Hello guys and girls,

I have been reading up on Descent and it sparked my interest! I have watched serveral reviews and I think I would really love this game!

However, I am concerned that its getting too old or that I get lost in all the expansions. Also, it will be quite expensive to buy a couple of expansions and Lt packs.

There is a new game on Kickstarter, called Sword & Sorcery. It looks similar to Descent, but doesnt need an OL. We usually play with 4 people and I am concerned we need 5 (1x OL and 4 players) for the best experience.

Has anyone played S&S aswell as Descent? Thoughts?

Thanks!

Hello guys and girls,

I have been reading up on Descent and it sparked my interest! I have watched serveral reviews and I think I would really love this game!

However, I am concerned that its getting too old or that I get lost in all the expansions. Also, it will be quite expensive to buy a couple of expansions and Lt packs.

There is a new game on Kickstarter, called Sword & Sorcery. It looks similar to Descent, but doesnt need an OL. We usually play with 4 people and I am concerned we need 5 (1x OL and 4 players) for the best experience.

Has anyone played S&S aswell as Descent? Thoughts?

Thanks!

Fantasy Flight will release a digital app in some weeks, allowed Descent to be played in full co-op mode: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2016/3/15/road-to-legend . The first mini campaing will be free and you need only the base game.

I played S&S demo on tabletopia, and not like how monsters behave with the artificial intelligence (anyway, its a demo, maybe change in the final product), but not convinced me. Enjoyed a lot more the previous co-op adventures for Descent.

The fact you are asking to me means that you are already siding with Descent, wise choice! I think S&S looks great but as anyone who has played a board game right out of the gate will tell you, there will be growing pains. Luckily it isn't that company's first rodeo, but they are trying out a few new tricks with S&S and I will be waiting for the second print to pick it up, at least, to make sure it's working well. Look at Myth as an example of Kickstarter problems.

Descent is a fully established game with years of development and play testing behind it. Is it perfect? Nope. Is it among the closest games on the market to perfect? Yup!

And on top of all the great content available, FFG is launching a new app that will play the Overlord for you and allow the existing pieces of Descent to be used in a brand new co-op mini campaign that only requires the core! They also plan to launch a full length campaign for $9.95 (cheap as Borsch!) that I am guessing will use one of the expansions, so it gives you time to learn the core pieces then pick up the first x-pac and build your collection slowly that way as you choose to as more and more app campaigns become available.

And if you decide you like the game and want to try the Overlord presence, well now you just got two games for the price of one! The OL existing campaign that comes with the core (and each expansion) and access to the digital co-op campaign. Crazy value. S&S definitely can't be played with an Overlord and won't give you double the content for a minimal fee. Also there are already 3 existing mini quest co-cop campaigns available from Descent, paper versions, they aren't full length campaigns but they will definitely take up a whole evening. So you could buy Descent this weekend along with one of those existing co-op quest chains and play through it to learn the game while you wait for the app! Or you can sit here until October and.. hrmm I dunno.. read the forums and wish you were playing Descent?

And no I don't work for FFG, hah, I just recognize and love a good game when I find it and am excited for you to experience this great game.. and believe me I was very picky before I hopped in but very glad when I did!

Thanks for the feedback!

I think I will go with Descent: Like you said, 2 games in 1! Plus, I think the OL will be a good variation of our current game, Legends of Andor.

A lot of expansions are hard to get. Could you give me an idea of what to get first? I read that the Base game + Lt packs are a good way to start?

Thanks for the feedback!

I think I will go with Descent: Like you said, 2 games in 1! Plus, I think the OL will be a good variation of our current game, Legends of Andor.

A lot of expansions are hard to get. Could you give me an idea of what to get first? I read that the Base game + Lt packs are a good way to start?

Legends of Andor is a very nice game! If you want a more complex dungeon delving experience then the co-op expansions are great. Plus the miniatures and character customization provide more immersion than LoA. And the variant where one player is the Overlord is imo the one that has the most depth, although you have to like that aspect of Descent. But the fact that you have to like the Overlord role is not a key consideration anymore with the new Road to Legend app coming out soon. But for some good consumer advice, I would say that you should wait a bit longer for it to actually come out and check the reviews. If it turns out that this new app doesn't make Descent the game that you thought it would be, you won't be sitting with an empty wallet.

And for the expansions, it depends on what you are willing to spend and what you are looking for.

