Introduction
HI everyone, I am Necross.san Some of you may have seen me around this forum for the past few years now. I've over 700 games (in various formats including BBCE, Tabletop and FUMBBL) under my belt and have been looking for a way to contribute to the community over all. And seeing as I'm something of a glutton for punishment, I figured I would do my second most played race. The most controversial team in the game; a team everyone has an opinion on and even discussing what power tier they are on can spark large debates! This is also an updated version of my previous guide as we are now in a new edition of Blood bowl, the changes that are worth mentioning as well as a full break down of their large stable of Star Player options.
Ladies, Gentleman, and Genderless Mushrooms: Let me drunkenly ramble about Humans!
Why Play Humans? Pros And Cons
Classic Humans are the great All Rounders of Blood bowl and form the baseline all other teams are judged. Famous for being a big ball of meh, with no real strengths but having no real weaknesses either. Humans do have more starting skills then just about any other team, and can do just about everything. No other team is as versatile out of the box. This means that there is no hard meta for Humans; there is no "correct" playstyle or build. This is why even smarter coaches then me have a hard time even establishing what tier they are. Humans more then any beginner team test the abillities of the coach to know when and how they should switch gears from a slow grindy bash game, to an aggressive running and passing game. Every turn is a new puzzle to figure out and the Human coach needs to figure out how to solve it.
The thing to note about Humans is they will never be as good at anything as a team that is racialy inclined to a specialization. Skaven will always be faster, Elves will always be better with the ball, Humans are not as robust as Dwarves, and Chaos kills everyone better. This forces the Human coach to learn his opponents roster and form a strong counter plan before the game even begins. The most basic strategies are just pressing the weaknesses of the opposing team: focus on fighting on low armor teams, and focus on the ball and leveraging your speed against slow and/or high strength bash teams. I will go into more detail later, but for now let me just say, Humans are typically in the starter set and are the focus of the tutorial story mode for a reason: They are all about mastery of the fundamentals of Blood Bowl and reward that understanding to sometimes surprising effect. Humans can even change strategies mid drive (and in some cases even mid turn if Nuffle favors you, or if you spot a weakness to exploit,) more easily then any other team. Think of them as toolbox full of hand tools your father gives you when you move into your first apartment; not quite as good as power tools but with a little grit and elbow grease you can do what ever you need to do with them.
Humans do have one minor stat advantage in the speed department, being able to field up to four MV 7 and four MV 8 players at once. This makes them one of the faster teams in the game, matching (and sometimes surpassing) elves in this respect. However they are, with the exception of the Ogre, universally AG 3, and thus can't truly rely on evasion and speed like elves can. In fact most detractors of the Human team often dismiss them saying "everything Humans can do, Elves can do better," but Humans have three advantages over elf teams. They are cheaper, have up to five players with primary strength skill access, multiple one turn touchdown options, and one of the most reliable big guys in the game in the Ogre. This means that they are better bashers, injure more opposing players, can foul more frequently, pass just as well, and replace players more easily then any elf team can. Humans however do not bash as well as hard bash teams lacking high strength players, having only medium armor (AV 8 on most players,) and catchers and flings having only ST 2
This middle of the road philosophy that Human teams have is a double edged sword. At low TV Humans are extremely powerful in the hands of a seasoned coach, but novices who don't know how to read the board yet may not be able to seize on errors as efficiently. Humans do get a lot of free skill rerolls, which makes them forgiving, but in classic Blood Bowl wisdom "More dice is More Risk"
Also as TV goes up Humans have a much trickier time. Once opposing teams break the 1300 TV mark they are developing in one of two ways: covering weaknesses or doubling down on strengths. At 1500 TV they will be doing both. This natural evolution of the competition weakens what few advantages Humans have. What is worse is if Humans specialize too much in one direction, you may find that you built your team into a corner. This is a weakness no one really talks about and no other team runs this risk as strongly as Humans. This is were game literacy comes in, as everyone else has a default strategy or gimmick of sorts to fall back on but only gimmick Humans have is: be ok, thus you must be on the ball when it comes to watching the competition so you can tool your team to counter everything. Fail to do so and paint yourself into a corner with your skill choices (Such as going hard bash in a league dominated by developed Dwarves, Norse, and Orcs;) you're in for a rough season. Unfortunately only experience will give you the literacy to make the most of any situation, but once you gain that level of literacy you will be a force to be feared and respected by all.
Another weakness Humans have is they rely heavily on skills and not stats. This means losing high level players hurts more for Humans. While you can buy back a rookie easily enough; they are going to be MUCH weaker then the star they will be replacing and may be a minor liability on high TV teams. Also the lack of high stats makes them peak somewhat early; gaining fewer returns with each promotion. Humans do have deep positional wells with four Blitzers and Catchers, so you can have a replacement ready on your bench easy enough; but keeping 100+k of TV on the bench for a rainy day can be seen as wasteful and developing a "B Team" will take a while.
The 2020 rule set (aka Second Season edition) used in BB3 did have some interesting changes for Human teams, and over all it is safe to say Humans have gotten a bit of a buff over all. The first major change is that Halflings have been added to the roster. This alone will give you a few new options on the pitch such with Thrown Teammate Touchdowns being something you can do without the need for a star player, as well as having a ready supply of ammo for cage cracking. (Fling Lives Don't Matter!) The other change is in the passing department, and humans are now considered one of best passing teams as well.
The Roster- Blitzers
Note: No Human player can gain Mutations, Seconary skills are in Italics, and skill suggestions are listed in no particuar order
MV 7 ST 3 AG 3+ PA 4+ AV 9+
Cost: 85k
Hire limit: 4
Skills: Block
Primary Skill Access: General and Strength
Skill Restrictions: Mutations
Suggested Skills: Guard, Tackle, Mighty Blow, Dauntless, Stand Firm, Grab, Frenzy, Strip Ball, Dodge Jump up, Diving Tackle, Side Step
Blitzers are the backbone on the Human team and are you most expensive players outside of the Ogre. You will want all four of them from the start, no matter your team strategy or build idea. Don't argue with me, just buy them! Their speed and hitting potential are too good to skip on. Blitzers will fall under three general roles:
Support where they help other team mates assists and help to control the pitch (Guard, Stand Firm, Tackle, Diving Tackle)
Ball Hawk where they try to get to the player with the ball and knock it loose directly or just tying them down, (Strip Ball, Tackle, Diving Tackle).
And finally Killer who specializes in removing players (Mighty Blow, Tackle, Frenzy.)
