Hello, my delicious friends!

I wrote this guide originally for Blood Bowl 2, and people seemed to find it useful, so I've copied most of the content with whatever adjustments BB3 needed.

Blood Bowl is one of my favorite games, however, it can be tricky to master. It's hard to become good at it, but in-game tutorials (and a joke called "BB3 AI") don't help much at all.

Many new players struggle to overcome these early barriers, get disappointed and leave. Now, we can't let this happen, can we? Nuffle demands daily sacrifices, so I decided to make this guide to help you get over this initial learning curve.

Before we dive into details, let me tell you a few things upfront:

- THIS IS NOT the fundamentals guide, it is more of a Handbook to help you improve the way you are playing this game. That said, I will assume that you know the basics (i.e how tacklezones work and what certain skills do) and are capable of looking up the unfamiliar terms (2D, Rush, etc) yourself.

- It will only help if you play to win. I don't find BB fun if I horse around with gimmicky builds and joke teams. I tried "having fun" with it, but ended up not caring. So I play to win, and any advice here is around maximizing win rates. Disregard everything I say if you goal is not to win games, I can respect that even though I don't understand it.

- It is only needed for the Multiplayer. Disregard anything if you only play vs AI, you don't need an advice on how to beat it, but I suggest you don't measure your blood bowl skills playing vs AI either.

- Blood Bowl for me is all about the risk management. I talk alot about how to mitigate risks, however keep in mind it is a dice game, and sometimes you can play perfectly and still lose. However you will win more if you manage your risks and position your pieces well, and I will try to show you some best practices.

Below in sections is a collection of tips on positioning, risk management and overall strategy. Hope you find it useful, let me know in comments if you have any questions or suggestions.

Here is the collection of tips in no particular order of importance, but all are related to overall mindset that I like the exercise playing Blood Bowl:

- Take time to think. Usually you have 2-3 minutes for a turn. Execution could take 30 seconds. Take at least a minute to think, you might find a better option.

- Don't get salty/rage quit. Sometimes you are diced, other times - outplayed, and quite often you just tried a sub-optimal play and got punished. If you are a new player, you don't yet have a good understanding of what's what, and its easy to blame dice/Nuffle/Cyanide/World Order, etc. You don't better at blow bowl by conceding when things don't go your way: i.e. lost a ball, opponent staling, got a favorite player injured, etc.

- Plan to Fail. Blood Bowl is a pessimists' game. Expect your next 3d block to fail. Twice in a row. Blitz, Perfect Defense, Pitch Invasion and Riot happen often on kick-off. Ball carrier might keep a hold on the ball against all odds. Hell, ag6+ might intercept or catch the ball on a scatter. You can't prepare for everything, but always ask yourself - what happens if my next action fails?

- Fouling is totally fine, it is a part of the game mechanic. Getting offended by a foul is the same is getting offended by a block. Fouling is an integral part of some teams' strategy and a good way to remove someone very nasty. Learn to foul though – use dirty player for strategic fouling and if not available use assists to reduce your opponents AV to 7+ or less. Av7+ foul with dirty player against a positional is generally a good idea. Remember though that it does not bring spp and is always about 25% to backfire (unless Sneaky Git is used, than the odds are much better). In BB3 Sneaky Git + Dirty Player combo is very potent, if you can get it on cheap lineman - great, but I'd even look to get it on more expensive players with primary access to General and Agility: elf lineman, ghoul...maybe even a gutter runner.

- Mind the Skills. There are a few skills that change the usual outcome of actions: sidestep, stand firm, diving tackle, juggernaut, nerves of steel etc. Some of them are not common, and thus have to be kept in check even more. It is not generally a good idea to dodge away from diving tackler or frenzying the side-stepper. It sounds like a common knowledge, but if you don't respect these skills you can fall into the trap.

It works the other way around too: there are a lot of skills in Blood Bowl, but majority of them are situational or outright bad for your players. Skills that are usually good pick: Block, Wrestle, Dodge, Guard, Mighty Blow, Tackle and Side-Step. Even these should not be picked on every player, but skills like Hail Mary or Pile Driver usually not worth taking. There are also not terrible, but very situational skills like Kick or Strip Ball that could benefit some teams, but be useless on others. Check streamers/youtubers for advice on specific teams.

