Hero Collection II: Rogue Heir of Elethorn (Oct-Dec '22)

[wallydubbs]

This seems like another attempt the D&Dize the game that many of us hold so dear. Much like the Warlock, Bard and Druid... With all these new characters, what's the point of armor?

Maybe if this Rogue Heir had a quest book that explained the back-story, how our original heroes would come to meet and interact with him/her I would be more accepting. But much like the Warlock and Bard, their stories are already half written. This is why I love the original 4 heroes because depending who plays them, personality and backstory could be whatever the player wants them to be.
Judging by the ears he/she looks like another elven character, which admittedly adds and takes away from our original Elven hero. Another armor-less hero...

Of course I'm gonna buy it still, just for the basis of collection, but that doesn't mean I have to like or respect the change. In fact, much like the other new characters I foresee there being convoluted mechanics that haven't been completely thought through.

[Kurgan]

Less armor means buying more potions...

[Darkfox190]

Are there official rules for when the new characters such as the commander of the guardian knights and the Rogue Heir can be introduced into the game? Also, are they meant to replace one of the original 4 heroes, or does the party jump to 5-6 heroes? My guess is players get to choose which hero they want to quest with, but the hero party stays at 4.

Avalon Hill has said: "We recommend when starting a campaign that you choose which four heroes use at the start. If you want to add more players, Zargon may want to increase the difficulty of quests by adding more monsters/traps."

Source: https://twitter.com/AvalonHill/status/1565056864739627008

[wallydubbs]

Is it me or do all these new characters have something against armor? The Wizard used to be the minority as the only non-armor wearing character but now only the Barbarian, Elf and Dwarf are the minority!
What's the point of gathering up gold if changing the characters weapons and armor hinders them?
They're still D&Dizing Hero Quest. They characters they're making are no longer generic and now all have back stories

[manaknight14]

Is it me or do all these new characters have something against armor? The Wizard used to be the minority as the only non-armor wearing character but now only the Barbarian, Elf and Dwarf are the minority!
What's the point of gathering up gold if changing the characters weapons and armor hinders them?

Well, you're right that the Warlock, Druid, and Rogue are as limited as the Wizard when it comes to armor.
The Bard is unique in that he can technically wear any armor he wants, but he loses his +1DD bonus. That stinks when you give him his first piece of armor (besides bracers), but if he's fully decked out he's no different than the Barbarian, Dwarf, and Elf.
The Knight is actually even more incentivized to buy armor than the standard characters. Not only can s/he wear everything and uses a shield to activate most special abilities, s/he doesn't lose a movement die when wearing plate mail.
So it's not like using the new characters makes equipment purchasing useless. And if you end up with money to burn, you can always stock up on potions.

They're still D&Dizing Hero Quest. They characters they're making are no longer generic and now all have back stories

Granted, I do get this feeling from Hasbro. Still, as a player or Zargon you could always ignore the backstories and make up your own.

[cornixt]

Is it me or do all these new characters have something against armor? The Wizard used to be the minority as the only non-armor wearing character but now only the Barbarian, Elf and Dwarf are the minority!
What's the point of gathering up gold if changing the characters weapons and armor hinders them?

Completely agree. There needs to be upgrades to buy that aren't equipment related or those characters will plateau much earlier than the originals.

They're still D&Dizing Hero Quest. They characters they're making are no longer generic and now all have back stories

D&D is the exact opposite, you start with a blank slate and pick everything yourself - no pre-generated back stories unless you are using the pre-gen character sheets that are only in the very basic starter kits, and most people have never used them.

I always find it a funny thing to complain about HQ being made too much like D&D, since HQ was always meant to be D&D as a board game.

[wallydubbs]

They're still D&Dizing Hero Quest. They characters they're making are no longer generic and now all have back stories

D&D is the exact opposite, you start with a blank slate and pick everything yourself - no pre-generated back stories unless you are using the pre-gen character sheets that are only in the very basic starter kits, and most people have never used them.

