If you are involved in the wargaming hobby you can hardly have missed that the Osprey/Northstar collaboration Frostgrave has been hugely successful. Many people interesting in fantasy wargaming (and a few not!) have signed up for it.
Whatever you think about fantasy, this can only been a good thing as it can only reinforce Osprey's willingness to invest in wargaming publishing (let's face it, some of there titles in the field have been a bit hit-and-miss). Earlier this month, they reveled their 2016 plans for the series, and is is a interesting-looking, varied bunch. I wonder if the next big thing will be Musketeers or Fantasy Romans?
Back to Frostgrave...
If you've been following Frostgrave at all, you probably already know that the first supplement Thaw of the Lich Lord is due for release on 20 Nov. You probably already know that Northstar started their related Nickstarter today. 'Nickstarters' are Northstar's pre-release order system - it's Nick Ayres' gentle poke at those companies that use Kickstater for pre-release orders instead of crowd-funding proper. Like Kickstarter projects these come will all sorts of freebies if funding goals are met (and they will be!). At the time of writing they are almost at £5,000.
Buying from Northstar (as opposed to discounted from, say, Amazon or The Book Depository) means that your hard-earned pennies will go to someone who is going to invest in the future of the hobby and the shinies we all like.
I'm unsure whether to sign up for this myself. As you probably guess I'm very tempted, but hobby funds are scarce...
It has certainly caught the imagination of a good many, which can only be a good thing for the hobby. Lots of buzz, lots of chatter and lots of lovely things to look at, but I am resisting, having spent a small fortune on my kickstarter habit at the end of last year. Doesn't stop me looking at everyone else's shinies though. ;)
ReplyDeleteYou are a stronger man that I am Michael!
DeleteI've bought the rules, but I'll do something a bit different with them. Replace Felstad with some unnamed lost Mesoamerican city with parties of Aztecs, Maya etc hunting for relics and sacred knowledge.
ReplyDeleteMaybe not that different - I have read of other people using it for different settings (including Star Wars)
Yes, I read this last night in a comment of yours on someone else's blog, and immediately though that it sounded a great idea. My Pulp head then said 'and what about a whip-wielding archaeologist?'
DeleteIn general I'm all for a little cross-genre tinkering (though I must admit I sometimes look at what someone's done and think 'Why bother?!')
If I had more gaming time (more than the current three or four games a year), I'd be investing quite heavily in Frostgrave!
ReplyDeleteSays the man whose just introduced 'Scientific Advisors' to VBCW!!!
DeleteLOL it's a fair cop!
DeleteI confess I am not nearly as clever or inventive as Tamsin. I have to say I am a little surprised at the success of the whole Frostgrave phenomenon, but I think you're right, it's a good thing for the hobby.
ReplyDeleteI think the advent of nicely produced and affordable rules that only demand a small number of figures and that are available through book shops can only be a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI'm more or less of the same mind, I'd like to get into the Nickstarter but I don't think I have the funds. Its a shame really as Brigade Games here on the East coast of the US is backing it so cheap shipping for me.
ReplyDeletePS I'm thinking of a western Mexican Frostgrave in the lost city of El Dorado
You can call it 'Frosty Agave'.
Delete; )