Summoning agent in group (without minions)?

By YamiDragoon, in Descent: Journeys in the Dark

Sooo.. let's say the open group would be Kobolds or something alike,

we were wondering.. do the summoning conditions of the agent have to be on the map already,

or if you got to replace 1 master and 1 minion for the agent,

would you just replace 1 master Kobold and get to spawn 1 less minion in total later?

Or would it be, as I'm afraid, completely impossible to summon the agent in this group?

Edited by YamiDragoon

That's a good question. My guess would be that you cannot summon the agent if you do not have the required monsters to replace, but I have nothing to back that up other than my gut, so I'd shoot FFG a question on this one.

Plot cards that allow the overlord to summon an agent often require him

to replace master and minion monsters of an open group after setup of an

encounter. If the overlord cannot meet the replacement requirements, he

replaces the entire open group.


Based on the above text, I'd be inclined to say that you would replace the whole group, since it specifies that the replacement is done AFTER setup. An FFG question to be sure. I'll actually be quite pleased if this is the kobold Achille's heel- terrible for agent summoning.

Agent summoning is usually pretty bad in general though.

For this one, if you read carefully it still works. Say you are summoning an agent like skarn which takes replaces one master and 2 minions into the kobold group (new version). The four hero version is 3 masters and 9 minion. The small beginnings does not affect group size. It just affect the monsters placed. So when you place skarn with the group, you get skarn and 2 masters and you have a new cap of 7 minions. The key is small beginnings does not affect group size.

In general though if you summon an agent and there is not enough monster available you replace the entire group. You can find that in the plot deck rules.

I've asked the question to FFG already

the answer is "if summoning Valyndra witthin a kobold group for example in a 4 hero game, treat the group as reduced from 3/9 to 2/6"

I've asked the question to FFG already

the answer is "if summoning Valyndra witthin a kobold group for example in a 4 hero game, treat the group as reduced from 3/9 to 2/6"

Interesting- so the requirement does not have to be met with monsters on the map, just monsters from the group limit. Good to know.

I've asked the question to FFG already

the answer is "if summoning Valyndra witthin a kobold group for example in a 4 hero game, treat the group as reduced from 3/9 to 2/6"

Wow, really? Geez.. I always assumed you were not allowed to select kobolds in this case.

This really does make Kobolds *the* go to group for your agent summoning needs, as the cost is tiny and trivial if its anything less than "replace the whole friggin group".

So I guess with the adjusted reinforcement limit, it means that if you are, say, using Valyndra (replaces 1 master and 2 minions) in a Kobold group and 7 kobold minions are on the field, the masters will not be able to place additional Kobold minion figures up to the '9' limit until Valyndra leaves the map.

Of course, the instant the Agent is defeated, the reinforcement limit is restored back to its normal value of 3/9.

Edited by Charmy