The explanations are great, but the custom tileset is very confusing. It's hard to differentiate what's obstacles, terrain and walls. It sure is beautiful though!
Excellent video. It is tough during the first scenarios when you start coping with these conandrums, but as you stated earlier in the video, it is about reading the rules (and re-reading, and re-reading...) until you get them fixed in your mind.
Thanks! We really like the 3D elements for our game. And nice job on the quiz, my first time through I don't believe I was very proficient at getting the correct answers. I'd like to think I've improved since then.
I missed 5 and 10, reading the rule book made things clear but you made me read it more thoroughly and thus understanding AI much much better. Wel received, master.
@@LambosNerdery I emphatically support your continuing to make these videos! As other posters have said, seeing the examples and hearing it explained really does make a difference. Additionally, you are spot on regarding the benefits to the teacher of successfully explaining concepts to others. I admit that I am curious how you intend on handling questions 29 and 30 (if at all) due to their contentious and theoretical nature; that is, there are evidently only 2 (or so) very specific tile/map configurations in the entire game where such nitty gritty LOS rules create an excessively anti-commonsense situation (IMO). In fact, my present feeling is that I would slightly bend the LOS rules in these particular situations (should they arise) to permit what I would consider to be a more "natural" LOS implementation. Nevertheless, I do appreciate Cephalofair's challenge in making a functional and consistent monster movement rules set without too many exceptions.
Thanks so much! I honestly haven't considered how I'm going to tackle that question set yet, as I'm still trying to work on the 11-20 scenarios, as well as finish up my terrain builds for my gaming group. But rest assured, I will come up with something! (And by something, I probably mean rehashing exactly what the quiz says is right, since I am but a lowly player and not a rules scholar)
I thought on question 7 11:58 a ranged attacker stays put if it's movement doesn't bring it closer. It's current location is 3 hex away. Where you moved it is also 3 hex away. This is the same logic that stopped the inox moving in question 2 4:25
Good question. The ranged attacker is trying to get closer to a hex from where it could perform its current attack, which is not exactly the same as just moving closer to the enemy model. The only location where an attack can be performed with a range two attack is the hex above the obstacles, two hexes away, so that's the target hex the monster is now trying to get to. There is one path that gets the monster to that hex, so the monster will move towards that hex as far as possible with its current movement this round. Even though it's not any closer to the actual enemy model, the object of the monster's movement wasn't to reach the monster itself, but to reach the hex where it can perform its attack, and it is now two hexes closer to that space at the end of its movement.
Terrific video! I had taken the boardgamegeek monster AI quiz and done horribly bad. Your explanations have really helped. Thanks! PS Your terrain is fantastic
Thank you so much. Our group is on scenario 5 and this will be very helpful for making sure we are following the right AI rules! I’ll be watching more vids from you soon!
Nice video. Love your figures and sets too. I'm just learning the rules, so a quick query ... Questions 8, 9 and 10. The Tinkerer is already in range and requires a movement of zero, the Cragheart is also in range, but requires a movement of 1 to avoid disadvantage. Since "A monster will focus on the enemy figure it can perform its current attack against using the least amount of movement.", surely that means the Tinkerer is the primary target not the Cragheart ? If so that would change the resultant move in some cases. 🤔
Thanks for the kind words. Regarding your question, the monster with a range 2 attack can already attack either the Cragheart or the Tinkerer without moving, because they are both within range already. To follow the first rule which you cited doesn't require the monster to move in order to conduct an attack on either target, only to lose disadvantage. The reason the monster focuses the Cragheart over the Tinkerer is because when more than one enemy is already in range of a current attack, you must check other factors to see which one is the priority. "In the case where the monster can move the same number of spaces to get within range... of multiple enemy figures (e.g., because it starts its turn within range of multiple enemies), proximity from the monster’s current position... is then checked as a tie-breaker for determining “closest" (p. 29). Therefore the Cragheart, being adjacent to the monster is "closest" and therefore primary focus over the Tinkerer, who is 2-hexes away. The monster then follows the rule about losing disadvantage on its primary focused target, which is why the monster steps away, but this is done as an afterthought to selecting enemy focus, which always happens first. Hopefully that clears things up.
@@LambosNerdery Morning, and thanks for the very prompt reply. 👍🏼 I was expecting to have to wait months !! Yes that clarifies perfectly thanks; we're basically saying that we don't consider disadvantage when targeting, only when moving/attacking. I guess that is consistent, as we don't consider other factors like shields, retaliate etc when targeting either. Also probably better thematically; the monster wouldn't be attracted by a character across the room if Ratty Boi was stood next to it about to chop its head off. Look forward to your video showing how you get all those great miniatures and scenery pieces back into the Gloomhaven box 😂 Great work !!
First of all, thank you for this video and the one before it explaining stuff. I haven't played in over a year and needed a refresher. Question, why does the monster move in Q5 when he didn't in Q4? I'll rewatch it but it seems like a similar situation where infinite movement he could get to the enemy, but doing so would harm him. He doesn't get closer in Q4 and he is even further away in Q5. I dont get why they're treated differently.
In Q4, the monster stays put because there is a movement path that takes him to a space where he can attack the enemy without stepping on a trap. That path is straight through his two allies, 3 hexes to the right. If the monster had a movement of 3, he could make it. Since there is a path that can be traveled without hitting traps, the monster will not go through the trap. However, the monster doesn't have enough movement this turn to clear his two allies, so he stays put. In Q5, there is only one space where the monster could attack his enemy in melee, and that is the space to the right of the Spellweaver. The space to the left is occupied by another monster, so it can't be treated as a destination for Monster 1, it's basically as if the Spellweaver were surrounded by obstacles on all sides but the right (from Monster 1's point of view with only a melee attack). Monsters can walk through their allies, but can't occupy the same space as allies, so the monster needs to find a space where it can attack its focus and try to get there, which means Monster 1's destination is now the space to the right of the Spellweaver. Monster 1 then finds the shortest path to get to the target space, and attempts to do so. The only path to get to the space on the right of the Spellweaver goes through the trap. Since there is no alternative, Monster 1 will step on the trap in its quest to reach the space on the right of the Spellweaver.
@@themaster408 You're quite welcome, glad it makes sense now. I'll be the first to admit the rules aren't always the clearest thing to get right, hence why I started making these videos in the first place.
Monsters aren't aware of their status are they? They dont know if they arr stunned or disarmed or muddled and behave or try to behave as if they have no status effects. Is what I thought at least
Hey there! I have a question about Question 4. The Inox would also stay put if there was NO TRAP right? The way around is 4 movement and through his friends is 3 movement so he will try the shorter way which is blocked and stays put ?
