Editing Warhammer Army Project/Vampire Counts (section)

==Army Units==
===Lords & Heros===
====Special Characters====
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<tab name="Von Carstein">
the classic Dracula Nobles and the faces of the Vampire Counts.

*'''[[Vlad von Carstein]]:''' 430 pts. The man that started it all, and one of the few unique characters who are entirely justified in their points cost. You want to field him, but most people never will. Why? Because he's a staggering 465 points. As strong as he is, that is your entire Lord budget in an otherwise balanced 2000 point army, and below 2500 you most likely you don't have that kind of room for just one model. He's reasonably good, but the price is what stops him from being great, but most players prefer a combo of a level 3 caster of some kind along with a damage option blender lord Strigoi Ghoul King or Master Vampire. That being said, at the 2500 point level and above (ESPECIALLY above 3500), he's fucking amazing. If you're taking him, you want to bring Isabella, although unlike her, he can be good on his own.

*'''[[Mannfred von Carstein]]:''' The Franz of the VC. He is a  Vampire lord kitted for spell casting. His previous editions' ability to be one of two forms has been condensed into him only being an obscenely expensive Lord-level character, 560 pts. He's a superb caster with one major flaw: he needs to kill stuff for optimum usage, which he isn't too good at for a Vampire Lord since he's kitted out so much for magic. This is the man you want fighting nothing but Goblins and Skavenslaves if you can possibly help it (if you're facing Ogres, you're in for a world of hurt). If you can manage to make kills, then this guy will generally rule both magic phases. Make sure to snipe enemy wizards early on with Spirit Leech while he adds a free usage of Invocation of Nehek to emergency-heal any units. He's worth it, but once again, you're looking at a lord who is absolutely impossible to use in any game below 3000 points.
**Unlike most other named characters in this army, you can have Mannfred ride a mount. His options are Barded Nightmare, Hellsteed, Abyssal Terror, and Zombie Dragon. Of those choices, only the Barded Nightmare is of any value for the most part and only to put him in a unit of Black Knights or Blood Knights. The other three will make him even more of an artillery and shooting target than he already is. 

*'''[[Konrad von Carstein]]:''' Nothing short of psychologically damaging if your opponent happens to bring Monstrous Infantry (to him, not his models) for 180pts. That being said, combat is all he really does well (though he does it VERY nicely) while being the uncle of all glass cannons. His stats are on-par with an ordinary Hero level Vampire, and he only has Heavy Armor, so it's his special rules you want to take him for. He rings in at 160 points. 
**His insanity is reflected by a special rule called "One Bat Short of a Belfry," which has you roll for his current mental state. At the start of the turn, you roll a D6, with a result of 1-3 granting him Stupidity and a result of 4-6 giving him Frenzy. 
**So be wary of using him... and be aware that Ogre Kingdoms players will die a little inside each time you field him.

*'''[[Isabella von Carstein]]:''' As it stands for 110pts, she's not a caster (being only a level 1 Wizard in Lore of Vampires) or a fighter (being that she only has the vanilla Vampire stats with Beguile and her only equipment is Heavy Armor and a Hand Weapon). The most she can do is support other vampires using the Blood Chalice to make sure they don't die. 
**Of course, there's always the fact that if she kicks it, Vlad goes nuts, with Frenzy and Hatred and whatnot. It's also possible that he'll die first (not as likely), and she will get Frenzy and Hatred, but as previously mentioned, she's not geared for fighting. She isn't worth it on her own, but put her with Vlad, and they have great potential.

*'''[[Cado Ezechiar]]:''' 160 pts. A vampire on a quest for vengeance against chaos. A lv 1 Death wizard with a unique magic missile/augment that deals extra damage to chaos or a weaker Invocation of Nehek. His ring summons a ghost of a past ally once per turn to aid him for a different phase, Steed lets him move like a horse, Tutor is better magic, and Fallen gives KB and MW.
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<tab name="Necrarch">
The frail spell casters. 
 
*'''[[W'soran/Melkhior|Melkhior the Ancient]]:''' 500pts. Fallen king of the Necrarchs. Unlike Zacharias, he's got the misfortune of being on an Abyssal Terror and is only a level 4 loremaster in Necromancy. Fortunately, he's immune to all mundane shooting, so he can laugh at the gunlines while using his free-ish Invocation of Nehek (After each casting with the item offering it, he needs to roll a d6 and loses it on a 1).

*'''[[Zacharias The Everliving]]:''' If the Necrarchs are the bookish nerds of the Vampire Counts, then this guy is their super-king. While he's stuck on a zombie dragon, he can be a  Loremaster in ANY CRB lore except Life (or just grab Necromancy) while also possessing Gaze of Nagash as a bound item and carries a bag of dispel scrolls. Invocation of Nehek, in particular, is given a major boost by using one of Nagash's books to make its casting value go sky high so it can have a big range. As expected, such unmitigated power comes with a horrific price tag; 725 points go down the drain if he dies, so keep him as far away from artillery as possible.

</tab>
<tab name="Blood Dragon">
The honerable knights of the night.

