A Blood Bowl Blog (and other miscellaneous Hobby)

 Hello Internet


I'm starting this blog as an addition to my Hobby- something to give me some more purpose to what I do with miniature wargaming.

Having started the Hobby back in 2010 as a High-schooler, I went through the familiar, well worn path of many Hobbyists, taking a short hiatus during University to pursue 'cooler' pursuits. Having left University, the Hobby shaped gap started to slowly grow wider and wider in my life- the nostalgia, mixed suddenly with a disposable income level far beyond a teenager, had me slinking back to the Youtubers and Sites of old, and the purchase of Games Workshop's Kill Team in 2018.

What finally got me back in earnest was the release of Warlord games' 'Black Seas'- I had always wanted to play a game focussed on Naval combat in the age of sail, and this served as the gateway to me returning. It wasn't long before I was starting to build a small Warhammer 40k force up as well, and then the Covid Pandemic hit.

When I read that Games Workshop made record profits over the various Lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, it doesn't surprise me at all- I was part of the boom. Searching for things to do, it wasn't long before I was buying painting projects, and looking into the games I had always wanted to play. There are 2 games which I particularly enjoy: Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game, and Blood Bowl.


Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game

This was the first ever game I played when I got into the hobby, and in my opinion, is the best actual 'game' I've played on tabletop. Back then, it was known as The Lord of the Rings Strategy Game, or simply LOTR SBG, which is how I still refer to it. There is something about the gameplay of SBG which is fun, in a way 40k or Fantasy/AOS has never been to me. The power-gaming never feels as bad, the armies feel more 'fluffy', you feel more engaged throughout, the rules-set is well refined and smooth. This is a game where 1 player can bring an elite army of single heroes to play their friend's horde, and you still can't guarantee who will win. The Heroes feel cinematic, but they're not unstoppable- you have to know what you're doing to not get overwhelmed. Similarly, a Horde, or a rank and file army can feel powerful, but you have to be careful your force is never broken. 

I've chosen the Ents (my favourite of Tolkien's races, in both the books and films) for my return, and a timely choice it was, with plastic Treebeard being released soon after I had built and painted 2 Ents as a start to the force. I'm not expecting to write a lot about SBG on the blog, but you may see it pop up from time to time

The Entmoot as it currently stands


Blood Bowl

Blood Bowl is a slightly different prospect. When I started the hobby- I played what the people I knew played (LOTR SBG and 40k)- but Blood Bowl was always something I would look at with interest on the Games Workshop webstore (I actually used to spend a lot of time in the Specialist Games section of the GW online store, but they were removed before I ever had the chance to play one). Sport appeals to me slightly more than a 'battle', and the idea of a 'Fantasy' sport is one which really interested me. When Blood Bowl was rereleased in 2016, I had been vaguely aware, but didn't have the interest to pick it up at the time. I did, however, play the video game version, though this didn't quite scratch the itch of a board game for me (a virtual piece never feels like 'yours' as much as a physical model). With the rumours of Blood Bowl 2020 though, I was ready to jump in to a game I had long wanted to play, and after pre-ordering the starter set (splitting with a friend)- I have ended up slowly acquiring teams.

Some of my Old World Alliance Team


This is my first planned project for this Blog- a sevens league, with match reports and league information written up here. I'm planning this as a 'narrative' Blood Bowl league- not especially competitive, more about telling the stories of the league, and as something for me to enjoy, not just playing, but creating the characters for the Blog as well. 

Posts for this will follow, in the meantime, thank you if you've read this (realistically no-one probably has- oh well!), and see you soon.

Goodbye from Akhorne!


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