Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game

2011

Blood Bowl: Team Manager is a thrilling card game for 2-4 players. Manage your team, compete for highlights, and accumulate fans to win the ultimate Blood Bowl tournament!

120
minutes

2 - 4
player(s)

14+

Medium

About the game

Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game is a thrilling, action-packed game that lets you take on the role of a team manager in the brutal and thrilling world of Blood Bowl. This game is a perfect blend of strategy, chaos, and fun, where each player competes to become the ultimate manager in the Blood Bowl league.

Set in the iconic Warhammer Fantasy universe, the game imbues the gritty and humorous theme of fantasy football. Teams consist of various creatures from the Warhammer world, including orcs, dwarves, humans, and even goblins, each with their unique abilities and traits.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game is an exciting game that combines strategy, deck-building and sports. It includes a variety of components, each with its unique role in the game. Here’s a detailed list:

1. Player Cards

These are the main components of the game. Each player manages a team of players, represented by these cards. Players use these cards to score points, tackle opponents, and execute strategic plays. They are the primary means of interaction in the game.

2. Team Tokens

Each team has a set of tokens in their specific color. These tokens are used to keep track of scores and the team’s fans. They are crucial for determining the winner of the game.

3. Highlight and Matchup Cards

Highlight and Matchup cards represent the weekly events and matches that teams participate in. Players use their Player Cards to compete in these events and matches, with the aim of gaining more fans.

4. Cheat Tokens

Cheat tokens add an element of unpredictability to the game. They can be attached to player cards to potentially increase their abilities, but they also carry the risk of penalties.

5. Ball Tokens

Ball tokens are used to signify which player card is currently in possession of the ball. This is crucial for scoring points and winning matchups.

6. Team Dashboard

The Team Dashboard is where players organize their team. It displays the team’s logo and color, and it has spaces for the team’s deck, discard pile, and fans. The dashboard helps players keep track of their resources and plan their strategies.

7. Spike! Magazine Cards

Spike! Magazine cards represent the seasonal events in the game. At the beginning of each season, one Spike! Magazine card is drawn, and its effects are applied for the entire season. These effects can change the rules of the game, adding an extra layer of strategy.

8. Scoreboard

The scoreboard is used to keep track of the teams’ scores. Teams earn points by winning matchups and attracting fans, and the team with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.

9. Tournament Cards

Tournament cards are special events that occur once per season. They give players the opportunity to earn extra points, but they also present more challenges and risks.

10. Pog and Coin Tokens

Pog tokens are used to track the team’s star players, and coin tokens are used to manage the team’s financial resources. Both types of tokens are crucial for team management and strategy.

Game flow Round and round we go

Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game is a competitive game where players manage a team of athletes in a brutal fantasy football league. The game is played over multiple rounds, each consisting of several phases. Below is a detailed breakdown of the game structure and the actions players perform at each stage.

1. Round Setup Phase

In the Round Setup Phase, players prepare for the upcoming round of play. Here’s what happens during this phase:

Each player draws six cards from their team deck.
A number of game highlights are revealed depending on the number of players.
Each player, in turn order, places one of their players on an available matchup.

2. Maintenance Phase

The Maintenance Phase is when players prepare their teams for the upcoming matchups. The actions performed in this phase include:

Each player, in turn order, has the opportunity to use a team or staff upgrade.
Players can also decide to discard any number of cards from their hand and draw the same number of cards from their team deck.

3. Matchup Phase

During the Matchup Phase, players send their athletes to compete in the highlighted matchups. Here’s what happens:

In turn order, each player places one of their players on an available matchup.
Players can perform the action on the card if possible.
Once all players have placed all of their players, the Matchup Phase ends.

4. Scoreboard Phase

The Scoreboard Phase determines the winners of each matchup. Here’s how it works:

Each matchup is resolved in the order they were revealed.
The player with the highest total star power at a matchup wins it and collects the rewards.
The rewards can be fans (points), team upgrades, or staff upgrades.
The winners of each matchup are recorded on the scoreboard.

5. Cleanup Phase

In the Cleanup Phase, players prepare for the next round. The actions in this phase include:

All players discard their hand.
All cards in play are removed and placed in the discard pile.
The next round begins with the Round Setup Phase.

This cycle continues until the end of the game, typically after five rounds. The player with the most fans at the end of the game is declared the winner.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

‘Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game’ is a highly competitive game where players manage teams from the Warhammer universe to compete in Blood Bowl matches. Each player’s turn is divided into several phases and involves a number of strategic decisions. Here is a detailed breakdown of what happens during a player’s turn:

1. Start of Turn:

At the start of their turn, the player draws up to six cards from their team deck. If the team deck is empty, they shuffle their discard pile to form a new deck. The player must always have at least two players in their hand at the start of their turn.

2. Matchup Phase:

In this phase, the player must commit one of their players to a matchup. This involves placing a player card from their hand onto one of the available matchups. The player can choose to commit a Star Player, a Freebooter or a regular team member. The choice of player to commit can depend on the current situation in the game and the player’s strategy. For example, committing a Star Player can give the player a significant advantage, but also makes that player a target for the opponent’s tactics.

3. Cheating Phase:

After committing a player, the player may choose to cheat. This involves drawing a cheat token and placing it on the committed player. Cheating can provide a temporary boost to the player’s abilities, but also carries the risk of being penalised if the cheat token reveals a foul.

4. Skills Phase:

The player can now use any skills that their committed player has. This can include attacking an opponent’s player, moving players between matchups, or manipulating the ball. The strategic use of skills can have a big impact on the outcome of a matchup.

5. End of Turn:

At the end of their turn, the player refills their hand to six cards. If their deck is empty, they shuffle their discard pile to form a new deck. The player then passes their turn to the next player.

