Now that there is an official announcement page up about Mists of Bilehall, I'd like to discuss what has been revealed, because it looks like this expansion has a lot of things to offer. The things that stick out to me most from the news page:

1) The tainted cards. Since they flip faceup once you are knocked out and limit your health recovery to non-tainted heroes and heroic feats, that effectively removes the stand up action. I think that interesting as it makes KOs much more significant, and puts a decidedly first edition-like twist on things.

2) New condition: Terrified. Visible in the component photo is what looks like a new condition which prevents you from spending any surges.

3) Those new monsters. The figures all look great, and bone horrors seem to be a very dangerous group. They've got super reach, and super knockback.

What are you looking forward to most with this expansion?

I dunno. We have to wait and see, but what you said about the tainted cards makes sense, and it will empower the overlord too much, at fist thought.

Seems an expansion for really experienced players. And I'm a bit disapointed about the lack of new classes and heroes, but it's a minor thing.

I think there are tainted cards with different effects, you won't know what it will do until you have been knocked out and flip the card.

That does sound likely since the cards are dealt to heroes.

I was upset about the lack of heroes at first, too. However, realizing that this is an expansion mostly for the OL, I'm psyched. More monsters and LTs than a small box, and the tainted mechanic. I'm hopeful that there will be more love for the heroes eventually.

Also there is a picture of the Reanimate monster card. We can't see the whole thing, but it uses the surge:swarm ability and has the reanimate and phalanx passive and also rolls only a yellow die. The text also says something about 6 reanimates at once.

I really like the tainted cards, although I'm wondering how strong they truly are. It seems a little bit much that heroes possibly be completely out of the game, so maybe there is a way to get untainted again. One thing to note for sure is that the heroes get 2 more health in return, which is more than it seems at first glance imo.

Maybe this mechanic is used for the unique "full, one-act campaign" to balance out the heroes aquisation of power. It would be cool if this was indeed an all act II campaign you start with a few XP points, but I guess that's more wishfull thinking than a possibility.

So I guess I'm most interested in how these tainted cards work out and if they create a unique gameplay dynamic. Also the monsters sound really special, but we haven't seen all of them and then there is the mystirious "full one act campaign" I'm looking forward to find out more about.

I hope we get ACT I & ACT II versions of the monsters, even though the campaign is only one Act. judging by the fire background on the monster cards, it appears we will.

I don't see any Overlord cards on the pic, but there are a LOT of Overlord cards in existing expansions, so I don't mind. Awesome theme and figures to match.

Definitely buying this one when it comes out

To me, the tainted cards seem like a campaign specific thing. Cool idea to up the pressure.

I have previously read people saying that expansions should focus more on new monsters and campaign options, so I'm glad they get their expansion style. I get giddy with heroes, but I see their point.
The new figures are cool indeed.

Also, the art of the Lieutenants is awesome.

With all the H&Ms being released, I'm not upset that there aren't any new heroes, but I would have liked to see some new hero classes and a new OL Card chain. With the exception of the monsters, it's unlikely any of these new specific types of features will make it outside of the actual Mists of Bilehall campaign, so I'm hoping that it's a long and thorough campaign. I'm wondering if we will see any new item or relic cards as well. Also, with the inclusion of three lieutenants, I hope they decide to run with it a bit. With the exception of Core game lieutenants, you don't get to see these guys outside their respective campaigns. Perhaps more Campaign Books are in order in order to expand instances of running into them.

Moving terrain sounds interesting. What new tiles will we get?

Definetly would be glad to see some new hero classes (though I still don't have all released), but maybe we'll see next small expansion focusing on heroes with 4 (or 6?) new hero classes (probably without any new monsters, but that would be fine for me.

I wonder if there would be rumor cards that let you implement these new quests into main campaign or it should be played separately.

And I think that new features would be great in coop expansions.

This expansion is GREAT!!! I want it!!!! New monsters and Lieutenant are super!!!!

I'm completely OK with not getting new heroes. There's loads of them already, and you only use four in any given campaign - you'd have to be playing a lot of campaigns before you started running out of heroes you'd never used before.

Monsters? Potentially different every game. The more there are available, the better, to mix things up and keep things fresh.

I'm ok with no new heroes.

But classes ? I'm disappointed in getting no new classes.

I mean, it is an awesone theme, with the undead, tainted lands, mists, etc . It would be great get some new classes that fit on this theme, like a Vampire Hunter (there is a vampire lieutenant, so...).

Also, no items or relics ?

Well, I will wait and see, so I can't judge it wrongly. But until now, looks like it will be an expansion pretty "less expansive" than others we have.

I think this is an awesome background to a full campaign, but I'm feeling that they're wasting the good stuff, with this single-act campaign. But, yet, I truly hopes that I change my mind and the tainted mechanics make the day.

Ps.: When I saw this announcement and scenario, I remembered Ravenloft (D&D). It would be epic an expansion with Ravenloft theme on Descent... (dream mode off)

By the way, since this is an expasion focused on the OL, it leaves me a question:

Are they thinking the OL is underpowered?

Because my party(4 heroes) got crushed on the last 'Shadows of Nerekhall' campaign.

It could call, definitely, "The massacre of Nerekahll"...

