Barnes on Games- Space Cadets: Away Missions in Review, Zimby Mojo, Blood Rage, WHQACG

Read more...

While I don't think Blood Rage will replace Chaos in the Old World for many people, it already has for me. The fun is more immediate and action more consistent. It feels almost as deep, but it's more direct and in your face. Chaos can have that buildup issue you mentioned when discussing Moongha awhile back. The action (except for Khorne), can be delayed and you need to earn what you take. Blood Rage starts filling Valhalla in the first 10 minutes. Much more drama in Blood Rage than in Chaos and that's what I love.

At the risk of sounding like a complete shallow ass, I gotta tell you the title and branding on Blood Rage more or less nixed it for me before I even took a look at it. I shouldn't care about such things but it is what it is, and if I play it (and I may like it when I do) it will be in spite of its branding.

I avoid essentially everything GW related for the same reason. I just don't like the skin-deep impression it gives off.

Currently I feel there is much more story in a game of Chaos in the Old World, than in Blood Rage. I'd be interested to see a variant with predetermined cards for each clan; right now it's all very generic, to the detriment of the narrative potential.

That's kind of where I am with it. Chaos has had about a year off the table, and now Blood Rage looks like it's got what it takes to replace it...and like you're saying, it's a matter of what WILL get played versus what MIGHT get played. Blood Rage is very nearly a 'pull and play' title, it doesn't require as much time/commitment as Chaos does. There are some trade-offs the other way too- like the really great powers and the irreplaceable Old World setting- but the game that plays stays. And if I want the more dicey, angry gods kind of play...Cthulhu Wars is sitting right there.

Blood Rage is better than something like Kemet, but not Chaos.

Chaos in the Old World already has a more dramatic cousin that spices things up, and it's called it's own Horned Rat Expanison, not Blood Rage.

Pretty impressed by Blood Rage but I can't imagine it enthralling me for as many plays as Chaos.

If anyone is interested, I've posted the rule book for Zimby Mojo at deviousweasel.com/zm-rules/ . And its waaaay better than the rule set that I sent to Mr. Barnes (and includes a couple new rules that he'll definitely like).

Please note that I had to break it into two pieces to post due to file size limitations. Even then, the reduced resolution core rules file is pressing pretty hard against 20MB!