*'''[[Walach Harkon]]:''' Grand Master of the Blood Knights for 470pts. He's a flat-out Nightmare in combat (heheh, 'Nightmare.' Because he rides one), joining the Blood Knights he now makes Special if you don't buy the dragon. While only a level 2 Necromancy wizard, he's got Initiative Elves dream of, his sword always wounds on a 2+ on top of dealing a variety of special effects, and Hatred (The Empire) while his Battle Standard (Yeah, he's a BSB too) gives units within 12" Hatred (ALL). His last gift is the Blood Chalice, which gives either a recovered wound, a free attack for the turn, or makes his sword flaming while rerolling 1's to hit and wound (meaning, i.e., he will always fucking hit). If anything, his weakness lies in how many roles he tries to pull together, and if he dies, there goes all your stuff.

*'''[[Prince Vhordrai]] Lord of Crimson keep:''' 595pts. a Blood Dragon Lord on Zombie Dragon from AOS. His mount has an upgraded version of Pestilential Breath, and he gives Blood Knights around him rerolls to charge. He kitted with Might of Arms, Heart Piercing, and a Multiple Wounds (D3) Lance. 

*'''[[The Red Duke]]:''' A lower-tier Blood Dragon with a hate-boner for Bretonnia at 370pts. He's just as deadly as Walach with his +1 to hit and +1 S in cc, while his blade lets him heal for every wound he inflicts, all useful when considering he has Red Fury (aka the blenderlord's power).

</tab>
<tab name="Strigoi">
The [[Nospherotu]] guys.

*'''[[Gashnag|Gashnag the Black Prince]]:''' Your named Strigoi at 315pts. He's just as frightening to face as the others while also having a degree of protection from a 5++ ward and a -1 to hit him in cc.

</tab>
<tab name="Lahmian">
The seducers.

*'''[[Queen Neferata]]:''' Makes a fabulous return by turning her handmaidens into Special choices and being the mandatory general for 500 points. She's also a powerful caster (with her own special spell that expends wounds to cast a deadly magic missile), a massive boost to all magic missiles by adding extra damage, and a special "gift" that curses a unit to reroll all good armour saves. While equally as flimsy in combat as Manny, she benefits from immediately recovering wounds each round as well as several defensive powers. Her ability to inflict -2 Ld to units in b2b, in particular, make her perfect for a Coven Throne if you can afford such a massive drain on your army. Seduction lets her stand a chance while on foot, riding a Hellsteed or a Nightmare.

</tab>
<tab name="Vyrkos">
The ported bloodline from AOS, Strigoi but are werewolves instead of hideous, making a lovely home in the old world as the vampires of [[Kislev]].

*'''[[Belladamma Volga]]:''' 400pts. The founder and matriarch of the Vyrkos bloodline. Volga is the [[Wolf Lord]], a cross of level 3 Caster lord of the lore of beast and lord over [[Dire Wolves]]. She quick on her ex-suitors mount, wanting to be close to wolf packs to improve their backfield hunting and poning wound onto them. In addition to the support and problem removing spells of the lore of beast Volga also possess two of her own [[wolfen|werewolf]] spell, one to grant Frenzy to your already deadly Blood knights and Crypt Horrors, and the Lycancurse, which is a better version of Flock of Doom curse and Curse the [[Horned Rat]], turning pesky Archers and Wizards into [[Fenrisian Wolf|Wolves]]. 

*'''[[Radukar the Wolf]]:''' 380pts. the big bad Vyrkos from [[cursed city]]. A Vampire of Strigoi-like might. He fights like a beast, especially after taking a wound with a 50% chance of him hulking out and starts "flying like a ghost and stinging like a dragon." This is the form you want him to enter quickly as it's him at his strongest and allows him to spawn a Dire Wolf pack from ambush. Being Monstrous Infantry, he can hang out with Crypt horros and Bloodknight to grant  Devastating Charge.

*'''[[Lady Annika]]:''' 185pts. Part of the Vyrkos family but more Lahmian and bat than a wolf. Like Lahmians, she is a dualist who always Strikes First and better 4+ dodge. Her Blade Proboscian auto wounds and heals herself when slaying enemies. Have that Vampiric hero resilience but only 2 wounds, so still fragile to bad rolls.

*'''[[Kritza]]:''' 135pts. the Rat Prince. [[skaven|not those ones]]. The only unique thing about him from a normal vampire thug is being so hard to kill and running from death with full wounds again.

*'''[[Ivya Volga]]:''' 120pts. by lore she is a monster hunter though her talents are not getting malled, rather than having a way to deal with high toughness and wounds characteristics. Followed by a B2B Flock of Doom and -1WS and a -1 to monster Attacks. All this reveals that her real talent is not getting hit and mowing low armor chaff.

</tab>
<tab name="Necromancer">
The Still living dudes are usually the ones responsible for maintaining the fully-undead half of the faction.

*'''[[Heinrich Kemmler]]:''' Oh, you were never going to be playing this game in the decent company anyway. He's a Loremaster in Necromancy, ideal for filling a lord's spot at 1500+ point games, and If you're playing at that level, you may as well bring Krell to take advantage of their tag team abilities. 340 points? Worth it.

*'''[[Dieter Helsnicht]]:''' The other master necromancer at 425pts. While he lacks Loremaster, he's got himself a manticore that never suffers from berserk fury. While he has a magic weapon, you shouldn't be relying on it when you have the manticore. Instead, use Dieter as the wizard he is since he has Burning Head as a bound spell and has a single-use ability to auto-cast any spell he wants.

