Kurgan wrote:I hear what you're saying, but if they have the... uh... whatevers, to take on the Frozen Horror (having more than its share of flaws), surely those can't be too difficult to tackle, even considering how much shorter they are and light on content in comparison (BQP has the most new stuff if I recall correctly). So hopefully you're wrong...
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Hey look at that I'm now a Yeti! (can't help thinking of that goofy
wrestling incident involving another "yeti").
I hope they’re emboldened by the positivity the game is receiving now that it’s actually shipping out, and that they thoroughly research and play test re-releases, making tweaks as needed, but ONLY as required.
What I’m personally most excited for is the Elf Quest Pack. Most of the tiles in Frozen Horror make sense as tiles, though I hope we get a plastic furniture piece for the Seat of Power and a life-size replica Crystal Key in translucent plastic, as well as 3 (or a nice round 4) single-tile treasure piles (instead of the treasure printed on tile for the Ice Gremlins’ stash), each with a unique sculpt and that look “right” both individually and as a big pile when adjacent, made in special “gold” plastic. These would have real functional utility for also marking the space where a Hero’s equipment has been dropped.
*Obviously the classic light blue plastic for Sinestra (Elven Archmage), Elven Archers, and Wolves. Black for Ogre Warriors. I deliberated a lot, but I actually think I’d prefer “Hero Red” for Millandriell and the Prospector, in line with 2.0’s gender/NPC variants of Elf, Mentor, and Ragnar.
“Mage of the Mirror” for the Elf offers even more great opportunities for awesome minis that were originally just tiles!:
• Millandriell, whom I would sculpt to conceivably be playable as an “Elf Mage”. Maybe even include an Elf Mage Hero Card, like Mentor’s Wizard card.
• Prospector. Potentially useful as an NPC or maybe even a variant Dwarf.
• 4 Weapon Packs. Like the treasure piles mentioned above, but weapons instead of treasures, produced in “silver” plastic. For marking a Hero’s dropped possessions, I see the Treasure Piles and Weapon Packs as basically interchangeable. They’d also be great as set dressing, like rats and skulls.
• Instead of cardboard Wolf Tokens to slide under Heroes turned to werewolves, round plastic or silicone bases in light blue plastic that the Heroes’ bases snugly fit into, with tiny wolves’ heads molded around the sides. EDIT: I didn’t know when I posted (or I’d somehow heard it and forgot?), but Altar Quest apparently has “Base Rings”. I don’t know what they’re made of or how they function in that game, but I’m happy to think this concept is feasible.
• Molded Portcullis with individual bars! I’m confident we’ll get these, since we got great Wooden and Iron Doors.
• Brass Key. Life-size replica in metallic plastic, maybe the same “gold” as the Treasure Piles from Frozen Horror.
• “Life-size” (but actually slightly mini) replica Moonsilver Flask. Bonus points if it has that oil stuff inside that was popular with 80s toys. You know? You shake it and it mixes, but then separates again? Vacuum sealed/molded.
• “Life-size” (but actually mini) replica Sky Orb. Base is a solid piece of molded “gold” plastic, with five translucent Orbs to set upon the golden base; each of seamless plastic, crystal clear — clear with no golden “points of light” suspended in the plastic, aquamarine with 4 “floating” points of light, cobalt with 3, indigo/purple with 2, and inky black with one golden point of light, like a fleck of glitter floating inside. As I wrote this, I realized it might be even cooler if all of the Orbs were crystal clear, but the colored Orbs are filled with marbling ribbons; a little for aquamarine, more for cobalt, half full for indigo/purple, and swirling full of black for the last one. This sounds expensive with the marbling effect. Maybe even too expensive with the floating “points of light”. But surely we could get the Base and solid translucent Orbs in five colors? Actually, the simple way with five colors makes it potentially less specific and more adaptable. If it’s small enough, maybe 3x3?, it could even be imagined as a large magical Furniture piece in an original Quest. Original marbles could even be used on the Base.
• Mirrors, with “frosted glass” effect translucent plastic, backed by super shiny material, on brown plastic frames. “Frosted glass” is smoky white, feathery impressions of Millandriell and the Elven Bow of Vindication. Maybe include an extra blank mirror using just the reflective backing and clear plastic, just as a fun adaptable piece.
• Stand-alone Mirror for Sinestra’s Inner Sanctum. “Gold” plastic with reflective mirror effect described above.
• Sinestra’s 2 Wolf Statues in gray plastic.
• Sinestra’s 2 Braziers in black plastic.
• Sinestra’s 2 Tapestries and Sanctum Rug made of real fabric, with very thin wire frames for the Tapestries to sit on the wall border outline of the room, taking no tiles.
Making the Wolf Statues, Braziers, and to lesser extent, the Mirror, into Furniture rather than printed on card will actually change the mechanics of the Inner Sanctum, but I think that could be fun!
• Maybe also go ahead and make 4 Bone Piles (Sinestra has 2 in her Inner Sanctum) in “Undead White”, to be used as markers where Heroes perish. With the Treasure Piles, Weapon Packs, and Bone Piles – 4 of each – it would be easy and aesthetically pleasing to mark where things go askew for the Heroes. I think these could actually be quite useful, as well as again making great set dressing.
“Mage of the Mirror” (and “Wizards of Morcar” once I knew it existed) was always my favorite of the expansions. It just seemed the most uniquely “HeroQuest” to me, really leaning in to magical items and props, with new mechanics integrated with story. I’d really love to see them go all out with beautifying this one in the new art style, and really bringing it to life in 3D.
The best thing about HeroQuest is the lifelong unlocks on the imagination.
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