Descent

Terrinoth is back. Fantasy Flight's fantasy setting that they've used in many different games is making a resurgence in Descent: Legends of the Dark, a new dungeon-crawl board game that the company is going to be releasing.

From the announcement:

For years, your journeys have taken you across the fantasy realm of Terrinoth, venturing into dark forests, shadowy cities, ancient crypts, and misty swamps… but your true legend is about to begin.

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Descent: Legends of the Dark, the definitive cooperative dungeon-crawling board game for one to four players!

Forge your own legend together with your friends as you adventure across the vibrant fantasy realm of Terrinoth! Powered by its fully integrated free companion app, Descent: Legends of the Dark puts you in the role of a budding hero with their own playstyle and abilities. Together with your unlikely companions, you’ll begin an unexpected adventure—an adventure told across the sixteen quests of the Blood and Flame campaign. Throughout your campaign, you’ll face undead lurking in the mists, demonic barbarians stalking the wilds, and even more terrifying threats. With 46 pieces of 3D terrain and 40 stunning hero and monster miniatures to draw you into the game, your greatest adventure is yet before you!

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Descent: Journeys in the Dark looks to bring the character building and adventure of an RPG and put it into a board game. Now, if you're like me, you are always looking for that cool, new character to play. Well, Fantasy Flight's helping out with the Lost Legends expansion. There's new standard classes and eight new hybrid classes. What sort of hero/class combinations will you come up with?

From the website:

The heroes of Terrinoth take on many shapes and sizes. From stoic warriors leading the charge to powerful mages harnessing the power of rune shards to conjure powerful magics to defeat their foes. Your adventures in Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition have seen you step into the shoes of countless heroes, and now your options are even greater.

Now you can discover ancient knowledge lost for centuries with the Lost Legends expansion!

Lost Legends includes new class options for players venturing into the dark, including two new standard classes and eight new hybrid classes. This expansion opens up hundreds of new hero and class combinations for you to discover as you continue your adventures in Terrinoth!

Pick up your copy of Lost Legends (uDJ45) at your local retailer today or online through our website here!

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In Descent: Journeys in the Dark, players get to choose their own class for their hero. There's several to pick from, but veteran gamers might want some more options. That's where Lost Legends comes in. It's a new expansion announced by Fantasy Flight that includes new standard classes, as well as numerous hybrid classes, greatly expanding your possible options when starting a game.

From the announcement:

The heroes of Terrinoth take on many shapes and sizes. From stoic warriors leading the charge to powerful mages harnessing the power of rune shards to conjure powerful magics and defeat their foes. Your adventures in Descent: Journeys in the Darkhave seen you embody a myriad of different classes, and now even more choices await!

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Lost Legends, a new expansion pack for Descent: Journeys in the Dark, created through Fantasy Flight Games's in-house manufacturing!

Lost Legends includes new class options for players venturing into the dark, including two new standard classes and eight new hybrid classes, opening up hundreds of new hero and class combinations for you to discover as you continue your adventures in Terrinoth!

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When your game uses a digital app, it can be a great way to bring in more content directly to your players. And since Descent: Journeys In the Dark from Fantasy Flight uses an app, they've created a new adventure that you can play. Just download the new content and off you go into the wild black under. And even better: it's free.

From the website:

A darkness is rising as powerful forces seek to undo the fragile peace holding Terrinoth together. Dormant since the Dragon Wars, the strange obelisks scattered across the Ashen Hills have recently come alive with magical energies. Scouts from nearby Fort Rodric report mysterious robed figures disturbing the ancient structures. Meanwhile, a contingent of Dragonkin are massing within the Mountains of Despair. Rumors swirl that a leader has united them around a common cause, and whispers from the mountain peaks carry a name long forgotten: Margath…

Discover the dark secret of the Ashen Hills with Embers of Dread, a new free DLC campaign in the Road to Legend companion app for Descent: Journeys in the Dark! Embers of Dread is the perfect way to fill a holiday break while you're at home with your family or friends, and best of all, it's available now on the App Store, Google Play, Amazon and Steam!

Embers of Dread sees you become embroiled in the conspiracy of a mad cult that plots to release an ancient Dragonlord from his eternal prison. With six new quests and a storyline that takes you to the militant city of Riverwatch, your group of adventurers is sure to keep themselves busy. This threat puts all of Terrinoth in danger, and your heroes will have to use their strength, wits, and quick decision making to survive.

