This is a brute and I've got only about half the answers. Clues are not listed as 'across' or 'down' and extra single letters are yielded by the wordplay in all clues.
After one game I express surprise about defences (9) anti?????
(I see 'antidotes'/defences, but not the rest).
You said Ken may regenerate ruin (6) u?????
Thanks for any assistance.
Ignore most of my last posting - the answer can't begin 'post' (as the answers are in alphabetical order and this clue is third in the list). It definitely begins 'a', probably begins 'an' - so I'm back to 'anti...'.
Hi begemot...just think of the classic phrase everyone associates with the main character ..it follows the same pattern (4 words all of the same length) as the setters' introduction...and leaves the grid changed but with real words (plus the character mentioned in the last sentence of the preamble). Hope that's enough.