You're on the right track, but actually, the monster in fact will move if there was no trap because 2 movement around the boxes will leave the monster 2 hexes away from a space where it can attack its focus, and staying put at its current location leaves it 3 hexes away from the available space to launch an attack. "Even if a monster cannot move into attack range, it will still use its movement to get as close as possible to its focus" (p. 30). Since 2 hexes away is closer than 3 hexes away it will move. However, if the monster only had 1 movement, it would stay put in that case even if there were no trap, because 1 hex around the top is no closer than its current location of 3 hexes away through his allies. So it all comes down to whether the monster can get closer to a hex where it could attack its focus. If the end result is closer than where it currently is (as defined by the shortest possible path to the target location), the monster will move.
JoTL simplified the monster AI rules and removed the 'proximity to the model' portion of the tiebreaker section. As such, these answers only apply to situations in Gloomhaven itself and not necessarily JoTL.
I'm about to start working on a video for questions 16-20, so I suppose I will have to address that question in process. As I've said, I'm no rules expert, I pretty much just read up on what the quiz says the right answer is supposed to be and go with it.
Im not happy with the answer to question 9, although it is strictly according to the rules. The way I'd solve the situation is to assume that the monster doesn't know if its muddled or not and thus moves as it isn't (equal to question 8) or even make it the player's choice. Turning the muddle into an "advantage" (which attacking 3 players is) is the worst, looking at it thematically. The game isn't 100% balanced anyway, so I'm fine with making some small additions to the rules, which (in my oppinion) have only been left out to keep the compexity within a certain range. Same counts for the tile "pillar" inside a building: We actually view them as "walls", not as obstacles. (no line of sight, no jump/flight through), because again I'm sure the only reason pillars are treated like any other obstacle by the rules is to reduce the complexity (or to keep the amount of different tile types low). Don't get me wrong. I'm not arguing with this quiz and really appreciate its existence and this video. But I also just want to make the game even more enjoyable. ;)
That's a really good idea for a rule improvement, maybe Frosthaven will incorporate something like when its released. I know our party tries to take advantage of the monster's ignorance as often as possible when maneuvering around traps. That would certainly change up fights.
Fabulous quiz. Thank you. I actually starting arguing with you on a few of them, and then found your explanation reasonable. I appreciate that you respond to comments as well, as I needed more clarification on #7.
Thanks! I've had several similar mental arguments with the original quiz creators as well when I took it the first time, so I totally understand your sentiment. If you have any further questions feel free to post and I'll see what I can do to provide clarification.
Can you do another with some funky unique scenarios? Like if player 1 has 3 hexes that are not walls by them (in bottom right corner) and 2 spots have a monster. (Bottom/left and middle) and the top one is a trap. There is another player, player 2, above player 1,4 spaces above. There is then a meelee monster left of player 1, say 3 hexes. Would he still focus player 1 and a) walk on trap,b) stop 2 left of the player 1 ( behind other enemy) or target player 2 who it cannot reach? Then same question if he can reach player 2. In both scenarios, player 1 is physically closer and has 3 hexes that are occupied by monster,monster, trap.thanks
I still have plans to work my way through the remainder of the Rules Quiz questions in the near future, and then I can consider doing videos of more unique scenarios. Regarding your particular scenario, I must admit it is difficult to visualize without an image of the map depicting your question, so I'm not sure of the correct answer at this time.
I use terrain from a variety of sources, depending on which level I have built. In the past I have used Hirst Arts plaster casts, and 3D print files from places like Printable Scenery or Thingiverse. Most recently, my builds primarily consist of Talisman Sabre Terrain (www.talismansabreterrain.com). In the video descriptions for my scenario builds which you can find on my channel you can get a full rundown of the terrain I have used and their origins.
Or you could ignore the clunky rules and do what makes sense instead. If players disagree about what makes sense roll a dice. Highest number decides what the monster does...
You're not wrong. As a general rule I try to avoid looking up minor rules during the game, becuae I feel like it inturrupts gameplay, and we just do what we think makes sense. However, I still think there's value in learning the rules so all of us on the same page. Ultimately, you do whatever makes you and your group happy.
I've been considering perhaps doing a tutorial or two on some form of Gloomhaven terrain, even though I think there are already many fantastic tutorials available on RUclips put out by far-better terrain makers than I. Is there something in particular you think would be most useful or you'd like to see tackled first? I'm very open to input.
@@LambosNerdery I have never done anything like this but after seeing yours, i want to. I would love to see a basics video on what materials you use, how you get everything to fit together so well, things like that. Perhaps you could make a series out of it where you get into the more advanced stuff.
I actually agree with this wholeheartedly, especially during a game. I don't like stopping the game flow to comb through a rule book in an attempt to make sure we're doing minor things correctly. I say in-between game sessions is the time to learn the finer points of the rules (like watching a certain series of Monster AI - Rules Quiz videos), and during the game just do whatever makes the most sense.
Yeah, the AI definitely isn't perfect, but I think the enjoyment my group and I gets out of playing it is well worth the minor hassle in our opinions. Our rule for in-game issues is to not worry too much about complex situations at the moment and just do what makes sense, and then we can look up the rules and figure out what was supposed to have happened later.
It's really awful tho with this level of painting done to miniatures. Often the case the miniatures blend together too much with the backgrounds. Your eyes are not able to really have all that is important highlighted. Quick glances cannot tell what is going on anywhere. You have to look and figure out way too much what is what.
I was a bit flummoxed by question 5 considering the answer to question 4, but then I realised that in question 4 he just needs to shift further forward, but in question 5 there is no space. He's not going to wait for his ally to die in order to move forward. He wants for them to both attack at once, which means he needs to go around (which means he goes through the trap). Interesting.....
Sorry to be so off topic but does anybody know of a method to log back into an instagram account? I stupidly forgot the account password. I would love any help you can offer me.
@Bradley Eddie I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site through google and I'm in the hacking process now. Takes a while so I will reply here later with my results.
Hi, great explanations to this complex topic. I believe I got clarity in all situations but in the simplest one. Q2, will it be different if the monster have move 2? The shortest path to an melee space will still be ocuppied but Moving to on side will put the monster closest even though not using the shortest path. Whats the answer then? Stay put or move paralell to the other monsters?
With movement 2 the monster would side-step its allies because as you point out it will leave the monster closer to its focused enemy (2 hexes away vs. the current 3 hexes away). Page 30 states "Even if a monster cannot move into attack range, it will still use its movement to get as close as possible to its focus." The staying put rule applies when movement will still leave the monster the same number of hexes away or more from a viable attack space versus where it currently is given infinite movement. If the monster can move and end up closer to a space to attack from, it will move. So the questions to ask yourself when performing monster movement are: -What is the shortest path to attack a monster? (3 hexes in this case) -If I have to deviate because of allies or something else, how many spaces away will I end up in order to attack a monster? If the answer is not less than the first answer (3), stay put, if it's less, move.
IT looks that Q10 Is going against your explanation from your previous video where you described ranged attack with disadvatage (time 14:00)... According that video, movement should be on f to fully attack two players and lose disadvantage... Could you please describe the differences?
