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Frostgrave box art

Frostgrave

Game ID: GID0135261
Collection Status
Description

Amidst the frozen ruins of an ancient city, wizards battle in the hopes of discovering the treasures of a fallen empire. In the fantasy skirmish wargame Frostgrave, each player takes on the role of a wizard from one of ten schools of magic, and builds his band of followers. The wizard's apprentice usually accompanies his master, and more than a dozen other henchman types are available for hire, from lowly thugs to heavily armored knights and stealthy thieves. Wizards can expand their magical knowledge by unlocking ancient secrets and may learn up to 80 different spells.

While individual games of Frostgrave are quick and can easily be played in an hour or two, it is by connecting them into an ongoing campaign that players will find the most enjoyment. The scenarios given in the book are merely the beginning of the limitless adventures that can be found amidst the ruins of the Frozen City.

Osprey Games and North Star miniatures will produce a full range of official Frostgrave miniatures. This includes wizards and apprentices from all ten schools of magic, and all the soldiers that can be hired for their warbands. The wizards, apprentices and specialist henchmen such as the apothecary and thief are metal sculpts while a multi-part plastic box set offers huge variety in building the more common soldier types.

Year Published
2015
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 8
This page: 8
Sentiment: pos 6 · mix 1 · neu 1 · neg 0
Mentions per page
Top
Showing 1–8 of 8
Video yOvgvTQtQhY Unknown Channel general_discussion at 7:45 sentiment: positive
video_pk 39492 · mention_pk 119192
Unknown Channel - Frostgrave video thumbnail
Click to watch at 7:45 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Rich magical toolkit for varied play
  • Solid integration with other Northstar kits
Cons
  • Rules complexity may be heavy for new players
Thematic elements
  • magical guilds contending within a desolate landscape
  • fantasy ruin and magic in a frozen city
  • narrative-driven skirmish with magic
Comparison games
  • Stargrave
  • Necromunda
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Magic System — spells cast by wizards with a shared magic pool
  • Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game — scenario-based missions in a modular city layout
  • scenarios and exploration — scenario-based missions in a modular city layout
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • I love kit bashing minis. It's one of my favorite things to do.
  • The story of the model completely changed.
  • The head with the goggles and the mustache, that head screams space pirate when put onto that body.
  • No cutting, no sculpting, just picking the right pieces and gluing them together. Kit bashing.
  • The best part about kit bashing miniatures is how it allows you to be unique and express yourself even more in your hobby.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 1VHJy3qRzZE Tabletop Turtle top_5_list at 5:34 sentiment: positive
video_pk 13502 · mention_pk 39486
Tabletop Turtle - Frostgrave video thumbnail
Click to watch at 5:34 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • No specific minis required; you can use whatever you own or print
  • Accessible entry point for miniature gaming
  • Terrain and loot give tactile, tactical appeal
Cons
  • Persistence can be daunting for new players
  • Some players may want deeper branching systems than Frostgrave offers
Thematic elements
  • Wizardry, treasure hunting, and arcane loot
  • Snowy ruins and treacherous towers of an ancient city
  • Classic fantasy skirmish with a light narrative backbone
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Loot and gear progression — Acquiring gear and abilities to become more powerful in future games.
  • persistent progression — Games carry forward progress and character development between sessions (non-legacy but persistent).
  • Terrain interaction — Terrain features actively affect gameplay (ice, hazards, etc.) rather than being static cover.
  • Wizard-and-apprentice combat — Players control wizard factions and their apprentices in a tactical skirmish.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • Gaslands the apocalypse is upon us
  • it's a race and it's hard when's the last time you saw an F1 race
  • aristea in aristea players control a team of four characters which they pit against another team in the hexadome arena
  • it's a sport actually nobody dies in Aristea you just get injured and you sit off the sidelines
  • it's really great introductory miniature game because again like gaslands there's no specific Miniatures you have to buy
  • you can 3D print and just start printing like you just go online and just pick like I like that what do you mean how can we use a 3D printer for this
  • Marvel crisis protocol takes The Well of Marvel Universe and captures it perfectly in this miniature game
  • it's a dice trucker which I'm not a huge fan of dice checks
  • Moonstone my favorite Gateway miniature game
  • it's all whimsical it's all fantasy based you know it kind of feels like you're in a storybook
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video jIZGT9YxDFI Unknown general_discussion at 3:05 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 10630 · mention_pk 31312
Unknown - Frostgrave video thumbnail
Click to watch at 3:05 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
  • Wizard-led adventuring in a frozen city
  • Fantasy dungeon-crawl with wizards and treasure
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Wizard and apprentice spellcasting — Spellbooks and magic-focused progression
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • dragon rampant a practically perfect game for anybody who wants to try fantasy outside of the mainstream of age of Sigma and Lord of the Rings
  • you can use any fantasy models that you already have in your collection
  • just a simple wound system as well you don't need a massive collection of miniatures
  • you can get away with just four on the board
  • this is the perfect gateway game for anybody to just pick up and get units on the table and start playing for an hour
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video H1fuuStjxcA Tabletop Minions general_discussion at 2:39 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10085 · mention_pk 29712
