Foulhorn!

“Ye gods! What hellish realm spawned that abomination?”

The tracker winced, wishing that his new employer would keep his voice down. Thankfully the creature squatting at the other side of the clearing seemed more interested in it’s meal than any noisy wizards.

“None my lord, for they are the natural offspring of this world.”

The wizard’s apprentice joined the pair and peered around the pillar they were hiding behind.

“That’s a beast of nature? Like a bear or boar? I don’t believe it!”

It was indeed a strange thing, the tracker mused, watching as the animal held down it’s prey with one pair of powerful arms, whilst another, smaller pair delicately sliced off chunks of flesh with bladed ends.

“Aye, it suckled at it’s mother just like you and I, young master.”

“Huh!” the apprentice sniffed, “My mother's nothing like that!”

"Don't forget I've met your mother..." muttered the wizard as he flicked through the large grimoire he habitually carried with him. “Ah, yes… It’s a Foulhorn isn’t it? Looks a bit different than the illustration… Says here that the ancients used them in the Millennial Circus due to their ferocity.”

“And they also have very good hearing my lord," said the tracker as the Foulhorn raised it's head. "Perhaps we’d better make a run for it…”

Foulhorns are another of those Frostgrave creatures that are quite specific in their description. These powerfully built hunters are horned beasts that not only have normal limbs, but also a pair of arms that end in sword-like blades. They appear primarily in the Arcane Locations supplement (also collected within the Frostgrave Folio), but also get a mention in Forgotten Pacts.

The base model for my version of the creature, which differs a little from the illustration in the Folio, is a Reaper Bones Numenera Ravage Bear. To this I have added a pair of Tyranid arms I got off eBay. They’re rather puny looking compared to the model’s arms, so I glued them to the front of the body, rather like the little arms of a T-Rex.

The paintjob is quite a simple one – maybe a little dark, but I’m happy enough with it.

I’ve also knocked up a couple of pillars. These came about due to the sprue exchange thread on the Lead-Adventure Forum, where participants puts their unwanted stuff in a box and posts it to the next person on the list. This person takes out the bits he/she wants, puts in some unwanted stuff and sends it on, etc. etc.

This time around there wasn’t anything I particularly wanted, but I did take out a pair of Weeping Angel figures – freebies from a Doctor Who magazine I believe. They aren't the best sculpts (I cut the arms off one as they were so badly done) and are made of in rubbery plastic, but they’ll do for statues. A little bit of plastic tubing and some texture and voila, some (rather wonky) pillars.

Speaking of the Lead-Adventure Forum, don’t forget my 50th LAF page celebratory competition!

50th Lead-Adventure Page Giveaway Competition!

I’m a sucker for blog competitions – y’know: the ones where a wargames blogger has been going for so many years; garnered so many page-views or reached some other milestone.

Well the other day it was pointed out to me that I had reached 50 pages in my Frostgrave thread on the Lead-Adventure forum – if that’s not an excuse to hold a competition I don’t know what is!

This is my chance not only to celebrate the LAF – my favourite wargaming forum – but also give a little something back to everyone who has taken the time to view and maybe even comment on my blog (after all, it was a blog competition that got me started on Frostgrave in the first place).

So what could you win?

How about a demon painted by yours truly?
I have a lovely ‘Ubbo-Seth the great devourer’ figure from CP Models, undercoated and ready for painting (photo from the CP Models website - my version won't be nearly as good). The lucky winner will receive the finished article in the post.

So what do you need to do? Well in line with many other blog competitions you simply have to be a follower of Tales of Frostgravery and comment below to get you name put in the hat. 

Share this page on your blog/facebook page/youtube channel and you get a second stab at it (Include a link in your comment as evidence - yes, I’m very needy).

Oh, please also let me know if you want me to do the base, or leave it blank so you can tie it in with your collection.

Easy peasy!

The competition will close on 30^th April 2018, after which I’ll announce the winner ASAP.

(If no-one comments and this whole thing goes down like a lead balloon I'll keep the bugger for myself!)

The Ambronnax Conundrum

As time passes, things age and thus Ambronnax, the Endower of Senescence, squats ahead of the ticking seconds, feeding on the decay as they pass.

