Hi, I got descent recently, and we play it practically every day we have available.

The problem is, I play overlord, and I hardly win any games. I'm playing 1 campaign now in which we've done 6 quests, and the heroes won every time. I've searched the internet over and over for overlord strategy, and could only find 1.5 articles, but both gave general ideas, without examples. I recently played with a group of 3 heroes the 1st encounter of the cardinal's plight as overlord (naturally). I went over it by myself beforehand, and tried using barghests as the open group. Needless to say, the heroes just killed one, and moved through the now empty spaces, I couldn't block them with the flesh moulders, as I had 3 of them, and they needed to guard 4 spaces, so the heroes searched, found the relic of dawn, and each time I made a zombie, they would kill it. Can someone please tell me what I did wrong, what I should have done, and maybe give me a general list of each monster and what it's best at doing (I only have the core set), and which should I have chosen for the scenario I played, and why?

Thanks!

First of it would be nice to know which components of descent are available to you? It looks like you only have the basic game. Is this assumption correct? In that case your options are limited.

Second, it's incredibly hard for the overlord to play against three heroes, as the game balance is in the favor of the heroes. So my first advice would be to always play the game with four heroes, as it is the most balanced approach to the game.

In the case of cardinal's plight using shadow dragons as your open group (having only the basic components) makes it much harder for the heroes to advance, as they throw two grey dice and have the shadow ability and a therefore much more resilient.

As for a list of monster: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/950149/ranking-monsters-and-agents

This thread has a complete list and explanations which might help you.

General advice would be to choose monster/overlord cards in a way fitting your hero party, e.g. web traps and poison against low strength groups. Additionally any2cards thread https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/180455-index-of-useful-links/ is a very good starting point for information regarding the game and its mechanics.

I agree with FunkFried. The game is way to hard with 3 heroes, for the Overlord. Look at it as a challenge when you get better at the game.

Also the original campaign kinda sucks. The other ones are better. There are definitely quest geared to 1 side or another.

If you have everything (which is a lot when you are new) there are a lot of ways to make the game easier or harder.

Also hero combinations can be a huge part of why you lose. I won't let my players pick any more. They get 3 random, and can pick from those.

One thing I didn't realize in all the years I've been playing is the Overlord actually gets to pick all his decks AFTER the heroes are picked. This can make a huge difference when you get into lieutenants and stuff.

I used to do it all at the same time. So one of my decks was based on traps and poison. But the heroes picked were either immune or could get rid of conditions super easy. So i was pretty much a useless overlord. Had I picked after heroes were picked I would not have picked that particular lieutenant.

Plus there are tactics to be learned. Focus on your goals and not just killing the heroes. Do not play like a DM in D&D. You are there to make the heroes lives miserable. Do not take it easy on them if you start to feel bad for them in a quest or 2. The tables can get turned around easily.

And finally I find the heroes have an easier time in Act I then they will in Act II

Second, it's incredibly hard for the overlord to play against three heroes, as the game balance is in the favor of the heroes. So my first advice would be to always play the game with four heroes, as it is the most balanced approach to the game.

or he could arrange an accident , and have only 2 heroes... and then have the game be OL biased.

*joke*

+FunkFried Yes, I only have the base game, And the problem with shadow dragons is that it doesn't cover up all the possible exit spaces, what happens is the heroes ignore the shadow dragon, and go only for the key.

+Kage13 If there's anything I don't do, it's make it easy for the heroes. I also try to ignore them, and complete my objective, but then the heroes butcher my monsters.

Thanks everyone, and if you have any advice, please let me know.

Thanks!

Hey everyone, I have 2 more questions:

1. considering I only have the core set, what should I get next?

2. which monsters that are found in the core set are best suited to specific jobs i.e. killing villagers, blocking, etc.

thanks!

Hey everyone, I have 2 more questions:

1. considering I only have the core set, what should I get next?

2. which monsters that are found in the core set are best suited to specific jobs i.e. killing villagers, blocking, etc.

thanks!

With only the core set I would get the Heirs of Blood campaign book. Its a way better campaign. Probably more balanced. That would be your cheapest upgrade.

Then just start getting everything. Everything is good IMO. Big boxes have more stuff, obviously. Lieutenants will help balance things out. And hero Monster packs give you more hero choices and more monsters.

Everything you get gives you more monsters and more options to try and stop the heroes.

+Kage13 If there's anything I don't do, it's make it easy for the heroes. I also try to ignore them, and complete my objective, but then the heroes butcher my monsters.

