Does the Quest for Heroes ever end? So far, the answer is NO! I am onto the next supplement I have picked up to expand my Heroquest adventures. I decided to pick-up Mage in the Mirror next for a couple of reasons. The first was that I wanted the Elven furniture and the Elven enemy models to help expand and round-out my Fantasy miniature collection. I use these for more than just Heroquest, so these were good additions to that. Second, I had heard good things about the Quest pack that came with this one. I think before I paint it though, I may pick-up the Dread Moon expansion since it also has some more of the Elf minis. Might as well paint them all at once!
Apparently, this is another re-boot from an earlier version. I had never heard of it in the US, but in the UK it probably was a thing. Since I had never heard of it, I am not surprised I have never played it. Therefore, this one will be a new experience.
So grab your shield, sheath your short sword, put on your cos-play elf ears, and let's get ready to delve into this expansion!
Things I Liked
First off, I am super happy to see that a key NPC got their own model in this supplement. This follows in the footsteps of the Against the Ogre Hordes boxed set. This also helped me pull the trigger on this supplement set next, a new hero model and a new unique NPC model.
This Quest pack adds a few new ways to get around the HeroQuest board. It has Iron Portcullis, a trapdoor, and a Magic Mirror. The Trapdoor and Magic Mirrors allow you to "teleport" to another space where the second Trapdoor or Magic Mirror is in the dungeon. The Iron Portcullis acts as another type of door that can not be opened unless you have a special key.
The game adds a new special Elven magic deck that the Elf can choose instead of just the left-over Elemental deck. There are 11 Elven Magic cards, but eh Elf can only take three of them per Quest. However they can change between quests if the player wishes.
Things I Did Not Like
There is a new type of trap called a Wandering Monster Trap. When sprung, the trap unleashes the Wandering Monster for the Dungeon that immediately attacks. I like the concept of this trap, but what I do not like is that Heroes can not detect or disarm it. It essentially always allows the Wandering Monster a free attack. In addition, this Quest Pack adds the idea that a Wandering monster may be mor than a single creature! They also add a Long Pit trap, that requires you to have three move after jumping it.
There is a cool mechanic in theory for Quest 7 and the Werewolf Curse Dread spell about turning the players into Werewolves! However, the execution of this cool idea is a bit convoluted. Zargon controls players in wolf form, and they drop all their gear. The game comes with some markers, which would also be useful for if character's die!
Wow, the Elf can really get kitted out in those first three solo-quests if everything goes right. I am not sure how balanced that is, but I suppose most Heroes at this point have gone through at least the Core quests and 1 Expansion, so probably pretty buff.
Meh and Other Uncertainties
This Quest pack starts off with 3 solo-quests for the Elf before he calls in his team to help him. I am not sure how I feel about these Solo-quests. I could see them being useful for getting a single player back up to power to join a more-established group, but that would really disrupt the rhythm of the rest of the Questbook. I think it is an interesting idea, but I am not sure it really works in a team game like HeroQuest.
The the Quest Booklet there are some rules clarifications about how to pass items between Heroes.
The Quest Pack adds some rules for Scrolls as a 1-use item. This makes them similar to potions, only with different spell effects. There are also new artifacts and items for the armory thanks to this Quest Pack as well.
There are four "new" monsters in this expansion. They are Elven warrior, Elven archer, Ogre, and Gaint Wolf. This Giant Wolf can also be used as the Werewolf for Quest 7. The Giant Wolves are two base models, where the Druid's Wolf is only a single space. These are some big boys. The Elven Archers are also missile troopers with 4 Attack(!) dice at range.
Final Thoughts
Another interesting HeroQuest expansion down. If you like HeroQuest, this does more of the same! Like many HeroQuest expansions, it has a lot of interesting ideas. However, some of them only last for a single quest. I am looking at you Werewolf!
If you have heroes that have managed to get this far, this will give them new challenges. If you are looking to expand your miniature collection, this is a good buy. If you are looking for something that is a big innovation or very different from regular Heroquest than this might not be for you.
I will now put in my obligatory request to Hasbro/Avalon Hill for a Heroquest themed Mass-battle game using the Heroquest models and molds. For the forces of Dread they can all ready make units of Dread Warriors, Abominations, Orcs, Goblins, Skeletons, Zombies, Mummies, Ogres, and Giant Wolves. For the King's forces they have Guardian Knights, Elf Warriors, Elf Archers, Barbarians, and Dwarves. So close to an alliance army. They just need some mounted troop types for the Alliance. Battlemasters beckons!
I look forward to painting it up.
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