I find having two Support and two Killer/Ball Hawk are a good balanced mix. Saving for Dodge early may be wise in longer running competitions as Block and Dodge is just too powerful a combo to not considering taking. Guard works well on any role of Blitzer as Humans need as much Guard as possible to counter Bash heavy teams. However when you should take it depends on what you are going to be up against, vs what you already have. If you have two Guard Blitzers already then it may be a good Idea to focus on a ball hawk or killer skills blitzer first unless you are in a bash heavy league.
When leveling, stick to chosen skills until your third level with these guys, then go random skill ups. Stat ups take too long generally and cost too much, but should you roll +AG; that is more then worth the 40k boost in cost.
The Roster- Catchers
MV 8 ST 2 AG 3+ PA 5+ AV 8+
Cost: 65k
Hire Limit: 4
Skills: Dodge and Catch
Primary Skill Access: General and Agility
Skill Restrictions: Mutations
Suggested Skills: Block, Wrestle, Fend, Diving Catch, Sprint, Sure Feet, Side Step, Leap, Jump Up, Sneaky Git, Diving Tackle, Tackle, Dauntless, Strip Ball, Sure Hands, Shadowing, Dirty Player, On the Ball, Guard, Nerves of Steel
Catchers are the first of the debated positionals on the human team. "Why pay extra for someone who is weaker then a Lineman and is basically an over grown and overpriced goblin?" they argue. But don't let the "Blood Bowl is Bash" camp fool you, Catchers are one of the most versatile players you have, and are often criminally under rated! Hell, they are almost the same cost as a Skink and have the same stat line with the exception of having a little worse passing and trading stunty for catch, and not many will say skinks suck! However being only ST 2 means these guys will not last long in the middle of a large scrum. That said they can make decent Ball Hawks and Cage Divers once they have Block, Dauntless, and Leap.
Is that too aggressive for you? Focus on Support then! They are excellent support pieces with their easy access to Block and/or Wrestle and their high speed lets them get where they need to be. Just be sure to give them Side Step, Defensive, Diving Tackle, Shadowing and if possible Guard. On the Ball isn't bad choice here, as the catch skill allows two attempts to intercept, but should not be a first skill pick.
Or perhaps you are an Elf weeaboo and want to focus on a fast, aggressive offense and passing? Give them Diving Catch, Sprint, Sure Feet, and Nerves of Steel if possible. This route maximizes the catcher as a scoring threat, doubling down on their high speed and catching skills for greatest one turn touchdown potential. They are also great for break away plays were you just need to get that ball out of the scrum pronto.
Dirty Player is not a bad skill on catchers in general either as their high movement, dodge skill, and low price mean they can almost always get the boot in where it is needed most. There is so much these guys can do, don't be afraid to experiment. Even if it didn't work out, you learned something and these guys are easy to replace.
Leveling Catchers is possibly the trickiest choice you can make with a Human team. The “choose your skills” argument falls short when you have so many random primaries you can have to make these guys useful. Also the TV cost of a MV+ is less then that of a chosen secondary skill and AG+ is even better for maneuvering and ball handling, so rushing a stat may be a wise move here if you can keep these guys alive long enough. Experiment and find out what works for you here.
The Roster- Thrower
MV 6 ST 3 AG 3+ PA 2+ AV 9+
Cost: 80k
Hire Limit: 2
Skills: Pass and Sure Hands
Skill Access: General and Passing
Skill Restrictions: Mutations
Suggested Skills: Block, Accurate, Cannoneer, Cloud Burster, Safe Pass, Leader, On the Ball, Nerves of Steel, Dump Off, Fend, Dodge, Side Step, Guard
What do we have here? Why, it is another controversial player! Many coaches feel it is better just to put sure hands on a Blitzer and save the 80k. Often these coaches justify it with the old Dwarf criticism "If you pass and are not Elves, you are playing wrong! And even then it is a desperation play!" These bastions of wisdom are committing one of the biggest mistakes a Human coach can ever make: Never turn down a tactical option! And the Thrower is the tool needed to have those options, especially in this edition where they pass as well as any elf thrower!
There are two primary roles throwers have and they are traditional Quarterback and Runner. The Quarterback's role is to get the ball and wait for a good opportunity to throw it to an open catcher before they can be hit. Quarterback skills are the obvious candidates of Accurate, Cloud Burster, and Cannoneer. In fact once the Thrower has Accurate and Cannoneer they can throw long bombs on a 3+ and will only fumble the ball on a natural 1. Not even elves can hope to do better then that! Also so if a Accurate Cannoneer Thrower gets an PA+, thank Nuffle and Pass your way to victory! However, the spp costs to try for PA+ makes that more of a theory then something you will see to often as you could have bought two or three other skills per ATTEMPT.
Runners on the other hand are about running the ball up the pitch themselves, with the support of cages and offensive screens. Skills like Block, Dodge, Fend, Side Step, and Dump Off help them do this job. The Sure Hands skill a Thrower naturally has makes them immune to Strip Ball too. However at only MV 6, they will take a few turns to get down the pitch, leaving him vulnerable to elf screen tactics and possible attrition from blocks.
Which to use can be tricky and I wouldn't recommend a two thrower build out the gate. Fortunately you don't have to choose right away so play around with them your first few games and figure out what you find the most fun. If you are in a closed league setting and know what you are going up against, that is a different matter. If there are lots of bash teams like Orc, Dwarves, and Chaos: build a Quarterback. If there are mostly low armor teams like Skaven, Wood Elves and Amazons: make a Runner. As your team develops you can easily have both types of throwers, and it is often a good idea to do so in open anonymous matchmaking leagues like COL or FUMBBL.
Just remember a Quarterback can run, and a Runner can throw. Human coaches become losing coaches if they are too rigid in their tactics and play.
Again when leveling, stick to chosen skills until your third level with these guys, then go random skill ups. Stat ups may be worth considering here as well if you are focusing turning these guys into Tom Brady. +AG is more then worth the 40k boost in cost, +MV effectively reduces pass distances, and +PA will ensure the ball will almost always fly straight to all but the farthest targets.
The Roster- The Lineman
MV 6 ST 3 AG 3+ PA 4+ MV 9+
Cost: 50k
Hire Limit: None
Skills: None
Primary Skill: General
Skill Restrictions: Mutations and Passing
Suggested Skills: Block, Wrestle, Dirty Player, Tackle, Kick, Dauntless, Frenzy, Dodge, Guard, Mighty Blow
Well just thinking about the rage and violence those last few bits have inspired, has quite possibly voided my life insurance. So my wife wants me to talk about something less prone to inspire a lynch mob. The humble Lineman is the unsung hero of many a team, and on the Human team that is no exception. They have a solid stat line and can fill out any role in a pinch, Their low cost make them good foulers, and as they level they become even more versatile. High TV Humans need their Linemen more then any other team, other than Vampires, and that is only because they don't need to eat them. I find having two Block Tackle Linemen and Three Wrestle Linemen and a Kick Dirty Player Lineman a good mix.
