Black Fangs: The mighty Vampires of the Black Fangs do not know the meaning of mercy—they don’t even show it to their own teammates! Whenever a Vampire player isn’t feasting on one of his Thrall players, he has got his eyes—and fangs—on his opponent.

Naggaroth Nightmares: Dark Elves are merciless players, always looking to exploit their opponent’s weaknesses to find the quickest path to victory—even if it means eviscerating the competition. Dark Elf players rely on versatility and brutality, plain and simple.

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The Refs Have Deliberated

Published 20 February 2012 | Blood Bowl: Team Manager

The Refs Have Deliberated

The FAQ for Blood Bowl: Team Manager - The Card Game is online

Oh, ouch! Did you see that move, Jim? That looks like another candidate for the Anti-Violence Watchdog Committee’s coveted “Worst Tackle of the Year” award, Bob! And it looks like the ref has something to say about that play. Yes, he’s got a red flag out and – ohhh. Well, don’t worry, folks...there’s more refs where he came from.

Your players may not care much about the rules, but as team managers, you should at least understand them. The FAQ for Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game (pdf, 845 KB) is now available for download from our support page!

A statement from the commissioner

For more on the FAQ, we present a word from designer Jay Little:

It’s been exciting to see the all the enthusiasm for Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game, from fans of the classic game and newcomers alike. Players have been eager for some clarifications and answers to gameplay questions, and I'm happy to be able to provide them with this FAQ.

The document includes errata that should clarify a few points in the core game, as well as correct some vague card language. We also provide answers to players’ most frequently asked questions. It all should be pretty straightforward. With these new clarifications, I hope all you managers can get back to pounding each other into the turf!

Watch out for those pesky Skaven, and may your tackle dice always roll POWs.

–Jay Little

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The Blood Bowl Season Has Started!

Published 7 October 2011 | Blood Bowl: Team Manager

The Blood Bowl Season Has Started!

Blood Bowl: Team Manager - The Card Game is now on sale

Say, Jim, that is impressive. You don’t often see that, do you? An Orc who picks up the ball when he’s done flattening the opposition. Sure don’t, Bob. Oh, ouch! That move’s illegal! Where is the ref looking? Gouged Eye have the ball again, and are going for the end zone. Right, Jim. But Grim Ironjaw's gaining on Varag Ghoulchewer! I’m afraid he’s not going to make it. Varag’s almost there...almost...

The stands are filled with screaming fans, the teams are taking the pitch, and the wait is finally over. Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game, the bone-crushing game of exciting sports action, is now on sale at your local retailer and on our webstore!

One of the hits of Gen Con Indy 2011, this exciting game lets you lead a team of Dwarf, Wood Elf, Orc, Human, Chaos, or Skaven players to victory as they compete in head-to-head weekly highlights over the course of a brutal five-week season. Survive the competitions, draft the most promising Star Players, hire talented staff, and grab the best equipment, and you’ll be sure to end up with Spike! Magazine’s “Manager of the Year” award.

Rules are made to be broken

Not sure how Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game works? Download the rules (pdf, 6.4 MB) from our support page or check out our detailed video tutorial by clicking the link below:

Click the link above to view the tutorial You can also view it on YouTube, or with QuickTime from the support page.

Faces only a team manager could love

Not everyone will have to blitz their local retailer, however. Two weeks ago, we announced the Show Us Your Game Face contest, an opportunity for fans to put their dedication on display by sending in photos of themselves wearing their best game faces. We received a number of entries ranging from the inspiring to the repulsive, and while the final decision was a difficult one, our panel of referees tallied the bribe money and ultimately decided on these three winners:

Click the above images to enlarge

Congratulations to Shawn S, Andrew W, and Tom H. Your prizes are on the way! And thanks to everyone who participated; you helped make this competition a success.

Ready for the first week of match-ups? Head to your local retailer, and grab your copy of Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game today!

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Training Camp

Published 5 October 2011 | Blood Bowl: Team Manager

Training Camp

A tutorial video for Blood Bowl: Team Manager - The Card Game

Welcome, sports fans! The season begins tomorrow; can you smell the excitement in the air, Bob? I certainly smell something, Jim. Well, the managers are making their last-minute preparations, getting ready for what’s sure to be a nail-biter of a season. Some teams have even spent the off season at training camps, boning up on the rules. Who cares about rules, Jim? This is Blood Bowl! Good question, Bob, but some coaches never learn...

