Bonds of the Wild

For years, stories have been told of Mabinogi and the Tree of Life. In a time of plague, Mabinogi left his people to follow the tales of a tree that could heal sickness and resurrect the dead. He returned from his journey with a length of blackened wood clutched in his hands. It is said that sickness did not come to that town for many years and Mabinogi never revealed the location of the Tree of Life. As time passed the branch was lost, but recently, rumors have spread of a blackened branch hidden within a den of kobolds. 

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Bonds of the Wild, a new Hero and Monster Collection for Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition!

Search for the healing power of the Tree of Life in the newest Hero and Monster Collection for Descent Second Edition! Like other Hero and Monster Collections, this expansion reintroduces heroes and monsters that were previously available only through the first edition of Descent. What’s more, each of these heroes and monsters features an updated figure sculpt and new artwork to match the aesthetic of the second edition. 

You’ll find twenty-two detailed plastic figures are included in this expansion. Four new heroes join your adventures: Lyssa, Challara, Ronan of the Wild, and Vyrah the Falconer. Of course, the overlord also gains new monsters to oppose the heroes. With the addition of Bonds of the Wild, the overlord can command hordes of kobolds, fiery hellhounds, and cunning deep elves in battle. In addition, two brand-new quests are introduced in this expansion to chronicle your search for the healing branch: One Man’s Trash and Bonds of the Wild!

Contains four heroes, twelve kobolds, four hellhounds, and two deep elves.

Companion of Dragons

Long ago, Challara’s ancestors lost their most priceless heirlooms to a vile dragon. Though her family endured, the indignity of the theft has weighed on Challara since her youth. She left her home and tamed the dragon Brightblaze to flaunt her superiority over her ancient enemy, and one day she will march on the evil dragon’s hoard to prove her skills and reclaim her family’s valuables with interest. For now, however, Challara and Brightblaze support the search for another treasure: the branch from the Tree of Life!

Challara and Brightblaze share an immutable bond, a fact reflected by Challara’s hero ability. This ability grants you access to the Brightblaze  familiar at the start of each encounter, allowing you to place the Brightblaze token in an empty space near Challara. Of course, a familiar to aid you in battle is a powerful advantage, and the dragon Brightblaze is no exception. 

During a quest, Brightblaze can move quickly across the battlefield, but more importantly, he can perform a Melee attack during his activation that uses the dice and abilities of a Magic weapon you have equipped. Extra attacks are one of the most crucial abilities you can use in Descent: Journeys in the Dark, and with Brightblaze, you can essentially gain bonus attacks with a powerful Magic weapon like Lightning Strike  or Ice Storm .

Brightblaze is not invincible on the field of battle, but if he is defeated, Challara’s heroic feat recalls him to your side. If Brightblaze has been defeated, you can trigger Challara’s heroic feat to return him to life and place him in any empty space adjacent to you. Then, you can immediately activate Brightblaze, allowing you to rain fire and death on the overlord’s monsters. What’s more, Brightblaze can also activate as normal on that turn, which dramatically increases the amount of damage you can deal. With Brightblaze and Challara at your side, you’ll have the power to battle ever-increasing numbers of foes – an essential ability, because Bonds of the Wild also offers hordes of monsters to oppose the heroes. 

Innumerable Foes

Countless monsters seek to hinder the heroes on their quest, and some of these monsters may respawn faster than the heroes can defeat them. Once minions of a sorcerer, the kobolds were enchanted to multiply whenever their tasks proved to difficult for a single servant. Their master, better known for his laziness than his intelligence, underestimated the power of his spells and the cruelty of his creations. So was born the old adage that kobold strength is measured in bodies. 

During a quest, the kobolds battle very differently than the overlord’s other monsters. They are by far the most numerous monster group available to the overlord – during a four-player game, the overlord receives three master kobolds and nine minion kobolds! Minion kobolds do not begin the game in play, however. Each master kobold bears the Spawner ability, allowing you to place one minion kobold adjacent to each master kobold at the start of each overlord turn. By holding the master kobolds back and sending your minions against the heroes, you force the heroes to fight through waves of bodies to reach their objectives. 

An individual kobold may not be particularly dangerous, but in great numbers, a kobold swarm can be lethal. Every kobold possesses the Swarm surge ability, meaning that you can spend a surge to deal an additional damage for each other monster adjacent to your target. If you’re fortunate enough to completely surround a hero, you’ll deal seven extra damage whenever you trigger Swarm! This might not happen for every attack, but your kobolds can use the Scamper ability to move through spaces containing heroes and surround their prey. If the heroes want to recover the healing power of the branch, they’ll need a way to deal with the overlord’s hordes of kobolds.

Enter the Wild

Call your companions and prepare to begin your quest! Terrinoth needs you to find a branch from the Tree of Life, and the overlord’s monsters rush to oppose your quest. Can you harness the magic of Challara and Brightblaze to triumph, or will hordes of kobolds overwhelm your defenses?

Leave the comforts of civilization behind and look for Bonds of the Wild at your local retailer in the third quarter of 2015!