Gang up on a single hero for 1. Once you get one down, its pretty easy to keep him down.

Also keep in mind, I pretty much guarantee you are playing something wrong. The rules are not that easy to nail down. Especially if you are new.

I still get some rules wrong because I forget.

Sometimes the smallest rule played wrong can have a huge advantage to one side or the other.

Also hero combinations can be a huge part of why you lose. I won't let my players pick any more. They get 3 random, and can pick from those.

One thing I didn't realize in all the years I've been playing is the Overlord actually gets to pick all his decks AFTER the heroes are picked. This can make a huge difference when you get into lieutenants and stuff.

The above two points are very good advice.

I should note that my gaming group is made up of very, very experienced and sophisticated gamers. They know how to build a group of heroes and matching classes that provide an enormous amount of synergy. For that reason, and because we all like variety, spice, and a change of pace, I do not allow them to cherry pick their heroes. We shuffle the entire hero deck and deal 3 hero cards to each player. They must pick one of the three to play. They are all allowed to look at each others heroes and determine what might make the best combination as a team, but they must end up each picking 1 from their own pile. This accomplishes several things - it doesn't allow them to pick the best of the best (although they could get lucky and still get this), and it does sometimes introduce tough choices, where they end up picking a specific hero which they have never played before. This adds variety, and provides an opportunity for them to learn new tactics, strategy, etc.

The second point that many people miss, even those that have played D2e many times, is that the Overlord does not have to perform any of his/her setup steps UNTIL THE HEROES HAVE COMPLETED THEIR SETUP STEPS (page 5 of the base game manual).

This means that as OL, you gain the advantage of knowing exactly what the hero team makeup is:

a. the specific heroes chosen, their abilities and heroic feats

b. the archetype of all of the heroes

c. the specific classes the heroes chose

d. the base skills they have in play

Since points a-d hold true through the entire campaign, you can tailor things such as:

a. the OL deck to use (Basic I or II - assuming you have more than the base game)

b. the Lieutenant Pack/plot cards you want to use

c. the best monsters to use against the specific heroes chosen (especially with open groups)

All of the above can make a big difference to your success.

Ultimately, the final issue, as others have pointed out, is that you should really be playing against 4 heroes, as this offers the most balanced campaign. If you only have 3 physical players playing heroes, have the most experienced one run 2 heroes.

3 questions:

1. if there's a door, the side with the heroes is 2 spaces wide, and the opposite side is 4 spaces wide, can a monster whose base is 3 spaces long (such as a shadow dragon) block the whole corridor? I mean, can a hero move from the space they're in diagonally to the other side of where the door was?

2. during setup, can I place a large figure monster, so that part of it is on the tile specified on the quest, and part of it is on a different tile?

3. can a door be closed if a large monster is in spaces on both sides of a door?

thanks!

3 questions:

1. if there's a door, the side with the heroes is 2 spaces wide, and the opposite side is 4 spaces wide, can a monster whose base is 3 spaces long (such as a shadow dragon) block the whole corridor? I mean, can a hero move from the space they're in diagonally to the other side of where the door was?

2. during setup, can I place a large figure monster, so that part of it is on the tile specified on the quest, and part of it is on a different tile?

3. can a door be closed if a large monster is in spaces on both sides of a door?

thanks!

1. I am uncertain what you mean here. If you mean the following (h=hero, d=door, m=monster, e=empty)

e e

hdmm

hdmm

mm

In the above case, the h's and m's are actually next to each other, but I wanted to indicate where the

door is. In this case, the upper h can move diagonally to the first e, through the doorway (assuming of

course that these two spaces are adjacent. Based on this example, the only way to completely block

the cooridor is to have something is all 4 spaces, not just 3 of them.

2. During setup, if a monster can fit entirely on the tile in which they are suppose to be placed, you must do so. If for some reason there is not enough room, it needs to be placed as close as possible to being on the tile in question.

3. No. A large monster which straddles the space where a door exist will prevent the door from being closed.

+any2cards then how can I block when I start on a tile that's 4 spaces wide, with only one monster, be it small or huge? before I can move, the heroes will move right past me before I can block the 2 space wide corridor!

that is, if the heroes have the first turn. That's how the game goes, right?

Oh, and that's what I meant.

+any2cards then how can I block when I start on a tile that's 4 spaces wide, with only one monster, be it small or huge? before I can move, the heroes will move right past me before I can block the 2 space wide corridor!

that is, if the heroes have the first turn. That's how the game goes, right?