Strategic choices:

Throughout their turn, the player must make a number of strategic decisions. These can include:

Which player to commit to a matchup.
Whether to cheat, and if so, on which player.
How to use their player’s skills.

Each of these decisions can have a significant impact on the player’s position in the game, and must be made carefully to maximise their chances of winning.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

The game of Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game generally ends when the end of the final match of the last week is reached. A “week” in Blood Bowl: Team Manager refers to a complete round of play, with each player having a turn. The number of weeks in a game varies depending on the number of players: five weeks for a two-player game, four for a three-player game, and three for a four-player game.

Victory Conditions:

At the end of the game, players count their fans (points) and the player with the most fans is declared the winner. Fans are earned through various game actions such as winning highlights and matches, as well as from Star Players, Team Upgrades, and tournament rewards.

Actions before Final Scoring:

Before final scoring begins, there are specific actions that players must take:

End of Match: At the end of each match, players compare their total star power in each match-up. The player with the highest star power wins the match-up and gains the reward indicated on the match-up card. In case of a tie, the manager who committed their player to the match-up last wins.
End of Week: After all match-ups have been resolved and rewards distributed, the week ends. All cards in play are discarded, and a new week begins. At this time, players can also upgrade their team by spending their earned fans.
End of Game: After the last week has ended and all match-ups have been resolved, players count their total number of fans for final scoring. This includes fans earned during the game, fans from Star Players and Team Upgrades, and fans from any remaining Staff Upgrade cards.

It is crucial to note that all Star Players and Staff Upgrades are revealed and any fans on these cards are added to the players’ totals. The player with the most fans achieves victory in the chaotic world of Blood Bowl: Team Manager.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game is a competitive game where players earn points or fans through their performance in matches and tournaments. The scoring system works as follows:

At the end of each match, the team with the most Star Power on their side of the match wins that match. The winning team immediately scores Fans equal to the fan value on the match in which they were victorious.

Tournaments are another way to score points. The player with the most Star Power in a tournament wins and scores fans based on the tournament’s payout.

End Game Scoring:

At the end of the fifth game round, the player with the most Fans wins the game.
If there is a tie for the most Fans, the player among those tied with the most Team Upgrades wins.
If there is still a tie, the player among those tied with the most Star Players wins.
If there is still a tie, the tied players share the victory.

It’s crucial to note that Fans are the primary means of scoring and winning the game. However, earning Team Upgrades and recruiting Star Players can also contribute significantly, especially in the event of a tie.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game is a complex game that requires a good understanding of its special rules and exceptions. Here are some important rule clarifications you should know:

1. Star Players:

Star Players can be a game-changer in Blood Bowl. However, remember that Star Players cannot be committed to a match-up until after all Managers have passed in the Commitment phase. This rule is an exception and differs from the rule for regular players.

2. Ball Token:

The Ball Token gives a player +1 Star Power for the current match-up. However, if a player with the ball token is downed or ejected, the ball is dropped and stays at the match-up. It does not follow the player to the discard pile.

3. Sprint and Cheat Icons:

When a player with a Sprint Icon is committed to a match-up, the manager may draw a card from their team deck and then discard a card. The discarded card does not have to be the card drawn.
When a player with a Cheat Icon is committed to a match-up, the manager must draw a cheat token and place it face down on that player. The cheat token is not revealed until the Score Phase, and its effects can have both positive and negative outcomes.

4. Fans and Payouts:

Fans are earned during the Score Phase and through certain abilities. They are critical for winning the game. However, the game has a special rule that fans earned during the game are not counted during the final scoring. Only the fans on the Manager’s Scoreboard contribute to the final score.
Payouts are won from match-ups. Payouts can be in the form of Star Players, Team Upgrades, or Staff Upgrades. Remember, managers cannot refuse a payout.

5. Downed and Ejected Players:

Downed players can be stood up in subsequent turns using “stand-up” actions. However, a downed player cannot perform a tackle action.
Ejected players are immediately placed in the manager’s discard pile. They are not available for the remainder of the current round.

6. Tackling:

A manager can only tackle an opponent’s standing player. Downed players or players on the bench cannot be tackled.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

In Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game, players take on the role of a team manager of a unique race. They will need to manage their team’s roster and game plan to earn the most fans by the end of the season. Here are some tips, advanced strategies, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize gameplay.

Beginner Tips:

Start with a balanced team composition: A balanced team ensures that you have a variety of options to respond to your opponents’ moves.
Understand the strengths and weaknesses of your race: Each race has unique abilities and playstyles. It’s essential to understand these to maximize your team’s potential.
Manage your hand carefully: Hand management is a key element of the game. Make sure you’re not wasting valuable cards.

Advanced Strategies:

Focus on high fan value matches: Winning these matches can provide a significant boost to your total fans and help you secure victory.
Plan your moves ahead: Try to predict your opponents’ moves and plan your actions accordingly. This can give you an edge in the game.
Use your star players effectively: Star players are powerful but limited resources. Use them wisely to turn the tide of a match.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Overcommitting to a match: Overcommitting resources to a match can leave you vulnerable in other areas. Balance is key.
Ignoring the tournament: The tournament is a crucial aspect of the game. Make sure you’re prepared for it and don’t leave it as an afterthought.
Not adapting your strategy: It’s important to adapt your strategy based on your opponents’ moves and the state of the game. Sticking rigidly to a single strategy can lead to defeat.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Understand the game mechanics: The more you understand the game’s mechanics, the better you’ll be able to strategize and make optimal decisions.
Practice with different races: Each race offers a unique playstyle. Practicing with different races can help you understand their strengths and weaknesses, and improve your overall gameplay.
Study your opponents: By understanding your opponents’ strategies, you can better plan your own moves and counter their actions.