Frostgrave and Stargrave: The Most Fun You Can Have With Miniatures

[@joemccullough2066]

Thanks for the kind words about the games!

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

It's no problem, we wish it was seen more because incase you can't tell we really like it we ran a local group and our other paint test video had us painting up Stargrave models. We think your pitch for Stargrave isn't as good as your pitch for Frostgrave though, the Frostgrave one is so tight! That's why we made our own for Stargrave incase you didn't already notice ha ha. I guess you can clarify the rules for people in the comments ha ha If you ever want to have a chat we're up for it, and we wrote a whole pitch for Stargrave in our members section if you want it - Cal

[@GoodGuyGeno]

I love frostgrave, in theory. I have a warband and everything but i haven't sat down to play it yet haha.

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

Finding time to play is always an issue and the right people to play with - Cal

[@RecklessFables]

I built terrain to play it and everything... Still haven't 😅

[@cavemanbum]

Miniatures-agnostic skirmish games FTW !

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

If you liked the video a share always helps - Cal

[@the98themperoroftheholybri33]

North Star also make Oathmark, which feels very similar to Old Warhammer fantasy (with the blocks of units) but you can use whatever minis you wish to represent your army, and they use a D10 rather than a D6 which makes the game flow much better. There's also the Rampant series of games which are very similar, Lion Rampant (historical), Dragon Rampant (fantasy), and Xenos Rampant (sci fi).

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

@@the98themperoroftheholybri33 I always thought 40K would be better on a D10 - Cal

[@DumbAccordionTricks]

I've just finished painting two full frostgrave warbands. Just getting back into gaming after a 20 year break, Frostgrave was attractive for it's size, freedom, and easy to understand rules.

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

What are your wizards? - Cal

[@DumbAccordionTricks]

@@WhatareyouPaintingnow I used the GW 'arcane mystic battle wizards' box models. I haven't actually decided what wizards to play in game

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

@@DumbAccordionTricks So you have made the wizards but haven't decided the schools yet, yeah? - Cal

[@DumbAccordionTricks]

@@WhatareyouPaintingnow that's right. Visually though, one very much looks like a necromancer, and elementalist, etc...

[@DuckyZA-y4e]

Ohhhh, this looks fun & so nicely painted. 😁

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

Thank you! Have you heard of these games? It's a really good entry to the hobby especially with painting ~Sunny

[@DuckyZA-y4e]

@@WhatareyouPaintingnow I'm not much of a board game person, but it does look fun & interesting. I like animals, are there any games with animals which your paintable?

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

Yeah I think that there is, barrows and badgers or something like that - Cal

[@DuckyZA-y4e]

@@WhatareyouPaintingnow barrows and badgers looks neat, but like most fun things probably not available in the land of ZA.

[@Scarredandstoried]

Thanks for the video. Overall appreciate the tone of the whole channel. Big win since I discovered ya’ll.

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

Thank you very much, we hope you find our other content helpful and useful ~Sunny

[@Stormeris]

Post-Apoc-Grave game sounds awesome!

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

@@Stormeris thank you very much sir 😊 - Cal

[@ArcaneCowboy]

I play Stargrave with Fallout minis

[@alexmorado2182]

Sounds pretty similar to Zona Alfa

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

@@alexmorado2182 I haven't heard of it til now I looked up, I read about the exclusion zone but none of the faction stuff we talked about - Cal

[@honestorchard]

Would definitely follow along with Grave Consequences! Massive Frostgrave/ROSD fan.

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

Yeah we love Frost and Stargrave too, it would be fun to try and make something similar - Cal

[@thepiratepenguin4465]

it's here, it is finally here. 🥳

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

Celebrate good times come on! We hope you enjoy it - Cal

[@thepiratepenguin4465]

@@WhatareyouPaintingnow I did & I feel so inspired to start my own crew. Keen to see you spin on the Graves. I too have some ideas to make the game more dynamic.

[@rumbleroocomics]

I've been trying to find a basic overview of what the "grave" series is, but all I've come across is reviews and battle reports. Thanks for making an easy to follow overview.

