I do not know how much of this is still rumors and how much of it is directly from information gleaned from the White Dwarf or sneak peaks into the codex. So take most of this as probably accurate, but a grain of salt needed.
Lore of the Vampires
Signature Spell is definitely Invocation of Nehek - on the most fundamental level it can restore "D6 + caster's Wizard level" of Wounds to friendly Undead unit within 6". Boosted version has 12" range, as well as 18" ones.
Other spells includes Raise Dead, Vanhel's Danse Macabre, Curse of Years, Gaze of Nagash, and Wind of Death
Lore attribute: When the spell from the Lore of the Vampires is succefully casted, the wizard or any undead models within 12" restores 1 wound.
Rules tidbits:
All Vampire has rule called "Hunger" - You get to roll a D6 when the vampire kills one or more models in combat, on a 6 you recovers one wound. (Vlad with Blood Drinker pass the roll on 4+)
Also Vampire, including vampiric creatures "such as" Varghulf and Vargheist, can march. So Vargheist will be able to move 20" per turn almost all the time. (not sure if Varghulf can also fly)
Vampiric Powers: (not all of them, just those mentioned in WD)
Flying Horror - give the vampire ability to fly (unsure)
Dread Knight - ability to boost WS (don't know how - but a Vampire Llord with Dread Knight has WS of 9)
Quickblood - gains ASF
Master of the Black Arts - get to re-roll one D6 for the Winds of Magic.
Dark Acolyte - add D3 to the total number of models raised by Nehek.
Red Fury - should be about the same. (unsure)
New units:
Coven Throne
- Basically a chariot mount for your Lord.
- Is a Large target with S5 T5 5W and 5+ save.
- has Spectral Steed rules (can move 8"), Undead, Vampiric, ASF (only for Handmaiden who has 2 S5 Attacks)
- has Random Attacks (2D6) at S3 from the spirit horde.
- Has Ward Save of 4+
- Battle of Wills (before the first enemy rolls to hit against the character or the Throne, both player roll a D6 and add their LD value. Has effects based on the difference of the score)
* no effect (0 or less)
* suffer -1WS/BS
* the enemy must re-roll successful To Hits
* each model in the enemy unit strike each other (only 1 attack per model)
- Has Bound Spell (lvl3) allowing the Throne (and all of its crew) to re-roll either To Hit or To Wound rolls.
Mortis Engine
- Is a Rare Choice
- Same stats as for the Throne (S5 T5 W5 Sv5+)
- has 2D6 attacks at S3 from the spirit horde
- Undead, Terror, Spectral Steed, and Regeneration
- can make Ghostly Howl attack.
- can take upgrade, allowing any wizards casting spell from the Lore of the Vampires to get +2 to their casting attempt. (ANY) miscast wizards rolls twice on the table and have the opponent choose the result)
- The Reliquary (at the start of your turn, roll 2D6 and add the current turn number - until the start of its next turn, all friendly Undead units within this number of range gains +1 bonus to their Regeneration, 6+ if they don't have any, to a maximum of 4+. Also, all enemy units within this range suffers D6 hits at the strength equal to the turn number.
- Also has some penalties if removed from play - by damaging every units within a random range at the strength equal to the current turn number)
Master Necromancer
- New Lord choice (ie. better Necromancer)
- Banshees and Cairn Wraith are now Hero
Hexwraiths (special)
- Fast Cavalry with Ethereal (yes!) that can inflict automatic S5 hits on unit that it moved through.
Vargheist (special)
- Flying Monstrous Infantry that has Fly, Frenzy, and 3A.
Crypt Horrors (special)
- Monstrous Infantry unit with M6 S4 T5 I2 W3 A3, has Poisoned Attacks, Regeneration 5+, and Undead.
I think that's all I've seen in the WD...
BTW, Heinrich Kemmler is back in finecast (and in the book) for sure. But on the original sculpt, no new miniature for him. (at least for now)
Seeing lots of people wondering if the Bloodline is back in the book.
Honestly, I'm not sure as it's not specifically mentioned rule-wise.
Skeletons....should be A LOT cheaper.
(40 Skellies with Full Command for less than 240 points. )
Crypt Ghouls... definitely a bit more expensive.
Zombies... even cheaper than the current one.
Fell Bats... cheaper.
Corpse Cart.... almost the same (but goes Special)
Black Knights.... cheaper.
Spirit Host... cheaper as well.
Varghulf... remains the same.
Dire Wolf....should be exactly the same.
Unit of 3 (2 Vargheist + 1 Vargoyle) is cheaper than 3 Great Eagles.
There's one list posted in WD, apparently no Vampire - only Kemmler (as Lord), Krell, and two Cairn Wraith.
Looking from the text in WD, I suppose...yes you can field a no-Vampire army. This is what the text says:
via White Dwarf
".....Master Necromancer allow players to field a high-level wizard without having to rely on a Vampire Lord to do so. In fact, they are perfectly capable of leading an Undead army on their own...."
