Heroquest remake by Hasbro - The BIG discussion thread

[Kurgan]

Another thing about the remake HeroQuest Dice...

It is interesting to recall that the Haslab materials (CGI images during the crowd funding campaign, commercial video images) showed dice with corners rounded like the classic dice. In fact, several influencers got mailed free demo boxes (containing a pre-painted Dwarf hero with slightly bendier plastic, a larger version of the tomb lined with some kind of red felt as a dice holder, and a set of combat dice with the familiar rounded corners in a little box and a message from Mentor, meant to hype the impending campaign). I believe one of these videos described the dice as feeling like "resin" (Always Board Never Boring was one of those lucky enough to get a demo box so he could probably answer it). I wish they would have gone with this option, but oh well.

Old images of the HeroQuest remake assets are still out there on various retail pages, continuing to show preliminary or incorrect aspects, like the character sheet having a different more ornate design (the current one is more simplified, matching the 1990 NA version only bigger with more detailed axes and a slightly different font), the "Game System" being a different font on the cover, the minis all being gray (that was once their intention but they changed it do to fan requests, which I'm grateful for!)... and for some reason the Red Dice are depicted as having black pips in one old and often repeated stock photo. The Druid mini changed design several times from the time it was first revealed (see ComicBook.com also) till the actual physical release (and ATOH gave us a complete redesign of the character and also the Spell back artwork, which was done in this case by artist Nikki Dawes who has done several other things for modern HQ including the Guardian Knight artwork).

There was an announcement recently (that I had forgotten all about until Bohemyus reminded me yesterday) that not only are they planning to give away translucent green dice (like SQT I presume) at select WOTC stores that are going to be doing demos to promote HeroQuest for a little while this year... but there's another company that is being commissioned to do fancy dice for HeroQuest as well as other games for Hasbro (so not just repeats of the Dread Veil Dice?).

So while we haven't been given a full blown "a la carte" option for HQ materials, it seems there's plenty of opportunities to get more dice if you want it, and officially now, if we count all of the retail releases, you could have a different set of combat dice in a different color for each player in a typical game (and via Frozen Horror a separate set of movement dice for Zargon too). But you'd need multiple "scrolls" to carry them all that way.

[wallydubbs]

I just checked the text of WOM and it's definitely 10 gold for "upkeep" of each Merc (which considering the cheapest Merc is 50 gold, is a significant savings). FH raw was full price (prior to "Into the Northlands" introducing the Warhorn of command).

If Hasbro/Avalon Hill remake Wizard's of Morcar/Zargon I feel this 10 gold "upkeep" will be implemented, or at least half price. The full price standard from Frozen Horror only adds to the lack of play test theory/certainty.
They totally jumped the gun in remaking Frozen Horror without play tests, there was so much more they could've done to fix this quest pack. This is a quick fix the fan base can make when playing, along with others.

[Kurgan]

I don't blame AH for this, as there has to be a lot of lead time with these physical releases, they can't easily change things last minute (though the digital release was a good compromise like a "day one patch" if this were a video game).

Up until this point they had been hearing from fans "don't change it / keep it the same" and they surely were aware of the absurd prices that the Barbarian Quest Pack was going for on sites like Ebay, so probably didn't think too hard about changing it. They got the message though and after Into the Northlands we got the changes "in the box" for MOTM which were universally well received (other than the Ogre BP which a few folks thought should have stayed the same like our friend Amalgamash). If anyone has seen the draft notes for Kathryn L. Connors' original version of MOTM, the original was MUCH tougher than the '92 release, and AH has softened it up even more (though it still remains a very long and difficult expansion compared to everything else available other than Frozen Horror which is a bit harder).

AH seem at least as passionate about the game as we are and are working hard, and listening to us. That's why it was such a blow to lose the two key people who were interacting with the community the most and conveying that feeling to us and helping us understand the whole process. I see there have been changes in leadership now at Hasbro and WOTC so it'll be interesting to see the direction the game goes in. I'm praying whoever is in charge of HQ now or in the future sees fit to let them stay on the path they have been on and not screw up a good thing. I get the feeling from Doug Hopkins' public appearances that he cares a great deal and shares their vision, and I hope to learn more from him if he'll consent to an interview at GenCon for example. Here's hoping his new boss(es) at Hasbro are as understanding.

[Kurgan]

I feel like a spoilt kid who's just been given the world and still wants more but how do the Berserker and Explorer work?
Let me see if I can guess what they did.
The Berserker can choose to go into a rage/berserk/frenzy/fury/rampage giving them two attacks until no monsters are on the board after which they lose 1BP.
The Explorer combines trap, secret door and treasure searches and draws two treasure cards instead of one and choosing which to take.

