Warhammer Fantasy: Vampire Counts

Overall score:

Let me say right up front that I’m a sucker for the undead—not watching them in movies or reading about them in novels, but playing them in games. I like to control the undead, and watch them shamble darkly across the field to their waiting victims, which I guess makes me a sucker for Necromancers more than anything else. I want you to keep in mind, however, that my adoration of the living dead does not make me any less critical of their presentation in a game—if anything it makes me more critical, because I want to make sure they’re done right.

The undead horde presented in the Vampire Counts army is done right.

If there are two things I love more from a game than evil, undead monsters, they’re an attention to flavor and a focus on variability. Vampire Counts has all three elements in spades. As suggested by the title, a Vampire Count army draws heavily on the atmosphere of full moons, misty forests, Transylvania, bats, and numberless concourses of mindless warriors hungry for the blood of the living. I love it!

The Laws of Undeath

Let’s start with the army’s special rules. As befits an army of undead, the General is more important to a Vampire Counts army than most other armies—after all, if the general dies, the magic that animates the army will dissipate and the hordes of undead will begin to crumble. This means that your General is incredibly powerful--pound for pound, some of the best characters in the game. It also means that, if they die, your army's in trouble. Every turn after the General is destroyed, each unit of undead must take a leadership test and lose a number of models equal to how many points it misses the test by. As you can imagine, this erodes your army remarkably quickly—though it doesn’t destroy it immediately, and gives you a chance to keep acting even after your General has disappeared.

Furthermore, a Vampire Counts army is a heavily magic army, since your general must be a wizard in order to control the shambling horde. The combination of magic power and ageless undeath makes the Vampires themselves some of the most impressive (expensive) single figures in the game (one of the special characters, complete with dragon mount, costs well over 1000 points to even use. That’s pretty freaking expensive).

The Undead are especially nice in that they cannot be broken—they are completely immune to psychology of any kind. They are pretty fragile, however, and suffer extra wounds at the end of combat equal to the difference in combat resolution (assuming they lose, of course). If the enemy comes out one point ahead, the undead take one extra wound, and etc. These extra wounds cannot be saved by anything, even Ward saves, and are a good encouragement to play with huge blocks of troops—since skeletons and such are pretty cheap to begin with, a proper Vampire Counts army is capable of some pretty large regiments. The extra wounds can be further alleviated by the use of a Battle Standard.

Because the undead are generally very slow—a trait that makes sense when you consider that every decision they make has to come from the Necromancer controlling them—they move around a little slower than most armies. To represent this they can only react to a charge by holding their ground, with no option to fire or flee. They are also limited in marching—no unit can make a march move unless it begins the game within the General’s 12" range of leadership. This restriction is limiting but flavorful, and can often be very useful—most players don’t expect the undead to make any march moves at all, and won’t be planning on your sudden and carefully planned burst of speed.

Oh, and one more thing—every single undead model in your army, no matter how small, causes fear. Do I really need to say more? No, but I will.

Units

As with all Warhammer armies (at least in this edition of the game), the Core units are the backbone and strength of the army. For the Vampire Counts, this means a lot of skeletons (8 points each), ghouls (8 points each), and zombies (6 points each). These troops have unimpressive stats across the board, but who can argue with the price and the special powers? They’re immune to psychology and they cause fear—that's pretty nice. You can also buy some more maneuverable core troops like Dire Wolves and a bat swarm, to help support your slower horde of infantry. The main point of interest for the core troops (and for all of the troops, actually) is that they have no ranged weapons, and no option to buy them. The undead are a close combat army, without exception.

The Special units are fairly standard upgrades—Grave Guard are basically skeletons with better equipment, and Black Knights are basically Grave Guard with horses. Fell Bats are Bat Swarms with bigger bats. The Spirit Host is very unique, however, benefiting from the Ethereal special rule that lets them move through terrain (and keeps them safe from non-magical attacks). Unlike a lot of armies, which have their juiciest stuff in the Special slot, the Vampire Counts will only use the Special troops as a calculated upgrade to Core troops.

The Rare choices are equally non-standard. Banshees are single models of average power that work like mobile, ethereal artillery. Their howl is a great targeted range attack capable of destroying a single model almost outright, so use it to target war machines and lone characters. The Black Coach is the Vampire Counts’ only chariot, but has a lot going for it (such as a 5+ Ward save and Terror). It’s most impressive ability is the Evocation of Death, which allows it to gain one wound for each wound it inflicts—unlike a lot of similar abilities, this will even allow the Black Coach to raise its wounds above its starting amount.

