Just to add a little to this thread. Todd F over at BGG has posted some pics of the Essentials Collection being unboxed. The outer box contains the six expansions in the original boxes that they came in.

Hmmm... looks like there's two in there I haven't picked up - Rituals and Runes being one.  I'll need to do some inventory, as at the price, it might be worth it for those. I've paid as much $20+ for a couple rare out of print small boxes.

Indeed it would be good value, even if you were only missing a couple as you say.

I nearly bought a copy of this today, even though I already own all of the expansions it contains. I guess it was a completist urge! I managed to resist though!!

Thinking about that though, if anyone does get this and will be tossing the box, I wouldn't mind getting hold of it for the price of postage

JC et al

If you do pick it up you should have enough generic "spare" cards to use with sticker paper should you wish to make any homebrew cards.

A bit destructive I know, but a good way to integrate homebrews if you don't sleeve...

Yes, I did some "re-facing" experiments in the early days of homebrewing.  But overall, the sleeve approach is so much easier.  And a few duplicates of some types of cards wouldn't hurt that much in an Adventure or Market deck... a few.

Q: Anyone know about the characters in the illustration for the Essentials main box?  Are then characters, from adventure cards, or just new as an illustration?

JCHendee said:

The illustration definitely looks familiar to me.  Perhaps it was used for a previous expansion box?  I can't put my finger on it, but I don't think it's a brand new picture.

(Oh Snap!  It's the image from the party token for Road to Legend!)

I don't think any of them are characters from any of the game, which is consistent with past box designs.  For some reason FFG seems to enjoy NOT using "real" heroes in the box art. (Descent/Altar of Despair being the notable exception.)  Possibly because box art is done up before other components are finalized?  Not sure.

Okay, thanks Steve.  Don't know Descent hardly at all, but definitely didn't recognize them from anything in Runebound.

Hmmm... wouldn't it be a nice extra for selling a future Essentials if they included 3 to 6 new characters?

JCHendee said:

Especially seeing as they already have 6 characters ready to go in plastic... all they need is the cards.

AH, you must be thinking of the infamous missing 6?

 Just wanted to say that I too was a big fan of the Essentials Collection, especially being new to RB and not having 5 of the 6 small card expansions included in it .  So I bought it, and thanks to them being packaged individually sold the one I already had on eBay.  After all was said and done I paid a mere $3.30 a piece for each of the new 5 small card expansions I added to my collection.  Even for a cheapskate like me that IS an excellent value .

Pssst... Wanna get rid of the box?