Bernie “Bumbles” Brightsky grew up on a small farm, surrounded by animals that he cared for deeply.
Excelsis Blitz Bowl
Excelsis was founded after the end of the Realmgate Wars, around the Spear of Mallus a fragment of the World-That-Was. This stone allowed to see the future and help make the city rich and relevant. The Spear of Mallus grew to be so important that the currency of Excelsis, Glimmerings, would be made solely from fragments of this stone. Said fragments would allow their owners to see, if for a while, the future, hence why Excelsis is described as being rich in prophecy. In more than thirty years, Excelsis’ borders were expanded and its population doubled until there was no space left for housing. Excelsis’s craftsmen decided to keep building anyway, making the city a labyrinthine network of alleyways called Veins.
It’s citizens from these Veins that now primarily make up the hopeful teams vying for recognition from a handful of coaches seeking glory and riches in the Blood Bowl scene.
Following the Seige of Excelsis – the city spent a lot of its efforts in rebuilding the city, resulting in a break from Blood Bowl. Now that the city has been rebuilt to some degree, the glorious game is back!
A note from the GM
This Blitz Bowl League is built primarily from those developed by Ashley Hall and Alex Coombe. The league focuses on the coaches in Excelsis that are hoping to lead the team that represents the city, through any means necessary! There have been alterations made, primarily with noun usage to bring it solidly into the Age of Sigmar
The original ruleset can be found here:
If you’d like to set up your own Blitz Bowl or Blood Bowl League within the Age of Sigmar and The Great Weave, feel free to get in touch (either on Discord or in the form below) and I’ll set you up!
The Crush
For most players, their career begins in ‘The Crush’, a regular ritual during which the owners of the Blood Bowl teams select would-be players for the coming season. The prospective players gather outside bespoke arenas made for the testing of would-be players. Each of these arenas has but a single door, and when it opens to the sound of a whistle, the players surge forward in a mighty tide. Only the fastest, toughest or most brutal make it through the portal into the temple beyond.
Once inside, the supplicants find themselves on a special pitch sunk into the ground, in many respects resembling a gladiatorial pit. The owners and staff of those teams seeking new players gaze down in judgment from terraces high above. Some sponsors also send representatives to the Crush, hoping to identify next season’s talent.
The players are thrown the kit of the team they wish to try out for and divided into teams of six. What ensues is a mixture of Blood Bowl, gladiatorial combat and brutal violence in the name of the gods. Each player does their utmost to show off their skills, strength, toughness, speed and sheer bloodthirstiness and, in so doing, impress one of the owners and earn themselves a spot on a team. Those watching from the stands will call down challenges for the aspiring players to undertake. A player who can meet the audience’s demands will earn the acclaim of the Crush’s commentary team, and is sure to catch the eye of one of the waiting owners.
Few come out of the Crush with any glory – if they come out at all – but those who do are blessed, strong, fast, or lucky enough are fated to become the next generation of Blood Bowl stars.
Coaches
Due to the near constant need for new players, the Blood Bowl scene in Excelsis (and other places) has expanded beyond the Blood Bowl arenas and The Crush to include a sort of “minor league” – regular games of Blitz Bowl that allows for prospective players to test their metal.
It also allows rising Coaches the chance to make a name for themselves by raising their reputation amongst players, other coaches and – more importantly – sponsors.
These Leagues play an important part in weeding out the weakest of players (even before they would seek to enter The Crush), allow for plenty of entertainment for city-folk, and plenty of oppurtunities for making money!
Nuffle
It has been noted by members of the Order of Azyr that the worship of the god Nuffle is on the rise. Although there are many writings about the god, Nuffle, including original sacred texts, little is known about the god Itself. Like many other gods, specifically the Chaos gods, Nuffle has a sacred number: 11. It is unknown if this number is coincidental to how many players from a team are allowed on a pitch at one time.
Worship of Nuffle is being hotly debated within the confines of the Order of Azyr. As such, worshippers will often keep their faith relatively hidden… unless of course they’re drunk screaming their lungs out next to the pitch!