It is said that when it manifests itself, the demon's chosen form is that of a giant ape with two boar-like heads. Clutching a glowing ball and hovering on a magical disk it brings decay to the very passage of time itself.

However it is also whispered in certain forbidden texts that it also takes another form – that of an ever-changing mass of flesh. This shifting tower of gibbering bulges, all-seeing eyes and lashing tentacles has driven many a man mad.

Accompanying this monster are the Failing Wretches – half-formed, lumpen and limping travesties of the human form that heft their noxious and decaying weapons in the service of their master.

Continuing on the Forgotten Pacts bestiary we come to the demon Ambronnax and the Failing Wretches. Like most of the demons in this expansion, Ambronnax has a very specific description that is difficult to achieve without some major conversion work.

After much thought, I decided to avoid trying to make this creature by the book, and chose instead to use a different model that instils, I hope, the same feeling of decay. The most obvious choice would be a Warhammer demon of Nurgle, but I much prefer the look of this Fenris Games Son of Yog-Sothoth model.

For the Failing Wretch Minions I once again turned to CP Models and their Demons range. This pack of four minis make great wretches in my opinion. No painting experiments this time – just a basic greenish colour scheme with a hint of pink, which my photos haven’t picked up, to accent some of the features.

Yep - happy with these!

A Splash of Colour

As my new warband takes it’s first tentative steps into the underground Breeding Pits, the terrain it encounters can only be described as, well, grey.

As this small sample shows, my dungeon tiles mat is a very similar colour to the vast majority of my terrain pieces, making the whole thing look very grey and monotonous. After pondering how to change this, I hit upon the idea of making some mosaic patches – remnants of the original flooring that has worn away over time.

After a quick search for mosaic and tile patterns I was able to knock up a number of patches, which I then printed out onto label paper and stuck to some thin plasticard, before cutting them out and giving each piece a coat of matt lacquer.

Here they are added to the original sample layout. I’ve chucked them all onto a small space, so maybe it all looks a bit too busy, but if I spread them out around the whole table, they should hopefully add a welcome splash of colour.

The Deadly Assassin

Being an assassin may seem like a glamorous job, but behind every swift, sharp exit there’s a tonne of preparation and spadework – quite literally in some cases.

Dig a deep enough rut and your target’s wagon will ‘just happen’ to break a wheel in it. Thus distracted, your target is easy prey to your ministrations. Usually this is the end result of your client’s displeasure in your target but sometimes it’s, y’know, just for fun.

The assassin watched as the merchant’s goods spilled out of the stricken cart. The fat bejewelled man was busy berating his driver while the bodyguards looked on with wry amusement. No-one saw the assassin coming.

First rule of assassination? Not only make your own luck, but remove other people’s as well...

A quick post before the half-term holiday next week. The only soldier type I was lacking was the assassin. This has now been duly rectified with this Reaper miniature.

The cart is a very nice model, not only as a general piece of scatter scenery but also an integral part of the Loot the Cart scenario from Thaw of the Lich Lord. It was kindly given to me by my pal Giles (cheers mate!) and given a quick paintjob.

Tiszirain: Demon Prince of Poor Painting Decisions

There are times when even the most pure of heart are vulnerable to corruption. For wargames figure painters this is often the time when he/she asks him/herself: ‘what colour scheme shall we paint this in?’

One cursed night this happened to me. I had found a great model – a Reaper Bones Frost Wyrm - that I wanted to use to represent Tiszirain: demon lord of victory and consumption. Little did I know that this aspect of the creature is also the demon of poor painting decisions! Unaware of the danger, I merely listened as, what I thought was my inner painter’s voice said: ‘Go on, paint it yellow. You love painting yellow…’

Then, with a slight chuckle, I heard the words: ‘oh, as a matter of fact, why not push the boat out and go for a black and yellow-striped wasp theme?’ And then, it laughed: ‘and paint my Chilopendra minions yellow too...’ for I had recently undercoated some CP Models Gene Reaper aliens for these demonic underlings. 'Paint a black stripe on them too,' it giggled. 'Oh dear, you've made them look worse - never mind, paint over it with... more yellow!'

