Friday, January 6, 2012

Vampire Counts Info, On the Eve of Release


Today is the 6th of January, which means we will be hearing something tomorrow (later today) about the new Vampire Counts Army Book that will be released on the 14th. In that spirit, here is some information gleaned from the latest White Dwarf about the new and upcoming codex.



These are still rumors at this point, please take with a grain of salt.

via Bullhax
Someone asked at some point if the Black Knights retained their ethereal movement rules - wich i can confirm from reading the new WD.

In addition and i quote: Their wight riders strike with killing blow, regardless of the weapon they wield, be it lance, hand weapon or even magical blade..

On another note Scabscrath is back but instead of causing terror it now grants extra attacks (it's stated that he has 7 on the turn he charges...) AND a Death Shriek attack (the terrorgheist kind.) It is given to a Ghoul King riding the very same beast. (ghoul kings regen is 5+ btw) This seems to be the "The blade of deadly pain mentioned in post 2511 - but it was stated then that you would die if you didn't cause a wound this is not mentioned in WD though. The preiviously stated price was 37,5 skavenslavers.

Just to add to the already stated statline on crypt horrors on page one of this thread. WS 3, LD 5.

Minor update on nehek (signature spell): Replenishes the numbers of every friendly ud unit within 6" by D6 PLUS the caster's wizard level in wounds. the spell can be increased to 12 and 18".

An update on the raising skeletons thing:
One necromancer in the army may be upgraded to a Master of the Dead - the only way to increase the size of a skeleton warrior unit summoned by the Raise Dead spell. In a box on the same page it is also stated that master of the dead will work for Nehek too!

Henrich Kemmler knows ALL the spells in the Lore of Vampires and is a level 4 wizard. He costs 175 skavenslavers and Krell will be prized 102,5.

That was all i could find missing (maybe some of it has been postet before) from the new WD that hasn't already been mentioned.!

On the GG price debate the difference between the 19 GG with full cmd. and Banner of Barrows is only 7 skavenslavers cheaper in the newest WD so it is imo more likely that the banner is now cheaper not the actual GG's.


via rodmillard
Necromancers, Master Necromancers, Vampires, Vampire Lords, and Strigoi Ghoul Kings all have (or can purchase) magic levels. All have access to the Lore of Vampires (unconfirmed: there may be a vampire power that gives access to the rulebook lores, but not Loremaster)

Lore of Vampires attribute "Curse of Undeath" is the same as Lore of Life.

Spam casting is almost certainly gone, although IoN (being the signiture spell) is available to all casters and can be cast once by each wizard, as normal.

Difficulties are 6+, 6+, 8+, 9+, 9+, 12+, 15+

Invocation of Nehek (signature spell)
All units within 6" regain d6+ caster level models. Empowered versions extend the range to 12" or 18". Only zombies can normally be increased beyond starting size, although there is a necromancer upgrade that allows this to work on skeletons and a vampire power that allows it to work for Dire Wolves (unconfirmed: and bat swarms?). We don't know how this affects elite/cavalry units.

Raise Dead:
Creates a new unit of "up to 15" zombies or skeletons

Wind of Death
Magical vortex: uses the small blast template, causes d6 S3 hits per rank of each unit hit, which ignore armour.

Vanhels Danse Macabre and Hellish Vigour are known to be back, but effects are not known.


via quietus1986
In the Civil War articular of the white dwarf. ( expansion wit rules to play the same army's against one and other ) For the vampire they mention 4 bloodline's : The troglodyte strigoi clan, Blood dragons, Von Carsteins, and Lahmia seams that the vampire skill quickblood an beguile have become lahmai again, hatred strigoi, blooddragon Dread knight and master strike power. No idea if juist powers in lists or if really bloodline's in the book.

A Ghoul King has the infinite Hatred and Regeneration (5+) directly out of the white dwarf and its seams to be a other entry than a vampire lord. but looks like it can still take magic items and vampire skills.No mention its stil la vampire.

If vald an isabella are in the same unit they get ASF.

Invocation of Nehek. 6" 12" 18" in a area d6+ casters lvl of Wounds.


via Morrdred
- Blood Knights can indeed take the banner of the blood keep, there is one such unit in the WD. Also they are back in Finecast and cost a ridiculous € 80 (that would be $ 90) for 5 models. And I thought way back that € 50 for 5 Chaos Knights was expensive...

- Raise dead can produce up to 15 Zombies or Skeletons. I'm not sure if the skellies were mentioned up to now, the number stays the same. That sounds nice!

- Zombies can still be raised over their original unit maximum and there is a vampiric power that allowes the same for Skeletons. Since this is mentioned specifically I ask myself if there still is a power that does the same for other units, like Fell Bats or Ghouls.

- There is a themed army in the WD led by a Necromancer, in this example by Heinrich Kremmler, so this is definitely possible. Also not only with Kremmler: "In fact they are capable of leading an army of the undead" (translated from German)

- Necromancers can still ride a corpse cart. It is mentioned that this is a good way to use the special rule that grants ASF for all undead units within 6'' of the cart, if the cart is in the area of effect of a vampiric spell.