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

You're welcome! I'm glad we filled that gap. I do hope it was thorough enough that you got a good idea of it and might want to pick it up 😄~Sunny

[@rumbleroocomics]

@@WhatareyouPaintingnow I'm definitely looking for a reasonably priced copy, but not sure I'll ever have enough time to play it lol

[@dieofthebeholder]

Lovely video! One thing I would point out, I think Strain doesn't cause damage on an unsuccessful attempt to activate a power in Stargrave.

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

Nope we looked up to make sure. Page 61 Paragraph 3 Line 2 "Whenever a figure activates a **power** with a strain greater than 0, they immediately take damage equal to the strain." - Cal

[@interruptor]

​@@WhatareyouPaintingnow Yes, when they Activate it. If they fail nothing is activated.

[@joemccullough2066]

@@WhatareyouPaintingnow A power is not activated unless the roll is successful, so a fail roll would mean no strain.

[@timunderbakke8756]

I really want to give frostgrave a try. My problem is my fantasy minis are mainly anthropomorphic animals from Burrows & Badgers (another great skirmish game but that one is more 1v1 in a campaign)

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

@@timunderbakke8756 no reason you can't use them - Cal

[@colin_painting_adventure]

Excellent video. I'd also recommend Dead Man's Hand. A d20 wild west skirmish game. It's similar however each game is made up of 3 chapters, making it more like a movie/TV show.

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

Thanks. I am going to have to check out Dead Man's Hand because that sounds right up my alley with the movie making - Cal

[@colin_painting_adventure]

@@WhatareyouPaintingnow also want to add that if westerns aren't your thing, I believe the game is robust enough to change to a game with a sci-fi theme.

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

We will check it out eventually - Cal

[@ironknight132]

I am totally down for a modern graves vid. Also would love to see videos on the other major 40k alt games like OPR, Xenos Rampant, & Warsurge.

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

@@ironknight132 unfortunately this is our most unpopular video by a wide margin. If videos like this don't succeed we are far less likely to do videos like those ones 😔 sorry just being upfront - Cal

[@SarajevoKyoto]

Stargrave seems like a good blend of D&D and Kill Team or Blackstone Fortress, although I don't see it translating into "full" 40k

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

@@SarajevoKyoto yeah... Maybe idk it would stream line a lot - Cal

[@ferdinandblack319]

I love seeing people talk about Frostgrave, but man, sometimes I feel like the only one who likes Ghost Archipelago the most! Either way, the official minis are some of my favorite kits. Love how modular they are. They're really, really good for kitbashing. Now I just need you guys to cover Saga with minis from Victrix. You know, to finish covering all the stuff I like.

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

😂 well I am glad we are covering some of the things you like at the very least, I think I have seen the ghost Archipelago kit but it's a bit fuzzy in my memory, I'm glad you liked our video, we really liked mixing the mediums of plastic kits with 3D prints ~Sunny

[@SpannSr1970]

Grave consequences sounds great.

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

Thanks I hope more people get to see the episode so we can maybe do something with it - Cal

[@Snikrot40K]

Getting into this world and I just got frostgrave and I’m currently putting together some warbands and was wanting to also get into necromunda as well for the sci-fi theme but I may just get stargrave as well!

[@Roden4Sooners]

Noticed your Massive Darkness minis.

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

Yeah still haven't played the game ha ha - Cal

[@rumbleroocomics]

As for some more settings for "Grave" titles I have a few ides Dust Grave: a western inspired Retro Grave: 1950-60 inspired (fallout with our the post apoc.) Early Grave: Lord of the Flys/battle royal inspired. where all your teams are kids with all the school tropes for their classes e.g the nerd, the jock, the popular one, etc..,

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

@@rumbleroocomics early grave sounds interesting - Cal

[@tbird1053]

Yeah show us your ideas.

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

@@tbird1053 it seems we won't see them as this is very unpopular 😔 - Cal

[@bruced648]

we re-wrote 40k. it uses D10 we replaced the IGYG format with a considered simultaneous turn. there is also alternating activation and leaders initiative.