I'm not seeing a discrepancy between Q10 and the example in the previous video, but let's walk through both examples and see if we can clear things up for you. "A monster will... move away from its focused enemy until it can perform (a) ranged attack without Disadvantage. When forced to choose, a monster will prioritize losing Disadvantage on its focused enemy over maximizing its attack on secondary targets" (Rulebook p. 30). So, the order of operations for ranged attacks, disadvantage, and multiple targets is: 1) Pick primary focus 2) Lose disadvantage 3) Maximize the attack In the Basics video at 14:00 the example shows a monster with 1 movement adjacent to an enemy (its focus). Even though that monster has target 2, it picks its focus first (the adjacent enemy), and steps away to lose disadvantage (a priority according to the rules). Attempting to stay in range of a second target would leave the monster adjacent to its focused enemy (Disadvantaged), so it moves away to attack its focused enemy without Disadvantage instead of attacking a second target. In Q10 in this video, the monster (a Flame Demon w/ flying) is adjacent to an enemy (the Cragheart, its focus), and has 2 movement, target 3. So the monster must: 1st: Move to lose disadvantage on the focused enemy (the Cragheart) 2nd: Attempt to maximize the attack (attack 2 other targets if possible). Spaces E, F, and its current space are all still adjacent to its focused enemy, so the monster will not move/stay on any of those spaces. The monster can lose Disadvantage on its focus (the Cragheart) on spaces A, B, C, and the Trap space. With target 3, only the Trap space allows the monster to both lose Disadvantage on its focused enemy (the Cragheart), and still attack 2 other targets. It will end up attacking with Disadvantage against the Tinkerer, but the Tinkerer is not the focused enemy, the Cragheart is, so the monster prioritizes losing Disadvantage against the Cragheart over secondary targets. Since the monster has flying it ignores the negative hex condition of traps and will move to the trap space in order to lose Disadvantage on the Cragheart and still attack 2 other targets. Hope that helps clear things up!
Question 4 is like 5 but why does the monster not stay put? On 4 he is not going trough the trap but in 5. On 4 there are two hexes two attack from but one is blocked by allies and the other is blocked by the trap?
In Q4, the only space to attack the Scoundrel from is the hex above it. There is an available path to reach the Scoundrel without going through the trap, it just requires Movement 3, through both Inox allies and landing adjacent to the Scoundrel. When there is another path that exists, monsters will not step on a trap. It doesn't matter that the Monster doesn't have movement 3, it's going to avoid the trap and hold on to its hopes and dreams that one day it could have Movement 3 and not have to step on that trap. In Q5, the only space to attack the Spellweaver from is located to the right of the Spellweaver, around both sets of walls, since you may not move through an enemy without jump or fly, and you may not occupy the same space as an ally in order to attack an enemy. There is no path to the only available hex except going up/down and around the walled sections of the room. Since there is no other way to reach the viable attack hex except by going around and therefore through the trap, the monster puts his big boy pants on and steps on that trap.
Good stuff... we have been doing couple of things wrong.. particularly on Q5 when monsters and characters treat enemies as obstacles! But well, that was both an advantage and a disadvantage for us so i am not that mad xD good video man! and beautiful 3D scenarios
Doesnt question 4.contradict 5? It is said that he stayd put in q4 because the legal hex he could attack from is currently occupied by an ally. However in q5 he takes trap damage to pursue the rearward legal hex despite an ally occupying a hex he could attack from. Anyone pelasw help my head hurts haha😅
In question 4 the monster is trying to reach the space adjacent to the Scoundrel to attack it. There is a path for the monster to follow that leads it to that space avoiding the trap (a negative hex) by walking through its allies, but it requires a movement of 3 to reach it this round. Because a path does exist, but the monster just lacks sufficient movement to reach the space, the monster will always avoid the trap space, and in this case not move since it can't get any closer to its focus. In question 5 the monster is again trying to reach a space adjacent to its focus, the Spellweaver in order to attack. The only available space this round is the space adjacent to the right of the Spellweaver. Since that is the only space where the monster can attack from this round, it will move along the shortest path to get there. The only path that takes it to that space this round must pass through the trap, so in this case because there is no other path that takes the monster to where it needs to go in order to attack, it will pass through the trap. The difference between the two questions is that there is no other path available in question 5, but in question 4 there is a path that avoids the trap, its just the monster doesn't have enough movement to get through its allies, so it stays put. Hopefully that helps.
Sir, i see that you have been taught how to nerd well. Your nerd skills are impressive...most impressive. Thank you so much. I haven't played this in months. I gotta get back into it. What are the other boxes in the background?
Gooood. Use your nerd-like feelings. Let the nerd flow through you. As far as background boxes go, you'll probably need to be more specific. Are you referring to miniature terrain boxes I use as dungeon scatter?
Thank you very much for summarizing this! Definitely learned a lot. Playing "Jaws of the Lions" with a friend, we argue from time to time where the enemies would go (and who the focus would be) and this might even make some scenarios easier now, as we sometimes played the enemies "too smart" (though, also sometimes a bit dumb :D )
Ok, dang, I'm confused. On question 4, since it's only 3 spaces through his buddies to reach its focus, wouldn't the guard stay put even if the trap wasn't there? I mean, even if it moved to the trap space, it wouldn't bring him any closer than the theoretical shortest route. Seriously, I know I'm missing something. Edit: nevermind, I think I figured it out. I forgot the guard can move 2, so moving one step past the trap would actually bring it closer. But just to make sure, I have it right now?
Yes, because the monster has movement 2, assuming the trap wasn't there, going up and around would bring the monster closer than it's current position. It stays put in this scenario because a non-trap path exists (ruling out going through the trap altogether), but lacks sufficient movement to clear its allies.
In any instance where the player chooses where to place the monster wouldn't it make more sense to flip a coin or roll a die to determine where the monster goes in order to avoid bias? Or should the player still just choose where the monster goes. An example of this would be question 1. By flipping a coin you could determine whether it moves left or right.
According to the rules on page 32: "AMBIGUITY: If the rules ever make any monster action ambiguous because there are multiple viable hexes to which the monster could move, multiple equally viable targets to heal or attack, or multiple hexes a monster could push or pull a character into, the players must decide which option the monster will take." You're free to play it however you see fit, and if coin-flipping is your preferred manner of deciding in cases of ambiguity, then by all means do it.
@@LambosNerdery Alrighty, thanks for the awesome quizzes and response! I'm getting my copy of Gloomhaven on Christmas this year and these have given me a great understanding of how the monster AI works. ⛄👍 Can't wait to have my friends be completely shocked when I tell them something like "this monster is actually staying where it is this turn" like in question 2 😂
What is the difference between question 4 and 5? Why does the monster stay put in question 5 while there is another way, and why does the monster act and activate the trap in question 5, because there was another way? I'm really puzzled here..