The first thing you probably notice about the units from all three categories is that none of them really stand out—this is because the focus is different than most of the other armies. Even the name of the army gives it away: Vampire Counts. Not Vampire Hordes, or Undead Legions, or anything related to the actual soldiers in the army—the focus is on the leaders of the army, and for good reason. The General is really the centerpiece of a Vampire Counts army, animating his warriors, leading them into battle, and doing almost everything himself. The troops are still important, don’t get me wrong, and they’re very effective, but none of them can win the game on their own. You have to know how to use them together as effectively as possible, and you have to know how to get the most out of your characters. To that end, we’ll talk about the various vampires next.

Bloodlines

The key to the Vampire Count army book, and the reason it can be so detailed and so open at the same time, is the idea of Vampire bloodlines. As is revealed in an entertaining and informative historical section (thanks again, Space McQuirk! You’re a beacon of good writing in a sea of game-based pulp), there are five major bloodlines descended from the first vampires in ancient Khemri. Each bloodline has it’s own strengths and weaknesses and its own tactics in battle, allowing you to choose the bloodline that best fits your style. The five available bloodlines are practically five different army lists, but seamlessly integrated to allow for crossovers and a cohesive core of units.

Thanks to the bloodline rules and some special bloodline powers, designing your Vampire Lord can seem almost like building a character for an RPG. Your army general becomes a true character with carefully designated abilities, which gives you a strong attachment to your army. The bloodlines, each of which I will discuss in turn, are the Von Carsteins, the Blood Dragons, the Necrarchs, the Lahmians, and the Strigoi.

Von Carstein
The Von Carsteins are the prototypical vampire of the Warhammer world—any vampire without a designated bloodline is assumed to be a Von Carstein. As such they get no special stat modifiers, but they do get a juicy list of special powers you can buy. Von Carsteins can choose to summon bats and/or wolves, as well as change themselves into wolves for a movement bonus. Von Carsteins also make incredible leaders, as their presence on the battlefield can increase their side’s combat resolution in any battle (helping them win or reduce their extra wounds), and they extend the normal 12" range of leadership to an impressive 18" (which lets a far greater number of units take advantage of their special march move). Most interesting of all, Von Carsteins can summon dark and stormy nights that impede the use of flyers and ranged weapons, thus balancing the playing field for the typically slow undead forces (who have no ranged weapons). The Von Carsteins may not be as flashy as the other bloodlines, but they’re hard to beat for pure, balanced utility.

Blood Dragon
Blood Dragon vampires are hardened combat warriors, and start the game with +2 to their weapon skill and a free set of full plate armor. They also must issue challenges whenever possible. On the downside they generate one less magic die per turn, but you don’t take a Blood Dragon for his magic—you take him for pure combat beatdown.

Most of the purchasable Blood Dragon powers are simple combat boosts—stuff like +1 attack, +1 strength when charging, Killing Blow, and the ability to re-roll missed attacks. Blood Dragons can also affect the enemy’s combat ability, either by reducing one model’s attacks or by causing the faint-hearted to hide from a challenge. The Blood Dragons don’t have any sneaky tricks, but they’re very straightforward and very good at killing stuff.

Necrarch
Necrarch vampires are the opposite of Blood Dragons—they’re very poor in close combat (-2 to weapon skill) but they’re very good at magic. Necrarchs get an automatic +1 when attempting to cast a spell, and even the weakest among them can (and must) use arcane items and weapons rather than mundane versions. They can be expensive, but they make incredible spellcasters.

Necrarch powers are impressive, giving them the option to buy additional magic levels, spells, and power dice, as well as making some of their spells more powerful or farther-reaching. They can also buy the option to re-roll one magic die per game, possibly negating a dangerous miscast.

Lahmia
Lahmian vampires are an interesting concept for a battlefield unit—a female vampire that uses seduction and trickery to get her way. Lahmians get –1 to their weapon skill but +2 to their initiative, and cannot use any mundane weapons or items. More impressively, they reduce the leadership skill of every model in base contact by one—an ability that becomes more powerful when you buy some of their special powers.

