Frostgrave batrep: Dark Alchemy - Skeletal Run

 So the word is a go, and the first game of 2021 has been played and here is the report.

I continued exploring Frostgrave (1st edition) as I did the second scenario of the Dark Alchemy solo campaign, Skeletal Run.

After the okay success of the first scenario, I opted this time to give the Appretice, Yanneal, a run for her money, and together with a small warband of troops, consisting of a thug, an infantrywoman and an archer, she ventured into the city.

 

The board was layed out, with walls at the edge to show the 2' by 3' size of the game field.  The spawn points for the skeletons where marked by two statues, two pillars and a crystal core.  For the burning skeletons I used my Dead of Dunharrow, the idea being they are burning with balefire instead of an alchemical substance...

The rest of the scenery and the treasure tokens where then placed, and the small band of brave heroes, on their way to find the exit, deployed within 3" of their short edge.

 

Turn 1

 

The first turn saw the brave heroes advance at full speed, unknowningly of where the dead they hear would appear.  Two skeletons appeared in the corners of the exit side, while two more spawned on the far side from the adventurers.

Turn 2

Careful to not approach the skeletons to closely yet, the apprentice lurks in cover as the thug goes forward to grab a crate of treasure.  

 

 

The archer let's loose a shot at a far away skeleton but misses.

 

 

Another skeleton appears at the same spawn point as the others, but as they have nothing in range they wander around towards one of the corners of the exit zone.

Turn 3

The gang advances carefully again as the archer misses yet another shot.  

 

 

One of the skeletons moves towards the thug, but fall short to reach him.  However, a second one spawns next to him and charges.  A short and bloody round of combat later (1 vs 20) the thug is down and the treasure dropped on the floor as the other skeletons wander around some more.

Turn 4

The apprentice already loses her nerve at seeing the thug being taken out so brutally, and gives the order to try and flee to safety.

The archer let's go another arrow at the nearby skeleton, but yet again he misses.

As another skeleton appears in the far corner, the one nearby charges the apprentice and her supporting infantrywoman.  

 

 

But to no avail, as after a 7 vs 20 roll off, the apprentice is down, while the other skeletons start wandering in the direction of the remaining henchmen.

 

Turn 5 

The infantrywoman whirls her huge axe and decapitates the skeleton locked in combat with her, before advancing and going into hiding to avoid the gaze of the other undead.

 

 

The archer finally puts an arrow through another skeleton before moving forward as well, but a skeleton spawns behind them, while the others come their way, attracted by the sound of battle.

 

 

Turn 6

Seeing the undead approach en masse, the henchmen decide to take the "non-heroic"way, and both run off to safety from the boardedge, leaving even the treasure token behind to prevent further combat...

So that was short, and bloody, but not for the side I wanted it to be.  Luckily the apprentice and the thug made full recoveries, but it was a very bare pickings in this scenario.

ZERO loot was obtained from the game, though afterwards the Library hide-out did yield a Scroll of Familiar.  For the rest?  A measly 20 experience for taking out two skeletons and that is it, though while at his basecamp my Illusionist Lashat did learn the Blinding Light spell from the grimoire he obtained in the previous scenario.

I think the biggest "gain" in the game was that no-one got killed, but that is about it, as abysmall rolls in the first 4 turns didn`t even manage to take down a measly skeleton...

Next time for Frostgrave solo gaming, it'll be time to conclude the campaign in The Spreading Flames, but first I need to paint up and print some things for that...