- Don't waste rerolls. BB3 rules allow for multiple rerolls used in a turn, but if you aren't careful, you'd burn through all uickly. Avoid "Greed" rerolling of pushes on block dice - push is a great result 80% of the time, praise Nuffle or you'll reroll into double skulls. Rerolling a push on a ball carrier is generally acceptable, but should be carefully considered. If it is turn 8 or 16 and you are about to score, consider not doing anything else beside scoring: you may lose some lucky injury spp...or you may lose the game with quad skulls.

Generally you never want to start a team with less than 2 rrs and usually 3rrs are enough. Always try to do the appropriate actions with in-built reroll first (Dodge, Sure Hands, etc). Also not every failed block, dodge or even ball pickup must be re-rolled. Sometimes it is ok to eat the skull and turnover. Rule of a thumb – if it does not leave you at serious disadvantage (being out-positioned, giving up lots of blocks, etc) it does not have to be re-rolled. Save a re-roll to fight another turn.

- Big Guys will let you down. With only a few exceptions, Big Guys are not reliable because they are at least 2+ away from failing an action. They don't start with block, which means that even if they decide to act, they can fail a 2d (or even 3d) block with ease. Loner trait makes rerolling it a bad idea. Big guys also usually cost like 2-3 lineman and quite often extra lineman are a better choice. Big guys are not necessary for most teams and should be always expected to fail. IMHO best Big Guys are the ones with AV10 who can move on 2+ (i.e. Ogre, Krox) - I just give them guard and try activating them as little as possible.

- Know when to fire players. -Str is almost never worth keeping, so is - ag on someone who is supposed to dodge or pickup the ball. You can leave -mv on a line fodder if you cant replace straight away. But generally lots of those should be fired asap to avoid getting more spp. Also if you pick a random skill on a lineman and its a bad one, better to replace them quickly or risk catching another mvp and add to TV bloat.

- Pick useful pregame inducements. There are a lot of inducement options, but quite a few of them are a waste. Wizard used to be better, but still a decent inducement for any team. After that it all depends on how developed your team is: KO kegs and bribes could always be used, and if your match-up is so skewed you can also afford a star player, pick ones with block or wrestle at least as well as some useful skills (mb, tackle, etc) and ideally built-in rerolls for loner fails (dodge, catch, sure hands, etc).

Extra Apothecary (Apo) is great if you plan to use iit aggressively on KO or Badly Hurt (BH) to make sure your most important player is still in the game. Same goes for your regular Apo by the way - if you play to win and get game changing player out on BH or KO (i.e. your only mb tackle agaisnt elves, etc), consider using the Apo on him. Holding on to an Apo in hopes it will save somebody from death is very dicey anyway.

- Know when to Yolo. Sometimes you will have to throw a caution away and try risky actions. Just plan for those to fail and attempt them only when the alternative is worse (like getting a stuck player surfed) or it is the only way to victory. But risk smartly - i.e. 5+ dodge in the cage with Dodge to uphill 2d the ball carrier with wrestle-strip ball is high risk, but high reward action as well with riskier part having in-built reroll and push being a great result.

- Tired Bowl. This is more of a personal recommendation. Playing this game when you are mentally exhausted, sleepy or drunk will most likely lead to more bad plays being used. In turn, this will lower your win rate and might make you unhappy. Not sure if you are up for one more game? Better play something else.

- Don't learn from AI. AI in BB3 is horrible, you don't need anything in this guide to beat it. Don't measure your performance based on games vs AI, and be careful when practicing with it as it won't punish mistakes the way real person would. AI won't get better, abandon the hope.

I strongly suggest you play in Ladder or a League, this is how BB is meant to be played, and this is where it becomes challenging. I get it, you may not have enough time to play online, I am also a family man with a job, but I try and find an hour a day for my favorite game.

A collection of tips related to blocking and blitzing:

- Learn to 3D block. You need str 5 (str 3 + 2 assists, etc) to 3d str 2 players, and 7 for str 3. Former is almost always possible, latter is possible with big guys or a gang. It is generally a good idea for a Big Guy block (especially with no Block skill), ntryiing to get Blodge (Block+Dodge) player without tackle or blocking someone when you have no rerolls left. Take care not to divert too many players for it though.

