Friday 22 June 2012

The Grand Plan: Ode to Heroquest



Oh Heroquest!

What a fantastic product you were!

 I used to have a rather battered copy but I lost it when changing schools, it had been an idea of mine to do a 'Heroquest' club for 9-10 year olds but my then head didn't have the vision. I imagined that I'd be planting the seeds of future gamers and keep the wargaming hobby secure into the next generation.

As I type this, I am a mere two weeks away from meeting my second child. She is to be born via C-Section due to the complications my wife has been suffering since February. This got me thinking about Heroquest once more.

You see, Heroquest was a classic game! A true gateway to Warhammer Third Edition. What made it so special is that it stood on its own. The campaign was interesting, the rules were simple yet addictive and you got everything in the box you needed to play. With a little effort you could easily invent your own dungeons (and indeed I did, to challenge my sister) and the expansions added a little more flavour to the game.

Many people have said 'why doesn't GW re-do Heroquest?' but my understanding of the situation is that the rights of the game remain with MB games (or whoever owns them) as it was designed by one of their employees. All that GW contributed was the background, the artwork and the miniatures. So sadly, we are unlikely to ever seen a re-release of Heroquest.

Still, there are plenty of copies about out there. I sold bucketloads.

How many hours did I spend pushing these figures around the table? I still think they are fantastic sculpts for early plastic miniatures.

So what makes me think of Heorquest at a time like this? Well, it all comes down to my 'Grand Plan' of having an army for each of the 3rd edition races in 5 years time. Why 5 years? Well, my son will be 7 and I feel that is old enough to play 3rd Edition with me.

A game in action. I remember the thrill of opening the doors and entering rooms. What would be in there? Hopefully not the gargoyle!

But what about before? Surely a gateway game such as Heroquest is going to be essential in 'turning my children on' to wargaming in general. After all, my sister really enjoyed the game so my not my daughter too?

With this in mind, I need to add a complete set in very good condition to my list of wants. For a decent price of course! Then I have to paint up all the miniatures (and the furniture) in bright, late 80s McVey style!

Anyone else play this game back in the late 80s/early 90s?

Does anyone else own a nice painted copy they could share some pictures with us?

Before I leave you, I'll share you this video for Youtube. You may well have seen it before but I'd not watched it for twenty plus years so I felt that readers of this blog may well enjoy it too. I found two versions of the clip.

Version 1


Version 2


Enjoy!

Orlygg.



20 comments:

  1. "FIRE OF WRATH!"

    That brings back a few memories - used to shout that every time I played that card!

    Played this game to death and still have the copy I grew up with. I was looking through the character sheets that are still in the box that we filled out as kids. The mottos and character names me and my brothers came up with still crack me up.

    I also have a similar ambition - best get a move on as my son is 4 in the summer and I'll have to strip off some of the atrocious paintjobs I slavered on as a kid...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, I played this game til it fell apart. This was the gateway drug to rpgs and wargames. I then got Advanced Heroquest, which was another brilliant game.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have two lots of HeroQuest scenery I use for wargaming. I'd never part with them, and I'm always looking for more.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I was so excited to get HeroQuest for Christmas. I still have my copy, though it's in a tub instead of the box. (Wish I still had my Battle Masters stuff.)

    Painting it up is something that's been on the hobby to-do list for a good long while now, but it keeps getting bumped down the queue.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That brings back a few memories - used to shout that every time I played that card!

    You're not the only one!

    I loved HeroQuest, and it saddens me that there's nothing quite like it nowadays. Descent is too complex and expensive, and Dwarf King's Hold, while very good is more like Space Hulk.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I loved HeroQuest sinced the first time I played it with my cousin, my brother and some friends of my cousin. The very next Easter I had my own copy that I still own today (the Advanced Quest Edition), but it is... let's say well played.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I played it a few only...and recently
      I tried Dwarf King Hold and very appreciate, I think I will purchase a copy in the following times...to play with my son...

      I believe there is a strange disease among wargamers especially the retro ones...trying to attract little poor children in the wargames web...and it's you the spider !
      My boy will be 5 at the end of the week...so it's time now to initiate him to Song of Blades and Heroes and throwing together into the King Arthur's world...before he discovers video games ! lol

      David LEONARD

      Delete
  7. Great post =)
    Just found your blog (via ilikepaintinglead)

    HeroQuest is one of my all time favourite games and I am currently trying to finish painting the mini's and scenery for it. I'd given up on the idea of ever playing it again as the majority of the minis had been hacked apart to make Warhammery stuff. By chance I went to my local dump shop with a friend looking for suitable painting supports and managed to pick up another copy for $1!!

    I'll be posting photos in the next couple of weeks of the finished Mummies, skellies and Zombs if you're interested.

    On a side note, check this guy out for HQuest insanity!

    http://www.damienthevenin.com/

    ReplyDelete
  8. ahh Hero Quest, how many hours did I waste playing you when you first came out.

    I played this game solidly from 1990 to 1993 when I moved bording schools, at the new school, they were playing Advanced Hero Quest, using the Hero Quest board and figures as well, we then moved onto Warhammer 4th edition, the rest is history.....

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh and I own the 1st edition of this and the 2nd edition which contained a different first quest, not to mention Keller's Keep and Return of the Witch Lord.

    My prize joy though is an unused Quest Creation set....

    ReplyDelete
  10. And I’m glad reading your article. However wanna remark on few normal issues, The website style is ideal, the articles is in point of fact nice!

    온라인카지노사이트
    안전놀이터
    토토

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a group of volunteers and starting a new initiative in a community in the same niche.

    사설토토
    바카라사이트
    파워볼게임

    ReplyDelete
  12. It was very easy to find my way around and very user friendly Good job to your designer and dev of your site. I hope your rate was doing well. 경마사이트

    ReplyDelete
  13. People should know these tips because you have great content! Thanks anyway! 바카라사이트

    ReplyDelete
  14. I can read all the opinions of others as well as i gained information to each and everyone here on your site. Just keep on going dude. Check over here: 메이저사이트

    ReplyDelete
  15. You should not take on a turkey dinner for 10 when you first learn to cook. You will quit before the first course starts to cook. I am a little overwhelmed when I undertake the Thanksgiving turkey dinner, and I spent some time in cooking school. So do not make a thanksgiving dinner your first cooking assignment. game slot online

    ReplyDelete
  16. There are limitless types of card games to be played. People think because two games use the same deck of 52-cards that they are similar games, but nothing could be more different than Barbu and Speed, or Pai Gow and Pinochle. Here's a list of twenty different kinds of card games, and some facts about them. top discord servers to join

    ReplyDelete
  17. As you know there is a hungry market for gaming online, on handheld devices and consoles alike. People who make gaming programs make money, but as we shall see in the development and expansion of Open source games the incentives and motivations to expand are much less rewarding, unless of course you support the idea of challenging Mac's unilateral presence. Solitaire real money games

    ReplyDelete
  18. Cryptosporidium is a somewhat common disease that is diarrheal in nature and is caused by parasites that are microscopic. Once a person or animal contracts the infection, the parasite continues to live on in the intestine and passes into the fecal matter. The parasite itself is protected by an outer shell that enables it to stay alive, even outside of the body, for a long amount of time. eurs stablecoin

    ReplyDelete
  19. I have always disliked the idea because of the expenses.
    한국야동

    ReplyDelete