Leiden Blood Bowl League - Mercenaries
The Leiden Blood Bowl League has opened its gates for a new wave of mercenaries of legendary stature since the 2025-2026 season. Straight from the annals of Leiden’s history, these iconic figures charge onto the pitch – hardened by sieges, liberations, art, science, and sheer survival instinct. Coaches can now recruit them to bolster their teams with unique skills, historical flair, and a healthy dose of brute force… or cunning agility.
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Stunty Superstars:
Cornelius Hutspot Hopper
Known as the boy who “brought home the pot.” In Blood Bowl, he doesn't carry stew, but the heads of his opponents off the field. Small, quick, and elusive – leaps through defenses as easily as he once slipped past enemy lines.
Based on Cornelis Joppenszoon: The orphan boy who, in 1574, discovered the abandoned Spanish fortifications and found the famous hutspot stew pot. Joppenszoon is said to have slipped out of the city early in the morning to take a look at the Schans Lammen, more than a kilometer south of the city walls. There he is said to have found a cooking pot with stew, left behind by the fleeing Spaniards, and taken it back to the city. – a symbol of the Relief of Leiden.
Gijs Kettle Skipper
Also involved in the discovery; “skipper” sounds like someone who moves quickly and nimbly across the field, just like a small, cunning player. Light-footed and sly, “skips” past heavy tacklers to carry the ball to safety.
Based on Gijsbert Cornelisz Schaek: Freebooter who, alongside Cornelis, found the hutspot pot – one of the first signs the enemy had fled. Schaeck was the first person who dared to enter the deserted Spanish Lammenschans in the early morning of October 3, 1574. After confirming that the Spaniards had left, he was the one who informed rebel leader Boisot that the liberation fleet could sail to Leiden without danger.
Jochem Juke Move
This hyperactive player is everywhere at once. His opponents are disoriented by his imitations and sudden bursts of speed. Fans call him “the human strobe light.”
Based on Jochem Myjer: Leiden comedian, musician, and impersonator, known for his energy and speed
Els Bonebreaker
She knows no fear. On the field, she sneaks past defenders as if they were enemy patrols and strikes with surgical precision.
Based on Els Boon: World War II resistance fighter, courier in the Escape Line, spectacularly escaped from transport to Camp Vught.
Legendary Linemen:
Magdalena Siegebreaker
Master of timing and manipulation – breaks down defenses at the perfect moment. In Blood Bowl, she uses her charm and timing to make opponents hesitate just long enough for her team to strike.
Based on Magdalena Moons: According to legend, in 1574 she persuaded the Spanish commander Valdez to postpone the attack on Leiden. This gave the forces of Louis de Boisot enough time to break the dikes and approach the city walls of Leiden.
John Hardwood
On the pitch, “Hardwood” lives up to his name — unyielding, dependable, and built to withstand the fiercest assaults. Like the sturdy timbers of a fortress gate, he anchors the line, absorbing hits and keeping his teammates safe. But he’s not just a wall; his organisational mind means he can read the flow of the game, calling out plays and directing traffic with the same precision he once used to run a city under siege.
Based on Jan van Hout: During the siege of Leiden, he became close friends with Janus Dousa, Lord of Noordwijk and city commander, whose right-hand man he was. Together with Jacob van der Does, Dousa's uncle, they belonged—unlike the indecisive mayor Pieter Adriaansz. van der Werff—to the small group of diehards who refused to accept any of the Spanish enemy's tempting proposals to surrender the city.
William Doomwing
On the pitch, “Doomwing” channels the speed, precision, and daring of his wartime pigeons. He’s a master of aerial plays — not literally flying, but launching pinpoint passes and intercepts that seem to come out of nowhere. His field awareness is uncanny, as if he’s receiving secret messages from above. When he streaks down the sideline with the ball, defenders swear they hear the rush of wings and feel the shadow of something fast and unstoppable passing overhead.
Based on Willem Cornelisz. van Duyvenbode: Used carrier pigeons to send messages to William of Orange during the siege of Leiden.
Henrietta Thornstrike
On the pitch, “Thornstrike” is as sharp and unyielding as her name suggests. She slips through defensive lines with the same stealth she once used to evade enemy patrols, striking at the perfect moment to steal the ball or deliver a decisive block. Her playstyle is all about precision and timing — a sudden burst of speed, a perfectly placed hit, and she’s gone again before the opposition can react. Like a thorn hidden in a bouquet, she’s beautiful to watch in motion but painful to those who underestimate her.
