Ye Olde Inn

by **arntisdale** » April 1st, 2021, 2:35 pm

Stumbled across this earlier today:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/blacklistgames/lasting-tales-a-fantasy-miniatures-game/description

It's 28 mm scale, I'm pretty sure that's what HeroQuest is.
There's a ton of different stuff, there's a game that goes with the minis, but there's a pledge level that's just for the minis too. There was also a Fantasy Series 1 some time ago that has an interesting looking pile of minis, looks like it can be purchased as an add-on.

There's a bunch of different heroes, some are perfect matches to some homebrew classes I've seen here at the Inn. There's archer versions of orcs, goblins, and skeletons, treasure chests, mimics, and more other stuff than I care to type out.

What do you guys think?
Would this stuff fit in with HeroQuest homebrew mods for different heroes, mercs and monsters?

If you have a look at the AltarQuest rulebook the HQness of the game becomes very obvious, very quickly. I'm gonna be far more critical of AltarQuest than I want to be. Not because I don't like it, but because I wanted to love it.

I said before you could take everything people often complain about in HeroQuest and "fix it all". The result might be really cool, but it wouldn't be HeroQuest anymore. Of course AltarQuest isn't trying to be HQ, since it's a commercial thing all its own … but it's effectively HQ in a blender with D&D and a little MTG because why the hell not while we're at it? (I bet you can see where my criticism is based?)

Heroquest has attack, defend, body, mind, and move stats. For a board game, that's a fair bit, but not too many. you could add one or two if you really needed to, and you might if you were trying to do more complex role play with these characters, but for HQ as it is … it's fine.

AltarQuest has health and defense. Attacks will be determined by cards. Oh and a full fat six attributes system with HQ-like mechanics (except complex enough to warrant an 8 step process for rolling dice) for what amount to attribute checks and saving throws. No need to write anything down though, because there over 100 cards per hero describing every single thing you can have or can do, complete with use, tap, and discard conditions. Movement is fixed, up to 3 spaces per action, and you have three actions per turn. So you can split your move! Can't do that in HeroQuest, now can you! (You could also just stand there and attack three times, I suppose, if you have the cards for it.)

I don't think this one's for me, but I kinda wish it were.

That said, I'm probably in on the minis because … yeah, why wouldn't I be?

by **arntisdale** » April 1st, 2021, 11:19 pm

iKarith wrote:I don't think this one's for me, but I kinda wish it were.

That said, I'm probably in on the minis because … yeah, why wouldn't I be?

I'm with you on this general feeling.
I don't (really) want the game. While I find this sort of thing to be incredibly entertaining, I (might) already have enough games, and am not looking for a HeroQuest replacement.

Also, my 1st link was the current one, the 2nd link was to their 1st kickstarter, I just thought the doors and scenery pack from the 1st KS looked very very familiar, if ya know what I mean.

But the minis, and their potential uses for homebrew is very tempting. At $75 for a pile of more than 100 minis, that's even more tempting.

And it looks like you can buy the pile from the 1st KS for $125, which is still a pretty good deal, especially when you look at what's there.

Be fun to paint, if nothing else.

Especially since I'm tryin to learn painting skills.

by **iKarith** » April 2nd, 2021, 6:32 am

I want to want the game too … and I'd certainly be happy to support someone who is or was part of the community. I ended up with Mice and Mystics, Biff's Dungeoncrawl, and an iOS dungeon crawler that I don't play anymore because I kinda decided to stop using Apple stuff.

The game book that comes with this kickstarter will probably find its way into my collection as I'm likely to buy the top tier pledge to get both sets of minis. It might or might not be more interesting. It appears to be focused on tabletop skermish warfare, and I don't have space for playing it. Still, I'm more likely to be interested in it than AltarQuest as a game.

by **ajjohnsen** » April 2nd, 2021, 9:37 am

Wow that is a ton of miniatures...I stopped counting after a few stretch goals. Thats definitely worth the money for them alone

by **arntisdale** » April 2nd, 2021, 11:03 am

iKarith wrote:The game book that comes with this kickstarter will probably find its way into my collection as I'm likely to buy the top tier pledge to get both sets of minis. It might or might not be more interesting. It appears to be focused on tabletop skermish warfare, and I don't have space for playing it. Still, I'm more likely to be interested in it than AltarQuest as a game.

If you want just the minis, you can get the fantasy series 2 for $75, and then purchase fantasy series 1 for $125 as an add-on.
So, for $200, that's all the minis. I think this is what I'll be doing.

If you do go top tier, you'll also get the book, and that'll run you $225.

by **iKarith** » April 2nd, 2021, 11:56 am

They're at 163 minis if they meet their $470k stretch goal. And they're going to. $200 for all those minis would mean you're getting 363 minis at their current goal which WILL be met. I think though you have to pledge at the $109 level or above to be able to do add-ons (FAQ page…) Still, $225 is amazing for what you're getting—and I'd actually want to play Lasting Tales, which is good because I expect the Covidium to be ending by the time these things ship. My FLGS has LOTS of table space if they can safely have gamers come in to use it!

A little more if you add on the chest minis and … I don't know if they're going to offer the HQ furniture and doors, but if I can get them, I would. I realize they intend those for AltarQuest, not HeroQuest, but … probably a lot of people are gonna use them in their D&D games. Mini stuff is mini stuff. And that particular mini stuff belongs on a HQ board with 25-30mm squares.

I wish I could be as excited for AltarQuest as I am for Lasting Tales and the insane horde of minis available as part of this KS … I admit that letting it set in the back of my mind a bit, it no longer seems like they've tried to cram too much into its mechanics. There's definitely a few similarities with what I've seen of Lasting Tales and I do like Lasting Tales so far.

I think maybe I was being overly critical because I hoped AltarQuest would be what I'd wish Hasbro's HQ reprint to be. It won't, so I'll just have to accept it for what it is: New game pieces to use with our old rules/quests/settings, and maybe a few new and interesting quests and potentially some fun new stuff as well. Well, fun new stuff and plus the orc bard.

I suspect AltarQuest is likely to grow on me more. The altars are actually kind of an interesting concept.

by **lestodante** » April 2nd, 2021, 12:41 pm

arntisdale wrote:It's 28 mm scale, I'm pretty sure that's what HeroQuest is...
...Would this stuff fit in with HeroQuest homebrew mods for different heroes, mercs and monsters?

28mm corresponds to the height from feet to eyes approssimatively. HeroQuest figures and old Citadel figures are 25-28mm but this doesn't mean they have the same proportions. Dragon Strike figures are also 28mm but if you check a DS Wizard, his whole hand is very small, corresponding to 2 fingers of the HQ wizard.
This happens because of the proportions, very different.
So, for me they will not match the HQ style.
A lot of companies and sculptors seems trying to emulate the HeroQuest style creating boardgames or figures pretending to be in some way HeroQuest related (although this is not declared) but if they don't pay attention to the proportions of the HQ figure they will not success unless you wish to replace all your minis. Even the figures from the Elf Quest Pack do not match the HQ proprtions (different sculptors).

Ohhh and yes, Half-Elf-Barbarian sounds a lot like Orc-Bard-Hero....