*'''[[Sethep the Merciless]]:''' Another Necrarch who plotted world domination with a horde of zombies, only to be rekt by Konrad von Carstein, 175pts. In truth, he's a pretty weak L2 necromancer. His only item lets him cast Hellish Vigour as a bound spell, though it can be exhausted, and forces -1 to hit him in combat.

*'''[[Helman Ghorst]]:''' Remember the part where he got in [[Total War: Warhammer]]? That's how he landed here. He can only ride his corpse cart as a level 2 necromancer who adds even more bodies to raise from using Raise Dead or Invocation, which is to his benefit as he is the only Hero character to be able to grow a Skeleton Warriors unit beyond its starting size (a bigger deal now you can give them expensive Crossbows or Medium armour and Halberds to grow a small into a big unit).

*'''[[Gunther Spengler]]:''' 135pts. a Necromancer that gives 3d6 drop lowest for Skeletons or Zombies he is with when they make Leadership tests to march near enemies, restrain from pursuit, and reform. A cheap Necromancer with a ward save and minorly improves the mobility control of a unit of chaff.  

</tab>
<tab name="Undead">
The dead people but were so badass that they didn't need or have a necromancer controlling them.

*'''[[Krell|Krell, Lord of Undeath]]:''' Krell is a Wight King with a better statline who gets Heroic Killing Blow (in challenges) if in the same unit as Kemmler (which obviously means he should always be in the same unit as Kemmler). He has regular Killing Blow otherwise, but the drawback is that he MUST issue a challenge whenever possible; oh, and having a T5 W4 hero for his meager 215-point cost (not to mention his other rules) is very, very good. New to this edition is his Crown of the Damned, which finally gives him a 4++ Ward Save but also inflicts Stupidity (at Ld9, he can manage). By the way, his model is fucking ace. 
**'''Alternate take:''' Krell is significantly more expensive than a regular Wight King and only marginally better offensively defensively, he is inferior. His special rules are relatively situational and only hold up against medium to weak enemy heroes (a strength 7 lord/hero will completely ignore his armor). A mundane Wight King will almost always be a better option over Krell because they can be kitted out specifically for your needs. His model IS pretty amazing, though. 

*'''[[Lady Olynder]], Mortarch of Grief:''' 400pts. Ruler of Ghost from AOS. She is a Banshee lord with more killing power. Is an Lv3 Necromancy or Death wizard that knows a Unique spell that makes one enemy easier to hit in combat while they have a harder time hitting back. She has a Psychology test debuff aura, in addition to her Ghostly Howl; she shoots many armour negating Killing blow shoots that would go against the initiative and can either once per game Heal herself of inflicting additional damage to an unlikely Hero that tries to fight her. Using a necromancy spell, she heals D3 wound on Ethereal with Invocating of Nehek. It Synergizes greatly with a list that relies on ghosts as a necromancer or wants a lord specializing in taking out high-value targets from range.

*'''[[Kurdoss Valentian]], The Craven King:''' 225pts. Formally an ambitious King that is forcefully Lady Olynder's subservient husband as a practical joke by [[Nagash]]. Assisted by two Cairn Wraith, he is supposedly a melee ghost lord. Chance to turn off the opposing general's Inspiring Presence which is a boon for a Terror unit. He hit hard with his Great weapon, that course muli-wound(D3) or D6 on a wound roll of 6. He gets a reroll to hit against Army General, but Despite how much he seems he wants to kill other characters, he is not the best at it. As a ghost with a Great weapon, he is asking to be killed by that fat nobleman with an enchanted butterknife while Kurdoss tries to lift his heavy mace. Like most ghosts, he should stay away from wizards and magic weapons, then engage what can't hurt him. He can be decent at winning against the Monsterous ilk.

*'''[[Reikenor The Grimhailer]]:''' 210pts. a Lv2 Cairn Wraith Death wizard on Nightmare. Very killing in and out of combat. He has a spell that makes Classcannon units kill themselves with their own great weapons. It kills a guy each your magic phase to give himself +1 to his first spell. Can even brawl with nonmagical hoards with 7 attacks against units with 3 ranks.

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====Generic Characters====
*'''[[Von Carstein]] Vampire/Lord:''' 80/245pts. The von Carsteins, being the flagship vampires, offer a rather balanced take for a vampire, the horrific monstrosities of the Warhammer World not named Chaos Lords. They have a solid statline capable of holding their own in a fight and has the best Generic Character leadership (M6 S5 T4/5 A4/5 LD 9/10), as well as being wizards of Shadow/Death/Necromancy in Heavy armor and a large list of items/powers to give them a fixed role. They also have Good synergy with Dire Wolves, Bat Swarms and Fell Bats.

*'''[[Necrarch]] Vampire/Lord:''' 80/245 pts. The Necrarchs are the vampires you want for a casting-heavy army, other bloodlines are only part wizards that can get up to at most level 3, Necrarchs are full caters, and their powers make them even better at it. These wizards can take all the lores most vampires have but can also take Heavens or Metal to mess with a broader list of foes. These guys lose out on any mundane weaponry, so consider more arcane items and talismans.