Are you ready?

Tomorrow, Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game will arrive on store shelves! In this fast and furious card game of football face-offs, Chaos, Dwarf, Wood Elf, Human, Orc, and Skaven teams compete over the course of a brutal season. Customize your team by drafting Star Players, hiring staff, and upgrading facilities, all to win the most fans!

Video Highlights

Prepare for the season with this detailed six-part tutorial video, which presents an overview of game’s fundamental rules.

Click the link above to view the tutorial You can also view it on YouTube, or with QuickTime from the support page.

Check back tomorrow to see the menacing scowls of the winners from our recent “Show Us Your Game Face” contest, then look for Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game on store shelves!

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Blood Bowl: Team Manager - The Card Game is Coming

Published 28 September 2011 | Blood Bowl: Team Manager

Blood Bowl: Team Manager - The Card Game is Coming

Watch the teaser trailer, then look for it in stores Oct. 6th!

Get ready, sports fans – the most popular sport in the Old World is about to begin! Isn’t that right, Bob? Right you are, Jim. The pre-season is wrapping up, and the fans are eager to start the season next week! They sure are, Bob, but they’re no more eager than the players and coaches. Have you seen Morg ‘N Thorg? He’s ready for blood... and next week, he’ll get it!

The wait is nearly over. Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game, the bone-breaking game of violence and outright cheating, will be on store shelves October 6th! In this fast and furious card game of football face-offs, Chaos, Dwarf, Wood Elf, Human, Orc, and Skaven teams compete over the course of a brutal season. Customize your team by drafting Star Players, hiring staff, and upgrading facilities, all to win the most fans!

Take the pitch

To whet your appetite, we’re excited to present this short teaser trailer (check back soon for a full tutorial video). Get yourself in the fighting spirit, then prepare to dominate the pitch when Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game charges into your friendly local game store next week!

Click the link above to view the teaser trailer (Quicktime, 9.6 MB) You can also view it on YouTube and the Fantasy Flight Media Player.

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Are You Excited for Blood Bowl? Prove It!

Published 19 September 2011 | Blood Bowl: Team Manager

Are You Excited for Blood Bowl? Prove It!

Show Us Your Game Face in our Blood Bowl Team Manager giveaway contest

Varag sprints over. He leaps. He crushes the dwarf runner for a nine yard loss… and an injury time-out! The crowd goes wild! As the announcers exclaim their praises, drowned out by the ambient roar, the view travels across the wild and delirious faces of the fans filling every inch of the stadium…

Are you one of those fans? Prove it!

Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game is nearly here. Our preview copies sold out in a heartbeat at Gen Con Indy 2011, and we know fans have been waiting anxiously for this title to hit the shelves. Well, you’re in luck, as a lucky few fans are going to get free copies.

Show us your game face

Hey, players, you want to be MVP? Snap one self-portrait photo of yourself, looking as excited as possible for Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game. Apply face paint. Wear a costume. Digitally enhance the image. Or just growl. Do what you need to convey your enthusiasm, but no videos! Then write a short paragraph (no more than 300 words) explaining why you are going to be the player of the year. Don’t forget to include your highlights! Then email them to us. It’s that easy. Three divisional winners will get free copies of Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game.

Our panel of judges will review the submissions for the photographs’ enthusiasm, ferocity, technical proficiency, and their ability to capture the wild spirit of Blood Bowl: Team Manager.

The Rules

Since this is only a contest associated with Blood Bowl: Team Manager and not a game inside Blood Bowl: Team Manager, you actually have to follow these rules!:

This contest is open to all participants worldwide.
Submissions must be received by Midnight Central time, September 26th. Send all submissions to submissions@fantasyflightgames.com.
All submissions to the MVP category should include the subject line, “Blood Bowl: Team Manager - The Card Game, Show Us Your Game Face Contest, MVP”
Submissions must contain a single high-quality, self-portrait photograph (.jpg or .png).
You must agree to our submission terms. Include the following disclaimer in your email, verbatim:

“I certify that I am the creator of the attached material and that attached material is original, unpublished work. Fantasy Flight Games and its licensees may reproduce, distribute, publish, display, edit, modify, create derivative works, and otherwise use the material for any purposes in any form and on any media. I agree to indemnify and hold harmless Fantasy Flight Games against all claims, suits, costs, damages, and expenses that may be incurred in connection with the material.”

