Editing Warhammer/Tactics/8th Edition/Undead Legions (section)

===Core Units===


*'''Zombies:'''
Tarpits extraordinaire. Vulnerable to crumbling, but that can be mitigated with the right choices. Invocation of Nehek multiplies their number quicker than other Undead so taking some with Lore of Vampires ensures you will have plenty of bodies on the field (although without some buffing from your various options, don't expect them to do anything more than get in the way of your opponent). Don't leave your Tomb/Crypt/Mausoleum/Pyramid/whatever without them. Also, keep at least 30ish models at hand - even a level 1 Undeath caster can pull off 2nd boosted Ryze, and nothing says "fuck you!" as an unexpected block of 30 zombies in the middle of the battlefield (which, of course, gets hit with Invocations right away and grows in size).
*'''Crypt Ghouls:'''
Hit hard compared to the other infantry choices, but are more expensive at 10 points a piece. They used to have the advantage of a low chance of crumbling with the loss of a General, but that's not exactly a problem anymore meaning you take them purely based on their primary strengths; having the highest stats of any Core option available to you, and two Attacks each which are Poisoned meaning you get the most durable troops with the best killing power. Can't be bumped past their starting number in any way however, although with Regeneration from a Mortis Engine they're formidable. Take them for your elite armies. 
*'''Dire Wolves:'''
A good flanking unit/missile screen and good scouts/warmachine hunters in small games. They're better than Skeleton Horsemen in stats and cost plus having a special ability for the Charge, but Spirit Hosts are a better missile screen for infantry. 
*'''Skeleton Warriors:''' 
You know them, you love them. With the new rules, they are mostly the same from both armies. Tomb Kings skeletons are one point cheaper at 4 each, but Light Armor costs an extra 1 point. Vampire Counts skeletons come at 5 points, and come with that Light Armor free. 
Tomb Kings skeletons can take Spears for 1 point, Vampire Count skeletons get that Spear free but either way you DON'T want Spears since the killing power added is insignificant while losing your Parry bonus from your Shield is pretty bad. 
Tomb Kings skeletons have 2 more points of Leadership, but now that you don't Crumble those two points mean very little outside of a few rare spells and abilities that use Leadership. 
Vampire Counts skeletons can take a Magic Standard up to 25 points, but unless you actually plan on taking one then you may as well get the extra LD for free by taking the Tomb Kings skellies. Banner of Eternal Flame is better spent on something stronger since you can only take it once (Grave Guard or Black Knights are nice candidates), the Leadership boosters are inferior to just taking the Tomb Kings skeletons plus as previously mentioned LD is mostly unimportant, and while Lichebone Pennant (Magic Resistance) and Banner of Swiftness (1 more inch of Movement per turn) can be interesting they're probably too expensive to waste on your mage bunker.
Since they both have the same name and are now both just "Undead", Necromancers with the Master upgrade in Lore of Vampires can bolster either past their starting numbers. 
You take these over Zombies when you want more durable troops. You take Zombies when all you need are a bunch of bodies on the table to give Look Out Sir! rolls to your blender lord. 

As for the models? Pick what you like. They're interchangeable so long as your opponent knows if they have 5 LD or 3 LD and a magic scrap of cloth on a stick. 
*'''Skeleton Archers'''
They're Skeleton Warriors with dakka. More specifically, god tier dakka that IGNORES COVER. Specifically, they never count bonuses or penalties To Hit. Their hitting power is STILL pretty low however, so you'll need to rely on a large block of troops to deal any significant damage to something important. 
To any Vampire Counts players, this is a big change; you now have the potential for cover fire when getting your footplodders into position. 
6 points each, can take Light Armor for another point although whether to or not is more debatable; they shouldn't be in melee, if they are they are just Skeleton Warriors that cost you an extra 3 points each. On the other hand, that Light Armor will bolster their survivability so you can Invoc them if there's a Necro on hand. Generally, the larger the points limit the less effective Light Armor is going to be for you unless it's a unit with Khalida in it at which point you may want to give the unit the ability to take some more damage (and maybe pack a cheap L1 Necro). 
Regarding Khalida; Khalida basically makes her unit shoot better with 3 BS rather than 2, and gives their arrows Poisoned Attacks. As a result for any player favoring a ranged-heavy list, she's something to consider taking. Beware however, Undead Legion expect to fully emulate the tactics of Dwarfs with Napoleonic gunlines and cannon spam. 

Compared to the previous entry, this choice is a no-brainer (pun not intended). Consider taking at least one unit of these, even if you're going for mostly VC units. Invocation won't bolster their numbers at the start (although it'll restore any lost ones), but that shouldn't be a problem since they shouldn't be in melee anyway. 
*'''Skeleton Horsemen:'''
Light Cavalry ahoy! Full-cavalry lists are a thing now! The world of the living will be trampled under unliving hooves! That being said, Horse Archers are probably a better choice, as Hexwraiths and Black Knights fill all "Melee Skeletal Horseman" niches perfectly. Same statline as normal Skeletons, but with horses and Vanguard allowing them to get into position ahead of time. They cost 12 points a model, 4 points more than Dire Wolves for inferior stats barring 2 more points of Leadership. Dire Wolves have a maximum unit size of 20 while you can take as many Skeleton Horseman in a Unit as you want, but it's unlikely you'll be taking that many of either. 
*'''Skeleton Horse Archers:'''
A decent choice at 14 points each, they make good Scouts (especially if they gain the ability to march, stand and shoot or both) and can soften up enemy units before you charge in with something else.  There are no VC equivalents, so they are definitely worth a look. If you need some outriders, Skeleton Horse Archers are probably the way to go since for 2 more points each you'll be able to pump out some ranged attacks. You could take Khalid who is on foot in this or any other Calvary uint however this will affect your movement. In general units can only move as far as their slowest model. So they would just be overpriced archers with the minor benefits of an extra Melee atack, 6+ amour save, and M6. Imo you could spend your points more efficiently on other things.
*'''Skeleton Chariots:'''
One of the Tomb King's main advantages. 55 points each for a durable damage dealer that has Bows and can have a Tomb King with them. Even with the large amount of options, you have no excuse not to at least consider these. They only need three models wide for a rank bonus, and add their rank bonus to the Strength of Impact Hits. Units of chariots can bring the pain and be hard to put down, especially useful if you're against Elves.  Very good as a flanking unit, just be careful of the Unit's footprint (large surface area of the combined bases can make maneuvering difficult).

''A note on Chariots; it's currently up to debate whether Vampire Counts models in Chariots can join a unit of Skeleton Chariots. The rule that allows Tomb King Chariots to join into units is "And The Tomb Kings Rode To War..." which states that any character in a Tomb Kings army with a Chariot can join a unit. Now in Undead Legion, this could arguably mean (see discussion page) that the rule becomes "Any character in an Undead Legion army that have a chariot can join a unit of Skeleton Chariots." Whether it's intended or not is up to debate; the Coven Throne and Corpse Cart were not designed to be used in units, although the ability to sit a Necro on a Corpse Cart and heal the Chariots up while granting them ASF or getting a metric fuckload of attacks and Leadership games into that unit are unquestionably fuckwin. Ultimately, it comes down to what your group decides until GW weighs in on it via FAQ. If you can do it, then seriously consider those two options.''