*'''[[Lahmian]] Vampire/Lady:''' 75/235 pts. Lahmians have the advantage of a high Initiative score, allowing them to punch into an enemy hero before they can strike back. At the same time, their powers let even that last bit fall into question. If you want a brawler vampier, pick Blood Dragon, but Lahmians are full casters while still being untouchable in combat.

*'''[[Blood Dragon]] Vampire/Lord:''' 105/240 pts. With WS scores above their kindred, the Blood Dragons can handle themselves in a battle, especially in challenges, since they're forced to accept them. In exchange, they become the poorest wizards of the lot. Each of them already comes with heavy armour, so you are already plenty protected if all you get is a shield and a ward save.

*'''[[Strigoi]] Vampire/Lord:''' A Strigoi may not look like much, having a lord with a slightly inferior statline to a Von Carstein for 125/245 points, not being able to take magical armor or weapons, being stuck as a caster on par with Blood Dragons. What it gets for these tradeoffs is a Lore of beast caster, +1 Toughness higher than contemporaries, and an offense near equal or better to a Blood Dragons using the lore of beast along with other tricks from powers. It can also be mounted on a Terrorgheist and scout with Crypt Ghouls and let 3 ambushes. No matter how you're planning to use him, make sure you have a plan for him; otherwise, go Blood Dragon.

*'''Master Necromancer/[[Necromancer]]:''' 165/65 pts. Cheap-level wizards (L3/4 for lords, L1/2 for heroes) in either Lore of Death or Lore of Necromancy. They can Raise Skeleton warriors beyond the starting size, which they can use to support a fighty Vampire Lord and the hordes, or they can be your primary caster and general should you decide to bring a slew of ordinary Vampires. If you consider making him your general, that certainly frees points for the other great choices you have, but remember that your army may start crumbling as soon as he dies. If you assign the other Vampires to Lore of Necromancy, then at least one of them can take over as general (although with such a weakened magic phase, you better be planning on bringing the rape train quickly).
**The Master Necromancer can be mounted on Barded Nightmares, Hellsteeds, Abyssal Terrors, and something Vampires can't ride: Corpse Carts. A buffing shrine that makes Skeliontons and zombies more deadly.

*'''Liche Lord:''' The undead necromancer lords, a beefier (Toughness 5, 4 Wounds), combat-oriented Master Necromancer(but vampires have weapons and even the Necrarchs are better fighters than you), and 275pts is almost double the cost of a Master Necromancers or as much Lv3 Necrarch Lord. Their only option is to ride a Mortis Engine, which would lock him out of combat even harder. Unlike vampires, you are undead, so abilities will now work on you for all their positives and detriments.
**Alternative take: Liche Lord is meant to be harder to kill lv4 wizards. They are harder to kill from sniping, not for fighting.

*'''[[Wight King]]:''' 85 points. The same statline as a Vampire, with the S and T swapped around with WS4, 3 wounds, and is upgradable to a BSB. Can mount up on a Skeletal Steed with barding as an option and take a lance if you want him with Black Knights, otherwise stick him in a unit of Grave Guard with the Banner of the Barrows for an incredibly cheesy unit that will meet all variety of faces. Gets Killing Blow. He can take 50 points worth of magic items if he's NOT the BSB. Oh, and like Krell, this guy has a fucking beautiful model. So other than you, BSB, He is your most reliable and cheap for dueling or protecting your necromancers.

*'''[[Cairn Wraith]]:''' 60 points. Ethereal, Terror, Undead. It has a special ability called Chill Grasp, allowing it to trade in its 3 Attacks for one Attack that automatically wounds if it hits and ignores armour. Only S3 and a great weapon, T3, and 2 Wounds with a low as fuck 2 Initiative. It can take a horse and magic items. Spirit hosts are cheaper for simple tarpits, and the Cairn Wraiths unit from the Rare section is more cost-effective for cavalry/monster killing. Both are also more resistant to magic by having more wounds. Finally, Wight Kings are better at simply killing normal stuff by virtue of their Killing Blow and awesome (for points) stats. It's possible to use them to nail characters. Still, the chances are good that whatever you're aiming to kill has a magic attack that renders the Cairn Wraith's only defense moot, and at 5 LD, don't expect him to prevent anything from crumbling (in fact, he's more susceptible to it truth be told).