Tabletop Minions - Frostgrave video thumbnail
Click to watch at 2:39 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • lush fantasy setting
  • deep rules-lite-yet-deep gameplay
  • great for collaborative play
Cons
  • older design; some complexity from many character options
Thematic elements
  • magic and dungeon-crawl style quests in a ruined city
  • Frozen city fantasy; wizards, templars, and treasure-hunting warbands
  • campaign and scenario driven, with robust character progression
Comparison games
  • Stargrave
  • Dracula's America
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • treasure-hunting missions — scenarios focus on recovering loot from ruins with varied terrain
  • wizard+apprentice dynamic — players field a wizard and a student, creating narrative-driven spellcasting and growth
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • stargrave feels like the most exciting thing since frost grave ghost archipelago
  • is stargrave the sci-fi version of frostgrave to some degree
  • Five Parsecs From Home is awesome
  • forbidden psalm is based off of mork borg but it is a miniature skirmish game
  • dracula's america was a nice concept with werewolves and monsters in the late 1800s
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video kbdrtZ4Sy14 Uncle Adam's Tabletop Live general_discussion at 36:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10145 · mention_pk 29856
Uncle Adam's Tabletop Live - Frostgrave video thumbnail
Click to watch at 36:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • accessible for new players
  • strong dungeon-crawl feel
Cons
  • balance considerations and older-rule complexity
Thematic elements
  • Magic, treasure hunting, and wizard-led adventuring
  • Fantasy dungeon-crawl in a frozen city
  • Narrative-driven dungeon crawl
Comparison games
  • D&D-based miniatures games
  • Warhammer Quest
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Sequential activation and spellcasting — Wizards cast spells and lead actions in a turn-based sequence.
  • Skirmish-scale adventuring — Small parties explore a frozen city and compete for loot.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • MCP is a fantastic game, excellent minis
  • paint your black templars green no one will arrest you
  • Grimdark Future is basically their version of 40k
  • this is not a test look neat too but you could also just look at it on your ipad or your laptop or whatever
  • Don't Look Back looks like it should be a co-op board game self-contained thing
  • I like the worn and weathered look
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video M5r-1jmGPtM Uncle Adam Wargaming general_discussion at 1:51:53 sentiment: positive
video_pk 9100 · mention_pk 26823
Uncle Adam Wargaming - Frostgrave video thumbnail
Click to watch at 1:51:53 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Accessible to new players; inexpensive core rules
  • Flexible use of models you own; many emulations possible
Cons
  • Some players find progression and campaign rules dense
Thematic elements
  • fantasy skirmish with treasure-hunting explorers
  • Frozen ruins and ruined cities with wizardly factions
  • adventure/campaign-driven with varied encounters
Comparison games
  • Mordheim
  • Mantic games like Deadzone
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Treasure-driven progression — Campaigns reward loot that enhances later games.
  • Wizard spell casting and crew development — Characters gain spells and items during campaigns.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • Kill Team is currently my favorite tabletop wargame and the models are my go-to GW miniatures.
  • The buffet aspect this is what I like about Kill Team—you can hop between factions without building a giant army each time.
  • The Dark Uprising box is massive; it might be ten to twenty pounds and it’s mostly terrain.
  • Warcry is basically the Horus Heresy equivalent for Age of Sigmar in how it positions its skirmish play and terrain.
  • I prefer GW models to many other companies; the quality is consistently high and the hobby is meditative.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Iz3p7G-LcGw general_discussion at 11:33 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8432 · mention_pk 111815
Frostgrave video thumbnail
Click to watch at 11:33 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • flexibility with minis
  • encourages creativity in miniature selection
Cons
  • not all minis are official
  • external minis reliance
Thematic elements
  • village-to-region skirmish with magic elements
  • fantasy-themed miniatures wargaming
  • n/a
Comparison games
  • Zona Alpha
  • Star Breach
  • Planet 28
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • miniatures agnostic framework — core rules with independent miniatures; players can bring their own or buy minis
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • the majority of games get played at home
  • miniatures agnostic means it's about the rules
  • i still kind of hate the activation scheme
  • i like things to be a little bit more back and forth
  • the comments sections are toxic and nasty
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 7nxG-tDby28 Uncle Adams general_discussion at 22:15 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 7268 · mention_pk 21501
Uncle Adams - Frostgrave video thumbnail
Click to watch at 22:15 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
  • accessible fantasy skirmish
  • low model count for quick games
Cons
  • older design, may require updates/balancing
  • access to current support varies
Thematic elements
  • magic, treasures, and wizardry
  • fantasy dungeon-crawl in a frozen city
  • campaign-driven with guilds and treasure-hunting adventures
Comparison games
  • Kill Team
  • Gloomhaven
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • dice-based magic — spellcasting with a spellbook and dice to resolve effects
  • Grid-based movement — measured movements on a board with range and line of sight
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • it's one of the reasons kill team is, you know, I can run a bunch of stuff I've never run before
  • it's small, easy to take with me to a shop
  • another good gateway game too is zombicide
  • I like to use pre-painted miniatures for teaching Song of Blades and Heroes
  • the pace of release fatigue is astounding
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
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