This week we sit down with the lovely Sam!
1) What’s your name and where do you come from?
Sam. I was born in Kent, in the Medway Towns.
2) Tell us a little about how you came to play Blood Bowl and your experience in with the game and wider hobby.
I started playing around 2013 or 2014 after a friend was constantly talking about the game. I first got into it through Blood Bowl Chaos Edition on PC, and I have played on and off since then, through Blood Bowl 2 and now Blood Bowl 3.
When Games Workshop released the 2016 edition, I finally moved to tabletop. I played a few league seasons. At the time I did not have much money, so I borrowed a Skaven team, bought some dice, and got involved.
Most of my experience has been in league and ladder formats. What interests me the most is the team progression and management side of the game. I have taken part in a few tournaments, but I prefer the long-term development of league play. That said, I am looking forward to attending one or two tournaments in the future.
Outside of Blood Bowl, I spent some time in Warhammer 40K a while ago and had a Tyranid army during seventh and eighth editions. I have tried a range of miniature and wargames. I also enjoy the broader tabletop hobby, including board games and role-playing games. I tend to enjoy abstract strategy, mid to heavy euro, thematic, war and economic board games.
3) What Blood Bowl achievement are you most proud of?
There is not a single achievement that stands out, although that may be due to my selective memory. Keeping the same Skaven thrower alive for a couple of seasons was quite an accomplishment, although I eventually regretted it due to the high cost of the player.
I believe I understand the theory of the game fairly well, although I still have plenty of room for improvement in my bash play.
4) What’s your favourite team and why?
In 2016, I played a large number of games with Skaven (thrower, no Rat Ogre). I have not yet used them in Second Season (edition), but I really enjoy their fast-paced, high-risk, high-reward style.
What appeals to me most is how expendable most of your players are. Each time I choose to mark the opposition, it is intentional. That rat might die or need to retire soon, and that is acceptable.
I have not decided what I will play going into the Third Season (edition), but who knows I might return to Skaven.
5) Tell us about the team you’ve brought into Season III. Did you select it for purely competitive reasons, or were there other factors involved?
My bash and hybrid play has always been a weakness, and playing Skaven the way I did made that worse. It is easy to fall into bad habits and fail to see the blocks you should be making.
I chose a team that would challenge me to develop my bash game and reduce my reliance on risky plays.
I understand that Old World Alliance is not considered a top-tier team, but I enjoy the mixed composition and the play style it offers.
6) What was your thought process behind your roster selections, skills taken and how would you describe your playstyle with this team?
In short, I aim for solid, reliable Blood Bowl.
Old World Alliance is not the most reliable team, especially with six Loner players on the roster. I focused on taking skills like Guard and Block to increase reliability.
I included both the Dwarf Runner and the Human Thrower to provide redundancy in ball handling. I try to protect the Human Blitzer and Catcher as they are essential players.
The Halflings are there for fouling or being thrown, depending on the situation.
7) What are your expectations for this season? Do you have any particular goals you’d like to achieve?Who are you backing to win each division this season?
My goals are to finish closer to the top, coach and skill up the team, and improve my gameplay overall.
8) What’s one thing you’d change about Blood Bowl?
I am looking forward to the changes hinted at for Third Season (edition). What I have seen so far looks good. The two new teams look interesting, the Brets especially have a certain appeal.
I am happy to see the Wildly Inaccurate removal. It only hurt me once, a Halfling ended up injured in the crowd.
I would like to see adjustments to team costs in order to improve balance, and I would also like to see a bit of help for the Nurgle team. I also hope that some of the skills receive attention, especially those that are too situational or rarely used. I think that the passing skills in particular could benefit from some attention or reworking.
9) What Pitch is your favourite (rules, artwork, whatever)?
This may be a boring answer, but I like the basic stone pitch from the core box. It is clean, uncluttered, and easy to play on.
10) Outside of Blood Bowl tell us a little about your life and main passions?
I play a wide range of tabletop games.
In my professional life; I work with HR data, spreadsheets, and systems. I find it both interesting and satisfying.
11) Pirates or Ninjas?
Ninjas.
Thanks for sharing, Sam😊
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