Wyrm, Monkey and I got together and decided to dive head first into a three-way Frostgrave battle. The rules seemed somewhat written to accommodate three players without really explicitly outlining it, but we figured we’d beat the rules up a bit and see if they broke. This was also Monkey’s first game, so his warband was slightly behind Wyrm and I. Given we’d put together a couple of terrain pieces that would serve as The Mausoleum, and had skeletons aplenty, we opted to play that scenario this time around.
The Warbands
Wyrm was throwing down a similar list to last game, running four thugs, four archers, a wolf and his Wizard and Apprentice. AS a reminder, the theme was a Warcraft style hunter, with Wyrm using Wood Elf miniatures.
Monkey had a mixed bag with his wizard, apprentice, two treasure hunters, two warhounds, two thieves and archer and a thug. He was using his old Skaven models for his warband, so had themed it along the lines you’d expect for sneaky ratmen.
I had my wizard and apprentice who were accompanied by a warhound, two thugs, two thieves, an archer, a crossbowman and a barbarian. My warband was a demon worshiping sorcerer who had enslaved a tribe of barbarians to do his bidding.
Pre-game
My wizard successfully cast Familiar, getting an extra two health for the game. Monkey gets Animal Companion off with both his wizard and apprentice, dismissing his two warhounds for the two bears. Wyrm only manages Animal Companion with his apprentice.
We placed our treasures and opted to each deploy in a 6”x6” box in separate corners of the table. We realised this wasn’t optimal during the game, so will be trying different options for future three player games.
Turn One
Wizard Phase
I win initiative and start with double moves for the barbarian, archer and one of the thieves. The wizard also moves forward and attempts to cast Call Storm, but fails.
Monkey makes double moves with two treasure hunters and a thug. His wizard moves and attempts to cast Fog (which I think is the only spell he knows this game…) but fails.
Wyrm makes double moves with his wizard and three thugs.
Apprentice Phase
I activate my apprentice, two thugs and the crossbowman, who all move forward on my left flank. I then have everyone move again except the apprentice who attempts to cast Leap but fails, because these are my dice.
Monkey moves his archer forward with his apprentice, who then attempts to cast fog. He fails but opts to empower the spell with four health to get it off.
Wyrm activates his apprentice with three archers, all of them making double moves forward.
Soldier Phase
My warhound makes a double move towards Wyrm’s warband.
Monkey’s two bears move forward.
Wyrm’s wolf moves forward.
Turn Two
Wizard Phase
Monkey wins the initiative and activates his thug, bear and thief in addition to his wizard. The thug moves towards my warband as does the bear, whilst his wizard moves away. The wizard then casts Fog.
I am up next and have my wizard and thug both move forward, with the wizard then casting Summon Demon, bringing an Imp to the field for me.
Wyrm’s wizard moves forward and casts control animal on my warhound but he is able to resist. A thug activates next and throws a grenade at my wizard, hitting for four damage. A second thug follows up but misses.
Apprentice Phase
Monkey moves forward with his apprentice, and archer and his other bear. The archer shoots at my archer but misses. His apprentice then casts Fog.
My apprentice casts Leap jumping away, my archer shoots at one of monkey’s thugs but misses. I then double move one of my thieves.
Wyrm activates his three archers with his apprentice, they all move towards me, with the three archers firing at one of my thugs, one deals nine damage but luckily for me the other two miss. The apprentice casts Bone Dart at said thug and kills him.
Soldier Phase
Monkey moves a thief up on the flank, and his treasure hunters moves forward with one grabbing a treasure.
I move my barbarians and thugs up the middle. Demon and hound move towards Wym’s thugs and attack but don’t deal any damage.
Wyrm’s remaining archer moves forward and fires on my barbarian, missing. His wolf moves into a nearby skeleton and attacks but the skeleton wins the combat, dealing five damage.
Creature Phase
One skeleton moves into contact with Monkey’s treasure hunter who kills it easily. Another then charges my barbarian and is handily dispatched. The skeleton engaged with Wyrm’s wolf attacks but no damage is dealt.
Turn Three
Wizard Phase
Wyrm wins the initiative this turn and his wizard and three thugs activate. The first thug activates and attacks the warhound, but the hound gets the better of him, dealing five damage. His second thug attacks, killing the hound on the back of the support in the fight. The last thug attacks my demon but does no damage. The wizard casts a bone dart at my barbarian, hitting and dealing seven damage to him.
Monkey activates his archer, bear and thief alongside his wizard. His wizard casts a poison dart at my crossbowman, hitting and seeing him stripped of an action each turn. His archer fires at my archer, hitting for three damage. His bear and thief both make double moves.
I move my wizard into position and then attempt to cast leap to get him up a nearby ruin, but he fails, remaining stuck on the ground. My thief then moves which sees the nearby skeleton snap to him. He attacks the skeleton but takes seven damage for his trouble.
Apprentice phase
Wyrm’s apprentice commands his nearby archers to fire at my barbarian, with each of them missing. Deciding he needs to do the job himself to see it done he cast Bone Dart, hitting the barbarian for 11 damage and felling him.
Monkey’s apprentice attempts to cast Fog, but fails and losses a health point.
I move my apprentice forward and attempt to cast Leap, but fail taking a damage.
Soldier Phase
Wyrm’s wolf kills the skeleton it’s engaged with, his thug grabs a treasure which sees a giant worm spawn however he manages to escape with the treasure.
Monkey moves one of his thugs at my thug and kills him. His thief grabs a treasure which disturbs a nearby snow leopard.
I grab a treasure and move backwards with one of my thieves, luckily not causing anymore nearby creatures to take interest. My other thief is killed by the skeleton he got caught by and my archer jumps across to the maulsoleum roof.