Let me help.... https://forum.yeoldeinn.com/viewtopic.php?f=143&t=6645&p=131428&hilit=explorer#p131428

[Gold Bearer]

I don't mind people disagreeing with me over the rules, to me its more like the implication that players were just dumb

Not at all!

or stubbornly refusing to believe what their lying eyes were showing them.

As for Rock Skin, I implement the second defense die with my upgrade system for magic users who have survived enough quests (and small tweaks to most other spells as well).

Upgraded spells was the next thing I was going to do before I got sidetracked by other things. I did upgraded versions of the WoM spells. I really liked WoM but those spells were very poorly implimented.

I think there should have been a quest treasure (we never got any new quest treasures) for each hero, one that gives two of those spell sets for the wizard and one that gives the other one plus increased movement for the elf. Hopefully they'll do something like that if WoM gets rereleased, they'd just need to make them less character specific.

I feel like a spoilt kid who's just been given the world and still wants more but how do the Berserker and Explorer work?
Let me see if I can guess what they did.
The Berserker can choose to go into a rage/berserk/frenzy/fury/rampage giving them two attacks until no monsters are on the board after which they lose 1BP.
The Explorer combines trap, secret door and treasure searches and draws two treasure cards instead of one and choosing which to take.

Let me help.... https://forum.yeoldeinn.com/viewtopic.php?f=143&t=6645&p=131428&hilit=explorer#p131428

Thank you!

If Hasbro/Avalon Hill remake Wizard's of Morcar/Zargon I feel this 10 gold "upkeep" will be implemented, or at least half price. The full price standard from Frozen Horror only adds to the lack of play test theory/certainty.
They totally jumped the gun in remaking Frozen Horror without play tests, there was so much more they could've done to fix this quest pack. This is a quick fix the fan base can make when playing, along with others.

I get the feeling they saw how passionate the fanbase is about the original and said we change NOTHING that we don't have to. That's better than changing too much but it looks like they didn't know the material well enough to know what definitely should have been fixed, that's a little annoying.

[Gold Bearer]

I feel like a spoilt kid who's just been given the world and still wants more but how do the Berserker and Explorer work?
Let me see if I can guess what they did.
The Berserker can choose to go into a rage/berserk/frenzy/fury/rampage giving them two attacks until no monsters are on the board after which they lose 1BP.
The Explorer combines trap, secret door and treasure searches and draws two treasure cards instead of one and choosing which to take.

Let me help.... https://forum.yeoldeinn.com/viewtopic.php?f=143&t=6645&p=131428&hilit=explorer#p131428

Thank you!

Berserker Hero:
3,2,7,2 (starting weapon: broadsword; can't use ranged weapons)

Berserker Skills:

Frenzy: This skill cannot be used unless you have 5 or fewer body points.
As an action, you may take a single sweeping attack against all monsters
adjacent and diagonal to you. May be used once per quest.

Retaliation: This skill cannot be used unless you have 5 or fewer body points.
You may use this skill when you take damage from an adjacent monster. Immediately make an attack against that monster. May be used once per quest.

Enrage: As an action, you may lose up to 2 body points to immediately make an attack. Add additional attack dice equal to the number of body points you lose. May be used once per quest.

Explorer Hero:
2,2,5,5 (starting weapons: hand axe; can disarm traps like a dwarf; can't wear metal armor)

Explorer Skills:

Danger Sense: Once per turn, when you draw a hazard card from the treasure deck, you may return that card to the bottom of the deck and draw a new card.

Trapsmith: Once per turn, when you move onto a square adjacent to one or more traps, Zargon must alert you. Zargon does not, however, place trap tiles on the board. The traps are still considered concealed and not triggered.

Treasure Hunter: Whenever you draw a card from the treasure deck that rewards you with gold coins, you may find an additional 25 gold coins.

I was close on both.

Trapsmith: Once per turn, when you move onto a square adjacent to one or more traps, Zargon must alert you. Zargon does not, however, place trap tiles on the board. The traps are still considered concealed and not triggered.

I love this rule!

[Cael Darkhollow]

I just found this 'Game System versions comparison' topic viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5832 that has great side by side photos.
If Kurgan's post is made into a new topic that link should be included.

I love the new card art but hate the new furniture. Just look at that old fireplace.

