Sorry I don't have the exact name since I'm away from home right now. I believe it is Heart of Darkness. It's the quest where in the first half you have to get zombies up the vines and in the second half get cursed creatures into the waters to gain fatigues.

We played this quest and it seems very hard for the heroes to win. In the first half I was able to win in about three turns as the overlord (playing with three heroes) by just jamming up the area around the two last vines with monsters. First turn one zombie walks to the closest vine and uses an action to climb while the other two move forward. Second turn the first zombie uses his two activations to finish climbing the vine (since it doesn't say they are movements so it can perform a climb twice a turn) and the other zombies move to vines and begin climbing. Third turn they finish and it's game over. The heroes really didn't have much of a chance.

We altered the quest so that zombies could only climb once a turn and replayed it. While it was a lot closer I as the OL was still able to do mostly the same strategy and with the water in the middle slowing them down was able to move the three zombies up the vines.

This brings me to the second half on the quest. With six fatigue tokens from the first half I was able to win in one turn. The closest puddle to the fleshmolders that start in the graveyard is within moving distance from their starting position. I think I MIGHT have had to use a dash to get the last one in. Either way it totally trivialized the encounter and left a bad taste in everyone's mouths.

We all read it over and didn't see something we did wrong. Is this a known issue or did we miss something more obvious or subtle?

Zombies have shamble they can only move once per turn.

One vine is within 3 squares of the zombie start location and the other is 6 allowing one zombie to start climbing turn one and the others to start turn 2 even with only one movement action a turn. Climbing just says it is an action and not a move action (the quest specifically says they can't move while climbing) so shambling does not affect that.

I don't have it in front of me either. While they are climbing,they can't move makes since(there climbing).

Really wish I could look at that you got me wanting to read it. There are some quest that are more suited for hero favor and OL has some that give him an edge. This sounds like this is one of those.

This is one of the strategic advantages of winning a quest, playing the ones that give an advantage is a plus to picking a quest. Or forcing an act 2 quest to play.

Yeah there are definitely edges for the different sides but this one seems busted so there has to be something we were missing. Winning the first half is very easy for the OL and if that happens the second half is a one turn win. That can't be intended .

Just looked it up. The quest is "Heart of the Wilds"

Well I read it. I would need to play an epic quest just to see it in action but I got a campaign going on already. Maybe ask FFG about it they would shed better light on it anyway.

We will be entering act II tonight or this weekend. I want to do this quest. I thought it looked fun. I'll update this if we get to it.

In the Labyrinth of Ruin act II quest Heart of The Wilds encounter 1, can zombie, adjacent to the vine use climb action twice?

Yes.

Thanks,
Justin Kemppainen
Creative Content Developer
Fantasy Flight Games

Ok thanks that answers the first part although it raises the question of how the heroes are possibly expected to win in three turns.

The next part where the OL can win in one seems like it HAS to be a mistake otherwise why even set up the map?

Also where did you find that answer? I don't see it on bgg.

Asked yesterday and recieved reply from Justin, forgot to post it on BGG.

A few people said they were possibly going to play this last week. Just curious if anyone has caught anything we missed since the second half still seems un-playably broken.

After reading this and my heroes and I looking over it, it does seem a little broken. I was going to pick it to play tomorrow, but after seeing how easy it would be for me to win, we all thought the more fun thing to do was Web of Power.

But as the rules are, it seems really easy for the OL to win. I think the heroes could stop the OL for a turn or two, but it really hurts their cause. Maybe this quest should be played later in act two when the heroes are hitting harder?

I don't think Hero power factors in though. If the OL wins the first half and generates the six fatigue counters which is incredibly easy to do in three turns (as ZXTR has pointed out is working as intended) then the second half is literally a one turn win for the overlord, you don't need to setup the map unless there's some incredibly specific hero ability combo I can't think of off the top of my head. Enough monsters start within range of their target square they can walk in and they are far out of hero line of sight for a shot at them before they do.

I can't believe that they would design this encounter with the intent of making the first half totally determine if the second is even played.

I don't think Hero power factors in though. If the OL wins the first half and generates the six fatigue counters which is incredibly easy to do in three turns (as ZXTR has pointed out is working as intended) then the second half is literally a one turn win for the overlord, you don't need to setup the map unless there's some incredibly specific hero ability combo I can't think of off the top of my head. Enough monsters start within range of their target square they can walk in and they are far out of hero line of sight for a shot at them before they do.

I can't believe that they would design this encounter with the intent of making the first half totally determine if the second is even played.

My heroes have a geomancer. If he can get in range and fire off some stones, that stalls the OL by a turn with his blockade. If a hero can get there in time to help with the blockade, then that stalls the OL a turn. But in doing all that, they are not getting what they need to while getting hit by things. I am not sure there is a way to stop the OL here unless they came somehow stop those zombies really early. The only way they could do this is by cutting through those monsters fast. That's why I am wondering if this one would be better to be played later in act one where the heroes have more of a fighting chance? I mean, first quest out of act two is always harder for the heroes anyhow.

I am also wondering if the intent of FFG was for the monsters to be sacrificed IN the water, not on the cursed water tile. I know that's not what it says, but I wonder if that is the intent. Yes, the OL still has the advantage, but at least now he can't win in one turn. Maybe not even turn two. This also lets the heroes combat the monsters.

Yeah we though the same thing might have been the case in regards to the water.

Re-read the rules about sacrifice. The monsters HAVE to be in the water, not on just on that tile, to sacrifice. This quest is very doable for the heroes. Hard, but doable.

The closest water space on that tile is 3-4 squares from the graveyard where the flesh moulders start,

The closest water space on that tile is 3-4 squares from the graveyard where the flesh moulders start,

3 spaces, one being a water space. This means the OL can get two sacrificed on turn one. He can take out another two by turn two, if he is crafty and those vines don't kill them. A good OL will clean out that area, I am guessing, so reinforcements will be unharmed.

But with that being said, a turn one win is not in it for the OL. A turn two, very possible, but that's only if the heroes can't deal with the zombies in encounter one. I think it's hard to do that, but seeing how well equipped my heroes are right now, I would not put it past them to rip right though my forces. My necromancer has gravity spike, which pretty much moves any road blocks I have.