Win fabulous prizes!

The prizes are free copies of Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game, sent to you before it sells out!

Are you as excited for this game as we are? Prove it! The clock is ticking, the refs are getting ready, and it’s time to step up your game. Only one highlight to make the reel. Take your best shot.

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Navigating the Pitch

Published 16 August 2011 | Blood Bowl: Team Manager

Navigating the Pitch

The rules for Blood Bowl: Team Manager - The Card Game are now available

Oh, ouch! Did you see that move, Jim?

That looks like another candidate for the Anti-Violence Watchdog Committee’s coveted “Worst Tackle of the Year” award, Bob!

And it looks like the ref has something to say about that play. Yes, he’s got a red flag out and – ohhh. Well, don’t worry, folks...there’s more refs where he came from.

Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game is filled with the pivotal, action-packed moments that puts fans in the seats year after year, and keeps the managers employed!

Lead a team of Dwarf, Wood Elf, Orc, Human, Chaos, or Skaven players to victory as they compete in head-to-head weekly highlights over the course of a brutal five-week season. Survive the competitions, draft the best Star Players, hire staff, upgrade your equipment, while gaining as many fans as you can, and you’ll be sure to end up with Spike! Magazine’s “Manager of the Year” award.

This exciting standalone card game of bone-crushing sports action for 2-4 managers was one of the stars at Gen Con Indy 2011; advance copies of Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game sold out the afternoon of the first day of the convention. Further, every Blood Bowl demo table was busy the entire weekend with attendees eager to test out their managerial skills, and lead their teams to glory.

Download the rules, then place your pre-order!

Don’t fumble your opportunity to examine Blood Bowl’s ultimate playbook. The rules (pdf, 6.4 MB) for Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game are now available for download from the Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game support page.

Prepare to play Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game when it is available for world wide release in the fourth quarter of 2011!

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Cheating is Mandatory

Published 19 July 2011 | Blood Bowl: Team Manager

Cheating is Mandatory

Announcing the upcoming release of Blood Bowl: Team Manager - The Card Game

“Say, Jim, that is impressive. You don’t often see that, do you? An Orc who picks up the ball when he’s done flattening the opposition.”

“Sure don’t, Bob. Oh, ouch! That move’s definitely illegal, where is the ref looking? I guess the Grudgebearers are just living up to their name.”

"Too bad that it wasn’t against the opposing team. But Gouged Eye have the ball again, and are going for the end zone.”

“Right you are, Jim. But Grim Ironjaw seems to be gaining on Varag Ghoulchewer.”

“I’m afraid he’s not going to make it. Varag’s almost there...almost...”

Welcome, sports fans! Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce that Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game will be available in the fourth quarter of 2011!

Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game is a vicious standalone card game of violence and outright cheating. Two to four managers oversee remorseless teams and improve them by drafting Star Players, employing personnel, and upgrading their equipment. Over the course of the season, your team will compete in a series of highlights filled with the pivotal, action-packed moments your fans live for. Perform well and annihilate the competition to gain as many fans for your team as possible before the season ends, and you’ll be sure to end up with Spike! Magazine’s “Manager of the Year” award.

A new design direction

When Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game was announced last year, it was presented as a deck-building game. As the game progressed through development, the direction began to change. Visit our description page to learn how; we think you’ll agree it’s worth the wait!

Determined to win

Lead your team of misfits and miscreants to the top by guiding them through weekly head-to-head highlights, the randomly determined matchups over which players compete, over the course of a brutal five-week season. Reap the benefits of winning by drafting Star Players, acquiring equipment upgrades, and hiring new staff for your team...all leading up to the decisive Blood Bowl itself.

Surviving the competition means that your team will receive a payout, but winning makes the reward even sweeter. Payouts can gain your team fans and add new cards to your deck, such as famous and formidable Star Players.

Every highlight involves carefully positioning your players, using their skills and abilities to their fullest, and risking injury or ejection. Can your Skaven Lineman keep possession of the ball? Will the referee catch your Star Player cheating? No matter the events during the matchup, remember at the end of the season it all comes down to who has the most fans. Even if you trounce the competition (and win a few trophies along the way) will it be enough for you to be named Spike! Magazine’s Manager of the Year? Find out in Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game!

For more information on Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game, be sure to visit the description page, and come try it at Gen Con Indy 2011!

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