I think that with Plot Cards, the OL is actually powered up enough as it is. As I mentioned before, while Taint looks like interesting concept, it doesn't seem like it can be used outside of this expansion. Again, there is no mention of Items or relics but they usually include some. I'd actually like to see some different kinds of Search card Items, maybe even one that gets rid of Taint. Maybe this is really a "Small Box" expansion just focused on the OL and the campaign is just a series of Rumor quests that the OL can only use during ACTI- and in which he can use the Taint cards.

Or well.... even perhaps Rumor quests in which he can earn a reward to USE taint cards for the remainder of the Campaign. Who knows.

Battlelore get an undead faction, released in September.

Descent gets an undead expansion featuring 2 of the battlelore units.

Runebound gets a new version, with an undead scenario in the core set.

Runewars already had undead, and the new fluff ties directly into the runewars story.

Could this be the first cross-terrinoth wave of releases since descent 1st edition?

Wow - seems like a really fun challenge for experienced heroes. As the regular Overlord, I am most interested in coupling the Reanimates with the new Ardus lieutenant, and hopefully skeleton archers in a future hero and monster pack. And those Bone Horrors...."you can run, but you can't hide...."!!!!

Really stoked that FF gave us another big box.

Actually, if you look on the preview page, you can see a new relic called: Blade of Brivala next to the new Terrified condition. Since each relic is always double-sided, it's safe to assume that the heroes will get a relic themselves. I wouldn't say that this expansion is completely overlord exclusive by that evidence alone.

Plus, it may be safe to assume that the game will at least include some Act I and Act II shop items cards. Each game has featured equipment and the like that utilizes the new conditions in some way; it'd be a complete waste if they left out Terrified. But if for whatever reason they don't include new shop items, at least there are still ways for heroes to dish out the new conditions (albeit a select few).

Looking at Pics:

Terrified: You cannot spend Surges. If there are no enemy figures in Line of Sight at the end of your turn discard this card.

More hero Tokens. Might be nice since those Co-Ops snag a few from the heroes.

Yellow and Orange Terrain Lines. What could those mean? Also some more terrain separated by elevation lines.

More Travel Cards.

Blade of Brivala Relic Card: On each attack, Lieutenants can spend a Surge to inflict any hero within 1 space of the target with the Terrified condition.

Re-animate Monsters have abilities called Phalanx and Swarm, have a Movement of 3, Heart of 5 and roll for 1 brown for defense.

Edit: Jain looks good with her hair down.

Seems smart on FFGs part to make an OL expansion geared towards them, Most owners of the game and expansions are the OL most of the time. Take my money FFG.... just take my money.

btw you have me hooked on eldritch horror as well, cha ching. I am so wanting to delve into star wars as well. sigh Can I do Moonlight work for you FFG, Just pay me in games....

Oh, I didn't note the Blade of Brivalia on the pic. My bad. Yet, a powerfull relic for the OL. I hope the heroes version is equally useful.

Well, the yellow lines terrains are used to identify harzard terrains. I believe they will keep that way.

The orange probably is the "crumbling terrain". They say that "the crumbling terrain gives way and plunges the hero into water, sludge, or something far deadlier". These last words worries me...

And the bone horror ? A true horror indeed ! It occupies 1 square, has a speed of 5 and has a super reach ! Geez !!!

A picture has appeared on BGG of the back of the box. This lists the entire contents of the expansion. Things to note:

-Shop cards. These will be something else to contribute to the collective stacks of cards outside the expansion.

-Travel cards. 5 travel cards is almost certainly not a separate deck, so I think we can also assume that these will combine with the base travel deck.

-Relics. Relics!

-No rumor cards listed.

-Awesome broodwalker artwork. Maggoty.

A picture has appeared on BGG of the back of the box. This lists the entire contents of the expansion. Things to note:

-Shop cards. These will be something else to contribute to the collective stacks of cards outside the expansion.

-Travel cards. 5 travel cards is almost certainly not a separate deck, so I think we can also assume that these will combine with the base travel deck.

-Relics. Relics!

-No rumor cards listed.

-Awesome broodwalker artwork. Maggoty.

Also note that the Rule-/Questbook is 32 pages long. (For comparison Manor of Ravens is only 24 pages)

a relic is shown on the announce page so nothing surprising on the back

the "one act campaign" still bugs me

Observations from reading the back of the Box:

-There are 10 Encounters. The usual format for a quest can be 1 to 2, though Heirs of Blood proved they could include more encounters in a quest. Intro Quest could be 1, followed by three Act1 Quests of 2 encounters each and then a massive 3 encounter Finale?

- 8 new Shop cards. Yay, something to integrate into other expansions and the base game.

- 3 Relic Cards- Relics don't usually show up outside their respective campaigns, so cool, but Bilehall only.

- 6 Monster Cards ( Act1 and Act 2 for each monster)

- 5 Travel Event Cards. Always fun to add more randomness on the adventure.

- 3 Lieutenant Cards. This I have the biggest issue with here. It means we'll only get the Act versions of the Lieutenants, either Act I or II. So we won't be seeing them outside Mists of Bilehall. Which quite frankly kinda sucks.

-Map Tiles and Terrain Tokens

-8 hero Tokens. Probably 2 for each hero. I don't mind... I'd like more anyway.