There have been many changes in the new edition of Blood Bowl, from a whole new statistic to simple price changes, new skills to new teams. We’ve also seen a whole host of adjustments to existing teams, so with Blood Bowl Season 2 right around the corner, let’s have a look at one of the more interesting changes, the new Halflings on the Human Team.

During the times of Blood Bowl 2016 and BB2, Humans have been seen as a flexible team capable of adapting to most scenarios while also being pretty quick and able to react well across the pitch. They start with a good set of skills, aren’t too expensive and have a decent Big Guy for some additional muscle. When I first started playing them, I always wondered why the Ogre had the “Throw Team-Mate” skill, but nobody to actually use it with. Of course, it didn’t take long to realise that it was just a base skill they had that carried over to the main Ogre team but it’s always just sat there, an unused and lonely skill on the Human Team.

Then BB2020 came around and the Halfing Hopeful is now a consideration for the team. On their own Halflings are pretty bad players, with their slow speed, awful armour and bad ball handling. On a team that is reliant on adapting to the situation at hand and using their quick Blitzers and Catchers to do the leg work, they, for the most part, seem like an odd addition, but they’re one that I do think can be useful in the right circumstances.

Throw Team-Mate

Let’s get the obvious one out the way, shall we? TTM, for the most part, is seen as a bit of a desperation play for most teams and with the Halfings on the Human Team, it’s not going to be changing many minds. Humans don’t really have many issues scoring with their fast, dodge wielding Catchers and now with those PA2+ Throwers, aren’t exactly bad when it comes to the passing game either. The new TTM rules make things a little trickier too as you’re really going to be rolling a 6 for anything to happen (5+, -1 for a Short Pass) so that you get a Superb Throw. It’s doable but the Ogre just isn’t really made for it. Unfortunately unlike the Halfling Treeman, there’s no Strong Arm straight away so it’s not quite as good.

That being said, it’s always a good thing to have as a backup option if you’ve got just one turn remaining for that last-minute equalizer or winner! Plus it’s just a fun option! You’ll definitely want to grab Sure Feet and Sprint on them if you can or hope for AG2+ for help landing. There’s really no reason not to try it either if you’ve got no other options, at worst you might injure you Halfling on the landing which… doesn’t really matter anyway!

Cheap Fouling Fodder

Fouling is always a contentious subject and some definitely do it better than others. Humans aren’t a super-bashy team so getting removals is going to be hard outside of your Ogre putting some work in. For the most part, Humans can’t always afford the risk of a player being sent off, even though their Linemen are on the cheap side they need to be assisting their Blitzers or marking up players and taking hits for the more valuable pieces. More often than not as well against more dedicated bashy teams, you’re likely going to be players down as AV9+ tends to give way more than one would think.

However, losing Halfling on the Human Team isn’t that big a deal so having one spare as a dedicated curb-stomper might not be a bad shout. They’re cheap enough to have on the bench without effecting your TV too much and should just about hang around long enough to stick the boot in when needed. If you’re feeling particularly malicious, you could always grab Dirt Player on one for some extra spice!

Marking Pieces

Sounds weird I know with their S2 and might-as-well-not-exist Armour, but anyone who’s gone up against Goblins or Halflings will tell you they can be pretty annoying to put down early on thanks to the might Dodge skill. Against an experienced opponent, you’re likely going to be taking 2 Die hits anyway, so using a cheap piece of bait to stick to a dangerous player isn’t a bad shout.

For the most part, Players with high strength or MB at the beginning of a league are lacking Tackle or Block, so even with their superior strength, they’re going to have to rely on POWs to knock the irritating little buggers down. This leaves the rest of your team to coordinate their strength elsewhere while keeping the big threats occupied. If he gets KO’d or injured, it’s no big loss as you should have a Linemen ready to jump in from the Bench at the end of the drive.

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Overall I love the inclusion of the Halfling on the Human Team. It’s perhaps not the most competitive option and even the bog-standard Human Linemen does everything better, but they’re a fun wildcard that can help shake things up. They’re cheap enough that they’re not going to be detrimental to your team and having one on the bench can open up some fun options.

For me, TTM, as much as I LOVE it, isn’t great with the Ogre so on my Human teams they’re going to be used as markers or foulers as they’re such good throwaway pieces. I’m thinking against Loner, S5 Big Guys they may even excel while they Dodge away from most hits, maybe even drawing out the odd Both Down and Loner Roll. Even if they die they make a good ornament in ones display cabinet!

We hope you enjoyed this look at the Halfings on the Human team! If you want to see more team and player looks, head to our Tactics Blog!