Frostgrave Second Edition: The Complete Beginner’s Guide to the Frozen City

If you love miniature wargames, fantasy settings, and narrative campaigns, chances are you have already heard of Frostgrave Second Edition. Created by Joseph A. McCullough, Frostgrave has become one of the most popular fantasy skirmish games in the world thanks to its unique blend of magic, exploration, character progression, and highly immersive tabletop terrain.

In this beginner’s guide, you’ll discover what Frostgrave is, how it works, what you need to play, and why terrain plays such a crucial role in every game.

What Is Frostgrave?

Frostgrave is a fantasy miniature wargame set in the frozen ruins of Felstad, an ancient magical city destroyed by a catastrophic arcane disaster.

For centuries, the city remained buried beneath ice and snow. As the glaciers begin to retreat, wizards from across the world travel to its ruins in search of forgotten knowledge, magical artifacts, and legendary treasures.

Each player controls a powerful wizard and a small warband of followers. Together, they venture into the Frozen City to compete against rival treasure hunters while surviving the many dangers hidden within its ruins.

The Second Edition refines and improves the original rules while preserving everything that made Frostgrave one of the most beloved narrative skirmish games on the market.

Why Is Frostgrave So Popular?

There are many fantasy miniature games available today, but Frostgrave stands out for several reasons.

1. Memorable Narrative Campaigns

Games are not isolated events.

Your wizard gains experience, learns new spells, discovers magical items, and develops a unique story throughout a campaign.

The choices you make in one game can have lasting consequences in future scenarios.

2. Freedom to Use Your Favorite Miniatures

One of Frostgrave’s greatest strengths is that it does not require players to use a specific miniature range.

You can use miniatures from virtually any manufacturer as long as they appropriately represent the members of your warband.

This makes Frostgrave especially appealing to hobbyists who enjoy collecting, painting, and customizing miniatures.

3. Spectacular Magic

Magic is not merely a supporting mechanic.

It is the heart of the game.

Spells allow you to summon creatures, manipulate time, launch devastating fireballs, create illusions, control enemies, and even raise the dead.

Each school of magic offers a completely different playstyle.

4. Terrain That Truly Matters

In many tabletop games, terrain is mostly decorative.

In Frostgrave, terrain is an essential part of gameplay.

Ruins, towers, bridges, temples, libraries, and narrow alleyways directly affect movement, line of sight, and tactical decisions.

This is why a well-designed gaming table can completely transform the Frostgrave experience.

The Story of Felstad, the Frozen City

The setting is one of Frostgrave’s greatest strengths.

More than a thousand years ago, Felstad was the center of a powerful magical empire.

Its libraries contained forbidden knowledge, its workshops produced incredible magical artifacts, and its wizards ranked among the most powerful in the world.

Everything changed during one disastrous night.

A magical experiment went terribly wrong, unleashing a supernatural storm that buried the city beneath ice and snow.

The empire collapsed.

Over time, Felstad passed from history into legend and eventually into myth.

Now that the ice is receding, adventurers once again walk its abandoned streets.

And that is where your story begins.

What Do You Need to Play Frostgrave?

One of Frostgrave’s biggest advantages is that it is relatively affordable compared to many other miniature wargames.

To get started, you will need:

Miniatures

Each player controls:

1 Wizard

1 Apprentice

Up to 8 Soldiers

A typical warband consists of approximately 8 to 10 miniatures.

Twenty-Sided Dice

Frostgrave primarily uses d20 dice.

Most important actions are resolved using twenty-sided die rolls.

Measuring Tape

Movement and distances are measured in inches.

Terrain

Arguably the most important component after your miniatures.

A Frostgrave table should be filled with:

Buildings

Ruins

Ice Terrain

Scatter Terrain

Treasures

The more terrain on the table, the better the gaming experience becomes.

The Ten Wizard Schools of Frostgrave

Choosing your wizard determines much of your playstyle.

Frostgrave features ten primary schools of magic.

Sigilist

Masters of magical symbols, runes, scrolls, and ancient writings.

Witch

Specialists in nature magic, curses, alchemy, and animal control.

Chronomancer

Manipulates time itself.

