Frostgrave Portal

Feel the frost of the grave!

It's been a minute since we started this site and some of the articles in the Wargames Portal are starting to get long and hairy.  Rather than remove those links, this post will serve as our link portal directly to all our Frostgrave goodness.  

We'll do this for each game that gets enough coverage, and as we move each section into it's own portal we're going to add some additional information to each entry to make it easier to find exactly what you're looking for.


Last Entry: 1/19/2020

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• Frostgrave Articles
• Top 8 Reasons to Start Playing - (09/03/17)
• Top 10 Terrain Pieces - (09/10/17)
• Top 8 Reasons Enchanter is Best - (09/17/17)
• Top 8 Reasons Elementalist is Best - (09/24/17)
• Top 8 Reasons Illusionist is Best - (10/22/17)
• Top 8 Reasons Chronomancer is Best - (10/29/17)
• Top 8 Reasons Soothsayer is Best - (11/12/17)
• Top 8 Reasons Witch is Best - (11/26/17)
• Top 8 Reasons Thaumaturge is Best - (12/10/17)
• Top 8 Reasons Necromancer is Best - (12/31/17)
• Top 8 Reasons Sigilist is Best - (02/04/18)
• Top 8 Reasons Summoner is Best - (02/25/18)
• Building Frostgrave Low Ruins & Walls - (04/29/18)
• Frostgrave Galleries
• Enchanter Warband - (03/25/18)
• Elementalist Warband - (11/04/18)
• Snowy Tundra and Low Ruins & Walls - (05/13/18)
• The Well of Frostgrave - (06/17/18)
• Frostgrave Cemetery Walls & Gate - (10/07/18)
• Frostgrave Cemetery Graves - (11/25/18)
• Frostgrave Mausoleum - (01/13/19)
• Frostgrave Snow-Covered Forest - (01/27/19)
• Frostgrave Campaigns
• Iron Seer's Challenge - (01/19/20)

Frostgrave: The Iron Seer's Challenge

Campaign Overview

The snows melt across the tundra.  Far away, the spires of the City Under Ice can be seen as wispy shadows, gaunt in the pale skies.  Hither come the Wizards, intent on the plunder they may find.  Yet, the sun and the thaw lasts only a short while...

The journey and trials involved in visiting the City Under Ice are daunting to all but the most driven of spellcasters, but the ultimate challenge has been laid before these poor, intrepid souls.  An unknown and powerful Wizard has contacted all of our challengers in the weeks and months before, and given them each a bargain they could not refuse.  Now they arrive on the outskirts of the Frozen City.

Each has come to conquer Frostgrave and all that stands before them.  They will amass the most power, the most spells, the most powerful minions they can manage.  Twelve moons hence, they must stand before their mysterious benefactor and be judged in their bargain.  Only the most powerful of Frostgrave's Wizards will claim their prize!!

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Campaign Guide

Frostgrave:  The Iron Seer's Challenge is a long form campaign for Frostgrave.  It will take place every week in 2020, wrapping up at the end of December.  This will be the first long-form campaign for the new decade!

Each player will start with a standard warband as per the Frostgrave Rulebook.  Every so often, once a set of benchmarks has been crossed, a new set of rules will be introduced from various Frostgrave materials.  Players may recruit soldiers or use material from each supplement as it is introduced.  This progression will make sure that new players are not overwhelmed, but as the benchmarks are crossed new options will become available.

The reason for the staggered ramping is part of the Iron Seer's Challenge!  Can our players explore the entirety of the city, uncover every secret, and complete every scenario in a year's time?

We will attempt to use all the material from the current Frostgrave range, and showcase ALL the scenarios (even if individual players don't have to play every single one).  Players need time to get to grips with all this material, but 2020 will be a guided Frostgrave experience here!

At the end of the campaign, the following information will be processed to create an individual player score:

• Scenario Win Percentage in Standard and Co-Operative Games 
• Whether the player managed to cast Ascension, Lichdom or another EPIC spell.
• Wizard Level and Experience Points
• Total Vault / Base Value

However, the campaign will still not be over until the end of December!  These rules are subject to change at any time, and most likely will as new material is released.

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Warband Construction Rules

The following soldiers are available for any Wizard to hire.  Note that Legendary Soldiers other than the Captain are not immediately available at the start of the campaign.