You don't expect Ethereal Fast Cavalry to be that cheap, don't you?
Based on the demo list posted in WD, I think they may be almost as expensive as Dragon Princes of Caledor.
via -Loki-
Necromancers can take an upgrade called Master of the Dead. The only way to add models to a Skeleton unit raised with Raise Dead is with a Necromancer with Master of the Dead. This seems to be the benefit of zombies - if you raise skeletons, you need a Master of the Dead Necromancer to keep adding to the unit.
Ghouls are 10 points. A unit of 40 with a Ghast in one of the sample lists was 410 points.
Banner of the Blood Keep is one of the returning banners, and grants a 4+ ward save to shooting attacks.
There appear to be 3 different vampire types. Vampire lord, Vampire, Strigoi Ghoul King. This is mentioned in the new rules for Vampire Counts pacts for Storm of magic, they specifically name the lord choices you can take, and it is those 3 and Master Necromancer. They don't mention at all what makes a Strigoi Ghoul King different, though it might have something to do with Hatred and Poison, as Phil Kelly pointed out in the GW website Terrorgeist designers notes.
I also may be reading too much into it, but there's some hints towards Ghouls not being able to be reinforced through Invocation of Nehek. Don't quote me on this, it's not outright stated, just whenever they talk about raising models, Ghouls are the only unit not mentioned, as well as in the Lahmian sample list they say 'with 40 models, it ensures there will be enough left when they reach the enemy' or sometihng to that effect.
A Vampire Lord with death knight is WS 9. Looks like Vampire Lords are getting ridiculous stats again.
Master Necromancers can be the general. They specifically state this. It's possible to make an army completely lacking vampires.
They make a subtle mention about 'when the general dies, the army starts to crumble until another powerful character can regain control.' Seems like you can replace the general with a powerful Necromancer or other Vampire caster somehow if the general dies.
via Avian
The +2 to cast bonus only works for the Lore of Vampires, not any other Lore. The miscasting affects users of all Lores. In either case, it affects friends or foes within 12" of one or more Engines with the Tomes upgrade.
via Over9000
Oh and direwolves count towards 25% core now
Seems to be, looking at white dwarf: They have some sample armies which dont add upto 25% unless counting wolves.
Btw the raise dead spell is now zombies/skels
Do we have any confirmations to point cost of Hexwraiths, or their stats?
30 pts s5 magic flaming
Blood knights are either 50 or 51 pts now
3 vargheists champ upgrade 148
horrors 38
knights 26 full kit
And spectral host? 45pts
via Kyte
So far I gather from various international, German and Danish forums that:
Bloodlines won't be back, but similar abilities as 6th ed bloodlines will be available through the new vampyric powers. Different powers will unlock different equipment and mount options.
New wraith cavalry will cause the same inter-forum whine as Ogre Mournfangs did, being essentially mounted one wound wraiths, easily the new power-gamer's unit of choice.
Skeletons will be the same price as the TK variety and have the same options at the same cost, except access to magic banner (varying statements on whether only one unit will be allowed magic banner or not)
Giant ghouls have T5. Otherwise same stats as a Rat Ogre.
One of the spirit-borne-thrones/engines/things gives 2+ to cast to ALL wizards within a range of (varying statements), not just your own wizards (commentary: will probably be a really fun model to both play and play against, as it offers whole new tactical aspects for both players to the game... Going to be a true hit among casual gamers like the Thundertusk, I gather).
Wraith and Banshee move to Hero Choices only.
via Ixquic
The Mortis Engine gives +2 to cast from the Lore of Vampires to all casters within 12" so you only have to worry about that working against you when you are playing against another Vampire. The problem is that same upgrade also causes you to roll twice on the miscast chart and your opponent picks the one that you take. It seems to me that will end up screwing you more than helping unless there's a way to single dice cast reliably in the new book.
via Admiral_Wow
GW website is no longer selling:
Vampire count battalion box
Vampire Counts Zacharias on Zombie Dragon
Blood Dragon with Great Weapon, Foot and Mounted
Vampire Counts Necromancer on Nightmare
Vampire Counts Spirit Host
Vampire Counts Black Coach
Vampire Counts Tomb Banshee 3
all items are no longer available.
Kemmler is confirmed to get a Finecast rerelease in January, A Black Coach Finecast recast also this month or later.
via Harry
I put in the OP that I had heard that there were 5 new units in the book ....
I guess that is Coven throne, Mortis Engine, Crypt Horrors, Vargheists and Hex wraiths ... so I guess that is your lot!
'Flesh Golem' was something Hastings heard as a rumour ages ago. I remember asking Gav Thorpe about it at the launch of 7th edition. I had also seen some concept art for Flesh Golems so when I heard monsterous infantry I assumed ....