Return of the Witch Lord HeroQuest Expansion (2021) | Unboxing & Review

Always Board Never Boring recently purchased Kellar's Keep and Return of the Witch Lord for the 2021 edition of HeroQuest, produced by Avalon Hill / Hasbro. In this video he looks at the Witch Lord expansion, provides a breakdown of the components and then gives his final thoughts on if it's worth owning. He doesn't spoil any of the missions, but does show all of the new cards. There are spoiler warnings in the video, and you can use the following time stamps to navigate around any bits you would rather not see.
00:00 Intro
00:40 Pricing (UK)
01:05 Opening the box
01:35 Tokens
02:16 Miniatures
04:54 Equipment cards
05:52 Artifact cards
07:03 Quest book (no spoilers)
07:38 Final thoughts
#HeroQuest #ReturnoftheWitchLord #expansion
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[@sjdh2684]

Thank you for this explanation; other folks' points of view I am thankful for. Cheers!

[@jesternario]

I would love for Hasbro to bring out Wizards of Morcar (Zargon). It'd be nice to have man-at-arms miniatures to play with.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

That would be good. I think they would be foolish not to do it as the market is there, but I suspect it will be a little while as they have to convert and update everything to the US rules set, and that's going to be a more involved process than straight ports of the stuff that was previously available in the US.

[@lucarocks7866]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring Good point, never thought of that. It seems like AH is starting to gear up for the more complex challenges in adapting the old expansions (as opposed to KK and RotWL which were straight up copies). So hopefully we won't have to wait too long. That being said, I hope Dread Moon wasn't made just to buy time and get something out there while adapting WoM and AotOH.

[@raffaellaV]

Ahhh I can't wait to receive my copies and immerse myself in the boundless world of HeroQuest, beautiful your idea of ​​the doors I will keep in mind and as always thank you very much 😊👍

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thanks for watching. I hope you have lots of fun when you get your copy.

[@raffaellaV]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring Ohhh nothing 😊 and yes, Thank you 😋👍

[@TheFatalT]

Definitely my favorite expansion, looking forward to getting to it with the kids.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

It's a lot of fun. I do prefer Kellar's Keep though. I think it has a more interesting story and some cooler ideas in the adventures.

[@robertlykins728]

He got the core game & all expansions! I should have charged 200 because it was a full copy painted & had no missing components

[@robertlykins728]

I had painted everything & only made 20 dollars on the sale dude got a deal my paint was especially awesome!

[@MrClassicor]

Ah, this was the first thing I thought of when I heard HQ was coming back... the original Witch Lord expansion back in the day turned me on a (hobby-)life-long path of playing Undead in just about any game after that, continuing to this day. And I know this is supposed to be played after Kellar's Keep, but I picked this up already, and haven't done so with Keep so far... I will, but I know my priorities 💀😁

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

A good choice. My first Fantasy Battle army was a greenskin horde, and my second was an undead host, before I finally built a dwarf army. I'm sure it all stems from my favourite aspects of HeroQuest too.

[@martinsamuelsson7561]

I have the original hero quest with both origina expansions from end of the 80’ beginning of the 90’

[@DavidGreen_au]

As watch these videos, I keep thinking, I want to buy these new edition, and then I have to dampen that with "I already have all this, I don't need a third copy of HeroQuest!". It's tough! 😁 I did like this pack though, especially for the additional undead figures. Skeletons are always useful...

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Yeah, I know what you mean. It's a lot easier for me to make the call because although I have HeroQuest, Kellar's Keep, and Witch Lord already they are all the European editions which are quite different. It would be easy for me to download all the US bits I need to play the US rules with the copies I already have, but I do like to have the official stuff. This way also means I have a dedicated copy of new HeroQuest, while all my original bits get ported into permanent service with my copy of Advanced HeroQuest to keep all of the components I use for that game period accurate.

[@jameswhitehouse5706]

A quick mention on the new box art which has a nice cartoon fantasy vibe but still pays homage to the original. I think it was original box art on this expansion that drew me into the game back in the day. The title is exciting and the Les Edwards box art really sold it. I even have two MB jigsaws of the Witch Lord and Kellar’s Keep box art.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

All of the artwork in the new edition is a homage of the originals. It's really cool. Every box cover and card has a little piece of the original at the heart of it, which I think is a really thoughtful way to release a new edition.

[@orcsmash9]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring it’s a testament to how good and essential to the brand recognition Les Edwards art is. It is for all intents and purposes Heroquest. It was a major part of the appeal to me. Well that and the amazing TV advert with Christopher Lee’s narration. What self-respecting fantasy/monster loving kid could resist all that?

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

@@orcsmash9 Les Edwards for the iconic cover art, certainly, but also Gary Chalk's beautiful card art.

[@martinfiedler4317]

The best thing about HeroQuest is the expansions...

[@Mailed-Knight]

Great vid.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thank you.

[@skodedickinson6544]

Good to see theyre mass releases now (vs backed exclusive) got both for £22 each online which was about as big a discount as we're ever likely to get lol. Hope the others get released too (Wizards of Morcar and Ogre Horde). I had OH back in the day but never managed to get or play Wizards expansion - getting the full collection after all these years is exciting should it happen. I understand were getting the USA expansions next so they're new too (Frozen Horror all but confirmed so shows their intent on releasing new ministries out with those made for original campaign Kickstarter so there's hope there) but mostly I first want to introduce my son, niece and nephews to the expansions I loved and played when I was their age lol.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

The discounts are very minor now, thank's to the Asmodee squeeze. I've never seen them better than £22, and normally the base game is £100. When I picked up my expansions most online retailer didn't have them, and those that did, once you add in postage, weren't going to work out any cheaper. I would love to see all the old expansions getting a new version. I would imagine, even though Wizards and Ogres weren't available in the US, it would be a no brainer to make them

[@skodedickinson6544]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring I think that's my biggest paranoia - they were not US releases and the fact they've skipped them to go straight to frozen horror means their not planned (when both were supposed to be played before Frozen Horror and otherwise Avalon Hill have been very faithful where they can to original releases). Maybe their gauging FH 2022 release for interest? that expansion it's alot of new sculpts (honestly id be surprised if they release that at £25 given their price model - could be as much as £50).

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

@@skodedickinson6544 I've mentioned this elsewhere. I think the only reason they have done Frozen Horror first is because it's easier. Wizards and Ogre need to be converted to the US rules set, so that will take longer to develop. Frozen Horror, by comparison, should be a lot easier as it already works within the American rules, so it makes sense to do that and the Mage of the Mirror first.

[@pez5767]

My family and I have played through the core game and were going to start on an expansion, but we couldn't figure out if you're supposed to continue with your "buffed up" heroes from the first campaign or start fresh? Any help available? I was lucky enough to pick up the core set and expansions on the crowd funding launch, and I'm very happy with this trip down memory lane. It's great to find a channel that loves the game as much as I do.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Yes. You do keep everything. The missions get tougher. Thanks for watching.

[@quakeSanchez]

There is no such thins as 'too many undead'. Special doors look great.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I think that entirely depends on if they know where you're hiding!

[@jasonsumma1530]

Have you tried to play using the Zargon App a.k.a. the HeroQuest Companion App? I've finished the main quests but need to start on the expansions.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Yes, I did a solo playthrough on the channel using the app. I think it was a great addition, and I know a lot of people will get a kick out of it, but I don't really like it myself.

[@therealacewildcat]

might be a dumb question... but is the idea that you play the expansions after completing the base quests, and going into this with weapons, spells, xP etc

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Yes, you play through the core game and then continue on with the same heroes with the same equipment. After the core game you are supposed to do the online mission Tunnels of Xor-Xel, then you do Kellar's Keep. Then, if you don't have any of the crowdfunded campaigns, you go on to Return of the Witch Lord, before doing the online quest Into the Northlands, followed by The Frozen Horror.

[@lucarocks7866]

Never got the expansions as a kid for many of the reasons you mentioned. I really think the lack of even one new mini caused the game to lose its audience quicker than it should have. They seemed to have course -corrected for Frozen and Mage but by that time it was already too late.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I always thought the rise of home videogames probably had a lot to do with a loss of interest in family board games. The Mega Drive, Gameboy, Atari Lynx, and Game Gear all released in 1989 and 1990, with the SNES shortly after that. I expect that took a hefty gouge out of the board game market. When MB Games released Space Crusade in 1990, they didn't even bother to give it a US release.

[@lucarocks7866]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring You're right. And I'm absolutely sure that played a part as well. But there were some of us back then who would have sacrificed one video game to get a nice quest pack with new monsters and game play elements. Just give me a witch lord and one other unique mini (along with some more undead) and a lot more kids would have been on board. If I knew about FH back then, I would def have picked it up

[@Frandog99]

Probably a silly question but with the 4 card items you can potentially buy I assume the healing ones can only be used once per quest? Otherwise you will get a situation where each time a hero dies they will just restore 1 body point. I may have missed something here hence me asking the question! 🙂

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Infinite health loop sounds nice! Potions are consumed and then discarded.

[@Frandog99]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoringthank you for clarifying. Thought that would be the case. P.S. Love your vids especially the Heroquest playthroughs. You inspired me to make my own one!

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thanks so much. I'm really glad you are enjoying the videos.

