Q4 2020 Crush Rules Full
Q4 2020 Crush Rules Full
Q4 2020 Crush Rules Full
-- Complete Edition --
The Crush! Blitz Bowl Podcast
Version: Q4 2020 (RELEASED PRE-SEASON 2)
Table of Contents
Introduction
Start Here → The Crush! Rule Change Summary
1. Core Rules Changes/FAQ 2. Challenge Cards (External Links)
Core Rulebook FAQ Challenge Cards Doc (w/ Tournament Deck 2.0)
Skill List Tournament Deck PDF (V1.0)
Action Steps Breakdown
The Crush! Errata
Introduction
Welcome to the Crush! Blitz Bowl League’s Official Unofficial Rules Document! Many hours of thought
and effort from the community at large went into creating this rules document. Our goal is to provide a
living rules document that expands the game for lots of players, and makes for a more enjoyable
playing experience.
This document has core team rules that have been tweaked and/or reworked, as well as playtest rules
for all announced or released plastic teams. Only teams with plastic kits will receive rules in this
document - as new plastic teams are announced or released we will release rules. If GW continues to
release expansions for the game we will replace our rulesets with the official ones (with any changes
we deem necessary). We will also continue to update the FAQ and Rules Clarifications portion of the
document as rules questions arise. While many of the rules changes/additions we’ve published here
are almost certainly permanent (for our group), there are some that may need adjustments. In the
service of making the game as fun and competitive as possible we will update the rules document each
quarter to reflect feedback from data and the community.
There is an inherent risk when you start meddling with any ruleset, and Blitz Bowl is no exception.
While we’ve tried to playtest every team as much as possible, there still might be some balance
problems waiting to be discovered. That being said, having teams in different tiers doesn’t weigh
heavily on us because we are more interested in whether or not the teams are fun to play with and
against. Blitz Bowl is built on such a solid foundation of simple rules that creating new and interesting
team rules has been extremely rewarding.
We hope you enjoy our new rules- we had a great time making them.
May you only roll Kerrrrunch!’s,
The Crush! Team
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Chaos ● Indomitable FAQ’d so the player will drop the ball if they would be knocked
down but pass their armor check.
● Beastman Runner armor save changed: 3+ → 4+
Halfling ● Runner Skill Changed- Slippery Little Runt: When this player is the target of a
Block action, and the result of that Block is a Miss, Shove, or Tackle, their
Coach can choose to ignore the result and this player can make a free
Sidestep action.
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2. Cards are not rotated and cannot be scored during each players’ first turn (pg 7).
3. The ball bounces again (roll and apply D8 again) when the ball bounces into a
Marked or Prone player’s space. The ball rotates clockwise along the D8 deviation
chart until when the ball bounces into a blocked space or off the board (p.10).
4. Endgame Challenge cards do not rotate if there are no more cards in the draw pile
and only one or two active cards remaining (p.12).
5. When making a Throw or Armor check, a 1 always fails and a 6 always succeeds
(pg 5).
6. Players may move adjacent to opposing Prone players during a run action (implied
by the diagram on the bottom of page 5).
7. A player counts as having “moved” if the model moves from one space on the
board to another. This could be the result of a Run action, Mark action, Sidestep
action, Shove result, or card effect.
8. When a player re-rolls the dice, they re-roll all dice included in the original roll (pg
5).
9. Marked opponents do not add a negative modifier to throw checks made during a
Throw action if they are in the path of the throw (pg 9).
10. The Free Reserve Action granted to a coach who has less than three players on
the pitch is taken prior to their turn's three actions, but still counts for the purposes
of scoring Challenge Cards (pg10).
11. Discarded Challenge Cards are placed with their Bonus Play facing up when
discarded (pg 12).
12. A new ball does not launch after scoring until the beginning of the next coaches
turn (p.7).
13. A coach may play any number of bonus play cards on their turn, but may not play
the same bonus play card twice in one turn (p.12).
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B. Card Interaction FAQ and Clarifications
a) Headbutt and Frenzy’s free Block actions may be completed after Step
Aside i s played if the player making the free Block action is still adjacent to
another opposing player.
2. In order to score Show Us a Completion! the player in the target square must have
possession of the ball after the throw action is completed.
4. A coach may only have one play card (Blocking, Throwing, Defensive) in front of
them at any time. If a coach already has a play card in front of them, and they play
another from their hand, they must choose one to discard.
7. When using the Endgame Bonus Play Hail Mary Pass, the modifiers for the pass
are still applied to the pass attempt for determining if that pass results in a fumble.
3. Play “At the start of turn” Bonus Play cards (eg Blocking Play, Reserves, etc)
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2. Apex Predator: When this player makes a Block action and the result is a Tackle or Smash, the
opposing player must subtract 1 from the armor check.
3. Canny Tracker: The first time in a turn that an opponent adjacent to this player makes a
Sidestep action, this player can be moved into the square that opponent moved from.
