How do you rank the HQ Expansions?

[GimmeYerGold]

As far as minis, cards, tiles, etc. and overall quality, what are your thoughts on each of the official expansion packs?

At this time, I have the Kellar and Witch Lord expansions, but in my opinion, the Morcar and Elf Quest seem to stand out over the Ogre and Barbarian expansions.

I'm curious to know what you think, especially if you have the whole collection. Brief reviews would be helpful, too. Thanks!

[chaoticprime]

Kellar's Keep is a rip-off of the Mines of Moria. However, since that was the best sequence in tFotR, it was good as well.

Return of the Witch Lord has the best actual story in any Quest pack.

Wizard of Morcar/Zargon is an Evil Wizard player's wet-dream. I have only lost the fifth Quest one time.

The Elf Quest Pack suffers from linear Quest design--there's almost no question of where they need to go. Sinestra is grossly ineffectual--she usually gets killed immediately in the battle against her.

The Frozen Horror is basically a Men-at-Arms snuff film.

[GimmeYerGold]

Haha! Yes, I do get that impression of Kellar's Keep. The Gargoyle figure has always been a Balrog rip-off in my mind, but the Balrog is pretty badass, so who can blame them?

I'm partial to designing my own dungeons with the modified rule set I'm working on, so I guess I'm more curious about the physical elements in each set, rather than the quests or storylines, because I do feel that linear design can be dull for players. (I feel that way about D&D games I play, and RPGs overall. Sidequests, sidequests, all the way!)

For example, I noticed from your photosets you have a lot of miniatures--what expansion features your favorite HQ miniatures?

[knightkrawler]

Kellar's Keep's Gargoyle is pretty much a direct interpretation of the Balrog in Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the Rings animated film.
That connection brings up memories.

[chaoticprime]

Haha! Yes, I do get that impression of Kellar's Keep. The Gargoyle figure has always been a Balrog rip-off in my mind, but the Balrog is pretty badass, so who can blame them?

I'm partial to designing my own dungeons with the modified rule set I'm working on, so I guess I'm more curious about the physical elements in each set, rather than the quests or storylines, because I do feel that linear design can be dull for players. (I feel that way about D&D games I play, and RPGs overall. Sidequests, sidequests, all the way!)

For example, I noticed from your photosets you have a lot of miniatures--what expansion features your favorite HQ miniatures?

The Men-at-Arms are my favorite miniatures beyond those from the base set. I think the Elf and Barbarian miniatures are all crappy looking and only worth owning over matters of principle.

[Sjeng]

The Gargoyle figure has always been a Balrog rip-off in my mind, but the Balrog is pretty badass, so who can blame them?

It's actually a statue of a Bloodthirster or Khorne, that can come to life, like a gargoyle does. Hence the gargoyle name, but it's based on the Bloodthirster from the WH universe. It's made by GW after all.

[knightkrawler]

The Men-at-Arms are my favorite miniatures beyond those from the base set. I think the Elf and Barbarian miniatures are all crappy looking and only worth owning over matters of principle.

So true. Although I wouldn't even want those because of completionism (is that even a word) because they are so shitty.
The Chaos Warriors and Fimirs are my absolute faves. And the Dwarf. I am a fan of the Dwarf.

Back to expansion ranking:
1. Return of the Witch-Lord (played; for reasons see chaoticprime's first post)
2. Kellar's Keep (played; for reasons see chaoticprime's first post)
3. The Dark Company (not played; I WILL NOT put up everything again when a hero re-enters a map that had been explored)
4. Against the Ogre Horde (not played yet, great quest book)
5. Wizards of Morcar (not played yet, I rewrote the quest book, mostly with new thematically appropriate monsters)
6./7. Frozen Horror/Mage of the Mirror (not played yet, I also think these haven't been playtested; also, I don't feel a connection to the rest of the plot (Morcar and his masterplan); the miniatures detach both expansions from the rest)

[GimmeYerGold]

Back to expansion ranking:
1. Return of the Witch-Lord (played; for reasons see chaoticprime's first post)
2. Kellar's Keep (played; for reasons see chaoticprime's first post)
3. The Dark Company (not played; I WILL NOT put up everything again when a hero re-enters a map that had been explored)
4. Against the Ogre Horde (not played yet, great quest book)
5. Wizards of Morcar (not played yet, I rewrote the quest book, mostly with new thematically appropriate monsters)
6./7. Frozen Horror/Mage of the Mirror (not played yet, I also think these haven't been playtested; also, I don't feel a connection to the rest of the plot (Morcar and his masterplan); the miniatures detach both expansions from the rest)

Nice--this is very helpful. Thank you! Have you posted your rewrite of Wizards of Morcar anywhere?

I purchased a copy of Wizards of Morcar on ebay, and I'm looking forward to seeing the evil wizard miniatures, as well as finally having some Men-at-Arms to slaughter. Based on what I'm hearing, it's not worth the money or effort to pursue the Elf quest or the Barbarian quest? I do feel the "ice" theme monsters in the Barbarian quest are rather off :/

[knightkrawler]

Nice--this is very helpful. Thank you! Have you posted your rewrite of Wizards of Morcar anywhere?

It's in first draft, the quest maps reworked from Phoenix' versions, but basically just new monsters and different monster icons.
I'm very very slow.

[TMU]

I'm very very slow.

Trust me, we know.