1. Frostgrave Rulebook
• Apprentice
• Apothecary
• Archer
• Barbarian
• Crossbowman
• Infantryman
• Knight
• Man-At-Arms
• Marksman
• Ranger
• Templar
• Thief
• Thug
• Tracker
• Treasure Hunter
• War Hound
2. Spellcaster #1
• Musketeer
• Coachman
• Duellist
3. The Frostgrave Folio
• Captain
4. Thaw of the Lich Lord
• Bard
• Crow Master
• Javelineer
• Pack Mule
5. Into the Breeding Pits
• Trap Expert
• Tunnel Fighter
6. Forgotten Pacts
• Assassin
• Demon Hunter
• Monk
• Mystic Warrior

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Scenario Rules

How to Play a Iron Seer's Challenge Scenarios

1. All Wizards present roll for Campaign Initiative.  A Campaign Initiative Roll is 1d20 + the Wizard's level.  The highest roll chooses the Scenario from those available to that Wizard.
2. Co-Op Games (all Scenarios from Perilous Dark) cannot be selected unless the all other wizards consent.  If they want to be enemies, another scenario must be selected.
3. Scenario Chains must be played in sequence.  Once a Wizard begins a Scenario Chain, they will automatically choose the next scenario in the chain if they win Campaign Initiative.  
4. If your opponent is a Wizard on a Scenario Chain, you can simply agree to play the next scenario in that chain without rolling for Campaign Initiative.  You cannot do so if you have started any Scenario Chain for your Wizard.
5. It is possible for Wizards to be at different points in the same Scenario Chain.  The Scenario played will be down to Campaign Initiative.
6. Solo scenarios must be 'ran' by another player or judge.  That is to say, they are not 'solo'.  Another player will be responsible for adjudicating the scenario and witnessing your deeds.
7. Follow all scenario rules as presented for setup and resolution.
8. Follow the post-game sequence to record XP, Gold and Treasure changes.

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Campaign Rule Updates

The following changes will apply to the basic rules once certain benchmarks are passed.

• Dark Alchemy 
• "Potions in Frostgrave" is in effect once any Wizard completes the Dark Alchemy scenario chain.
• Forgotten Pacts
• "Mystic Brand" can be one of a Wizard's starting spells.  Afterward, the only way to obtain this spell is to buy the Grimoire.
• The Maze of Malcor
• The entirety of the "Rules Update" section is put into effect once a Wizard reaches Level 20.  In addition, players may not start a warband as a Pentacle Wizard.
• Spellcaster #1
• "Firearms" in effect at beginning of campaign and are available for any character that can carry them.
• "Horses in Frostgrave" in effect at beginning of campaign.
• "Knightly Orders" available at beginning of campaign.  When hiring a Templar or Knight, you may pay 20gc to select an Order.
• Spellcaster #3
• "Friends in Low Places" and Underworld Favors are available to Wizards level 10 or higher.
• "The Auction" will be held once per month once all Wizards are level 12 or higher.
• Spellcaster #4
• "Legendary Soldiers" can be hired by any Wizard that is level 15 or higher.
• "Casting Roll Criticals" are in effect for Wizards higher than level 5.
• Spellcaster #5
• "Monster Hunting" can be used by any warband whose Wizard is level 10 or higher.

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Campaign Participants

• Dave Bone as Orrick Vos, Enchanter
• A strange Wizard seemingly from another world altogether, he and his band of machinists and automatons seek a strange form of magical metal alloy.
• Vin Propane as Skud Stormhand, Summoner
• Not much is known about this Wizard, but his command of skeletal warriors and ghastly nether spirits seem to indicate he is as dangerous as he is insane.
• Lady Foley as Glinda the Good, Witch
• A powerful Witch from far away, her cohort seems to be looking for some trace of a long lost sage.
• GameDoc as Immianthe, Witch
• An elven spellcaster from a faraway land, not much is known about her.  Yet faeries, dryads and even stranger fey creatures seem to flock to this wizard's presence.
• You (?) as [Your Wizard's Name], [Your Wizard's School]

More to be added here as players and their Wizards make their final preparations.  Spots on the leaderboard are still open!  Make sure we know you're throwing down at the Frozen City!  Plenty of DOOM for everyone.  

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Scenarios and Scenario Chains

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Frostgrave Forestry Service Announcement

Trees don't grow on the snow-covered tundra...but also magic, so who cares.

At some point I acquired some tree products.  I think they were intended for another project but were never used.  They had snow on them, so there was only one project I was working on that would make use of that.

What my worktable does.

Super Scenic Snowy Evergreen Tree 10 pack for $12.99USD at the Hobby Lobby.  At first I was going to use foamcore as the bases for these trees like the other Frostgrave terrain I had done, but decided to use actual bases for no reason other than because I like it.  After checking around what I had on hand, I decided to use some large bases I had gotten from Reaper miniatures, just to feel decadent.

Krylon Camouflage, a great primer and basecoat.

Of course, we have to do a lot to these trees to make it cool.  I grabbed a few other spare things I had laying around.  The bare trees are Woodland Scenics trees I got in like 1998.  They've been a part of several different projects and at some point I had prepared them to be used again. Now's just a good time as any, really.

These bases make for a far more fluid forest layout on the table.

I played with these quite a bit before committing to the arrangement.  I like how many different ways these can be used, either clumped or chained together to make area terrain.  Mimicry of such conventions is the #1 goal of making terrain like this.  I'm sure there are way better ways to do a model scene if you don't expect it to move or take much punishment.  These are TOUGH.

The entire set, finished and on the table.

After attaching the trees, I applied snow to the bases and waited for it to dry.  I was told the pre-applied snow on the model trees clash with that on the base, and that might be true but I don't think you really notice it from the table.  I didn't put the flock and cork rocks down first this time...I learned my lesson with that Woodland Scenics soft-flake snow leaching color from it.  I waited to apply that after the snow had dried directly on the Krylon.

30mm base sections (x4).

After that, applying the snow to the dead trees was interesting.  I give myself an 80%, but then again it's hard to satisfy myself.  Probably could use a smattering more on the dead trees' bark, in certain places.  I might do that next time I have the snow out.

50mm sections (x3).

The last touches other than some cork rocks was some Winter Tuft by Army Painter.  A few, not many.  All in all, a respectable arrangement...if I do say so myself.  It will be interesting to add trees back into the Frostgrave, but these also help out to depict snow-covered forests from all over.  Notably, those near the Spine of the World.

Even that smoke-belching, clanking abomination of a contraption will gain cover if it's in a snow-covered forest.

We can spread these out as scatter terrain, hence the use of the standard bases rather than large foamcore bases.  It does make it a little sturdier, but more importantly smaller and easier to store.  You can't always use bases like this, however - it can get costly pretty quick.

Creep through the woods (like a boss).

If I do add to this forest I will have to use the same bases, but on a 3x3 board I'm pretty sure this is all the forest I'll need.  Combined with all the other stuff I've made for this board, I might have to consider getting a 6x4 version of the mat just so I can use the terrain I've built for all the other games!

Eh, that's a bridge too far.

Frostgrave Mausoleum

In the cold, cold ground...

It's time to add more plots to the cemetery!

I finished up my first 3d printed piece, and to be honest I'm glad I'm done with it.  It was printed with an FDM printer, and I got it cheap on the Ebays.  Yet the texture really perplexed me.  There wasn't much I could do except just paint it.

This would probably have been more awkward in the end.

Originally I had planned this as part of a full piece cemetery, but I decided to use all the constituent parts of that project and make it three separate ones:  Cemetery Gates, Cemetery Graves and now the Mausoleum finishes it up.

You can't really see the FDM texture, but it's there...

It turns out these were the only pics I had of the piece in it's original printed form.

After all the stonework is done.

I painted these with the same stone patterns I used on the cemetery gates.  An unidentified drab brown, with some Scorched Brown and Mechanicus Standard Grey.  I had originally primed the entire piece with a flat grey that really matched GameColor Cold Grey, and all of the main fixtures are painted that color.

Angle from the back.

After that, Secret Weapon Heavy Body Black over the whole thing.  I haven't been able to restock that yet, but I will definitely be hunting.  It's great stuff, for real.  I'm using it like it's going out of style.  I hope it doesn't.

The entryway was especially challenging as the texture really bothered me.

For the decorum, I wanted to use Hexwraith Flame but the FLGS didn't have any.  I picked up some Nighthaunt Gloom, but ended up only using that on the Angel of Death on the front door.  For the rest of the fixture and inlays, I gave it some Nihilahk Oxide.