4. Catcher's Instincts: If this player catches a thrown ball (not a hand-off or bouncing ball), roll a
D6. This player can make a free Run action up to that many spaces.
5. Disgusting Resilience: If this player is blocked by an opposing player, treat all rolls of Kerrunch!
or Smash as though a Tackle result had been rolled instead.
6. Fend: After this player is pushed as the result of a Shove, the opposing player who made the
Block may not move into the square this player left.
7. Flesh-Hungry Horror: When this player makes a Mark action, they may move up to 3 spaces
instead of 2.
8. Flighty: This player can move up to two squares instead of one when they make a sidestep
action. They must finish this move Open not Marked.
9. Frenzied: After this player makes a Mark action, they can make a free Block action.
10. Handling Skills: Whenever this model moves into a square containing the ball, they pick it up as
though they were making a Run action.
11. Headbutt: If this player makes a Mark action and they have already made a Run action this turn,
they can immediately make a free Block action.
12. Hulking Brute (Black Orc; Season 1): All Block actions made by this player count as having an
assist. In addition, subtract 1 from any Armour checks caused by this player’s blocks.
13. Hulking Brute (Lizardmen; Season 2) All Block actions made by this player count as having an
assist.
14. Indomitable: This player cannot be Knocked Down. If they would be, make an armor check for
them-if it is passed they remain standing (but drop the ball if they are carrying it). If it is failed,
they are Injured as normal.
15. Insignificant: During an opposing player’s run actions, opposing players may move into spaces
adjacent to this player. Opposing players count as marked if they end the run action adjacent to
this player.
16. Offensive Specialist: Whenever this player makes a Block action, their coach can choose to
re-roll the Block dice.
17. Quantity Over Quality: If this player is in your dugout, they can make a free Reserve action.
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18. Safe Hands: If this player is Knocked Down while holding the ball, you can choose which
adjacent square the ball bounces into instead of rolling the B8.
19. Small and Shifty: When this player makes a Run action they may move adjacent to opposing
players but must end their movement in an open square.
20. Slippery Little Runt: When this player is the target of a Block action, and the result of that Block
is a Miss, Shove, or Tackle, their Coach can choose to ignore the result and this player can
make a free Sidestep action.
21. Sneaky Defender: When an opposing player declares a Throw action, but before the dice are
rolled, this player may make a free Run action of up to 2 spaces.
22. Sneaky Stabber: When this player makes a block and is assisted roll a D6 along with the block
dice. On a 6 the targeted player is immediately injured.
23. Undead Juggernaut: If this player makes a Mark action, treat the Shove result as the Smash
result for the next Block this player makes this turn.
24. Very Well Fed: Once per turn, while this player is on the pitch, they can make a free Mark or
Block action.
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2. Mark Action
2.1. Select one of your Open players to make a Mark action
2.2. Reaction Window: The opposing player has a window to play cards or use player abilities
that trigger when a Mark action is declared.
2.3. The selected player moves up to two spaces, following the rules in 1.2.1, but must finish
their move adjacent to an opponent.
2.3.1. Players may move adjacent to opponents while performing their mark action.
2.3.2. If the player making the Mark action moves onto a space containing the ball,
immediately bounce the ball. That player may then continue their mark action after
seeing the results of the first Bounce Roll. This may cause an additional bounce.
3. Block Action
3.1. Select one of your Marked players to make a Block action
3.2. Select an opposing player that is adjacent to them to be the target of the Block action
3.3. Reaction Window: The opposing player has a window to play cards or use player abilities
that trigger when a Block action is declared.
3.4. Check for assistance
3.5. Roll the block dice
3.5.1. Miss: The target is unaffected. In addition the blocking player cannot make any
more actions this turn.
3.5.2. Tackle: The target is Knocked Down. In addition the blocking player cannot make
any more actions this turn.
3.5.3. Shove: If possible, the target is pushed on square directly away from the blocking
player, who can choose to move into the vacated square. If this would move the
target into an occupied or blocked square, or off the board, the target is Knocked
Down instead.
3.5.3.1. If the target is pushed into a space containing the ball, the blocking player
must decide to move into the vacated square prior to rolling for the
bouncing ball.
3.5.4. Smash: The target is knocked down.
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3.5.5. Kerrunch!: The Target is knocked down and suffers a -1 to their armor check roll.
3.6. If the opponent was Knocked Down resolve the following steps in order
3.6.1. The player is placed prone.
3.6.2. If they are carrying the ball, the ball bounces.
3.6.3. The player's coach makes an armor check.
3.6.4. If the armor check succeeds nothing further happens, if it fails the player is injured.
3.6.5. Injured players are immediately removed from the pitch and placed in the dugout.
4. Sidestep Action
4.1. Select one of your Marked players to make a Sidestep action
4.2. The selected player moves one square (following 1.2.1)
4.3. The player must finish their move so that they are no longer Marked by any opponents
5. Throw Action
5.1. Select one of your Open players, who has the ball, to make a Throw action
5.2. Select a legal target square
5.2.1. A square can be targeted as long as the throw ruler is able to reach its center
5.2.2. If the targeted square is occupied by an open teammate and is adjacent to the
thrower they automatically take control of the ball. This is called a Handoff.
