Blood Bowl third season starter box is here with Bretonnians and Tomb Kings, but is this what the community wants?
The fantasy football fields are being lined once again, and Blood Bowl is back with a new season box. On paper, it’s got everything fans expect: two brand-new teams, updated rules, accessories, and that chunky hardback rulebook that always looks great on the shelf.
But behind the shiny sprues and clever status markers, this launch has plenty of familiar problems.
A Starter Box That Feels Familiar
The Brionne Barons of Bretonnia square off against the Nehekhara Nightmares in this new set. Bretonnians are the shiny debutantes here, strutting around with Grail Knights, Squires, and a high-risk, high-reward playstyle that makes every match exciting.
On the other side, the Tomb Kings return with their tried-and-true bashy roster. They may lack agility, but Secure the Ball smooths over some of those clumsy moments.
The minis look great. There’s no denying it. But here’s where things get sticky: these are the same Old World factions that launched Warhammer: The Old World not long ago. After the Age of Sigmar community split when that game launched, this choice feels like Games Workshop leaning hard on familiar ground instead of bringing something new to the table.
That said, for the first time, maybe ever, it looks like both teams actually have models for every position. A small miracle, but we’ll take it.
Rule Updates or Just Another Rewrite?
The rulebook promises clarity, consistency, and small tweaks like better Kick-off Tables and easier-to-track status effects. The new keyword system is handy, and Secure the Ball helps lower-agility teams play the game without face-planting every turn.
But when you cut through the glossy presentation, it’s unclear if the core gameplay has changed in a meaningful way.
Blood Bowl’s last edition hit in 2020, which isn’t ancient history by tabletop standards. We think updating the rules could have been done digitally or through an expansion instead of asking players to buy an entirely new box.
Combined with the steady churn of new editions across Games Workshop’s main games, Age of Sigmar 4th edition just dropped, Horus Heresy had its reboot, and Warhammer 40k is eyeing its next cycle. At first look, many hobbyists are commenting that this release feels more like business as usual than genuine innovation, and we tend to agree.
Price, Paywalls, and Player Patience
There’s no sugarcoating it: price increases and reboots are starting to wear thin. The models may look sharp, but paying for yet another starter set loaded with the same accessories feels like reheating leftovers. Many players are frustrated that “new editions” seem less about refreshing gameplay and more about selling the same content in a slightly different package.
It’s not that Blood Bowl fans don’t want new content. They do. But between the Old World déjà vu, the growing stack of core rulebooks across GW’s games, and the constant pressure of paywalls, patience is running low.
Players are beginning to ask whether these reboots are about improving the game or simply milking the hobby.
Final Thoughts From Us: Blood Bowl Season 3
The new Blood Bowl box delivers sharp models, polished rules, and everything needed to play. It’s a solid entry point for newcomers and a flashy expansion for long-time coaches. Still, we think, for many hobbyists, the bigger story is fatigue.
With Games Workshop leaning on another round of edition churn, the question becomes less about how good the box is and more about how much longer players will tolerate the cycle.
See the New Miniature Release Roadmap Here
It is a very good assessment in saying people are tired. I have been an massive fan of gw since the late 80s but some of years ago I stopped because I got tired to have to buy every other year new rules or models because the one I had became obsolete. I understand for avid players (aficionados) some changes won’t make an impact as you’re fully committed but for casual players which represent the most share of the buyers they will eventually stop. No need to change the rules everytime someone can’t understand them (FAQ). Best example Monopoly. With all it’s flaws it’s still on shelves.
I get having a healthy level of cynicism, but the box hasn’t dropped yet, and everything GW have said so far has been very welcome.
Do they still have time to Horus Heresy it? Sure, but let’s have the good grace to see if the actually mess it up before we pile in.
I don’t know why the overly negative take here. As far as I can tell – the BB community has been crying out for a revised edition after 2020 became bogged down with balance issues, bloated with FAQs, and dogged by (admittedly minor) poor design choices that just didn’t add much (a useless and frustrating Prayers mechanic, the fun-sucking Wildly Inaccurate).
As for rules churn, the current rules have been in place for over 5 years by the time this comes out – which is a pretty long time by GW standards. And the game is still in rude health, despite the frustrations mentioned above. No one wants a major rules rewrite – we want a tighter, clearer, more streamlined ruleset all compiled into a single hardback book (so we don’t have to carry around a 24-page FAQ and errata), and a few details ironed out.
This edition looks to tick most of those boxes and everyone I know in the community is hyped for it. Also – the rulebook will be available separate from the box set so veteran players don’t needs to drop £100 on it if they don’t want to.
I will, because I want the teams and the new tokens.
I like the fact they aren’t totally changing the game. If it ain’t broke dont fix it!! Plus you can buy the rules seperatley I think?
I for one am excited for this.. i have put off and put off buying a starter pack ( same old ork vs humans; dwarfs vs orks,etc; not very exciting IMO) I do own blitz bowl with a few different teams… now I have a real reason to get into blood bowl; two new teams, updated rules; I just hope there will be enough day one.
As a Blood Bowl Player i agree with the other comments here.
We wanted an updated rulebook with all of errata.
We wanted new Teams
We dont wanted this 40k meta drag where the new Rules make all that came before not playable anymore.
And we got all of this.
this is a reheat of existing material and exactly what the Community wanted
Totally fair take! Based on the comments here, Blood Bowl seems to be in a sweet spot then where the community actually got what it asked for with cleaned-up rules, fresh teams, and nothing invalidating the old stuff.
Sometimes a “reheat” is exactly what hits the spot, especially when it keeps the game balanced and fun without tossing years of teams in the bin.
Now if we could just get GW to do that for its other Warhammer games, I think hobbyists would be less frustrated with them. I know I would, at least!
Sorry but as a long term blood bowl fanatic this is pretty much exactly what I hoped for.
I am super excited for season three, both armies are IMHO worth collecting, an updated rule book, pitch and accessories make this a must purchase, would I be disappointed if I recently purchased a season two, maybe but I haven’t so I am eager for this release
Cant speak for the warhammer players, but bloodbowl has been crying out for some love. Think that a new starter box may well get some new blood into the game, and for the existing player base the book will be available separately anyway. Although I will probably buy the box anyway just to get the 2 new teams.
I for one appreciate that they didn’t change everything. It’s still familiar and they fixed a couple of things like wildly inaccurate that folks had issues with . I will likely but and enjoy.