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

What is IGYG? and who is we is it a private or public thing? - Cal

[@bruced648]

@WhatareyouPaintingnow IGYG = I go then you go 40k uses this format. player 1 does their complete turn to include all movements and all attacks. all player 1's damage is applied. thus, player 1 could destroy all of player 2 prior to player 2 getting to have an a single decision. this term is called "getting tabled". while not common, it does happen often in 40k. as far as 'we'. it is a group of us the made our own rules for 40k. the foundation is the rogue trader rules (1st version of 40k) and other game systems that we enjoy. it plays as a true skirmish game where you have to think tactically.

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

@@bruced648 Interesting... sounds like it could be fun... but also complicated - Cal

[@bruced648]

@WhatareyouPaintingnow complicated is only a matter of getting used to the different format. the basic game: usually, each player has 2 or 3 squads (10 troops each) and maybe a vehicle or support equipment. turn sequence: 1. initiative - each unit cmdr (not player) rolls initiative. LD + 1D10 initiative order is ranked highest to lowest (ties roll off) 2. movement - reverse of initiative order. (lowest moves first) - all ground foot troops - all ground vehicles/mosters - all flying units 3. actions phase - original initiative order - flying units perform any actions - vehicles/monsters perform actions - ground foot troops perform actions actions include; directly attacking, calling for indirect attacks, physical attacks, psychic actions, magic actions and other. indicate all wounds, but nothing gets removed. 4. damage effects - once everything has had the opportunity to act, now apply all damage inflicted. remove any destroyed troops. indicate destroyed vehicles (they stay on the battlefield). resolve crashing flying units (including flying troops). 5. morale - unit leaders make morale checks. 6. final actions - assign overwatch, reinforcements, artillery, other. 7. next turn begins while this is a quick summary, it gives you an idea of the game and how the turn plays.

[@vicnedel02]

for a true combo of the Graves, should it have technology AND magic?

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

That sounds like a good idea - Cal

[@daedalus5253]

It might help with the algorithm to put the full names of the games in the title and/or description. Helps with people searching videos on it.

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

@@daedalus5253 fair point changing now had it in the hashtags - Cal

[@speaktome4778]

Thanks for putting this together. I get the mechanics of the games, but do they play like Blackstone Fortress (one or more players vs an "AI") or is it all PvP like Warhammer plus a post game consequences mechanic? And video explaining how to put together a game like that would be cool to see. Though if it was my game I'd call it "Grave New World." 🥴

[@Jfk2Mr]

Both - you can play it as 1 or more players against AI and themselves or as straight PvP, where your goal is to get that treasure before the other player does

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

We play it as PvP in fact most people we play with play it PvP, I am not too sure about playing it as an AI mechanic, Cal told me that it's an additional book for that mechanic. And Grave New World also isn't a bad choice for the name, what do you think of the concept though, is it something that intrigued you? ~Sunny

[@speaktome4778]

@@WhatareyouPaintingnow Yeah I really do like the concept too. It would fill a niche given the setting and the factions sound like they call have a place. Plus there's good potential for post game mechanics. Hope others are interested too! If not maybe a short members/Ko-fi video?

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

Maybe but we are behind on the members videos already - Cal

[@rosstasker8590]

Uhhhhh that 20 second pitch for Stargrave… where did you get that idea?

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

We got it from our members video Fixing Stargrave. We talked about how good Frostgraves pitch is and how bad Stargrave's is and we took it upon ourselves to fix it - Cal

[@noblegalifreyan4551]

These games are great and a great way to introduce rpg players to the wargaming scene

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

Yes totally agree with you on that! ~Sunny

[@observantowl1726]

Grave consequences sounds cool, but I think RadGrave sounds better!

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

hmmm maybe - Cal

[@alexmorado2182]

Strain only activates upon a successful roll. Otherwise the game would just be too unfair.

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

So we would have disagree until word of god said otherwise because we looked at the page and read it exactly but, yes you are right - Cal

[@owenglover4170]

I love Frostgrave but seriously neither of these are really alternatives to Warhammer Fantasy or 40k. They are at a very different scale of play. Alternatives to old Mordheim and Killteam maybe….

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

Yeah that's why we say Warhammer skirmish alternative 😊 yeah more like necromunda than kill team I think 🤔 - Cal

[@alexmorado2182]

That's exactly what they said. If you want big battles, look at Oathmark