The lieutenant packs are the cheapest, but the plot decks coming with them don't hit the table by everyone. They tend to favor the Overlord more than the heroes, and some feel that it affects the balance (this depends on the plot deck, they differ in strength). If you are in for the miniature, then by all means get them.

As for the boxed expansions, they offer the best value imo. They add heroes, monsters, classes, shop items, and most of all, (mini) campaigns. In short, everything that will add to the variety.

The H&M packs are somewhat cheaper than the boxed expansion, but only contain heroes, monsters, and 2 quests. I would argue that they are mainly for completionists or people who play a lot, so the added variety is more than welcome.

Edit: But still comparing Descent to Legends of Andor, the complexity is a double-edged sword of course. It does make a lot of things such as combat more interesting, it also leads to more rules confusion. So as the game owner, I would advise visiting this forum regularly so you can keep track of the rules discussions. This, combined with playing experience will lead to quicker settlement of rules disputes. I am not trying to scare you off, but just giving some consumer advice:)

I recommend getting the core and play the campaign. I played with my kids and they each took 2 characters so we had a full party playing. Then if you really enjoy it (and you will), buy the lieutenants from the campaign and introduce them into a second run or check out some player created content. Pick up the expansions you think sound cool as you need them to add to the game. I just got this a month ago and still havent exhausted the core box yet. I did get some lieutenants and a small box expansion to add some flavor, but didnt need to as we havent even opened it yet.

It's absolutely worth it! We (3 heroes and 1 OL) just started the Shadow Rune campaign in November and are about to wrap it up. It's been a lot of fun and we can't wait to play it again and add in some expansion content. Excellent game with TONS of replay value.

Thanks for the feedback! Very kind!

Now I am trying to figure out where to buy the game, because I live in the Netherlands. Its quite expensive on Dutch gameshop websites and they don't have the full collection.

Thinking of starting with the base game and add some Lt packs later on, before I go for a big box exp.

One last question: Did I understand correctly that the reprint of Descent 2nd edition includes the Heir of Blood campaign?

One last question: Did I understand correctly that the reprint of Descent 2nd edition includes the Heir of Blood campaign?

Yep.

One last question: Did I understand correctly that the reprint of Descent 2nd edition includes the Heir of Blood campaign?

Yep.

Is there a way to check this? It doesnt say so in the description on several sites...

Probably best to send the site a mail.

The inclusion of the newer campaign is marked on the back of the box I believe so should be easy enough for them to check for you.

One last question: Did I understand correctly that the reprint of Descent 2nd edition includes the Heir of Blood campaign?

Yep.

Is there a way to check this? It doesnt say so in the description on several sites...

It has a sticker on the back of the box, although you can always email your retailer. And for where to get it: http://www.thegamefreak.nl/descent-2nd-edition-journeys-in-the-dark.html that is about the cheapest what you will find. I paid 90 euros for my copy of the game but that was just as it was out of print. Although the prices from Dutch retailers don't differ very much from the prices on this website considering transportation cost. As you probably guessed, I am also from the Netherlands:)

What about Amazon? Im in the US and ordered from Amazon. Saved $20 off retail price too.

There is no Dutch Amazon, the UK doesnt ship for some reason and German Amazon is same price as Dutch websites. :/

US Amazon charges 15$ for shipping, so it ends up about same price.

One last question: Did I understand correctly that the reprint of Descent 2nd edition includes the Heir of Blood campaign?

Yep.

Is there a way to check this? It doesnt say so in the description on several sites...

It has a sticker on the back of the box, although you can always email your retailer. And for where to get it: http://www.thegamefreak.nl/descent-2nd-edition-journeys-in-the-dark.html that is about the cheapest what you will find. I paid 90 euros for my copy of the game but that was just as it was out of print. Although the prices from Dutch retailers don't differ very much from the prices on this website considering transportation cost. As you probably guessed, I am also from the Netherlands:)

Thanks for the link!

First time I head about S&S I've got excited too. But then I watched a video and really don't like the way the game plays. It's all a matter of opinions, but you'll be feeling better with descent, imo. And if you are guy that likes to create your own stuff, you can't go wrong with descent. So many minis, tiles, itens...a lot of things!

