Frostgrave - Run of the Rangifer

"Run of the Rangifer" is the fifth scenario in the "Thaw of the Lich Lord" campaign for Frostgrave. The table was set up as per a standard Frostgrave game except that when we placed the five starting treasure tokens, we also placed five "Rangifers" touching the treasures. Rangifers are a fantasy race of creatures unique to the world of Frostgrave.. they are beastmen, half humanoid, half reindeer - and they hate the undead! The special rules for his game were that the Rangifers were protecting their territory. They would act as normal creatures and attack us, but we would get extra experience points for each Rangifer that was still on the board at the end of the game... meanwhile a Frostwraith would be moving on to the board in the first turn, seeking to destroy the Rangifers. If either of us managed to kill the Frostwraith we would get a load of points. Of course there were also the five treasure tokens to try and grab, and Ulterior Motives to seek to complete... 

The table set up at the start of the game...

   Lizzy had "It Shall Be Mine" as her Ulterior Motive... this meant that if she secured the central treasure token it would be worth loads more experience points and three rolls on the treasure table at the end of the game.. it would also mean that if one of Lizzy's warband picked up the treasure then 3 lots of wandering monsters would immediately enter the board!
   I had "The Transporter" which set up an arcane disc within Lizzy's half of the board.. it could be activated once during the game, and whoever of my team was standing on it at the time would exit the game - they could secure any treasure they were carrying, there would be an XP bonus for every figure that exited this way... and an attempt at a roll for an additional treasure token with a bonus to the roll for every warband member that used the transporter...

Rangifers hanging out with their treasures... plus there seems to be a zombie coming out of a crypt!

A minor demon has been succesfuly summoned.

   So we were trying to secure treasure tokens whilst staying out of combat with the Rangifers. That was the general plan, but things didn't really turn out like that! The first turn saw us all trying to sneak nearer to the treasures, keeping out of line of sight from the Rangifers. Meanwhile the Frostwraith appeared and started moving towards the Rangifers.. Some of the Rangifers saw it and started moving to intercept... a couple of the other Rangifers spotted some of our team members and gave chase...

A Rangifer chases two crossbowmen up a walkway - "Stay back we don't want to hurt you!"

The Frostwraith is intercepted by two Rangifers in a ruined gatehouse...

   Before any of our guys could get near the Frostwraith, it had been destroyed by two of the Rangifers, who came out of the fight severely wounded... Whilst this was going on most of the treasure tokens were picked up, including the central treasure by one of Lizzy's team... this meant we were inundated by a load of wandering monsters all at the same time! Lizzy's Necromancer raised a zombie, and my magic users both managed to summon Minor Demons...
 This was a bit of a crazy game - I don't think we've had so many miniatures on the board at the same time before!

Lizzy's construct heads unseen by a distracted Rangifer towards the central treasure...

Whilst two Rangifers battle the Frostwraith, a couple of Lizzy's team grab one of the other treasures.

As the treasures are picked up a load of wandering monsters come on to the board at once -
a Minor Demon, two wolves, two snakemen and a wraith knight!!

 Lots of fighting broke out all over the board, and the Rangifers all got caught up in it... Lizzy's guys managed to sneak off with their special treasure token, and one of my thieves drank a teleportation spell and then escaped with another... whilst all this was going on my two crossbowmen ran along one of the walkways to avoid the fighting and dropped down and activated "The Transporter" - I was hoping to get more figures on it before it activated, but there was no way that was going to happen...

Whilst treasures are dragged towards the board edges, my wizard is mobbed by wolves and a demon...

   In the end Lizzy got three treasures including her special one, I got two - plus an extra one from a successful roll after using the transporter. Three of my team were knocked out including my Wizard., the Wizard was fine, but the other two have to sit out the next game. All of Lizzy's guys were fine. Only one of the Rangifers survived. I got just enough experience to go up two levels.
   In the previous game we played, one of the treasures that I got was "The Book of the Rangifer" this means that I can recruit a Rangifer to join my warband. It feels appropriate that we eventually persuaded the surviving Rangifer to join our team - there will be plenty of opportunities for him to beat up his hated undead foes (especially as Lizzy's wizard is a Necromancer!).