By now the thing was roaring with malicious mirth, gibbering sarcastic encouragement as I wrestled with my chosen colour scheme. ‘Green or brown wash? I think green…’, ‘no, add more water… oh look, it’s puddling around the bases…’, ‘just go for your standard quickstain, it won’t dirty the yellow at all…’

By the time I got to the drybrushing I was howling in anguish! However, battling on I clung to whatever sanity I could grasp and eventually applied the final coat of varnish - the hateful things were done! Confident that I had exorcised the monster, I reached for the next model in the pile – a CP Models Three-headed Lurker that I wanted to use as a Toravor (a multi-headed burrowing demon). With renewed confidence I opened my paints tub, as the voice sniggered: ‘Go on, paint it orange…’

Aeon Flixx and the Fungi of Felstad

+++ALERT! ALERT! CONTAINMENT FIELD BREACHED!+++

The laboratory shook, fluorescent lights flickering as somewhere deep within the research complex, something went ‘CRUMP!’ Aeon Flixx threw down her clipboard as a door was flung open by a terrified man in a white lab coat.

“It’s time!” he squealed.

“But I’m not ready!” she replied. “My research isn’t-“

“It’ll have to do! I’ve seen you zap lightning from your fingertips, so-“

“in laboratory conditions!”

“Never the less,” he continued, waving her objection aside, “there’s no more time – they’re breaking through! The capsule is ready. You’re the only one who can do the old magic – you have to go back and put a stop to this.”

“But the paradoxes haven’t been-“

“I said there’s no time! You need to go Aeon! Now! Aeon!”

“Aeon!”

A large and calloused hand was roughly shaking her shoulder. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, focussing on the wide face before her.

Ah, Brunhilde: the best acolyte the Sisters of the Pendulum had to offer, for the price at least – damn that weight limit. A decent enough student for the time period, but, bless her, somewhat lacking in finesse.

“You were dreaming again ma’am.”

“Mmm?” Aeon sat up gingerly. “Argh, what was I drinking last night?”

“More than enough ma’am…” the apprentice said reproachfully.

“Huh, when I come from, the beer is a little less… robust...” she sighed ay Brunhilde puzzled frown. “Never mind – have the men found the entrance to the complex?”

“Yes ma’am, though they report that other wizards are also exploring the ruins.”

“Heh, ‘wizard’ – such an archaic term… Oh well, let’s hope that they’re friendly…”

Time then for a new campaign, headed by a new wizard! Step forward Aeon Flixx, Chronomancer, and her big-boned apprentice Brunhilde.

Aeon is something of an experiment. Not only is she a Chronomancer – a school I’m unfamiliar with, but I also deliberately chose spells that I’ve never used before. Considering that most Chronomancer spells have pretty high casting values, this is going to be interesting…

Anyway, let’s follow her on her first adventure as she delves into the Breeding Pits to face the Moving Maze!

The table was laid, with small pieces of terrain as per the scenario – all the better to move about, which was done the fungus that grew on the walls (okay, actually by whoever rolls the lowest initiative each round).

Aeon, Brunhilde and their band of entry-level soldiers (a brace each of thieves, thugs, archers and infantryman) emerged from a dark doorway and into the chamber. The outside chill gave way to a moist warmth, with the air stuffy with an earthy, fungal smell.

But there were other intruders… The Illusionist Shazam! (I must fight the urge to spell that with an exclamation mark) and his equally low-level warband have emerged on the opposite side.

Giles beat me to the first initiative roll (yes, it was going to be one of those games), which at least allowed me to move a piece of terrain, blocking off a piece of treasure (Shazam(!) having cast reveal secret).

Undeterred, the Illusionist quickly grabbed two pieces of treasure, which allowed me to place two Violent Fungi. Using the creature placement rule mod in ‘Into the Breeding Pits’, I placed one next to Shazam’s doorway, and another out of sight close by.

Aeon’s men also moved forward and grabbed a treasure, allowing Giles to return the compliment and plonk a Violent Fungus next to her door. Thankfully the two infantrymen were on hand to splat it. Aeon cast her first spell, giving a thief fleet feet. Make a note of this, as you won’t see many more spell from her this game!

Brunhilde also tried to cast fleet feet, it being the easiest spell to cast at present, but fails, taking damage. Yes, like I said, this was going to be one of those games where the Dice Gods decided to turn their backs on me…

Shazam(!)’s men picked up another treasure, allowing me to place another Violent Fungi. While spurning Aeon, the Dice Gods smiled kindly upon her erstwhile opponent, allowing the Illusionist to cast most of his spells and win the initiative for the most part.