- Mind 2D without Block. Block is the best skill in the game because it prevents Both Down turnovers. When you dont have Block on a player, think of 2D blocks as 3+ dodging with Dodge - do them after important moves (i.e moving/protecting the ball) and safer moves (Block with Block, 2+ dodge with Dodge, etc) whenever possible and consider if you are prepared to burn a re-roll on Both Down results.

It may sounds like a fun idea to deliberately choose Both Down when no participants have Block/Wrestle to butt heads and fall. HOWEVER do not do this casually, even if you are av9 hitting on av7. Nuffle will play a joke on you, killing your av9 and stunning av7 at best. It is worth considering to prevent an opponent from scoring, but otherwise push is better 9/10 times.

If opponent rolls Both Down on Blockless block against your player with Wrestle: you may consider not using Wrestle to cause a turnover if it leaves them out-positioned. Consider if its worth a potential sacrifice of your player.

- Fear 1D Blocks. These will fail often, especially if you do not have Block/Wrestle. Attempt them only if there is much to gain/lose otherwise, prepare to fail and lose a player. Push must be considered a great result. Very often simply not doing a 1D is better strategy - it keeps the player marked and forces him to divert resources or roll their own 1Ds.

- Don't Uphill/Red Die block. Generally it is a bad idea, but there are few exceptions. Rule of a thumb, if opponent has Block and/or Stand Firm it is more likely not to work out for you. If they don't, however, and push is a great result (like pushing away the big guy marking a few players or hitting a ball carrier with strip ball) it might be worth a shot. Generally you must plan for these to fail and rerolling them usually not worth it. Remember that 2D+ uphill with Block is like rolling 3+: if 3+ dodge could get you in a better position, do it instead. 3D uphill are never worth it.

- Never fear the Frenzy, but always respect it. Frenzy gives you an option of crowd surfing someone is often possible 1 or even 2 squares away from the sideline. It is also a poor man's tackle as 4d with Frenzy and 2d with Tackle on a Blodger have surprisingly close odds to knock him down. Frenzy skill is good on any team, but a good frenzier has at least MV 6+ to blitz without Rushes. Always look for a surf opportunity and don't get surfed yourself by placing players 1-2 squares away from sidelines unprotected.

Also mind the Frenzy trap when the push on a first block will get you in trouble of following into 1d block or worse. Stand Firm allows you not to be surfed, while Side-Step gives option to step to any direction when hit near the sideline (provided it is free of other players). Finally, Fend will protect from frenzy surf , as frenzier can not follow up. Juggernaut cancels Stand Firm and Fend, while Grab counters Side-Step. Keep it in mind for both surf protection and surfing someone.

Finally watch for chainpushes - blocking or blitzing a player the way it moves other players around as there are no free squares to go. Chainpush can achieve a lot of goals: from 1-turn TD to pushing an opponents player in or out of tacklezones. It might be hard at first, but once you've learned all the squares a blocked player could go to, it becomes your second nature. Remember that it could be used against you as well, plan you positioning accordingly.

This section is generally about positioning and associated risk management:

- Stalling is a legit strategy. Delaying your score to, ideally, turn 8 (or 16) is not just a perfectly valid strategy, but often the only way to ensure victory. Classic blood bowl game plan is to score late, steal the ball from your opponent (or make him score early) and score again. Stalling is a way to do that, especially when it is 1-1 in second half and you are receiving. That said, stalling to get a tie is ok strategy, but generally not worth it, if you can get a shot at stealing the ball and scoring later. Finally, when you are leading 1-0 and receiving in the second half, there is no need to stall till the end - scoring in 2-3 turns means that the best your opponent could hope for is an unlikely tie.

- Avoid Casual Rushes and 2+ Dodges. Rushes are a trap - they look like a lucrative 2+ roll, but actually they have the same one in six chance to fail as 1D with Block. Rushes will eat your RRs and may ruin your game if not taken seriously. Best Rush is the one you don't mind failing. It goes double for 2+ dodges without Dodge by the way - don't attempt them casually, unless you can accept a failed dodge.

