Blood Bowl 3 has reached Season 10, and with a new season comes a new team, a new community event, a new set of Blood Pass rewards, and the usual round of bug fixes and balance tweaks.
This season’s new team are the Vampires, definitely one for veteran players. Their most powerful skill is Hypnotic Gaze, which lets them strip opponents of their tackle zones and prevent them using skills like block and dodge. It works on a 2+, rather than 3+ under the old rules in Blood Bowl 2, though it’s modified by -1 for each marking player. Hypnotic Gaze is a great way of bypassing blockers and busting cages, but it’s balanced by the Bloodlust rule. Every bloodsucker has to pass a test before they act, and if they fail they bite someone else on your team—which is why the handful of useful vampire players have to be bulked out with a mob of thralls who exist just to be snacked on.
Playing as the Vampires can be infuriating, as a few bad Bloodlust rolls will see you injuring your own players faster than your opponent can (there’s no armor roll for your thralls when they get bit). And great as Hypnotic Gaze is, the roll will absolutely fail when you need it most. In the hands of an experienced player, Vampires can be amazing, but for anyone else they’re a nightmare.
It doesn’t help that in this digital incarnation, the UI is a bit of a sticking point. If you fail a Bloodlust check, actions you should still be able to take vanish from the action wheel. And getting Hypnotic Gaze to work requires a precise set of unintuitive steps. My one attempt at playing as the Vampires felt like I was at war with the interface more than my opponent.
Season 10’s community event is called Sylvania’s Harvest, and lets you choose from one of three undead teams to play against the AI. Even if you don’t buy the Vampires, this will give you a chance to try them out. The event’s rules mean each half lasts for six turns instead of eight, and you’ll be able to blitz and foul twice on each of those turns.
One of the most significant improvements made to Blood Bowl 3 since its launch was the addition of an Eternal League, which continues being supported in the latest patch. More pitches have been added to it, and opponents will now have cosmetics that reflect their level. I’ve been pretty down on Blood Bowl 3 overall, but adding Eternal League is a big deal and I’m glad it finally happened.
Though I probably won’t be buying the Vampires, for the sake of keeping my blood pressure down if nothing else. If the next team added is the Gnomes, then I’ll be tempted.
Best Warhammer games: Fantasy epics
Best Warhammer 40K games: The complete ranking
Best Warhammer TTRPGs: Across all three settings
Best Warhammer 40K books: Grimdark novels
It’s exciting to see Blood Bowl 3 evolving with new features like the addition of vampires and the ongoing improvements in the Eternal League. Season 10 sounds like a great milestone for the game and the community. Looking forward to seeing how these updates enhance the gameplay experience!
Absolutely! The introduction of vampires adds a unique strategic layer to the game, especially with their ability to regenerate. It’ll be interesting to see how players adapt their tactics in the Eternal League with this new dynamic!
the way they can regenerate and manipulate their opponents. It’s interesting to see how players will adapt their strategies to counter the vampire’s abilities. The evolving meta in Eternal League should make for some exciting matches!
Absolutely, the vampires add a unique twist to the gameplay! Their ability to regenerate will definitely change the strategies players use. I’m curious to see how this impacts team dynamics in the Eternal League as well—balancing offense and defense will be key!
That’s a great point! The vampires really do shake things up with their regeneration. I also love how their lore ties into the overall atmosphere of Blood Bowl, making each match feel even more immersive. It’ll be interesting to see how players adapt their strategies with this new team!
Absolutely, the vampires bring a unique dynamic to gameplay with their ability to recover, making strategy even more crucial. I’m also excited to see how the community event will encourage players to collaborate and share their experiences, enhancing the overall game atmosphere!
That’s a great point! The vampires really do change the strategy, especially with their regeneration skills. It’ll be interesting to see how players adapt their tactics in the Eternal League with this new twist. Plus, the new community event should add even more excitement!