Does the name sound familiar? Well if you have the Bretonnian Spike, it more than likely does! The Jolly Jouster Cup is very close to the special competition rules GW laid out in Spike! Journal 19 with a few amends for flavour and practicality (mostly for flavour!).
The schedule is deliberately a relaxed 2 ½ hours per game. This should be plenty of time to complete matches at a comfortable pace. This should help with the new(ish) rules.
Team Building
All coaches have 1150 TV to spend on their team. We are using the BB2025 (Season 3) rules from GW. Unless and FAQ document comes out unexpectedly, we’ll be using the NAF guide to some of the uncertain rules.
Inducements
Only inducements normally open to honourable Bretonnian coaches are allowed at the Jolly Jousters Cup. Any tea may have -
• 0-1 Infamous Coaching staff – Josef Bugman
• 0-1 Bretonnian Damsel (150,000). She is a wizard who can caste either Zzzzap or High Winds (see below)
• 0-1 Bretonnian Pastries (15,000)
• Team Mascot
• Weather Mage
• 0-2 Wandering Apothecaries
• 0-2 Blitzer’s Best Kegs
• 0-3 Bribes
• Biased Referee
• 0-2 Star Players
HIGH WINDS
At the end of any turn, before the next turn begins, select a square on the board. Roll a d6 for any player adjacent to that square. On a 2+ the chosen player is moved back, away from the chosen square as if pushed from that direction into a square if your choice. For any player in the chosen square, roll a d6. On a 4+ they are immediately knocked down.
BRETONNIAN PASTRIES
Once per game, when a player is knoced out you may declare that you are feeding them pastries. On a 2+ put them in the Reserves and not the KO box. On a 1 they go into the KO box.
Star players
As this is a Bretonnian inspired tournament, only Bretonnian star players can play. Any team can sign them. However, bit of a snag, as of the time of writing . . . . there are no Bretonnian star players! Fear not, I have delved into the historic archives to find some old Bretonnian stars that were in Blood Bowl Compendium #3 from the year 2000. I have updated them with a blend of the modern positionals and their original skills.
Jules de Bergerac – Grail Knight
MA7 ST4 AG3+ PS5+ AV10+
Skills – Block, Dauntless, Stand Firm, Strip Ball, Loner (3+)
None Shall Pass! When someone in his tackle zone is trying to catch a pass or a hand-off, Jules is such an imposing presence, he inflicts a -2 to the roll and not the usual -1. Further, he is so intimidating that he cancels the Nerves of Steel and Big Hand skills.
Cost – 200,000
Sir Willem Tollet – Knight Thrower
MA6 ST3 AG3+ PS3+ AV9+
Skills – Block, Dauntless, Nerves of Steel, Pass, Loner (3+)
For the Lady! Sir Willem is so inspired by the Lady that for one turn of the game he may reroll any of the dice he rolls once for free. He can do this multiple times for example he can reroll a pick up and up to 2 rushes if he does them all as part of the same activation.
Cost – 125,000
Brave Sir Robin le Sange – Knight Catcher
MA7 ST3 AG3+ PS3+ AV9+
Skills – Catch, Dauntless, Hit & Run, Nerves of Steel, Loner (3+)
Knight Errant Brave Sir Robin is a slippery character. Once per half he may declare that he has the dodge skill at the start of his activation and it stays in effect until his next activation the following turn.
Cost – 125,000
Joshua le Grand – A rotund Squire
MA5 ST3 AG3+ PS4+ AV8+
Skills – Hatred (Blocker, Blitzer, Catcher, Thrower, Big Guy), Wrestle, Break Tackle, Loner (3+)
Noble Aid – Once per drive he counts as 2 assists rather than 1 for an offensive or a defensive block
Cost – 85,000
Team Tiers and skill points
Teams will have a number of points to spend, depending upon their tier
Tier 1 – 4 points (No skill stacking, no secondary skills, max 1 star)
Amazons, Dark Elfs, Lizardmen, Necromantic Horror, Norse, Old World Alliance, Shambling Undead, Underworld Denizens, Vampires, Wood Elfs
Tier 3 – 7 points (2 skill stacks allowed of 2 primary skills, 2 secondary skills, max 2 stars)
Black Orcs, Chaos Chosen, Khorne, Snotlings
Tier 4 – 8 points (2 skill stacks allowed of 2 primary skills or 1 secondary and a primary skill, 3 secondary skills, max 2 stars)
Gnomes, Goblins, Halflings, Ogres
Those points may be spent as follows –
• Primary skill – 1 point
• Secondary skill – 2 points
• Star Player – 2 points
Teams may take a maximum of 4 Elite skills in total, not 4 of each Elite skills.
Playing across Bretonnia
The Jolly Jouster Cup is played the length and breadth of fair Bretonnia. Each row of tables in the gaming area will be marked with a different region of Bretonnia and these will have their own special rules –
• Brione – each team gets a free Mascot for the game. If they already have one, they get a second. They may expend both to try and save the same reroll being used
• Couronne – All rushes are -1 to the roll
• Bastonne – Both teams get a free Bretonnian Damsel for the game
• Parravon – At the start of each drive, one selected player from each team on the pitch gains the Foul Appearance and Disturbing Presence skills
• Mousillon – All players gain the regeneration skill for the duration of the game
• Bordeleaux – Each team has a free Blitzer’s Best keg. If you already have 2 then this has no effect
• Quenelles – Select one player on your team, they gain the Trickster skill
• D’Aquitaine – When a player falls over due to a failed rush no armour rolls or injuries are taken. They are still placed prone and this still causes a turn over
In addition, we will be using the Bretonnian weather table and kick off event table from page 15 of the Bretonnian Spike! These will be printed out and on the table for reference on the day.
Knightly Garb
As some of you will know who have been to previous tournaments, we do like a bit of dress up. On the day if anyone rolls a double skulls they will get to don the helmet / cape of the Virtuous Grail. They can keep wearing it until the next person rolls double skulls and takes it off them.
While wearing the outfit, the following is in play –
• They must shout ‘For the Lady’ at least once per turn
• Opponents are so blinded by their light, they may not commit any fouls or Argue the Call and Bribes will only work on a 3+
• If they roll a skull or a both down which causes a turn over, their opponent doesn’t roll their armour. They have been protected by the blessings of the Lady
The person wearing the outfit at the end of the day gets to keep it and wear it home, shouting “For the Lady” for the rest of the day, annoying their travel companions and family no end.
Scoring
Points will be scored as follows –
• Win – 30 points
• Draw – 10 points
• Loss – 0 points
• Up to 3 points maximum per touchdown scored
• Up to 3 points maximum per casualty inflicted
If there is a draw at the end of the final round, the tie breakers will be –
• Head to head results
• Strength of schedule
• Combined touchdown and casualty difference
Glittering Prizes
There will be awards for the following -
• Winner
• Runner Up
• Most Casualties
• Most Touchdowns
• Stunty Cup (highest placed stunty team – Goblins, Gnomes, Halflings, Snotlings, Ogres, stunty Black Orcs (Troll and all goblins), Stunty Underworld (Troll, Goblins and Snotlings) or Stunty Lizards (Kroxigor and all Skinks)
• Most Noble (highest placed Bretonnian, Human or Imperial Nobility team)
• Rookie Wonder (highest placed NAF coach who has attended 5 or fewer NAF tournaments)
• Wooden Spoon