====Mounts====
*'''Skeletal Steed:''' The Black Knights basic mount ignores terrain as they are treated as Ethereal for movement and does not get the -1M for barding if you take it. Think about that for a moment; you can charge units on the other side of buildings if you can see them. Never take a dangerous terrain test with these guys again!
*'''[[Nightmare]]:''' Simple undead horse, best in a squad of Blood Knights, and never put in a unit of Black Knights unless there's no terrain, as they'll lose their Ethereal movement. Ordinary in all regards other than being a S4 horse.
*'''Hellsteed:''' A flying Barded Nightmare, and overall a better horse. Not too expensive and still a great investment if you like running with Fell Bats or other silliness. Still, if used right, it can be a scary model that's great for picking off warmachines or other small units since arrows don't tend to have the killing power needed for a Vampire.
*'''Barrow Chariot:''' Your basic chariot pulled by skeletal steeds for your Weight King. Fortunately, it has the Spectral Steeds rule remain intact, and now you have all those Impact Hits to deal with. The drawback is that there aren't any chariot units to stick him with.
*'''[[Abyssal Terror]]:''' Cheapest of the monster mounts. Not great by any standard of a monster. Can be given Poison Attacks or Armour Piercing. It's fairly cheap and flies, so it's not bad, but it's usually just beaten out by the next two.
*'''[[Terrogheist]]:''' Your bigass scary mofo exclusive to Strigoi.  While it's still beefy as hell, it remains a large magnet that only has a 6+ Regen for protection between itself and Strigoi rider.
*'''[[Zombie Dragon]]:''' Exactly what you think it is. It's got beefy stats that can be healed massively thanks to lore attribute plus Invocation, his Pestilential Breath attack causes -3 to armour as well as causing a S2 hit, and it adds that extra "fuck you" to Ogres in the form of terror. Has Swarm of Flies (ew!) which causes -1 to WS for enemy in base contact. A great time if your Vampire has the same statline as the mount it is on. It can wreck heavy cavalries day as well as rank and file, though it will die to cannons or Heroic Killing Blow. It is still a fantastic kick-ass model and our only dragon, but it's a magnet for artillery and mass shooting like most fun things.
*'''[[Coven Throne]]:''' Lahmian Lady and Neferata only. Hot motherfucking damn (also damnably hot if you know what I mean), this ghost-pulled chariot is heavily defensive. In addition to what your lord has, your also getting 5+/4++ save and S5 impact hits, 2d6 ghost and 4 vampire attacks, a bound spell that gives itself rerolls to hit or wound, and The Battle of Wills, where each attacking enemy must make a contested LD roll or else be bad at hitting you or attacks itself if it really losses. Your paying a minimum of 445 points + other gear. Though not as effective against high Ld units (Elfs, Dwarfs), a Coven Throne makes a Lahmian the toughest battering ram to deal with.

===Core Units===
*'''[[Skeleton Warriors]]:''' More durable than Zombies, a pinch better at killing and less likely to crumble, they cost 5 points a model. Skellis should only be taken in large units to maximize the usefulness of the Invocation of Nehek. Skellies are good, but the Zombie tar pit works way better than any unit in the army for the role since the Invocation of Nehek only heals back D6 Wounds+caster level (compared to the 2D6+caster level that Zombies get). Unless it's a master necromancer or liche lord, zombies cannot push them past their starting size.
**That being said, Skeleton Warriors are by no means terrible. They have an option for a full command unit, a musician for swift reforms, and a standard bearer for a +1 combat res score for extra survivability, and they come with Shields and hand weapons giving them a neat 6+ parry save in close combat. You can exchange their hand weapons for spears, sacrificing the 6++ parry save, but it lets you attack in 3 ranks. Similarly, you can eschew their entire loadout and buy everyone bows so you can have an army of disposable BS2 arrows. Since skeletons still suck, they aren't hitting too often, not with WS 2. Generally, Skeletons are a better carrier unit for your footslogging killy Vampire Lord.

*'''[[Zombies]]:''' Zombies are pathetic. The lore goes to silly lengths to tell you how living opponents fear engaging zombies and being torn apart, and in the game, they are a bloody joke. In a fair fight, they couldn't kill a sickly, blind, crippled, mentally disabled, orphaned Skaven Slave. It has M4, WS2, S3, T3, 1I, and fucking 2LD. It is so bad that decreasing their offensive stats would only worsen in the abstract. So why ever take them? Because they are only three points. In addition, the Vampire Counts magic phase is full of buffs; get yourself some rerolls, and that Zombie unit can hold a bit longer. Thanks to the Newly Dead rule, they recover an extra D6 Wounds worth of models per casting of Invocation (meaning 2D6 Zombies) and can increase their unit size beyond what you started the game with; this means you can, with luck, turn a 20-strong horde into a 60-strong horde in just 2 turns of magic. 

*'''[[Crypt Ghouls]]:''' One of the rare living units and most expensive core Infantry option available at 6 points. They are a relatively speedy core option that has a Toughness of 4 and has fear, exceeding both zombies and skellies by one point, and don't suffer from undead's drawbacks. Highest (still terrible) Initiative of 3. Two Attacks per Ghoul, and the highest Leadership score of the core options at 6 (they will likely flee when beaten without leadership buffs compared to Zombies, which can all vanish off the board when they lose). Poisoned Attacks (let them trade excellent vs. low armor) are the default, but Ghouls cannot have a musician or Standard bearer. Less likely to die like the skeletons, but much harder to get more of, and still a good bunker for a footslogging Vampire Lord - especially when skirmishing.

*'''Sylvanian Peasant Levy:'''If you thought we were being too mean to the poor zombies (what is wrong with you?), you have this unit of pitiful farmers who are also expendable Ld 5 and only accessible to an army with a Von Carstein as a general. They are just as useless, and even more so since you can't use Invocation of Nehek to swell their ranks. Revivable Skeleton Warriors often are better holders of Ranged weapons than Peasants, and you'll inherently have a limit to how many you can take due to being Expendable.
**All said, the peasants still have value, especially with how swingy and unstable is on losing undead. They are faster-moving Troops being able to march at will, and won't fold from a disastrous round of combat. They can also use Von Carsteins' Leadership of 10/9 to stay in a fight.

