
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Ragnarok: The Vanir
- 2 players
- 45–90 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2019

2019
Rules assistance for Ragnarok: Heavy Metal Combat in the Viking Age
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Ragnarok: Heavy Metal Combat in the Viking Age is a board game released in 2019 for 2 players, 45–90 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Tim Korklewski and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Simulation.
The end of the Aesir has come, but not as the prophecies foretold. The dread dragon Niddhoggr has devoured the roots of the World Ash, Yggdrasil, and the great tree has toppled onto its side, crashing the realms of mortal and supernatural together. With the gods dead and the fires of ruin consuming the world, your war clan of Viking warriors know what they must do to survive the destruction of the Nine Realms and restore order: they must become the new gods! Ragnarok is a campaign-driven skirmish game in which players form a Viking war clan seeking to prove itself worthy of becoming the new pantheon. The use of a mechanic called Godspark means that battles are no longer determined by merely striking an opponent and dealing damage. Instead, warriors will be pushing, throwing, and crashing their opponents around the battlefield, making their very environment a weapon. As the war clans develop, they may gain glorious new powers that will bring them closer to godhood, or win the respect of the denizens of the realms, allowing them to bring dire wolves, dwarves, and even the dreaded giants into their war clans. With strategic gameplay and epic storytelling, players must write their own sagas and tell of how their war clans have, through blood and steel, clawed their way up from ruin to stand before the halls of Valhalla.
Ragnarok: Heavy Metal Combat in the Viking Age supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Ragnarok: Heavy Metal Combat in the Viking Age is 45–90 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Ragnarok: Heavy Metal Combat in the Viking Age for ages 14 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Ragnarok: Heavy Metal Combat in the Viking Age has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Ragnarok: Heavy Metal Combat in the Viking Age belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Wargame, and Miniatures. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Simulation. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Ragnarok: Heavy Metal Combat in the Viking Age are: Tim Korklewski. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Ragnarok: Heavy Metal Combat in the Viking Age as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.