In case you have not seen it, FFG posted some additional information concerning the new expansion Manor of Ravens. It can be found here:

http://new.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=4952

In the past, in another post, I noted how, as OL, I was looking forward to Lieutenant Skarn as this Lieutenant and his plot deck offered some very cool features not seen before in previous expansions.

FFG has taken this a step further with some of the OL cards that will come with this expansion.

The article above notes how some OL cards now will offer effects that extend for periods of time, up to, and including the entire length of the encounter. In other words, when played, they will persist beyond an immediate, temporary effect, like all previous OL cards.

For example, they mention Wristlet of Wind, which when played provides a monster group with added mobility, letting each monster move one space after it attacks. You have to keep moving to maintain this card's effects, though - the card is discarded if any monster in the group doesn't move during its activation.

Another example mentioned was the Dragonbone Pendant, which gives the OL's monsters an effective attack boost for each attack. This persists until a hero is defeated.

What is nice is that they are adding a new mechanic to the game which adds additional strategy to the game for the OL - this ability of playing cards whose powers last longer than the moment they are played.

For those of you who have played Descent First Edition, this is somewhat similar to what Power cards used to provide.

As someone who almost always plays OL, I am looking forward to adding this to my arsenal of weapons to beat the puny heroes senseless

Add to that the fact that as OL I will now be able to call a familiar into play (Raven Flock), that will have the ability to attack as well. Now I have something similar to the heroes Stones, Reanimate, etc.

Can't wait.

Looks like it will be avalaible soon !

I need it !

I don't think I've been as excited as I am with this expansion. I still don't think the lieutenant is that interesting flavor-wise, but the new Overlord classes are amazing . The Enchanter class is definitely something I'm going to get behind in our next campaign. I think my favorite ability so far are the Rings of Zhol'alam. I love the idea of punishing the heroes for attacking my monsters. Sign of the Last Zenith seems perfect for Enchanters, as well.

I'm also really excited for the Raven Flock servant, and for future servants to come. I just wish it came with a Raven Flock mini... I'll have to find a suitable proxy (I think there's a swarm of bats from Reaper Bones that I have which would be suitable). As someone who plays predominantly as the Overlord, these are the kinds of classes I've been waiting for a while. I'm tired of constantly going down the Warlord route because I like beefing up my monsters. Enchanter is perfect...

I actually just ordered this for a proxy for the servant. It's 28mm, so it shouldn't be THAT big (at least it should fit on a square with a little room). It should look pretty nice after a quick paint job:

http://www.reapermini.com/OnlineStore/crows/latest/03479

Another alternative would be the zombie crowz model from the newest Zombicide Kickstarter (I think you get a few of them thrown in and can buy the retail box eventually. The problem is that you'd have to wait. It looks like a nice sculpt too:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/coolminiornot/zombicide-season-3/posts/901220

I actually just ordered this for a proxy for the servant. It's 28mm, so it shouldn't be THAT big (at least it should fit on a square with a little room). It should look pretty nice after a quick paint job:

http://www.reapermini.com/OnlineStore/crows/latest/03479

**** !!!

That is perfect. I may have to look into this sweet mini.

The corpse at the bottom of the tree could be a testament to your Overlord play too!

The enchanter class seems really good with multiple monsters since many of them give flat bonuses. Combine enchanter with Verminous lieutenant... hmm...

I mean I was going to buy it anyway... but this looks pretty sweet. Also there was a great combo potential I saw with the new warrior but I can't remember it now without the game in front of me. If I remember what it was I'll edit this.

Edit: Pretty sure it's just that she would make an awesome skirmisher. I'll look again when I get home.

Anyone else notice that the ravens dont have flying ? lulz !

These classes would play well with some of the newer universal cards like refresh in the Nerekhall expansion and would also go quite well with the Merric Farrow plot deck that allows retrieving magic cards from the OL discard pile to get a lot of cycling going on these cards in longer quests.

Anyone else notice that the ravens dont have flying ? lulz !

Yes strange !

I'm a bit deceived that there can only be 1 raven flock at a time on the board. I hope 2-3 at least, even if that needed cards and Xp

In fact the better figure(s) for the raven flock is(are) actually on the skarn lieutenant !

dare to cut it out and make it an own figure ?

Anyone else notice that the ravens dont have flying ? lulz !

Yes strange !

I'm a bit deceived that there can only be 1 raven flock at a time on the board. I hope 2-3 at least, even if that needed cards and Xp

One raven flock already looks like a powerful addition, especially since you can summon it any time after you've purchased it.

Also, looking at the rulebook, you can sneak a peak at two of the relics (including a ranged weapon that lets you recover 2 fatigue on a surge) and one of the bounty hunter's level 3 skills, Payday, which is incredible. Once per encounter per monster group, when you defeat a master monster, the OL picks a search token and you get to immediately search it.

Manor of Ravens looks to be a very mechanically interesting expansion with lots to offer- but I'm definitely a little cautious about the apparent power creep of both sides.

Anyone else notice that the ravens dont have flying ? lulz !

Yes strange !

I'm a bit deceived that there can only be 1 raven flock at a time on the board. I hope 2-3 at least, even if that needed cards and Xp

Once per encounter per monster group, when you defeat a master monster, the OL picks a search token and you get to immediately search it.

That sounds pretty badass I think i will be playing this expansion with the mini campaign rules.

I'm a bit deceived since there is no green dices and no secret passage.