- Consider effective kick-off setups. When you defend (kick) obvious things are not to put vulnerable important players on LOS and don't make your valuable players be easy to blitz on defense. Also don't put players a square away from sideline against frenzy. Finally 3 players on defensive LOS is enough in most cases (unless you can make sure they won't be 2D blocked easily). Otherwise you are just giving up extra blocks. Most common Defensive setup is a Rule of 5, look it up.

On offense (receive) always remember Perfect defense (PD) and Blitz kick-off events. To defend from both don't put too many players on LOS and cover as many squares as possible with TZs. Don't put fragile players where they could be easily attacked during the Blitz event. Remember that sometimes it is ok not to block the LOS if failed block or PD will put you in a lot of trouble. Watch how experienced players setup during kick-off to learn the best positioning.

Remember it is ok if you opponent scores as long as he leaves you plenty of time to score back and win. Passive column defense is good for keeping opponent from scoring quickly, but allows him to stall and limits your chances to steal the ball. Marking players and blitzing the ball may turn them over but leave you out-positioned. It all depends on whether you must stop the score, force an early touchdown or steal the ball at all costs.

- Count the squares and mind the tacklezones. Committing to one side of the pitch, leaving gaps in the screen, not moving far enough or moving too far, etc - this is a bread and butter of blood bowl and mistakes happen to everyone. Always double check before moving your pieces first and consider opponents options next turn. There is no one golden tip when it comes to this, follow best practices described in this guide and manage risks, you will get it eventually.

- Don't Mark without a good reason. Getting into opponent's tackle zone (marking) means you might lose this player next turn. Even a tough player with block+dodge could be struck down on POW, got armor broken and die. When you mark somebody, always ask yourself to what end? Honorable mention: dont put positionals on LOS at defense, same as marking with them.

There is a tactic of basing all relevant players (AKA going "all-menz") as it forces your opponent to do a lot of risky moves. Only do that if there is chance to steal the ball/score, and try to make sure it is hard for opponent to get 2D on your marks. Prepare to lose somebody anyways.

- Leaving the Ballcarrier blitzable. It should be a no-brainer, but experience tells me otherwise. Count the squares of opponents in range, create screens and cages, watch for push plays that could expose your ball, and don't "potato" play by running ball carrier unprotected hoping they will survive the blitz. You should never willingly give your opponent anything better than 5+ dodge -2 red dice on the ball and your ball carrier should ideally have Blodge (also Sure Hands and/or Sidestep) to minimize their chances of a crazy sack.

Quad skulls could happen on a first block. If the ball is on the ground and within your opponents reach, screen it off and put a few tz on it before doing any blocks or other moves involving dice. During the drive, plan where the ball goes and how you are going to protect the carrier before any actions are made. Never dodge with a carrier unless there are no other options, even if it is 2+ with a reroll.

- Passing play. BB3 made Passing players better, but passing game should still be considered an emergency measure. First reason is because it involves at least 2 rolls with a ball. Even if both of those are 2+ with reroll, they might fail and cost you the game. Also sometimes it rains or it is very sunny, Sometimes you play vs Nurgle. Sometimes your zombie holds the ball. There could also be an interception chance and 6s happen. Finally, pass play strategy forces you to score early or bet everything on a couple of rolls. Run when you can, pass when you absolutely have to..

Blood bowl is a hard game. Really hard. Fundamentals are easy enough to learn, but their application is very complex due to RNG and opposition players. Don't despair though, its worth getting good at.

I don't want to discuss team strategy in this guide, there are plenty of guides from streamers like Jimmy Fantastic, AndyDavo, Sage, etc, which I recommend you check out. My only suggestion - if you are completely new, try Orcs for bash and Dark Elves for dash, try practicing with them and then find your style. And for the love of god, don't play dorfs, I hate dorfs.

What I describe in this guide is essentially a "conservative" way of playing the game. As your skills progress you will realize that some rules were meant to be broken. Blood Bowl has a massive learning curve, and at times you can get very upset and disappointed at yourself. But experience and knowledge will live on, eventually shaping you into a good coach.

Remember that the the Black Belt is just a While Belt who never stopped trying.

Thanks for reading, I hope it was helpful and welcome to Blood Bowl!