I always find it a funny thing to complain about HQ being made too much like D&D, since HQ was always meant to be D&D as a board game.

What I mean is, these new characters were made by D&D players and to play them we need to conform to other people's characters.

[Kurgan]

HeroQuest is still a blank slate more or less, but you still get a little suggestion of a backstory for the Barbarian in the Frozen Horror, just as you do for the Elf in Mage of the Mirror (and I'd expect the same of the Dwarf and Wizard in those eventual packs if interest in HQ continues to seem profitable for Hasbro!).

The thing is though you always have room for your own story because even those pre-sets could be referring to a different Barbarian, Elf, etc. than the one you are playing as (the solo quests were designed for a new player hopping into the group late in the game to get up to speed).

Like those hype videos put out by Avalon Hill. I know people worry about "canon" in franchises, but still, you can be whatever you want. There's nothing that says your Barbarian really is named Sigmar and looks exactly like the cover art or talks like he does in the novel (actually there are two different Barbarians in the Dave Morris novels, compare Tyrant's Tomb to Fellowship of Four, just as you would the Wizard in the latter book vs. the one in Screaming Spectre).

The bonus heroes once again have so little direction given for them, I think that's a good thing. Some people might want them to have a quest pack specifically designed with them in mind (but that's up to YOU to do if you want). Instead only the Bard had any minimal amount of instruction as to his use (inexplicably being a backup to the first hero to get offed in a Mythic exclusive book, unless he was already in play).

Actually that's another way to do it. Most quests assume you have four heroes. So the Barbarian dies and nobody can save him, guess what happens in the next quest? Guess what, another Barbarian showed up...

Though with these extra heroes you could always sub one of them in if somebody is tired of the one they got easily enough.


I think the way these characters are designed they encourage a certain playing style but they're not absolute. Just like you don't have to hang back and save all your spells for the boss or when somebody is about to die as the Wizard, even if that's how a lot of people may choose to play.


HeroQuest was inspired originally by D&D (Baker has admitted as much) but it has become its own thing. Yes, Hasbro owns both franchises now so they could freely mix and match the two. I don't think it's necessary, but it wouldn't be without precedent (just look at Legacy of Sorasil on the Amiga). Since I'm not a D&D player, I tend not much to care about what is going in that franchise. I would hope they wouldn't copy something from it unless it really was something good that would fit well with HQ or vice versa. Otherwise it will feel like a crossover, like Mickey Mouse Risk or something.

I will admit the three brand new heroes we got in the Mythic box (other than the Druid perhaps) all seemed trying hard to be unique, rather than iconic (the four classic heroes seem very iconic without being as stereotypical as they could have been...). When I think "Bard" I don't think of an Orc dressed like a pirate. When I hear "Warlock" I don't think of a three eyed half-ling demoniac. A druid, maybe somebody wearing leaves with a staff isn't too far fetched. The knight looks more like a barbarian with armor or a mercenary to me, but whatever. The Rogue I guess looks pretty rogue-like but I tend to think of them as being human probably either dressed like a ninja, a pirate, or with one of those hooded cloaks.

[Kurgan]

Word has it that some of the people who pre-ordered from the Australian sites EBgames and Zing (or Zavi) have gotten shipping dates for their Rogues. Seekhashem on HeroQuestFans discord reported this off the Inn's own Facebook group. Oct 7th they are saying, so mid-October for some people. The sites appear to be sold out, or the pages disappeared, but I wouldn't worry. Eventually we'll learn more and maybe it will be a similar situation to the Frozen Horror with some people just getting it early because some sites sent it out early!

https://www.zavvi.com.au/merch-action-figures/hasbro-heroquest-the-rogue-heir-of-elethorn-expansion-pack/13935757.html
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[Kurgan]

Seems at least one Aussie fan has gotten the Rogue Heir box, according to those familiar with the facebook group. Unboxings soon?

We'd like to see the back of the "hero" cards in the set, and a closer look at the equipment cards included.