To discuss the rules and show your interest in this project, please visit the forum thread!
Hive Mind
This is the Hive Mind. It's the collective consciousness that controls every single Borg drone and seeks perfection based on the knowledge it extracts from the Borg's captives.
Any time a Blood Bowl player gets assimilated (to others it seems to look like he has been killed), their useful skills will be added to the following list (other skills are recorded at the bottom).
The percentages for each skill are relative to the top line, Ie, the top line is 100% across all numbers of players. Skills that have similar understanding (same number) are ordered alphabetically, because.... we need order in the Hive Mind.
Skill/Stat
# Recorded
Ratio (%)
Max. per Cube (Drone #)
11
12
13
14
15
16
Dodge (A)
27
100
11
12
13
14
15
16
Block (G)
24
89
10
11
12
12
13
14
Thick Skull (S)
9
35
4
4
5
5
5
6
Frenzy (G)
7
26
3
3
3
4
4
4
Guard (S)
7
26
3
3
3
4
4
4
Tackle (G)
7
26
3
3
3
4
4
4
Side Step (A)
5
19
2
2
2
3
3
3
Sure Hands (G)
5
19
2
2
2
3
3
3
Mighty Blow (S)
4
15
2
2
2
2
2
2
Dauntless (G)
3
12
1
1
2
2
2
2
Characteristic Upgrades
3
12
1
1
2
2
2
2
Jump Up (A)
3
12
1
1
2
2
2
2
Leap (A)
3
12
1
1
2
2
2
2
Pass (P)
3
11
1
1
2
2
2
2
Fend (G)
2
8
1
1
1
1
1
1
Foul Appearance (M)
2
8
1
1
1
1
1
1
Horns (M)
2
7
1
1
1
1
1
1
Kick (G)
2
8
1
1
1
1
1
1
Nerves of Steel (P)
2
7
1
1
1
1
1
1
Wrestle (G)
2
7
1
1
1
1
1
1
Catch (A)
1
4
0
0
1
1
1
1
Claws (M)
1
4
0
0
1
1
1
1
Disturbing Presence (M)
1
4
0
0
1
1
1
1
Diving Tackle (A)
1
4
0
0
1
1
1
1
Dump Off (P)
1
4
0
0
1
1
1
1
Extra Arms (M)
1
4
0
0
1
1
1
1
Prehensile Tail (M)
1
4
0
0
1
1
1
1
Shadowing (G)
1
4
0
0
1
1
1
1
Sneaky Git(A)
1
4
0
0
1
1
1
1
Stand Firm (S)
1
4
0
0
1
1
1
1
Very Long Legs (M)
1
4
0
0
1
1
1
1
Spare line (G)
1
4
0
0
1
1
1
1
Other skills and characteristics encountered trough assimilation:
Skill/Trait
# Recorded
Stunty
18
Right Stuff
16
Loner
7
Regeneration
7
Titchy
2
Decay
2
Animosity
1
Blind Rage
1
No Hands
1
Leader
1
Nurgle's Rot
1
Throw Team-Mate
2
Bone Head
1
Wild Animal
1
Disposable
1
Swarming
1
Team Creation
All teams have to be named exactly after this scheme:
[Division or league] Invasion Cube [serial number]
Examples:
Competitive Invasion Cube 012
League Invasion Cube 001
O[L]C Invasion Cube 007
Secret Invasion Cube 003 (for Secret League teams, use ruleset 2198)
For the serial number, simply enter 001, 002 etc. until you have found the next number that is available. Note: If you're unsure about the team name, contact Rabe. Incorrectly named teams won't be accepted into the group!
Cheerleaders and Assistant Coaches may never be hired.
Non-Human Renegades and Big Guys can only be acquired through assimilation (see below).
The Renegade Human Thrower is not available for Borg teams.
Players are simply named "[player number] of [intended maximum team size]", for example "Three of Sixteen" (if you want to have the option of a full roster) or "Eight of Thirteen" (if you're sure you'll never go beyond 13 players).
Assimilating Players
Any opposing player that "dies" through a block (even if they were the attacker) or foul action will not be killed but assimilated. Their skills are transferred into the Hive Mind. Their body is transferred into the Cube Depot and can immediately or later be used as team member, if compatible (see below). Clarification: Each team has its own, exclusive Cube Depot, but all teams have access to the Hive Mind!
Renegade Human Linemen can be purchased at any time, regardless of whether you have parts in your depot.
If the Cube Depot can provide a suitable body (ie, something other than a lineman) and you have the funds, you must build that player. Eg, you kill an ogre - you must then build (hire) that ogre as a player.
Ogre, Minotaur, Troll, Rat Ogre, Orc, Dark Elf, Skaven and Goblin can only be purchased if a suitable body is in your Cube Depot or another team is willing to give away one from its stock.
