COMPARISON

Comparison between Blood Bowl and Elfball
This page is intended to help players familliar with one game appreciate some of the basic differences when learning to play the other. Unfortunately they are very different games so knowing one is not an advantage!


 * ~ ITEM ||||~ BLOOD BOWL ||||~ ELFBALL ||
 * = **General Game Differences** ||
 * **Game Length (Time)** ||<  ||< Fixed, if using 4 minute turns - approx 2 hours generally ||<   ||< Varies - up to 60-75 minutes per test using the 2 minute warning cards. ||
 * **Number of Turns** ||<  ||< Always 16 per player (excluding optional Extra Time) ||<   ||< Varies - up to 27 turns a test if using the 2 minute warning cards ||
 * **Score** ||<  ||< Varies - drive ends when a touchdown is scored and the teams set up again for kickoff ||<   ||< Each test played to first goal. Games are normally played for 1 test or first player to score 2 goals ||
 * **Dice used** ||<  ||< Special Block Dice for Block actions only, D6 for ball handling and D8 for scatter ||<   ||< Special Challenge Dice for all player actions and D6 for ball scatters only. ||
 * **Number of players on Pitch** ||<  ||< Maximum 11 ||<   ||< Maximum 6 ||
 * **Number of players on a team** ||  || Minimum 11 - Maximum 16 ||   || Minimum 6 - Maximum 12 ||
 * **Reserves** ||<  ||< Come on after each drive or at half time ||<   ||< Come on at any point during a test as the team's action for the turn ||
 * **Ending the Turn Early** ||  || The team's turn can end prematurely when they suffer a turnover. This normally happens when one of your players falls over during your turn, or the ball is thrown but not caught by one of your players. ||   || Flopping a challenge can result in a 'Shift in Momentum' (SiM) which ends your turn. Any momentum left over is given to your opponent. Failing a challenge and falling over does not usually end your turn. ||
 * **Automatic Failures** ||  || A roll of a 1 is always a failure, a roll of a 6 is always a success ||   || Rolling more flops (failures) than successes in a challenge causes you to flop the challenge - you cannot use momentum to re-roll any dice in this situation ||
 * ~ Player Movement and Player Zone control ||
 * **Player Movement** ||<  ||< All players can be activated once per turn ||<   ||< 1 player per turn is activated, who can't then be used for the following turn ||
 * **Player control zone** ||  || Player has a 'Tackle Zone' of the immediate 8 squares surrounding them ||   || Player has a 'Facing' of the 3 front hexes. The 3 rear hexes are not influenced by the player ||
 * **Player assists** ||  || Standing adjacent players may positively assist only in a block or a blitz action and only if they are not in any other opponent's tackle zone. Standing players exert a negative modifier to opponents trying to throw, catch or pick up the ball. ||   || Each friendly player with facing may reduce the number of successes needed by 1 for almost all challenges, as well as reducing the number of JOG for a player standing up. Each opposing player's facing increases the number of successes needed by 1. Their facing is not negated by the facing of other opposing players ||
 * **Player actions** ||  || Players may only take Move or Block actions. 1 player per turn may make a pass, blitz, handoff or foul action instead ||   || A player can make as many actions as they want per turn. Throw and Tackle challenges are limited to 1 per turn. Shove challenges are limited to 1/2 the number of the player's JOG attribute (rounding up) ||
 * = **Action Differences** ||
 * **Injuries** ||  || Any time a player is knocked down, he makes an armour roll and risks injury. This could be from a Block, or a failed Dodge or Go For It ||   || A player is never injured by falling over. The only time a player can be injured is from their opponent rolling a Punishing or Crippling hit during a Tackle challenge. ||
 * **Standing up - Cost** ||  || Fixed - 3 points of MA ||   || Varies - costs JOG equivalent of the player's GRIT value minus 5 (excluding friendly or unfriendly assists) ||
 * **Standing up - When?** ||  || Only at start of a player's action ||   || At any point during the player's action ||
 * **Attacking - Compare** ||  || Attacking player's ST value is compared to the opponent's ST value, plus or minus for assists to determine how many block dice are rolled. Stronger side chooses the result! ||   || Attacker's TACKLE attribute is compared to opponent's DODGE attribute plus or minus for assists, whether the opponent has the ball and rear facing. Tackling a stronger opponent requires an Impact challenge first! ||
