Frostknave Part 2

As Whiskey Priest introduced the other week, nearly the full set of WiPsters are heading to Ireland in the near future for fun, games, manhugs and beer. Peer pressure being what it is, we have all committed to a Frostgrave extravaganza.

In this post, myself (axiom) and cheetor will reveal all behind our respective Frostgrave warbands.

Sorcerers of Pan Tang by axiom

I'm very fond of the old Pan Tang models produced by Citadel under licence in the late 1980s, in fact I've got a whole case of them for some potential future project. If you're not familiar with Pan Tang, then you need to check out the Elric novels by Michael Moorcock, and read up on a self-obsessed, chaos-worshipping, upstart human race!

Frostgrave seemed like a good opportunity to delve into the collection, and make a start on some of the models. I've tried to mix Pan Tang models, with aesthetically similar models from Warhammer ranges, all with a vague nod to Persian/middle-eastern stylings. My wizard (hat and pointy shoulder pads) and apprentice (arm-waver) are both classic Citadel models. The apprentice is Theleb K'aarna, the Pan Tangian sorcerer straight out of the Eternal Champions 'Personalities' range. The wizard himself is a carefully selected C-Series Warhammer wizard who seemed to fit the bill.

The whole motley crew is sourced from a variety of ranges. The tiger is from the Pan Tang range, and will be representing a Snow Leopard animal companion. The tiger will be accompanied by his bare-footed handler (representing a thief). The figure is actually an unreleased Pan Tangian tiger handler.





After reading about the mechanics of the game, I knew I needed a couple of ranged fighters. My pair of archers are both Citadel figures - the one with the headscarf is a Chaos thug, while the chap with the furry hat is a slightly modified Citadel AD&D hobgoblin.

Finally, I've included a quartet of close-quarter fighters. The fine looking chap resting his hand on his massive sword is a Pan Tang officer (again by Citadel), masquerading as a treasure hunter with that important faster move. The lad atop the broken pillar (above) in a Gimli-style pose is my infantryman, using an ancient Citadel pre-slotta Chaos warrior.

My last two models (shield and scimitar / axe and sword) are a pair of thugs, both Pan Tangians from Citadel's surprisingly large Pan Tang infantry range. I know thugs shouldn't have shields...but I'm sure we can cope in game!

The Summoning wasn't going that well...

And now it's over to cheetor!

Shonen Knives by cheetor

The "local" Creeps that I game with are fantasy enthusiasts.  Generally Im more turned on by sci-fi, but in a heartwarming display of magnanimity, I decided to throw them a Frostgrave shaped bone.  Im loveable like that.

Frostgrave looked like a good way for me to start a fantasy project and see where it took me.  It also allowed the lads to get their teeth into some fantasy miniatures and games after a prior year or so of sci-fi.

I remembered that I had some old Citadel ninja models in a “TMNT Project" box.  Ninja straddle genres even better than zombies, fitting into fantasy, sci-fi, modern, superhero and even (sort of) historical games.  That made ninja an easy choice for the project, as I could use them in games even if my fantasy phase didnt last.

Early on I added a couple of obviously Orientally themed Chaos Warriors to represent Templars (and a less Orientally themed figure to feature as a Knight).  

Around this point I became certain that there were very many feudal/mythological Japanese themed miniatures that I wanted to include in the project.  That also meant that the project would outgrow my Frostgrave requirements quickly.  Watching the Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, 47 Ronin, Samurai Jack, Five Elements Ninja etc, etc over a short period will do that to a guy.

With some time available before I needed to be able to field a force in a game, I just decided to paint miniatures that I liked the look of for now.  It allowed me to play around with the palette that I had set, knowing that eventually all of the models would be of future use in games anyway.

That process helped me to decide how the colour scheme would work across different sorts of models and textures.

Then a discussion with the Creeps led to the idea of painting dragons, so I decided to paint a Celestial Dragon in the same scheme.  The donation of a Clan Wars “Bride of Fu Leng” model by Captain Crooks ended up a fun way to incorporate the idea of a shape changing magic user into the game.

SHAZAM!

To reference the 47 Ronin (2013) movie I painted her to look like she may be morphing into the dragon that I had previously painted.  Even better, the Illusionist school of magic that had been suggested to me as being a good way to represent tricky ninja types also features a pair of spells that affect the caster: “Beauty” and “Monstrous Form”.  A model of a character half attractive woman, half monster was satisfyingly appropriate.

