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Author Topic: Frostgrave Newbie... (Now with added BOAT!)  (Read 8946 times)

Offline Brandlin

  • Mad Scientist
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    • Brandlin
Frostgrave Newbie... (Now with added BOAT!)
« on: July 29, 2018, 12:24:18 PM »
I am planning my first game of Frostgrave at a local club. I only downloaded and read the basic rules yesterday. I haven't rolled a dice in anger in years.

I thought the least I could do was turn up a warband planned and some figures painted to show willing.

This is my initial attempt at a warband - I realise from the rules that there is probably no such thing as 'the right way' to do this, but all comments and advice are welcome.

WAR BAND
Enchanter
Apprentice
War Hound
War Hound
Crossbow
Crossbow
Infantry
Infantry
Man-At-Arms
               
SPELLS
Enchanter Strength
Enchanter Telekinesis
Enchanter Grenade
WitchAnimal Companion (Polar Bear)
SigilistPush
ElementalistElemental Hammer
SoothsayerWizard's Eye
SummonerImp

I have chosen a Hasslefree Fantasy Dwarf theme.
WizardApprenticeCrossbow x 2
Infantry1Infantry2Dwarf At Arms

I have a couple of hounds from somewhere but I cant find pics.
Also a polar bear from ral partha that will be the animal companion making up 10 figures.

And for the imp I have a choice of these three already painted.


I think clear acrylic bases might be best in the long run, but as i dont have any at the moment i shall go with simple snow covered slotta bases.

I'm about to go put some paint on the hairy stick for the first time in years.... wish me luck!

One of the problems with dwarf figures is that they almost all have too much armour for frostgrave. So whilst I am only starting out I have chosen the infantry that have tabards so it covers most of the armour and it will have to "Counts As" leather armour. As I get more experience they will probably become Knights or Templars.

I'll post pics of painting as I go... your feedback here has always been encouraging and inspiring to complete a project..

:-)
         
« Last Edit: July 02, 2019, 03:37:25 PM by Brandlin »

Offline giles the zog

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 400
    • The Lost City of Carcosa
Re: Frostgrave Newbie...
« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2018, 08:20:48 PM »
Good luck !

I personally would swap one of the minions for a thief or thug, simply from the POV of needing someone to lug treasure off of the table.
Wandering stars, for whom is reserved, the blackness, the darkness forever.

https://thelostcityofcarcosa.com

Offline Ogrob

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1841
Re: Frostgrave Newbie...
« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2018, 08:23:25 PM »
Good luck! Be ready for some fun and frustrating failures. My only starting advice is to have ten guy to begin with.

Offline Brandlin

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  • Posts: 851
    • Brandlin
Re: Frostgrave Newbie...
« Reply #3 on: July 29, 2018, 08:44:37 PM »
Hi guys... I was sticking to 9 because i can summon the animal companion before the game starts?

Bad plan?

Offline Ogrob

  • Mastermind
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Re: Frostgrave Newbie...
« Reply #4 on: July 29, 2018, 08:52:17 PM »
Right, didn't notice that on the list. Yes, the animal companion works like a soldier and even rolls injuries like a soldier.

Offline fastolfrus

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 5247
Re: Frostgrave Newbie...
« Reply #5 on: July 29, 2018, 09:39:43 PM »
I would probably go for archer rather than crossbow. I realise this may not be easy with the dwarf themed band. But the stand still to load can be a faff.
Also agree that you want some cheap labour, thugs or thieves, to carry baggage.

Wizard eye can be a useful spell. Haven't used an enchanter before, usually take a summoner. Leap is a good summoner spell - gets you an immediate 10" move (handy for getting out of trouble or for getting treasure away).

Don't worry about armour on figures, paint it brown and tell folks it's leather. If they get sniffy about it there are plenty of historic examples of moulded leather armour that looked like metal armour. If it's a mail shirt, tell them it is old and rusty so has degraded to the point where it is only as effective as leather.
Or tell them they are a cosplay team and it's made of neoprene and has no defensive capability at all.

You might ask if you can use your dwarf crossbows as simple archers - some opponents will have no objection.
Gary, Glynis, and Alasdair (there are three of us, but we are too mean to have more than one login)

Offline pacarat

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    • pacarat.blogspot.com
Re: Frostgrave Newbie...
« Reply #6 on: July 29, 2018, 11:35:33 PM »
Looks cool, will be fun to see in action...

Offline LiamFrostfang

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Re: Frostgrave Newbie...
« Reply #7 on: July 30, 2018, 10:43:53 AM »
 :) great start...keep us posted!!!

Offline Pendrake

  • Librarian
  • Posts: 150
Re: Frostgrave Newbie...
« Reply #8 on: July 30, 2018, 01:10:27 PM »
I think clear acrylic bases might be best in the long run, but as I don’t have any at the moment I shall go with simple snow covered slotta bases.
There is such a thing in the world as a “bingo chip”.  They come in lots of translucent colours, but also in clear. The Frostgrave rules are not overly fussed about base size or even shape.  I have to wonder if 19mm round clears, by the 100 count bag, would be viable as bases.
Pendrake

Offline Brandlin

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  • Posts: 851
    • Brandlin
Re: Frostgrave Newbie...
« Reply #9 on: July 30, 2018, 02:11:25 PM »
Bingo chips hmmm... (googles and comes back) ... so basically 3/4" (19mm) flat plastic discs used for marking numbers on a bingo card... 