Blitz Bowl League: Excelsis
General League Info
So you are thinking of coaching one of the teams in the big leagues. Well, from now on the commissioners and league scouts will be keeping an eye on you… as well as the players. Every team and player wants to make it big so give it your all and don’t fluff it up! As your reputation as a coach grows so will the respect of the players.
At the end of the season the coach with the highest reputation is the best coach in the league!
Well-known coaches in the city
Kurnal Smouldertree
Kurnal Smouldertree is a retired Sylvaneth warrior and veteran of battles in the Realm of Aqshy.
Sow “The Shadow” Om
Sow “The Shadow” Om is a average Blitz Bow player turned coach, known for his speed, agility, and mastery of stealth and deception.
Crystalis Runestar
Crystalis rose to prominence within the Excelsis scene after successfully punching a local mob boss through a wall, and straight into the end-zone of a hidden blitz bowl game happening in the street adjacent to the pub they were drinking in.
Bloodspilla Spikeybowl
Bloodsplilla may well be one of the cunnin’nest orruks you’ve ever met. Able to count all the way to 16 he quickly rose to become the de-facto coach of the local orruk team(s). It was about then that he gave himself a last name in honour of his excellence, and has...
Brokk Madden
Brokk is a fresh new face on the Blitz Bowl scene, seeking not only wealth, but glory for his his skyport Barak Nar.
Halverk Elderstrike
Halverk Elderstrike is a Kharadron Overlord Admiral. He was involved in the taking of Durkol. At the end of his adventures in rescuing is little friend, Borgut was informed that Elderstrike actually saved Durkol, repairing him, and saving his life. Elderstrike removed...
Coach Advancement
In the Blitz Bowl League rules you, the coach, will have the chance to prove your metal by taking the teams you coach to victory. Coaching teams in Blitz Bowl matches will see your reputation grow in the eyes of the players.
For each game of Blitz Bowl that you play you will be awarded reputation points and as this tally of points grows the players will respect (or fear) you more, giving more of themselves to the game. This is represented by tokens which you can expend in-game for added advantages, usually in the form of rerolls to players actions.
Every game you play your reputation grows as follows.
- Sudden death victory: 7 points
- Win: 5 points
- Draw: 3 points
- Loss: 1 point
Tally up your total points. At the beginning of each game, randomly select one gold token for each of the following thresholds your reputation total hits: 6, 16, 31, 51, 76, 106.
For example, if you have 18 reputation points you would pick 2 tokens, if you had 59 points you would pick 4 tokens etc.
The gold tokens are mostly made up of rerolls that can be used to reroll any dice you roll in the game (you still cannot reroll a reroll). Other tokens give you a 4th activation on the turn you expend them.
However sometimes you will be up against a more seasoned coach, one that has played more games or has had more luck on the field. When this happens you will feel inspired to give even more. As such your extra motivation is represented by randomly selecting silver tokens bringing your total token count up to that of the opposition coach.
At the beginning of the match after both players have drawn their gold tokens, if one coach has a lower reputation coach (and as such has fewer gold tokens), they randomly select silver tokens until their token total matches that of the other coach.
For example, if coach ‘A’ has 3 gold tokens and coach ‘B’ has 1 gold token then coach ‘B’ would select 2 silver tokens so that they also have 3 tokens in total.
A silver token provides a boost but not one quite as good or flexible as a gold token. Things like free reserves, rerolls to specific actions etc.
Use these tokens wisely in your games!
Coaching Multiple Teams
As a coach wanting to make it to the big leagues you are going to want to make the effort to know all of the team races as well as your own. Coaching teams in the Blitz Bowl League can help you with that!
When coaching games of Blitz Bowl there is definitely benefit to lending your reputation to different teams. You never know, you might be picked to coach a completely different team than you really want so best have that reputation carried to all the various races and styles.
In games of Blitz Bowl League you can get a boost to your reputation by coaching different teams in the League. Each time you coach a team of a different race make a note that you have done so.
Once you have coached every race/team in the league ‘pool’ (all available team races to your league) – at least once – you get a reputation bonus to your total equal to the number of different races/teams in the league!
Example: Your ‘league pool’ has four different team races available to the coaches – Humans, Orruks, Skaven and Chaos. Every time you coach one of these teams in the pool make a note on your coach roster. Once you have coached each of these teams in the league pool once you would get a bonus 4 reputation points. If you coach each of these teams twice you would get another bonus 4 points and so on.
