On the field of battle elves battle orcs for honor and glory. Insults are hurled as well as praise given as each force encourages their fellow man to push forwards and overcome their opponents defense as one side can achieve victory.. by scoring a goal. This is the new game called Elfball a fantasy miniature sport game created by the minds over at Impact Miniatures.
The object of the game is to score to a pre-determined set number of goals (1 for a beginners game or 2 to 3 for an advanced game). Each player has a series of stats: Jog (which reflects how far a character can move per turn), Tackle (the ability to bring down another opponent), Might (how hard it is to bring that character down), Dodge (used to evade enemy tackles), Skill (how well the character is apt to throw, catch and grab the ball) and Grit (the ability to take punishment and to stay in the game).
Each time a character on the field either attempts to catch a ball, tackle a player, etc. it is resolved thru a test. A test is usually measured in the numbers of successes rolled on the die that comes with the game (but can easily be substituted for d6's as well). Anytime during the game a player rolls more successes than needed then that player builds up what is known as momentum. Momentum is a key point to this game as it can be used to replace any unsuccessful rolls or even make your opponent re-roll for a certain test. However, if you score a flop (meaning a failure) during any of these tests then your momentum points go back to zero. Also if you fail a certain challenge such as failing a dash challenge or failing to have one of your players catch the ball during a throw challenge then what happens is called a shift in momentum (or SiM for short) and that means your opponent gets all of your remaining momentum points. This can be a critical shift in the game as your opponent now has an advantage that you were saving to use at a key point.
There is also an advance set of rules that covers the types of miniatures used in the game and what skills can be assigned to each type. Skills have two classes (basic and advanced) and a model must have a basic trait before acquiring an advanced trait. Each of these skills are acquired as your team scores goals (1 exp for each person on the team and 5 exp nets you a new skill). The team rosters range from the normal faire of elves and dwarves to the more exotic Siringit (beastmen), Gnolls and even Egyptian Gods. Each of the miniatures that are available for purchase are finely crafted and there will be future reviews of each team.
In the Elfball box there is also a heavy duty playing board, challenge die, markers and cardboard miniatures so you can get started playing right away. The art that comes with the game is beautifully done and I would have loved to have seen that art transferred to the cardboard miniatures. The cardboard miniatures that are included with the game as well as the set that's available separately are just silhouettes of the characters instead of art. While this does leave a bit to the imagination it does give you a substitute so you can get on and start playing right away. However the expansion cardboard miniatures does cover all the teams so if you don't feel like playing either the Valkyries or Desert Dogs you can play any of the teams that are in the rulebook.
Elfball is a fun, fast paced and complete game that you can buy, pick up and play right out of the box or go ahead and purchase other miniatures for a more enriching experience. The rules for the game are available online (www.impactminiatures.com) if you feel like giving the game a test drive before you buy it. This is one of the games that puts the 'fantasy' into fantasy football so check it out!
