Blood Bowl is a classic Games Workshop fantasy board game that pits fantasy creatures against each other in a sport that bears more than a passing resemblance to rugby, Gridiron/American football or Ulama. But with cartoonish levels of violence and a spot of magic. Blitz Bowl is Bloodbowl’s quirky cousin, a shorter, tighter game suitable for getting folk into the idea of board games with fancy-looking models.
Blitz Bowl – Ultimate Edition Season Two pits a team of six Orcs ( The Rampagers ) against a team of six Dwarves called The Cannoneers. The models are push-to-fit (no glue needed) and pretty easy to paint if that’s your thing. We also get team markers, balls and coins, all in lovely plastic. It is compatible with the previous edition, so you can field the teams from that older box if you fancy, and like the older version, it comes with an absolute pile of cards for fielding other teams from the Blood Bowl range.
The Dwarf team is tough; the Orc team is brutal. They’re well-balanced, and the play is smooth. Each team has a card that tells you your team’s various abilities, and the box is full of little ideas that make the experience fast and smooth.
The set has a very neat double-sided board that serves as the pitch. One side is Dwarf-themed (and has a nice stone look) and the other is more Orc-inspired. The board is set up to make movement and line of sight easy to figure out.
Which is good because this is a very chaotic game. Balls bounce and scatter. New balls fly out of trapdoors, injuring team members. Challenge cards encourage erratic tactics, allowing you to score points, but the best way to win is to keep getting a touchdown.
We also get some nice custom dice, which is always a nice touch. Overall, this entry-level game is stuffed with good ideas and is a fun game. This might well be the only sports game you ever own, but it’s certainly one to grab and a must-have for the Blood Bowl collector.