The infantrymen easily defeated the Violent Fungus, but as it fell it released a cloud of deadly spores. Both warrior inhaled the cloud (both failing to beat a 10 on a will roll), thus becoming wounded. Guess who, as part of the experiment, didn’t pick the heal spell…

Still at least some of the opposing warband were also getting spored. Although they had an apothecary and the heal spell, so it wasn’t such an issue.

Another treasure for Aeon, and another mushroom man shambling around the nearest exit. Happily, though wounded, the infantrymen were able to defeat it, safe in the knowledge that they couldn’t get infected twice.

Giles was still getting the better of the dice, while I was decidedly not. Shazam’s warhound slew a fungus and avoided the spores as more treasure was nabbed by him.

The upside of losing the initiative was being able to move around terrain. This gave me a couple of chances to open up lines of sight, albeit reduced to 20” as per the expansion rules. Alas this didn’t give me much of an edge, s spellcasting and shooting rolls continued to disappoint.

Another Violent Fungus sprouted up near the doorway, over which Aeon’s infantrymen stood guard. Shazam’s warband were also treated to a similar fungal treat.

The infantrymen dispatched the overgrown toadstool before Brunhilde could wade in to assist (thus potentially earning extra experience). On the opposite side, both wizard and apprentice would gain said experience by squaring up to the fungus.

Before the game, Giles had asked for two extra treasures – the results of a reveal secret and a fool’s gold spell. One of Aeon’s thugs approached a treasure chest with a sinking sense of inevitability.

Yep… Poof! Away goes the illusiory treasure. That left the revealed secret treasure, sitting squarely within Shazam’s grasp.

At the away end, the illusionist’s men suffered a large bout of fungal infection after slaying a mushroom man, but there was little I could do to capitalise on this, as they were pretty much home and dry by now.

Still, at least Giles got to move one piece of terrain, after I uncharacteristically won the initiative, blocking Aeon's line of sight. Aeon, despairing of ever casting a spell successfully again, moved up along the flank with a couple of her men in a vain attempt to bother the opposition.

Amazingly she moved closer and managed to cast a wizard eye, thus getting around that pesky scenery. This left her exposed to the attentions of the enemy warhound. Luckily my roll was high enough to force a push-back, allowing my thug to jump to the rescue. Yes, he was defeated.

But at least one of my archers managed to redress the balance, turning Rover into a pincushion. I had one last chance – win the initiative and, drawing upon Aeon’s remaining health, blast the illusionist with an elemental bolt… But the Illusionist warband won the roll again, and promptly buggered off.

An interesting, but, for me, frustrating game. I can’t really blame the high casting value of my spell choices as I couldn’t even roll the ‘easier’ ones, such as fleet feet. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be. The Violent Fungus were a very tricky foe to face, for defeating them was no guarantee of staying unscathed.

I got three treasures to Giles’ four, which, adding the XP he gained by having his spellcasters fight the Violent Fungus, earned him the win. His batrep can be read here. Will I have to play the long game as Chronomancer, or will this leave me open to being outclassed? Time will tell.

“Hmm, well that could have gone better…” Aeon muttered as she wiped the green mould off her robes. She sat down and winced as various the parts of her body that ached and twinged competed for attention with those bits still awash with youthful adrenaline.

She began to rummage through the meagre pile of treasure as Brunhilde lumbered into the room. The apprentice knelt before the Chronomancer, offering up her twin wands as if they were some kind of supplicatory offering.

“I have failed you ma’am! I hereby resign from-“

“Oh, stop that you!” Aeon tapped her on the shoulder with her feebly fizzing wand. “I was hardly Zangarium the Mighty myself back there.”

“Who?”

“Eh, after your time perhaps. Listen dear, today wasn’t entirely a washout…” She fished out a small battered book from the pile beside her.

Brunhilde’s eyes widened as she read the just-legible title. “By the Great Pendulum - a reaction spell! They’re incredibly rare!”

“Even more so in my day – that’s why we’re poking around those old tunnels – there are things hidden in them that will aid me in my mission considerably. So, y'know, it could be much worse.”

She cast her mind back (or should that be forward?) to the time the containment field was breached.

"Much, much worse..."