But all the other stuff is great ! Hope to have it soon, so I will have some fun playing the new raven flock.

For example, they mention Wristlet of Wind, which when played provides a monster group with added mobility, letting each monster move one space after it attacks. You have to keep moving to maintain this card's effects, though - the card is discarded if any monster in the group doesn't move during its activation.

It's a cool mechanic, that's for sure. I'm a little bit concerned that with three or four of these effects in play on various monster groups, I might forget to remove one when I fail to meet the required condition, though. Oh well, a worthy price to pay for an innovative new mechanic.

Anyone else notice that the ravens dont have flying ? lulz !

Well, the raven flock isn't a figure, so it can move through other figures anyway (and stop in their space if it wants to.) I suppose not having flying denies them the ability to move over rubble as freely as one might expect, but how often is that going to matter, let alone be tactically important?

According to the Manor of Ravens rules, it looks like the servant is treated as a minion monster, and follows the same rules as the monsters. So it cannot move through hero figures or stop in any occupied space.

So, if I understand well, looking at rules, the summon card doesn't not count when buying cards for the unkindness cards classes, right ?

So, this class cost 1 more Xp, then ?

Isn't it a bit pricey ?

It's a cool mechanic, that's for sure. I'm a little bit concerned that with three or four of these effects in play on various monster groups, I might forget to remove one when I fail to meet the required condition, though. Oh well, a worthy price to pay for an innovative new mechanic.

Steve-O ... I laughed when I read this, as it is precisely the same thing that was on my mind when I type in the original post. I am most likely quite a bit older than most people on this forum (not your typical gamer age). In addition, I have an unfortunate lesion in my brain that already significantly impacts my short-term memory.

As OL, you are one person often having to remember not only your stuff, but all of your heroes stuff as well (especially since some of my heroes do not know the rules as well as I do).

So, now we have a mechanic that requires all of us OL to remember whether or not we have actually moved all of the monsters within a particular group that has a "power-type" card played on it (not to mention the fact that you have to remember which card has been played on which monster group).

It should definitely make things more interesting. Tactially, I can also see things changing for the heroes, as they now have to anticipate things occurring based on these cards, and adjust for the effects as well. For example, they may have to "waste" efforts simply trying to immobilize (or somehow keep at least one monster from moving) a monster, to disallow the benefit to the OL.

Exciting times ...

Anyone else notice that the ravens dont have flying ? lulz !

Well, the raven flock isn't a figure, so it can move through other figures anyway (and stop in their space if it wants to.) I suppose not having flying denies them the ability to move over rubble as freely as one might expect, but how often is that going to matter, let alone be tactically important?

I think this remains to be seen until we see whats inside the manor of the ravens rule book. There might be special rules for how an overlords familiar is treated.

If the raven flock isnt a figure and it isnt a monster, then can heroes even target it ?

Anyone else notice that the ravens dont have flying ? lulz !

Well, the raven flock isn't a figure, so it can move through other figures anyway (and stop in their space if it wants to.) I suppose not having flying denies them the ability to move over rubble as freely as one might expect, but how often is that going to matter, let alone be tactically important?

I think this remains to be seen until we see whats inside the manor of the ravens rule book. There might be special rules for how an overlords familiar is treated.

If the raven flock isnt a figure and it isnt a monster, then can heroes even target it ?

Am I the only one to have seen this ?

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/descent-second-ed/news/manor-of-ravens/preview-3/DJ21_Rulebook%20low_res.pdf

the rulebook IS downloadable.

So, yes, it is a monster (so it should have been a figure finnally) and for my precedent question : does the summon card really does not count when buying other cards for the unkindness class ?

Per the rules in Manor of Ravens, page 4:

isn't it a too much inconvenient for this class ?

so, in fact, the class cost 1xp more AND the Raven flock damages your monsters. Not sure it worth the cost. Gonna houserule it

Ravenflock damaging your monster actually still works out in your favor. The raven flock have a hp of 4, so overall your monsters still have just as many hit points. However now you have an extra monster on the field, so you get an extra attack per round and it also means that heroes could kill 2 monsters instead of 1 potentially costing an extra action.

According to the Manor of Ravens rules, it looks like the servant is treated as a minion monster, and follows the same rules as the monsters. So it cannot move through hero figures or stop in any occupied space.

Well in that case it's OUTRAGEOUS that the ravens DON'T HAVE FLYING!@)!*#_!@$)8320974&(!^$@&!#!@-08912-481($

I'm going to boycott MoR until FFG releases an errata to correct this hideous oversight. =P

Seriously though, I didn't actually realize the rulebook was available already. I was going by the preview that said they were "like familiars" for the Overlord and therefore assuming it wasn't a figure unless it said so on the card. Having looked at the rulebook now, I agree that it seems servants are indeed monster figures by default.

So WHY don't they have FLYING?! =P

So WHY don't they have FLYING?! =P

It's possible that the ravens were considered to be too powerful if the "fly" ability was default on the card- consider that in that case, the OL would always have access to a flying monster during every single encounter of the campaign. It's possible that there is an unkindness card that grants fly- (and there is definitely a shadowmancer card that accomplishes this) which would grant the raven flock flight, just in limited bursts controlled by the OL shuffling through his deck.

Thematically? These summoned ravens are obese from feasting on hero carcass too often, and can only muster up the energy to fly sometimes.

Apparently the Raven Flock is weighted down by all of its darkness and evil ... so much so that it cannot fly.