Important note: Embers of Dread is a free expansion for Road to Legend, but it does require the Descent: Journeys in the Dark Core Set, Lair of the Wyrm, and Labyrinth of Ruin expansions. 

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One thing about making a game have a digital app component is that a company can release a new scenario and simply make it available for purchase through the app. You can then buy it and play it basically instantly. Such is the case with Trials of Frostgate. It's a new scenario for Descent that's available through the Road to Legend app. Players will have to pass the four challenges that will test every aspect of their being. The reward is a sweet animal tattoo. I know I'd be up for that!


From the announcement:

In the city of Frostgate, the Northern Tribes gather each winter for feasting, celebration, and their most sacred rituals. Amongst these rituals, the Trials of Frostgate stand proudest—tests of courage, skill, and strength of arms, where the proudest and bravest warriors earn tattoos of their totemic animals. Four trials await you—and only the boldest heroes can withstand them all.

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce that a new adventure is now available for purchase through the Road to Legend app! Trials of Frostgate challenges you and your fellow heroes to four distinct trials, and each trial is guaranteed to test your strength and your resolve in a different way. Unlike a campaign, which progresses through a story with every new adventure, each challenge in Trials of Frostgate can be attempted multiple times as you attempt to best your scores from previous encounters!

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There's sometimes an issue that can come up with our favorite games: having the same thing happen all the time. Even games with lots of randomizing factors can end up feeling a bit same-y if you play them a lot. Well, Fantasy Flight Games is hoping to make sure your games of Descent have a bit more variety with The Delve.




The Delve will add a lot more options to your game by jumbling together all the various tiles and enemies at your disposal. It's a game thrown into a Mixmaster. You might be in a cave in one minute, a jungle in another, and a town the next. And, of course, all manner of monsters will be coming after you as well. That should help fend of, "that's what happened last time"-ness of your games.

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Fantasy Flight Games has a nice batch of new releases available for you this week. If you're a fan of either RuneBound or Descent, you'll want to check it out. If you're a fan of their The End of the World RPG series, you'll also want to check it out. And if you're a fan of their Lord of the Rings card game, you, too, will want to check it out.




Let's see what we've got here. For RuneBound, there's a pair of releases: Fall of the Dark Star and The Mountains Rise. The former gives you a new scenario you can use in your game, giving you a new over-arching story your heroes are playing through. The latter can be used with any scenario, adding new quests, gear, and a new hero you can play.

Those that enjoy Descent are getting The Chains that Rust. This expansion brings you a one-act campaign that you can play on its own, or as a follow-up to the Mists of Bilehall set. It's more nasty undead to deal with.

The undead aren't an issue in Revolt of the Machines, which is the new The End of the World book. No, it's the uncaring robots that are looking to come get you this time around. Just watch out for time-traveling Austrian-robots.

Finally, I know we don't really cover LCGs here, but the latest set for the Lord of the Rings LCG is available. It's called The Drowned Ruins.

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Terrinoth's Mistlands aren't someplace many people go to vacation. You're not going to see travel agents selling holiday package deals to visit it. I'd go out on a limb and say that's mostly because of all the undead who would be all too happy to add you to their skeletal and ghost army. It's just such denizens that we get a look at today in this preview from Fantasy Flight Games.




So, what sort of undead can you find? Well, there's things like the Dispossessed. That's when a whole bunch of weaker spirits band together and become a single, swirling mass of undead hate. And while that might seem awful, there are even worse things. Though they're not always dead. Necromancers have long fiddled with the balance between life and death and the Marrow Priests are just that sort of spellcaster. With such an intimate knowledge of death, they're actually quite hardy, even if they, themselves, don't really fear death's embrace.

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Descent is a one-vs-many game. While most players take on the role of a hero, one gets to play as the Overlord. They're basically the "Dungeon Master" player. But unlike an RPG, they're not out there to just tell a good story for the players, they're there to win! Well, in The Chains That Rust, the new expansion for the game coming out soon, the Overlord player gets a powerful, new weapon to unleash on the heroes.




That weapon is The Scourge. Usually, when heroes kill of a monster, it's just dead and gone. The Scourge, though, gives the Overlord a chance to bring that monster back. And it's not just brought back as it was. It gets a whole group of new abilities. Mostly, it will cause heroes to exhaust more easily. That'll slow down the heroes and give the Overlord more time to work their nefarious schemes. Sure, this new monster can also be taken out, but the Scourge card will remain, always there to give the Overlord player an option to bring back more in order to harass the Heroes.