5.3. Make a throw check.
5.3.1. Long Pass: Subtract 1 from the Throw check if the center of the target square is in
the more distant half of the throw ruler
5.3.2. Obstructed Pass: Subtract 1 from the Throw check if any part of the ruler, between
the thrower and the target, is touching a blocked space or an opposing player
5.3.3. Marked Target: Subtract 1 from the throw check if the target square is occupied by
a Marked player
5.4. If the Throw check succeeds the ball lands in the target square
5.4.1. If the square is occupied by an open or marked player they take control of the ball-
the ball is considered caught.
5.4.2. If the square is occupied by a prone player or it is empty the ball bounces
5.5. If the Throw check fails the ball bounces from the target square
5.5.1. If the target square was occupied by a prone player or is empty the ball bounces a
second time
5.6. If the result of the throw check was 1 or less after modifiers have been applied the throw
is fumbled.
5.6.1. The ball bounces from the throwers square.
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BETA RULE SECTION (Playtesting and Feedback Needed):
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2.5.2. Tackle: The target is Knocked Down. In addition the blocking player cannot make
any more actions this turn.
2.5.3. Shove: If possible, the target is pushed on square directly away from the blocking
player, who can choose to move into the vacated square. If this would move the
target into an occupied or blocked square, or off the board, the target is Knocked
Down instead.
2.5.3.1. If the target is pushed into a space containing the ball, the blocking player
must decide to move into the vacated square prior to rolling for the
bouncing ball.
2.5.4. Smash: The target is knocked down.
2.5.5. Kerrunch!: The Target is knocked down and suffers a -1 to their armor check roll.
2.6. If the opponent was Knocked Down resolve the following steps in order
2.6.1. The player is placed prone. If already Prone, skip this step.
2.6.2. If they are carrying the ball, the ball bounces.
2.6.3. The player's coach makes an armor check.
2.6.4. If the armor check succeeds nothing further happens, if it fails the player is injured.
2.7. Injured players are immediately removed from the pitch and placed in the dugout.
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- It’s Now or Never (Ready To Go): Change wording to: “Play this card immediately. Each
standing player on your team can make a free 1 square Run or Mark action. Then, each Prone
player on your team can make a free Stand Up action.”
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Team Rosters/Rulesets
Human Team
Position # on Field Move Throw Armor Skill
Lineman 3x 6 4+ 4+
Matt: The change made to the Human catcher was a no brainer for our group- without a move 7 player
the Humans just didn’t have any real threats on the board. The out-of-the-box matchup against the
Orcs just wasn’t super fun because there was no Human dash to balance the Orc bash. This is a
testament to how significant M7 is.
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Orc Team
Position # on Field Move Throw Armor Skill
Lineman 3x 5 4+ 3+
Matt: The Orc team is perhaps the best example of a “perfect” Blitz Bowl roster. The combination of
interesting positional players allows this team to play exactly how you’d expect them to. They are
surprisingly flexible, but they still fall squarely into the bash category.
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Elven Union Team
Position # on Field Move Throw Armor Skill
Lineman 3x 6 3+ 5+
Matt: The Elven Union changes were made back in the Q1 rules doc, and have remained unchanged
since. Much like the Human team, the Elves simply didn’t pose enough of a threat to bash teams. The
Blitzer being a little more durable adds a hint of bash presence, while the Catcher’s armor
improvement allows for a more sustained offensive threat. All in all, the armor adjustments have
smoothed this teams’ variance out a lot- the Elves can compete with the best of em’ now.
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Chaos Team
Position # on Field Move Throw Armor Skill
Matt: The Chaos team was not necessarily the strongest team in the core box (apparently lots of folks
would disagree with that), but they were undoubtedly the least fun to play against. The ability to
generate a free action on almost every turn, and the added frustration of Indomitable (and a 3+ armor
save), meant that Chaos hit hard and could turtle easily. The changes made in previous rules
documents reflect our desire to have dynamic board states. Additionally, the change to the Beastman
Runner was made to reflect their Blood Bowl counterpart’s armor. We thought long and hard about
changing the Beastmen's armor value back to its original 3+, but in the end felt that it was fine. It
definitely trends towards a big nerf, but the team is still very competitive. Additionally, we tried giving
the Chaos Blockers a 2+ save, which once again made them a no-fun team.
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Dwarf Team
Position # on Field Move Throw Armor Skill
Lineman 3x 4 5+ 2+
Matt: The Dwarves are such an odd team- they should be better on the pitch than they are. One player
who can make a free Block action, and incredible armor should mean they can stifle any opposition.
However, their movement values make getting up the field into a decent position a real chore. I have
yet to paint up my Dwarf team, but I plan on really trying to give these guys a go this quarter to see if a
small buff is in order. I doubt it, but boy are they slow...