Can't be turned into drones due to incompatible physiology.
Dwarves, Chaos Dwarves
Can't be turned into drones due to their willpower.
Star Players
Can't be turned into drones - they just have a way to never really change...
Players that cannot be turned into drones still contribute their skills and abilities to the Hive mind and therefore have to be reported.
If a Cube encounters a new species (i.e. custom roster, Stunty Leeg), report and stand by for Hive Mind analysis (decision made by Rabe).
If a body from a Cube Depot is used, a link to the original player has to be put into the new player's biography.
The Hive Mind - Skilling Players
The Hive Mind records all skills an assimilated player had. It then ranks them by the number of times they have been recorded, the date of assimilation (new entries before old entries) and (as tiebreaker) the order in which they appear on the player in question (from the beginning to the end).
To represent this, this page will always provide a list with all those skills, sorted by commonness (see "Hive Mind").
When a drone (player) has earned enough SPP to learn a skill (not randomly selected), you have to consult the Hive Mind table to determine which improvement they get. Each player usually has to take the most prominent skill from their Primary skill options, unless the team already features this particular skill a certain number of times (depending on it's current size). If no Primary skill meets those two criteria, skills from the player's Secondary skill list and the improvement of characteristics ("stats") become available, again following the table's ranking.
The process step by step:
Identify the player with the least SPP who can potentially afford to (not randomly) learn a skill.
Go through the Hive Mind skill list from the top to the bottom until you find a Primary choice skill your player doesn't have yet.
Check out how often a team of the size of yours may feature this skill: Pick the column that corresponds with the current size of your team (11-16 players, MNG players count, journeymen don't, if size is < 11 treat it as 11) and go to the row of the skill in question. If the number of player with the skill on your team reaches or beats that number, ignore the skill and move on to the next skill (that your player doesn't already have).
Repeat step 3 until you have found a skill your player doesn't have yet and is allowed to learn.
If your player has enough SPP to learn that skill, train them.
If there is no Primary Choice skill on the list that the player doesn't have and is allowed, identify the first Secondary choice skill (top to bottom of the list) that the player does not own and repeat step 3 until you have found a Secondary Choice skill your player is allowed to learn.
If your player has enough SPP to learn that skill, train them.
If there is no skill on the list that a player doesn't have and is allowed, the player must improve a characteristic (stat), if affordable. Characteristics have to be chosen in the following order (unless the characteristic has been permanently reduced by injury, then ignore it): +ST > +AV > +AG > +MA > +PA.
If the player cannot afford the skill/Characteristic upgrade, wait until they either have earned enough SPP or another skill gets priority (due to Hive Mind update, player death, team growth...).
Move on to the player with the second to least SPP who can potentially afford a (not-random) skill.
Clarification: if the number is "0" (for the number of players you have, including MNG), you cannot learn that upgrade, go to the next option.
The skills Leader and Pro can never be learned (as the represent individuality and/or hierarchie).
The skills Disturbing Presence, Thick Skull, Foul Appearance and Stand Firm represent typical Borg characteristics and are therefore on the list right from the start.
Retiring Players
Players may only be retired if they suffer from at least one lasting injury (stat decrease or niggling injury).
How to play
Competition
There is no competition among Borg. Hence, encounters between Cubes should be avoided, if possible.
Inducements
Borg must not induce any Star Players.
Borg teams may (only) buy the following inducements (if implemented):
Weather Mage (Borg Cubes are capable of weather manipulation)
Mercenaries (Renegade Human Linemen only, first Primary skill from the Hive Mind list only)
Bloodwiser Kegs (regeneration technology)
Legendary Lineman (skills following team progression rules)
Medicinal Urgent (superior Borg regeneration technology)
Extra training (additional information provides in-game advantage)
Bribes (the ref has been intimdated)
Wandering Apothecaries (superior Borg regeneration technology)
Chaos Sorcerer (Rampant Mutation represents adaption to the current situation, Lightning Bolt a Cube laser attack)
Hireling Sports Wizard (may only cast Fireball, a Cube torpedo attack)
Horation X. Schottenheim (another torpedo attack)
Druchii Sports Sorceress (another laser attack or a disrupting ray send by the Cube)
Halfling Master Chef (in-depth situation analysis possibly shifting advantage towards the Borg)
Reporting Duties
The following events have to be reported in the according forum thread as soon as possible:
Any assimilated player.
Any transfer of a body from one Borg cube to another.
How to contribute
Reporting successful assimilations is mandatory, as stated in the rules.
Beyond that, there are multiple ways to contribute to the collective:
Write match reports and post them in the forum thread.
Fluff up team and player bios.
Create cool player pics for all player types to be used by every Borg team out there.
Spread the word.
Assimilation Record
The Borg collective has successfully assimilated the following subjects: