Editing Warhammer Army Project/Vampire Counts (section)

===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.

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<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).

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<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.

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<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.

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<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.

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<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.  

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<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.