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Goblin Team
Position # on Field Move Throw Armor Skill
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Skaven Team
Position # on Field Move Throw Armor Skill
Lineman 3x 7 4+ 5+
Matt: The Skaven team is one of the most well rounded in the game. Fast and (somewhat) fragile,
these rats can score early and often. I don’t coach Skaven teams often, but I have played numerous
games against them. They’re always fun and thought provoking. Great team design.
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Dark Elf Team
Position # on Field Move Throw Armor Skill
Lineman 3x 6 3+ 4+
Matt: I am only writing something here because I’ve committed myself to giving every team some
context. The Dark Elves are GREAT. They are apparently really good in the hands of a competent
coach, but I am apparently not one of those. I find the Dark Elves to be finicky and cumbersome, but
the internet says I am wrong (and I probably am). Of course, there is no reason to change rules just
because they don’t correspond to one coaches’ playstyle, so I guess I am stuck scratching my head.
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Halfling Team
Position # on Field Move Throw Armor Skill
Matt: This team is kind of a mess. We’ve complained enough already, but there are a few things that
bear repeating. Namely, this team is just not particularly thematic in its current state. That being said,
the minor change to SLR makes that skill slightly less unsatisfying and thus ups the “fun factor” of the
team considerably. The lack of thematic rules remains, but there’s not much we can about that without
changing everything.
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Undead Team
Position # on Field Move Throw Armor Skill
Skeleton 2x 5 5+ 5+
Zombie 2x 4 6+ 3+
Matt: The Undead team… Yikes. Not much to add here that hasn’t been said on the show, on the
Discord, on BGG, etc. This team needed some help, and felt half-baked when it was released. Giving
the Mummy the Hulking Brute skill makes that player feel like the badass they’re supposed to be.
Additionally, the Wight Blitzer going back to a 3+ (and the Ghoul staying at a 5+) means that there is
some balance between the bash and dash elements of the team. These changes make the team more
narratively fun to play, and increase their power level to a respectable place.
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Wood Elf Team
Position # on Field Move Throw Armor Skill
Lineman 3x 6 3+ 6+
Matt: The Wood Elves are getting cards in BzB Season 2- this is bittersweet. While Jody and I are
happy to see more teams get official rules, there will inevitably be some nostalgia for the good ol’ days
of the SCBBL roster. I think this team is worse on the pitch than their roster might suggest, and I am
quietly advocating for Wood Elf lineman getting M7, but that will inevitably be met by pitchforks and
torches. I’ll be told that my judgement is clouded due to losing in the second round of the playoffs to
the nasty, cheating Goblins. Yeah, because that team is 100% balanced and fine… Totally fair… Geez,
who comes up with these rules.
All that said, this is one team that I am eager to see the Season 2 rules for. While it will be sad to let go
of team rules that have evolved as much as these have, change is inevitable (and often for the better).
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Nurgle Team
Position # on Field Move Throw Armor Skill
Rotter 3x 5 4+ 4+
Lineman
Matt: There isn’t much to say about the Nurgle team in the release. No one played them during the
summer league, so we don’t have tons of data from other players. That being said, this team continues
to be the one Jody and I are most proud of. We feel like it conveys the narrative of a Nurgle team
without being overly “cancelling.” This is the other team I will be kind of sad to see “invalidated” by the
Season 2 box, because I think this might be Jody and I’s best design work thus far.
As an additional note. I know that lots of folks want “official rules” and can’t bring themselves to use
anything written by fans on a random Google Doc. I definitely appreciate that sentiment, and don’t hold
it against anyone. Also, it’s easy to accuse homebrew rules of being “imbalanced” because they were
made by people who aren’t professional game designers. This is a perfectly acceptable argument, and
in many instances there is at least some truth to it. However, this specific document has been through
five releases now, with hundreds of games played to inform its contents. We’ve certainly made
mistakes, but I think it’s important to take into consideration the time, energy, and commitment of those
behind homebrew rulesets when deciding whether to bring them to the table.
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Lizardmen Team
Position # on field Move Throw Armor Skill
Saurus Blocker 3x 5 6+ 3+ Apex Predator: When this player makes a
Block action and the result is a Tackle or
Smash, the opposing player must subtract
1 from the armor check.
Skinks 2x 7 4+ 6+ Small and Shifty: When this player makes a
Run action they may move adjacent to
opposing players but must end their
movement in an open square.
Chameleon 1x 6 4+ 6+ Sneaky Defender: When an opposing
player declares a Throw action, but before
the dice are rolled, this player may make a
free Run action of up to 2 spaces.
Matt: The Lizardmen team is a bit divisive. The M7 Skinks with Small and Shifty can be really
oppressive and run up the score, however after extensive playtesting we are confident there are plenty
ash and dash players
of ways to neutralize that threat. It’s hard to write rules for a team that has both b
on its roster- the Lizardmen have three players at the far end of either side of that spectrum- but this
roster seems to have threaded the needle correctly.
