The sudden and controversial relocation of the Kutenholz Foxes to Marienburg has made waves across the DLE. While the Foxes are the only top-tier squad currently playing in the city-state, they’re far from the first team in Marienburg Blood Bowl History. Indeed, the roots of Marienburg football predate the nearby Broekwater Patriots, as well as the recently departed Marauders. For more than three decades, the MIL (Marienburg Independent League) has hosted some of the region’s best players, and while much of the Foxes’ roster is imported from Middenland, a few key signings are bringing the Marienburg style of play to the DLE.

When talking about the peculiarities of Marienburg football, one name comes to mind: Hendrik Jacobus. The long-time coach of River Paleisbuurt and ten-time MIL champion, who passed away three years ago, was best known for his “Complete Blood Bowl” philosophy, which emphasizes frequent short passes to create space, as well as the versatility of every player on the field. As much an aesthetic theory of the game as a set of in-game tactics, Complete Blood Bowl emphasizes fluid movement and discourages excessive physicality and stalling tactics. Many, though not all, of Marienburg’s local teams attempt to follow the same philosophy, with varying degrees of success.

Needless to say, there is much here that is at odds with contemporary trends in the DLE. New team president Geert van Herder, though, seems committed to bringing his hometown’s traditions into the wider Blood Bowl world. The Foxes’ new head coach Johan Rijker played under Jacobus in Paleisbuurt before going on to a successful MIL coaching career of his own. The Foxes have also signed Rijker’s star QB Steve de Berg, who led the Goudberg Goats to an MIL title last season, as well as ex-MIL standouts Steve van Buren (FC Doodkanaal) and Bruce van Dyke (Suiddock.)

“The Foxes are well-equipped to play the complete game,” said Rijker of his new charges. “Consider M'Grash K'Thragsh, an ogre with true Blood Bowl skills, or the agility of (Chandler) Jones and (Trevor) Guyton. Complete Blood Bowl is about finding angles, about creating space, about turning the game on its axis before the opponent can react. We may not be the most physically gifted squad, but if we have to resort to testing ourselves physically against the opposition, the battle is lost already.”

Before the Foxes’ Marienburg debut, some local fans expressed skepticism of the signings, wondering if the team was bringing in token local players to compensate for its lack of roots in Marienburg. After two games, though, the new arrivals seem to be playing a vital role in the squad: de Berg’s 4 completed passes place him among the top aerial threats in the league, while van Buren has two of the Foxes’ three touchdowns since the move. While results for the team overall have been mixed, the team’s Marienburg contingent is showing that they can hold their own in the major leagues.