Happy New Year - time for resolutions!
- Jock Wright
- Jan 2
- 5 min read
Silly side quests at the ready
First off, Happy New Year to you. No doubt you’ve been stuffed on turkey, nursing the occasional sore head from an exuberant greeting of the Bells on Hogmanay. However, it’s time to make promises of getting fit, run marathons, climb tall buildings and maybe rolling a few pows in 2026 - although the way my dice roll I’m far more likely to run a marathon than roll a pow!
Last year I had a look at Blood Bowl New Year resolutions and silly side quests from coaches in Scotland and across the globe. It appeared from viewing figures this was a popular subject to visit - either that or folk were just plain bored from family rounds of monopoly and I offered some light relief!
What trouble will I get myself into 2026
So, what does 2026 have in store for me with my Blood Bowl resolutions - in short probably not too dissimilar to last year.
My obvious first resolution is the delivery of The Home Nations now going into its third edition with over 336 coaches from eleven nations set to attend in July. It’s quite incredible that in two short years The Home Nations is set to become the largest tournament in the UK and Ireland and have a ridiculously competitive field to boot. Both Wobert, my Co-Tournament Organiser and I feel very privileged to be given this level of support - so I guess I better not mess it up!
If you’re a keen follower of the blog you’ll have not failed to notice that I captained Team Scotland in Budapest well enough for the squad to win hosting rights! So the community as a whole led by myself and the org team have a Eurobowl to plan for.
The org team has already been hard at work visiting venues and drafting budgets - so the resolution for 2026 is to have the foundations and the fundamentals for a Scottish Eurobowl to be firmly in place and issue a ‘Save the Date’ just after the Eurobowl in Poland in October.
My final one of three is I’ve been given the privilege of captaining Team Scotland for the second time in Warsaw and I’m sure my team mates will join in my ambition of achieving a Top 10 finish and arguably our strongest ever result at a Eurobowl.
As for my silly side quests I always have a couple up my sleeve! Namely:
Make in-roads on my quest of twenty-seven by ‘27 - securing my first visit to play Blood Bowl outside of Europe, a blog on the details later!
This might be ludicrous - paint my first Blood Bowl team (Ed: he doesn’t even own a paint brush!)
As is the tradition I’ve asked a few coaches some pertinent questions about their Blood Bowl plans in 2026;
What’s your top resolution for your Blood Bowl in 2026?
What tournament are you most looking forward to attending and why?
Name up to three silly side quests for the year?
Amsfeld, TO for the Scottish Team Championships and member of Eurobowl XVIII Org Team
1. A resolution is to try to pick one (ok, two!) teams and actually stick to them for the year. That way I can go into a tournament or play a season in the league having played the team beforehand!
2. I’m really looking forward to going to Eurobowl in Warsaw for the first time. I really should probably attend one before I’m responsible for running one!
My first silly side quest is to paint enough models for a team that lets me use it in both the league AND tournaments. Silly Side Quest 2 - actually eat a burger that I’ve ordered at The Home Nations! (Ed: Not unless the Ham Burglar strikes again!)
BB_Nut, founder of Team Cornwall and Twitch Streamer
1. My New Year’s resolution is to get a team to 200 Elo on NAF, which just got harder what with the NAF reset!
2. The Home Nations is the tournament I’m looking forward to as it’s going to be Team Cornwall’s first event! (Ed: Where I’m sure you will educate coaches that it’s jam then cream!)
My first silly sidequest is more looking towards 2028. I'd like to start getting a good enough rep to get thought about for Team England (Ed: Thulean - a keen one for you!).
Secondly and probably a bridge too far really, but who knows, is to finally get a more TD awards with agility teams and maybe reduce the number of BB3 leagues I'm in to only eight!
Hargrim, Co-TO for Pierbowl in Copenhagen
1. My resolution for Blood Bowl this year will be to break 240 on the Danish ranking and in the process to win a big tournament (i.e. more than 25 people).
2. The Tournament I'm most looking forward to is a tie between HammaBowl in Germany and bLEEdbowl in Ireland. I’m looking forward to Irish tourney as it gives me a rare opportunity to spend time with friends I don't get to see often enough to my liking. Whilst Hamma Bowl in Hamburg will bring together a highly competitive field, with good players from around Europe (hopefully) attending.
My three silly side quests are: play stunty for one tournament, try not to play at Pier Bowl again, somehow encourage the Danish community attend more international events
GColeman76, Team Wales Captain for Budapest and Eurobowl Committee Member
1. With the new season the New Year's resolution has to be getting to know all the changes for the new ruleset allowing me to understand the new meta ahead of Poland later in the year.
2. It is a bit of a cop out but I love Blood Bowl so much, I look forward to every tournament I attend and the challenges they each bring. (Ed: cough* you could have said The Home Nations!)
My silly side quest for this year is to paint at least three teams for myself over and above the commission painting I do as well.
MisspelledTree, Team England Coach and Twitch Streamer
1. Less serious. More goblins.
2.I'm probably not going to get to many (if any) tournaments before NAFC so it's going to be a much lighter calendar for me than last year. Andy Davo's tournament is probably the one I'm most looking forward to because I know some really good friends from all over the world who will be there. I'm trying to get a few of them to Brighton Piers the week after as well!
No silly side quests, just roll some dice, have some giggles & spend time with people I'm fond of.
Thulean, Team England Captain and TO for Samhain Showdown
1. Win the Eurobowl!
2. Tilean Team Cup is the tournament I’m most looking forward to. We're (Tactics and Theatrics) the defending champions and the Tilean experience is always top drawer - I’m sure Bergamo will be an excellent place to visit.
3. My silly sidequests; Are to add two NAF trophies won, countries played in and Best Painted which make them all ten each.
Reach a win rate of 70% and in part doing this by having the games I draw over take the total number of games I’ve lost!
Thanks to the coaches for sharing their resolutions and silly side quests. What are yours? Share them in the comments below! (Perhaps we can have a follow up post!)
Make a stab at the Scottish Championship by going to more tournaments.
Seeing if a non-playing coach helps much at a team tournament with a view to attending EB.
Have you got a New Year's resolution? Tell us!