Spike! Journal 21
SPECTACLE OF THE FLAME ETERNAL!
The Elven Kingdoms League is one of the oldest known competitions in the modern Blood Bowl world. Catering exclusively to Elven teams of all kinds, its hallmarks are graceful moments, delightful dodging, world-class passing play, and being massively boring to most fans without pointy ears! The exception to this is the triennially occurring 'Spectacle of the Flame Eternal', which begins straight after that year's regular championship event.
The Spectacle of the Flame Eternal, or the 'Flame Spectacle' as it is commonly shortened to, is a dedication to the Elven gods and their followers, and sees teams swear their devotion to a chosen deity - alongside Nuffle of course! Taking to the field in the traditional wardress of their god, teams gravitate towards the stereotypes of their patron. Elves sworn to Khaine become more violent, those to Kurnous seek to hunt down those marked by the Wild Hunt, and those of Loec appear keen to cause mischief by any means. This proves highly entertaining to fans from other nations, who find the religious antics rather good sport!
This is a variation on a standard Blood Bowl league season, as described in the Blood Bowl Rulebook. The League Commissioner determines the number of teams, divisions and other details related to league organisation.
Elf Only
The Flame Eternal is an exclusive affair, and while the stands are open to fans from around the world, the competition itself is open only to Elves. Participating Coaches may only use Elven Kingdoms League teams during the Flame Eternal. Each team will have a budget of 1,100,000 gold pieces to spend to recruit their team for the season ahead.
Special Rules
During the Flame Eternal, teams adopt unconventional playstyles so they can better honour the god they have dedicated themselves to. To reflect this, when you create your Team Draft List for your team, you must choose an Elven god to dedicate your team to for the entirety of the league. The choice of god provides additional options and restrictions when drafting a team.
Many Glorious Prizes!
Teams that manage to win a Flame Eternal league are showered with riches! The top placed teams in the Flame Eternal League are rewarded as follows:
Glittering Prizes: As usual, the teams that finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd receive gold pieces as described in the Blood Bowl Rulebook.
The Trophy: In addition to their cash prize, the winner will receive the prestigious Flaming Goblet. Containing a spark of unquenchable flame within it, it is said to ignite the love for passing in even the most self-centred of players! The team that holds the Trophy gains the following ability:
Once per Drive, a player on your team who is in possession of the ball changes their PA characteristic to 2+. In addition, the player gains the Pass and Accurate Skills if they do not already have them. This effect lasts until the end of your Turn.
Elven Gods
Kurnous
A team dedicated to Kurnous increases by one the maximum QTY available of a single player type that has at least one of the following keywords: Runner, Special. Wood Elf teams may increase the QTY of the Wardancer position instead.
At the start of each Drive, the Coach of a team dedicated to Kurnous nominates up to one opposing player that is on the pitch. If a nominated player is Knocked Down as a result of a Block Action and is then either Knocked-out or suffers a Casualty, then the player that knocked them down gains 1 SPP, in addition to any other SPP gained. Each opposing player can only award this SPP once per game. A player that Knocks-out or inflicts a Casualty by causing an opposition player to be Pushed into the Crowd still gains this SPP if the player is Knocked-out or suffers a Casualty, though a Casualty caused in this manner does not count as one for other purposes, such as tie breaks.
Khaine
A team dedicated to Khaine gains the Brawlin' Brutes team special rule. In addition, it increases by one the maximum QTY available of a single player type that has at least one of the following keywords: Blitzer, Special. Players of the chosen player type gain Strength as a Primary Skill category.
If a team dedicated to Khaine causes three or more Casualties during a game, it gains an additional 15,000 gold pieces as winnings.
Loec
A team dedicated to Loec cannot purchase Team Re-rolls for any reason. In addition, no player can gain the Leader Skill unless done so through randomly selecting a Primary or Secondary Skill. All players in the team gain Devious as a Primary Skill category if they do not already have it.