In question 4 the monster has a path to reach an unoccupied hex where it can conduct its current attack (melee) without crossing over the trap, therefore the monster will treat the trap as a negative hex and not step on the it this turn. This path would take it though its allies and land adjacent to the Scoundrel, but requires 3 movement to reach that space. Since the monster does not have 3 movement this round, but the path avoiding a trap exists all the same, the monster stays put since it cannot advance any further along that path this round. In question 5 the only path to reach a space where the monster can conduct its current attack (melee) is to walk all the way around the walls, going through the trap in the process. Since there is no other path to reach that space, in this case the monster will step on the trap, but only because no other path exists to a space where it can attack from. You mention in your comment that there is another way, but you may be thinking of the space currently occupied by the ally of the monster. Since that space is already taken, the monster can't use that space for targeting the enemy, and is therefore seeking to reach a space where it can attack from. The only space that allows the monster to attack from that isn't already occupied is the one on the opposite side of the Spellweaver, through the trap. Hopefully that helps.
@@LambosNerdery Wow dude. Thnx for your fast and extended reply, this helps a lot. Much appreciated. Great job on the 3D printing and painting. Tbh; I'm jealous I'm not in your friendzone 😆
Question 2 and some of the other ones confuse me. Monsters can move through each other as long as they dont land on a tile thats already occupied at the end of their movement. So being three tiles away monster 1 could still get in range. What am I misunderstanding?
In Q2 the monster is 3 hexes away from the nearest hex where it can conduct an attack (through the hexes occupied by its allies to the empty hex adjacent to the hero). With only 1 movement, moving to either side of its ally leaves it still 3 hexes away from the target hex, because it is sidestepping an ally instead of traveling down the shortest path (through its ally). Because where the monster has to end its 1 movement is no closer by hex space count than where it started (3 hexes to the target space) it will not move. If the monster had 2 movement it would move around the ally because then it would end up 2 hexes away, which is closer than where it started. It only doesn't move on this turn because its movement is 1 hex, there is a path of 3 hexes to its target (the first 2 hexes being occupied by allies), and sidestepping 1 hex still leaves it 3 hexes away.
For question 5, wouldn't the monster stay put? Moving to the trap puts them farther from the attack hex, not closer. Unless "closer" is defined as further along the path to eventually get to the space, but page 31 of the rulebook has a similar example and the enemy stays put.
Closer does mean closer in terms of legal movement hexes based on the attack the monster has, not physical proximity. Since the monster in this example only has a melee attack, it must find a path to a space where it can perform its attack, and attempt to get to that space. Because the space immediately adjacent to it is occupied by an ally, that space is not a legal space where it can perform its attack this turn, so it in effect treats that space as an obstacle for this round. There is an unoccupied space on the other side of the monster with a path to get there, so the monster must travel along that path as far as it can in this round, and will step on the trap because there is no other path to reach the unoccupied space to attack the enemy without doing so. The difference between this scenario and the example you refer to on page 31 is that the space where the monster could attack the focused enemy in that example is not occupied by an ally, but a space along the shortest route is, by an allied monster. Monsters can travel through their allies, just not occupy the same space at the end of their movement. So, the shortest path is calculated going through the ally, and since moving diagonally around the ally with one movement does not get it any closer to the enemy, he stays put.
Not unless the Living Corpse had the Jump or Fly abilities, which it does not in this case. "Figures (characters and monsters) can move through allies, but cannot move through enemies or obstacles" (Rulebook Page 19). Since the Spellweaver is an enemy of the Living Corpse, it cannot move through her to attack her from behind.
Wow that was alot more complicated than I expected after reading through the rules once. Excellent explanations
Thanks! Glad you found it useful.
Monster behavior tends to be one of the most commonly messed up parts of Gloomhaven. :) It's a very good video.
The explanations are great, but the custom tileset is very confusing. It's hard to differentiate what's obstacles, terrain and walls. It sure is beautiful though!
Excellent video. It is tough during the first scenarios when you start coping with these conandrums, but as you stated earlier in the video, it is about reading the rules (and re-reading, and re-reading...) until you get them fixed in your mind.
Thanks! This will make our experience within Gloomhaven’s world more thrilling!
Awesome! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Super! Love your models. I got half right
Thanks! We really like the 3D elements for our game. And nice job on the quiz, my first time through I don't believe I was very proficient at getting the correct answers. I'd like to think I've improved since then.
Yeah, excellent. The right type of video to consolidate one´s understanding. Thx
You're welcome! Glad you liked it and found it useful!
I missed 5 and 10, reading the rule book made things clear but you made me read it more thoroughly and thus understanding AI much much better. Wel received, master.
Awesome! (Not that you missed some, but that this ended up helping) I've missed several of these questions, so I'm in the same boat there.
Good stuff! Looking forward to videos on the remaining questions in the rules quiz.
Thanks. It'll take a bit to put together, but I will continue this series and get the next 10 questions out in the next few weeks.
@@LambosNerdery I emphatically support your continuing to make these videos! As other posters have said, seeing the examples and hearing it explained really does make a difference. Additionally, you are spot on regarding the benefits to the teacher of successfully explaining concepts to others.
I admit that I am curious how you intend on handling questions 29 and 30 (if at all) due to their contentious and theoretical nature; that is, there are evidently only 2 (or so) very specific tile/map configurations in the entire game where such nitty gritty LOS rules create an excessively anti-commonsense situation (IMO). In fact, my present feeling is that I would slightly bend the LOS rules in these particular situations (should they arise) to permit what I would consider to be a more "natural" LOS implementation. Nevertheless, I do appreciate Cephalofair's challenge in making a functional and consistent monster movement rules set without too many exceptions.
Thanks so much! I honestly haven't considered how I'm going to tackle that question set yet, as I'm still trying to work on the 11-20 scenarios, as well as finish up my terrain builds for my gaming group. But rest assured, I will come up with something! (And by something, I probably mean rehashing exactly what the quiz says is right, since I am but a lowly player and not a rules scholar)
I thought on question 7 11:58 a ranged attacker stays put if it's movement doesn't bring it closer. It's current location is 3 hex away. Where you moved it is also 3 hex away. This is the same logic that stopped the inox moving in question 2 4:25
Good question. The ranged attacker is trying to get closer to a hex from where it could perform its current attack, which is not exactly the same as just moving closer to the enemy model. The only location where an attack can be performed with a range two attack is the hex above the obstacles, two hexes away, so that's the target hex the monster is now trying to get to. There is one path that gets the monster to that hex, so the monster will move towards that hex as far as possible with its current movement this round. Even though it's not any closer to the actual enemy model, the object of the monster's movement wasn't to reach the monster itself, but to reach the hex where it can perform its attack, and it is now two hexes closer to that space at the end of its movement.