Leveling Linemen is more about choosing between consistency or min/maxing costs with random primaries. I'd say choose Block for the first 3 that can buy it ,and go random for everything else. Maybe save for dodge or a random strength stat for the third level up
Roster- The Ogre
MV 5 ST 5 AG 4+ PA 5+ AV 10+
Cost: 140k
Hire Limit: 1
Skills: Loner 4+, Mighty Blow, Thick Skull, Throw Team-mate, Bonehead
Primary Skills: Strength
Skill Restrictions: Mutations and Passing
Suggested Skills: Guard, Grab, Stand Firm, Juggernaut, Multi Block, Strong Arm, Arm Bar, Brawler, Break Tackle, Block, Tackle, Pro, Frenzy
Even the Ogre, like just about everything about Humans, has inspired some controversy. Some say he is unnecessary and ultimately not worth it, due to being unreliable and costing twice as much as most of the other Human players. Others feel he is essential to Humans, offering much needed bashing potential. Others still say "Only stunties should have big guys!" I personally believe that the Ogre is near essential to the Human team. They aren't needed out the gate necessarily, but should be one of the first things Humans plan to add to their team after an Apothecary.
Ogres are there to do one thing on a Human team, and that is hitting fools dumb enough to base them. Ogre development is essentially a patience game, as without secondary skills Ogres will only ever be living battering rams, smashing lines and cages. But if you take the time to save for secondaries, Ogres can become Super Blitzers! Hell if you are lucky enough to get +AG on one, try making it a ball handler. It may not be efficient, but it is fun imagining the look on your opponent's face when you hand off to an Ogre and form a cage when you are leading.
The only issues Ogres have is Loner 4+ and Bonehead. Loner 4+ means you have to pass a 4+ roll just to use a team reroll, and if you fail you must keep the current roll, but still use up your the reroll. Bonehead is the "best" negative trait. It just means that before the Ogre can do anything on your turn he must pass a 2+ test. Failure means that that action is wasted and can do nothing this turn. Just Remember that while boneheaded, Ogres are considered to have no tackle zones and can not interact with the ball (but will not drop it if they are already holding it,) and may not use several skills, so it may be best to just let them stand around if they are guarding a hole in your screens. Bad dice will come sooner or later and burning a reroll on a triple skull and failing the Loner roll is frustrating, as is that game critical blitz being forgotten in favor of the ogre preferring to watch some clouds.
Pro is not a bad skill to consider as it not only allows free rerolls on standard rolls like blocks, but also the loner check roll as well! Block is a stronger choice for a prime puncher but if the Ogre should save enough for another secondary, it is worth considering. Brawler is new to this edition and it makes for a poor mans Block skill, but the ability to reroll a both down for free can be useful vs targets with block or wrestle.
As for leveling this big guy, I would suggest you save for Block as your first skill on them. It doubles your spp cost when compared to a chosen primary but block is just too useful to not rush in my opinion. After that it is up to you, but I would suggest no more then two chosen secondaries as the TV cost start to get crazy after that. Random primaries are not a bad choice either as all strength skills are useful to the ogre. Even Strong Arm, which now only works when throwing team mates. Speaking of which...
The Roster- Halfling Hopeful
MV 5 ST 2 AG 3+ PA 4+ AV 7+
Cost: 30k
Hire Limit: 3
Skills: Dodge, Right Stuff, Stunty
Primary Skills: Agility
Skill Restrictions: Mutations and Passing
Suggested Skills: Sprint, Sure Feet, Sneaky Git, Side Step, Diving Tackle, Jump Up, Block, Wrestle, Dirty Player
Finally a player after my own heart! Utter ♥♥♥♥ but can still be surprisingly effective. After what had to have been decades of coach complaints, threats, and suggestions Games Workshop has finally added some Halflings to the Human roster in order to shut everyone up about the Ogre having useless skills. But why hire one of these furry footed freaks? They are slow, squishy and weak as well as struggle to develop anything resembling core skills. They are dirt cheap; that's why. At 30k a pop (and they will) they aren't even worth the cost of the apothecary, and that makes them perfect as expendable fodder, ammo, and foulers. Other team forming a cage? Toss a fling in there and see if they can't crush a corner or even the ball carrier. Downed player with a skill or two? Foul it and foul often.
There is more to Flings then just being an annoyance to the referees and grounds keepers, they are also slippery little buggers thanks to the Stunty trait. Stunty allows flings to slip through the smallest gaps and ignore all tackle zone penalties while dodging, and combined with their natural dodge skill; they often can not be screened! Hell if you see a side line cage, remove the assists with a lineman and attempt to surf the ball handler with a fling. It will still be an up hill block, most likely, but the most common result of a 2 die up hill is a push, and crowd is just as deadly if it is a fling doing the surfing as if it was a troll slayer! And if the fling gets surfed next turn; it doesn't matter as he did his job and is holding back opposing players from were ever the ball went. Just be sure to keep your Halflings away from anyone with tackle or the other team will have a new lucky Halfling foot before too long.
It is not all steak and lobster here as some skills, such as diving tackle and prehensile tail, still penalize your dodges as the penalty is coming from the skill not the TZ itself, so you will still need to pay attention to you pathing. Also being Stunty means the player is rather small and frail, so all injury rolls against them effectively get a 1+ that stacks with Mighty Blow! Now a roll of 9 will only ever result in a Badly Hurt result, a removal is still a removal and can bite you when you need numbers on the pitch. Stunties also need to take great care when passing the ball, despite no longer having a penalty on the pass itself. The penalty was move to the interference stage of the pass and if the throw is wild, that is a 3+ to slap it down and attempt the intercept. Even a blind Sarus has a decent chance of making that happen! That said if the flight path is clear they are just as good as a linemen when throwing so it is an option in a pinch.
Halflings have four primary roles Ammo, Trolling, Screening and Fouler.
Ammo Flings don't need any skills and probably will not live to gain any anyway. The thing to note about thrown team mates is that it will never cause a turn over unless you land on your own players or the flying fat man has the ball and crashes upon landing. So when ever you see a tight grouping of opposing players (especially low AV ones) consider tossing a fling in there for a lucky removal.
Trolling Flings are a variant of Ammo and are meant for thrown team mate touchdowns. Sprint Sure Feet help with this role as it will boost the flings movement a respectable amount. Jump up is also worth considering as your opponent will fail to pick up your kick off eventually, and if it is a deep kick, not having to worry about making the landing (and needing to reroll it) will make the 4+ pick up more likely. From that point it is only a quick dodge and rush to score. You can even use Thrown Team Mate to catch your own Kick Off on a Blitz in the endzone this way too. Now you can see why I call them Trolling Flings; because when they work it causes rage quits
Screening Flings have Diving Tackle and Side Step. If your opponent can't roll pows or lacks tackle, these guys will lock down their little area of the pitch. They tend to be blitzed down a lot but that is a hit not going to a more vital (and expensive) player.