The Chains That Rust is just about ready to hit shelves. Pre-orders are being taken now.

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Descent is a game of nearly infinite expansions (so it sometimes seems). The original game had quite a lot released for it. Then came the new edition. Well, to make sure you can play all those old expansions with your new rules, Fantasy Flight Games has been coming out with those sets, but with updated rules (also good for those that took 2nd edition as a good place to jump into the game). The Shards of Everdark Hero and Monster Pack is now available.




But Shards of Everdark isn't just "old material made new." There's also entirely new stuff inside. Those would be the Dark Minotaurs. They're accompanied by the Ice Wyrms and the Shades. A pair of entirely new quests also comes in this kit, giving you more ways to play the game.

You can pick up this set at your local gaming store (or, at least, they should be able to get it in for you), or you can order it direct from FFG.

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Two different previews for you today from Fantasy Flight Games for Descent. One's a new Heroes and Monster pack, while the other heats things up a little with a campaign utilizing the Road to Legend app.




Starting with the physical, there's the Shards of Everdark Heroes and Monsters pack. This set, like others before it, brings several 1st-edition characters to your 2nd-edition games. Though not everything in this set is just an updated version of heroes and monsters. There's also a new monster group: Dark Minotaurs.



Moving to the realm of the digital, those that have downloaded the Road to Legend app can look forward to a new campaign. Kindred Fire expands on what you got a taste of with the Rise of All Goblins mini-campaign that the app originally came with. As the app lets you play cooperatively, this new campaign will let you all join in together to deal with the fiery evils, along with 6 bonus quests.

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Kindred Fire

Descent had quite a lot of expansions come out for it before it changed to the 2nd edition. Making sure that people get to play with all those cool figures if they like the new edition has been a priority for Fantasy Flight Games. Having said that, I'm letting you know that they've released the Stewards of the Secret Hero and Monster pack.




The set comes with four heroes and ten monsters. As is customary for Fantasy Flight releases like this, it's a lot more than just some new figures. There's also two brand-new quests that you can go on (using those new heroes or not). It's up to you to keep the works of the mad sorcerer Devis out of the hand of the evil beings looking to get it, lest all of Terrinoth be in deep, deep trouble.

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I've always been a fan of a nice walk through the fog. As a morning person, this gets to happen on several occasions. However, if that fog is filled with undead, it's not always such a good thing to be walking around in. However, walking around in it is just what your heroes in Descent must do when you play the new expansion, The Chains That Rust. Fantasy Flight has announced this new expansion that takes you deeper into the Mistlands, the domain of Waigar the Undying.
They're also helping out everyone play the game with a new Companion App.




This set, as mentioned above, continues the story of your adventure through the Mistlands, and can thus be seen as a sequel to the Mists of Bilehall set. But it's also a stand-alone, one-act campaign. There's new Tainted cards as well as a new Overlord class, which gives the Overlord player more options for stopping he heroes (not to mention 8 new minis to throw at them). Speaking of those heroes, they get the new Hybrid Classes, which meld two classes into one.

This set will be available in the 3rd quarter of this year.

But how about that Companion App? Well, let's check out a little video they made.



The biggest thing about the App is that it can take over for the Overlord player. That's right. No longer is one player singled out to run all the monsters, so Descent can be a fully-cooperative experience. Those monsters each have a unique battle plan. So different monsters will attack in different ways, meaning you have to always be adapting your plans to how they will come at you. The app also adds an air of mystery to the game, as it only shows a few tiles at a time on the board. Players will discover new locations as they enter new rooms and caverns (since only then will the new tile be placed). There's additional rules like Morale and Peril that will change up how you play. Die too many times or take too long getting through the quest... well, just don't die too many times or take too long to get through the quest!

The app is free to download, so why not give it a shot?

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Road to Legend App Source

There were a lot of releases for the original version of Descent. Fantasy Flight Games has been working back through that catalog in order to update things to the 2nd edition. And it's one of those sets we get a preview of today with a look inside the Stewards of the Secret heroes and monster pack.




It seems you just can't keep a good evil idea down. Centuries ago, heroes were able to disrupt and destroy an evil wizard and the horrifying abominations that he was creating in order to take over the world (of course!). The knowledge of how those abominations came into being, though, has resurfaced. Now it's up to a new batch of heroes to destroy the evil anew.