A worthwhile bonus and one that should encourage you to play using the various teams in the league.
Custom Rules
Player Injuries can Harm your Rep!
Typically in games of Blitz Bowl a player in the team you are coaching getting taken off the field after a devastation tackle does not really matter, there is always another player ready to jump into the reserves box to take their place. But since this is the Blitz Bowl Leagues a player getting injured under your guidance can potentially hurt your reputation. To show this, every time a player is taken off the field roll a D8 and consult the following table:
- 1: Dead! Coach rep goes down 2 rep points.
- 2-7: Slightly Concussed. No additional penalty.
- 8: Bounce Back! Get a free reserves action for your next turn as the player makes it back to the field!
The Dead! result only applies once per coach per game maximum.
Blitz Bowl Atmosphere
The Blitz Bowl Field is not always constant. The fans, players and coaches themselves can get riled up! Every time a touchdown is scored each player rolls 2D6, adds the scores together and consults the following table:
- 2: Recruited! The scoring player miniature is removed from the game and the coach earns 3 reputation!
- 3: Coach is amped up. Whichever player rolled higher randomly selects a silver token.
- 4: The fans are mad and are throwing things making it hard for the coaches voice to be heard. Each coach loses a token of their choice.
- 5-9: Everything is cool. No effect.
- 10: Crowd rush. The crowd invades the pitch, as they are ushered (beaten) off the players resume their position but take advantage of the confusion. Each non-marked player can move one square, this move can not be used to mark a player.
- 11: Coach is amped up. Whichever player rolled higher randomly selects a silver token.
- 12: Get off me, I want to score more! The scoring player miniature is immediately returned to the players end zone.
Not all Blitz Bowl Balls are Equal!
Unlike the Big Leagues the Blitz Bowl League does not have staff that is, to be quite frank, ’professional’ especially when it comes to the ball handlers. Not a care in the world is given when it comes to the ball handlers that are working down in the ball pits and as such you can never be quite sure what type of ball will make its way out of the trap door after every touchdown.
After each touchdown each player rolls 2D6. Add the scores together and consult the following table.
- 2: The opponent who just scored chooses the next ball to enter play.
- 3-4: A random ‘special’ ball enters play.
- 5-9: Regular Blitz Bowl Ball.
- 10-11: A random ‘special’ ball enters play.
- 12: The player who was just scored against chooses the next ball.
If a random special ball is rolled, roll a D8 and consult the following. If it is players choice just pick one of the following from the chart to see what effect it has on the game.
1) Duardin Stone Ball: This very solid and heavy stone ball gives -1 to all movement. This does not affect dwarf players.
2) Orruk Ball: The spikes on this ball are quite brutal and any blocks against the ball carrier are always done with two block dice. This can not be increased with any player skills or assists.
3) Chaos Ball: This screaming skull ball is horrendous and the gnashing jaws make it quite unbalanced. Gives -1 to all passing actions.
4) Corsair Ball: The lashing tail and tentacles of this ball latches onto the player who picks up the ball. When a player picks the ball up off the ground they must immediately stop their movement as they disentangle themselves from the tail/tentacles.
5) Skaven Ball: The slightly mutating properties of this ball make it really hard to operate on the field. While this ball is in play no rerolls or other tokens can be used.
6) Human Ball: A well balanced ball. When the ball scatters or bounces for any reason the player can choose to reroll the scatter D8.
7) Aelf Ball: Light and aerodynamic this ball treats long passes as short passes.
8) Grot Ball: This Bomb Ball might explode. Being quite volatile any time this ball hits the ground (except when it is scattered through the trap door) roll a D6. If the roll is a ‘1’ the ball explodes, is removed and anyone adjacent to it is placed prone and everyone adjacent must make an armour roll.
Resources
With these additions, the game does require a little housekeeping. Available is a handy roster sheet to make everything tidy and easy to access (the Excelsis League Roster, specifically, is found above). You’ll also find the tokens required in STL format for 3D printing. The Campaign Rules PDF is also very good, as we’ve edited the reference sheet to include the things that are often looked at when playing in a League.
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