Foulers do what it says on the tin, foul downed players. Skills to put on a fouler are Dirty Player and Sneaky Git. Remember you can still move after a foul if you have the Sneaky Git skill, so get that boot in and move to assist or screen where needed.
When it comes to leveling Flings, I think random Generals (Secondary skill) are the way to go for the first level. If it is something useful like Block, Wrestle, Kick, or Dirty Player, the Halfling has earned himself a permanent spot on the team. If not, retire him and hire a new rookie, his heart just isn't in the game but he has some stories to tell. After the first level I would just do random primary and secondaries until the little bastard breaks. Stat ups are really not worth it for flings but should you get AG+ the fling becomes a little terror, dodging 2+ everywhere and landing throws on a 3+! Perfect for thrown team mate touchdown attempts.
Star Players And Special Rules
Star Players and Special Rules
Across the many editions of Blood Bowl Humans have always had one of the more potent Star Player lists, and Blood Bowl 3 is no exception. Where BB3 differs is in structure; all teams are given at least one special rule key word to classify what Stars, special inducements and/or special rules may be hired by a team. And all teams that share that key word will also share these benefits and inducement options.
These key words typically are flavored after various Blood Bowl super leagues within the world of Blood Bowl and are meant to imply how various teams are linked together and play. Human teams have the Old World Classic key word, and it does not offer anything special in and off itself, outside of some special inducements most people will forget about. But Old World Classic has one of the largest and most varied Star Player pools in the game.
Also new to BB 2020 is the idea that every Star has their own unique special skill. Often these skills are once per game use but can be game changing if used wisely, so don't forget about them. It seems they are not available in BB3 at launch but I will be including them anyway as a means of future proofing this guide. Let's begin with the universal Star Players. These guys will work for just about everyone and come in all shapes, sizes and utility.
Star Player- Morg 'n' Thorg
Cost: 380k
MA 6 ST 6 AG 3+ PA 4+ AV 11+
Skills: Loner 4+, Mighty Blow 2+, Block, Throw Team Mate, Thick Skull
Role: Super Ogre!!!
Special Ability: The Ballista- Once per game if Morg fails a Pass or Throw Team-Mate action, you may reroll the D6
Note: Will not work for Sylvanian Spotlight teams (Undead, Necro, Vampire, and Khemri)
Morg is THE hardest hitter in the game, needing only single assist to 3 die block most players and having Mighty Blow +2 to ensure that should his target go down, it will stay down. That extra +1 added to Mighty Blow may not sound like much on paper but that means you KO your target on a 6, Cas on an 8, and crush Dwarf armor on a 8! In fact MB+2 is so good GW had to bump up Morg's price and labeled him as a Super Star for tournament play, due to his habit of clearing the pitch by himself! His average AG also makes him solidly maneuverable and a reliable ball handler. Also with AV 11+ he is extremely unlikely to be removed from play. Morg's Special Skill is take it or leave it, but when you are out of rerolls and absolutely need to throw that Fling, it can be a life saver. Morg's only real downside is that he is so expensive (the most expensive in the game) that he rarely sees play; but when he is there, hoo boy...
Star Player- Helmut Wulf
Cost 140k
MA 6 ST 3 AG 3+ PA- AV 9+
Skills, Loner 4+, Pro, Stand Firm, Chainsaw, Secret Weapon
Role: Universal Chainsaw
Special Ability: Old Pro- Once per game Helmut may reroll ONE die that was rolled as part of an ARMOR roll
Helmut is a classic Blood Bowl Star and he now plays for everyone, so even Elves may pack a chainsaw onto the pitch! Helmut's Pro skill ensures that Loner will not be an issue while being versatile enough to be used for anything, from dodges to the chainsaw's kickback. Stand Firm also makes blocking or blitzing Helmut a gamble as if your opponent fails to knock him down, they just provided him his next victim to filet. Chainsaws can also be used to foul with and assists stack with it. So if there is something that absolutely must die (like a high level Gutter Runner) you know who to issue the coup de grace with. And if he is caught, well he was not going to stay long anyway.
The main down sides of Helmut come from the fact he is a Secret Weapon player and will be ejected from play when the drive he was deployed in ends. You may argue the call or use bribes to keep him in, but those options may not be available at the time or just not work. Even if this doesn't happen Chainsaws are scary and are prime targets for blitzes. Given how chainsaws work Helmut is effectivly AV 6+ like a snotling when blocked, so he may not stay to long regardless; so enjoy him while you have him.
Star Player- Akhorne The Squirrel
Cost 80k
MA 7 ST 1 AG 2+ PA - AV 6+
Skills: Loner 4+, No Hands, Claw, Dauntless, Frenzy, Dodge, Jump Up, Stunty, Titchy, Side Step
Role: Joke Assassin
Special Ability: Blind Rage- Akhorne may reroll the Dauntless roll. There is no limit to how often this skill may be used beyond you never being able to reroll a reroll. Yes, you can use it multiple times a turn.
Have you ever wondered what the killer bunny from Monty Python and the Holy Grail would look like on the Blood Bowl pitch? No, well here you have it regardless. Akhorne is the angriest; most violent rodent who has ever set foot on the pitch, and that is saying something considering he's competing with Skaven and Rat Ogres in that category. So how do you actually use him? His stats are garbage out side of dodging and running, and he can't even pick up the ball. The key is Dauntless, as when it fires it forces Akhorne's ST to match the target, so if no assists are valid it will be a 1 die block. Thus with a little planning you can reliably 2 die targets all you want, and frenzy ensures a second hit if the first is just a push. Dauntless still has to be rolled each hit, and at ST 1, that make it a 3+ on average for Dauntless to work. And with the Blind Rage ability it should work more often then not. You can also take advantage of Frenzy and Dauntless in another way, as it can make one turn touch downs more likely to work due to easily chain pushing the line. Claw also makes even the most heavily armored player as frail as a wood elf, so Akhorne excels in matches vs Orcs.
Vs Dwarfs not so much due to his weaknesses, and they are plenty. First off Akhorne is basically a fast violent snotling, and all hits against him will be most likely be 2 or 3 die blocks. Also with only Dodge to protect him, should he go down, he is likely to be stunned or worse. This is why Dwarf matchups are not good for Akhorne, their large amount of tackle means squirrel stew is on the menu. Also Dauntless is a random skill, if you roll low you are looking at a 2 die uphill block at best, and with out block you have 1 in 3 chance per die of a turnover. At least he is cheap and is worth playing around with if you don't want a beer keg but can't afford a bribe or reroll.
