Ragnarok

Osprey Games’ latest game is Ragnarok, which plunges players into a universe of Heavy Metal Combat In The Viking Age. This 208-page, hardback book provides rules to run a War Clan in a Viking era ‘End Times’, with the quest for godhood being the ultimate goal. This is also the first game to use the Morpheus Engine, created by the author to enable gaming across this and many other genres. The book begins with an introduction to the basics needed to play and serves as a good entry point for those new to gaming.  This is followed by an explanation of the world behind the game setting, and the various realms, which are themselves based upon Norse mythology and beliefs. The core of the Morpheus Engine is then outlined, in terms of the model profiles and rules. A central part of the overall ‘look’ of the book itself is the artwork by Spanish artist Ru-Mor, truly evocative of the setting. The basics of the rules are expanded with scenario set-ups, how a game round works and the importance of the use of the difference between opposed rolls  on the Success Table, the use of Action points and the usual rules for Movement, Melee and Ranged attacks, all clearly laid out and explained. Interestingly, there are no examples offered to clarify each rule, which is unusual for a modern rulebook. Terrain is clearly defined, in something of a list format, with the txt quite closely packed together. A nice touch is the idea of ‘weaponizing the terrain itself, something that adds more elements to the overall game. Creating a War Clan is a relatively simple process, but a fun one, with players being able to really theme their Clan to fit the figure collection they have or most desire. Again, the use of artwork here is excellent, with even the most basic Bondi having not only useful stats but a characterful ‘look’, and the image of the Shieldmaiden beset by zombies is excellent. The all-important ‘arming’ section is covered with generic weaponry and armour, really encouraging you to purchase or convert your figures. The game focusses upon the use of Godspark, the energy released after the fall of the Old Gods after the Tree of Life collapsed. This is a campaign-based system, so players get to generate three God Powers from a chart as part of the War Clan setup. These powers are used by the generation of Godspark ‘points’, which are assigned when a player rolls higher than the level needed to succeed at an action – for example, if a player needs a 4 to make a Ranged attack, and they roll a 6, you generate two Godspark for