It's true. Just as much as the OL can strategically try to influence what the heroes do, the heroes can try to influence what the OL does. If you can trick him into playing his web trap at the time you want rather than the time he would like to , that's generally better. I agree.

It's true. Just as much as the OL can strategically try to influence what the heroes do, the heroes can try to influence what the OL does. If you can trick him into playing his web trap at the time you want rather than the time he would like to , that's generally better. I agree.

See it's really all just a mind game. With dice.

See it's really all just a mind game. With dice.

Well no. As the heroes, your optimal decision is to not play any mind games at all. Use abilities that attack cards, but beyond that, just pretend the overlord doesn't even have them.

Yes, acting like the OL doesn't have any cards is a decent default strategy, but naturally there are some cases where accounting for the OL's hand will improve a hero's choice of actions.

Yes, acting like the OL doesn't have any cards is a decent default strategy, but naturally there are some cases where accounting for the OL's hand will improve a hero's choice of actions.

Especially when the OL gets low and cards and with some probability estimate what he/she has in his/her hands

Yes, acting like the OL doesn't have any cards is a decent default strategy, but naturally there are some cases where accounting for the OL's hand will improve a hero's choice of actions.

Unless you have the ability to look at his hand, it's risky to even try this past the initial first quests, because you can't know for certain what cards are in his deck. He adds cards with experience and can pull cards out down to 15 (or 13 if playing Zachareth), so trying to guess can get you into a lot of trouble if you aren't careful.

Obviously if you've seen two web traps you know he doesn't have more, but there are ways to get them back or other shenanigans. It can be advantageous if you can reliably guess to account for it sometimes.

Regardless, as a general rule of thumb, you're usually best off just doing what you're going to do if he didn't have a hand and forcing him to play them. Overlords want to wait for the optimal time to use the cards: they will sometimes not punish you to wait for a better opportunity, in which case you get away with it for free. If he doesn't wait, he's not waiting for best opportunity, and you're depleting his resources.

Mind games are to the overlord's advantage: don't play that game, just ignore his cards.

Do you guys tell your hero players about your OL card purchases, or do you let them find out when you actually play the card? I initially did the latter, only to realize it might have not been completely fair. What's hidden is the card draw itself, but purchases should probably be open to all? What's your view?

Otherwise I´ve witnessed hero players trying to force my hand, hoping to make me use a problematic card (Web Trap for instance) in a situation they would fake as being key to their strategy while it's actually not. It can go quite deep, like splitting the hero party, making it look like 1-2 heroes are going to grab the objective while they´re just acting as a diversion.

Similarly, a hero moves and asks me if he/she can move one more square, and so on until the full move is performed. Psychological warfare, lol. If this movement action is vital to the heroes then they never ask me if I want to play a card In that case I have to be quick about it.

Do you guys tell your hero players about your OL card purchases, or do you let them find out when you actually play the card? I initially did the latter, only to realize it might have not been completely fair. What's disclosed is the card draw itself, but purchases should probably be open to all? What's your view?

Otherwise I´ve witnessed hero players trying to force my hand, hoping to make me use a problematic card (Web Trap for instance) in a situation they would fake as being key to their strategy while it's actually not. It can go quite deep, like splitting the hero party, making it look like 1-2 heroes are going to grab the objective while they´re just acting as a diversion.

Similarly, a hero moves and asks me if he/she can move one more square, and so on until the full move is performed. If this movement action is vital to the heroes then they never ask me if I want to play a card I have to be quick about it.

We play with the heroes knowing what purchases were made (otherwise the OL could cheat), but the hand played remains a mystery

I´ve also been playing with full transparency as for my OL/plot card purchases. Like annoucing what new card I just bought and handing it over to the heroes so they can have a peak at it.

Pushing this further, do you let your heroes have access to which OL cards you have set aside upon building your deck? Because I don't

I´ve also been playing with full transparency as for my OL/plot card purchases. Like annoucing what new card I just bought and handing it over to the heroes so they can have a peak at it.

Pushing this further, do you let your heroes have access to which OL cards you have set aside upon building your deck? Because I don't

If I remember the rules correctly, that's how it's meant to be played. That's also my preffered choice. Like you said it's psychological warfare, and letting them worry about a card that you didn't even put into your deck, is a good weapon of choice

OL is explicitly allowed to keep secret which 15 cards are in his deck. All the heroes are entitled to know is your basic deck and what you've purchased/been rewarded. They are welcome to read the cards of course, but what you set aside is secret.