A barbarian fighting a robot in a cemetery.

I was unsure about applying the snow, as I always am.  This is more of the Woodland Scenics Soft-Flake Snow mixed with pva glue.  Sometimes it doesn't dry like you want it to, and I haven't exactly mastered the mix ratios yet.  I think it turned out fine, but it doesn't have a base so there's no snow piling up around the foundation.  Maybe it's heated somehow from within...

Another barbarian, fighting another robot, in another part of the cemetery.

The theme of these projects really comes out.  I think it looks good on the table with all the other pieces, but maybe not as flat and nice looking as the original layout suggested it might be.  On the other hand, all the pieces are modular and can be used in any fashion we can imagine.

Softly, the snows came...

Now we've got some cool terrain options for Frostgrave.  On a 3'x3' table, this setup actually takes up a fair amount of space.  It can be spread out among the ruins for a wider effect, but I haven't made up my mind yet if I need to get more of the cemetery walls from Reaper.

I probably do...

Frostgrave Cemetery Graves

Welcome to the graveyard, we got snow and graves.

I had a bag full of old gravestones, so I decided to make a graveyard.  You know what they say.  When life gives you a bag of gravestones, make a graveyard.

...wherein we totally ignore the lines we drew...

 So, I got my graves and with some foamcore and a small piece of scrap foam I set out to build a set for a cemetery.    I decided to use foamcore as it seemed to work nicely on the other pieces of terrain.  I knew what i was looking for...four smaller pieces and one larger one.

You're gonna need about 1" per body, Mister.

 One piece would have the larger grave, which is a Buzzy miniature from Reaper Bones.  It comes with a Mr. Bones figure as a pack.  It will be a pretty impressive tombstone for some unlucky sod...

All your stones in a row...

I cut a piece of foam to make a few small rises, for no good reason other than I thought it looked cool.  Once they were glued in place, I gave the whole base a good coat of acrylic brown.  After that, I decided to try a method I used on my daughter's tundra science project and put the snow down first.

I know the names are sophomoric but I don't care.  I really couldn't help myself.

It had snowed here the day before and my yard looked like a sodden mess.  I wanted to try somethings with realistic water, and would use the snow to create bowls for icy puddles.  Using some flock, realistic water and some Winter Tufts from Army Painter I tried to get a blend that looked like the puddles in the melting snow, with some ice around the edges.

That snow is turned to mush in the sun.

More precautions will be taken next time but it didn't look so different from the yard.  These took only a short time to make, and fill out a good portion of the board.  Gravestones can be claimed as cover by infantry, and if it's icy / muddy it also can be difficult terrain.

Alas, poor Buster...we hardly knew ye.

The set actually ends up providing a nice set of obstacles and cover.  The large one obscures line of sight in a most inconvenient way.  Together the whole set has a footprint of about 15-25% of the three foot board depending on how closely they are spaced.  The cemetery graves is the second section of the graveyard, the first one being the gates and the last one the mausoleum.  These graves will be the meat of that setup, and they look great on the board!

As the Ghostmist falls on the tundra, rival warbands fight over the graves of those long dead.

Frostgrave Elementalist's Warband

The Elementalist Hakon Iceblood unleashes his kinsmen to raid the Frozen City.

The barbarian tribes of the north live in a state of constant strife.  The brutal demands of the land would be taxing to any people, but it is the creatures that wander these lands that make it truly dangerous.  Yet for all their fortitude and courage, the gift of magic is seldom found among these people.

The fierce Elementalist Hakon Iceblood, flanked by his Apprentice and Captain.

Hakon Iceblood the Reaver is a living legend amongst his people.  Great and many are his conquests, and his mastery of the primeval elements is well known.  He is a great champion of his people, for might and magic are both well respected in the north.  The tribes across the north have all heard his name and deeds, and he calls the worthy to his side as he journeys to Frostgrave.

Hakon is joined by Gulbrand, his apprentice in magic.  Not only has the elementalist trained Gulbrand since he was a young man in the secrets of controlling the elements, but also in the ways of war and battle.  Together they have vowed to bring the riches of the City Under Ice back to enrich their tribes and secure their future.

