HeroQuest, the Sorceress of the Mirror , is an expansion for HeroQuest , the famous dungeon crawler which in the 1980s pushed millions of fans to venture into dungeons, labyrinths and crypts in search of treasure and which has experienced a new boom in recent years thanks to the reprint of the basic edition.
After Frozen Horror , which introduced the character of the Barbarian, with the Mirror Sorceress the elves and their kingdom, new rules and above all a wide use of magic are introduced. But before delving into the contents of the package, let's start as usual by diving into the setting.
The Expansion
"As a test of your skills, Queen Terrellia wants you to recover a family heirloom that was recently stolen. This is not just any heirloom, but the legendary sword known as the Avenger. The sword was stolen by some agents of Zargon and taken to a small fortress along the southern border of the Empire."
Threatening clouds are gathering over the elven kingdom, targeted by Zargon's servants. What you have read is the introduction to the first of 10 missions (three solo, five group and a final divided into two acts) which will lead a courageous elven adventurer (or adventurer, depending on your preferences) and her group to challenge the diabolical archimage Sinestra.
The Contents of the Business Pack
Now let's move on to the actual game. The mechanics remain the same as those we learned about with the basic game system. But just as in the edition dedicated to the barbarian, Frozen Horror, new elements are introduced in the Mirror Sorceress that broaden the gaming experience. In particular we are talking about the rules of magic, to which half of the cards in the expansion are dedicated.
In addition to magic, there is ample space for the implementation of Mind Points for heroes and monsters, which when they run out put the character in a state of shock, brutally reducing their movement, attack and defense characteristics. Also inevitable are new equipment, magical objects and, above all, beautiful miniatures.
The New Models
There are a total of 17 new models. The elven adventurer and then the archimage accompanied by her servants, namely 3 giant wolves, 4 ogres, 4 archers and 4 elven warriors (yes, there are also evil elves in the expansion). To these, there are 16 3D furniture components (in which an alchemist's table, a comfortable fireplace and an uninviting tomb stand out). The pack also includes 35 new cards, heroes, monsters, equipment, treasures, artifacts and, as we were saying, numerous new spells, both for the player and for the Dungeon Master. Finally, two sanctuary tiles to expand your game board and the inevitable markers of various shapes.
Let's sum it up
In conclusion, we can say that as with Frozen Horror , with the Mirror Sorceress the structure and gaming experience of HeroQuest are explored in depth, without however abandoning its extreme simplicity, which made it one of the most loved and famous products of the boardgame landscape since its inception.