Frostgrave campaign #1 - Getting started

Frostgrave is big news around 2016. A simple fantasy skirmish wargame using d20s as a base for all rolls, it is wildly erratic and in turns both demoralising and euphoric. Each player (2-many) plays the role of a Wizard, who is usually accompanied by an Apprentice and a selection of the area's finest mercenaries, from low-lives such as Thugs and Thieves, to noble Templars, Knights and Rangers.

The really nice aspect to this game for me, and probably to many hybrid role-players/wargamers is the low set up cost. The rule book is £14.99/$24.95 rrp (I managed to win the 'Miserly Yorkshireman' award and buy a shop-soiled copy for £12 ;)). Added to that, you need 3'x3' to play in (check), a selection of city ruin terrain (check, all that 40k stuff that never gets used any more), and miniatures to represent your forces - painted, of course (check). So that will be an entire new miniatures game for £12, you say? I'll take it!

So on to the campaign. There are three of us for our regular Tuesday night games, myself, Charles and Oli. The campaign will only be 3 player games - it's unfair for one player to miss out if the others have an extra crack at xp and treasure. 

Standard setup. We decided to play criticals do double damage at least for the first game.

Here are the warbands.

Greblord: Fapdalf's Foragers (7)

L-R: Fapdalf, Sheena, Bark, Snorri, Dark, Glopnir, Dave

Wizard: Fapdalf. Chronomancer.

Apprentice: Sheena

Archer: Bark

Knight: Dark

Infantryman: Snorri

Tracker: Glopnir

Thug: Dave

Charles: Theven tholicious thcribes from thaetharea (As named by Oli) (7)

L-R: Thithifuth, Theptathemia, Thoothan, Thethelia, Thirruth, Thethill, Ther Thirill

Wizard: Thithifuth. Sigilist
Apprentice: Theptathemia
Tracker: Thoothan
Thug: Thethelia
Treasure hunter: Thirruth
Thief: Thethill
Knight: Ther Thirill

Oli: The Reliqueeries (9)

L-R: Acquisitor Gloate, Tithecounter Teeleef, Wahn, Tooh, Thrie, Wonn, Tu, Uno, Doss.
A shortage of painted crossbowmen meant two partial paintjobs snuck in.

Wizard: Acquisitor Gloate. Thaumaturgist
Apprentice: Tithecounter Teeleef
Crossbowman: Wahn
Crossbowman: Tooh
Crossbowman: Thrie
Thief: Wonn
Thief: Tu
Infantryman: Uno
Infantryman: Doss

Fantastic names there, Oli. :)

With the forces prepared, we rolled for our first scenario and got 'The Silent Tower'. This scenario requires a tower of three levels, two adjoining towers with links to level one and two, and then a normal set up. A 3-treasure horde is atop the highest tower, four other treasures as normal. The rest of the city ruins are placed as normal. The trick in this scenario is that the three towers are anti-magical. No spells will work from or on any miniature touching the three towers. To maximise the distance between the three parties, we use a Y setup, two in corners and one in the middle of a side.

Some shots from the game:

Setup

View from the foragers' corner

The Reliqueeries advance

Fighting around the silent tower

The foragers deal with a mind controlled tracker

line of sight

The thcribes hiding behind a wall

overhead

All is silent once more

Plenty of action in and around the tower resulted in several dead and injured troops. Charles won four treasures after emerging victorious from furious fighting in the tower. Oli won 3, and I got three.
Each of the Wizards increased their level by two, except me, who only went up by one. :/