Blitz Bowl: Ultimate Edition review - "Boils the game down to its purest essentials"

GamesRadar+ VerdictDespite being an entry-point to the fantasy football series, Blitz Bowl: Ultimate Edition is up there with the greats. Besides being faster, cheaper, and more accessible than its big brother, Blood Bowl, this game distills everything great about its predecessors into a bite-size package.Pros+A really solid introduction to a different side of Warhammer+Great value for the price pointCons-Games can sometimes ramble on GamesRadar+ Verdict GamesRadar+ Verdict Despite being an entry-point to the fantasy football series, Blitz Bowl: Ultimate Edition is up there with the greats. Besides being faster, cheaper, and more accessible than its big brother, Blood Bowl, this game distills everything great about its predecessors into a bite-size package. Despite being an entry-point to the fantasy football series, Blitz Bowl: Ultimate Edition is up there with the greats. Besides being faster, cheaper, and more accessible than its big brother, Blood Bowl, this game distills everything great about its predecessors into a bite-size package. Pros+A really solid introduction to a different side of Warhammer+Great value for the price point A really solid introduction to a different side of Warhammer Great value for the price point Cons-Games can sometimes ramble on Games can sometimes ramble on Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy. Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy. Jump to:Features & designGameplayShould you buy it?How we tested Jump to:Features & designGameplayShould you buy it?How we tested If you’ve been around Warhammer long enough, you’ve almost certainly heard of Blood Bowl - even if you’ve never played it. The self-proclaimed “game of fantasy football” has been knocking around in various forms since 1986 and has developed a devoted fanbase. It has a very different tone to the likes of Warhammer 40,000 and Age of Sigmar; more light-hearted and silly than grimdark, while also packing what’s become a fairly fearsome ruleset. The current edition rulebook runs to a not-inconsiderable 140 pages and includes everything from different sorts of player injuries to hiring and firing players and the behaviour of your team’s fans. EnterBlitzBowl – the game’s slimmed-down, more budget-friendly cousin. Features & design Swipe to scroll horizontallyPrice$34.99Ages12+Game typeWargamePlayers2Lasts30minsComplexityModerateDesignersIn-housePublisherGames WorkshopPlay if you enjoyBlood Bowl, Combat Arena, Space Marine Adventures, Guild Ball Swipe to scroll horizontally Price$34.99Ages12+Game typeWargamePlayers2Lasts30minsComplexityModerateDesignersIn-housePublisherGames WorkshopPlay if you enjoyBlood Bowl, Combat Arena, Space Marine Adventures, Guild Ball At its heart, Blitz Bowl is basically a fantasy version of what we Brits refer to as “American Football” – albeit with more violence. The two teams tackle, shove, and batter each other senseless while trying to gain control of the ball in order to score Touchdowns in their opponent’s End Zone. It’s a tried-and-true system, and one that makes it a legitimate contender for lists of thebest board games. While we’ve seen previous sets before (featuring Humans vs. Orcs, or Humans vs. Skaven), this Ultimate Edition pits Orcs against Dwarves and packs in more advanced rules than before. The nice and sturdy game board is also different from prior versions… though anyone who has seen the old sets will find this familiar. Each of the teams has access to a range of different player types. In Blood Bowl, teams can sprawl to 11 players on the pitch at any given time, but in Blitz Bowl the squad size – at least in this box – is restricted to six models. Both teams have multiple Linemen (your bog-standard, good-for-most-things workhorse), plus a Blitzer (who is tougher and faster), a Thrower (good for lobbing the ball), and some sort of heavy – in the case of the Orcs, a “Big Un Blocker,” and a Troll Slayer for the Dwarves. (Image credit: Future) Don’t get too excited about new models, mind: these are the same Orc and Dwarf Blood Bowl models that have been on offer for ages. They’re good little kits – chunky, with some really nice character and detail, but they’re not original to this set. Alongside these warriors, you’re getting that aforementioned board, the Challenge cards needed for the game, plus a set of Random Event cards for more advanced players, which includes things like -1 armor modifiers due to the crumbling Astrogranite pitch, and monsters bursting out of the trapdoor that usually disgorges the ball. In a really nice touch, the set also includes a full set of Team Cards, not just for the Orcs and Dwarves, but for a total of 23 different teams, including Warhammer favorites like Khorne, Skaven, and Lizardmen, as well as more esoteric squads like Gnomes, Amazons, and Chaos Chosen. It’s a canny move on Games Workshop’s part; not only does it extend the life of this box considerably, it’s a gentle nudge for players to invest in more teams. Gameplay (Image credit: Future) Each player (known as a Coach in-game) gets three actions per turn, which must be divvied up between the friendly models in play. These actions are pretty much as you might expect: you can run, throw the ball, strike your opponents, or mark them – basically getting in their way and bogging them down on the pitch. Crucially, models can’t repeat actions in a turn. You couldn’t, for instance, have an Orc Lineman simply stand and punch someone three times, or run more than once per turn. The limited nature of the actions also means that you have to consider each move carefully. Despite this, the game tends to play fast and furious, especially when you’re familiar with the rules. The teams here are evenly matched, both well-armored and punchy. That does sometimes mean that the game, straight out the box, can occasionally get locked into a long, repetitive cycle of: an Orcs belts a Dwarf, who falls over. The Dwarf gets back up, belts the Orc, who falls over – and so on, round and round and round. Go long(Image credit: Warhammer Community)Want to take things further and try out the ‘full’ game? You can grab the Blood Bowl Second Season Edition box setfrom Amazon, or try one of the many alternate teamsvia Games Workshop’s own store. Go long (Image credit: Warhammer Community)Want to take things further and try out the ‘full’ game? You can grab the Blood Bowl Second Season Edition box setfrom Amazon, or try one of the many alternate teamsvia Games Workshop’s own store. (Image credit: Warhammer Community) Want to take things further and try out the ‘full’ game? You can grab the Blood Bowl Second Season Edition box setfrom Amazon, or try one of the many alternate teamsvia Games Workshop’s own store. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, however. Blitz Bowl boils the game down to its purest essentials and while veteran Blood Bowl players may find the lack of granularity off-putting, there’s still a fair bit of depth here. Once you’ve learned the basics, you can apply the Advanced rules, bring in other teams, play with different arena conditions, and start having fun fouling your opponents and throwing friendly players across the pitch. Crucially, for new or younger gamers coming to the game fresh, Blitz Bowl strikes the balance between being really easy to learn, while also being fun and rich enough to keep coming back to. Should you buy Blitz Bowl: Ultimate Edition? (Image credit: Future) Blitz Bowl is really fun and tremendously good value for money. It’s faster and easier to pick up than Blood Bowl and makes a great step up for new players wanting something that’s more advanced than a traditional board game but perhaps not as complex as its bigger brother, or as potentially endless and time-consuming as Warhammer 40,000 or Age of Sigmar. The models, too, are very nice. I hoped to get both teams painted in time for this review, but only managed the Dwarves (I painted a couple in a really horrible dark red before changing course and going with a light blue and gold scheme that felt like it fitted the vibe of the game better). I’ll come back to the Orcs in due course, though – I love how chunky and jagged they are. Indeed, my only gripe with the miniatures is that the little hole on the base where you’re supposed to slot the ball in is functionally useless. The game plays so fast and the ball changes player so often you’ll more-than-likely end up resting it on the base instead. Is it the best version on this family of games? No. Blood Bowl is the bigger, richer experience. There’s also Dungeon Bowl, a lesser-spotted spinoff that goes deeper (literally) and weirder. But itisthe fastest and friendliest of the three games and it’s the one that’s most likely to appeal to kids and younger siblings – or anyone who just wants to play a quick game of fantasy football. Buy it if… ✅You want a self-contained Games Workshop gameYoucanexpand Blitz Bowl with other teams, but likewise you could just keep playing with the contents of this set. ✅You want a self-contained Games Workshop gameYoucanexpand Blitz Bowl with other teams, but likewise you could just keep playing with the contents of this set. ✅You want a self-contained Games Workshop gameYoucanexpand Blitz Bowl with other teams, but likewise you could just keep playing with the contents of this set. ✅You want a self-contained Games Workshop gameYoucanexpand Blitz Bowl with other teams, but likewise you could just keep playing with the contents of this set. ✅You want a self-contained Games Workshop gameYoucanexpand Blitz Bowl with other teams, but likewise you could just keep playing with the contents of this set. ✅You want a self-contained Games Workshop gameYoucanexpand Blitz Bowl with other teams, but likewise you could just keep playing with the contents of this set. ✅You want a cheap and accessible entry-level gameBlitz Bowl combines a solid and very playable game with nice models and a low RRP. What’s not to love? ✅You want a cheap and accessible entry-level gameBlitz Bowl combines a solid and very playable game with nice models and a low RRP. What’s not to love? ✅You want a cheap and accessible entry-level gameBlitz Bowl combines a solid and very playable game with nice models and a low RRP. What’s not to love? ✅You want a cheap and accessible entry-level gameBlitz Bowl combines a solid and very playable game with nice models and a low RRP. What’s not to love? ✅You want a cheap and accessible entry-level gameBlitz Bowl combines a solid and very playable game with nice models and a low RRP. What’s not to love? ✅You want a cheap and accessible entry-level gameBlitz Bowl combines a solid and very playable game with nice models and a low RRP. What’s not to love? Don’t buy it if… ❌You’re only interested in ‘serious’ gamesBlitz Bowl is a bit daft – and that’s part of its charm. ❌You’re only interested in ‘serious’ gamesBlitz Bowl is a bit daft – and that’s part of its charm. ❌You’re only interested in ‘serious’ gamesBlitz Bowl is a bit daft – and that’s part of its charm. ❌You’re only interested in ‘serious’ gamesBlitz Bowl is a bit daft – and that’s part of its charm. ❌You’re only interested in ‘serious’ gamesBlitz Bowl is a bit daft – and that’s part of its charm. ❌You’re only interested in ‘serious’ gamesBlitz Bowl is a bit daft – and that’s part of its charm. ❌ You like the granularity of Blood BowlThis is a much simpler game. ❌ You like the granularity of Blood BowlThis is a much simpler game. ❌ You like the granularity of Blood BowlThis is a much simpler game. ❌ You like the granularity of Blood BowlThis is a much simpler game. ❌ You like the granularity of Blood BowlThis is a much simpler game. ❌ You like the granularity of Blood BowlThis is a much simpler game. How we tested Blitz Bowl: Ultimate Edition Disclaimer Our reviewer tested this game multiple times to get a better feel for the teams. They also painted one team from the boxset for the full experience. For more details on our process, check our guide tohow we test board games, or the general GamesRadar+reviews policypage. For more recommendations, check out these essentialboard games for adultsor the best2-player board games. 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“Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”