If my understanding of the situation is correct, you CANNOT successfully block such a corridor. That's just the way it is. Quite frankly, this is something you will have to get used to.

Heroes who play tactically sound will do all kinds of things to frustrate you such as preventing the blocking of corridors by moving themselves there first, by preventing large monsters from being able to move by placing themselves in such a way as to prevent a large monster from legally expanding, etc.

In addition, blocking is not always effective anyway. For example, if one of your heroes can get their hands on the Crossbow, he can move your monsters (even large or huge ones) by simply spending a fatigue.

In addition, it is possible that they have some combination of skills, feats, etc. that will allow them to get by. Basically, while blocking is a solid tactic, especially in encounters/quests where the objective is essentially a race, you can't count on it working.

After all, worst case, one of the heroes can simply kill the monster blocking, and now the path is open. Blocking does, however, slow the heroes down, make them waste actions getting by, etc.

+any2cards then how can I delay the heroes? I mean, without spending overlord cards, as this is in encounter 1, and I want a solid hand for encounter 2 (per your advice, I think)

Without knowing exactly what quest you are playing, my advice can only be general. In addition, even if I know the specific quest, there may not be much that you can do.

Generally, you as the OL and your heroes are each going to have a goal ... a victory condition. You want to work towards yours while at the same time impede, IF POSSIBLE, the heroes from getting to theirs.

The first thing you need to understand, especially in the Shadow Rune campaign, some of the quests are heavily slanted towards the heroes and some are slanted towards the OL. It can be almost impossible for you to win the ones heavily slanted towards the heroes.

Generally, as you have noticed, it can be a sound tactic as OL to hold your cards until the second encounter, as you can't actually win the quest without winning the second encounter. And since the winner of the last quest gets to pick the next, it has value to win the quest if you can.

Having said that, if you hold all of your cards until Encounter 2, and if the make up of the map makes it impossible to block, slow down, or otherwise impede the heroes, then you may not be able to win Encounter 1.

If you are willing to spend cards, then cards such as Tripwire and Pit Trap (from Basic I of the base game) are great when played against the correct heroes at the right time, to slow them down.

In addition, playing a Dark Charm, and choosing to move the hero in the wrong direction can be good as well. It can help to separate the party. If you can then knock that hero down, that can impede the team.

I would recommend reading both the rules for Encounter 1 and Encounter 2 before playing the specific quest. See how valuable it is to win Encounter 1. Sometimes it can make all the difference to being able to win Encounter 2, and ultimately the quest. If it does have such value, then be willing to do anything you can to get the victory, including spending your OL cards.

In addition, focus on the open group monsters you can deploy. What monsters/abilities will give you the best chance of knocking them down and/or slowing them down. For example, Elemental's Earth ability allows you to immobilize a hero. An Ettin's Throw ability allows you to move a hero up to 3 spaces. A Barghest Howl ability allows you to force the heroes to suffer fatigue. The less fatigue they have, the less options they have for moving, using abilities, using skills, etc.

One other tactic to impede the heroes overall is to "allow" them to win encounter 1 (assuming you feel that you have no way to win), but prevent them from searching as much as possible. Basically, the less gold they get, the less they have to spend on Shop Items during the campaign shopping phase, the weaker they are moving on (worse weapons, armor, etc.). The more you keep them from getting gold, the better it is for you.

let's say the cardinal's plight. from what I see, the overlord needs at least 2 zombies from encounter 1 to have a realistic chance of winning. I used the barghests, since I get 3 of them, they're each 2 spaces long, so I could block at the beginning. needless to say, the heroes just killed one, and moved through the now empty path. Shadow dragons were mentioned above, but the heroes could have just ignored him and moved onward. what do you think I should have done?

Re-read post #15 above as I edited it and added some stuff.

Beyond that, you need to realize that in most of the encounters, the heroes go first. As such, there often is not much you can do. Even if you are willing to spend cards, your random draw may have prevented you from getting anything you can use.

I understand your frustration. You need to realize that while you want to win as many of the quests as you can, you can actually lose ALL of them, and win just the Finale and win the campaign.

Sometimes you will need to face the ugly truth that there isn't anything you CAN do in a specific encounter.

let's say the cardinal's plight. from what I see, the overlord needs at least 2 zombies from encounter 1 to have a realistic chance of winning. I used the barghests, since I get 3 of them, they're each 2 spaces long, so I could block at the beginning. needless to say, the heroes just killed one, and moved through the now empty path. Shadow dragons were mentioned above, but the heroes could have just ignored him and moved onward. what do you think I should have done?