I heard a lot about how Bones models don't really fit with Frostgrave models, so I made a warband about it.  These are Kord the Destroyer, Grundor Hoardtaker and Ingrid, Female Viking - all Bones models on 32mm bases.  Sometimes I still have difficulty with Bones.  Maybe it's just me.

The men of the north often use heavy shields and weapons to break their enemies.

The Northmen have rallied to Iceblood's call.  Warriors from across the tribes have pledged their arms, and are fanatically loyal to the Elementalist.  These are among Iceblood's mainstay soldiers, as many proficient warriors carry stalwart shields into battle.

The rest of the warband other than the Bones models above are Frostgrave Barbarians.  It's a really awesome kit that's probably a must-have no matter what games you are playing.  The paint flew on these models quick and they turned out really good.  I'm still not good at faces, but how easily these models took the paint helped me surprise myself.

Barbarian tribesmen of the North.

Some warriors yet prefer even heavier weapons.  These sorts of double-handed weapons are quite useful against some of the larger creatures and monsters found in the north, especially around the Frozen City.  Many if Iceblood's warriors carry these weapons, and are always looking for a giant monster to prove their valor and gain Iceblood's favor.

Not every Frostgrave Barbarian with a double-handed weapon has a shaved head, but every Frostgrave Barbarian with a double-handed weapon in this warband has a shaved head.

The barbarians may be primitive in culture, but not in technology.

Iceblood's forces are joined by more specialized warriors as well.  Rangers versed in the northern landscape scout the area and advise him of the situation, which the Elementalist exploits to great effect.  Crossbowmen supplement his soldiers' shields and hammers with hateful missiles.  Indeed the soldiers in the Elementalist's warband are eager to follow Iceblood into the City Under Ice and test their valor against the horrors that lurk there, risking all for the riches and glory.

The Frostgrave Barbarians plastic kit was the first one from the line I got, but I quickly got some more.  There are too many cool bits in there, nevermind all the soldiers you can build with it.

Trackers make excellent companions when trekking across the trackless, frozen tundra.

Iceblood also employs trackers for a multitude of tasks.  When foraging, these men are invaluable as their skills greatly increase how long the camp can function out in the wild.  However, sometimes it is other men that they hunt.  In the case of the Elementalist's visit to the City Under Ice, those men are often rival wizards who don't realize they are being hunted.

This model is the only kitbash in the warband.  This model is mostly a Frostgrave Barbarian, but incorporates some pieces from Wargame's Factory's Saxon Thegns.  Notably, those pieces are everything but the body and head.

Fear the coming of Hakon Iceblood the Reaver, Master of the Howling Winds!

Frostgrave: Cemetery Gates

"...they said you could hear the Devil and the Lord, a-countin' out souls."

Well, I got Cemetery Fences & Walls from a Bones Kickstarter and I finally decided to paint it.  This is the first part of a larger cemetery set for Frostgrave.  Originally this was going to be a single set piece on one large base, but after considering it I felt that it would be cool to have a set piece but having everything loose and be able to do whatever you like with the setup.  I split the project in to basically three parts instead of one whole, each of which will be modular and specific to my Frostgrave board.  So, I figure you've got to set the fences up first.

A grey basecoat'll do'er.

Dheneb Stone and something that looks like Dheneb Stone (it didn't have a label when I fished it out of the rack) make up the base color.  I think it IS Dheneb Stone, so I decided to try to use it up.

Eh, the shade is a bit off.

 On second thought, maybe that's not Dheneb Stone.

Dheneb(?) basecoating.

A full layer of the "stone color" down and I went about picking out individual stones with the greys and darker browns.  I did this while quite busy in real life, and somehow forgot to take pictures of the walls at this stage.  You'll be able to see the Game Color Charred Brown and Cold Grey that were used for the other colored stones in the pictures below.

"Yep.  It's definitely made of ghost-iron.  Not a good sign, if you ask me...guv'na."

So, I inked it with the Heavy Body Black from Secret Weapon Miniatures.  Afterward, that was cleaned up with a drybrush of the 'stone' color we don't quite know the name of.  Rocks were looking great.

I used Game Color Black to put a base on the bars, and after that had to really think about how I wanted to paint these bars.  I definitely wanted some sort of sorcerous black iron, so that's how I painted it.  To create the 'ghost-iron' effect, just some drybrushing with some Orkhide and Scorpion greens.  I made sure to get the runes on the gate with this color as well.

