Should I buy 'First Light'?

[Naniyue]

I own everything else. This seems like some sort of rehash, but I wouldn't mind owning more pieces, including that dragon!

[SirRick]

I bought it for the alternate stuff: the minis, the game board, GM screen, and the dice. The extra set of cards is nice, I might use the extras to make a folder with those 9-pocket card pages to display the armory items and potions. I still like to have equipment cards on hand to pass out if people find such an item during the quest, so the extras are welcome.

I like the new color scheme of the main board. It looks a little more cartoony, but seems less dungeon-like. It seems more suitable for above-ground castles, temples, etc. I like the aesthetic of the original board of course, but sometimes I like something a little different. The back side of the board is good if you have to make alternate quests if the heroes fail, or for your own custom quest packs.

I also wanted the dice. I really liked the bone colored dice, and I wanted the white dice with the red pips as well. Fortunately my set came with both. Now each player can have their own unique dice. I haven’t heard of copies in the US coming with the traditional red dice, but I don’t know if this will change eventually.

While I like all the extra “stuff”, don’t forget about the new quest book and the new minis. The quest book was fun, I played it on the app, and the story is really interesting too.

I think it is worth it if you are interested in more than just the 5 minis and the quest book. I saw it as extra supplies and some new stuff. It is also a portable version of the game for road trips, camping, or just going to someone else’s place without having to carry a huge box around.

[Naniyue]

I happened to see it in Target, and thought I'd check for a response here, so thank you!! Buying it in just a few minutes!

One more thing, though:

Should I play this before the main quests, or does it really matter?

[SirRick]

This is a set of alternate starting quests that happen at the same time as the Game System quests. I believe it starts shortly after quest 2. You will want to use new heroes if you play this. They will be of equal power to heroes who finish the GS as well. The story hints that there are more than one group of heroes doing things at the same time.

Basically if you are tired of the main quests, play these instead if starting a new party.

[Naniyue]

Playing as an alternative quest set sounds like a plan! Or maybe even a side story with a different party.

I agree with just about everything you've stated. Definitely a good grab and go sort of box, which I might even make into an emergency hurricane HQ box. I think the bone colored dice and the blood red pips add to the suspense of rolling. I don't care for the cardboard monsters, but owning all this HQ stuff means I have plenty of better monster pieces.

So, yes, in short, buy it today!!

[Kurgan]

Yes, you should buy it, rather than steal it! (little joke)

If you already have the Game System why buy First Light? It will feel like buying Spirit Queen's Torment or Prophecy of Telor, because so many of the assets are just like the Game System, but now you don't get any fancy colors for the creatures. Actually those sets could be a nice compliment to this one...

What you get:

New challenging quests (by the OG man himself Stephen Baker), new hero sculpts, dragon... rat tiles could be used for something... cardboard doors could be useful for quests that call for too many... caverns board for extra quest ideas. I guess the bone dice are cool. One suggestion was that the monster standees could be laid flat to represent defeated monsters. The furniture flats could be used as a painting guide for your plastic furniture.

The extra spells are revised, I think they're a bit nerfed but having an extra set of them could be helpful for players who want to have more than one wizard in a game (I know, the "rules don't allow that" well you can do whatever Zargon says at your table, so there!). Or you could have like two of each spell to represent that you get to use each spell twice, maybe for a more advanced magic user?

First Light could be "travel heroquest" for all we care. You can roll the dice in those trays (without removing them from the box lid) and it works well enough.

To support "the cause" of more quality HeroQuest.

The real reason to get it: BOOT TILE.

Don't worry they've confirmed this isn't the beginning of turning existing sets into standees... and it isn't going make the original Game System go away. It's compatible with all existing expansions (and will be with future, both it and GS will be that is).

As Bohemyus pointed out on our last TheRantCastPodcast some people are already playing First Light using the App and their Game System assets already (you can just play the cavern board ones inside the app if you want to, even though that isn't what was intended).

[Naniyue]

I actually like the cardboard doors from the original game. First Light's doors are quite similar, so now I can put my old ones away.

[Parzival]

It’s on sale at Target— well, it’s part of the “5 off 30” and “10 off 50” sale for toys and games (for Target Circle members… which is free anyway). Listed at $49.99, but I believe they will count it as $50 for discount purposes— if not, buy a cheap toy to push it over.

I haven’t purchased it yet, but this sale might trigger it. I do tend to wait for clearance opportunities; that’s the only way you get greater than 20% off a single item at Target. But it can take a while for a game like this to hit clearance, if it ever does.

[Kurgan]

I actually like the cardboard doors from the original game. First Light's doors are quite similar, so now I can put my old ones away.

The plastic bases from classic HQ look to be the right size for the new cardboard doors in FL... (the 2 plastic bases used for "mirrors" in MOTM and the other two in ROTDM are also compatible...)

[Parzival]

I took advantage of the previously mentioned Target deal, and picked up my copy (along with a $1.20 Snoopy Hot Wheels— which I have a use for: https://parzivalsplace.blogspot.com/2018/ ).

I’m going to give FL the full look-over today!