Star Player- Grak And Crumbleberry
Cost: 250k
Grak- MV 5 ST 5 AG 4+ PA 4+ AV 10+
Skills: Loner 4+, Mighty Blow, Kick Team-mate, Thick Skull, Bonehead
Crumbleberry- MV 5 ST 2 AG 3+ PA 6+ AV7+
Skills: Loner 4+, Dodge, Stunty, Right Stuff, Sure Hands
Role: Fling punting on demand
Special Ability: Two for One- If one player in this duo is removed from play the other's Loner skill becomes +2 instead of 4+. This is permanent and stays even if his partner wakes up and returns to play.
Note: You must hire both players as a set. This takes up two player slots on the roster and count as both of your Star Player slots
Grak and Crumbleberry are what brought the Kick Team-mate skill to Blood Bowl '16 and in my opinion only got updated for BB 2020 because they actually have a model. (All be it a fairly limited release with an even more limited availability outside of the UK... Grumble) So why hire them? Well it is a big guy for anyone to hire and offers the glories of flying flings. What makes kicking a player different from throwing one is that it doesn't count as a pass action so you may still attempt to throw a player (or the ball) after doing so. Also worth noting is that any player with the Right Stuff skill may be kicked, not just Crumbleberry. This allows for some deep recoveries after particularly long throw ins or to get the ball out of range of the opposing team after a sack near your endzone. Kicking does have the risk of just out right braining the Right Stuff player if the roll is a 1, but with Two for One Grak will just become more reliable then a rosterd Ogre. Crumbleberry also works really well on teams with low AG like Khemri, and can make a solid ball handler.
The weaknesses of Grak and Crumbleberry is you are not getting that much for the cost. They fill a niche role and it is hard to justify taking them when a wizard and/or a different Star may be better suited for the opposition you are currently facing
Now for the Old World Classic Stars Proper
Star Player- Griff Oberwald
Cost: 280k
MV 7 ST 4 AG 2+ PA 3+ MV 9+
Skills: Loner 3+ Block, Dodge, Sprint, Sure Feet, Fend
Role: Mr. I Do Everything!
Special Ability: Consummate Professional- Once per game reroll ONE die that was rolled as part of anything that isn't an Armor or Injury roll!
Griff, along with Morg, is the literal poster child of Blood Bowl. Griff can do anything and everything being fast as a Skaven, as strong as a Black Orc, and as agile as an Elf. Even his passing is decent at a 3+. Couple that with his ability to reroll just about everything for free and having the lowest default Loner trait of all stars, no wonder he has been declared as a Super Star by Games Workshop! He is versatile too so how you use Griff changes from match to match and opponent to opponent. Have Griff fill in any weak point you have on your roster and have him switch gears doubling on your strengths (or back again) as the match condition dictates and allows. The only real down side of Griff is his cost, as he will typically only be available when there is a significant power difference between you and the other team. But he is worth every penny. Griff also has middling armor so if he should go down, expect him to be gang fouled by half the other team.
Star Player- Karla Von Kill
Cost: 210k
MV 6 ST 4 AG 3+ PA 4+ AV9+
Skills: Loner 4+, Block, Dodge, Jump Up, Dauntless
Role: Versatile Anti Big Guy and Heavy Hitter
Special Ability: Indomitable- Once per game, when Dauntless works, you may have Karla's ST be DOUBLE that of the target. That is a 3 die block on demand vs Big Guys
Karla is a slightly nurfed version of Zara the Slayer GW put out as they were afraid of being sued by the people who had the rights to Buffy, or at least attempting to side step accusations that they borrow a lot of ideas from other IPs. Karla is just Zara without Stab (and Stakes) but this in turn makes Karla a lot cheaper then her counterpart and thus can see the pitch a lot more often. (A net positive in my opinion.) Karla is sometimes seen as a budget Griff, hitting just as hard and being just as annoying to get the ball off of, but if you look at her skills and special ability it becomes clear she excels at slapping around big guys. For this reason I find her best deployed vs teams with Rat Ogres, Minotuars, or other Big Guys that have action dependent negative traits. This kind of forces the other coach to waste their blitz action to stand the big guy up, or risk them just flailing about on the ground (or attacking their own team) with a 4+ coin toss. Hell when she takes a Treeman down, they not only have to roll for rooting like normal but also need 4+ to just stand! (So much for your overpriced firewood Woodies.) With average AG and MV she can fill out many different roles within a team, but with only MV 6 she tends to find herself out of position if you are not careful.
Star Player- Mighty Zug
Cost 220k
MV 4 AT 5 AG 4+ PA 6+ AV 10
Skills: Loner 4+, Block, Mighty Blow
Role: Heavy Hitting Wall
Special Ability: Crushing Blow- Once per game when Zug smacks down an opponent, he may apply an additional +1 to the Armor roll. This may stack with Mighty Blow if desired.
Zug is often seen as a reliable Ogre with Block, and I tend to agree as they are used very similarly. However as he is only MV 4, he is even less mobile then the dumb slab of muscle he is often compared to. Thus it is best to try and maneuver Zug just ahead of where you think the main body of the opposition team will be and dare them to base him. Zug when used in tandem with another big guy can be absolutely devastating in a large scrum as well. However as stated, Zug's low MV and AG mean he is surprisingly ill suited to be hired vs Elves or other high speed and agility teams, as they will just run around or dodge away from Zug, rendering his hitting power (and hiring costs) wasted.
Star Player- Barik Farblast
Cost: 80k
MA 6 ST 3 AG 4+ PA 3+ AV 9+
Skills: Loner 4+ Pass, Hail Mary Pass, Cannoneer, Sure Hands, Thick Skull, Secret Weapon
Role: Fire and Forget Runner
Special Ablility: Blast It! -Once per game, when Barik successfully preforms a Hail Mary Pass he may reroll any and all dice involved with the scattering (not the bounce) and any friendly player that can catch the ball may do so it as if it were an accurate pass (effectively, it is a -1+1 here)
Barik is a Dwarf Runner who has developed a love of the passing game (and artillery) and is not too shabby at showing off his skills, thanks to Cannoneer. However his main use is to hold onto the ball in your own half until the time is right to punt it (also called potatoing) deep into the other half were (hopefully) you can recover it with your fastest players to score. Thanks to Hail Mary Pass, not even Nurgle teams can deny you this play option, so long as Barik has, or can get, the ball. If trying to throw to an actual catcher with a Hail Mary Pass, the best candidate would be one with Diving Catch, as Hail Mary Passes are kind of random ultimately due to always being an inaccurate pass and scattering. Diving Catch will maximize your odds of catching it (remember Blast It! is a thing) and prevent a turnover.