I can't remember how that quest works, but what you should do is try to not line monsters up right in front of the heroes. I like to line them up outside their range, and let them come to me. Let them use fatigue if they want to attack you.

Sometimes it cannot be helped because of set up, but thats what I try to do.

Going back to the saving the OL cards. I play a different style. I use my cards when I can. I like to widdle the heroes down before the 2nd encounter. Remember they do not heal in between. Some cards its a good idea to save. Like a double attack for your big boss or monsters with high attacks.

Now when the 2nd encounter starts they are all half dead. much easier to pick them off and keep them down.

I like to focus on things that take away their fatigue. Without fatigue they are pretty much handcuffed. and it forces them to waste actions resting. And if they do not they will start taking even more damage.

Just on a side note to make sure you are doing this right. This is the biggest rule I find groups get wrong, especially when an OL is having a hard time.

Surge abilities you can only use ONCE per attack. So if a hero has a surge ability that adds a single damage, and he rolls 3 surges, he still only gets to do 1 extra damage, not 3.

This is how it used to be In Descent 1st ed. But no more. You could roll 1000 surge and you still can only do that 1 extra damage. And same goes with healing fatigue with a surge . You can only do it once. Not the number of surges that you roll.

I'd like to add some of my own tips:

Use open group monsters that you think will be more useful. For example, in the Cardinal's Plight quest, you can use Barghests for the open group for instance, but I used Shadow Dragons. My reasoning was they are hard as heck to kill, ecspecially for melee fighters. Plus this open group keeps coming back...

Use reinforced monster groups aggressively. So what if they die... you'll get more to use! if you keep attacking with monsters, eventually the heroes are going to wear down.

Remember that as the Overlord, you can draw an Overlord Card every time you knock out a hero. Not only does knocking out a hero delay them, because they are spending actions getting back up, but that extra card can let you do more things. When you start scoring multiple knockouts and keep drawing cards, you'll find it to be a slippery slope that the heroes will have a hard time recovering from- and from which where you will find victory.

Maybe invest in a Plot Deck. These decks help buff the Overlord and allows him to do more things. You can pick them up in Lieutenant packs - My first one was Baron Zachareth, he's got an awesome plot deck. I like Alric Farrow's as well. Some plot decks work well with specific monster groups.... so plan accordingly.

Remember that the pressure is on the heroes. If they make a stupid move or do something that will allow you an advantage, take that advantage. Make them pay for their foolishness.

but I used Shadow Dragons. My reasoning was they are hard as heck to kill, ecspecially for melee fighters. Plus this open

Ya and that spend a surge in order to hit is awesome too! Heroes hate that when I remind them.

My recommendation is download and read the FAQ, as I think you will clarify many things, as like line of sight and movement in walls (black borders), and erratas on cards & rulebook.

1. if there's a door, the side with the heroes is 2 spaces wide, and the opposite side is 4 spaces wide, can a monster whose base is 3 spaces long (such as a shadow dragon) block the whole corridor? I mean, can a hero move from the space they're in diagonally to the other side of where the door was?

in both examples the heroes cannot cross to the X, the path is blocked.

FAQ v.1.3

My recommendation is download and read the FAQ, as I think you will clarify many things, as like line of sight and movement in walls (black borders), and erratas on cards & rulebook.

1. if there's a door, the side with the heroes is 2 spaces wide, and the opposite side is 4 spaces wide, can a monster whose base is 3 spaces long (such as a shadow dragon) block the whole corridor? I mean, can a hero move from the space they're in diagonally to the other side of where the door was?

in both examples the heroes cannot cross to the X, the path is blocked.

FAQ v.1.3

I think you mixed something up. At least it seems that your statement contradicts this section of the unofficial FAQ on BGG: https://boardgamegeek.com/wiki/page/Descent_Second_Edition_Unofficial_FAQ#toc47

Yes- the spaces you picture above are indeed adjacent. What is meant by two spaces separated by a black edge are spaces which actually have a space-long segment of black edge between the two spaces. The spaces depicted in your image are separated from thd villager tokens only by corners, not along the edge.

Exactly, That FAQ is referring to situation 6 in this image:

µ

So in both images you posted, the heroes are allowed to move to the X space.

So in both images you posted, the heroes are allowed to move to the X space.

Correct!

You see theundead...a lot of people still get most of the rules wrong. So, if this is your first couple of times playing, I would wager money that you are getting some rules incorrect. And this can lead to huge in-balance problems.

Man, I wish it was that easy to block corners.