NOTE: The Season 2 rules for the Lizardmen have leaked, they are represented here (credit to
Matt Thrower on BGG):
Lizardmen Team
Position # on field Move Throw Armor Skill
Saurus Blocker 3x 5 6+ 2+ Hulking Brute: All Block actions made by
this player count as having an assist.
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Ogre Team
Position # on field Move Throw Armor Skill
Gnoblars 6 5 5+ 6+ Small and Insignificant: When this player
makes a Run action they may move
adjacent to opposing players but must end
their movement in an open square.
Additionally, players from the opposing
team can move adjacent to this player
during Run actions, but doing so ends their
move.
Ogre 2 5 5+ 2+ Hulking Brute: All Block actions made by
this player count as having an assist. In
addition, subtract 1 from any Armour
checks caused by this player’s blocks.
Matt: Woof, these dudes needed some help- our Q3 team rules were definitely underpowered (I don’t
care what certain 40K Badcast hosts say). Our previous version of the Gnoblar skill was AWFUL. This
is why playtesting is absolutely necessary. After getting feedback from @AvonFoi (and lots folks on the
FB page and Discord) we reworked the Gnoblar skill to make sure it still conveyed the same narrative
(Gnoblars are bad) without completely hamstringing the Ogre player. This feels MUCH better, and
means Gnoblars can actually contribute to the team now!
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Underworld Team (Beta rules- playtesting needed)
Position # on field Move Throw Armor Skill
Skaven 3 7 4+ 5+
Lineman
Goblin Lineman 4 6 4+ 6+ Small and Shifty: When this player makes a
Run action they may move adjacent to
opposing players but must end their
movement in an open square.
Matt: This is a new team in the Q4 rules document, and one that has yet to be tested in the wider
world. However, after playing a couple games with this roster, the team actually feels fun. It likely
needs some changes (and some coaches will inevitably want to use Skaven positional players of
course), but in its current form it is certainly playable.
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Black Orc Team (Beta rules- playtesting needed)
Position # on field Move Throw Armor Skill
Black Orc 3 4 5+ 2+ Hulking Brute: All Block actions made by
this player count as assisted.
Goblin Bruiser 4 5 4+ 5+ Small and Shifty: When this player makes a
Run action they may move adjacent to
opposing players but must end their
movement in an open square.
Matt: I included this in our rules document to showcase a team design that I think threads a particularly
difficult needle. Here are @revengespc’s design notes:
The Goblins were easy enough, trading movement for armour. The Black Orcs on the team get
downgraded from Blockers to Linemen—I imagine that the regular Orc team scouts out the largest
Black Orcs for that positional, leaving the (relatively) smaller rookies to form their own team.
Alternatively, I considered replacing “Hulking” with “Brute: Subtract 1 from any Armour checks caused
by this player’s blocks.”
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Necromantic Horror Team (Beta rules- playtesting needed)
Position # on field Move Throw Armor Skill
Zombie 4 6 6+ 3+
Lineman
Ghoul Runner 1 7 4+ 5+ Flesh-Hungry Horror: When this player
makes a mark action, they may move up to
3 spaces instead of 2.
Wraith 1 6 5+ - This player cannot make (or assist) Block
actions or be the target of Block actions.
Matt: This team doesn’t have plastic models yet, and thus hasn’t been tested at all. At this point it’s
purely based on some interesting and fun ideas Jody and I had after the team was previewed. That
being said, this team’s models are so awesome that they MUST have Blitz Bowl team rules. More to
come!
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During the next 12 weeks your teams will be squaring off on the pitch; competing for glory and a
chance to play in the big leagues.
Blitz Bowl is a proving ground. Every season, new players take to the field to test their mettle against
other would-be pros. Your players need to be tested if they want to play in the professional leagues;
they are expendable and you are encouraged to put them in harm's way!
As the coach of these would-be all stars, you will become more experienced as the season wears on.
Each game you play will gain you some amount of XP, depending on whether you won or lost, and
how many points you scored. As you progress in the season, you and your opponents will become
better coaches and unlock new ways to make your team play better, faster, and stronger!
The fundamentals of Blitz Bowl remain the same- score challenge cards and touchdowns, crush your
opponents, bask in the glory of victory.
Season Information:
● Season Schedule: 12 week season, 1 game per week
● Coaches start the season with 0 XP
● Playoffs:
○ Single-elimination
○ Double Experience
○ If a team has a first found bye they will be given 6XP due to missing an entire game.
○ Playoff Tiebreaker: Challenge cards that were in the lineup before the game ended are
discarded. Challenge cards in a coaches hand kept. The first coach to score a touchdown
is the winner of the game.
Table of Contents:
1. Pre-Game/Post-Game Sequence
2. Coaching Titles and Abilities
3. Starting Bonus Plays and Blue Chip Rookies
4. Lineman Upgrades
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Pre-Game/Post-Game Sequence
Each league game of Blitz Bowl follows these steps:
4) Postgame:
a) Report score to league commissioner!
b) Creative postgame write-ups are encouraged!
c) XP will be updated in the League Table.
