Clarification on Ilsoari Gandethus please

[Bidmaron]

So, the Sandpoint Devil is the only villain that will never let you close a location deck then. (since he is only encountered on this Ilsoari card) Makes you wonder why they waste the text about closing the location....

[Hawkmoon269]

Bidmaron wrote:

So, the Sandpoint Devil is the only villain that will never let you close a location deck then. (since he is only encountered on this Ilsoari card) Makes you wonder why they waste the text about closing the location....

I would guess for two reasons:

1. Conformity. That text is on every villain card.
2. For custom made scenarios. If you want to make a scenario with the Sand Point Devil as the villain, you'll need that text to be there.

[Memetix]

I must say that my attitude towards Ilsoari has changed over time. Initially I wouldn't touch time with a barge pole. Now he is a key card in 1 of my games and a bit part player in another.

In a 2-player campaign I'm playing Seoni and my friend has Kyra. We have managed to acquire most of the scouting type cards (Spyglass, Ilsoari, Shalelu, Brodert Quink and Augury). In most games we will find the location of the villain using some sort of scouting effect and then adjust our exploration strategy to make the most use of our time to explore and acquire the best of the boons on offer.
The downside .... well Seoni has a big hand anyway (and took the power feat for hand size 7) so having Ilsoari "clog" up one slot is not that much of an issue. I also play with 1 invisibility spell, if I have it in hand I use him, if not he's a fireball until Kyra cures me and recycles him. Seoni and Kyra are at the end of the Skinsaw adventure now and I can honestly say they are a great pair, my most enjoyable play through to date. Smart use of scouting means we can send the best character to a location to make an acquire check and we've ended up with great decks and never failed to finish a scenario in time.

My other character to use Ilsoari is Lem. When I don't have the safety net of an invisibility spell in hand, Lem knows several good songs about a wizard with a death wish and is happy to sing them to anyone who cares to listen.

[Vic Wertz]

Hawkmoon269 wrote:

Bidmaron wrote:

So, the Sandpoint Devil is the only villain that will never let you close a location deck then. (since he is only encountered on this Ilsoari card) Makes you wonder why they waste the text about closing the location....

I would guess for two reasons:

1. Conformity. That text is on every villain card.
2. For custom made scenarios. If you want to make a scenario with the Sand Point Devil as the villain, you'll need that text to be there.

Mainly number 2.

[Bidmaron]

In our 6 character game, Amiri uses him all the time (Ilsoari, that is).

Well, as to having the text on there, I'd argue (as I have elsewhere, and others) that it causes more confusion than it saves. Closing decks upon defeating villains and henchmen is such a fundamental part of the game it is hard to contemplate that someone would forget that, whereas the summoned henchman/villain, even though it is now more clear in the new rules, is really easy to miss for more casual players.