Barbarian Warband For Frostgrave

I’ve ordered one of every Barbarian model in the range from Northstar.

I don’t plan on assembling all 20 models from the plastic kit, only enough to fill the gaps in the warband not covered by the metals. The rest will be used as spare parts and as needed at later times.

While the metal models are simple to prepare there was one resin model which I scrubbed with an old toothbrush in soapy water to remove the release agent as this can cause problems later on with painting.

The main way to tell the different soldier types in a Frostgrave warband is with the weapons they are equipped with. Before diving into the plastic boxed set I planned out which soldiers I needed that my metal models didn’t cover.

I’m using lipped bases from Warlord games which I’ve filled with plaster filler. As the models come with an integrated bases tab (with can be a hassle to remove, I did this with all of the models in my first warband) these bases help sink that integrated base and hide so that the models feet is level with the edge of the base.

I usually like to add texture to bases before I’ve primed the model as it helps it not to come loose and means less work later on as the base is ready primed to be painted.

To make the texture really solid I seal it with thinned down pva glue and just a tiny amount of washing up liquid as a flow improver. I thinned the glue just enough to flow off the brush when I dab it on so it won’t lift off the texture. Once it’s dried it’s pretty solid.

I use green stuff to fill any large gaps on multipart kits, particularly if there’s no reason for a gap in the context for the model. I don’t do this or all gaps, generally I only do this when it will look bad when painted.

I usually use Citadel or Army Painter spray primer but I’ve heard really good thinks with Halford’s so I thought I’d try it, particularly as I live fairly close to a store.

I’m pretty happy with the results, it goes on smooth, has a nice matt finish, and is about a third cheaper than the others.

That’s all of the models primed. I’m loving these models, particularly the plastic barbarians kit. The detail is really good and there are so many variations.

Now the real work begins, the painting.

So far I’m pretty happy with the progress I’m making. Only one more model and I have a table legal Frostgrave warband. Nine different miniatures in a week is good for me. I’m not working to a deadline but I do want to make steady progress.

Only four miniatures last week as I’ve been distracted by a few other things (cough, A Billion Suns, cough). But only 9 miniatures left now.

A few people have asked me how I do the snow on these Barbarian miniatures. Above are what I use, Army Painter snow and cheap Poundland PVA glue.

Unlike snow flock the Army Painter snow is more like a power.

I mix the powder with the glue roughly 1:1 until it’s in a think paste. Then apply it to the base with a sculpting tool. I also lightly touch the top of the tufts so some of the mix sticks to it to give the impression of a fresh fluffy snowfall onto the grass.

I painted up quite a few miniatures last week for me, but then I was on holiday from work. These models were quite enjoyable to paint and very varied.

I’m almost there now, just one more model to paint and he’s a big ‘un.

Rather than buying a light box I build my own whenever I need one. I use shiny white sheets of card to form the walls and lid, and my painting lamp placed along the front and slightly angled towards the back. The shininess of the white card helps to reflect the light and reduce shadows.

I have a sheet of paper I sprayed with Halford’s grey to give a neutral colour to photo the models against, this really helps with the exposure and shows the models true colour.

I then take the photos with my iPhone slightly zoomed in and framed just how I want it. The results are what appear here with zero editing. The pictures are exactly what was captured in camera.

The whole thing can be a little rickety and prone to cave-ins but it works for me. I’ve adapted this for the past year and this is the latest iteration. I did used to use a white background but exposure was always too dark and I had to usually digitally brighten the picture up which came with its own problems.

The final miniature of this project and what a pleasure to paint. I took my time with this one and I’m pretty happy with the result.

When I first got this model I didn’t really have much of an idea of how I was going to use it in my games. I just liked the model and thought it would be a nice centre piece to the warband but as Gerry pointed out in an XLBS when this project was features for a Golden Button, this model is a special character, Kornovik the Barbarian Outcast. His rules appear in the Frostgrave supplement Forgotten Packs.
After some thinking I though he could appear in my own custom random monster table to appear in our games as a random surprise (when not playing a specific scenario featuring him).

And that’s the project completed. It’s been great fun and very satisfying to build, and paint these miniatures, and to write about this here. It was my first use of the project system and now it’s complete it’s good to have an account to look back upon.

I’ve no plans in the near future to add any more but I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for other models that may fit in well or just look good next to the barbarians.

It’s time for the barbarians to head to Felstad and see what treasures and adventures await.

Here’s the link to when I was featured for a golden button (along with two well deserved others) – https://www.beastsofwar.com/featured/community-spotlight-skyrim-terrain-star-saga-frostgrave-barbarians/