*'''[[Dire Wolves]]:''' A very fast-moving alternative to the other core choices. The Dogs ring in at 6 points per model, with a cavalry-speed Movement of 9 (compared to the M4 of the rest of the core) and Swiftstride. They have similar Toughness, meaning they'll crumble as fast as Skeleton Warriors in unfavorable conflicts. They have one point higher WS and I, so combat will have more kills but otherwise share a stat line with Skeleton Warriors. They have the Slavering Charge (+1S on the charge) and Vanguard (after both armies deploy everything, but before the first turn, they may move 12").

*'''[[Fell Bats]]:''' Your go-to for Warmachine hunting. Cost 12 points each and must be fielded in Units of 2 or more. Count as War Beasts, meaning they have Fly and Swiftstride (roll 3d6 when charging, discard lowest, add 12" to the Move, and do the same when fleeing). Its stats are like two humans sharing a pair of wings (likely to crumble), which is pretty meh. Still, with multiple models and Fly, they'll probably reach what war machines they need to get to unless your opponent spends some time shooting them, which will buy you time to get into melee, so either way, it's a win/win.

*'''[[Bat swarms]]:''' 35 points each, but they have 6 Wounds and 6 Attacks. They are a Swarm: meaning they are Skirmishers, plus Unbreakable and Unstable (like the rest of your army). They have WS3, S2, T2, and I4, coupled with being Unstable, most likely will be the first thing to crumble after Zombies. Their Hover and Cloud of Horror disrupt all enemies they flank, which is awesome considering most of your army has terrible Initiative.

===Special Units===
*'''[[Grave Guard]]:''' Coming in at 10 points, these supercharged Skeleton Warriors boast medium armour and can be upgraded to heavy armour and Shields for a point each.Offensivly, they can get Great Weapons or Polearms for 2pts. With killing blow and S4 tanking them up with shields and heavy armour and relying on killingblow and flankers to cause damage is probably the right move.  They are a lot more resilient and killy than Skeletons and just as easy to raise, be sure they're in range for Invocation of Nehek. Stuff a Wight King into this unit and take them in a block for a hard-hitting anvil force. These skellies are a nightmare for any high T non-monstrous troops. Finnally, don't forget their juice 50pt magic standard allowance(bring Banner of the Barrows).

*'''[[Black Knights]]:''' Another unit that got some love, with free lances and edition wide impact hits this will bring the pain. Though, you're paying one point more at  22pts. Same  stats as Grave Guard, with the option for barding and heavy armour for 2pts each. Can absolutely butcher anything they hit in the flank. Being cavalry, they only regain 1+Wizard Level wounds from Invocation of Nehek.

*'''[[Hexwraiths]]:''' Ghost rider at 27 points each. They are Fast Cavalry with a metric fuckload of ghost rules to mess with the enemy. They are Ethereal, move through unengaged Units, have Terror, and flaming Greatweapons that Ignores armour. As a result, they will attract a TON of magic during your opponent's turn as he desperately tries to fry them before they reach him and they don't have any protection against that other than you trying to dispel, so beware. Being Fast Cavalry grants them Vanguard (get to make a 12" Move before the game starts) and a Free Reform unless it charges. They lose most of this if a character without Ethereal+5+orbetterArmour joins them. You should leave the Hexes to do their thing alone. If left alive, Hexwraiths will swing fights in your favor.

*'''[[Crypt Horrors]]:''' Still  T5 regenerating monstrous infantry; however, they're no longer undead, but gained 2 leadership in exchange. No price change, which, if you consider the trend for monstrous infantry to get massive price cuts, this edition is a slap in the face. Should still be buffed up with magic and stay clear of flaming attacks.

*'''[[Corpse Cart]]:''' A 90 point Chariot and mount for your necromancers. The thing itself is a 6+ Armor Save Shrine option with 4 Wounds, but don't let that trick you. It's just as useful as zombies in combat with 2d6 WS2 S3 attacks from the Zombies hitched to it as beasts of burden, as well as an attack from the rider who is a WS3 S3 I2 Corpsemaster. It has Regeneration, which may keep it alive for a pinch. All skelly and zombie units within 6" of the Corpse Cart get a bonus attack and 6+ regen, a distant cry from the ASF of yore, But still gives the Chaff hoards build some viability. Of the 2 upgrades, Balefire is ok as enemy wizards have a harder time casting when in 24". The lodestone is a solid choice as it makes the "Invocation of Nehek" more reliable at rebuilding your army.

*'''[[Vargheists]]:''' Flying, Vampiric, Monstrous Infantry who are S5 T4. They can't fly quite as far as they used to (what can), aRe 4pts more expensive and lost undead. Thankfully, with the new vampiric most things have to re-roll successful to wound rolls, making them tankier than ever. Antop of that, they gain the Red Thirst, every time they kill a model, on a 5+ they recover a wound. This went from one of the premier glass cannon units to a hardier cannon that can march outside of the generals bubble. Definitely a beast of a unit, and perhaps the best flying unit in the edition.

