Blood Bowl is truly something special in the wargaming hobby world. From its humble beginnings as a spinoff of Warhammer Fantasy containing much of the same rules of that game, to its current iteration as its own fully fleshed out system and dedicated fanbase, Blood Bowl shines as one of the best tabletop sports games in the hobby. In Blood Bowl, players take on the role of a team of American-style football players, slugging it out on the gridiron to score the most points. Now, Games Workshop is releasing an old favorite team, the Amazon, for the newest iteration of the game.
Who Is The Blood Bowl Amazon Team?
The Blood Bowl Amazon teams hail from the rainforests of Lustria, a place lost and obscured to most in the Old World. These all-women teams are, like their homeland, shrouded in mystery, and little is known of their origins. It is believed they were originally trained as warriors, but as time went on they devoted their skills to the game of Blood Bowl.
When they were first encountered as a series of teams (there are several famous Amazon teams throughout Blood Bowl history), opposing coaches considered them an easy target, thinking they were brand new to the game. But their warrior training, along with their incredible speed, soon made it clear they were just as tough and ready as the most grizzled group starring on Cabalvision.
What's Included In The Blood Bowl Amazon Starting Team Box?
The Blood Bowl Amazon starting team box contains the pieces necessary to assemble twelve team members. Included are:
- 2x Python Warriors
- 2x Piranha Warriors
- 2x Jaguar Warriors
- 6x Eagle Warriors (which come in three different poses)
Let's start with the Eagle Warriors, these Linewomen have similar stats to a classic lineman model, and they're cost-effective at 50,000 points each. They come ready with the Dodge skill, which also makes them a slippery addition to the team and sets the tone for the rest of the group. With these Eagle Warriors as the backbone of your team, you'll find yourself dancing around the pitch, weaving in and out before striking hard.
The Python Warrior Throwers also benefit from great mobility and are able to reliably pass the ball around the pitch throughout the game. The Piranha Warrior Blitzers are the fastest players on the team and have the ability to jump right back up after getting knocked down. Finally, the Jaguar Warrior Blockers are the strongest and toughest members of the team, and should be used to set up devastating blocks across the field.
Who Are The Blood Bowl Amazon Team Star Players?
There are three additional (and sold-separately) Star Players available for the Blood Bowl Amazon team. First, there's the witchy Estelle La Veneaux, who has the Disturbing Presence trait, and has a special rule called 'Baleful Hex' where she can once per game attempt a roll where an opposing player loses their Tackle Zone and can't be activated again until the end of your opponent's next turn.
There's also the snake-like Boa Kon'ssstriktr, who has traits like 'Hypnotic Gaze,' and 'Prehensile Tail.' Boa also has a special ability called 'Look Into My Eyes,' allowing him to once per game use his hypnotizing presence to steal the ball right out from the hands of an opponent. And finally, there's the hulking Glotl Stop, a giant crocodile-like monster who has the 'Primal Savagery' special rule, allowing it to lash out in fury at an opposing player if it fails an Animal Savagery roll (normally it would lash out at its fellow teammates!). Glotl can't pass, but with a 6 Strength and the 'Mighty Blow (+1) ability it will absolutely shred the competition.
What Else Do I Need To Play A Blood Bowl Amazon Team?
While the basic stats are printed on the assembly instructions of the Blood Bowl Amazon Team, there's another key release up for preorder this weekend that is absolutely worth investing in if you plan to run this team. Issue Fifteen of Spike! Fantasy Football Journal, an in-universe publication made by Games Workshop, contains all the rules and lots of flavor for running your Blood Bowl Amazon Team. When we say "in-universe" we mean that the entire magazine, from front to back, is designed and written as though you, the reader, live in the world of Blood Bowl.
It's an incredible source of information and lore, and honestly is a really funny read. This issue gets to the heart of what makes Blood Bowl so fun... it has a huge sense of humor. Also included within are rules for playing in the jungles of Lustria, what the audience is like (and how that can impact gameplay), and rules for playing with their two special balls: the Crystal Skull Ball and the Snake-Swallowed Ball.
What Are Our Final Thoughts On the Blood Bowl Amazon Team Releases?
I've really enjoyed assembling and playtesting the Blood Bowl Amazon Team. It's an incredibly agility-focused team, and you won't get that satisfying Kerrunch! of player smashing into player that you'd normally get with more stocky teams, but they're so fast on the whole, and can dodge around the board so swiftly, that it really opens up new avenues of play.
Should I Buy The Blood Bowl Amazon Team?
If you're looking to start a new Blood Bowl team and like the look and feel of the Amazons, I would highly recommend at least picking up the main box and Spike! Fantasy Journal Issue 15. Expanding into Star Players really depends on your play style, as each of the three here play very differently from one another, and may not jive perfectly well with all gameplay plans.
Bonus: Warhammer Quest: Cursed City Nightwars
Also up for preorder this weekend is Warhammer Quest: Cursed City Nightwars. We're going to follow up with coverage soon on this much-anticipated expansion to the beloved Warhammer Quest: Cursed City dungeon-crawler, but we thought it was worth a special mention here. This new expansion set requires the base Cursed City game to play, and doesn't come with any new models, but it truly breathes hours of new life into the game with rules for three brand-new journey types, and the cards and tokens necessary to take on these new quests. The game can be further expanded with the purchase (separately) of specific miniatures, namely: Radukar the Beast, Fell Bats, Vampire Lord, Lady Annika the Thirsting Blade, and Kritza the Rat Prince. Stay tuned for our in-depth review as we work our way through the new content!
The Blood Bowl and Cursed City products used in the creation of this review were provided by Games Workshop.