Barik's weaknesses are that he is a Secret Weapon player and thus will be sent off, as well as having a hard time fitting in on teams with a strong thrower already (like Humans.) Barik's love of the ballisticly fired balls also is something of a high risk strategy as not only can the pass fail, with all the normal risks of passing, but you are actively inviting a turn over while the other team is in your half! Should they recover it, they will be but a pass or hand off away from scoring. Also you need to ensure you have the option of recovering the potatoed ball yourself before you throw it, or you are just winding down the clock.
Star Player- Grim Ironjaw
Cost: 200k
MA 5 ST 4 AG 4+ PA – AV 9+
Skills: Loner 4+, Block, Dauntless, Thick Skull, Frenzy, Multiple Block
Role: Hunter and Anti Big Guy Specialist
Special Ability: Slayer- Once per game when Grim knocks down a player with ST 5 or more, Grim gains Mighty Blow +1 to the hit and only that hit. This ability may be used after the dice are rolled
Grim is a solid Star but is kind of redundant in Old World Classic as he is competing with Karla for the same anti big guy role, having similar ST and skills, but Karla is just generally better with her greater maneuverability, speed and having Blodge to protect her (and only costing a mere 10k more to boot.) Hell they even share weaknesses with Grim just being slower and clumsier, so he is more likely to find himself out of position. Grim however has two things Karla does not, Frenzy and Multiple Block. If you pay attention and are careful, Frenzy ensures Grim's target's going down due to the second hit. It also makes side lines extremely dangerous as he can shove out players from a greater range. Just take care when going for the crowd surf or you may find that Grim is stuck on the sideline himself, ready to meet the fans come the other team's turn.
Multiple Block allows Grim to hit two players that are basing him but he can not follow up (so no Frenzy,) he takes a -2 ST penalty to each block, and his targets can assist each other if able. This may sound kind of horrible until you remember he has Dauntless and as such each block is a 2+ to 1 die typically, and assists can be canceled if you supply some back up. This means he effectively can hit like he as a second block action, which can help should you be out numbered. Multiple Block can also be used vs single targets as well for those times you wish to turn Frenzy off. Note that you may not use Multiple Block on the second block from the Frenzy Skill. Grim's special ability also means he is more likely to remove big guys then Karla, but as most big guys are AV 10+ this is not as powerful a skill as some other Stars have. Should Grim be fielded against teams with AV 9+ big guys like Minotaurs and Rat Ogres, that is another story, and should they be removed Grim has almost payed for himself.
Star Player- Grombrindal, The White Dwarf
Cost: 210k
MV 5 ST 3 AG 3+ PA 4+ AV 10+
Skills Loner 4+, Block, Dauntless, Mighty Blow, Stand Firm, Thick Skull
Role: Skill Buffer
Special Ability: Wisdom of the White Dwarf- Once per TURN when a player activates next to The White Dwarf, that player gains the Break Tackle, Dauntless, Mighty Blow, OR Sure Feet until the end of that players activation.
Grombrindal, the White Dwarf is another player I am surprised they updated for BB 2020, given his model was intended more as an anniversary collectible then an actual playing piece. That said he has probably the most unique and complex special ability in the game, and if you are hiring him it is for that ability. Wisdom of the White Dwarf grants a free temporary skill to ANY ONE player that begins their activation next to Grombrindal. This can have a huge knock on effect if you position him right and think carefully about the pitch's layout at the start of every turn. Knowing what skill to choose and when can be tricky but just remember Wisdom of the White Dwarf is not reliant on Grombrindal's activation, but the player that is benefiting from the ability's activation, so you can move or block with The White Dwarf freely. Out side of his special ability the White Dwarf is just a slightly leveled Dwarf Blitzer, with no real down sides other then being a little slow. I find it is best to place the White Dwarf on the center of my line and hope the Mighty Blow (his own and what he imparts) gets some early removals and from there see what the match becomes. Grombrindal isn't about what he can do to your opponent, but how he can empower your existing team, and as such a coach that can read the pitch and truly plan out their turns will be greatly rewarded. If the coach can't do that, they will find he is kind of meh as a Star.
Star Player- Deeproot Strongbranch
Cost: 280k
MV 2 ST 7 AG 5+ PA4+ AV11+
Skills: Loner 4+, Block, Mighty Blow +2, Stand Firm, Strong Arm, Thick Skull, Throw Team-mate, Timmm-ber!
Role: Super Tree
Special Ability: Reliable- If a Thrown Team-mate results in a fumble, the thrown player automatically makes the landing roll after the bounce
Deeproot has been the linchpin of many a Halfling team for a long time, and has been buffed for Blood Bowl 3 with Mighty Blow +2. As such he has been given lofty designation of Super Star by GW, if only to stop Flings from fielding Morg and Deeproot together. Imagine two Mighty Blow +2 players backed up by another pair of ST6 Mighty Blow +1s, that would be the new murder team right there! But what makes Deeproot special outside of Mighty Blow? He can 3 die block with the Block skill on demand, making him the most reliable hitter in the game, and at AV 11+ he is not getting removed by anything less then a full team gang foul with a chainsaw. Treemen are also the best players to throw team-mates with due to their natural strong arm skill. The best way to use Deeproot is set him on the line and have him wade through the other team like they are mere termites, trying to get a block a turn.
Now for the downsides, at MV 2 Deeproot is the slowest Star by a large margin and thus has a hard time keeping up with the action as the half moves on. Also when Deeproot falls over (most likely from a failed rush) it will be a 4+ to see if he even can stand up, failure means he flops around and wastes his activation. With AG 5+ Deeproot is not going to get the ball, be able to dodge if the other team decides to sacrifice a lineman to hold him back. A smart coach, when faced with Deeproot, will just dodge their players away knowing the tree is too slow to chase then down and the ground doesn't have Mighty Blow, thus rendering the Star to being little more then a tripping hazard on the pitch. This is why, if you can help it, have your formations and cages be near Deeproot to force your opponent to engage with him; or at least risk being blitzed by a 5 meter tall, 3000 kg hunk of raging hardwood wanting to make new holes to leave splinters in. Deeproot can also be comboed with the White Dwarf for some interesting plays too.
Star Player- Puggy Baconbreath
Cost: 120k
MV 5 ST 3 AG 3+ PA 4+ AV 7+
Skills: Loner 3+, Block, Dodge Nerves of Steel, Right Stuff, Stunty
Role: Cage Diving Mini Griff
Special: Halfling Luck- Once per game reroll ONE die that was rolled as part of anything that isn't an Armor or Injury roll!
