Descent: Altar of Despair Expansion Review

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(More customer reviews)This expansion is a fine addition to the Descent table-top game. I recommend it to anyone who already enjoys the base game and its other expansions.

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Long ago, foolish men worshiped a malevolent power that lurked just beyond the edge of the light. Now, they work to awaken their dark master once more. If they succeed, it will mean the end of all you hold dear. So, while lesser men quail in terror, you must take up arms to defend the world against those who would enslave it forever.The dangers that lie ahead of you are not for the faint of heart. Deadly crushing walls, unspeakable curses, and assassins cloaked in shadow will try to claim your life long before you ever reach the corrupted temples of Zorek. However, if you're lucky enough, you just might find some help in unexpected places.Descent: the Altar of Despair includes more than two dozen new plastic miniatures, featuring six new heroes and five new kinds of monsters. Heroes have powerful new skills and treasures to discover, while the Overlord gains a host of deadly new tricks and tactics, including dark glyphs and relics.Expansion Contents: Rulebook/Quest guide, 6 Hero Sheets, 6 Plastic Heroes, 21 Plastic Monsters, 110 Cards, 8 Map Pieces,45 Prop Markers 28 Effect Tokens, and much more.

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Talisman: The Magical Quest Game, 4th edition Review

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(More customer reviews)The board game "Talisman" has a well-deserved reputation as one of the best fantasy board games ever made. I have been a die hard fan ever since picking up the Second Edition boxset back in the late 1980s, and I couldn't even imagine how many hours I have spent vying for the Crown of Command. I still have all of the Second Edition expansions, from the Dungeon and City up to the Timescape and Dragons, including the cut-out special characters from Games Workshop's "White Dwarf" magazine.
Because I love the original so much, (I ignored the Third Edition, which tried to updated things to make the game more in-line with RPGs including things like "Experience Points" and connecting Talisman even further to the Games Workshop "Warhammer Universe.") it took me awhile to give this Fourth Edition of "Talisman" a try. I finally gave it a chance at a local gaming convention and was hooked again.
This Fourth Edition takes a basic "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach to this classic boardgame, keeping the Second Edition essentially intact but introducing some of the better fixes from the Third Edition. The board itself is identical, although enlarged and with updated artwork. The card text is almost unchanged (including characters who "plod off to the discard pile") although none of the original art was retained.
Probably the most notable change was making "Life" a variable starting number, just like Strength and Craft. Some of the characters start with five (Warrior) or even six (Troll) life instead of the standard four. The Prophetess, one of the most powerful characters in the Second Edition, has been de-powered a bit. She can now draw one card, and then chose to either keep that card or discard it and draw another, which she must encounter. That was a nice edition as in the old version The Prophetess was so powerful she was boring to play. An additional element called "fate counters" has been added which allow for the re-rolling of a single die if you pay a counter. Craft-defeated monsters can also be cashed-in now in the same way as Strength-defeated monsters.
Fantasy Flight games has done a tremendous job with the production values of this version of "Talisman." Aside from the updated artwork, the counters are all hard-plastic with the Strength, Craft and Life counters being colored cones that come in 1-count and 5-count versions. The cards are on laminated cardstock which will last through repeated shuffling and drink-spilling. Really, everything has gone through a major upgrade.
If I had any disappointments with this Fourth Edition they are minor. The game board itself is too huge, taking up my entire kitchen table, which means that when I pick up any future expansions (of which I hope there will be many after Reaper, The Dungeonand Frostmarch) I will have to move to the floor in order to have a space large enough to play.
I also would have appreciated it if Fantasy Flight had balanced out the gender ration of characters when commissioning the new artwork. This was something I wouldn't have noticed except when I was playing with my wife she wanted to play a female character and all that was available was The Sorceress and The Prophetess. Several characters, like the Assassin, the Thief, the Warrior, the Elf, etc...could have easily been made female in the artwork without changing the game-play in any way.
I have great hopes for this new Fourth Edition of "Talisman," and hope that great things are forth coming. I would love to see some old favorites appear, like the "Champion of Chaos" and the "Horrible Black Void," along with some new ideas and expansions.


