Talk Fantasy Football

So we all know that Blood Bowl is literally the greatest game that's even possible right?

A given.

However I think one place where we all lack from time to time is embracing a little bit the world that it's actually taking place in. Sure it doesn't have the 30 years of intensive story development that Warhammer 40,000 has... but it still occupies it's own crazy little corner of the gaming multiverse, and between slapping together your latest power list for the next tournament (maybe even pushing that "3 colour minimum" rule to the limit!), crowbarring in a tired NFL reference (MY TEAM ARE THE KILLEDELPHIA SHMEAGLES) or even just going for the ha-ha's, naming them the Poo Pants Brigade and naming your noble Saurus Warrior "Joey Mc Joe Joe" because although you could rattle off a 30-page epic backstory for your homebrew Space Marine chapter on Bolter and Chainsword, putting 5 minutes of thought into player names is a bridge too far... I think we fall short on giving the Blood Bowl world the credit it deserves.


For many years I've been as guilty of this as any, although I do usually try and give my teams relatively generic yet thematic names - "Ironhelm Anvils", "Goldenvale Gliders" etc. Sometimes I wasn't hot on player names, and I never gave two thoughts about actual backstory for my teams.


So here's what I've started doing - and it's a challenge I put out there to the rest of you. Any team roster spreadsheet I now produce has not only space for a team logo, but space for at the very least a short paragraph for a little fluff. I'll give you a couple of examples.


My human team - the Blackvalley Union - "The affluent industrial town of Blackvalley used to have two teams - but the town's governing body opted to merge the two sides in order to better unite the townsfolk in support. Thus the Blackvalley Union was formed."


My Lizardmen team - The T'Latoc Totems - "It wasn't long ago that T'Latoc had only enthusiastic Skinks to call on for a Blood Bowl team, but after the arrival of some veteran Saurii that had each been recently "retired" from their respective teams, the Totems were born!"


As you can see I don't exactly go into much detail and neither one of the above backgrounds required any real knowledge about the setting of the Old World in fact. But, I think it adds a nice little bit of additional thought to the creation of your teams and I hope that some of you will take the challenge to add a little text like this to your team sheets

My last league team were the Cornwood Eagles. Wood Elves. They styled themselves as the Fancymen of Cornwood (any Futurama fans might spot the reference).
I have player names, logo and fluff.

After the season ended (with trophy in tow) the Fancymen of Cornwood rebooted themselves as the Cornwood Falcons. Now a pro Elf team. They are the same players, so have kept the names.

As they have already lost their 100% win rate they achieved as the Eagles they have already decided a further rebranding is in order. Next season they will become the Cornwood Incubi. The darkest timeline for them.

Bloody love the fluff! I saw on here that Roblematic ran a Wordsmith Award at the North Wales Carnage Cup, which I like the idea of.

I'm currently coaching these teams in the SAWBBL League, fluff is at the bottom of each team's 'About' page:

Drergan Mort Maulers (Norse)

Nuln City Gunners (Human).

Infidelphia Eagles (Nurgle).

Karak Cegharuhm Royals (Dwarf), ft. Thrafog Bitterbrew, Grubrolim Grumblemane (think he's my favourite) and Thrarhel Caskbelly.

I love this!

Personally, I can’t stand real world names of cities being used by coaches for their teams (like Washington, Denver, Baltimore, etc). I think it’s just plain lazy, but, I don’t believe coaches shouldn’t do it. Whatever floats their boat. It is just a game in the end. I just know that I won’t do it. I’ve always liked fluff and I think I’m going to start writing down some of my thoughts for some of my teams. This post has given me the little push I needed. Keeping it lighthearted is my thing, and good fluff just adds to it.

I joined the HEBBL (Herts and Essex Blood Bowl League) last year and signed up to use my High Elves. I wrote a little into story on their Facebook page to show how the elves had mistakenly ended up there instead of the High Elf Blood Bowl League. As the games went on I wrote more stories - especially about the vain captain of the team, the thrower Caleth Longarm. As he started to scored more completions I thought I'd try to get the rest of the guys in the league to compete for Most Completions - so I had a small trophy made "The Caleth Longarm trophy" which spurred the other coaches on to either throw more passes or try to get a bounty out on the thrower. It was brilliant - one of the most fun seasons I've ever played in.

So I can recommend getting some fluff written for your teams and players for sure.

Some awesome dedication there guys... great stuff!!

@HowlingGriffon, I love that and, if the league I've started at my FLGS goes into its second season, I'll incorporate something similar for season two.

The league gave trophies for Most Cas and Most TD - so I thought I'd add one of my own Only cost me about £8

At the last AWM we held a fluff competition. The spreadsheet for the roster that all coaches filled in also partially populated a mock up of the 2nd edition legendary team pages. Coaches could then add a picture, team moto and a chunk of background for their team. We announced a top 5 as the tournament began and eliminated one coach per round of games until the best fluffer remained. They then won a prize.

I love the fluff almost as much as the game.

Its a shame more tournaments don't make fluff awards

It's something I'll store for the future. I only have one team with proper fluff, but I'm proud of them.

Upon his return from saving the city of Cathay from the sack of the Five Armies in the year 2513, Bertrand found himself a rich man.* The Marquis de Prottiton settled into a quiet retirement, his adventuring days done. There were no more dragons to slay, no treasures to rescue, no maidens to plunder. As many wealthy gentleman do, Bertrand gravitated to Marienburg, that glimmering jewel of the northern Empire. In that majestic fairground of excess, our hero took a keen interest in sport, most especially that most glorious of endeavours: Blood Bowl



* Please note that the event recorded as the Sack of Cathay by many historians was, in fact an accident involving a carelessly lit firework The conflagration that claimed much of that fabled city (including its famed golden lion statues) occurred the day after Hairfoot left the capital to begin his homeward journey. The lion statues which now sit outside of the Firefly Stadium, in Marienburg, were created out of purest gold in memory of those lost during the great fire.

nazgob wrote:* Please note that the event recorded as the Sack of Cathay by many historians was, in fact an accident involving a carelessly lit firework The conflagration that claimed much of that fabled city (including its famed golden lion statues) occurred the day after Hairfoot left the capital to begin his homeward journey. The lion statues which now sit outside of the Firefly Stadium, in Marienburg, were created out of purest gold in memory of those lost during the great fire.[/i]

Love it.

For the current team in the local league I have made a webpage

https://hochlandhailers.wordpress.com

A small report for each match, description of each player and staff, stadium, did you knows... Fluff is what made me love this game back in 2ed.

Some years ago we ran a BB1 league (old 2ed format) for a couple of seasons and I did the fluff for that too:

https://bloodbowlleague.wordpress.com
https://season2492.wordpress.com

Just read the match reports

https://fumbbl.com/p/team?op=view&showm ... _id=790258

Heff wrote:Just read the match reports

https://fumbbl.com/p/team?op=view&showm ... _id=790258

No. Seriously, people. Read the match reports. I will never see Heff as just a Dwarf-hating, fun-hating contrarian again.

Did the team disband because of the tragedy, or were things coming to a close anyway?

Wifflebat wrote:

Heff wrote:Just read the match reports

https://fumbbl.com/p/team?op=view&showm ... _id=790258

No. Seriously, people. Read the match reports. I will never see Heff as just a Dwarf-hating, fun-hating contrarian again.

Did the team disband because of the tragedy, or were things coming to a close anyway?

Entirely because of the tragedy.