Pre-orders are available now for this updated set.

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Have you ever gotten together with friends for a gaming night and had some people want to RP and some people want to play a board game? I've had that sort of thing happen before. Usually, the compromise will come in the form of playing an adventure board game that has elements of RP built right into it, such as Descent. Though sometimes finding someone to play the Overlord can be rough. Well, that won't be too much of an issue soon, as Fantasy Flight Games has announced a companion app for Descent.




So with the addition of the app, you can turn Descent into a fully-cooperative experience. No longer does one player get singled out to play the "bad guy." I mean, sure, sometimes that's cool, but it can also feel like it's all-against-one. The app will also change how you play in other ways, since it builds the dungeon as you go. So you're never totally sure what could be coming up next. It will also help with the campaign aspect of the game, showing the progression of your heroes as they gain experience, gear, and treasure.

The app's release isn't far away. Just a couple weeks and you'll be able to download it.

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One of my favorite atmospheric phenomenon is fog. Honestly, I just love the stuff. It's one reason I like winters in Georgia. There's generally a proliferation of cool, foggy mornings. Sure, spooky things can hide in the mist, particularly the walking undead. You always gotta watch out for that, particularly if you're a hero in Descent. In fact, the Mists of Bilehall expansion that was just released is all about undead in the mist.


Rumors of an undead army are spreading and it's up to the heroes of Descent to 1) find out if they are true and 2) do something about it if they are. This expansion is unique for Descent sets in that there are no new heroes to join in the battle. No, the bad guys get all the fun this time around. There's new monsters and new tiles, but only the heroes already available will be able to be used (which, obviously, means you need the Descent main game to play). Along with the box set, there's three Lieutenant Packs that are available to further expand the Overlord Player's options.

All of these kits are available now from your LGS or the Fantasy Flight webshop.

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They say that variety is the spice of life. It's nice to have options, particularly in your gaming. Just a few changes here and there can turn an old favorite into a new favorite. Well, Fantasy Flight Games is big on helping with just that sort of thing, and they've got a new Hero and Monster Collection coming for Descent: Journeys in the Dark they'd like to tell you about.




This new set, called Shards of Everdark, comes with thirteen new miniatures, including four heroes, and three types of monsters. Like some other expansions, the heroes are new versions that were originally found in classic Descent. So if you'd like to get an updated version, or maybe you missed out on them originally, now's your chance. The monsters include two ice wyrms, two dark minotaurs, and five shades (the future must be very bright, indeed...).

Expect to see this new set hitting shelves in the 2nd quarter of this year.

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Those pesky undead. They seem to show up at the most inopportune times. And not all are created equal. While most of us gamers might look at a skeleton, even one in some armor, and go, "Meh, it's just a skeleton." That'd be a very dangerous thing to do when it comes to Ardus Ix'Erebus for Descent. He's getting his own Lieutenant Pack and today Fantasy Flight Games is giving us a look inside it.


As with all expansion packs like this, you don't just get a little mini to use instead of a cardboard token. The set also comes with a 10-card Plot Deck. These cards will let you use Ardus Ix’Erebus in any Descent campaign you want. This will let you bring his battlefield command to your tabletop. Ardus Ix’Erebus is known as a tactical genius, and that's reflected in the cards, letting him get as much as he possibly can out of the monsters working for him. It might seem like a good idea to kill off that piddly, little monster, but if you do, there's a chance that all the others might get stronger for when they come looking for revenge. There's not a choice you want to have to make: not take out any monsters, for fear of them all getting stronger, or having to deal with those beefed-up enemies later on.

Pre-orders are available now if you'd like to get one for yourself.

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Bleh! Bleh! I vant to suck your blood! Bleh! Bleh!
Ok, I doubt that Kyndrithul actually sounds anything like the world's worst Bella Lugosi impression, but a vampire he still remains, and his Lieutenant Pack for Descent is on display over on Fantasy Flight Games' website.




As is customary, you're getting more than just a plastic figure. There's also cards to help you bring Kyndrithul to any Descent campaign you may be playing. He comes along with a 10-card Plot Deck that you can use to attack the heroes at any point. You can, through your efforts, help keep heroes down, forcing them to use extra strength whenever they want to use a specific ability of your choice. Also, being a Vampire, he's good at playing other mind-games with opponents as well as gaining health when an enemy is defeated.

