FIRST LIGHT discussion

[HispaZargon]

New unboxing video of First Light in Guerrilla Miniatures channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soAZbFPAbqA

FL questbook cover:

FL_Questbook_Cover.JPG

[Kurgan]

Nice. He has the new cover, but the dice still show the old colors (I say "old" because the back of the box shows the dice will match the colors of the existing Game Systems, rather than what we saw at GenCon earlier). As he was flipping through the booklet I didn't notice any changes from the last unboxing. Everything seems identical except for the cover(s) (box and quest book bearing the new and improved YellowFLY art).

So like the Clark Mitchell covers, these bone colored combat dice and white movement dice with red pips will become rare collectibles, I suppose, though only a handful of influencers have gotten them.

So other than the dice color reverting to the default, I think that's what we can expect to see. Basically we're getting a few Expansion new/rule clarifications introduced early, and some nerfed spells/artifacts/equipment, the new sculpted heroes and dragon, and the double sided board, 2d furniture and monsters (with some monster designs saved as surprises for the full Game System)... and a booklet that bends over backwards to explain the basic game to newbies. Same distributions of cards, quality of cards and tiles as the full box. Still thinner, smooth finish board with re-designed art (and a boot tile! actually I thought I saw a couple of "impressions" of boots in the Caverns, could be paradoilia or easter eggs, you decide, the placement is suspicious!). The dragon is still stronger than Joe's dragon from CoPD (and now that we have a strong rumor that CoPD is coming to retail within the next year, all the more reason for them to be different!) and looks the same as before.

Other than various cards being nerfed (the Dwarf begins with a hand axe instead of shortsword now) and the flavor text altered on pretty much every card, the artwork is all the same and even the distributions of the cards is identical to the 2021/2022 sets. Nothing is missing, and no new cards (despite the Hearthkin Horn having a "card art" design within the Companion App... like the cards for various named characters that appear there, that's just within the digital realm only unless you extract the art yourself and print your own).

People have pointed out that you could use the "flat" characters to represent dead bodies, if you mixed this with your GS. You could also just use stuff as spares. Now you can play Frozen Horror and Rise of the Dread Moon "properly" without having to run out of doors (the designers of those quests at times forgot how many doors were included in the box... and that you don't get more of them unless you bought extra game systems!).

Now you have 6 more white combat dice just like you would have if you backed the Haslab Mythic tier four years ago... and you can use that extra set of red dice for extra fun when you're using swift wind or potion of speed, I suppose.

I personally don't agree with the nerfs. But one way you could spin this into a positive (as another option than just ignoring them in favor of how they appeared previously) is to say that beginner heroes (and Zargon) do what's written on the card. And then after a few quests, you become champions and then use the more advanced, more powerful, and flexible versions of these items and powers. Of course those who don't own the game system won't know this, but they have the internet and they have us!

I actually am wondering if the Companion App will make any changes, because by default any of those cards that are shown within it are the 2021 versions... maybe they will just say "see the card text" (Courage, Orc's Bane, Potion of Speed, Command...) I guess I just answered my own question there. People who use the app may not even realize they're different and will just go by whatever cards they have say, naturally since the App doesn't automate everything. I bet you anything the Dwarf's profile will still say he has a shortsword, but if they actually altered it so when you play first light it says he has a hand axe, well, more power to the poor overworked developer that put that in!

I will be on vacation on January 1st, it'll be tempting to stop by my local Target to see if they have copies in stock. If not, no big deal, I have the GS and I'm printing my own knockoff Caverns board (the official one is a bit too shiny and thin for my taste anyway), but eventually I'll get it one way or another, to support the cause (plus I'm excited about the 10 new Stephen Baker quests, from what I've read of them they look like they'll be fun, and the one we played at GenCon was challenging and had that HQ feel... and it certainly helped that Doug Hopkins himself was Zargoning it, but even so...).

