Blood Rage (board game)

Blood Rage is a Viking-themed board game designed by Eric M. Lang and published by CMON (Cool Mini Or Not). The game is for 2-4 players (or 5 with the fifth player expansion) and typically plays in 60-90 minutes. It combines elements of area control, card drafting, and miniatures combat, set against the backdrop of Ragnarök, the Norse apocalypse.

The game is played over three ages, each representing a phase of Ragnarök. At the start of each age, players draft cards representing various advantages and strategies, including clan upgrades, quests, battles, and powerful monsters. These cards are used throughout the age to gain glory (victory points), improve their clan's abilities, and strategically engage in battles in the different provinces of Midgard.

Players control a Viking clan, represented by miniature figures depicting warriors, leaders, and ships. They use these miniatures to invade and pillage provinces, fight other clans, and fulfill quests. A key mechanic is the "Rage" track, which limits the number of actions a player can take in a given age.

Battles are resolved using a combination of clan strength and cards played from the hand. Cards can provide bonuses to strength, inflict penalties on opponents, or even allow for unexpected tactical maneuvers. While winning battles is desirable, even losing battles can sometimes be beneficial due to certain cards and strategies.

At the end of each age, the province of Yggdrasil is destroyed, removing it from the board. This shrinking game board forces players into increasingly frequent and intense conflicts. Glory is awarded for a variety of actions, including winning battles, pillaging, completing quests, and having miniatures in Valhalla (the Viking afterlife). The player with the most glory at the end of the third age is declared the winner.