Capable of creating unique tactical opportunities.

Elementalist

Perhaps the most destructive school.

Masters of fire, ice, wind, and elemental power.

Enchanter

Experts at empowering allies and imbuing objects with magical energy.

Illusionist

Uses deception, confusion, and psychological manipulation to outwit opponents.

Summoner

Opens portals to other planes and brings supernatural creatures into battle.

Soothsayer

Masters of foresight, perception, and hidden knowledge.

Necromancer

Commands the dead and harnesses dark magical energies.

One of the most iconic wizard archetypes in the game.

Thaumaturge

Focuses on healing, protection, and supportive magic.

An excellent choice for long-term campaigns.

Building Your First Warband

Creating a warband is one of the most enjoyable aspects of Frostgrave.

After selecting your wizard school, you recruit followers to accompany you into the Frozen City.

Common soldier types include:

Thieves

Archers

Crossbowmen

Warriors

Men-at-Arms

Treasure Hunters

Infantry Soldiers

Each soldier serves a specific role.

Some warbands focus on direct combat.

Others prioritize speed and treasure recovery before escaping the battlefield.

The Importance of Treasure

Although combat plays an important role, Frostgrave is not simply about defeating opponents.

The real objective is collecting treasure.

Treasure tokens scattered across the table may represent:

Magical grimoires

Ancient artifacts

Gold coins

Scrolls

Forgotten relics

Recovering treasure allows you to improve your warband between games.

This creates meaningful decisions throughout every scenario.

Will you risk everything for one more treasure chest, or retreat safely with the loot you already secured?

Why Terrain Is Essential in Frostgrave

If there is one game where terrain truly shines, it is Frostgrave.

The best tables feature multiple levels, accessible buildings, elevated positions, and plenty of line-of-sight blocking elements.

What Terrain Works Best for Frostgrave?

Modular Ruins

Allow endless table configurations and replayability.

Towers

Perfect positions for archers and spellcasters.

Bridges and Walkways

Create strategic choke points and exciting encounters.

Abandoned Libraries

Ideal for recreating the search for lost magical knowledge.

Temples and Shrines

Add narrative depth and visual character to the tabletop.

At Terrain and Minis, we specialize in fantasy terrain designed to help players create immersive gaming tables that capture the atmosphere of the Frozen City.

Why Frostgrave Is Perfect for Miniature Painters

Many hobbyists discover Frostgrave because they enjoy painting miniatures.

The game encourages players to:

Build unique warbands

Mix miniatures from different manufacturers

Customize individual characters

Create thematic terrain

Develop their own visual storytelling

No two Frostgrave warbands ever look exactly alike.

This freedom is one of the reasons the game remains so popular among miniature hobbyists worldwide.

First Edition vs. Second Edition

The Second Edition preserves the spirit of the original game while introducing numerous improvements.

Key enhancements include:

Revised spell system

Better balance between wizard schools

Clearer rules

Increased player interaction

Additional scenarios

Improved campaign progression

Most importantly, it remains compatible with much of the material published for the original edition.

Is Frostgrave Beginner Friendly?

Absolutely.

While it offers meaningful tactical depth, Frostgrave is designed to be accessible.

Games typically last between one and two hours, and the relatively small model count makes learning the rules much easier than in larger wargames.

It is also an excellent entry point into the miniature gaming hobby because of its low initial investment requirements.

Final Thoughts

Frostgrave Second Edition is much more than a miniature game.

It is a narrative experience where every session creates memorable stories of ambitious wizards, daring treasure hunters, deadly monsters, and forgotten magic.

Its combination of campaign progression, creative freedom, spectacular spellcasting, and terrain-focused gameplay makes it one of the finest fantasy skirmish games available today.

If you are ready to explore the Frozen City, gather your warband, prepare your miniatures, and build a tabletop filled with ruins, towers, and ancient secrets.

Because in Frostgrave, terrain is not just scenery.

It is part of the story.

Ready to Explore Felstad?

At Terrain and Minis, you'll find fantasy terrain, modular ruins, towers, and miniatures designed to help you recreate the atmosphere of Frostgrave and take your tabletop adventures to the next level.