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Abilities are selected before each match, and information about your abilities should be public. We
recommend printing the Coaching Bonus Plays sheets at the end of this document and having those
on the table during the match.
Green 0 No Bonus
Veteran 11-20 Choose 1 Starting Bonus Play from the Veteran column
(according to your chosen style).
Star 46-70 Start the game with one Blue Chip Rookie.
Hall of Fame 71+ Choose 1 Starting Bonus Play from the Hall of Fame
column (according to your chosen style).
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Starting Bonus Plays: Depending on your chosen Coaching Style and your current Title
(Experienced, Veteran, Hall of Fame) you may be able to choose one or more Starting Bonus Plays.
These are single use effects that are meant to showcase your talents as a coach. You can use any
method you like to record which Starting Bonus Plays you selected for each match, as long as that
information is clear and freely available to your opponent.
Players choose their Starting Bonus Play(s) according to Step 2 of the Pre-game sequence above.
Blue Chip Rookies: This ability represents a coach’s ability to recruit the best possible rookies to play
in exhibition matches. Select one player to give the listed benefit to. That player has the listed ability
upgrade until that specific player is removed from the pitch due to injury or TD. Blue Chip Rookies for
Dirty Coaches have a re-roll they may use on one their own single Block or Throw check, but may only
use that ability once.
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Coaching Abilities: Experienced
Accurate Throw: After selecting a target square for a Throw action, but before dice are
rolled, ignore all negative modifiers for this Throw action. Additionally, if a natural roll of
1 occurs, the ball bounces from the target square. OFF
Defensive Play: Play this card in front of you at the start of your turn. While it is there,
all blocks made by your players count as being assisted. Discard this card when any of
your players move at least 1 square closer to the opponent's end zone. DEF
Dirty Play: Play this card at the start of your turn. While it is there when any block is
made by one of your players, roll a D6 along with the block dice. On a 6 the targeted
player is immediately injured. Discard this card if a Touchdown is scored, or an Injury is
caused. DIR
Hard Head: Play this card after failing an armor check for one of your players. That
player passes their armor check. DEF
Jump Up: Play this card at the beginning of your turn to make a free Stand Up action OFF, DEF,
with one of your players. DIR
OFF, DEF,
Reserves: Play this card at the start of your turn to make a free reserve action. DIR
Rigged Trap Door: Play this when a new ball enters play. Select the trapdoor the ball
will launch from (if applicable) and which scatter space it will land in. DIR
Throwing Play: Play this card in front of you at the start of your turn. While it is there,
add one to the result of any Throw checks made for your players. Discard this card
when any of your players makes a Block action, or your team scores a touchdown. OFF
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Coaching Abilities: Veteran
Blitz: If a player makes a Mark action and they have already made a Run action this
turn, they can immediately make a free Block action. DEF, DIR
Distraction: When an opposing player completes a Mark action during their turn one
player on your team that they are now marking can immediately make a free Sidestep
action. OFF, DIR
Dump Off: Play this card when one of your players, who controls the ball, is Knocked
Down or Injured. Instead of scattering the ball from that player’s square, make a free
(short) Throw Action. OFF, DEF
Foul: As an action on your turn. Immediately injure a Prone player who is adjacent to
one of your Open players. DEF, DIR
Interference: Play this card when one of your players makes a Mark action. They can
move up to 4 squares instead of 2. DEF
Intervention: After an opponent completes a Run action. You can immediately make a
free Mark action with one of your Open players, as long as they move adjacent to the
opponent that just made the Run action. OFF, DIR
New Ball: Play this card at the start of your turn to immediately bring a second ball into
play following the rules for No Ball in Play and Multiple Balls. OFF, DIR
Safe Hands: Play this card when a player who is carrying the ball is Knocked Down. If
this player is Knocked Down while holding the ball, you can choose which adjacent
square the ball bounces into instead of rolling the B8. OFF
Wrestle: Play this card after one of your players is Knocked Down due to a Tackle
result, but before the armor check is made. The player who made the Block roll is also
Knocked Down.Then your player makes their armor check. DEF
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Coaching Abilities: Hall of Fame
Blocking Play: Play this card in front of you at the start of your turn. While it is there
players from your team can move adjacent to opponents during Run actions, but doing
so ends their move. Discard this card when any of your players make a Throw or
Sidestep action, your team scores a touchdown, or you injure an opposing player. DEF
Dodge: Play this card when one of your players makes a Run action. For this action only
they may move adjacent to opponents as long as they do not end their move adjacent to OFF, DEF,
any of them. DIR
Enfeebling Play: Play this card at the start of your turn. While it is there all your
opponent must subtract and additional 1 from any Armor checks they make for their
players. Discard this card if you score a touchdown, make a Throw action, or injure an
opposing player. DIR
Running Play: Play this card in front of you at the start of your turn. While it is there, if
three different players on your team make Run actions toward your opponent's end zone
on a single turn, you may make a Free Run action with a player that has not already
made a Run action this turn. Discard this card when you score a touchdown or make a
Block action. OFF
Sprint: Play this card when one of your players makes a Run action. For this action only, OFF, DEF,
they can move 2 extra squares. DIR
Step Aside: Play this card when one of your players is chosen as the target of a Block
action. The target can immediately make a free Sidestep action. The block action is OFF, DEF,
cancelled. DIR
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Lineman Upgrades
During the course of a season coaches will improve and be able to get more out of their players. Once
a coach receives the “Master” title, or Week 8 of the season begins, the Lineman (or equivalent)
on a coaches’ team gain a skill according to which faction they belong to:
Faction Lineman Skill Description
Humans Helping Hand When a Human player makes a Block action, and a
Human lineman is assisting, the Blocking player
may reroll the Block roll.
