Watching From the ShadowsA Preview of Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition
For the past three months, we’ve presented in-depth, weekly previews of Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition. Throughout this series, we’ve seen a detailed overview of the heroes’ and overlord’s turns, a preview of the combat mechanics, a look at the all-new campaign rules, and even the complete rules.
And now, the release of this highly anticipated board game is within sight. It will debut this weekend at Realms of Terrinoth 2012 in Roseville, MN, with worldwide demos coming to retailers as early as next week...and all of this will culminate in its long-awaited release in the middle of July!
But if you’ve been paying attention, you may have noticed that although we’ve previewed three of the four hero archetypes, the fourth one nearly slipped under our gaze: the stealthy Scout archetype. Today, we’ll take a look at what it means to be a Scout, including an examination of its two available classes, the eagle-eyed Wildlander and the nimble Thief.
Master of the Bow
We’ve already met Jain Fairwood and Tomble Burrowell, Second Edition’s Scouts. Either can select of one of two classes, and each class offers a unique experience.
Wildlanders, for example, tend to have skills that improve their proficiency with the bow. Eagle Eyes, Bow Mastery, and Accurate are all fairly straightforward bow-centric skills that enhance damage, range, line of sight, or some combination of the above. But not all Wildlander skills are created equal. Running Shot, for example, offers the added mobility to close the gap between you and your target, or to make a hasty retreat after a well-timed strike.
You might also choose to be the proverbial arrow in the overlord’s side, with skills like Danger Sense and First Strike. Both can be used to disrupt his carefully laid schemes...just be ready to face his wrath when his turn resumes!
Lurking in the Corners
Just as the Wildlander is at home amongst the trees, the Thief is a master of the streets of alleys of Terrinoth’s great cities. Less familiar with a bow, the Thief is adept at sneaking in close to his targets, delivering deadly jabs, and scurrying to safety. Just as often, however, a Thief prefers to avoid violence, gravitating instead toward the promise of loot.
For the stab-and-run crowd, Class cards like Sneaky and Dirty Tricks epitomize the Thief’s penchant for quick attacks. Those motivated by personal wealth rather than violence might instead choose cards such as Lurk and Appraisal, which can increase your chances of drawing the highly valued Treasure Chest when you perform a Search action.
Whether pilfering priceless gems or knifing hapless foes, the Thief may find that he needs to make a hasty retreat afterwards. For such occasions, skills like Unseen and Tumble work wonders, and a clever Thief can even drop some Caltrops to Immobilize would-be attackers!
Click the image above to view the Second Edition trailer (QuickTime, 18.1 MB).
You can also view it on YouTube and the FFG Media Player.
Soon, the time will come for you to forge your legend. Join us for Realms of Terrinoth 2012, see if your local retailer is running and exclusive advance demo, and look for Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition on store shelves in just a few more weeks.
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Source:
Watching From the Shadows
