More HeroQuest: Back to (Before) the Beginning! Unboxing of First Light

 The last few months saw some additions to the HeroQuest line, and thus my collection. In addition to a new expansion pack, The Jungles of Delthrak , the creators of the new HQ have arranged for a new, scaled down introductory set, HeroQuest First Light, sold exclusively by Target (a US department chain, for those of you “not from these parts”). This week Target had a sale offering $10 off $50 for any game or toy purchase (except Lego; sit back down, y’all). The game lists for $49.99 (seriously?), so I had to goose the purchase. I bought a Snoopy Hot Wheels car ($1.20) (search this blog for Snoopy and see what I’ve already done with one of these…).

First Look at First Light

Well, it’s square. And the shrink wrap had a sticker.

All I’ve done so far is unbox the contents; I haven’t tried the quests, but I’ve skimmed the rulebook, which declares there are no rules changes from the 2021 main boxed set rules. Layout’s different, and they’ve done some things to highlight and detail the difference between the Heroes’ turn and Zargon’s. I haven’t read further, so can’t comment, except to say that in this respect it’s the same game.

What’s Old (sort of)

Mostly the same, but different.

There’s no real change that I’ve found to the various card decks, aside from the addition of a few original artifacts, a Dragon monster card, and maybe some fluff wording on the Treasure Deck. I haven’t counted or compared Treasure amount details, but I’m betting there’s no change. The dice have new colors to them (the combat dice are now “bone” colored. The “pip” d6 dice are now white with red pips, instead of the other way around). The set also comes with another pad of character sheets— blue lettering and art rather than brown, but otherwise entirely the same.

What’s New (sort of)

Some new, some old, and a little surprise.

The set only has four hero miniature which are different sculptures, an homage to the original set from the ‘80s-‘90s, in stance and pose, if not in detail. All four hero miniatures are in basic “open” poses which should make them easier to paint (this set is clearly intended for younger players, despite the 14+ label).

The Zargon Screen has different art (neither worse nor better), and at first glance the only difference to the information it holds is the inclusion of the Dragon’s stats.

Lots of (really nice) cardboard. You may recognize some of this.

Instead of miniatures for the monsters, doors and scenic pieces, the game includes printed cards, with full color art. They’re nicely done, but if you’ve been collecting the original repro set and the new expansion packs, you probably won’t wind up using these. But as a starter set, they work fine. The door and monsters  come with plastic standee bases. Online discussion is speculating on using these with the full game to indicate when a monster is immobilized, though honestly I don’t see the need. The doors might be useful for when you run out of the sculpted ones, though with my collection of expansion packs, I don’t see that as a likely need for me!

What’s Completely New (and cool)

…But the flip side is AWESOME!

The set includes the original board map (or a reasonably facsimile)… but brand new is another board on the reverse side, with a different dungeon look and layout. It’s more cavern-like, and a nifty alternative when making your own quests. I am really taken with this board, and can’t wait to see what the new Quest Book does with this.

A familiar, yet different lot. Oh, and a DRAGON!

Also new is an additional monster complete with its own miniature: The Dragon. This critter is not the same as the dragon in the “Mythic Tier” quest pack, but a new beastie in his own right. He’s got formidable stats (I peeked), and should be a fun challenge— in fact, he’s quite deadly from what I glean.

According to the box text the Quest Book contains 10 original quests unique to this set. They also appear to have been added to the Companion App, so I’m going to introduce myself to the quests via that, and then consult the Quest Book when I’ve completed a solo run through (I use all four heroes for that sort of thing— I’m not crazy!).

An unexpected freebie.

And finally, there’s another nifty addition— a dice tray! It’s not touted on the box, and many purchasers might not even realize that’s what it is, but there’s a spacing insert in the box that, when flipped, reveals it has a fully-printed inside of dragon scales. Perfect for containing your attempts to roll skulls or shields and instead getting blanks, and with a much smaller footprint than the box lid.

Is It Worth It?

As a starter set? Absolutely. The current list price for the original Avalon Hill repro set (around $135, I believe) is prohibitive for kids and their parents and grandparents to spring for. At $50, this is a much more reasonable entry set, and in line with other high-quality board games (even cheaper than some). Most new purchasers won’t care that it doesn’t have miniatures for the monsters or furniture or doors.

As a boost for collectors and players of the main set and the expansion packs?

Well, it does have new sculpts, a new monster, and the brand new alternative dungeon map, plus other stuff, and 10 new quests, at around the price of an expansion pack. For me, that wouldn’t be a $50 value. But at $40, which is what I wound up paying thanks to the Target sale, I think it’s a pretty good. But I like having new minis to paint.

Again, this set is only sold by Target. Keep an eye out for their game and toy sales, and you might get a good value, too.

— Parzival