Orcs Get Em’ When an Orc lineman makes an assisted block they
treat Smash results as Kerrunch’s.
Dwarves Full Court Press When this player completes a Run action, if they
were adjacent to a friendly Dwarf Lineman at the
start of that Run action, that Lineman (that they
were adjacent to) may make a Free Run action.
Chaos Crushing Headbutt Add the following to the Headbutt Skill: If this
free Block action results in Kerrunch! result, resolve
a Shove result in addition to the Kerrunch! (FAQ: If
the Shove would result in the opposing player being
Knocked Down, the additional -1 is still applied from
the Kerrrunch!)
Skaven Sneaky Stabbers When this player makes a block and is assisted roll
a D6 along with the block dice. On a 6 the targeted
player is immediately injured.
Goblins Greased Ball When this player drops the ball, the Goblin coach
may choose to roll scatter a second time after
seeing the first scatter result.
Elven Union Elven Grace When this player makes an armor check, they may
reroll their armor check.
Dark Elves Move in the Shadows Dark Elf Lineman may make Sidestep actions that
do not result in them being Open.
Halflings Quantity and Quality When making a reserve action, this player may be
(Hopefuls) placed in an open square within one space of their
endzone. If there are no opposing players on your
side of the field, this player may be placed within
two spaces of the endzone.
Undead Regeneration At the beginning of your turn, this player may make
(Zombies and a free Stand Up action.
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Skeletons)
Wood Elves Run Like the Wind When this player makes a Run action, if they are
standing within seven spaces of the opponent's end
zone, their Move stat is increased to 7.
Ogres Hucking Brute (Ogres) Add the following to the Hulking Brute ability to
read: This player may make a special Throw action
targeting an unoccupied square when a Gnoblar is
adjacent to them. If successful, place the adjacent
Gnoblar player (and the ball if the Gnoblar had it) in
the target space. If the throw check is not
successful, the Gnoblar is placed Prone in the target
square. If the result is a fumble, the Gnoblar is
placed in the Dugout.
Credits:
Thank you to everyone on The Crush! Discord channel who helped with this version of the rules
document. Your feedback and editing were invaluable!
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Weather Expansion
NOTE: In order to use the Weather Expansion you will need to physically mark 6-8 of your cards
(depending on how frequently you want the weather to change) with a sticker or marker.
Setup:
1. After rolling off to determine the start player and board side, one coach rolls a D8. Use the result
to determine the weather conditions at the start of the match:
1-2 7 Rainy At the end of any Run action, roll a D6. On a 5+ the
player that just completed the Run action moves an
extra square forward in the direction they were
moving (if they would run into an occupied or
blocked square they are placed prone).
2. Pleace the Weather Token (use any token you’d like) on the appropriate space on the score
tracker.
3. Flip all the cards face down, except for the card that depicts the current (or initial) weather
condition.
Change of Weather:
1. After a coach’s turn is over (and the Challenge Cards have been rotated), look at the top card of
the Challenge Deck.
2. If there is a weather symbol on that card, the weather will change. One player rolls a D8 and
changes the weather according to the results:
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Weather Table
Score Weather Name Description
Track #
9 (Colder) Blizzard! All players must reduce their Movement and Throw values by 1.
Additionally, only short passes may be attempted.
8 Ice Cold After a ball handler makes a Run action, roll a D6. On a 1 they
Fumble the ball in the space they ended their movement in.
7 Rainy At the end of any Run action, roll a D6. On a 5+ the player that just
completed the Run action moves an extra square forward in the
direction they were moving (if they would run into an occupied or
blocked square they are placed prone).
3 Sunny Heavily armored players find it hard to move around the pitch. Any
players with an armor value of 3+ or 2+ must reduce their Move
value by 1.
2 Heatwave Any Players that make Reserve actions cannot make any further
actions on that turn. Additionally, all players' move values are
reduced by 1.
1 A Real All players’ Move, Throw, and Armor values are reduced by 1.
(Hotter) Scorcher! Additionally, at the end of your turn, roll a D6 for each of your
players that made two or more actions, on a 1 they suffer heat
stroke and are placed in the dugout.
Note: “Reduce” in the rules above means to worsen. Reduce by 1 would make a 2+ Throw into a
3+.
