Sunday 22nd February 2026. Registration: 8:00 – 8.30am
VENUE: GUF games Ballarat, 9 Dana Street, Ballarat.
Cost: $30 – Tickets available from 5th January.
Money will go to prizes, trophies, dice, etc. SPACE WILL BE LIMITED TO THE FIRST 50 REGISTERED COACHES . Any coaches registering after the first 50 will be considered as ‘COACHES in WAITING’ and their ability to participate in the tournament will be confirmed from 15 February). Once paid, you will be added to the attending coach’s list. As numbers creep above 40, please check with me prior to paying to ensure that there are still spots available.
A couple of points to note about the most delightful and endearing (un-obnoxious) one day tournament (not that I know what that word means)…
We have an early registration and starting time. This is to accommodate later activities at the venue.
We are playing with the Third Season ruleset.
Star Player allowances: one for all non-stunty teams (who are permitted two); we feel that CRUSH offers such a variety of roster building options, allowing skill purchase as part of the base list and then skills as part of the training points system that this should not really hamper anyone too much, and actually keep the system fairly honest. We usually have a range of teams from all tiers and would like to see this continue.
However, there will be a 2 point training skill tax on anyone bringing a Megastar. Eg If Humans bought Griff they would get 9 training points-2 point tax = 7 points left.
All Teams and Stars as part of the 3rd Season Rules & NAF Tournament Rules (ie Slann - wait for the January update)! We will not be using any DZ rules.
We are continuing the special rule from the 10th Anniversary GOLDCRUSH: Anyone dressed in gold and paying homage to the tournament will be awarded a free reroll for use in the first drive of their first game – after that it disappears!
ROSTER BUILDING:
STEP 1:
You are allowed 1,150,000 gold to spend on your base team.
Your base list must be made using the following rules:
• Minimum of 11 players
• Blood Bowl Third Season Edition - The Official Rules
• The NAF “Rules for Tournaments from 1st January 2026”. This can be found on the NAF website from early next year.
• Up to one Star Player per team may be hired, two for Stunty teams. The Highlander Rule will be in effect – if both coaches in a given game have hired the same star player, s/he is considered to have been double booked and will not play for either team.
• All other inducements in the Third Season Rules are permitted excepting special play cards, wizards, Prayers to Nuffle and mercenaries.
• As part of your base 1,150,000 list, each player may be upgraded with ONE primary skill at a cost of $20K – ie no elite skills here (Star Players may not be given skills per this rule. NOTE: random skills CANNOT be purchased.)
• Your base list MUST add up to exactly 1,150,000 (or 1,145,000) gold. If you have spare gold, it will need to be used on items such as Dedicated Fans, Cheerleaders or Assistant Coaches, or lost.
STEP 2:
Additional Pre-Training points:
A variable amount of skill points may be spent on pre-tournament training above and beyond your base list that you created in STEP 1. The amount of points is dependent upon the group of the team. These groupings are as follows:
• Group zero (Any non-GW or non-3rd Party Teams – eg Chess sets and Lego): minus 5 skills (randomly chosen from all player’s skills)
• Group one (Dark Elves, Skaven, Vampires, Amazons) 9 points
• Group two: (Dwarves, Human, Wood Elves, Orc, Chaos Dwarves, Necromantic): 10 points
• Group three: (Undead, Lizardmen, Underworld Denizens, OWA, Norse): 11 Points
• Group four (Elven Union, Imperial Nobility, Brettonians): 12 points
• Group five (Chaos Renegades, Tomb Kings, Nurgle, Khorne, Chaos, Slann, Black Orc): 13 Points
• Group six (Halflings, Goblins, Ogres, Snotlings, Gnomes): 15 points
Players that are given points may be given [additional] skills (but not more than 6) according to the costs detailed below:
Primary skills – including primary elite skills for a player cost 1 point each
Secondary skills and secondary elite skills for a player, MV+, PA+ and AV+ cost 2 points each
AG+ or removing one extraordinary skill (not secret weapon) cost 3 points each
ST+ costs 4 points
No more than one stat upgrade per player (e.g. you can have a STR4 AG3 Human Blitzer but you cannot have a STR4 AG4 Human Blitzer)
Star Players may not be given points
But wait! One player is your ‘Hero’. They must be given at least 5 points of skills, chosen as you wish according to the constraints above. Skill stacking is encouraged! Note: lists must still be built within the constraints of the Official Rules. That is, no player may have more than 6 added skills. Lego teams are exempt from having a Hero player.
Important: please ensure all players are clearly numbered so your opponent can easily identify which players have which skills. This is very important, especially for teams with more than 5 or 6 upgrades on their roster where keeping track of different skilled players can be difficult.
On your list, please highlight the extra training points used (as opposed to a purchased 20K primary skill) and place an * against your Hero Player.
Rosters are to be submitted by 5th Feb 2025, midnight for checking. This helps with timing on the day. Late rosters will grant each (all 4!) of said coach’s opponents a reroll in the first half of their game.
Submission email: ojoosterinachen@gmail.com
Special Rules:
Special Play Cards
No Special Play Cards will be utilised at GOLDCRUSH 2026.
Tournament Rule:
*Dress Code free Reroll – see front page of this pack.
Scoring:
Goldcrush 2026 will be a resurrection tournament. After each round, teams will reset to their original roster. No injuries will carry over, and no SPP’s will be rec.
All players will compete in 4 games over the course of the tournament. Swiss draw - however, in the first round players will be paired randomly. All care will be made to ensure that all players that travel and are from the same gaming circle do not play each other in the first round but this cannot be guaranteed. There will be no further exceptions after the first round. Games starting from the second round will be seeded based on: 1) Win/Draw/Loss Points, 2) Opponent’s Score, 3) Head to Head, 4) the total sum of the Touch Down Points differential AND Casualty Points differential AND Kills for.
• Win 50 Points
• Draw 25 Points
• Loss 10 Points
In the case that two or more coaches end on the same W/L/D record after 4 games the first tie breaker for the winner of the tournament will be based on Strength of Schedule of all opponents’ W/L/D. Second tie breaker will be Head to Head, followed by Net TD + Net CAS + Kills.
Match Schedule:
Check In: 8:00-8.30am
Round 1 8.45am ‘til 11:00am
Round 2 11:10am ‘til 1:10pm & lunch (to 1.45pm)
Round 3 1.45pm ‘til 4.00pm
Round 4 4.10 pm ‘til 6:25pm
Presentations 6.40
It’s a tight schedule, so rosters must be pre-submitted; check in before 8.30am (or call 0410475534) and games will be allowed to finish current turn only if after 2hrs 15mins. (A warning will be given to coaches after 1hr 15mins that there is 1 hour remaining – chess clocks will NOT be enforced by the TOs. However, you may request your opponent to use one/use a like app if you feel that they are playing too slowly).
Round One draw will be done at 8.40am.
Painting:
Painted teams are preferred. We also strongly believe that having a painted team increases the overall quality of the tournament and the pleasure of the game. Three colours are considered a minimum. Additionally, we ask that models reflect or are easily identifiable as the positions which they represent.
Sportsmanship:
We require everyone to be a good sport. Players are all expected to act in a friendly, competitive manner which often involves some friendly banter and the occasional friendly heckling. Abuse, intimidation and personal insults (except to Nuffle and his spawn) will not be tolerated by anyone and any player(s) involved in these types of unnecessary behaviours will be warned and then removed from the tournament if they continue. Get used to the fact that dice sometimes roll hot and cold. Nuffle knows that I have. Additionally, please play in the spirit of the rules – this includes 4 minute turns.
‘Tokening’ Players
Both coaches must agree to using the GW Game tokens (Chomped, Dodgy Snack, Gouged Eye, etc). Otherwise, loom bands or similar coloured markers may be used for this purpose.
This applies for the use of prone/stunned tokens as well. Both coaches must agree. We strongly encourage coaches to lay down their models face up/down, as necessary, per BB2020 Season (Big Guys excepted – use your noggins).
NAF Sanctioned:
Goldcrush 2026 is an officially sanctioned NAF tournament. Coaches do not need to be NAF Members to participate, but NAF Members are encouraged.
The NAF (www.thenaf.net) is an international association of players dedicated to Blood Bowl. Coaches can become a NAF Member during the tournament at a cost of $15 AUD ($5 will go to the tournament and help fund the next event, whilst $10 will go to NAF), and will received the current year NAF gift (either a set of Block dice or a set of d6 plus coin) upon joining. We strongly encourage all coaches to be NAF registered.
Prizes and Awards:
Eureka Cup (first coach to kill opponent’s Hero)
1st, 2nd and 3rd Place Trophies.
Fluffy Duck Perpetual – softest team.
GUF Games Vouchers, distributing entry fees after costs and planning.
Parking on the day:
Parking is available around Ballarat. There is unmetered parking available at the Coles/Woolies carpark (cnr Dana St & Grenville St) – 2 mins walk from GUF games / across the road.
YEAR WINNER Runner Up
2025 Keepitcoul
Vampire ShadowMk
Orc
2024 Dunenzed
Human JamesDSF/Durkah
Khorne/Amazon
2023 Shadow MK
Underworld Keepitcoul
Vampire
2022 Ghetti
Skaven JamesDSF
Vampire
2021 lukeadrian
Dark Elf JamesDSF
Underworld
2020 Dazedmw
Lizardmen Hydro Hound
Nurgle
2019 Nubs11 Necromantic KeepItCoul Chaos Dwarves
2018 Ksharper Khemri Nubs11
Chaos
2017 Stevutz Chaos Pact JamesDSF
Slann
2016 Stevutz Necromantic JamesDSF
Slann
2015 Nubs11 Skaven Stevutz Undead
2014 Grumpsh Nurgle Stevutz
Khemri