Another donated model - this time a Hasslefree figure from Antipixi - slotted in perfectly as an apprentice.  Possibly the sort of Apprentice that stabs her master in the back in the third act - the "Starscream" of the piece, if you will.

At this stage I have more than enough models painted for a few games of Frostgrave.  Im hoping to get a couple more painted before the upcoming big meet up, so what is shown in the fist photo may not quite be the precise line up that I use, but it will be close.

Frostknave Part 1

As we are such a bunch of lonely saddoes, we Wipsters have to go to extreme lengths on order to get some games of mini-men pushing in. 

In our latest globe trotting effort we are all heading to Ireland to be regaled with local legends, drink several kidney's worth of alcohol, gingerly manhug each other and principally to gate crash a board game convention. We've already discussed the mornings RT shenanigans (I'm manfully attempting to get more mooks painted) but in the afternoon and into the evening we are planning to pop our collective Frostgrave Cherry. Hopefully our familiarity with the rules will keep pace with our level of inebriation and we'll all have a great time and win some games.

With this in mind we have been feverishly painting our Warbands ready for that fateful weekend, you will already have seen Mr Saturday's burgeoning deadites and now it's time for me and the Assless one to show you what we've got and why we decided to pick, not only the figures but the henchman for our warbands.

Boltgraaaavvveeee!!! Who needs snow?

April is advancing upon us. A good proportion of our merry band of bloggers, including myself, will be playing some toy soldier games, including one that I hear is rather popular these days. That's right, Frostgrave.

I know some of you fine folks can look at some written rules, and instantly understand the game mechanics. Not me. I have to play the thing to understand how it works. And I really want to make sure that in April, I'm not the simpleton who has no grasp of how to play Frostgrave.

Happily, my good friend Graham agreed to learn the game with me. Except I hadn't finished painting my warband. And Graham doesn't have any fantasy miniatures. Damn!

"What if," I asked Graham "we just use some 40k figures?"

"You mean, play a game of Boltgrave?" Graham replied.

"I like it!" I said.

Playing Boltgrave

Long ago the great city of Boltstad sat at the centre of the Imperium. Its towering industrial flues, labyrinthine slums, and immense data-libraries were the wonder of the age...

If you change the focus, tweak the lenses, and look left instead of right, you can easily flip from the snowy fantasy ruined city of Frostgrave, to the darkly gothic setting of the 41st millennium. Wizards can become psykers. Fighters and soldiers can become...um...fighters and soldiers. Pistols become very close range (i.e. combat only), exotic heavy weapons become bows or crossbows. Pretty neat if I say so myself!

Don't believe me? Here's my 'Wizard' and her warband, masquerading as a pair of Astropaths and their Adeptus Arbites escort:

Alternatively, if gribbly subversive alien cults are more your thing (and why wouldn't they be with Deathwatch Overkill on the horizon), here's another 'Wizard' and his warband, masquerading as a Genestealer Coven:



Additional 'Archer' and 'Man-at-arms' not pictured.

Frostgrave - Deadite Warband #1

Ah, my inaugural post for Scale Creep. In such august company one can only be inspired to new heights of hobby endeavour. Hopefully Crooks won't be hiding dildo links all over the post.

The scamp.

With several of the Wipsters/Creeps building warbands for an upcoming series of games, Frostgrave is back dominating my painting desk and has produced another member for the Deadite warband, Ser Rigorous, former knight of the realm, now slave to the Necronomicon's evil. Despite his best efforts to maintain his gear, age and rust has crept onto Rigorous' arms and armour. Still, he's lost none of his skill, and being an ensorcelled slave to a Kandarian sorcerer isn't all bad. Mostly.

With the Kandarian and my captain also on the painting table, I'll soon be getting close to a field-able warband. The coins get spent pretty quickly on a new warband, especially when the captain takes a hefty bite out of the hoard. He better perform, I'm expecting no less than for him to take me forth into that castle. For now though, here's the ragged bunch so far.

As I say, there are several other warbands from my excellent compadres in construction at the moment, all rather tremendous, so I'm sure they'll be appearing on Scale Creep soon.