Blood Rage Board Game Review
Blood Rage is a Viking area control game designed by Eric M. Lang and published by Cool Mini Or Not (CMON) in 2015. It plays 2 to 4 players, ages 14 and up, in 60 to 90 minutes.
Its hook: dying in battle can score more than winning. This review covers the components, rules and mechanics, and who should buy it.
Blood Rage overview
Ragnarök has come. Each player leads a Viking clan of warriors, a leader and a longship. Over three rounds called Ages, clans invade, pillage, fight and complete quests. The most Glory after the third Age wins.
| Designer | Eric M. Lang |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Cool Mini Or Not (CMON) |
| Year released | 2015 |
| Players | 2 to 4 (5 with expansion) |
| Age range | 14+ |
| Playing time | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Game type | Strategy, area control, miniatures |
| Complexity | 2.88 / 5 (BoardGameGeek) |
What’s in the Blood Rage box?
- 49 plastic miniatures: four clans of 8 warriors, 1 leader and 1 ship, plus monsters like the Troll and Fire Giant
- 52 colored clan bases and 4 Glory markers
- 102 cards in three Age decks
- 1 board with nine provinces
- 4 clan sheets, 2 support sheets and 36 tokens
Mike McVey’s studio sculpted the figures, and the monsters tower over the Vikings. Adrian Smith’s art covers the board and cards.
Blood Rage pros and cons
Pros
- No dice. Strength plus one secret card decides every battle.
- Losing pays. Loki’s Trickery steals Rage from the winner, and dead figures can complete the Glorious Death quest.
- Winners discard their battle card while losers keep theirs, so big wins cost you.
- The draft shows you most cards in each Age, so you can guess what rivals kept.
Cons
- Two-player games lose the multi-clan battles that make it tense.
- Veterans who know the three decks beat new players.
- New CMON copies are scarce, and resale prices often top the $79.99 launch price.
How to play Blood Rage
Blood Rage setup
Each player takes a clan sheet and ten figures, with Rage at 6, Axes at 3 and Horns at 4. Rage pays for actions, Axes sets Glory per battle win, and Horns caps your figures on the board.
Drafting the Gods’ Gifts
Each Age opens with a draft. Players take eight cards, keep one, and pass the rest until each holds six.
Blood Rage actions
- Invade: place a figure, paying Rage equal to its Strength.
- March: pay 1 Rage to move figures to another province.
- Upgrade: pay a card’s Strength to add it to your clan sheet.
- Quest: commit a quest card face down for free.
- Pillage: attack a province you occupy, also free.
How battles work in Blood Rage
Rivals in adjacent provinces can move figures in. Each fighter then reveals one secret card. Highest total Strength wins, and the winner gains Glory equal to their Axes. Losing figures go to Valhalla.
Ragnarök and how to win
After quests score, Ragnarök destroys the doomed province. Each figure there scores 2, 3 or 4 Glory, rising each Age. After Age 3, high clan stats add 10 or 20 Glory, and the most Glory wins.
Where to buy Blood Rage
| Platform | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Amazon | Core box and expansions, often from third-party sellers |
| GameNerdz | CMON core box; stock varies |
| Noble Knight Games | Used copies and Kickstarter bundles |
| eBay | New and used; sealed boxes often list above $79.99 |
| Local game store | Can order from distributors |
| Tycoon Games | New series publisher; announced remastered editions |
Blood Rage game mechanics
Blood Rage mixes closed drafting, action points and area majority. This guide to types of board games explains each term.
Most cards belong to a god that points to a plan. Thor rewards winning, Loki rewards losing, and Heimdall lets you react after cards are revealed. You also draft to deny, since passing a strong Thor card can cost you.
Rage limits your turns, so every march competes with invades and upgrades. Rage increases pay off next Age, which makes early stat choices matter.
Quests resolve before Ragnarök. Filling the doomed province can win a quest, then score again when those figures die.
Who should play Blood Rage?
Blood Rage suits groups of three or four who like direct conflict and bluffing. If you enjoy military board games but want 90 minutes and no dice, it fits.
Next to Root, it is easier to teach because every clan uses the same rules.
Skip it if you play with two or dislike attacking friends. Groups who prefer teamwork should try these top cooperative board games.
FAQ
Is Blood Rage good for beginners?
Yes, with a patient teacher. Each turn is one of five actions, and battles use no dice. The hard part is learning three decks of card text. Its BoardGameGeek weight of 2.88 out of 5 sits a step above gateway games like Ticket to Ride.
How long does Blood Rage take to play?
The box says 60 to 90 minutes. First games run longer because players read every card during the draft. Experienced groups of four finish inside 90 minutes. Setup is quick for a miniatures game: hand out clans, sort three decks and place tokens.
What’s the best player count for Blood Rage?
Four. Battles pull in several clans and the draft passes through more hands. Three also works well. Two players use a modified draft and lose the multi-clan fights, so the game feels thinner. The 5th Player Expansion raises the cap to five.
Does Blood Rage have expansions?
Yes. CMON released the 5th Player Expansion, Gods of Asgard (six god miniatures that change board rules) and Mystics of Midgard (two mystic figures per clan). Tycoon Games also announced Blood Rage: Valhalla, a standalone sequel set in the afterlife.
What games are similar to Blood Rage?
Rising Sun and Ankh: Gods of Egypt come from the same designer and pair area control with god powers. Kemet and Cyclades are other mythology war games. Blood Rage reworks an earlier game called Midgard, and Valhalla continues the series.
