Blood Rage details
- Designer: Eric M. Lang
- Artists: Adrian Smith, Henning Ludvigsen, Mike McVey, Thierry Masson
- Publishers: Arclight, Arclight Games, Asmodee, Asterion Press, BoardM Factory, CMON Global Limited, CMON Limited, Cool Mini Or Not, Crowd Games, Delta Vision Publishing, Edge Entertainment, Fantasmagoria, Galápagos Jogos, Game Harbor, Geekach Games, Guillotine Games, MIPL, Portal Games, REXhry
- Release Date: 2015
- Player count : 2 - 4
- Age range : 14+
- Time range : 60 - 90 minutes
- Mechanism(s): Action Points, Area Majority / Influence, Area Movement, Card Drafting, Card Play Conflict Resolution, Closed Drafting, Hand Management, Map Reduction, Memory, Open Drafting, Simultaneous Action Selection
- BGG Geek Rating: - converted to Meeple Mountain scale: .
- More articles about Blood Rage.
"Life is Battle; Battle is Glory; Glory is ALL"
In Blood Rage, each player controls their own Viking clan’s warriors, leader, and ship. Ragnarök has come, and it’s the end of the world! It’s the Vikings’ last chance to go down in a blaze of glory and secure their place in Valhalla at Odin’s side! For a Viking there are many pathways to glory. You can invade and pillage the land for its rewards, crush your opponents in epic battles, fulfill quests, increase your clan's stats, or even die gloriously either in battle or from Ragnarök, the ultimate inescapable doom.
Most player strategies are guided by the cards drafted at the beginning of each of the three game rounds (or Ages). These “Gods’ Gifts” grant you numerous boons for your clan including: increased Viking strength and devious battle strategies, upgrades to your clan, or even the aid of legendary creatures from Norse mythology. They may also include various quests, from dominating specific provinces, to having lots of your Vikings sent to Valhalla. Most of these cards are aligned with one of the Norse gods, hinting at the kind of strategy they support. For example, Thor gives more glory for victory in battle, Heimdall grants you foresight and surprises, Tyr strengthens you in battle, while the trickster Loki actually rewards you for losing battles, or punishes the winner.
Players must choose their strategies carefully during the draft phase, but also be ready to adapt and react to their opponents’ strategies as the action phase unfolds. Battles are decided not only by the strength of the figures involved, but also by cards played in secret. By observing your opponent’s actions and allegiances to specific gods, you may predict what card they are likely to play, and plan accordingly. Winning battles is not always the best course of action, as the right card can get you even more rewards by being crushed. The only losing strategy in Blood Rage is to shy away from battle and a glorious death!
The Vikings were expert sailors, traders, and warriors. That makes for some great board games.
Ten years is a long time in board gaming! Join us as we look back on the smart, influential, weird and crazy things that emerged from the last decade of games.
Have you ever had to try to describe a game in a single phrase? Here’s a satirical look at some honest game descriptions of our favorite (or least favorite)...
We all love board gaming with our friends and family, but sometimes you just want to curl up with a good book. Here are some great recommendations inspired by...
Playing the next new game is great, but sometimes it’s nice to play something familiar, a game you know you love. Join us in today’s “Games We Love” as we look...