None of the aforementioned games are established games. That includes S&S, Folkore and the rest of the dungeon crawlers from Kickstarter. I was extremely anti the S&S hype because I thought the game completely lacked inspiration. Folklore had some interesting mechanisms but combat was flat as a pancake rolled over by a truck. The other game with giant insects from Finland I forgot the name about (EDIT: Perdition's Mouth)was also too restricted and the wheel was weird. There are many of these games which look interesting but either take too much from other games (eg nothing unique or unseen about it) or just fail to suggest any good mechanism to the genra.

So yeah, we can write a reminder on our calendars and say that none of the aforementioned games will be remembered by anyone but their backers in 5 years time. Except Myth maybe since its failure will always be remembered by the KS/BGG community.

I´m still waiting for a genra-breaker dungeon crawl game with unique mechanisms to be released. Masmorra is cool but it's not really the same experience.

There is simply no game like Descent on the market at the moment. There are games with overlord roles but they are strictly less deep and interesting.

Alone, a spanish game presented at Essen Germany last year (I sat there for the demo) will feature up to 4 overlords against a lone hero. Not sure the game will be good, but that's quite an interesting concept. Although it's sci-fi and Star Wars probably always wins at it in the end...

YES it is still worth getting!

(Especially if you are cool with the app that's coming out for cooperative play.)

I don't necessarily agree with some of the posts above suggesting that you get the Lieutenant Packs... My preference has always been more monsters and tiles. I'd get the boxed expansions for more hero variety (Not just more heroes - but new classes the heroes can play.) More monsters available to use as the Overlord. More quests/campaigns to play through.

Sure - the LT packs add another variable - but they aren't really adding as much variety as I think you would get from the boxed expansions.

Especially if you are excited for the app - the app will use tiles from any expansions you own and monsters etc... I figure the more you have - the more variety you get!

I agree with the above poster, if you cannot get it all then prioritize the boxed contents and the H&M packs (and even then some of them are not that good compared to other very good ones). It breaks my heart to say that the LPs aren't worth the money, since the master villains in your campaigns deserve a figure worth the name, but in the end they only add marginal content to the game compared to the rest of the expansions.

Alright, which expansion is a must have?

I asumed the Lt packs also provided more depth. Do I get the same with an expansion? Are the Lt packs basically only miniatures?

And should I still start with only the base game or is it wise to get an expansion for more depth?

I'd start with the base game and just play that - see how you like it!

LT Packs - get you the mini and then another deck the Overlord can play... essentially adds some plots and other actions they can do... totally not essential.

The base box will get you a good experience with nothing else needed. (Assuming you play the traditional play of 1 person as the overlord.)

The boxed expansions add more heroes, monsters, tiles, and a new campaign. There are 2 large and 2 small I believe... When you play an expansion you will use the new tiles, monsters, etc - if you are playing the base campaign and own expansions - essentially it will not change the quests much - except for the monsters that are available to the overlord to use and the items in the store etc. (Will not change the tiles required obviously etc.)

I would suggest Lair of the Wyrm or Shadow of Nerekhall as beginning expansions. Lair of the Wyrm is a small box expansion which offers a small campaign of 5 quests and 1/4 of the base game roughly speaking. So 2 heroes, 2 classes, 2 monster groups etc. The heroes, monsters, and classes are very straightforward and fun to play with. The theme is also very good imo.

Shadow of Nerekhal is a big box expansion and has a full campaign like the base game as well as 1/2 of the content of the base game...roughly speaking. So 4 heroes, 4 classes etc.The theme is also very nice.

The difference is the price of course.

But getting an expansion right with the base game when you buy it isn't necessary, it already provides a lot of content. When you finish your first campaign would be a great moment to decide how much you want to invest in the game.

Awesome! Thanks for the help! You are all very kind!

I will keep an eye out for the Base game with HoB and order that!

I feel the base game and any of the big box expos are good to start. LT packs are much more optional. If you get some I would get the ones for the base game first since it uses a lot of LT's. I mainly got them for the mini's. But I would only buy the base game and then get a group together and try out the non campaign mode, epic play where you only play one quest. This will give you the chance to get used to the rules and see how different monsters and heroes work. Avoid just jumping into a full campaign. Also make sure to alternate who plays the OL it will help everyone in the group to not feel like one side always has an advantage.

look into the new app for the game too as its free and allows co-op play. There is also 3 co-op print on demand expansions that worked pretty good but the app looks like its replacing them.