Stats:
No. of players: 2
Amount of time to play: 45-60 min
Age requirements: 13+
Set-up time: 5 min

DreadBall is a sports miniatures board game. The Xtreme version ramps things up with more teams, new sponsors and more casualties.

DreadBall Xtreme Rules Description:

DreadBall Xtreme plays very similarly to the original game. In fact many of the actions and their resolution are the exact same. If you are not familiar with the series’ game play, you can read my overview and review here. The rest of this post will highlight the differences between Xtreme and the original game.

The first difference you’ll notice is the pitch looks different. It is a square not a rectangle and there are different strike zones. When you set up the pitch you roll a d6 to determine which strike zones are used. The ball has six different launch locations. When you need to launch a ball, roll a d6 and place the ball on the corresponding launch hex.

The pitch also looks different because it has terrain on it. Tall obstacles block line of sight and cannot be moved through. Short obstacles may be trapped. When you move adjacent to a short obstacle you remove its lid and resolve its effects. These traps can merely knock a player down or have a chance to kill them. Traps that explode roll a specific slam test and the defending player gets a chance to dodge.

Special move cards remain basically the same the fan support on the bottom. And now there are also sabotage cards. Each lists two effects one for use on offense and one for defense. A card may only be used once then it is discarded. These cards can add dice to your tests, move or knock down opponents or let you ignore other sabotage cards.

Sponsors used to just sit on the sidelines but in DreadBall Xtreme they can affect the game. Before their team’s Rush a sponsor can pick one of three schemes, intimidate, threaten or bet. When you intimidate you get a coaching die that must be used on that Rush. If you choose threaten, an opposing of your choice is marked and loses one die from all tests (but Armour) for their next Rush. Bet is only used in league play and allows you to wager credits to win extra cash at the end of the match.

Team building has changed too. You may hire players from other alien races to create your own custom team. The cost of these players varies depending on your sponsor.

Your players are not taken off the pitch when wounded. Instead they stay there. You mark the damage they take and once they sustain four damage they die. Until then they have a chance to recover wounds at the end of each Rush.

There are also some other rule change. There is no ref and no fouls. You now have four actions per rush instead of five. You can dunk the ball from the hexes adjacent to the strike hex for one automatic point. Jacks can dash when throwing or slamming. It is now optional to try and catch a scattered ball. But if you elect not to try to catch it the other team gets a fan check. You don’t get a bonus die for guards when making an armor check. Armor value is no longer standard by position. Also if you start your Rush behind on the scoreboard you get a free card.

Of course there are new races, miniatures, special abilities and rules for league play too.

Quick Review of DreadBall Xtreme:

DreadBall Xtreme adds another way to play DreadBall with more violence, more variety and more randomness too. I really like DreadBall a lot. It is my favorite miniature sports game. So there are some things from Xtreme I like and others I don’t.

The components are very nice. The miniatures come assembled which is great. The pitch looks really nice and the rules are well laid out. I wish there was a better player aid that had the included teams’ stats and a summary of the actions you can take.

The ability to make custom teams that can even use races from the original DreadBall is awesome. Being able to mix races and create a unique team adds another layer of strategy to the game. The new races and the new abilities add more variety and strategies to team-building. This all adds replay value as there are more teams you can field.

Another highlight is the variable pitch set up. This can force coaches to adjust their strategy depending on the pitch. The changing pitch and keeps matches fresh.

It is nice to have sponsors effect the match. Their schemes are well designed and not too overpowered.

Some of the rules changes are fantastic. Like jacks being able to dash before a throw or slam. Or not having to catch a scattered ball. It is nice to see mantic clean up some issues that annoyed players.

I am not thrilled with the addition of traps. They make moving around on the pitch dangerous which is interesting. But their effects are too random and can easily end your Rush. And that is not the kind of surprise I am looking for in a sports game.

Xtreme is also fiddlier than the original. The cards are small. There is a lot to keep track of. And it all just adds up. This is not to say I don’t enjoy it or won’t play it. I just prefer the original. But I like having the option to pull out Xtreme when I want to mix things up bit.

If you have played DreadBall it is worth giving Xtreme a try. You just might like it more than the original. If you are thinking about purchasing one I’d get DreadBall. But that is just me. It is definitely worth trying out both.

Score and synopsis: (Click here for an explanation of these review categories.)
Strategy 4 out of 6
Luck 5 out of 6
Player Interaction 5 out of 6
Replay Value 5 out of 6
Complexity 4 out of 6
Fun 5 out of 6
Overall 5 out of 6