Based on Henriëtte Roosenburg: Born in The Hague in 1916, Henriëtte Roosenburg — known to friends as “Jet” — was a Leiden University student when the Second World War broke out. Fluent in multiple languages, she joined the Dutch resistance, first helping Jewish people escape and later serving as a courier for the underground newspaper Het Parool. She became part of the escape line “St John,” guiding Allied airmen and political refugees through Belgium and France toward freedom.
Reliable Ringers:
Hetty Shadowstep
On the pitch, “Shadowstep” is the ultimate elusive runner. She darts between defenders like they’re clueless patrols, slipping through the smallest gaps in the line. One moment she’s in your tackle zone, the next she’s gone — reappearing just in time to snatch the ball or deliver a game-winning hand-off. Her knack for disappearing acts makes her a nightmare to mark and a fan favourite for spectacular, last-second plays.
Based on Hetty Krause: A Dutch resistance courier during the Second World War, operating in and around Leiden. She was known for her daring missions, carrying secret messages and aiding escape lines under the noses of occupying forces. Her quick thinking and ability to vanish into the crowd saved her life — and the lives of many others — on multiple occasions.
Lucas Linestriker
Treats every play as a work of art. His passes are brushstrokes, his dodges are flourishes, and his touchdowns are masterpieces.
Based on Lucas van Leyden: A Renaissance prodigy, Lucas van Leyden was a painter and engraver renowned for his precision, inventive compositions, and mastery of detail.
Rembrandt Red Paint
Uses misdirection like a painter uses contrast — luring defenders into darkness before exploding into the light of the end zone.
Based on Rembrandt van Rijn: One of Europe’s greatest painters, Rembrandt mastered the interplay of light and shadow, creating works of deep drama and emotion. Born in Leiden, his legacy is global.
Brutal Blockers:
Herman Leech Lord
On the pitch, “Leech Lord” is the ultimate field medic and enforcer rolled into one. He knows exactly where to apply pressure — whether it’s a healing hand to get a teammate back on their feet, or a bone‑crunching hit to put an opponent down for good. In the chaos of Blood Bowl, he’s the player who can patch you up… or take you apart.
Based on Herman Boerhaave: A world-renowned physician, botanist, and chemist, Boerhaave pioneered clinical teaching and advanced medical science in the 17th century.
Armin Boomkick
On the pitch, “Boomkick” is the master of momentum. He reads the flow of the game like a DJ reads a crowd, knowing exactly when to drop the “big hit” that changes everything. When the tempo rises, he’s in his element, orchestrating plays that build to a deafening crescendo before smashing through the opposition’s line. Just like on the dance floor, when Boomkick takes control, the whole stadium moves to his beat.
Based on Armin van Buuren : World-famous DJ and producer from Leiden.
John the Rock
On the pitch, “The Rock” lives up to his name in two ways. First, he’s an unshakable presence in the scrum — a player who plants his feet and refuses to be moved, no matter how chaotic the play becomes. Second, like his paintings, he thrives in disorder: when the field turns into a brawl of flailing limbs and flying mud, he somehow finds the perfect angle to break through. Whether he’s holding the line or smashing a path for a teammate, “The Rock” turns chaos into a masterpiece.
Based on Jan Steen: Born in Leiden in 1626, Jan Steen became one of the most celebrated genre painters of the Dutch Golden Age. His works are packed with bustling taverns, mischievous children, and a touch of moral satire — so much so that the Dutch still use the phrase “a Jan Steen household” to describe cheerful chaos. Steen also ran a brewery and an inn, giving him a front‑row seat to the antics he immortalised on canvas.
Bona Fide Big Guys:
Louis Geuzen Gale
“Geuzen Gale” crashes through defensive lines like a storm tide, scattering opponents like driftwood.
Based on Louis de Boisot: Admiral of the Sea Beggars fleet, Louis de Boisot led the daring naval relief of Leiden in 1574, breaking the siege by water.
William the Liberator
“Liberator” rallies his team to fight on against impossible odds, turning certain defeat into legendary victory.
Based on Willem van Oranje: Leader of the Dutch Revolt and “Father of the Fatherland,” William of Orange fought for independence from Spanish rule.
Janus Ironhide
Unshakeable in defense. Known for his “Poetic Blockade”: he recites battle poems while making tackles.
Based on Janus Dousa: Leiden was besieged twice by the Spanish, in 1573 and 1574. Dousa was commander during the second siege.
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