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Talisman takes you on a journey through magical lands, as you endeavor to reclaim the Crown of Command. Each turn will see your hero advancing, battling, gaining knowledge and power necessary to defeat the guardians lurking between the Portal of Power and the Valley of Fire.

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Talisman: The Dungeon Review

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(More customer reviews)Let me preface this review by stating that I have a nostalgia based bias for Talisman. Hence the five stars. The game has it's detractors, and truly there are better sword and sorcery boardgames out there, but this one has a special place in my heart. This is possibly due to the countless hours I spent playing this game while in college, but I digress... THIS IS TALISMAN. Pretty much the same game that was available in the 80's with minor game play changes.
Physically, Fantasy Flight has produced a far superior product to the old 80's game. The Boards for both Talisman and The Dungeon expansion are beautiful high quality stock that I expect will last me for a long long time. The cards are of a very durable and impressive stock that stands up to bending and multiple shufflings. (They seem to be waterproof, although I have not tested this.)
The artwork throughout all the Talisman products is superb. I believe the 80's version had cardboard cutouts for playing pieces that stood in a plastic stand. Kudos to Fantasy Flight for changing these to beautifully molded plastic 3D figures! All the playing pieces look like their artwork. Nice Touch!
I just got this expansion for Christmas. (PLEASE NOTE: I have not actually played it yet, but I have read the rules, character descriptions, and most of the cards.) The Board connects to the Talisman Board to make for a HUGE playing area! It is beautifully done. It has it's own stack of Dungeon cards for use in the dungeon only, and a smaller stack of cards to be mixed in with the 'outer world' adventure cards, spell cards, and etc.
The Dungeon has rules for stand alone play, but this would probably make for a short game. If you are up for a shorter game, then this could be good. They have modified the rules so that you can enter the dungeon and leave without completing it. I like this option for quick looting, and acquiring magic items for other use.
I was so pleased with this expansion that I immediately went out and purchased the Frost March expansion. One unexpected plus of owning the Dungeon; All the existing expansions fit in the Dungeon box. Frost March, Reaper, and Dungeon. There is room for more too!
One note: The Talisman and Dungeon Boards are SO BIG when put together, that I have difficulty seeing a City or other Expansion being made with another board addition. As it is, you need a BIG table to play the game now. So if they do make the City, then you may have to choose between City and Dungeon, etc.

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Talisman: The Dungeon adds a new Region to the game for heroes to explore. A custom-fitted map board and over 100 new cards bring this subterranean realm vividly to life. Five brand new characters: the formidable Gladiator, noble Amazon, dashing Swashbuckler, enigmatic Gypsy, and sagacious Philosopher are each brought to life with a superbly detailed plastic miniature, and offer fantastic new playing experiences.

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Talisman: The Frostmarch Expansion Review

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(More customer reviews)Frostmarch continues the expansion of Talisman by adding 4 characters and some variations to the victory conditions.
The new Characters themselves are ok (Warlock, Leprechaun et/al)and the new cards, spell and warlock quest cards are not so bad but the alternate endings are frankly inadequate.
There is one public and two secret alternate endings, the public one involves the Warlock Quests. A bunch of new Warlock quest cards are added and using this scenario allows you to win by completing 4 warlock quests (the 4th provides the necessary Talisman) and getting to the center first. Two secret choices are A Crown & Scepter combination that works like the Crown of Command but is more powerful and the Ice Queen a 12/12 character that seems kinda easy.
This seems very little bang for the bucks. Fantasy Flight games adds two other cards you can print online (The Actual Crown of Command, and something called Danse Macabre) they make a big difference but to use them I have to download them and print them on card stock that I have to buy myself.
Why do I have to do this if I'm already paying $25 for an expansion without a board? Of course if they were all available online then there is no reason to buy the expansion.
It's worth having but I really expected better.

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Can you overcome the bone-chilling storms and strange creatures or will your blood freeze when you behold the Ice Queen's cold, cruel gaze? -- The Frostmarch expansion features 4 new character cards and plastic figures, 84 Adventure Cards, 20 Spell Cards, 24 Warlock Quest Cards, and 3 Alternative Ending Cards - including a final climactic battle with the Ice Queen. -- Brace yourself against the onslaught of the Frostmarch! -- Expands: Talisman 4th Edition. Requires Talisman 4th Edition to play.

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