The Bull
Market

1Format

1.1Coaches enter in pairs. Each coach brings their own team and plays their own games, and the pair's results are added together.

1.2Six rounds over two days, three on each day. It's a resurrection tournament: the same roster and skills are used for every game.

1.3Round 1 is drawn at random. After that, pairs are drawn Swiss-style against pairs on a similar score, avoiding rematches where possible.

1.4Each coach plays one coach from the opposing pair. The pair lower in the standings chooses who plays whom. In round 1, or if the two pairs are level, roll off and the pair that wins the roll-off chooses. Once announced, matchups are fixed.

1.5Games use the Blood Bowl Third Season Edition (BB2025) rulebook with the current GW Designer's Commentary and errata, plus the NAF Recommendations & Clarifications for BB2025.

2The 12-point budget

2.1Each pair has 12 points to invest.

2.2Each coach buys exactly one race from the listings (1–5 points) and exactly one portfolio (1–9 points). Split the points between you however you like. Unspent points are lost.

2.3The two coaches in a pair must play different races.

3The listings

Every race is listed at a price in points.

3.1Night Goblins use their official BB2025 roster, due for release before the tournament. Their tier will be reviewed once the roster is released and may change. Slann use the NAF-recommended BB2025 roster.

4Treasury

4.1Every coach has 1,150,000 gp for players, team re-rolls, sideline staff, Star Players and permitted inducements, whatever race and portfolio they choose.

4.2Skills from portfolios are free and don't use treasury.

4.3Any inducement in the BB2025 rulebook may be bought from treasury, within its usual team restrictions, except Wizards and Prayers to Nuffle. Star Players follow section 7.

4.4Inducements are bought when the roster is built and used in every game. Teams get no extra pre-match inducements or Prayers to Nuffle from Team Value differences.

5Portfolios

Portfolios are the skill packs. Each one costs its number in points.

Primary

Skill picks from a player's Primary categories.

Secondary

Skill picks from a player's Secondary categories. A Secondary pick may be used for a Primary skill instead.

Elite max

The most of your picks that may be Elite skills (Block, Dodge, Guard, Mighty Blow).

Stacks

How many players may receive a second skill.

Star Players

How many Star Players you may hire, paid from treasury (section 7).

Stat increase

Spend skill picks on one characteristic improvement (rule 6.6).

Mega-star

One of your Star Players may be a Mega-star (rule 7.4).

6Skill rules

6.1All skills are chosen at registration and fixed for the whole event.

6.2Each skill must come from the player's own Primary or Secondary categories, as the pick allows.

6.3No player may have more than two added skills, and only as many players as your Stacks allowance may have two.

6.4No player may have two Elite skills.

6.5Star Players may not receive added skills.

6.6Stat increase: portfolios with a stat increase may spend skill picks on one characteristic improvement instead of a skill. +1 MA, PA or AV costs a Primary pick. +1 AG costs a Secondary pick. +1 ST costs a Primary and a Secondary pick. These picks come out of your portfolio's normal allowance. Improvements follow the normal BB2025 characteristic limits, and Star Players can't be improved.

6.7A player with a stat increase may take one skill as well. That skill must be a Primary skill and not an Elite skill. It isn't free: it uses a Primary pick as normal, and the player counts as one of your Stacks. The player can't take any further skills.

7Star Players

7.1Star Players are hired from your treasury at their normal cost and must be eligible to play for your team.

7.2You must have at least 11 rostered players before hiring a Star Player. Star Players count towards the 16-player limit.

7.3Paired stars, such as Grak & Crumbleberry, use one Star Player slot but count as two players.

7.4Mega-stars are only available with Insider Trading (portfolio 9). The current Mega-stars, per the GW Designer's Commentary (May 2026), are Griff Oberwald, Hakflem Skuttlespike, H'Thark the Unstoppable, Ivan 'the Animal' Deathshroud and Morg 'n' Thorg.

7.5The two coaches in a pair may not hire the same Star Player.

8Example investments

Each of these spends exactly 12 points.

9Scoring

9.1Each game earns the coach game points: 2 for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss.

9.2In each round, the pair with more game points wins the round. Equal game points is a drawn round.

9.3A won round earns the pair 2 round points, a drawn round 1 and a lost round 0.

9.4Pairs are ranked by round points, then total game points. Any remaining tie is broken by strength of schedule: the combined round points of every pair you've played. If pairs are still level, compare their opponents' strength of schedule, and so on, one level deeper each time.

9.5For individual awards, coaches are ranked by game points, then by strength of schedule in the same way, using the game points of the coaches they've played.

10Awards

The Bull Market Trophy

The winning pair.

Runners-up

The second-placed pair.

The Bear Award

The lowest-placed pair.

Hostile Takeover

The pair with the most casualties. Only casualties that earn Star Player Points count.

Top Earner

The coach who scores the most touchdowns.

Creative Accounting

The coach whose team causes the most casualties by underhand means: fouls, crowd pushes, secret weapons, Throw Team-mate and the like. If you're not sure whether a casualty counts, ask the TO.

Penny Stock Prize

The best-placed coach with a Penny Stock team.

Best Painted

The best-painted team.

11Venue, entry and schedule

11.1Venue TBC, with Ledbury Rugby Club the likely choice. There's a bar all weekend.

11.2Entry is £25 per coach, including Saturday's hog roast. Payment details TBC.

11.3Rosters must reach the organiser by Saturday 27 March 2027, two weeks before the event, and can't change after that.

11.4Games last 2 hours 15 minutes. Each round's draw is posted as soon as the previous round finishes, and pairs set their matchups (rule 1.4) before the next game starts.

Saturday 10 April

Sunday 11 April

12Still to write

What to bring, painting requirements and code of conduct.