If Griff Oberwald is the precision tool set that can do anything really well, Puggy is a cheap Swiss army knife. He has a tool for just about anything but it will take some work to use, and don't expect to cause any major damage to others with it. At ST 3 with Block, he can hit reliably; at AG 3+ with the Dodge skill, he can dodge reliably; and with Block and Dodge Puggy can be a pain to knock over. Puggy's real strength is that nobody is as good at cage diving as him. Thanks to Stunty all he needs is a 3+ for a 1 die on the ball handler. And with Nerves of Steel, if the lose ball lands on him in the cage, it's a simple 4+ catch you can reroll with Halfling Luck, and dodge out of there with 3+s and a free skill reroll to the protection of you team. Nerves of Steel also make him a potential catcher for hand offs or passes when based by the opposition as well as only Disturbing Presence can get past it.
Puggy is still a Halfling and should he go down or is stabbed there is a good chance he won't be coming back up again. (And if he can he will be fouled until he is unable to.) Do not hire him vs teams with lots of Tackle or you are just wasting you money.
Star Player- Cindy Piewhistle
Cost: 50k
MV 5 ST 2 AG 3+ PA 3+ AV 7+
Skills: Loner 4+, Dodge, Stunty, Accurate, Bombardier, Secret Weapon
Role: Discount Fireballs
Special Ability: All You Can Eat- Once per game Cindy may throw TWO bombs with a single throw bomb action. You must declare the use of this ability before the first bomb is thrown (dice are rolled.) If this ability is used, AFTER the second bomb is resolved, a 4+ ref check is made and failure means Cindy is instantly ejected and is a turn over.
Bombers have gotten a huge buff in Blood Bowl 3 and Cindy is arguably the most devastating of them all. Thrown bombs now have mighty blow, hit players on the ground, and will not cause turnovers: EVEN IF THEY HIT YOUR OWN PLAYERS as long as none of them had the ball! The only down side is that the bomb's Mighty Blow applies to your dudes if they are caught in the explosion but that is a small price to pay for just how good they've become. Cindy is best played on your own drive so you can better control the length of the drive (and thus throw more bombs,) but also to protect her. I guarantee you she is going to be a target as she can not throw bombs if she moves; so just standing up means no hot death. The Accurate skill also encourages you to have her close to the action before lobbing your hand grenades for maximum accuracy. And you are going to want to be accurate as Stunty's interference penalty applies to bombs and keeping the odds of the bombs from flying back at you to a minimum is always a good choice. If you are daring you can play her on a defensive drive and if she stays on her feet long enough to get close to the cage and/or the main scrum, use her special ability and see you you can't take out half the other team using only a SINGLE ACTION! Even if she is caught it was worth the mere 50k for the attempt, and if you were lucky the other team will be too busy collecting their own limbs to do much when it becomes their turn. It is of note that due to her having bombs she is too weighed down to have any befits from the stunty trait. Cindy should not be deployed vs Elf teams as given how interference and interceptions work, her bombs will just come flying back at you more then hitting the annoying knife ears. Fortunately the new PA stat insures that Elf teams are no longer (for the most part) as good at getting the bomb back at you so your mileage may vary. Cindy also will only be around for a single drive most of the time, so make use of her while she is there.
Star Player- Rumbelow Sheepskin
Cost: 170k
MV 6 ST 3 AG 3+ PA – AV8+
Skills: Loner 4+, Block, Horns, Juggernaut, No Hands, Tackle, Thick Skull
Role: Skirmisher and Ball Hawk
Special Ability: Ram- Once per game when Rumbelow knocks down a player, he gains Mighty Blow +1 to the hit and only that hit. This ability may be used after the dice are rolled
Since he was added to Blood Bowl 2016 Rumbelow has become quite the fan favorite. As the sheep rider can't handle the ball at all; this makes his role rather clear: to charge head first (literally) into the most valuable, important, or vulnerable player on the other side and attempt to gore them to death. The Horns skill grants +1 ST when blitzing which in his case is a 2 die block on demand vs most targets, and as Rumbelow has Block and Tackle too, he should be knocking players over fairly consistently. The Juggernaut skill also allows him to ignore Stand Firm, Wrestle and Fend so no wall of players can hold him back for long. The tricky part is managing his merely average movement and low armor around his need to be in the thick of things. He can take a punch better then most Flings but he is about as robust as a Skaven linerat, and will not last long if he is stuck in the middle of a large fight. It is also easy to forget (at least for a veteran Halfling Coach like myself) that Rumbelow doesn't have the Dodge skill, (making him the only Fling in the game not to) so being careful of how you move is important if you want to avoid unnecessary die rolls. Should your team have a few Mighty Blow Blitzers with tackle already, Rumbelow is a little redundant and can be passed over for some different inducement options
Star Player- Frank 'n' Stein
Cost: 250k
MV 4 ST 5 AG 4+ PA – MV 10+
Skills: Loner 4+, Stand Firm, Mighty Blow, Break Tackle, Regenerate, Thick Skull
Role: Mobile Wall
Special Skill: Brutal Block- Once per game when Frank smacks down an opponent, he may apply an additional +1 to the Injury roll. This may stack with Mighty Blow if desired.
Frank is basically a side grade version of Zug in my opinion; as while Zug may have block, Frank makes a better wall due to having Stand Firm, is harder to remove thanks to Thick Skull and Regenerate, as well as Break Tackle to make him more mobile when needed. Hell Frank is just 30k more then Zug, so he should be a steal when compared to Zug, but Block is just that good of a skill that I'd call them even. If up against something that is mobile but still likes to fight (Dark Elves come to mind) or a Murder team I'd take Frank. If it is something that is bashy but not really fast (Norse is a good example here) I would take Zug because he can go on the offense more easily then Frank. Either way they both fill the same role and have similar weaknesses, your mileage may vary
Star Player- Ivar Eriksson
Cost: 245
MA 6 ST 4 AG 3+ PA 4+ AV 9+
Skills: Loner 3+ Block, Guard, Tackle
Role: Heavy Support
Special Ability: Raiding Party- Once per DRIVE at the beginning of Ivars' action, you may select one open player in five squares of Ivar and move them for free 1 square ignoring any Tackle Zones. This player must end this move marking an opposition player
Even before you add his Special Ability to the equation, Ivar offers something unique among Star Players and that is he is the only one with the coveted Guard Skill. This means he will assist any team mates block or foul as long as he is standing next to them, regardless of the number of TZs he is in. That alone makes him worth considering to hire, but ST 4 Block and Tackle make him truly a solid Star Player option. Given his stats and skills, Ivar someone you want in the middle of the largest frays to maximize your team's damage output, but don't go too crazy because, while he can take a hit better then most Norse players, he is only AV 9+ and prolonged exposure to blocks may see him removed. At 245k he is also expensive, so pay attention to the opponent's formations and deploy Ivar with care.
