Hi

Does using the Dungeon expansion make any difference to game duration? I always found with first edition that the expansions just made the game longer. Is this the case with the FFG version...or perhaps it makes the game shorter (that would be nice)? Thanks.

Depends how you play the game.

For us, Dungeon helps avoid PvP, since most of us don't like it. It's one more board in which you can hide from someone else. The Thief has the Carpet? It’s one more zone you can go back and forth with to avoid him. And so on.

But… if you like PvP, it’s bad for the exact same reason.

As far as the standard ending goes, I’ve found it’s a good parallel to the main board. It also adds the possibility of a much faster game, actually, with the right characters (Gladiator and Necromancer), though we personally like long games.

Finally, it also allows the chance for a “Hail Mary” play for the CoC (depending on stats, of course) where the under-dog can have a shot at passing / catching up to, a person in the Inner Region with a good roll + spells against the LoD.

So, overall, lengthens PvP, and has an actual chance of really shortening the game. Can’t comment about pre-4ER board expansions though. Card expansions, IMO, have had little effect, current or past, at least with my group.

I would generally say shortens, mainly because if you need a quick boost in stats (Strength the more common type of Enemy in the Dungeon, though nice Craft ones as well), short tour of the Dungeon can get you those points. Nowadays, with Frostmarch in the mix, hanging on the Outer/Middle Region and getting enough kills for trade in seven points of trophies takes its time, but in the Dungeon, three kills can easily come up to a total of 14 points or +2 in Str.

From my experience, the Dungeon can end the game faster.

It can cuts the game time in half.

The fastest game we played (with 2 players), was a swashbucker, who has end the game in 2 1/2 hours (normally it takes always around 4 hours, with a 7 trophy limit)

We found no real differnce

Interesting. If it can add more challenges and end the game quicker I might get it. Plus it adds dungeon-crawling to the game. (not so sure i'd be interested in cities, mountains or those type of expansions)

I skipped on Frostmarch because it seems like everyone says it thins out the deck of challenges with too many items and weaker creatures. (I'd love to have the Toadify spell though)

Right now we play Base Game with Reaper and it has plenty of challenge!

If you play it carefully, the dungeon can make a character go up in strength/craft very quickly, moreso if you have access to spells. Like others have said, those beefy monsters can rack you a lot of points with a little help from lady luck.

Also, getting the finger of death spell and making run to the end can mean a lot if you pick a good treasure.

Frog said:

The dungeon is worth to get !

You will not regret it, and if it would be, then you have always the extra cool spells to increase the spell deck

Velhart said:

Not to forget extra characters to choose from

StormCaller said:

Indeed !