Whenever a player on your team chooses a Devious Skill, roll a D6. On a 5+ they may immediately choose another Devious Skill for free (do not roll again for this second Skill). The second Skill gained in this manner will not increase the player's Current Value.
When choosing a Secondary Skill as an advancement (not randomly rolling), a player may choose to take the Trickster Trait instead of another Skill. This advancement counts as a Primary Skill for determining a player's Current Value.
Vaul
Coaches of a team dedicated to Vaul may purchase additional Team Re-rolls during the course of a league for 75,000 gold pieces instead of 100,000.
At the beginning of a Drive, before setting up players, a Coach of a team dedicated to Vaul must use at least one Team Re-roll to Proclaim Tribute, if one is available - there is no maximum amount they can use.
For each Re-roll used in this way, the Coach chooses a player on their team and randomly determines a Characteristic Advancement for them. Each player can only be chosen once per half. Advancements gained in this way last until the end of the half. Any Team Re-rolls used to Proclaim Tribute are replenished at half-time as normal.
Hoeth
Once per Drive, the first time a player on a team dedicated to Hoeth gains SPP, they gain double the appropriate amount of SPP instead. Star Players are ignored for this rule but Journeymen will double the SPP gained.
Advancements of all kinds add 10,000 fewer gold pieces (to a minimum of 5,000 gold pieces) to a player's Current Value on a team dedicated to Hoeth. However, a Coach cannot fire players on their Team Draft List if they had gained an advancement or have earned 8 or more SPP, unless that player has also suffered two or more Characteristic reductions as a result of Injury. Players may still be Temporarily Retired.
Ereth Khial
When a player on a team dedicated to Ereth Khial chooses a Secondary Skill as an advancement, a player may choose to take the Regeneration Trait instead of another Skill. This advancement counts as a Primary Skill for determining a player's Current Value.
Once per game, if an Elf player suffers a Dead result when rolling on the Casualty Table, a team dedicated to Ereth Khial may immediately add a single Enthralled Elven Soul to their Reserves Box. An Enthralled Elven Soul has the following profile:
| Position | Cost | MA | ST | AG | PA | AV | Skills & Traits | Primary | Secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enthralled Elven Soul (Elf, Lineman, Undead, Zombie) | 50,000 | 5 | 3 | 3+ | 6+ | 8+ | Regeneration, Unsteady | A, G | D, S |
During the Post-game Sequence, when hiring any new players to the team, the Coach may permanently hire the Enthralled Elven Soul to the team for free, so long as the Team Draft List doesn't already have 16 players on it, otherwise it will be lost. The player will still add its full value to the team's Team Value.
Lileath
Coaches of a team dedicated to Lileath may purchase additional Team Re-rolls during the course of a league for 85,000 gold pieces instead of 100,000.
At the beginning of a Drive, before setting up players, a Coach of a team dedicated to Lileath must use at least one Team Re-roll to Decipher Prophecies, if one is available - there is no maximum amount they can use.
For each re-roll used in this way, the Coach generates a Prophecy Pair by rolling a D6 and a Block dice then noting the results. Whenever a team dedicated to Lileath could use a Team Re-roll, it may instead expend a Prophecy Pair. The Coach exchanges one of the dice rolled with the appropriate result of a Prophecy Pair (i.e., a D6 for a D6, a Block dice for a Block dice). No Team Re-rolls can be used on the changed roll. The unused result of the Prophecy Pair is lost.
At the end of each Drive, unused Prophecy Pairs are lost. Team Re-rolls used to Decipher the Prophecies are replenished at half-time as normal.
Isha
When drafting a team dedicated to Isha, it gains an Apothecary for free - the full price is still added to the Team Value. If an Injury Roll is made for a player on the team, and the team has yet to use its Apothecary to Patch-up a player, any roll of a 10 is treated as a Knocked-out result.
