Sneaky Strategies – Making Goblins Shine in Blood Bowl

Pack your torch and compass, for we’re about to embark on a journey into the murky, fetid depths of the underworlds, with the infamous Goblin teams – the pint-sized architects of anarchy and mischief. They’ve earned quite the reputation in Nuffle’s blessed battlegrounds with their love for underhand tactics, unpredictability, and an almost religious adoration for secret weapons!

The Goblin Playbook

Goblin teams are the life and soul of the Blood Bowl party. Their unique approach to the game blends sneaky stratagems, joyful chaos, and a hearty dash of secret weapons. Often underestimated, adversaries only recognize their error when their players become victim to an errant bomb or get squished on the pitch by a rogue chainsaw!

Goblins are economical additions to your team, albeit their lifespan leaves a lot to be desired. They’re just as prone to being pulverized into the turf as they are to succumbing to their own defective doodads – not to mention the lurking danger of becoming Troll-chow! That’s why any shrewd Goblin coach keeps a stash of gold on standby to fill in for any unexpectedly vacant positions.

Goblin Linemen are your frontline soldiers, adept at tripping up opponents and delivering a swift kick when they’re down. Also, they are fantastic projectiles to hurl at the rival team.

Enter the Trolls, brawny brutes with a wicked right hook and an equally offensive stench. Trolls are the star quarterbacks, flinging their Goblin compatriots across the pitch to topple a rival or score a show-stopping touchdown.

Then there are the specialists – each armed with a secret weapon designed for mayhem. Fanatics brandish a hefty Ball & Chain to whack anyone unfortunate enough to cross their path. Loonies brandish chainsaws for some slice-and-dice action, while Bommas lob explosives at clueless rivals purely for giggles.

Crafty Conspiracies

Goblins prefer to dabble in chaos than bother with petty distractions like the ball. They’re a coach’s pick for anyone who enjoys a hearty chuckle. That’s not to say Goblin teams can’t bag victories – but success for them revolves around mastering a few tricks.

Firstly, Goblins are dirty players par excellence. Deploy their Secret Weapons whenever you can and ensure they’re well-guarded until it’s time to unleash hell. Don’t forget to exploit as many Foul actions as you can during a match – the best strategy is to target a player with a bomb, chainsaw, or ball & chain, and follow up with a sneaky Foul when they’re down.

Of course, there’s a tiny hiccup: those holier-than-thou referees who have a habit of spoiling a good time! But fear not, Goblins have their tricks, with their special Bribery and Corruption rule. This permits them to buy Bribes at half price (just 50,000 gold pieces!) and re-roll the first botched attempt to Argue the Call. Bribes are handy to keep your team and those treasured Secret Weapons on the pitch, especially since Goblins have an uncanny knack for getting Sent off.

Skill Selection

Here’s our top advice when gaining new skills:

Goblin Lineman – You’d rather not burden your Linemen with extra skills as it bulks up their price and leaves less gold for crucial Bribes. But you can’t go wrong with Dirty Player (+1) or Sneaky Git for enhanced fouling, and Sidestep for ball-carriers.

ʼOoligan – These little mischief-makers are natural foulers, making Sneaky Git an ideal skill. Sidestep also helps them stay near downed opponents.

Doom Diver – Skills like Dodge offer added protection should they land safely behind enemy lines with the ball, and Sidestep comes in handy.

Pogoer – As the fastest on the team, Pogoers need skills that boost their mobility. Sprint and Sure Feet are perfect for this, giving them a potential movement of 10 squares per turn!

Secret Weapons – As Secret Weapons don’t earn Star Player Points from inflicting casualties, they don’t level up quickly. However, if given the opportunity, Accurate or Pass for a Bomma, Dodge for a Loony, and Mighty Blow (+1) for a Fanatic, can increase their impact.

Trained Troll – Strong Arm is excellent for a Troll throwing Goblins, while Brawler enhances a Troll’s Blocking reliability*. Pro is another good choice, allowing them to re-roll Always Hungry or Really Stupid.

Superstar Selections

Goblin teams can recruit Star Players from the Badlands Brawl or Underworld Challenge leagues.

5 – Fungus the Loon

The funghi-infused Fungus the Loon brings extra muscle. His Whirling Dervish special rule allows him to re-roll his spin direction each turn – making him surprisingly consistent.

4 – Nobbla Blackwart

With both Block and Dodge skills, Nobbla is resilient to knockdowns, and Kick ʼem while they’re down! lets him wield his Chainsaw against a downed opponent without wasting your Foul action, and without the risk of being Sent-off!

3 – Scrappa Sorehead

The ultimate pogoer, Scrappa is swift and agile. His Yoink! rule can sabotage passing plays, giving him a chance to intercept a Pass on a 2+ if he’s under the ball’s trajectory.

2 – Bomber Dribblesnot

Once per game, Bomber can use his Kaboom! special rule to detonate a caught bomb before his opponent can throw it back! This is perfect for neutralizing key players or blowing up a cage’s core.

1 – Ripper Bolgrot

This hulking Strength 5 brute doesn’t suffer from Always Hungry and Really Stupid, making him a consistent threat. Plus, Thinking Man’s Troll grants him one re-roll each half!

Join us next time as we dissect another team and explore how to make them a formidable force on the Blood Bowl pitch.

Until next time, folks. And remember, don’t get into a scrum with a Minotaur unless you have a good dental plan!

*As reliable as a Troll can be, that is!