Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Guild ball is a game I've been meaning to get for a while, but the new Blood Bowl being released complicates things

So, which one should I get? Which is 'better' and how do they compare?

I appreciate the fact that some people might not have played the blood bowl yet, but I can wait for feedback.

I'm genuinely interested in how the respective games match up.

Thanks for any replies...

From all the interviews it appears that the Blood Bowl rules haven't really changed, so thoughts on the previous version should still be just as valid. I think just some of the rules that people ignored have now gone optional (like timed turns IIRC).

The original blood bowl PC game is also a faithful conversion of the board game (not sure about Blood Bowl 2). So if you can pick it up on Steam you would effectively be able to try out the game yourself as well.

As for Guildball I have no experience on this one!

Bloodbowl is a tried and tested ruleset and has some peculiarities with some of the more esoteric teams but is generally a fine ruleset. The new edition may or may not solve these, but the new GW team have hinted that they at least have some awareness of the issues so may well change some things for the better. None are game killers unless you really really want to play Halflings or similar.

I've not played Guildball but have seen a fair amount of it played at the club (we have a big BB and GB following with some links to the makers).

I have quite a few reservations about the game. This mostly resolves around the balance between the violence element and playing the "sport" element. A team skewed toward the former can almost ignore the sport side of things and if they get the ball and you have a sport orientated team you may well have allot of problems getting the ball back.

There are some interesting mechanics but equally teams that generate quick momentum can score un-opposed one turn scores.

Now, I will repeat these are only non-playing observations and will also add there are allot of people at our club that seem to enjoy the game allot.

In summary I'd say that you wont go wrong with either game but BB has loads of players (+ massive tournament scene) which I can only see increasing with the new release.

Just noticed that Guild Ball are bringing out their own new starter set complete with double-sided playing mat.

Damn it, difficult decision ahead!

I like the character of Blood Bowl, but Guild Ball seems cheaper.

Tough choice: game play or fiscal prudence?


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Whirlwind wrote:
From all the interviews it appears that the Blood Bowl rules haven't really changed, so thoughts on the previous version should still be just as valid. I think just some of the rules that people ignored have now gone optional (like timed turns IIRC).

The original blood bowl PC game is also a faithful conversion of the board game (not sure about Blood Bowl 2). So if you can pick it up on Steam you would effectively be able to try out the game yourself as well.

As for Guildball I have no experience on this one!

Trying out the PC game first is a good idea. Thanks.



Automatically Appended Next Post:

 notprop wrote:
Bloodbowl is a tried and tested ruleset and has some peculiarities with some of the more esoteric teams but is generally a fine ruleset. The new edition may or may not solve these, but the new GW team have hinted that they at least have some awareness of the issues so may well change some things for the better. None are game killers unless you really really want to play Halflings or similar.

I've not played Guildball but have seen a fair amount of it played at the club (we have a big BB and GB following with some links to the makers).

I have quite a few reservations about the game. This mostly resolves around the balance between the violence element and playing the "sport" element. A team skewed toward the former can almost ignore the sport side of things and if they get the ball and you have a sport orientated team you may well have allot of problems getting the ball back.

There are some interesting mechanics but equally teams that generate quick momentum can score un-opposed one turn scores.

Now, I will repeat these are only non-playing observations and will also add there are allot of people at our club that seem to enjoy the game allot.

In summary I'd say that you wont go wrong with either game but BB has loads of players (+ massive tournament scene) which I can only see increasing with the new release.

Some of the Guild Ball minis look good and the background is appealing, so difficult decision ahead.

Of course a real gamer would get both especially with Chrimbo fast approaching and the choice 25% off you can get at allot of places on new releases.

You want to be seen as a real gamer right?

My thoughts:

Blood Bowl. I've played it a few times, and didn't enjoy it. The age of the ruleset definitely shows... but sometimes not in a bad way. It plays very chaotically, where one turn you can accomplish an incredible amount, the next turn you fall over picking up the ball at your feet and you're done. Not sure of your local scene, but you would probably find players a lot easier for Blood Bowl, especially with the new releases.

Guild Ball. I've played it about half a dozen times now. Rules are much more modern, allowing you to plan more/anticipate your opponent. Focuses on combos/synergy with players. Because of this, I'd say it feels more like Warmahordes in a sense. You know what your opponent can do, you know what you can do. You think a couple moves ahead. I personally find it more enjoyable/solid.



TL;DR:

Blood Bowl plays like a game of football after you and your buddies are deep in the cups. You might not know what's going on, you might lose your pants at one point... but it's going to be weird/interesting.

Guild Ball plays like professional football game. You know your players. You know there players. And you plan each move, knowing what you're capable of and try to defeat your opponent though superior strategy.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh and price:

Don't settle for something just because it's a bit cheaper, the two sets are pretty close in price and as far as I can tell if you're happy with the teams, you never need to buy another thing.

I can safely say that if you like the teams in Kick-off the ONLY thing you might buy is previous season "Guild Plots" but they're pretty unnecessary if you're just casual.

