Just in time for April Fool's Day and yet... it looks pretty real, and it would be silly to make such an elaborate hoax after all the teasing they've done. So here are my raw reactions anyway... the images are lower res than I'd like [I see better ones are at the sites directly] but nice to see actual model photos instead of cgi mockups (they've had plenty of time to finish this). Awhile ago I stated I believed this was basically done already for awhile. Avalon Hill just got through apologizing for underestimating the desire for new material with the Guardian Knight pack, so hopefully they learned their lesson... and once again another country gets the scoop on this long before any official announcement (that spanish game shop posted ages ago but with no pictures at the time).
Speaking of the Guardian Knight, that "Barbarian" looks very much like one, down to the pose and choice of weapons/armor, since if I recall correctly, those characters were wearing fur trimmed outfits already (guess the cover is just depicting the game system barbarian, like the original did). A concession to the disgruntled fans perhaps?
$50 (even before shipping & tax) sounds reasonable, and that translates to what, $250-500 on the scalper market...? so make it retail when the time comes please!
Extra dice (see through in one picture but apparently not in the other), extra movement dice for some reason... (still square corners and generic white pips on the movement cubes). An extra set for dice for Zargon, or just for fun. How cool (see what I did there?) would it be if they were actually German dice with different values than the standard combat dice, but I'm assuming they're just dupes of the game system.
12 mercs (which, assuming the gold prices are unchanged, would cost 900 coins to hire and the same price to retain each quest), in dark blue instead of gray (red would be logical for a heroic faction but is more boring, and in actual fact the figures are used for both good and bad characters in the actual quests as they appeared in 1992)... I see, no removable weapons so enough for three options of each, but potentially you could hire MORE than in the original, making it easier (one strike against the unbearable difficulty of quests 4-10; unless they remove the rule that you can't hire them in 1-3!). At least we have now once again two shades of blue in the remake series. So about twice the manpower in battle to face those insurmountable odds... and just as the Guardian Knights would have served fine duty as mercenaries for hire in HeroQuest, so too these men (and women)-at-arms could also serve as alternate heroes perfectly well too (one could even double as Sir Ragnar as an equipped knight rather than prisoner).
Who knows if the prices are going to be changed (maybe allow them to be hired in 1-3, or give a discount on the retainer fee as in Wizards of Morcar?). Still the mere fact that the number has doubled would be a big help all by itself (the 1992 rules state heroes can hire as many as they can afford), as that's another 12 body points potentially added to the party (unlike the EU mercs, they can be healed if they are at 1 BP, to their max of 2... assuming they haven't been boosted in strength at all). So the party's overall strength would increase to (again if the numbers are unchanged) 49 from the 37 of the original if nothing else is changed.
Stylized character sheets (with icy axes and blue ink) is a nice touch, extra character sheets are always welcome as you'll presumably be using a lot of them on these killer (if unmodified in terms of difficulty) quests (or if you're good at erasing... you used pencil, right?).
It's hard to tell if there are any females this time. All the ice gremlins appear to have beards and the mercs are dupes of each other which was a little surprising after the coed nature of the game system (to be fair a lot of the female characters were pledge exclusives, but not all, we had female orcs, goblins and the elf).
Can't tell if that's a female barbarian but missed opportunity if it isn't since only pledgers got her. Making the hero red is boring, but I suppose makes it easier to distinguish from the others (since not using sprues anymore for these). If it's just another male barbarian, what the heck guys... is the point of this? Unless he's wearing a full length fur lined parka, why? In the picture he's barely wearing anything more than the standard barbarian! I guess he fights so hard he stays warm supernaturally in battle (maybe from a fiery courage spell cast over and over)? He's not standing on a pedestal anymore, but we need Barbara Ann and her cousin Elfa for the Mage of the Mirror remake. The figure itself is dressed more warmly for the weather but without more detail it's hard to tell. Still, the pose is identical to the classic '92 female barbarian, so I may be judging hastily here...
The "icy doors" are a nice touch (and I see the sculpts are subtly changed from KK/ROTWL).
The Frozen Horror looks good (and appears to be part dragon... frost wyrm?), but now appears to take up 4 (?) squares instead of only 2 with a large round, rather than an oval (as I would have expected) base. Text indicates that the Frozen Horror is an "it."
I like that the "Hoth Wampa" look of the Yeti is mostly preserved, and I can't complain about the other monster sculpts. The Mercs look cool (and not at all like Bretonnian knights though I guess that had to be), but I was expecting more fur, I guess this is their first outing.
No pictures of cards yet... conspicuous by their absence... still working on them? I thought I was going a little overboard when I printed my customs with an icey-blue tint to them but that would fit perfectly with their overall theme here. Blue box instead of red, so no confusion with the original there. Magic ice tiles have a little dandelion design instead of the generic text ("magic ice") placed over an ice tile, I can get behind that change.
So far, if it's legit, this looks decent enough to me. The real question is what's printed in that quest book. As long as it's a retail release and not some BS limited edition (please, NO MORE of that... are you listening powers that be???), we'll find out soon enough and it will be posted on Avalon Hill's page to view in full at some point.
I'm guessing it will be a positive reaction, since so few have actually owned this set and will jump at the chance for new miniatures and more dice, regardless of what they are actually used for, but I suppose if the reaction were negative, they could say it was "just a joke... or is it?" Again, to me the most important part is what's printed in those pages, which will make or break the set and possibly determine the future of new installments to the remake franchise. Hope they know what they're doing!
Something to talk about on Friday's stream (and possibly Saturday as well, depending upon what they say next).
If this does go to retail, that would mean all of the classic legacy products being remade had been retail and all the new products had been limited exclusives... I'm sensing a pattern here, but not a good one for the general public AND classic fans who will miss out on such exclusives and limited run products that will be gone too soon.
Release 2022-Q3.
En expansion till HeroQuest 2021 (ENG).
A new, slick and updated version of the classic HeroQuest expansion "Frozen Horror"!
The third expansion for HeroQuest. Adds new monsters, mercenaries, artifacts, spells, traps, rooms, and a 10-quest adventure set in the Arctic.
Welcome, mighty Barbarian, to the land of your youth! The tribal elders have summoned you to protect the Northland from great danger. The Frozen Horror, an evil creature long thought banished, has burst forth from its icy tomb to await Zargon's command.
A champion is needed to oppose the Frozen Horror. To determine your worthiness, you alone must complete three dangerous Quests. If you survive, you and your fellow Heroes must journey into the depths of Ice Mountain. There you must confront the Frozen Horror and destroy it forever!
Språk: Engelska
Speltid: 90 min
Spelare: 2-5
Ålder: +14 år
Thanks for the scoop, Spooky!
Edit: I could be wrong, that looks like boobplate up close... and what is up with the lack of hats/helmets for good guys on these models? I know, you've got to buy them...
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by Spookyhappyfun » March 31st, 2022, 6:51 pm 