Ivar's Special Ability is also interesting as it can help you get more blocks, assist blocks more easily, set up chain pushes, or even score if the players are set up right. Raiding Party can also be used on a player that has already used their action already too for that extra point of movement. The trick is knowing who to use it on, when to use it, and ensuring Ivar is in position to do so. But with a range of 5 Raiding Party can cover about 1/6 of the pitch so you will have some wiggle room in that last bit.
Star Player- Skrorg Snowpelt
Cost: 250k
MV 5 ST 5 AG 4+ PA – AV 9+
Skills: Loner 4+, Claw, Disturbing Presence, Mighty Blow, Juggernaut
Role: Hired Claw
Special Ability: Pump Up the Crowd- ONCE per game, if Snowpelt can remove a player via a block or blitz, you may gain an extra team reroll. This reroll is lost at the end of the half if unused.
Skrorg Snowpelt is quite the lethal player to hire with his combo of Claw and Mighty Blow. Unfortunately (in this case) BB3 has made it so those two skills no longer sinergize as well as before with Mighty Blow only being able to be used on injury rolls unless the target's AV is too low for claw to work anyway. Despite the loss of the 50% armor break rate of previous editions, this combo is still effective, especially vs high AV teams, and Mighty Blow allows for the same level of usefulness vs low AV teams as well. The only problem is that he doesn't have much going for him other then being more likely to remove players then your average big guy. Disturbing Presence can be useful, but only a single zone of it is easy for teams that rely on hand offs and catches to avoid or just power through, and Juggernaut is only really used when blitzing. His Special Ability can come in handy, but you are forced to gamble on when to take it, especially if Snowpelt only manages to hurt a player around the mid point of the first half or later if rerolls are low. If you are trying for a second half Pump up the Crowd, just take it as soon as you can, no point waiting there.
Personally, unless I felt my only real hope was getting lots of removals, I would probably go for another Star. A normal big guy works just as well most of the time if used right.
Star Player- Thorsson Stoutmead
Cost: 170k
MV 6 ST 3 AG 4+ PA 3+ AV 8+
Skills: Loner 4+, Block, Drunkard, Thick Skull
Role: Donkey Kong
Special Ability: Beer Barrel Bash!- Once per DRIVE Thorsson may perform a special Throw Beer Barrel action where a player within 3 Squares of Thorsson is targeted. On a roll of 3+ the targeted player is knocked down, however on a roll of 1 Thorsson hits himself and is knocked down, causing a turn over. Thorsson can not move when he uses this ability.
Thorrson Stoutmead truly is a Star you are only hiring due to his Special skill, as he is kind of a crappy Norse lineman without it. So how do you use him? On defense it is best to have him act as something of a safety and be deployed in the center of your half. At that point it is just a mater of spotting your defensive holes and moving him to cover them in case the the ball carrier or a catcher runs through and risks a keg to the face. On offense, that is trickier but he is best used to shadow your cage in case the ball is stolen and is still withing barrel range. It can also be used to knock down a screening player to make a hole for your ball handler to dodge into, effectively acting as a second blitz. Once the barrel is gone just use him like a lineman with block because that is all he is at that point.
Starting Builds (Finally!)
There are almost as many Human Builds as there are Blood Bowl Coatches, and because Humans are so cheap and rerolls inexpensive (50k at team creation,) any build I present can be easily modified. That being the case I shall present some of the most common builds I have seen, over the last seven years. Some builds may have some extra cash left over. This money may be saved or spent on Fans to start earning money a little faster. Never buy more then 2 fans at the start however as your odds of losing fans should you lose goes up as your fame does.
True Balance
4 Blitzers (340)
2 Catchers (130)
1 Thrower (80)
5 LInemen (250)
3 Rerolls (150)
Apothecary (50)
Total Cost: 1000
The quintessential starter build for Humans and great for new players. This build gets you almost all your positionals, a good number of rerolls, and a back up lineman on the bench with a Apothecary No real drawbacks here.
Bashing Balance
4 Blitzers (340)
The Ogre (140)
1 Catcher (65)
1 Thrower (80)
4 LInemen (200)
3 Rerolls (150)
Total Cost: 975
This is a popular variation of the last build where you trade your spare lineman and one of your catchers for the Ogre. You gain more bash potential at the cost of starting with a bench, a little speed and pass options. A good solid build. You can also trade some speed for thrown flings by dropping the Catcher for a full bench of Halflings
Hard Bash
4 Blitzers (340)
The Orge (140)
7 LInemen (350)
3 Rerolls (150)
Total Cost: 980
This is the Bashiest you can make Humans out the gate. it is also it is a common build and a good one for developing linemen, however it guts most of your speed and ball handling options. There is a common variation where you trade a lineman and a reroll for a thrower, and a Halfling but I feel it doesn't help your options all that much. As while you will save that reroll on pickups, and marginally improves your tactical options; it lowers your overall bad luck insurance. I would personally drop the Ogre in favor for a thrower and apothecary, as a Thrower is just a lineman with two skills and better PA
Who Needs Linemen?
4 Blitzers (340)
4 Catchers (280)
2 Thrower (160)
The Ogre (140)
2 Reroll (100)
Total Cost: 1000
Vary few teams can field a full roster of 11 players and not use linemen, but Humans are one of them. This is a balanced build and has a lot of options, but it has almost no rerolls, and so can I not recommend strongly it there. However once you get a second reroll and that makes it much more viable build. As long as you use your players along the lines of their positions and skills, their skill rerolls will make up for the lack of team rerolls.
However player will need to work outside their role from time to time and the Ogre is still unreliable at the best of times (and a down right liability at the worst) so the lack of team rerolls will sting you sooner or later. Taking injuries early in this team's life can be devastating however. You could also trade the Ogre for a single Lineman, Halfling and Apothecary
Pure Meh!
14 Linemen (700)
6 rerolls (300)
Total Cost: 1000
No skills. No special tricks. Just raw numbers and a solid number of rerolls. A good roster for those that want a challenge and don't have the balls to play stunties, or those want to help a friend learn the game without handicapping yourself too hard.
Source: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2936428205
More Blood Bowl 3 guilds
- All Guilds
- Human Race Guide
- Official Orc Guide
- Dwarf FULL Guide
- Skaven Guide
- Guides for BB Noobs
- Dark Elf: Official Race Guide!
- Chaos Renegades: Blood Bowl 3 Official Race Guide
- Blood Bowl 3 Race Guide: Imperial Nobility
- Official Black Orc Guide By AndyDavo
- BB3's Bible