Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition)

Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) is a thrilling board game that puts one player in the shoes of the dreaded Overlord, while up to four players take on the role of fearless heroes. In each game, the heroes set out on challenging quests, exploring treacherous caves, mysterious ruins and dark forests in search of treasure and in an attempt to thwart the Overlord's evil plans. Combat is a crucial element, and the game uses an innovative dice system that adapts to the characters' abilities and weaponry. Each hero builds up their own dice pool, and special symbols called Surges allow you to activate extraordinary abilities during attacks, making each battle unique and strategic. With double-sided board components and a wide range of combinations of heroes and talents, Descent transports players to a rich and dynamic fantasy world, where collaboration and strategy are essential to confront an ancient evil. Among the improvements over the first edition are simplified rules for line of sight, more agile preparation for encounters, defense dice that minimize frustrating attacks, shorter and more intuitive missions, and a new system for controlling the Overlord's powers. The evolution of the heroes is encouraged by an experience system, while the cards are clearly presented, listing statistics and necessary effects. Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) is a reinterpretation full of new elements that promise hours of adventure and group fun.

Table of Contents
- How to Play
- Tips for playing
- Game mechanics
- Game components
- Additional Information

Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) is a semi-cooperative game that divides players into two groups: a group of heroes and the Overlord. Each hero player controls a character with special abilities, while the Overlord controls the monsters and other challenges.

At the start of the game, choose one of the scenarios available on the campaign map. Each scenario has specific objectives that the heroes must achieve, while the Overlord tries to hinder their progress. Set up the board according to the chosen scenario.

Each round, the hero players can perform two actions: move, attack, open doors, search, among others. Actions are crucial to completing objectives. Class cards and equipment help the heroes, so use them strategically.

The Overlord has a deck of cards with special abilities to thwart the heroes' plans. The Overlord must use monsters and these cards to block paths and weaken the heroes, trying to complete his own victory condition before the heroes do.

Combats are resolved by rolling special dice. The results determine the damage dealt and whether special abilities are activated. Understanding the dice and using them effectively is key to success.

During the game, heroes can find gold and other treasures, which can be used to buy new items between scenarios. Managing these resources is vital for equipping yourself properly for future challenges.

The game continues until one of the victory conditions is met: the heroes complete the objective of the scenario or the Overlord fulfills his own victory condition. Communication and coordination between the heroes are essential to defeating the Overlord.

Main objective

The main objective of the game "Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition)" is for a group of heroes to work together to complete missions and defeat the Overlord, who is controlled by an opposing player. The heroes embark on adventures, facing monsters, discovering treasures and progressing through a campaign-based storyline. Each scenario presents specific objectives that the heroes must achieve in order to win the mission, while the Overlord uses cards and abilities to try to thwart the heroes' advances and achieve his own game objectives.

Tips for playing Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition)

Here are some tips for doing better in the game Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition):

• Understand the heroes' abilities to maximize their strength.
• Communication between the players is essential for developing effective strategies.
• Manage the use of your Overlord cards to make life as difficult as possible for the heroes.
• Quick conclusions in combat situations can save time and avoid rash decisions.
• Use the terrain to your advantage, blocking the heroes' advance in narrow corridors.
• Complete the main missions before the Overlord has time to strengthen his position.
• It's important to balance between exploring and advancing quickly so as not to be caught by the Overlord's forces.
• Try out different combinations of heroes to find out which works best for your group.
• Heroes should focus on objectives rather than eliminating all the monsters, saving resources.

Video about the game

Mechanics of Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition)

• Players with Different Skills: Each player controls a hero with unique abilities, represented by character cards. These abilities enable special actions, such as healing allies or carrying out powerful attacks, influencing the group's strategy.
• Team play: Players form a team of heroes who must cooperate to fulfill objectives while facing the Overlord, who controls the monsters. Success depends on the synergy between the heroes' skills and communication between players.
• Data Scrolling: Uses customized attack and defense dice to resolve combats and special effects. Each dice has symbols that indicate successful attacks, damage blocking, range and activation of special abilities.
• Modular tray: The game uses interconnectable board pieces to build a variety of dungeons. This allows for great diversity in scenarios, with maps that change depending on the adventure or campaign in progress.
• Movement in Grids: Heroes and monsters move around a square grid board. The range of movement is determined by the characters' attributes, and tactical positioning is crucial for combat and fulfilling objectives.
• Hand Management: Each player manages skill and equipment cards that define their capabilities during the game. Choosing wisely which card to play or when to use certain skills can be crucial to progress.
• Action Points: Each hero has a fixed number of actions they can perform on their turn, such as moving, attacking or activating skills. Managing these actions is essential to optimizing the performance of each turn.
• Scenario / Mission / Campaign: The game is structured in missions, which form larger campaigns with storylines that unfold as the group progresses. Each mission has specific objectives that must be met in order to progress through the story.
• Cooperative: Although one player takes on the role of the Overlord, the heroes must work together to complete the missions. Cooperation is vital to overcome the challenges posed by the scenarios and the Overlord.
• Action queue: Players and the Overlord alternate actions based on a sequence of turns. Planning the order of actions can drastically influence the outcome of battles and the ability to respond to immediate threats.

Game components Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition)

See all the items in the game below Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition):

• 8 heroes
• 31 creatures
• 9 special data
• 7 plastic holders
• 8 character sheets
• 84 class cards
• 20 cards of items from Activity I
• 14 item cards from Activity II
• 16 status cards
• 12 letters of inquiry
• 6 artifact cards
• 40 Overlord cards
• 18 creature cards
• 12 Lieutenant cards
• 10 journey event cards
• 4 reference letters
• 48 plot cards
• 45 damage markers
• 35 exhaust markers
• 7 doors
• 16 character markers
• 9 exploration markers
• 6 Lieutenant's markers
• 10 goal markers
• 8 citizen markers
• 20 status markers
• 1 resurrected marker
• 2 adventure guides
• 1 instruction manual

Additional Information

• Ludopedia link: https://ludopedia.com.br/jogo/descent-journeys-in-the-dark-second-edition
• Link Tabletopia:
• Amazon Brazil link: Comprar Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition)
• Amazon USA link: Comprar Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition)