Thursday 1 October 2015

Frostgrave - Game 1 (The Keep)

So I finally got a game of Frostgrave at the club. Really enjoyed the game despite the apparent randomness of the scenario. Sorry about the slightly weird finish to the images - new tablets camera isn't great.

I don't have the warband lists available but mine was made up as such;
The Keep

Baldr the Enchanter
Hjalgrim (His apprentice)
Tracker
Archer
Crossbowman
Infantryman
Thug x 2
Thief
Warhound

Advancing through the ruins.
I figured that with no-one boosted up etc it would be best to go for quantity rather than quality and then using my ranged fighters combined with the Grenade spell I'd sit back and see how it went. With "The Keep" scenario dictating there would only be 6 treasure on the table I also figured that I'd just try and keep the treasure on table whilst other warbands were whittled down whilst I tried to learn my spells and abilities. My Man of the Match was definitely my Infantryman - despite being blinded he managed to get his treasure off table and with random swings of his Halberd decapitated 2 enemy soldiers!

It kind of worked - I mean I had few casualties (except for my wizard who was glowing and hit by many arrows and spells). And both him and my wiped out thug fully recovered. And I got a treasure off.

To be honest I would make a few changes to how we played. I think the long range sniping and some of the horrendous area effect attacks would be reduced in potency if we really made it claustrophobic - narrow streets and ruins really closed up - I think this would also add to the usefulness of the more subtle magic schools.

I also think players need to more play it as the game intends - its a raid to get as much treasure and knowledge as possible - NOT a wargame to defeat the opposition in battle per say.

My warband was intact after rolling, I'd gained 140 exp, 50gc, 2 Scrolls. I've decided not to purchase anything for now and my level up has been used to improve my grenade spell by 1 (as its my only offensive spell).

Alternative perspective from Roger (who played an Illusionist) as well as his results:

"My warband was well beaten up. Most of the casualties came from archery and elemental balls, but ultimately I only lost one dead thug. In compensation, my wizard gained 80 experience, 40gc and some Boots of Speed.

I’m still pondering my insights, but there is a definite trade-off between keeping your warband together for efficiency of activation and vulnerability to area-effect spells. Elemental Ball was particularly devastating, taking out my apprentice who was completely hidden from the caster behind a building at the time. After that, my ability to respond to events was severely curtailed.

Also, multiple players makes for a very chaotic and brutal game. With four warbands in such a small space it was so long between phases that it was almost impossible to develop any strategy other than simply reacting to events, and quite possible to be simply overwhelmed without having any chance to respond.  No problem with that per se, but if we were playing a long campaign I wouldn’t want most of the games to be like that.

But I enjoyed it as a first time out, and will certainly come back for more!"