Bleh! Bleh! Indeed.

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The lengths some people go in order to be lazy sometimes astound me. Take the case of Devis the mad sorcerer. He created a whole race of minions who were totally loyal to him, so he never had to change the channel or vacuum the apartment or even order out for pizza ever again. It was all done for him. I guess... y'know... he could've also... like... taken over the world. It's that last bit that caused a group of heroes to defeat Devis and his minions once and for all...
Though we all know that's basically never the case in a fantasy world. That's where the Stewards of the Secret expansion pack comes in for Descent from Fantasy Flight Games.


The set comes with fourteen minis. There's four heroes and ten monsters (broken up into three blood apes, three nagas, and four ferrox). Long-time players might remember them from the first edition of the game. They are now being re-introduced back into the game with updated artwork and sculpts. And like most FFG expansion packs, there's extra quests to supplement your games of Descent.

You can expect these to hit store shelves early in 2016.

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While a lot of the focus on Fantasy Flight Games might be for their various Star Wars properties, that doesn't mean they're not working hard on everything they make. They have just put up a new preview for Treaty of Champions, their seventh Hero and Monster collection for Descent: Journeys in the Dark. If you prefer your adventure board games more fantasy than sci-fi, you may want to check out what you can expect from this set.




Many of the fourteen figures in this set were originally released for the first edition of Descent. But now, if you missed out on that set (or just need the updated cards), they are now getting an update. Of course, this isn't entirely a re-release. There are the new crow hags, which haven't been in Descent before.

Of course, more than just minis and stat cards, there are four new quests included in the set, giving you more ways to play Descent.

This set will be available 4th quarter 2015, so just a couple months and they should be out.

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Fantasy Flight Games is just flush with all sorts of announcements about upcoming sets they're going to be releasing, but what about stuff you can go to your LGS and pick up right now? Well, fear not, they have their new Bonds of the Wild expansion set for Descent: Journeys in the Dark now available. This set gives you some more heroes and monsters you can add to your game. Come take a walk on the wild side.




This new set gives you four new heroes and three new monster groups to add to your game. There's a total of twenty-two figures in the pack. You get the four heroes, and to fight against them, there's twelve kobolds, four hellhounds, and two deep elves (as opposed to all the shallow elves you come across). Of course, more than just new minis, there's two new quests also included in the set (as FFG is wont to do). So it really expands what you can do with your game.

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Fantasy Flight Games announced Manor of Ravens, a new expansion for Descent.



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From the announcement:

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Manor of Ravens, the newest expansion for Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition. In this expansion, the heroes must travel to an abandoned manor house to destroy the terrifying guardian that gathers power within the house’s walls. Along the way, they will face deadly danger, and if the house itself comes awake, can any hero hope to survive? Introducing new monsters, heroes, classes, and items, alongside a new mini campaign, Manor of Ravens will lead you into entirely new adventures.

Fantasy Flight Games has announced Crown of Glory, a new hero and monster collection for Descent.



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From the preview:

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Crown of Destiny, an upcoming Hero and Monster Collection for Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition!

The Crown of Destiny Hero and Monster Collection grants you access to valiant heroes and ferocious monster groups previously only available in the first edition of Descent, now given new life with completely redesigned figure sculpts and artwork. In this expansion, you’ll find thirteen plastic figures, including four heroes and nine monsters, plus two entirely new quests, designed to highlight the strengths and abilities of the figures within this expansion.

Fantasy Flight Games has announced they'll be releasing Oath of the Outcast, a new Hero and Monster collection for Descent Second Edition.



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From the announcement:

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Oath of the Outcast, the first Hero and Monster Collection for Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition! Oath of the Outcast offers you new options for exploring the potential of noble heroes and the overlord’s deadliest monsters through a new form of expansion.

Oath of the Outcast introduces four heroes and three monster groups previously only available in the first edition of Descent: Journeys in the Dark, as well as two brand-new quests. Trenloe the Strong, Laurel of Bloodwood, Elder Mok, and Shiver join your quests as eager heroes, but even as they enter your quests, monsters arise to attack. Oath of the Outcast includes three monster groups: bane spiders, beastmen, and razorwings! You will also gain two new quests in this expansion: Oath of the Outcast and Prison of Ice and Lies. In these quests, you will attempt to stop the perpetrators of a dark ritual from reanimating a host of powerful undead warriors.