*'''[[Spirit Host]]:''' Ah, the Spirit Host. 45 points per Swarm, and They are also Ethereal. Sadly, as a Swarm, they also die from Combat Resolution like everything else in the army. They have M6, WS3, S3, T3, I1, A4, and a Leadership of 4. These guys are extremely cost-effective Monster and Cavalry tarpits while they last (make sure whatever you are facing does not have magic attacks), and can also be used to dissuade a flank charge by something nasty than to actively hunt their targets, otherwise, they may get too exposed to infantry (their bane thanks to that Combat Resolution damage) or outmaneuvered. That said, don't mind losing a Unit to magic or infantry if you have to: after all, they cost less than 50 points. Why give a damn?

===Rare Units===
*'''[[Blood Knights]]:''' There are a lot of things to remember about the Blood Knights. They are as expensive at 40 points a model (coincidentally, they also have a similar effect on enemy tactics), and they are one of the top-heavy cavalry units in Warhammer Fantasy. So here's what we're looking at; Heavy armour, Barding, Shield, and Lance. They have Vampiric. They can take The Flag of Blood Keep as an upgrade instead of another magic standard for 50 points, which grants them a 4+ Ward Save against Ranged Attacks. That Ward Save comes into effect once something gets through their 2+ Armor Save, namely war machines. They come in at WS5, S5, T4, W1, I5, A2, and LD 7 overall. You can take them in Units of 4 or more.
**They are a fantastically lethal addition to an army of any size. It's a good idea to keep a loaded-up Barded Vampire/Vampire Lord within the Unit to help them keep their minds focused and overcome the Frenzy urge to go fuck something despite being in the line of sights of a Warmachine or something similarly undesirable and Taking a 4-man unit with Banner of Eternal Flame makes them fantastic monster hunters who will reliably take down even Hydras, Sphinxes, and Hellpit Abominations on the charge.
**However, don't forget that they have a big weakness - due to being Vampiric, they can't recover wounds, which, combined with their cost, makes them inferior to Black Knights in the eyes of many players.

*'''[[Lahmian|Lahmian Handmaidens]]:''' They are a pack of lesser but still deadly Vampires. Though not as geared up as a Blood Knight, they are Scouts and still hit harder than Crypt Horrors with thier M6 with three S5 attacks thanks to dual-wielding. They are surprisingly cheap for their offense and being in the Rare slot for only 21 ppm. You can fit them in as another Hammering option for undead anvil. 

*'''[[Black Coach]]:''' A 195 point Chariot. Has one crew member, a Cairn Wraith (with Chill Grasp and a Great Weapon), and two Nightmares as drivers. Causes Terror, counts as Vampiric so there's no fear of Crumble, has a 4+ Ward Save on top of the 3+ Armor Save. It has 5 Strength when trying to figure out its d6 Impact Hits. The real fun part though, is the special ability "Evocation of Death", which combines fantastically if you have a lot of wizards (both with or against you), giving you (very quickly) +1 to the Impact Hits on the Charge then gaining +1 Strength to the Wraith and the Nightmares, then gaining Killing Blow and Flaming Attacks for its Impact Hits and regular Close Combat attacks, then gaining Magic Resistance (2) and Strider, then becoming Ethereal, and finally gaining Fly at 6 points. For just 195 points and a little patience, you can get one of the most amazing fucking models crunch-wise in the entire game.

*'''[[Varghulf]]:''' 90 pts. The Vargheist's meth addict big brother and the only hammer you really want to meet anything head-on. In comparison to the 'gheist you lose Fly and Frenzy but gain Terror, Hatred, Bestial Fury (immunity to flanking or rear attacks), and Regeneration. You have 3 more points of M, 1 more point of WS, one more point of Toughness, one more Wound each, two more attacks each, but 3 points less Leadership (though it's Vampiric). It's a Monster, so it also has Thunderstomp.
**All in all, the Varghulf is a decent choice, as it's statline is pretty nice. It's decently killy in addition to that Regen and Terror, especially considering he lacks Frenzy, so he won't jump into combat without being given the order, he's also harder to kill and sucks up less points than a Terrorgheist so a lucky cannonball won't eat up a large chunk of your points. His main detriment is that he eats up Rare points, if that doesn't bother you, then go right ahead, otherwise a properly built Terrorgheist can do the job just fine (though will cost more).

*'''[[Mortis Engine]]:''' 220 points Chariot with an Armour Save of 5+ on top of its 5 Toughness and 5 Wounds, but this isn't a Black Coach that you want to run your enemy down with. It's purely a support unit. Its offensive abilities are abysmal (unless you charge it into a flank) despite it getting a lot of little bird peck attacks, but it has decent survivability. Here's where you factor in its abilities. The Reliquary ability gives your undead a nice regeneration boost to make them live longer/tarpit better and can hit a good amount of enemy units at decently high strength, making it one of the few good ranged units available to you, and with the number of wounds it has you don't even need to worry about taking a hit from doubles, and even if it does get a little hurt, you can just heal it up yourself.
**You can/should also upgrade it with Blasphemous Tome for 20 points, which lets all Wizards within 12" of the Mortis Engine have +2 to casting attempts from the Lore of Necromancy, and if anything within 12" of the Mortis Engine miscasts (both friend and foe) then the player rolls twice on the miscast table and his opponent choose which result applies. Both of these mean you want it with the front, supporting everything else making enemy wizards nervous about 4/5/6 dicing anything, and drawing lots of fire away from your actual nastiest units. That said, this thing is a magic and artillery MAGNET LIKE NO OTHER. It looks awesome, the crunch seems awesome, then you put it on the field and a Dwarf with a flaming cannonball blows it to hell before it can move. If you want to use it effectively, you NEED some distraction units, either war machine hunters or faster melee units to take the artillery off of you, or you actually want it to get shot so that your hammers don't get shot by those same cannons.

