Blood Rage (2015, CMON, Kickstarter Edition with Exclusives)

Viking Rage on Your Tabletop

Blood Rage, designed by Eric Lang and published by CMON (Cool Mini Or Not) in 2015, is a Viking-themed board game that combined card drafting, area control, and spectacular miniature figures into one of the most celebrated tabletop games of the decade. The Kickstarter Edition, packed with exclusive miniature figures and expansions not available at retail, has become a significant collectible in the modern board game market.

The game's Kickstarter campaign raised over $900,000, far exceeding its goal, and established Blood Rage as one of the flagship titles of the CMON "miniatures-forward" board game movement. The combination of Eric Lang's tight game design and Adrian Smith's striking artwork created a product that appeals to both serious gamers and miniature painting enthusiasts.

What Blood Rage Is About

In Blood Rage, players lead Viking clans during Ragnarok, the apocalyptic end of the world in Norse mythology. Rather than trying to survive Ragnarok, players embrace it, leading their warriors in glorious battles to earn the most honor before the world is consumed by fire and ice.

The game plays 2-4 players (5 with the expansion) over three ages, each representing a phase of Ragnarok's approach. Each age follows the same structure: draft cards, take actions (invade provinces, march forces, pillage for rewards, upgrade your clan), and resolve Ragnarok (which destroys one province and everyone in it).

What makes Blood Rage special is the card drafting mechanism. Each age, players draft from a hand of cards that provide upgrades, combat cards, and quest objectives. Your strategy emerges from the cards you draft, not from a pre-planned approach, creating enormous replayability.

The game's most clever design element is that dying in battle can be a valid strategy. Some cards and clan upgrades reward you for having warriors sent to Valhalla (the discard pile), creating a tension between traditional area control instincts and the game's unique "glory through destruction" philosophy.

The Kickstarter Edition

The Kickstarter Edition of Blood Rage included several exclusive components not available in the retail version:

Exclusive Miniatures: Additional monster figures and alternate sculpts that were Kickstarter-only. These include larger, more detailed versions of certain monsters and clan leader figures.

5th Player Expansion: Adds components for a fifth player clan, expanding the game from 4 to 5 players. While later made available separately, the Kickstarter version included it in the base pledge.

Mystics of Midgard Expansion: Adds mystic characters to each clan with special abilities, increasing strategic depth.

Gods of Asgard Expansion: Adds large god miniatures that can be recruited to aid your clan.

Exclusive Stretch Goals: Additional miniatures, upgraded components, and content unlocked during the campaign.

The full Kickstarter package, often referred to as the "All-In" pledge, included significantly more content than the retail version. This content differential drives the collectible value of the Kickstarter Edition.

Value Guide

Condition Grading Details

Grade A (Collector Mint): Box is in excellent condition with no crushing, tearing, or significant shelf wear. If sealed, shrink wrap is intact. If opened, all components are present and in like-new condition. All miniatures are undamaged, unpainted, and on original sprues or carefully stored. All cards are unplayed (no shuffling wear). All tokens and boards are unpunched or in mint condition. Rulebook and inserts present.

Grade B (Excellent): Box shows minor shelf wear but is structurally sound. All components present. Miniatures may be removed from sprues but are undamaged and unpainted. Cards may show very light handling from setup but no significant wear. Game has been played a few times and carefully maintained.

Grade C (Very Good): Box shows moderate wear. All or nearly all components present (may be missing a minor token or two). Miniatures are assembled and may have been primed or base-coated. Cards show play wear from multiple games. Components are functional and the game is fully playable.

Grade D (Good/Fair): Box shows significant wear or damage. Some components may be missing. Miniatures may be partially painted or assembled with visible glue. Cards show heavy use. Game is playable but incomplete or cosmetically compromised.

The Miniatures Factor

A significant portion of Blood Rage's appeal and value comes from its miniatures. The game includes approximately 50+ figures in the base game, with additional figures in the expansions and Kickstarter exclusives.

The miniatures are sculpted in high-quality PVC plastic with good detail definition. They are designed both for gameplay (each clan has a distinct visual identity) and for painting (the sculpts take paint well and reward detailed painting efforts).

The painting community has embraced Blood Rage miniatures enthusiastically. Online galleries showcase extraordinary paint jobs that transform the game pieces into display-worthy art objects. Professionally painted complete sets command significant premiums, particularly when executed by recognized painting artists.

For collectors who paint their miniatures, the game provides dozens of hours of painting enjoyment in addition to the gameplay experience.

Market Analysis

Blood Rage Kickstarter Editions have appreciated significantly since the original 2015 campaign. Several factors support this value:

Supply Constraint: Kickstarter exclusives were produced in a single run. The available supply only decreases over time as sets are opened, played, and scattered.

Ongoing Gameplay Demand: Blood Rage remains a highly regarded game with strong rankings on BoardGameGeek. Ongoing interest in playing the game creates demand for copies, including the enhanced Kickstarter version.

CMON Brand Recognition: CMON has established itself as a premier publisher of miniature-heavy board games. Blood Rage's position as one of their early flagship titles gives it historical significance within the hobby.

Eric Lang's Reputation: Eric Lang is one of the most respected board game designers working today. Blood Rage is considered one of his finest designs, and his reputation enhances the game's long-term collectibility.

The CMON Kickstarter model has been repeated with many subsequent titles, but Blood Rage remains one of the best examples of the formula working perfectly: great design, great miniatures, and meaningful exclusive content.

Storage and Care

Store the box flat in a climate-controlled environment. Board game boxes are susceptible to humidity damage and can warp or delaminate in poor conditions.

If you have unpainted miniatures, store them carefully to prevent bending or breaking. PVC miniatures can be bent back into shape with warm water, but repeated bending weakens the material.

For painted miniatures, store in foam-lined cases designed for miniature gaming. Painted surfaces can chip if miniatures contact each other during storage or transport.

Keep cards in sleeves if you play regularly. Card sleeves prevent shuffling wear that can make cards identifiable during drafting, which would compromise gameplay.

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