It looked really nice at this point.  I messed up right at the end when I noticed the sealer I was using was gloss instead of matte.  Somehow I picked up the wrong can and failed to check.  The only thing that saved me is that it was going to a 'wet' table and wouldn't really be noticeable as out of place.

I'll always double check from now on.

Softly come the snows...

 ...then it was time to apply the snow.

Berry Blessedhammer and Softhands the Bounty Hunter find clues in the cemetery.

 Turned out pretty nice, if some slight imperfections.  Looks good on the table, overall I think.

"Damn.  We're in a tight spot."

 The set is kind of restrictive, but with two or more you could line out a fairly large plot.  As it is, we only intend for this to contain a few graves and a mausoleum.  More of these walls would be quite fun to play with, I must admit.

"What's the dwarven word for 'shazbot'?"

The Well of Frostgrave

So, I needed a well for Frostgrave.  As no doubt many of you know, Frostgrave has lots of different scenarios, and a lot of them call for specific terrain and models.  Nothing wrong with that, since wargames of old used to proscribe every detail of the battles.  The only problem I'm going to have with that going forward is storage, but I can probably devote two cases to Frostgrave...maybe two cases.

They are large cases.

Angled the light to get a better view of the texture.

Going right down the list, the first thing I need is a well.  I had originally intended on making this from a large piece of styrene, but that started looking more like a fountain.  Then, on a random trip to the Hobby Lobby my Lady pointed out some interesting pieces tucked away in the back.  One was a model well, with functioning bucket and everything...and they only wanted like $1 for it.  Or something like that.

...also, glue and mixing bowls. 

Anyway, I needed a well. So here's what I did:  I took the well piece, and decided I didn't need to do anything else to it.  Add that to a small, irregularly cut piece of MDF, and the rest of the elements I'm using in the Frostgrave set.  Namely, Woodland Scenics Soft Flake Snow and GaleForce9's Dirt.  There's also some modelling sand and a little static grass thrown in there...but I'm not even sure what project that stuff came from so I can't give you a product there.

It's mostly sand, though.

Consistency is key.  I'm going to have to start measuring ingredients.

Mixing up the glue and snow, I decided to use a different method than I had used in the building of the ruins.  This time, I simply applied the snow first.  The idea was that the water in the glue might not leach the dye out of the flock underneath if there is no flock underneath.

I had also planned on using the Woodland Scenics Realistic Water, but after the yellowing of the last use I decided I'd experiment with that independently at a later date.  The green underneath in the well was a satin and kinda reflective already.  Couple that with the realization that this well had to be made fairly recently...or was made of magical wood that somehow withstood the elements.  Either way, with the inclement weather around Frostgrave this well is almost flowing over.

First layer of snow and flock.

I didn't have any dye leaching but I did have another issue that showed up after applying the flock.  After I showed the Lady, it was pointed out to me that the snow was only level with the ground and I'd need to apply another layer.  There was also some cracking around the base of the well where the snowdrifts were piled due to the drying of the glue pulling apart the shape of the drift.  This left little rents in the snow that almost looked like the muddy puddles that form when melting snow from a roof drip-drops all day over the eaves.

The Well of Frostgrave, or, the Worst Place to Drink.

Adding a layer of snow to fill in the gaps and make the snow rise above the flock was harder than I thought it would be, but was still pretty easy.  Watch texturing during this phase.  I'm sorely tempted to try out Flex-Paste next time but I'm unsure about how that will stand up to actual use, such as having models trampled across it.  Anyone with experience with that product that cares to share it in the comments would be greatly appreciated.

Lots of different animals are drawn to waterin' holes.

I promise to get better lights...but the snow is just glaringly white anyway.  I angled some lights to show the texture instead of the camera just being snowblinded.  It looked like I had sloppily painted solid white onto it instead of looking like a three dimensional construct.

If you don't think you'll get shot over this here waterhole, you've come to the wrong neighborhood.

All in all, just a small piece for Frostgrave, but a scenario specific one.  It was a quick and easy build, done on the side amidst all my other projects to account for the drying time of the glue, which was a few hours.  Also, it was cheap and I didn't have to work hardly at all.  I consider this one a win.