 * **Attacking - Cost** ||  || Players pay 1 MA to block as part of a blitz action. They may 'follow up' for free into the square vacated by the opponent for results that include a push. ||   || No JOG cost for making a tackle attempt, however if you need to make an impact challenge first and this is failed, this costs you 1 hex of JOG before you can attempt anything else this turn ||
 * **Attacking - Both Down** ||  || A 'Both Down' result causes a turnover and ends your turn ||   || A 'Slide Tackle' doesn't cause a SiM and you may stand up and continue your turn if you have enough JOG to do so ||
 * **Attacking - When?** ||  || May only block adjacent standing players at start of action, instead of moving, unless the player is using the turn's blitz ||   || May tackle at any point during their action ||
 * **Travel through Zones** ||  || Players make a Dodge roll when moving out of a Tackle Zone. The roll depends on the player's agility modified by the number of tackle zones on the square they're moving to ||   || Players attempt a disengage challenge to leave an opponent's Facing. Their DODGE attribute is compared to the opponent's TACKLE (excluding friendly or unfriendly assists) ||
 * **Pushes** ||  || A player is pushed back only as part of a Block action. The attacking player decides which of 3 squares to push the opponent to. The attacker can 'follow up' for free into the square vacated by the opponent. ||   || Players can make a Shove challenge to push opponent players. Their MIGHT attribute is compared to the opponent's MIGHT (excluding friendly or unfriendly assists and rear facing) Players are only moved in a direct line away from the attacker and their facing stays the same. There is no automatic follow up ||
 * **'Secondary' Pushes** ||  || Players that are pushed back may also push other players if there are no empty squares available. The coach of the attacking player determines the direction of the pushbacks ||   || Players cannot be pushed into hexes occupied by any standing or prone players ||
 * **Push out of bounds** ||  || Players can be pushed off the pitch if there are no eligable empty squares for them to go to. The crowd injures the player and if he's stunned, he's placed in reserves ||   || Players shoved off the pitch, or into either goal circles are ejected from the test by the referee. Players ejected while carrying the ball are banned for the rest of the game. Players can voluntarily move out of bounds if desired. ||
 * **Catching the ball** ||  || A player must attempt to catch a ball if it bounces into his square from a scattered pass or a failed catch or pickup attempt ||   || The catch attempt is voluntary if the the ball bounces into the payers hex. Note: Getting more successes than needed on a thow challenge means the receiver automatically catches the ball with no option to decline. ||
 * **Throwing the ball - how far?** ||  || Use range ruler to determine distance, and modifires for the agility roll ||   || A Player may throw up to 18 hexes if he takes no other actions this turn. A player can throw up to 7 hexes and move & make challenges as normal. Throws over half the maximum range need 2 extra successes. ||
 * **Throwing and Movement** ||  || A player may move as part of a pass or hand-off action. He may not move further once he has thrown or handed off the ball. ||   || A player may not move if he throws the ball more than 7 hexes. A player may continue moving and making challenges after he has thrown the ball less than 7 hexes. ||
 * **Thowing - restrictions** ||  || A player may throw the ball anywhere within range ||   || A player may not throw the ball through any hex with a white line running through it ||
 * = **Team Building** ||
 * **Player Costs** ||  || Varies between teams and player types ||   || All players are worth 15 points ||
 * **Improvement Costs** ||  || Improvements vary in cost depending on what is rolled ||   || All abilities are worth 5 points ||
 * **Team Value** ||  || Increases as the team gains experience ||   || Set at a fixed cost (normally 180 points for a league) ||
 * **Disparity Handling** ||  || The underdog gets cash equal to the difference in value between the 2 teams to spend on inducements ||   || None - teams are balanced at the same value cap irrespective of experience. The less experienced team has a deeper bench and/or more support items ||

Back to Tactics Guide