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The Q4 Rules Document is representative of our first real playtesting outside of our local player group.
We got lots of data and feedback from players who participated in our Tabletop Simulator summer
league- the Beginner’s Blitz Bowl Brawl Bonanza (sponsored by the Blitz Bowl Ball Company). This
was so important to the genesis of this document, because it gave us a better sense of what players
think is fun about Blitz Bowl.
Additionally, Jody and I realized that we were starting to move too far away from the core game’s rules,
and our changes were becoming a bit too far reaching. As such, we took a hard look at everything
we’ve changed, and tried to revert as much as possible to its original form (e.g. Break Some Bones).
Topline Takeaways/Changes:
1. Optional first/second turn (and board side) selection during game setup.
2. Coaches can no longer claim challenge cards during their opponents turn.
3. Shadow and Intervention can now deny touchdowns.
4. The Foul rule has been removed entirely (Note: beta rules added for Block actions).
5. Break Some Bones is worth 3pts.
6. Many cards were reintroduced to the Endgame Deck to increase variability and big plays.
7. Undead Team changes; Mummy skill changed the Hulking Brute, Wight Blitzer armor reverted
to a 3+.
8. Ogre Team rules changes; Gnoblar skill changed to “Small and Insignificant.”
9. Underworld and Black Orc team beta rules added.
10. Added the Weather Expansion and League Campaign Rules to the “Full” rules doc.
11. Lots of changes were made to the League Campaign Rules based on player feedback.
First, the small change to game setup balances the advantages/disadvantages of the different board
sides with the marginal advantage of having the first game turn. Additionally, it gives coaches a bit
more choice and agency.
Not allowing coaches to score cards on their opponents’ turn solved some timing issues and weird
interactions we’ve discovered. The core rulebook is vague, but it does seem to suggest that only the
active coach can score cards (pg 11).
The Foul action created a major problem that we didn’t fully understand or foresee; the players who
would ideally get fouled (eg Black Orc Blocker), don’t. The most elegant and/or simple versions of the
Foul action were either too powerful, or benefited teams/players with good armor saves. This means
you were incentivized to use the Foul action on squishy targets who previously passed an already poor
armor save. Doing so seemed to violate one of our core design tenets; a coach passes a difficult D6
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armor check (which is fun), and then the Foul action punishes them (not fun). We are going to start the
process of reevaluating how to interact with Prone players.
Changing the points value of Break Some Bones, from 3pts to 2pts, was one of the first changes we
made to Blitz Bowl when we first started playing the game regularly in 2018. Since then, we’ve just
assumed this change was a good one. However, Break Some Bones can safely be reverted to its
original point value (3pts) because we’ve tweaked lots of other teams/rules. This is definitely a buff to
teams with great armor saves, but there are enough mitigating factors in our other rules changes that
we feel it's okay. Additionally, we always want to try and make the least changes possible to the core
rules/cards.
The Endgame Deck was always meant to give players a way to score big points and create cinematic
comebacks. Adding the majority of cards back into the deck is a good way to make sure this is still the
case. While Jody and I still don’t like Bonus Play cards like Out of Nowhere, t hey do change the
endgame considerably. We will be watching and listening for problems that arise from these new
additions, but we think they will make the endgame much more compelling.
We made some pretty substantial changes to two teams: the Undead and Ogres. The Undead got a
buff, because in their Q3 form the team was just... bad. We really tried to keep them as vanilla as
possible, but ultimately the Mummy was a big nothing burger, and the Blitzer needed better armor. The
Ogre Team also desperately needed a buff because the Gnoblar skill was terrible. The new skill means
that opposing players can’t just run by the little buggers, but Gnoblars are still easy to punt off the field.
Two new teams were added due to GW’s announcements- the Snotlings and Underworld teams. We
decided to release these as beta rules because we haven’t had the opportunity to playtest them. We
can’t even get our grubby mitts on the Snotling box yet! As always, feedback is appreciated!
This rules document has grown quite large, and is likely unwieldy for most players. As such, we’ve
made a condensed version (which can also be found on BGG or our Discord channel) that contains
only the most important information. Because of this, we will include the Weather Expansion and
League Campaign rules in this document from now on.
Finally, another HUGE shout-out to our Summer League players (listed below)- they were a
tremendous help in making this document more representative of the greater Blitz Bowl community.
Their feedback was invaluable, and helped us understand what players outside of our small group
want out of the game.
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Beginner’s Blitz Bowl Brawl Bonanza - Summer League Players:
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Q4 Change Log
Endgame Deck The following cards were added back into the
endgame challenge card pool:
- It’s Now or Never! (Ready to Go)
- It’s Now or Never! (Out of Nowhere)
- Level the Field! (Game Faces On)
It’s Now or Never! (Ready to Go): Change the
wording on the back to ““Play this card
immediately. Each standing player on your team
can make a free 1 space Run or Mark action.
Then, each Prone player on your team can make
a free Stand Up action.”
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