*'''[[Cairn Wraiths]]:''' The expensive, damage-dealing alternative to the spirit hosts. Must be fielded in units of 3 minimum, 10 maximum. 50 points per model, providing a bulk discount by taking them in the Rare section, as well as saving points for more Vampires, Necros, or Wights in the Hero slot. What's not to love?
**They will still die to ranked infantry as they're Undead but, unlike the Spirit Hosts who function as a sacrificial tarpit/ball and chain for a Monster, these guys function as killers as well for 105 more points. 9+ attacks (-2I, remember) at S5 or 3+ attacks that ignore armor will put the hurt in whatever they strike. That being said, they DO take Rare choice points and unlike the Spirit Hosts, you can't afford to just let them get killed by a magic missile and forget about it. It's usually better to pin enemies with Spirit Hosts and then flank later with another unit so, in essence, the Cairn Wraiths are to the Spirit Hosts as the Varghulfs are to the Vargheists.
**If you really get in a good, you can take advantage of the fact these little Ethereal buggers can go straight through terrain to stay in Charge distance of the enemy while staying safe from being Charged, which can tie up a lot of troops by forcing the enemy to either continue facing them or just bite the bullet and say goodbye to everyone on the side or back of the Unit.

*'''[[Tomb Banshee]]:''' 80 points. Ethereal, Terror, and Undead. Crap stats and two Wounds. Her only attack is Ghostly Howl, a short-ranged attack that's resolved during the Shooting Phase and can be used in b2b. Roll 2D6+2, for each point you beat the enemy's LD score they take one Wound with no armor saves against it. Any competitive army will have at least 9 Leadership in important units, so the hysterical woman is unlikely to earn her points back (she will deal on average deal less than 0.5 casualties per turn in those cases). She can take out a low LD unit very quickly, however (seeing 10 Skaven Slaves drop-dead bleeding from the ears from one single attack can be fucking hilarious). As a result, she's best used to wipe out ranks of anvils and let you wash over everything that was supposed to flank charge you, though thanks to the range of the scream she's not very good at that, and at LD 5 has the same problem as the Cairn Wraith.

*'''[[Mourngul]]:''' Forge World's large monster that's half a torso. It's an S5 T5 undead with 4 wounds, Killing Blow,  ice attacks. Their lone protection is a 4++ Ward against non-magical attacks, but considering that he deals ASL to anyone he's in b2b with, you can give him a good place with mobs. Especially when you see that he heals a wound for each model he kills, he can very easily take care of a mob of pikemen or spearelves.

*'''[[Terrorgheist]]:''' A 225 point Monster (so you get stomps) with M6, WS3, S5, T6, 6 Wounds, 3I, four Attacks, and a Leadership of 4 (it's not Vampiric so the death of the General may cause it to crumble, which at that point level can be painful). It has Fly, is a Large Target, causes Terror, has Regeneration (6+), and has a special ability called "Death Shriek" which counts as a Shooting Attack that you get to make regardless of your previous actions that turn. Death Shriek has an 8" range that requires Line of Sight (oddly enough) and can target something regardless of if you or it are in Close Combat. You roll 2d6 and add the Wounds the Terrorgheist has, and for each point that the result exceeds the target Unit's Leadership they suffer 1 Wound with no Armor Save and it counts as a Magical Attack, which isn't that great against LD high armies, a Strigoi Ghoul King can help somewhat, but that makes it a cannonball magnet. It can also be upgraded for 10 points to be Infested (ew!) with bats (wut?) that, upon death, cause 3D6 Strength 2 hits to anything in base contact with the Terrorgheist. It can also take Rancid Maw for 15 points which grant it Poisoned Attacks (not for its Thunderstomp though).
**Its main weakness, however, is that it is fairly flimsy, especially if your opponent brought some nasty ranged options, this combined with their relative vulnerability in Close Combat and their huge base size means they are tricky to actually move about. Not everyone likes them, but they remain one of the best choices (tied with the Black Coach) available to Vampire Counts owing to the fact that it is the army's most flexible option. It's ready for battle from the beginning unlike the Coach, allowing you to go on the offensive in a prompt manner.

*'''[[Zombie Dragon]]:''' Your particular dragon, while on tier with most, is let down by its 5+ natural armour. To make up for this, its breath weapon can obliterate armour (if it ever wounds) and makes enemies engaged with it take -1 to hit.

*'''[[Necrofex Colossus]]:''' This unholy behemoth is essentially a legit undead giant mixed with magic support. Indeed, alongside its magical attacks and 4+ regen, it adds +1 to all casting of Death or Necromancy spells within 12". It's offensively like a Giant with its randomized rules - though none of them are lethal, all of them are very dangerous if they land. It's decked with some very unique upgrades (Re-roll stomps and random attacks, deal d6 S2 hits in b2b, gain Regen 3+ and Frenzy, become a level 1 wizard of Death/Necromancy).