New to the game and I have now ordered the LT packs for the core set. Im a bit of a completionist so these were obvious choices for me.

As it stands, is that everything I need really or are there any other boxes/sets I could get to flesh out the core box? I dont want to go mad and confuse myself and players but if there are any obvious choices id take a look.

Not really sure what the hero/monster packs do, are they just that.....new heroes for players to choose and also new monster groups for the OL to utilize? If so, they sound great but maybe better starting off with the core set then expanding later.

The hero and monster packs also add optional quests to the game in the form of Rumor Cards. You place it in the play area, and the heroes can choose to go on what amounts to a side quest. If they choose to do so in Act I, there will be a second one available in Act II.

The expansions add heroes, character classes, monsters, new conditions, and shop items to the game. You can add those to the pool of available stuff, even if you don't play the included quest chain. Also, if I remember right,with the small box expansions (NOT Nerekhall or Labrynth) you can use rumor cards to run 2 of the expansion quests during a run through the main campaign.

One last option to expand content is the Conversion Kit. It includes updated versions of all the 1st Ed. heroes and monsters. However, there are no figures included. Lastly, they re-balanced a lot of the Conversion Kit monsters and heroes when the re-released them as part of the Hero and Monster Packs.

General consensus is that Nerekhall is the best big box expansion in terms of content, plus there is a Nerekhall specific quest for the Road to Legend app.

With the LT packs, you've completed the core box. The hero/monster packs are exactly what you assume.

If you start using the Road to Legend app you'll want the Shadows of Nerekhal expansion as it unlocks a new campaign in the app. The app has a small tutorial campaign and then one full campaign that you only need the core set to run. Then the Shadows added campaign.

Keep in mind that if you're willing to buy the CK (conversion kit) you must own at least the base game (1st edition) , otherwise is useless.

10 hours ago, leewroy said:

Keep in mind that if you're willing to buy the CK (conversion kit) you must own at least the base game (1st edition) , otherwise is useless.

You don't have to own first edition with the conversion kit - although it's just the cards it gives you a lot of cards for different heroes/ monsters so even if you don't have first edition it gives you lots of options for which you could use proxy playing pieces, however if you purchased a lot of the second edition extras you'd have a lot of these and their cards duplicated, and as was mentioned previously they rebalanced some of them. The conversion kit can be seen as a budget way to expand the game in this respect, not just to port over first edition.

It doesn't have the first edition lieutenants but some of these have since been released for second edition. I'm still hoping we get them all but no Descent board game news for ages :o(

This thread gives some info on first edition to second edition and a flavour what's in the ck card-wise: https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/242691-what-are-we-missing/

All the expansion box sets, lieutenants and hero and monster packs are good and worth getting (finances allowing) so see what's in them and if anything fits your favourite hero/monster archetypes and if you're up for creating quests what most inspires you. The Quest Vault for sharing your own quests is a useful tool (and it's free).

I got the Battlelore reinforcement packs too as these figures seemed to have huge potential for Descent use (FFG need to cross-market stuff methinks) https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2015/8/6/unleash-the-creatures-1/

and https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2015/6/25/the-hunt-begins-2/

They're really nice minis.

My fave D2e lieutenant is Skarn, really worth getting his LP and Manor of Ravens in which Skarn features, it's another awesome sculpt not really done justice by their choice of image: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2014/8/14/unleash-the-construct/

He/it's made of bits of the manor and its furniture and has loads of neat little details in the miniature https://boardgamegeek.com/image/2403618/descent-journeys-dark-second-edition-skarn-lieuten

The Manor of Ravens expansion also has some useful map tiles but all these actual game expansions are worth getting if you're keen to create adventures for Descent as they give you plenty of ground to work with, literally I guess! A couple add secret room options but can't remember which off the top of my head.

Ah, but why use proxy pieces? In my opinion the best thing is the minis

Besides, most of the content is outdated. I only bought the CK cause I don't own any H&M packs, but in another hand I own almost everything from first edition.

I would say that you are just fine with the core set. You could do the campaign at least twice without playing the same quest twice (except the first mission, interlude and finale depending on the outcome of the campaign). That's nearly 40 hours of gaming only with the core set and then you can play the campaign in Road to legend.

If you want more options for the second runthrough of the campaign I would suggest adding one of the smaller expansions which add side missions to your campaign. Each of the three expansions (Lair of the Wyrm, The Trollfens and Manor of Ravens) adds two mission along with two new hero classes and one Overlord class. Of the three I would recommend Manor of Ravens because the earlier expansions has a tendency to tip the balance of the campaign in favor of the heroes. The problem still exists in Manor of Ravens but it's better.

The Hero and Monster collection gives you more variation with four heroes and three types of monsters and two quests in each box. In order to play the quests as a part of your campaign you need to have one of the smaller expansions. Overall are these quest much better balanced than those included in the expansions. All heroes and monsters (with the exception of Crowhags and Dark Minotaurs) in the collection are from the first edition of Descent and the cards have previously been published in the Conversion kit but have been rebalanced with new sculpts and artwork.

Then you have the two big box expansions, Labyrinth of Ruin and Shadow of Nerekhall, and the two small box expansions Mists of Billehall and The Chains that Rust which each adds a whole new campaign. Pricewise the big box expansions give you most for your money but as I said earlier you have more than enough in the core box to start with. Mists and Chains are meant to be played together because you only get half of the campaign in each box.

As you said it's very easy in Descent to go mad and buy to much which just confuse the other players. When I bought Descent I almost immediately bought two hero and monster packs and Lair of the Wyrm which in retrospect wasn't so good because my then causal gaming friends did suboptimal choices regarding heroes and classes and ultimately lost the campaign. So therefore stick with the core box, learn all the confusing rules and last but not least have fun.