Very well made video and a great chance to recap the rules to get into Gloomhaven again. Thank you, Lambo!
Excellent explanation! i like it
And i like ur paiting collection, really cool.
Thanks so much! I appreciate the compliments.
This is going to be super useful knowledge for my next play
I only got 2 or 3 correct
Glad it helped! I wasn't very good either initially.
Very helpful. Great examples to bring the nuances to life.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Terrific video! I had taken the boardgamegeek monster AI quiz and done horribly bad. Your explanations have really helped. Thanks! PS Your terrain is fantastic
Thank you so much! I'm glad you found the video helpful.
Not even done watching this yet, but I had to comment that I laughed out loud when Luke showed up on the screen. Very good.
Cheers, getting to grips with the rules currently having just started playing. This will help immensely.
Awesome. Best of luck to you!
Extremely helpful visual recap, explanation and demonstration...thank you!
Happy to help!
Thank you so much. Our group is on scenario 5 and this will be very helpful for making sure we are following the right AI rules! I’ll be watching more vids from you soon!
Glad you liked the video and found it useful. I'll be getting more content out in the next month, my work schedule has been very busy recently.
Very informative and entertaining video, mate. Thanks for making it.
You're quite welcome, glad you liked it!
Amazing! Just started playing and learned a lot from this and the basic ai videos.
Awesome, glad you found it helpful. I've learned a lot as I've made them as well.
Very very interesting, thank you very much! I am discovering a lot of mistakes I did!
Got all 10 correct, my party just at Prosperity 2 :)
Nicely done! Much better than I when I was at Prosperity 2.
Thank you, very enlightening!
Btw, a tutorial on how to paint a fire demon just like that would be amazing. He looks epic!
Glad you liked it. I'll try and put together a quick tutorial on how I did that.
Nice video. Love your figures and sets too.
I'm just learning the rules, so a quick query ...
Questions 8, 9 and 10. The Tinkerer is already in range and requires a movement of zero, the Cragheart is also in range, but requires a movement of 1 to avoid disadvantage. Since "A monster will focus on the enemy figure it can perform its current attack against using the least amount of movement.", surely that means the Tinkerer is the primary target not the Cragheart ? If so that would change the resultant move in some cases.
🤔
Thanks for the kind words. Regarding your question, the monster with a range 2 attack can already attack either the Cragheart or the Tinkerer without moving, because they are both within range already. To follow the first rule which you cited doesn't require the monster to move in order to conduct an attack on either target, only to lose disadvantage. The reason the monster focuses the Cragheart over the Tinkerer is because when more than one enemy is already in range of a current attack, you must check other factors to see which one is the priority.
"In the case
where the monster can move the same number of spaces to get within range... of multiple enemy figures (e.g., because it starts its turn within range of multiple enemies), proximity from the monster’s current position... is then checked as a tie-breaker for determining “closest" (p. 29).
Therefore the Cragheart, being adjacent to the monster is "closest" and therefore primary focus over the Tinkerer, who is 2-hexes away. The monster then follows the rule about losing disadvantage on its primary focused target, which is why the monster steps away, but this is done as an afterthought to selecting enemy focus, which always happens first.
Hopefully that clears things up.
@@LambosNerdery
Morning, and thanks for the very prompt reply. 👍🏼 I was expecting to have to wait months !!
Yes that clarifies perfectly thanks; we're basically saying that we don't consider disadvantage when targeting, only when moving/attacking.
I guess that is consistent, as we don't consider other factors like shields, retaliate etc when targeting either.
Also probably better thematically; the monster wouldn't be attracted by a character across the room if Ratty Boi was stood next to it about to chop its head off.
Look forward to your video showing how you get all those great miniatures and scenery pieces back into the Gloomhaven box 😂
Great work !!
Definitely spot on, on the "every scoundrel ever"
I got 9 out of 10! Woo!
thankyou. extremely helpful!
Glad you like it.
I learned monsters will run all a room to get to an attack space without realizing that ally monster will die before they get there.
First of all, thank you for this video and the one before it explaining stuff. I haven't played in over a year and needed a refresher.
Question, why does the monster move in Q5 when he didn't in Q4? I'll rewatch it but it seems like a similar situation where infinite movement he could get to the enemy, but doing so would harm him.
He doesn't get closer in Q4 and he is even further away in Q5. I dont get why they're treated differently.
In Q4, the monster stays put because there is a movement path that takes him to a space where he can attack the enemy without stepping on a trap. That path is straight through his two allies, 3 hexes to the right. If the monster had a movement of 3, he could make it. Since there is a path that can be traveled without hitting traps, the monster will not go through the trap. However, the monster doesn't have enough movement this turn to clear his two allies, so he stays put.
In Q5, there is only one space where the monster could attack his enemy in melee, and that is the space to the right of the Spellweaver. The space to the left is occupied by another monster, so it can't be treated as a destination for Monster 1, it's basically as if the Spellweaver were surrounded by obstacles on all sides but the right (from Monster 1's point of view with only a melee attack). Monsters can walk through their allies, but can't occupy the same space as allies, so the monster needs to find a space where it can attack its focus and try to get there, which means Monster 1's destination is now the space to the right of the Spellweaver. Monster 1 then finds the shortest path to get to the target space, and attempts to do so. The only path to get to the space on the right of the Spellweaver goes through the trap. Since there is no alternative, Monster 1 will step on the trap in its quest to reach the space on the right of the Spellweaver.
Omg I get it now! Thank you so much for the clarification.
@@themaster408 You're quite welcome, glad it makes sense now. I'll be the first to admit the rules aren't always the clearest thing to get right, hence why I started making these videos in the first place.
Now getting it correct in-game is another beast Haha.
Another excellent and funny video.
Thanks! I was really trying to avoid a boring rules explanation video, glad you enjoyed it.
Monsters aren't aware of their status are they? They dont know if they arr stunned or disarmed or muddled and behave or try to behave as if they have no status effects. Is what I thought at least
Helpful. Thanks
Hey there! I have a question about Question 4. The Inox would also stay put if there was NO TRAP right? The way around is 4 movement and through his friends is 3 movement so he will try the shorter way which is blocked and stays put ?
You're on the right track, but actually, the monster in fact will move if there was no trap because 2 movement around the boxes will leave the monster 2 hexes away from a space where it can attack its focus, and staying put at its current location leaves it 3 hexes away from the available space to launch an attack. "Even if a monster cannot move into attack
range, it will still use its movement to get as close as possible to its focus" (p. 30). Since 2 hexes away is closer than 3 hexes away it will move. However, if the monster only had 1 movement, it would stay put in that case even if there were no trap, because 1 hex around the top is no closer than its current location of 3 hexes away through his allies. So it all comes down to whether the monster can get closer to a hex where it could attack its focus. If the end result is closer than where it currently is (as defined by the shortest possible path to the target location), the monster will move.
Loved it!