Elven Opulence Blood Bowl Pitch
The High Elves are known for their love of expensive things. Their Blood Bowl stadia are no different, with nobles eagerly erecting marble edifices in an attempt to outdo their neighbours. No expense is spared - concession stands stock the finest fast foods, tuxedo-sporting familiars deliver drinks orders directly to the stands, and Cabalvision screens showcase action replays on the best passes.
The Elven Opulence Pitch has two sides - one depicting pristine marbleized astrogranite and the other a verdant grass field blessed by archmages to be cushioning to any who fall upon it.
Marble Flooring:
When a player performs a Move Action they may attempt to Rush an additional time during their activation. However, whenever an Injury Roll is made for a player, they will be Knocked-out on the roll of a 7-9. If a player also has the Thick Skull Trait, then they will be Knocked-out on the roll of an 8 or 9 instead.
At the end of the first half, flip the board over onto the Verdant Grass side of the pitch - the mess made during the first half has forced a change of venue!
Verdant Grass:
Players may re-roll the D6 when attempting to Rush. In addition, whenever a player is Knocked Down, apply a -1 modifier to any Injury Roll that is made for them.
High Elf Balls
Dragonling Ball
While in possession of a Dragonling Ball, a player gains the Breathe Fire Trait. If a 1 is rolled as part of this Trait, apply a +1 modifier to the Armour Roll made against the player. In addition, whenever a Dragonling Ball would scatter, it scatters one additional time.
Shimmering Stone Ball
While in possession of a Shimmering Stone Ball, a player gains the Steady Footing Skill, and whenever they make a Passing Ability Test, apply a +1 modifier to the roll. However, whenever a player attempts to Catch a Shimmering Stone Ball, they suffer a -1 modifier to the roll.
Special Rules and Achievements
To make your game even more exciting, you can use the following special rules and achievements. There are three achievements per team that you can try to accomplish - can you get all three and still lead your team into the annals of Blood Bowl history? These achievements make for a great tiebreak - if the game ends in a draw, then the team that has completed the most achievements is the winner.
Special Rules
Clingy Customer:
Whenever the Karond Kar Cleavers are the kicking team for a Drive, the ball is replaced with an Octopus Ball. Whenever a player in possession of an Octopus Ball is activated, the player's Coach rolls a D6. If a 1 is rolled, until the end of the Turn, the player's Move Allowance is 3 and they gain the Ball & Chain Trait. The player must attempt to move a number of squares equal to its Move Allowance - a Turnover can end the Turn early as normal.
Once a player has been affected by this rule, the ball becomes a normal ball.
Turbulent Seas:
If a Player is Pushed into the Crowd and would be placed into the Reserve Box, they are placed in the KO'd box instead.
A Helping Tentacle:
At the start of each team's Turn, the opposing Coach may choose up to one player from the Active team that is occupying a square adjacent to the Sideline and make an Armour Roll for that player. If the player's Armour is broken, they are Knocked Down as normal. If a double 6 is rolled for the Armour Roll, the player is instead grabbed by a tentacle, removed from the pitch and counts as having been Pushed Into the Crowd. This does not cause a Turnover, even if the chosen player was in possession of the ball.
Achievements
Caledor Dragons
Lion in Wait: Have at least one Dark Elf Blitzer, one Dark Elf Assassin and one Dark Elf Witch Elf Prone and Stunned, Knocked-out and/or in the Casualty Box at the same time. At least one of these must have been as a result of a Block performed by a White Lion.
Learn to Share!: Score a Touchdown without a Dragon Prince gaining possession of the ball during the Drive.
High Elven Grace: By the end of the game, make more Completions than the Karond Kar Cleavers.
Kar Karond Cleavers
For Khaine!: Have two or more opposing players become Prone and Stunned, and/or be placed in the Knocked-out or Casualty Box in the same Turn as a result of actions performed by Witch Elves and Dark Elf Assassins.
Sea You Soon!: Over the course of the game, have four or more Caledor Dragons players Pushed into the Crowd.
Dark Elven Superiority: By the end of the game, make more Completions than the Caledor Dragons.