Easy for me as I've played both.

Guild ball has humans

Blood Bowl has Humans too, and orcs, and dwarves, and elves, and ogres, and undead, etc......

I already play plenty of games with just human. They're called historical games

 notprop wrote:
Of course a real gamer would get both especially with Chrimbo fast approaching and the choice 25% off you can get at allot of places on new releases.

You want to be seen as a real gamer right?

You're forgetting that Scotland is the land of short arms and deep pockets!

The key word here is frugal.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Twelvecarpileup wrote:
My thoughts:

Blood Bowl. I've played it a few times, and didn't enjoy it. The age of the ruleset definitely shows... but sometimes not in a bad way. It plays very chaotically, where one turn you can accomplish an incredible amount, the next turn you fall over picking up the ball at your feet and you're done. Not sure of your local scene, but you would probably find players a lot easier for Blood Bowl, especially with the new releases.

Guild Ball. I've played it about half a dozen times now. Rules are much more modern, allowing you to plan more/anticipate your opponent. Focuses on combos/synergy with players. Because of this, I'd say it feels more like Warmahordes in a sense. You know what your opponent can do, you know what you can do. You think a couple moves ahead. I personally find it more enjoyable/solid.



TL;DR:

Blood Bowl plays like a game of football after you and your buddies are deep in the cups. You might not know what's going on, you might lose your pants at one point... but it's going to be weird/interesting.

Guild Ball plays like professional football game. You know your players. You know there players. And you plan each move, knowing what you're capable of and try to defeat your opponent though superior strategy.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh and price:

Don't settle for something just because it's a bit cheaper, the two sets are pretty close in price and as far as I can tell if you're happy with the teams, you never need to buy another thing.

I can safely say that if you like the teams in Kick-off the ONLY thing you might buy is previous season "Guild Plots" but they're pretty unnecessary if you're just casual.

I'm leaning towards Guild Ball - seems more interesting.

I VERY quickly grew bored of Guild-Ball. I bought deeply in as research for a ruleset I was developing for another company, and despite appreciating a well-written rule-book, it felt like a version of Warmahordes and its dull "find the wombo-combo" method of play.

Likewise, everywhere I went to play it, it attracted almost exclusively the Warmahordes player-base, and no one else... a community I generally find fun-averse and more "super serious" about their competition.

After a decade of Bloodbowl, and a year+ deep into Guild-Ball I will suggest that GB is the game for you if you're incredibly serious about competition, and fun is a distant second. Also, fair warning, the background fluff is shockingly grim-dark... to an almost stupid degree, and is just over-flowing with literal rape, murder, and abuse. As someone who supported myself as a writer for most of my life, I find it almost embarrassingly poorly written.

That said, for one-day tournaments, or single games, it features clean rules, a solid balance, etc... It is well made as a competitive game.

Bloodbowl is absurd, and fun, and in the past has actually reveled in its imbalances, calling them "difficulty options" for different players. Its rules, more than ever with the new release, are clear, and easy to learn, but do show relics of their age, and GW's customary fondness for randomness.

It shines in leagues with its RPG-aspects, and again, fun is its principle concern.

Personally, I love Bloodbowl, and can only respect Guild-Ball from a distance. I would just rather enjoy my hobby/game time, over turning it into another flavor of work.

NewTruthNeomaxim wrote:
I VERY quickly grew bored of Guild-Ball. I bought deeply in as research for a ruleset I was developing for another company, and despite appreciating a well-written rule-book, it felt like a version of Warmahordes and its dull "find the wombo-combo" method of play.

Likewise, everywhere I went to play it, it attracted almost exclusively the Warmahordes player-base, and no one else... a community I generally find fun-averse and more "super serious" about their competition.

After a decade of Bloodbowl, and a year+ deep into Guild-Ball I will suggest that GB is the game for you if you're incredibly serious about competition, and fun is a distant second. Also, fair warning, the background fluff is shockingly grim-dark... to an almost stupid degree, and is just over-flowing with literal rape, murder, and abuse. As someone who supported myself as a writer for most of my life, I find it almost embarrassingly poorly written.

That said, for one-day tournaments, or single games, it features clean rules, a solid balance, etc... It is well made as a competitive game.

Bloodbowl is absurd, and fun, and in the past has actually reveled in its imbalances, calling them "difficulty options" for different players. Its rules, more than ever with the new release, are clear, and easy to learn, but do show relics of their age, and GW's customary fondness for randomness.

It shines in leagues with its RPG-aspects, and again, fun is its principle concern.

Personally, I love Bloodbowl, and can only respect Guild-Ball from a distance. I would just rather enjoy my hobby/game time, over turning it into another flavor of work.

Your honest opinion is much appreciated.

Personally, when it comes to these types of games, the background is not a dealbreaker for me.

One thing that turned me off GB was its non-board-gameness. Something I like about many/most sports games like these is the fact that spaces are marked off so there's no fudging or arguing about fudging.