Creature Phase
A couple of skeletons die to various other player’s minions. The giant worm moves and attacks one of Wyrm’s thugs. The snow leopard pounces onto Monkey’s thief.
Turn Four
Wizard Phase
Wyrm picks up the iniative again this turn and his archers and wizard move towards the worm. His wizard attempts control animal on the beast but with a roll of a one he could not have failed worse, taking two damage.
Monkey’s wizard casts control animal on the snow leopard on top of his thief, gaining control and having it let go of it’s prey. His archer also activates and snipes at my archer, but misses.
I move my wizard and thief with treasure back twice towards a board edge to try and get out with something to show.
Apprentice Phase
Wyrm’s apprentice orders an archer to fire at Monkey’s thief, who clips him for three damage. The apprentice then casts a Bone Dart at the thief attempting to stop retrieval of the treasure but misses.
Monkey’s treasure hunter moves off, securing a treasure, and his apprentice again attempts to cast more Fog but fails.
My apprentice moves forward and leaps down to one of Monkey’s nearby thieves.
Soldier Phase
Wyrm’s wolf moves into contact with Monkey’s treasure carrying thief, and one of his archers also moves towards that area.
Monkey has a treasure hunter leg it carrying a treasure, his bear mauls my crossbowman for two damage, the snow leopard moves into Wyrm’s wolf and kills it. His thief attacks a skeleton, but takes seven damage, proving that these skeleton’s mean business.
My archer runs over the Maulsoleum roof and drops down onto Monkey’s thief, knocking it down before stabbing it to death.
Creature Phase
All the engaged skeletons are killed, with one moving into engage Wyrm’s thug. Wyrm’s engaged thug manages to score a brutal hit on the worm, causing it severe damage. My thug manages to fight off the bear attacking him.
Turn Five
Wizard Phase
Monkey is up first, and has his archer and treasure hunter activate with his wizard. The treasure hunter runs away with the treasure in his possession, and the wizard opts to cast Fog again, with the battlefield now significantly shrouded.
My thief and wizard fall back, with the wizard attempting summon demon but failing again.
Wyrm has an archer move into combat with the skeleton that engaged Wyrm’s thug, with his thug taking advantage of the distraction to launch an attack, killing the skeleton. A second archer takes a shot at the snow leopard but misses. His wizard then cast control animal on the giant worm, rolling a 17 he also opts to empower it with three from his staff of power, as well as cut for five to take the roll to 25. The worm fails it’s will roll and falls under Wyrm’s sway.
Apprentice phase
Monkey’s apprentice makes a double move backwards.
My apprentice moves forward and casts summon demon, calling up an Imp from another realm. My nearby archer then picks up the treasure he relieved money’s Thief of.
Wyrm’s treasure carrying archer moves back, aith another archer moving around a fog bank to fire on Monkey’s thief, missing. His apprentice casts Bone Dart on the same thief but fails and takes one damage.
Soldier Phase
Monkey’s thief with treasure double moves and disappears behind a ruined building, securing another treasure for Monkey. His thug moves back, then his bear kills my crossbowman. His snow leopard dashes at Wyrm’s apprentice, but it’s furious clawing falss short.
My demon moves back, positioning to shepherd the archer off the board.
Wyrm’s archer moves off the board, heading to the rendezvous a little richer. His other archer, the worm and the thug all move back to come and attempt to contest treasures monkey and I are holding.
Turn Six
Wizard Phase
I win initiative, moving my thief off the board with his treasure, before my wizard heads back towards the action, attempting to cast steal Health on Monkey’s thief but failing epically and taking two damage.
Wyrm’s wizard, thug and an archer all start moving away towards his board edge.
Monkey’s wizard moves and his other treasure hunter leaves with another treasure.
Apprentice Phase
I have my apprentice, demon and archer move, with the apprentice casting steal health on Monkey’s apprentice.
Wyrm’s archer attacks the snow leopard, they roll a tie, with each of them taking six damage. The apprentice then attacks the snow leopard, however is overcome by the beast, taking eight damage and becoming wounded.
Monkey’s apprentice and archer move off the board.
Soldier Phase
Wyrm’s thug moves to help his apprentice, killing the snow leopard. The giant worm and thug both move towards my apprentice.
Monkey’s bear moves into combat with the giant worm, with his thug not far behind.
Creature Phase
The never ending horde of skeletons continues implacably throwing themselves at us. One of Wyrm’s archers takes five damage from one, and as another shambles towards him he takes it down easily. The bear however kills the archer it is engaged with and grabs a quick meal out of it.
Turn Seven
Wizard Phase
Monkey’s wizard moves towards the worm and cast control animal, wresting its mind from Wyrm’s wizard’s control.
My wizard again attempts steal health and again fails severely.
Apprentice Phase
My archer moves away with the treasure, with the apprentice casting Leap on him to launch him out of reach of everyone and see him safely away from the encounter.
Wyrm’s apprentice limps back off the table, nursing the wounds inflicted by the snow leopard.
Soldier Phase
Monkey’s thug attacks my demon but takes seven damage for his trouble. The worm however easily kills the demon, then moves towards my apprentice.
Creature Phase
All the skeletons move randomly around.
We started to play an eighth turn but then realised there were no more treasures on the board, so turn seven was the last.
Conclusion
Well, the second game run and done and I’m very impressed. For what was our second (and Monkey’s first) game, the rules seemed to pretty easily accommodate a three way fight, with minimal instances where we really scratched our heads. We scaled up the amount of treasure on the table and the number of skeletons spawned as it seemed logical based on the basic scenario rules, but apart from that there didn’t seem to be much else that didn’t work. It was a lot of fun, with some epic dice rolls (good and bad!) and some hilarious instances, like the battle for control of the giant worm late in the game. Looking forward to the next game for sure.
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