#3. The answer is different in the Jaws Of The Lion game. Tiebreaker is initiative there. Are they different rules or did JOTL change the GH rules?
JoTL simplified the monster AI rules and removed the 'proximity to the model' portion of the tiebreaker section. As such, these answers only apply to situations in Gloomhaven itself and not necessarily JoTL.
@@LambosNerdery so they have (slightly) different focus rules between the 2 then?
@@TheVlad1616 Correct, it's one less step in JoTL.
I find the first 12 question make sense. After that it goes downhill. Especially question 17 contractics itself imo.
I'm about to start working on a video for questions 16-20, so I suppose I will have to address that question in process. As I've said, I'm no rules expert, I pretty much just read up on what the quiz says the right answer is supposed to be and go with it.
Im not happy with the answer to question 9, although it is strictly according to the rules.
The way I'd solve the situation is to assume that the monster doesn't know if its muddled or not and thus moves as it isn't (equal to question 8) or even make it the player's choice. Turning the muddle into an "advantage" (which attacking 3 players is) is the worst, looking at it thematically.
The game isn't 100% balanced anyway, so I'm fine with making some small additions to the rules, which (in my oppinion) have only been left out to keep the compexity within a certain range.
Same counts for the tile "pillar" inside a building: We actually view them as "walls", not as obstacles. (no line of sight, no jump/flight through), because again I'm sure the only reason pillars are treated like any other obstacle by the rules is to reduce the complexity (or to keep the amount of different tile types low).
Don't get me wrong. I'm not arguing with this quiz and really appreciate its existence and this video. But I also just want to make the game even more enjoyable. ;)
Christ, after all this time I still hate figuring out wtf monsters are going to do in Gloomhaven.
I wish the Gloomhaven AI had a “unless performing that action would kill it” clause when it comes to traps and hazardous terrain movement
That's a really good idea for a rule improvement, maybe Frosthaven will incorporate something like when its released. I know our party tries to take advantage of the monster's ignorance as often as possible when maneuvering around traps. That would certainly change up fights.
Fabulous quiz. Thank you. I actually starting arguing with you on a few of them, and then found your explanation reasonable. I appreciate that you respond to comments as well, as I needed more clarification on #7.
Thanks! I've had several similar mental arguments with the original quiz creators as well when I took it the first time, so I totally understand your sentiment. If you have any further
questions feel free to post and I'll see what I can do to provide clarification.
i must say:
I never played this game, i never read the manual but i answered every question in the correct way... how? thanks to youtube :D ahha
Can you do another with some funky unique scenarios? Like if player 1 has 3 hexes that are not walls by them (in bottom right corner) and 2 spots have a monster. (Bottom/left and middle) and the top one is a trap. There is another player, player 2, above player 1,4 spaces above.
There is then a meelee monster left of player 1, say 3 hexes. Would he still focus player 1 and a) walk on trap,b) stop 2 left of the player 1 ( behind other enemy) or target player 2 who it cannot reach?
Then same question if he can reach player 2. In both scenarios, player 1 is physically closer and has 3 hexes that are occupied by monster,monster, trap.thanks
I still have plans to work my way through the remainder of the Rules Quiz questions in the near future, and then I can consider doing videos of more unique scenarios. Regarding your particular scenario, I must admit it is difficult to visualize without an image of the map depicting your question, so I'm not sure of the correct answer at this time.
@@LambosNerdery this has been a huge help. gloom.aluminumangel.org/
is the terrain all 3d printed from thingiverse or somewhere? or is there a specific site that has it?
I use terrain from a variety of sources, depending on which level I have built. In the past I have used Hirst Arts plaster casts, and 3D print files from places like Printable Scenery or Thingiverse. Most recently, my builds primarily consist of Talisman Sabre Terrain (www.talismansabreterrain.com). In the video descriptions for my scenario builds which you can find on my channel you can get a full rundown of the terrain I have used and their origins.
Or you could ignore the clunky rules and do what makes sense instead. If players disagree about what makes sense roll a dice. Highest number decides what the monster does...
You're not wrong. As a general rule I try to avoid looking up minor rules during the game, becuae I feel like it inturrupts gameplay, and we just do what we think makes sense. However, I still think there's value in learning the rules so all of us on the same page. Ultimately, you do whatever makes you and your group happy.
Need tutorials on how to make these please
I've been considering perhaps doing a tutorial or two on some form of Gloomhaven terrain, even though I think there are already many fantastic tutorials available on RUclips put out by far-better terrain makers than I. Is there something in particular you think would be most useful or you'd like to see tackled first? I'm very open to input.
@@LambosNerdery I have never done anything like this but after seeing yours, i want to. I would love to see a basics video on what materials you use, how you get everything to fit together so well, things like that. Perhaps you could make a series out of it where you get into the more advanced stuff.
@@altf4thc I will start looking into doing up some tutorials, but it will probably take me a bit to get something ready. Stay tuned!
you know what dude, just fak it ...we ll try to follow the rules to the letter but if it doesnt mnake sense we ll do whatever we like
I actually agree with this wholeheartedly, especially during a game. I don't like stopping the game flow to comb through a rule book in an attempt to make sure we're doing minor things correctly. I say in-between game sessions is the time to learn the finer points of the rules (like watching a certain series of Monster AI - Rules Quiz videos), and during the game just do whatever makes the most sense.
The ai is so clunky. I got all of these correct and still made a mistake in a more complicated scenario in a game.
Yeah, the AI definitely isn't perfect, but I think the enjoyment my group and I gets out of playing it is well worth the minor hassle in our opinions. Our rule for in-game issues is to not worry too much about complex situations at the moment and just do what makes sense, and then we can look up the rules and figure out what was supposed to have happened later.
It's really awful tho with this level of painting done to miniatures. Often the case the miniatures blend together too much with the backgrounds. Your eyes are not able to really have all that is important highlighted. Quick glances cannot tell what is going on anywhere. You have to look and figure out way too much what is what.
Some of these cought me out so thanks for the information.
Glad to help!
I did better than I thought , started gloomhaven 1 week ago and got 9/10 . I feel like I achieved something
Nicely done! I was definitely not that proficient one week into playing Gloomhaven.
@Rainedragon. Don't worry I'm sure you'll get there. I've been playing g for two days and got all ten right.
Those were very helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
Terrain looks fantastic but for the purposes of the demonstration it really detracts from the clarity of the illustration at times
So why does the Inix move in the first scenarios if he can’t move in the third if no mater where he goes he can’t attack??
I really needed this, thank you, man! can't wait to see the next video about the remaining questions
Glad you found it useful!
I was a bit flummoxed by question 5 considering the answer to question 4, but then I realised that in question 4 he just needs to shift further forward, but in question 5 there is no space. He's not going to wait for his ally to die in order to move forward. He wants for them to both attack at once, which means he needs to go around (which means he goes through the trap). Interesting.....
