Part 1: The history of the Black Orcs in Blood Bowl.
Traditionally, Black Orcs played their part as blockers for Orc teams, plying their trade as hired muscle to take the fight to opposition blitzers and big guys to allow their team-mates to run through and score. This often made them the butt of many jokes within the locker rooms of Orc teams as they were used to absorb the hits from Ogres, Mummies, Deathrollers, and all manner of other particularly large opponents, all whilst the other Orcs scored the touchdowns and covered themselves in glory.
Naturally, this led to the more-intelligent Black Orcs becoming increasingly frustrated with the other Orcs they played alongside. The constant squabbles of their team-mates, and their distinct lack of ability to grasp any form of tactics, often being the catalyst for an Orc team being defeated in a game that they really should have won. However, there was little that the Black Orcs could do, as they couldn’t just go off and form their own teams on a whim.
That was until the collapse of the NAF, which removed regulations on how a team could be formed. This, along with the ever-increasing tensions between players, led to the mass exodus of the Black Orcs from the rosters of almost all
Orc teams.
At the height of this move, representatives of DUMBO (Da Union of Malcontent Black Orcs) gave a public statement on Cabalvision explaining that their Black Orc clients were sick of the way they had been treated and had decided to set up their own teams; ones where they would not be looked down on (Well, technically most Orcs would look up at Black Orcs, but you get the point!) and could enjoy the beautiful game without having to play alongside other Orcs, whom they regarded as amateur, stubborn and unprofessional!
Yet Black Orcs are not as stupid as they seem, and they knew far better than to try to simply form teams of their own kind. Whilst other Orcs may disregard speed and agility as pointless, and getting in the way of important krumpin, Black Orcs are more than aware of the importance of these traits for actually winning a game of Blood Bowl. They are also conscious that they themselves do not possess the required levels of speed and agility needed to reliably score touchdowns. Yes, a lucky Black Orc may find themselves with the ball in the end zone, but it is often because they haven’t realised they have got it when they charge an
opposition player!
To help solve the problem of lack of speed and agility, Black Orc teams have enlisted the services of Goblins, which they use to great effect. In fact, unlike the Goblins that play for regular Orc teams, those that have been signed to play for Black Orc teams are far better thought of by their team-mates. Black Orcs often become quite fond of their diminutive allies, treating them as favourite pets and training them to become tough and grizzled (At least for a Goblin!) by applying frequent clonks on the head with their huge fists.
The combination of the strength of the Black Orcs, their relative agility, and the swiftness of the Goblins makes a Black Orc team a surprisingly adept opponent when it takes to the gridiron. The Black Orcs are more than happy to take the fight to the tougher players on the pitch, thus protecting their Goblin team-mates, who are then able to sneak through the legs of the opposition, or scamper over them should the Black Orcs punch them to the floor.
It should come as little surprise then that since their introduction to this great game, Black Orc teams have made a huge impact upon Blood Bowl. Many have also recently developed huge followings of feverishly dedicated fans who will travel across the Old World just to see their favourite players bash together the heads of opposition players – and if a Goblin manages to sneak in a touchdown or two, well, that just puts the icing on the proverbial cake.
Coming soon………Part 2: The Thunder Valley Greenskins.