[@charlesdesnoyers8694]

Cannot find the information anywhere. Did the expansion mean to be played after the Quests of the core game??? Or you need to play new hero from the start?

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

You continue straight on. You play the core game, then take your heroes through Kellar's Keep (via the free bridging quest they shared online if you want to), and then on to Return of the Witch Lord.

[@charlesdesnoyers8694]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring Thanks! Do you have a link for the bridge quest?? thank you!

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

@@charlesdesnoyers8694 Sure. It's here: hasbropulse.com/blogs/avalon-hill/heroquest-brave-the-forsaken-tunnels-of-xor-xel If you aren't a subscriber to my channel you may want to consider it as I covered all this stuff when it came out and I try to keep up to date with all the HeroQuest news like the new quests they have been publishing.

[@panosdimi4713]

Wear you fond the box for the throwing dice i whan one of this

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I make my own dice trays. I buy deep sided box frames from pound shops and then line them with an image. My newest dice trays are lined with sections of the box lid from an old copy of Advanced Heroquest.

[@panosdimi4713]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring nice 👍

[@alessandrosantopietro2234]

I don't understand why they did not include a miniature of Skulmar, Kessandria or the Witch Lord in the box. I mean.. they were missing even in the old version (back in the 90's), but this "remake" (2021) could have been the perfect occasion to include them...

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

The Witch Lord and sorceress were extras during the crowdfunding campaign (along with Sir Ragnar) so they could keep the core game and expansions at retail pretty much straight updates of the originals. Not an ideal situation for retail buyers like myself, but I understand why they've done it. I think an "NPC pack" down the line with miniatures for use as special characters would be a great addition to the game line.

[@JeffWitty]

How awesome would that be if the undead miniatures were made from glow in the dark plastic?

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

As I intend to paint them, it wouldn't make a difference to me, personally. I guess you could slap some glow-in-the-dark paint on them, though.

[@1000jjwalker]

Mummys' are no joke in that campaign

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Except for the way they walk.

[@1000jjwalker]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring 4 defence die.. and the BANGLES in the background

[@jasonsumma1530]

mummies are no joke regardless unless you are at the end of the main quest book and have someone with six or seven defend dice. The Spirit Blade also makes short work of most of the enemies in here.

[@johnmiddleton4291]

I actually hacked apart an entire box of these dudes for conversions back in the day. I think it was $3.00 fro KayBee toys at the time. Of the originals, obviously.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I remember these expansions selling for dirt cheap at the end of HeroQuest's life in the UK as well. I could have been a millionaire if I'd invested in 80s/90s board games, it seems.

[@johnmiddleton4291]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring We could have put money into a lot of things in 92 and been millionaires.

[@orcsmash9]

The original two expansions were never terribly expensive before HQ went out of stores here in the U.S. Now the Elf and Barbarian expansions were. Mainly because only hobby/comic shops carried them. At least in my area of southeastern U.S. But boy were they worth every penny! Hopefully 2022 sees their return as well.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

@@orcsmash9 Hasbro have already shown the cover for the barbarian pack and artwork that heavily suggests the elf pack is on the way too. I don’t expect it will be too long until they arrive.

[@TalkingAboutGames]

When it comes to the lack of plastic elements (coffins, etc.), they could have included "snap on" 3d terrain version in the punch board instead, like the Clever Paper wargames terrain; you don't need a mold for that, and it still looks "realistic", just punch it out of the tiles board, snap it on, and you are good to go. It was definitely a missed opportunity.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

It always struck me as odd back in the day that there were no 3D elements in the expansions for a game well known for its looks.

[@jasonferris4589]

There's a misprint on quest 10. A missing door makes the quest impossible

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thanks. I haven't got to that mission yet, but I will watch out for it. Avalon Hill need to do a little errata download for things like this as it can really ruin the game session if your Zargon player doesn't spot it.

[@robertlykins728]

I made 20 dollars! 😩

[@captaincosmo6157]

Everyone knows that the only true way to expand heroquest is with more heroquest.

[@robertlykins728]

Wish I had never got rid of this game in a stupid yard sale

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

You definitely aren't the only one to do this. Many people regret selling their copy decades ago (myself included).

[@robertlykins728]

Ugh!

[@TheRdamterror]

games like this takes to long to even set up better to play a computer game this is to muche hassel

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

On a board game channel, you probably won't get a lot of people agreeing with your stance, but board games certainly aren't for everybody. There are plenty of games that take a long time to set up, but HeroQuest isn't one of them. HeroQuest is incredibly easy to get into. You unfold the board, hand each player a character sheet and a miniature, and place the contents of the first room. You are then ready to play, as each room is revealed as you explore.