Sorry to be so off topic but does anybody know of a method to log back into an instagram account?
I stupidly forgot the account password. I would love any help you can offer me.
@Remington Easton Instablaster =)
@Bradley Eddie I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site through google and I'm in the hacking process now.
Takes a while so I will reply here later with my results.
@Bradley Eddie it did the trick and I now got access to my account again. Im so happy!
Thank you so much you really help me out !
@Remington Easton you are welcome xD
Hi, great explanations to this complex topic. I believe I got clarity in all situations but in the simplest one. Q2, will it be different if the monster have move 2? The shortest path to an melee space will still be ocuppied but Moving to on side will put the monster closest even though not using the shortest path. Whats the answer then? Stay put or move paralell to the other monsters?
With movement 2 the monster would side-step its allies because as you point out it will leave the monster closer to its focused enemy (2 hexes away vs. the current 3 hexes away). Page 30 states "Even if a monster cannot move into attack
range, it will still use its movement to get as close as possible to its focus." The staying put rule applies when movement will still leave the monster the same number of hexes away or more from a viable attack space versus where it currently is given infinite movement. If the monster can move and end up closer to a space to attack from, it will move. So the questions to ask yourself when performing monster movement are:
-What is the shortest path to attack a monster? (3 hexes in this case)
-If I have to deviate because of allies or something else, how many spaces away will I end up in order to attack a monster?
If the answer is not less than the first answer (3), stay put, if it's less, move.
Frosthaven Ai monsters move the same.
IT looks that Q10 Is going against your explanation from your previous video where you described ranged attack with disadvatage (time 14:00)... According that video, movement should be on f to fully attack two players and lose disadvantage... Could you please describe the differences?
I'm not seeing a discrepancy between Q10 and the example in the previous video, but let's walk through both examples and see if we can clear things up for you.
"A monster will... move away from its focused enemy until it can perform (a) ranged
attack without Disadvantage. When forced to choose, a monster will prioritize losing Disadvantage on its focused enemy over maximizing its attack on secondary targets" (Rulebook p. 30).
So, the order of operations for ranged attacks, disadvantage, and multiple targets is:
1) Pick primary focus
2) Lose disadvantage
3) Maximize the attack
In the Basics video at 14:00 the example shows a monster with 1 movement adjacent to an enemy (its focus). Even though that monster has target 2, it picks its focus first (the adjacent enemy), and steps away to lose disadvantage (a priority according to the rules). Attempting to stay in range of a second target would leave the monster adjacent to its focused enemy (Disadvantaged), so it moves away to attack its focused enemy without Disadvantage instead of attacking a second target.
In Q10 in this video, the monster (a Flame Demon w/ flying) is adjacent to an enemy (the Cragheart, its focus), and has 2 movement, target 3. So the monster must:
1st: Move to lose disadvantage on the focused enemy (the Cragheart)
2nd: Attempt to maximize the attack (attack 2 other targets if possible).
Spaces E, F, and its current space are all still adjacent to its focused enemy, so the monster will not move/stay on any of those spaces. The monster can lose Disadvantage on its focus (the Cragheart) on spaces A, B, C, and the Trap space. With target 3, only the Trap space allows the monster to both lose Disadvantage on its focused enemy (the Cragheart), and still attack 2 other targets. It will end up attacking with Disadvantage against the Tinkerer, but the Tinkerer is not the focused enemy, the Cragheart is, so the monster prioritizes losing Disadvantage against the Cragheart over secondary targets. Since the monster has flying it ignores the negative hex condition of traps and will move to the trap space in order to lose Disadvantage on the Cragheart and still attack 2 other targets.
Hope that helps clear things up!
Question 4 is like 5 but why does the monster not stay put? On 4 he is not going trough the trap but in 5. On 4 there are two hexes two attack from but one is blocked by allies and the other is blocked by the trap?
In Q4, the only space to attack the Scoundrel from is the hex above it. There is an available path to reach the Scoundrel without going through the trap, it just requires Movement 3, through both Inox allies and landing adjacent to the Scoundrel. When there is another path that exists, monsters will not step on a trap. It doesn't matter that the Monster doesn't have movement 3, it's going to avoid the trap and hold on to its hopes and dreams that one day it could have Movement 3 and not have to step on that trap.
In Q5, the only space to attack the Spellweaver from is located to the right of the Spellweaver, around both sets of walls, since you may not move through an enemy without jump or fly, and you may not occupy the same space as an ally in order to attack an enemy. There is no path to the only available hex except going up/down and around the walled sections of the room. Since there is no other way to reach the viable attack hex except by going around and therefore through the trap, the monster puts his big boy pants on and steps on that trap.
Good stuff... we have been doing couple of things wrong.. particularly on Q5 when monsters and characters treat enemies as obstacles! But well, that was both an advantage and a disadvantage for us so i am not that mad xD good video man! and beautiful 3D scenarios
Thanks so much, glad you found the video helpful!
Doesnt question 4.contradict 5? It is said that he stayd put in q4 because the legal hex he could attack from is currently occupied by an ally.
However in q5 he takes trap damage to pursue the rearward legal hex despite an ally occupying a hex he could attack from.
Anyone pelasw help my head hurts haha😅
In question 4 the monster is trying to reach the space adjacent to the Scoundrel to attack it. There is a path for the monster to follow that leads it to that space avoiding the trap (a negative hex) by walking through its allies, but it requires a movement of 3 to reach it this round. Because a path does exist, but the monster just lacks sufficient movement to reach the space, the monster will always avoid the trap space, and in this case not move since it can't get any closer to its focus.
In question 5 the monster is again trying to reach a space adjacent to its focus, the Spellweaver in order to attack. The only available space this round is the space adjacent to the right of the Spellweaver. Since that is the only space where the monster can attack from this round, it will move along the shortest path to get there. The only path that takes it to that space this round must pass through the trap, so in this case because there is no other path that takes the monster to where it needs to go in order to attack, it will pass through the trap.
The difference between the two questions is that there is no other path available in question 5, but in question 4 there is a path that avoids the trap, its just the monster doesn't have enough movement to get through its allies, so it stays put.
Hopefully that helps.
@@LambosNerdery
Thanks mate just got confused with legal hex pathways, thanks so much for the reply
Sir, i see that you have been taught how to nerd well. Your nerd skills are impressive...most impressive. Thank you so much. I haven't played this in months. I gotta get back into it. What are the other boxes in the background?
Gooood. Use your nerd-like feelings. Let the nerd flow through you.
As far as background boxes go, you'll probably need to be more specific. Are you referring to miniature terrain boxes I use as dungeon scatter?
Excellent explanations. Just started playing Gloomhaven and this will help a bunch!
Thank you! Glad you found it helpful.
This was a premium experience. Liked and subscribed.
Thank you very much, glad you liked it!
Thank you very much for summarizing this!
Definitely learned a lot.