I say great job, Avalon Hill, and I hope that it is successful enough that it continues to press the franchise forward. I'm very glad it isn't going to replace or dumb down anything else. It'll just bring more people into our community, and be kind and helpful to them is what I say (I know you will be)!

[LucaRocks]

Always Board Never Boring got gos copy! Review here:

https://youtu.be/DeQjfix63eI?si=bb9xgBT_Cp-0GW69

He does not get into the quests very much. That's for the next video

[Kurgan]

Nice. I think it would be odd if the FL dice in the box don't match the images ON the new box though (if it were up to me I'd prefer red with shiny gold pips... and while we're at it how about the return of rounded corners?). Maybe what you see is what you get, but I'm thinking the actual product will include dice the same as the 2021/2022 set, unless Doug changed his mind or misspoke at GenCon...

[LucaRocks]

Curious if any non YouTubers got FL yet. I doubt anyone did as I'm sure they would post here but just thought I'd ask.

Target is giving me a delivery date of 1/15 to 1/20 now. Not sure where it's coming from but I am in the NorthEast US if that makes a difference.

[Kurgan]

Yeah the "in store date" of Jan 1st referenced on the tech raptor review doesn't seem to have been accurate, unless somebody did get it and just hasn't posted about it yet.

There is very little more to be learned, other than some buried subtle difference in wording or slight errata adjustment that will be noticed at some point. For me I just want confirmation that the dice on the box match the dice inside in the retail product.

Even the Target.com website said "on or before" with reference to the January 12th ship date for pre-orders (I did not pre-order). The good thing is that if their website is any indication, there are hints that not only the Game System (2021 edition images shown) but ATOH, JoD and the Wandering Monk may also be appearing alongside it. Does that mean in store, or only on the website? Time will tell, but that is in line with what Patrick was saying was their goal.

[Kurgan]

A recent article stated that FL will appear in other stores "after" Target's release. Of course no details are given as what precisely that means. We all assume that would mean "Eventually" as Target has an exclusive in the US. That could mean 6 months to a year if past exclusive board games are a precedent. Could it just mean a matter of days, however? No clarifications given. In other countries of course it will appear at different stores and different countries will be getting it all through Europe through May.

I misspoke in my last video... I was forgetting that on youtube we've had THREE influencer (early demo) unboxings:

Let's Table It's unboxing showed the obsolete Clark Mitchell covers (box and quest book).

Guerrilla Miniature Games's unboxing showed the updated cover.

Always Board Never Boring's unboxing showed the same as GMG's.

The final version (if my I'm correct) remains to be seen, but the only expected difference is the color of the dice, which again, I expect to match the previous GS colors, rather than what was seen at GenCon (as in the three influencer unboxing videos).

In the past Reddit and Facebook seem to be where a lot of people will post their stuff, so I'd say watch there.

[LucaRocks]

Sorry if I'm late on this but I found the first light dice set and tray on this site:

https://gamersguildaz.com/search?q=First+light

I think I completely missed when these went up for preorder because I didn't see them for sale at the usual places online. And I haven't seen any fan unboxingd. Again, sorry if old news. Completely my fault.

Not sure if these are preorder as it says preorder on the item page but in stock in the search page.

[Kurgan]

Seems the idea that it would be in stores already (ahead of the pre-order deliveries) turned out to be inaccurate (it was being reported on one news website). Even my local Target had no sign of HeroQuest.

The website still shows Jan 12th as the pre-order delivery (on or shortly after) date. It also lists the Game System (photo shows 2021 edition) for Jan 11th, but both are considered "online" listings. If you switch it to "in-store" there are no results for "heroquest." If anyone does see it in their local store, please let us know!

[LucaRocks]

Always Bored Never Boring did a deep dive on the FL quest book!

https://youtu.be/INRuWR-_orM?si=Ho-4il95K0N6vv47

Also, Target has charged me for FL! I hope that means it's shipping soon!