I'm long over due to finish my photo comparison threads for the original boxes vs. the new reboot boxes. I still need to do Against the Ogre Horde, the Barbarian Quest Pack (Frozen Horror), and the Elf Quest Pack (Mage of the Mirror) I guess I'll get cracking on it.
But I did finish these two long ago:
Return of the Witchlord versions Photo Comparison thread
http://forum.yeoldeinn.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=5830&sid=2adf7166b12e092ec18bd1d1e0f08776

Kellar's Keep versions Photo Comparison thread
http://forum.yeoldeinn.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=5827&sid=2adf7166b12e092ec18bd1d1e0f08776

Barbarian Quest Pack Frozen Horror versions photo comparison thread
https://forum.yeoldeinn.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6853

[Gold Bearer]

But I did finish these two long ago:
Return of the Witchlord versions Photo Comparison thread
http://forum.yeoldeinn.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=5830&sid=2adf7166b12e092ec18bd1d1e0f08776

Kellar's Keep versions Photo Comparison thread
http://forum.yeoldeinn.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=5827&sid=2adf7166b12e092ec18bd1d1e0f08776

Cheers
Seeing them side by side really makes me realise just how much I prefer the UK design of everything to the US, but they got much better content.
The new minis look okay, I think I prefer most of the old ones just out of nostalgia but the new chaos warrior, gargoyle and chaos sorcerer do look really nice.

[Daedalus]

Wow, thank you Kurgan! That's a lot more than I was expecting for a reply.
I think a mod should use this post to start a new topic, Heroquest Remake Overview.

A link has been added in the OP.

[Kurgan]

Changes to other expansions:

The Frozen Horror... basically just the bonus elements (new character sheet pad, new combat & movement dice, double the number of mercenaries, double size frozen horror boss figure), the real improvements came with "Into the Northlands" (several rule clarifications, suggestions to make the quests easier in general with new Artifacts as well as suggestions to make the Solo Quests more fair/fun for the non-Zargon player). Otherwise this is pretty much the 1992 version, warts and all, even if being able to hire more than 6 mercs is helpful, if you can afford them, that is! Perhaps to make up for the increased size of the FH himself, a few of the other monsters are actually smaller than the original versions. The female barbarian is in red plastic instead of light blue as the original.

Mage of the Mirror (extra elf monsters, elven style furniture covering about half of the game system pieces... you are encouraged to buy Rise of the Dread Moon to get the rest of the set) included tweaks including half BP for the Ogre monsters, and quest fixes (no more unmarked treasure chests, all artifacts found, mercenaries allowed in group quests to further blunt difficulty) and some word substitutions. The pastel blue figures of the original are a slight greenish tint when compared to the Frozen Horror miniatures, and once again the included hero is red instead of that same color as the monsters. The ogres are now dark gray (like the Dread Warriors/Dread Sorcerer/Gargoyle) instead of the cornflower blue of the original.

Against the Ogre Horde added the arena mode (a whole new way to play not found in classic era HQ) for optional one-off battles between quests and also for the first three quests (before the 7 remade quest adventures). Entire story of the Ogres rewritten and new ending added. Several quests are renamed in spirit of the new understanding of the Ogres (as good or evil, rather than chaotic and unpredictable). New rooms added to the main quests that have extra treasure chests with healing potions, as well as some extra equipment and healing added other places to blunt the difficulty. References to Zargon once again use the male pronouns of the original (where he was named Morcar of course). Going to zero Mind Points results in "shock" (as in all other expansions other than ROTWL and the original, in which it rendered that character "unconscious" and removed for the rest of the quest). Druid hero from the Mythic tier is revived in this set with a male and female version with brand new sculpts (depicting a halfling character) with identical spells (but new cardback artwork not previously seen). Red plastic wolf ally also included as an animal companion (identical to the one introduced in the digital "Into the Northlands." Three new room tiles (as well as tiles used only in this mode to grant extra attack or defense bonuses or bonus potions, hidden treasure tiles, activation tiles and attack back tiles) and two new plastic double-wide portcullis doors (that slide open) added for the Arena mode (but no entrance or exist doors added, only the plastic "stone" doors). Chaos Spell tokens replaced by Dread Spell cards of the same quantity (with Mind Blast renamed Mind Burst). Ogres are different colors (biege for the bosses, dark gray like Dread Warriors, etc. for the Warrior/Mercenary that are different sculpts) than the original, you can hire one Ogre mercenary (with different stats than the other Ogres, and none of the Ogres match the stats of the MOTM version by the way) per quest, and the boss Ogres are all double size, with revised stats. "Ranged" versions of Skeletons, Orcs, and Goblins are included (with weakened adjacent attacks) that are used in the maps but Zargon is allowed to put in anytime the figures are available when one of those monster types is called for. Most everything else from the original is the same, albeit under the NA style rules.

Rise of the Dread Moon contains a subplot about Sir Ragnar very loosely inspired by the original EU epilogue of ROTWL, but it is also significantly different, without getting into deep spoiler territory (actually it is mostly spoiled in the online digital prelude quest "KnightFall" if you want to know!).