Playing "Jaws of the Lions" with a friend, we argue from time to time where the enemies would go (and who the focus would be) and this might even make some scenarios easier now, as we sometimes played the enemies "too smart" (though, also sometimes a bit dumb :D )
Glad you found it useful! My group has been the victim of helping the monsters out on more than one occasion as well.
Ok, dang, I'm confused. On question 4, since it's only 3 spaces through his buddies to reach its focus, wouldn't the guard stay put even if the trap wasn't there? I mean, even if it moved to the trap space, it wouldn't bring him any closer than the theoretical shortest route. Seriously, I know I'm missing something.
Edit: nevermind, I think I figured it out. I forgot the guard can move 2, so moving one step past the trap would actually bring it closer. But just to make sure, I have it right now?
Yes, because the monster has movement 2, assuming the trap wasn't there, going up and around would bring the monster closer than it's current position. It stays put in this scenario because a non-trap path exists (ruling out going through the trap altogether), but lacks sufficient movement to clear its allies.
@@LambosNerdery thanks!
You are right, your terrains are cool looking. Good job! Also, great video, well done and easy to understand.
Thanks so much!
great video. Thanks for taking the time to make it simple and beautiful!
Glad you liked it!
In any instance where the player chooses where to place the monster wouldn't it make more sense to flip a coin or roll a die to determine where the monster goes in order to avoid bias? Or should the player still just choose where the monster goes. An example of this would be question 1. By flipping a coin you could determine whether it moves left or right.
According to the rules on page 32:
"AMBIGUITY: If the rules ever make any monster action ambiguous because there are multiple viable hexes to which the monster could move, multiple equally viable targets to heal or attack, or multiple hexes a monster could push or pull a character into, the players must decide which option the monster will take."
You're free to play it however you see fit, and if coin-flipping is your preferred manner of deciding in cases of ambiguity, then by all means do it.
@@LambosNerdery Alrighty, thanks for the awesome quizzes and response! I'm getting my copy of Gloomhaven on Christmas this year and these have given me a great understanding of how the monster AI works. ⛄👍 Can't wait to have my friends be completely shocked when I tell them something like "this monster is actually staying where it is this turn" like in question 2 😂
zombicide model !
What is the difference between question 4 and 5? Why does the monster stay put in question 5 while there is another way, and why does the monster act and activate the trap in question 5, because there was another way? I'm really puzzled here..
In question 4 the monster has a path to reach an unoccupied hex where it can conduct its current attack (melee) without crossing over the trap, therefore the monster will treat the trap as a negative hex and not step on the it this turn. This path would take it though its allies and land adjacent to the Scoundrel, but requires 3 movement to reach that space. Since the monster does not have 3 movement this round, but the path avoiding a trap exists all the same, the monster stays put since it cannot advance any further along that path this round.
In question 5 the only path to reach a space where the monster can conduct its current attack (melee) is to walk all the way around the walls, going through the trap in the process. Since there is no other path to reach that space, in this case the monster will step on the trap, but only because no other path exists to a space where it can attack from. You mention in your comment that there is another way, but you may be thinking of the space currently occupied by the ally of the monster. Since that space is already taken, the monster can't use that space for targeting the enemy, and is therefore seeking to reach a space where it can attack from. The only space that allows the monster to attack from that isn't already occupied is the one on the opposite side of the Spellweaver, through the trap.
Hopefully that helps.
@@LambosNerdery Wow dude. Thnx for your fast and extended reply, this helps a lot. Much appreciated.
Great job on the 3D printing and painting. Tbh; I'm jealous I'm not in your friendzone 😆
@@SuurbleR Thanks so much for the kind words!
Thanks for the video. I stick better in my mind when seeing it on the table.
I'm the same way, where it's easier for me to remember something once I can see it as opposed to just reading about it.
Question 2 and some of the other ones confuse me. Monsters can move through each other as long as they dont land on a tile thats already occupied at the end of their movement. So being three tiles away monster 1 could still get in range. What am I misunderstanding?
In Q2 the monster is 3 hexes away from the nearest hex where it can conduct an attack (through the hexes occupied by its allies to the empty hex adjacent to the hero). With only 1 movement, moving to either side of its ally leaves it still 3 hexes away from the target hex, because it is sidestepping an ally instead of traveling down the shortest path (through its ally). Because where the monster has to end its 1 movement is no closer by hex space count than where it started (3 hexes to the target space) it will not move. If the monster had 2 movement it would move around the ally because then it would end up 2 hexes away, which is closer than where it started. It only doesn't move on this turn because its movement is 1 hex, there is a path of 3 hexes to its target (the first 2 hexes being occupied by allies), and sidestepping 1 hex still leaves it 3 hexes away.
@@LambosNerdery aw, I see. I thought it had 3 movement. My confusion. Thank you!
@@vayneglory655 you're welcome, glad that helped!
Extremely useful, thanks! Clears up a couple questions from the last scenario I played.
For question 5, wouldn't the monster stay put? Moving to the trap puts them farther from the attack hex, not closer. Unless "closer" is defined as further along the path to eventually get to the space, but page 31 of the rulebook has a similar example and the enemy stays put.
Closer does mean closer in terms of legal movement hexes based on the attack the monster has, not physical proximity. Since the monster in this example only has a melee attack, it must find a path to a space where it can perform its attack, and attempt to get to that space. Because the space immediately adjacent to it is occupied by an ally, that space is not a legal space where it can perform its attack this turn, so it in effect treats that space as an obstacle for this round. There is an unoccupied space on the other side of the monster with a path to get there, so the monster must travel along that path as far as it can in this round, and will step on the trap because there is no other path to reach the unoccupied space to attack the enemy without doing so.
The difference between this scenario and the example you refer to on page 31 is that the space where the monster could attack the focused enemy in that example is not occupied by an ally, but a space along the shortest route is, by an allied monster. Monsters can travel through their allies, just not occupy the same space at the end of their movement. So, the shortest path is calculated going through the ally, and since moving diagonally around the ally with one movement does not get it any closer to the enemy, he stays put.
400th subscriber right here!
Oooo man!!! I salute you Dustin!
Is there a checklist for monster AI movement/attacks? Great video. Love it
Extremely helpful visual recap, explanation and demonstration...thank you!
You're welcome, glad you liked it.
Awesome! Thanks.
Thank you very much. This clarifies so much!
Glad you found it useful!
Great explanation. Thanks mate
You're quite welcome!
Great job with the video.
Thank you very much!
In question 5 wouldn't the living corpse move 3 hexes straight ahead and attack the character from the back?
Not unless the Living Corpse had the Jump or Fly abilities, which it does not in this case. "Figures (characters and monsters) can move through allies, but cannot move through enemies or obstacles" (Rulebook Page 19). Since the Spellweaver is an enemy of the Living Corpse, it cannot move through her to attack her from behind.