Purchase Number 2: Hero Quest Expansions

As I picked up Warlord Games Epic Napoleonic I came across a "must buy it or regret "scenario. I have acquired an original Heroquest but the revamped re-edition has also pushed out the two expansions .. and an irresistible force met my wallet (see below, no regrets .. even on the figure count it was worth it .. and there was some cool dungeon scenery bits too):  

The beasties inside need painting and I now feel as if I have enough undead zombies to chase unwary adventurers through the catacombs) .. Game On!

Hero Quest the Game Continues

In keeping with the 1980/90's "retro" post of my latest 1970-80's Traveller acquisition, a game that I missed out on acquiring in my youth (though I have managed to play it since) was the Heroquest series. This now has come my way via the sad circumstances of a games clear-out as one of the co-owners passed away, but in their honour I shall educate my family in the ways of Heroquest over the coming Covid winter (and paint a few of the retro models to boot! The "Barbarian" springs immediately to mind). Going back in time, I think I had just moved on from my first RPG phase at that juncture (it was not pulling in the girls methinks) and Games Workshop was pushing me away with the huge amounts of models required (masses of "orcs" .. or is it "orks"?) for their epic fantasy battles (in retrospect, fool that I was for thinking that!). I vaguely remember my nephew becoming interested in Space Crusade so I did see Heroquest on the shelves alongside it. The good news for me and the family is that it is D&D-lite on rules but epic in charm which is win-win  (see below, the beautiful box and remember to see the unforgettable video): 

Alongside Heroquest was Advances Hero Quest which I think was a way to route impressionable youngsters over to Warhammer, an armies even Peter Jackson would be proud of (see below, behold hoards of evil Skaven): 

This surely brings down an embargo for me to stop collecting things and start painting (with the possible [noted] exception of some 15mm Traveller figures for my Xmas present).

Is it true - Hero Quest is coming back?

https://heroquest.avalonhill.com/en-us?fbclid=IwAR1mkNKOo9K7Oz8qtR1Pe8RQ8HG230kkoiKA9gq2zNM8ZwoDAsRx8T9w_ik 

You must see this video ..

https://youtu.be/Cx8sl2uC46A  

This is the man I wanted to grow up to be ... what went wrong? I think I went too corporate!

Hero Quest .. Classic Games Workshop .. Scenario One - The Maze Runners

A classic game from my childhood or certainly late-teens to early twenties (aka the glorious 1990's) that shame on me I had not played (a bit like Space Crusade I picked in a later life 'second wind'), but thanks to the gaming club I have helped start at work, an opportunity came my way (see below, a bucket of classic Games Workshop unpainted Orcs waiting to trap and kill unwary adventures - by the way 'unpainted' figures fetch a better price, still on the sprue even more so?):

Scenario One: The Maze was described as a "live-fire test" for the four adventurers who under the tutelage of a sort of High Level NPC Wizard. Live and get out of the Maze (filled with low-level monsters) than congratulations and you have "the job" which will ultimately lead to your certain death, as is the way with fantasy RPGs - but offer you the chance to gain fame and fabulous riches along the way (or so the story goes). The official game report published to work colleagues is shown below:

"The inaugural session of the 2020 Game Club met last night to play the 1990's classic game Hero Quest (yes, a time before some of the players were born), it being the forerunner of many a modern fantasy game and basically a simplified version of D&D. 

The now legendary Game (Dungeon) Master "N" took the adventurers; a slight of foot Elf, a muscle bound Barbarian, an apprentice Mage and "Stumpy" The Dwarf through a dangerous Maze full of traps, enchantments, treasure and monsters (Note: "N" said he went easy on us ... Ming the Merciless evil laughter trails off into the distance). 

Despite an early scare to the Mage [a sword thrust from an Orc hurt more than his feelings] all the adventurers got out alive and the quest was completed with "Best Adventurer Award" (or rather first out of the dungeon) on the night going to "S" and her fleet of foot Elf. True to form "Stumpy the Dwarf" was last out of the dungeon (blame it on those little legs and not the fact that he was continually looking for gold in the corners of rooms, but he did find enough to buy a shiny new spear), after a hesitant start the Barbarian killed a lot of things (aka dice-rolling Orc killing spree) and the Mage was just content to get out alive after a close encounter said Orc mentioned earlier. All-in-all great fun, thanks to "N" for putting a great game on, although he said 'No more Mr Nice Guy next time' .. nice to meet a DM who doesn't bear a grudge!"

In typical absorbed player mode everybody forgot to take photos while we were playing so posed a typical "dungeon scene" afterwards (see below, Orcs and mages don't mix, I hope he has a fast acting spell left in his head!): 

For a game as good as this, I usually go out and buy it without hesitation, however you are more likely to inherit a Hero Quest set than to be able buy one. They go for silly prices on eBay as it is long "out of print"! Any hopes of a reprint from Games Workshop? I would not hold my breath on that one!