- The lore attribute brings back 1 wound for the caster (or another undead model within 12") and it is stated that this augments the IoN. Now I'm asking myself if the lore attribute can also bring back a killed Skeleton or if it can only heal a wounded model with more than 1 wound.

via YoungOlo
Summary of the Army List as we know it. Standard is confirmed information, red font is uncertain:

LORDS
- Vlad Von Carstein
- Mannfred Von Carstein
- Heinrich Kemmler 175 slaves
- Vampire Lord ~110 slaves
- Ghoul King (Strigoi Vampire: built-in Infinite Hatred and Regeneration (5+) ) ~115 slaves
- Master Necromancer 82,5 slaves (Level3)

HEROES
- Isabela Von Carstein
- Konrad Von Carstein
- Mannfred the Acolyte
- Krell 102,5 slaves
- Vampire 47,5 slaves
- Necromancer 32,5 slaves (Level1) / 50 slaves (Level2) / 60 slaves (Level2 + Master of the Dead)
- Wight King 42,5 slaves / 55 slaves (with BSB upgrade)
- Cairn Wraith 30 slaves
- Tomb Banshee 47,5 slaves

mounts:
- Zombie Dragon (Vampire Lords only) ~125 slaves
- Terrorgheist (Ghoul Kings only)
- Abyssal Terror
- Nightmare
- Skeletal Steed
- Hellsteed
- Coven Throne (Vampire Lords only) ~100 slaves
- Corpse cart (Necromancers only) ~40 slaves
- Mortis Engine (Necromancers only)

CORE UNITS
- Skeletons 2,5 slaves (hand weapon/shield, light armour) / 3 slaves (spear/shield, light armour)
- Zombies 1,5 slaves (Musician +2,5 slaves, Standard bearer +2,5 slaves)
- Ghouls 5 slaves
- Dire Wolves 4 slaves
- Bat Swarms 17,5 slaves

SPECIAL UNITS
- Corpse Cart 52,5 slaves (with Balefire)
- Grave Guard 5,5 slaves (hand weapon/shield)
- Black Knights 13 slaves (lance/barding)
- Hex Wraiths 15 slaves
- Fell Bats 8 slaves
- Vargheists 23 slaves
- Crypt Horrors 19 slaves
- Spirit Hosts 22,5 slaves

RARE UNITS
- Terrorgheist 112,5 slaves
- Mortis Engine 120 slaves (with Blasphemous Tome upgrade
- Varghulf 87,5 slaves
- Black Coach
- Blood Knights 25 slaves
- Wraiths

MAGIC ITEMS
- Blood Drinker (Vlad only): Hunger works on 4+
- The Carstein Ring (Vlad only): 4+ ward save
- Cloak of Mists and Shadows (Kemmler only): Each turn choose if wearer is Ethereal or has Fly
- Flag of the Blood Keep 37,5 slaves (Blood Knights only): 4+ ward vs ranged attacks
- Black Axe of Krell
- Banner of the Barrows 25 slaves (all wights in unit get +1hit)
- Screaming Banner 12,5 slaves (enemies test fear on 3D6, discarding lowest)
- Scabscrath 37,5 slaves (frenzy, flaming attacks, devastating charge, Deathly Shriek (Terrorgheist-like attack), If you don't cause a wound in combat, wearer is killed instantly)
- Nightshroud 20 slaves (+1 AS, all models in basecontact get ASL&no bonuses to their strength)
- Black Periapt 25 slaves (stores 2 dice)
- Staff of Flaming Death 20 slaves (Bound Spell 3+, similar to Flame Cage)
- Book of Arkhan 12,5 slaves (Bound Spell 3+, casts Vanhel's Dance Macabre, doesn't burn out)
- Cursed Book 17,5 slaves (sacrifice D3 power dice to get off a random Hex spell of six (Miasma, Withering, Soulblight,
Doom and Darkness, some Heavens spell and something else) as a bound with the minimal complexity)
- Staff of Damnation 17,5 slaves (Bound Spell 4+, all models in 6 inches (inc. mounts) get +1 attack untill next magic phase)

VAMPIRIC POWERS
- Dark Acolyte 12,5 slaves (+D3 wounds healed in Invocation of Nehek)
- Quickblood 15 slaves (ASF)
 - Curse of the Revenant 22,5 slaves (+1 W)
 - Red Fury 25 slaves (same as before, but can be used with 2HW) 
- Mortal Strike 15pkt (trade in all attacks for 1 with HKB)
 - Dreadknight 5 slaves (+2 WS, must issue and accept challenges unless Krell or a Vampire with a higher LD are part of the unit)
 - Summon Creatures of the Night 5 slaves (increase bats, batswarms & wolves beyond starting size)
 - Forbidden Knowledge 12,5 slaves (access to rulebook lores (doesn't get to know all spells))
 - Master of the Black Arts (get to re-roll one D6 for the Winds of Magic)
 - Flying Horror (Fly)
 - Beguile (same as now)
 - Aura of Dark Majesty (-1LD to all enemies in base contact)

LORE OF VAMPIRES
The Curse of Undeath (Lore attribute): When a spell form the Lore of the Vampires is successfully cast, the Wizard (or another friendly model within 12") instantly regains a single Wound lost earlier in the battle.

- Spell0: Invocation of Nehek (6+): Augment, range 6". Each friendly Undead unit within range recovers D6+wizard's level wounds. Can be boosted to range 12" or 18".

- Spell1: Vanhel's Dance Macabre (6+): Augment, grants extra movement up to 8" (no charging probably)

- Spell2: Hellish Vigour (8+): Augment, some combat buff

- Spell3: Gaze of Nagash (9+): Magic Missile, range 24"

- Spell4: Raise Dead (9+): Creates new unit of up to 15 zombies or skeletons (2D6+3 probably)

- Spell5: Curse of Years (12+): Hex, Remains in Play

- Spell6: Wind of Death (15+): Vortex, small round template. Moves Artilleryx3 inches. Any unit beneath or passed by the template takes D6 S3 hits for each rank of the unit, with no armour save allowed. Big S4 template can be used instead on a roll of 25+.

Disclaimer on the Magic Spells: I did my best, connecting various bits of information from WD to guess spell numbers and effects, but (apart from IoN and WoD, which are pretty obvious) this is just speculation on my side