I am reading over this quest and I want to make sure I am not missing anything before playing it with my group. It just seems totally busted in favor of the heroes to the point where I am not sure how it even works. I believe I have figured out a way to totally trivialize it.

The only way the overlord can win in to kill each hero. For winning the first half the overlord gets four turns worth of reinforcements, but only 8 wounds worth. In the first half of the game most single base monsters can be one shot. However the only reinforcement location is the entrance which is a 2x2 square. So all the heros need to do is to leave back one guy, preferably with a pet familiar and to kill the monsters that spawn at the end of the Overlord's turn before they get to attack. Since the guy is in the square large monsters can't be spawned because they won't fit so they can't be taken as an open group. So the other 2 to 3 heroes slowly work their way to Splig while the Overlord is attritioned to nothing with the choice to either bring in one monster that may live long enough to attack and waste one of the potentially four spawns (less if he or she did poorly in the first half) or to just wait and do nothing while the rest of the monsters are.killed. The ravengers can't even come back once they are killed. Once all the surges are spent, it's totally easy mode as the guy playing defense on the entrance can join up. It really doesn't seem possible outside of some incredibly lucky die rolls.

Has anyone had a chance to try this quest yet and what are the results?

EDIT: I noticed in the unofficial faq over at BGG that the Overlord may place a monster in the closest available space if the reinforcement tile is blocked. Is there anything in the rules about this since I couldn't see it.

Encounter one: You have a max of 11 turns to flounder out, but I want to point out an interesting thing here. The OL need 12 tokens in his play area to win the encounter. He gets two for every turn Serena isn't active. She can't be activated till all heroes are adjacent to her. That will take a little floundering around for the heroes as well. With the right cards at the right time I could see an OL winning this in 7 or 8 turns. Reinforcements will offer with the monster group that can move heroes is need be and in a place where you want them anyways.

Remember, your goal isn't to win this, but give you an up on the heroes. I would, as the OL, discourage the heroes from getting search tokens by herd them into the space before the cabin. Stab them hard there to get their health down before encounter two.

YES, this is tricky for the OL, but very doable.

Encounter two: So, encounter one provides you with encounter two's reinforcements. Not sure how you would handle this, but I would love allot of quick bodied on the field with little health (Kobolds have a max of 4 health and the masters will split into two when they are killed. That turns into allot of bodies very quickly. Not sure if they are available for that quest) to maximize my tokens achieved in the last encounter. My other open group I would acquire some larger beasties to lay on the hurt early. You want to get the heroes to expend their heroic feat early so you don't have to worry about it later. That will make it a little easier to lay waist to them.

Keep in mind that this is very early in Act I. You have the advantage as far as monsters to hero strength.

Worst comes to worst, get Splig to the exit and get your prize for him getting off the map. >} Feel it out. You are an opportunist! You can do this!!

EDIT: I noticed in the unofficial faq over at BGG that the Overlord may place a monster in the closest available space if the reinforcement tile is blocked. Is there anything in the rules about this since I couldn't see it.

Quest guide, page 2, reinforcement section:"If a reiforcing monster cannot be placed as indicated in this section because the tile is full, the monster is placed in the closest empty space(s) instead."

EDIT: I noticed in the unofficial faq over at BGG that the Overlord may place a monster in the closest available space if the reinforcement tile is blocked. Is there anything in the rules about this since I couldn't see it.

Quest guide, page 2, reinforcement section:"If a reiforcing monster cannot be placed as indicated in this section because the tile is full, the monster is placed in the closest empty space(s) instead."

Yup found that last night myself and was going to post it. I didn't see it initially since I was trying to find it in the main rulebook. That solves the big problem I had so I think that this quest isn't so one sided anymore.

Thanks!