Might be a cheap way of buying in bulk (£2.50 for 150 i saw) but i'd have thought too narrow for many figure poses - my dwarfs might be OK.

The idea of translucent colours for different sides appeals in a way but removes from any realism for me.

Anyway I have already assembled my 10 figures and they are on standard 25mm slotta bases with flagstone texture in greenstuff and magnetised for storage and transport.

I am trying black undercoat and zenithal white highlighting for the first time. Mostly when painting lots of armour I use a black basecoat but I'd rather these figures were lighter and brighter and think that will work better against the snow/frost theme... but as I had both black and white spray  thought - lets do both!

Offline Brandlin

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    • Brandlin
Re: Frostgrave Newbie...
« Reply #10 on: July 30, 2018, 02:14:50 PM »
Fastolfrus. I have dwarves so I am sticking to crossbows to start - but i note your point, the whole stop and reload is a classic wargames issue for crossbows and dwarfs in particular. I am hoping the trade off for extra damage is worthwhile. 

I suspect I am just not going to have enough mobility in general though. Its one of the reasons i took the telekinesis spell and am wondering if i should have taken teleport and or leap too?

Offline jp1885

  • Scatterbrained Genius
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  • "An enquiring mind is sufficient qualification"
    • My Frostgrave blog
Re: Frostgrave Newbie...
« Reply #11 on: July 30, 2018, 02:26:01 PM »
Welcome to the frozen city!
Crossbowmen can be great if you can set them up in a good sniping spot. If you need some firepower on the move though, then they're a little more limited. That extra damage is useful though!
Telekinesis is a great treasure grabbing spell, but if you don't have any fast-moving soldiers like thieves or treasure-hunters, then consider changing 'imp' for 'leap' (although there's a lot to be said for dropping imps in the midst of your opponents warband!)

Offline Coenus Scaldingus

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 669
Re: Frostgrave Newbie...
« Reply #12 on: July 30, 2018, 05:21:55 PM »
Spell selection looks good to me - good variation and a lot of nice tactical options there, which really makes for the best games of Frostgrave. A well-placed Imp or Push can be such fun.

As for the warband selection, I would be tempted to drop a warhound and one of the figures costing 50 in exchange for some thieves and thugs. Figures won't typically do much once they start carrying treasure beyond moving that treasure off the board, and once they're off, they're gone for the game - as such, having some designated treasure carriers is quite useful. Getting suitable figures may be more difficult, although the chosen Dwarves could be assembled without shields perhaps to count as thugs. And there is something to be said for a Halfling thief in a company of Dwarves...

One pointer for the animal companion: if I'm not mistaken, you can choose to drop a soldier from your warband if you successfully get an animal to join you (although you cannot hire people if you fail at this stage). Having a full warband prior to the game may thus be a good idea in case the casting attempts (wizard and apprentice can both try) fail - and if you succeed, dropping a warhound or thug in exchange for a bear is a pretty good trade.
~Ad finem temporum~

Offline Brandlin

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    • Brandlin
Re: Frostgrave Newbie...
« Reply #13 on: July 30, 2018, 05:39:23 PM »
Thanks Coenus Scaldingus... 

I tried to pick spells that had a mix of directness (grenade, strength, elemental hammer) and tactics (push, telekinesis, wizards eye) to try and give me some options in play. I tried to pick a school that seemed to fit my idea of a Dwarf so it had to be enchanter really. I'm struggling in my roleplaying muscles to imagine a dwarf wizard conjuring an imp or raising a zombie... but i think i shall have to get over that quickly.

A few people have mentioned the lack of thieves of thugs. I initially went with warhounds partly because I have the models and lacked anything suitably unarmoured/armed in the HF range, but my thinking was to have some more capable soldiers coupled with the ability to throw additional models (warhounds) in to gang up against opponents. 

I may have to rethink this tactic - I hadn't considered that a) bear and hounds can't carry treasure. b) a model leaving the playign area with treasure doesn't come back and thats 50gc worht of recruitment i'm losing.

I have this Hasslefree guy and May paint him up to be a thief or thug... I quite like the "i'm on an adventure, but I am NOT leaving my pint behind" nonchalant pose he has... Maybe he is more suited to being an Apothecary in future. Surely a dwarven Apocathecary would find a way to make a Pint of Ale the cure for all ills?


It may take me a game or two to get the balance right I guess.

Ont he animal companion front - My understanding was (I think from one of the errata or QandA sections here on LAF) that the spell would fail if your ranks of soldiers were already full. In effect you have to have an open slot to summon the animal into.  That makes sense to me from a game perspective as otherwise there is no downside to the spell failing (other than the loss of the ability to cast an out of game spell before the game).
Can someone confirm which way the rule works please?
« Last Edit: July 30, 2018, 06:21:36 PM by Brandlin »

Offline Roger

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  • Posts: 107
Re: Frostgrave Newbie...
« Reply #14 on: July 30, 2018, 05:46:15 PM »
As far as bases go, I've been using 1p coins, the later ones as they are steel, tape some magnets to a piece of card , and you have a nice transportation unit,
This is very much a non WYSIWYG game, counts as works as long as everyone knows what type they are
Good luck and welcome to the madness.

Roger
You know its a good day when, you wake up and your elbows dont hit wood :)