The first power is Seduction, believe it or not—at the beginning of the combat phase you choose a model in base contact and force it to take a leadership test. If the model fails, it falls under your control and directs all of its attacks at its own side. Similar but at diminishing levels of power are Domination, which forces a model to stand idle and let itself get hit, Transfix, which prevents it from attacking, and Beguile, which prevents it from attacking the Vampire. Lahmians can also buy a 5+ Ward save and the ability to strike first in every combat. None of the Lahmian abilities support a brutish approach—you have to use them carefully as part of a larger plan. When that plan comes together, however, you can leave the enemy devastated.

Strigoi
The Strigoi are a new bloodline introduced in sixth edition. They are a more feral, animalistic vampire, reduced to lurking in the shadows and feeding on the unsuspecting. They lack the refinement of their nobler counterparts—they don’t have the polished armor of the Blood Dragons or the beauty of the Lahmians—but they make up for it with primal strength and ferocity. Strigoi Lords and Counts get +1 attack, hate everyone, and gain a free 5+ Ward save. Lesser Strigoi thralls have this save reduced to 6+. Strigoi are further limited in that they cannot use any mundane or magical item, cannot be given a mount, and cannot carry a Battle Standard.

To make up for this impressive restriction, the Strigoi powers are substantial. They can turn into bats and fly. They can re-roll all To Hit rolls. They can buy regeneration or an extra wound, and can even buy an extra point of strength. In keeping with their ghoulish nature, Strigoi can even summon a group of ghouls once per game (though you summon so few that it will rarely be useful to do so). Time will tell how the Strigoi fare compared to the other bloodlines, but I imagine they have a niche in fast, aggressive armies that rely on numbers and brute strength.

Necromancy

The spell-casters in a Vampire Counts army, be they necromancers or actual Vampires, draw their spells either from the Lore of Death or the school of Necromancy. (Cheater’s note: technically speaking, a Necrarch Thrall with the Nehekhara’s Noble power can choose any Lore of Magic it wants, since none is specified. This is more of a loophole than a fact, however, and following the spirit of the army list they should be required to choose either Death or Necromancy. I just thought I’d point out the discrepancy). While the Lore of Death has some impressive abilities, the true strength of a Vampire Counts wizard lies in the Necromancy spells and their ability to summon and manipulate the undead.

The best way to gauge a magic Lore is to look at the first spell on the list, since this is the spell you may choose to take if you don’t like the one you roll. The first spell on this list is the most useful first spell of all: the Invocation of Nehek, which allows you to summon new zombies or skeletons at three different levels of potency. If you want d6 new models, you have to roll a 3+; if you want 2d6, you need a 7+; and if you want 3d6 you need an 11+. The spell can be used to add to an existing unit or create an entirely new one—it can even be used to forego the summoning and restore wounds to any undead figure. This spell represents all the things that make the Vampire Counts army so cool—it has strong flavor, it’s powerful but balanced, and it can be adjusted to fit almost any situation you face. Perhaps the single most useful spell in Warhammer Fantasy.

Once you’ve raised your army of undead, you have a lot of options for boosting their effectiveness. Hellish Vigour, a 7+ spell, gives an undead unit within 18" the ability to attack first and re-roll all To Hit rolls until the end of the turn. Vanhel’s Danse Macabre, a 9+ spell, allows any undead unit within 18" to immediately make an 8" move—it can reform, maneuver for better position, or even charge an enemy unit. Once again, this is an opportunity for you to surprise an unwary opponent with the speed of a typically "slow" army. These are the kinds of spells I like, because they require a lot of careful thought and thus benefit the strategist much more than the scrub.

Necromancers have a few attack spells to choose from as well. The Hand of Dust turns the caster into a hero-killer, reducing his attacks to one but automatically killing a successfully hit target (this is even better than the Killing Blow ability, because it affects models of any size). The Gaze of Nagash is a fairly powerful magic missile. The highest spell on the list is Curse of Years, which targets an enemy unit within 24" and remains in play. Each turn, until the curse is dispelled, each model in the unit will suffer an automatic wound on an increasingly easy die roll (on the first turn you need a 6+, on the second a 5+, and so on until you reach 2+ and stay there). Potentially devastating, but it takes a while to really get working. Most effective on an armored unit such as knights or dwarves, since it ignores armor saves.

Magic Items

I’m not going to get too detailed in this section, because I’m not interested in a list of what the items all do. What I will tell you is this—with the right selection of magic items, you can augment any strategy you care to use, from the combat-oriented to the magic-oriented, and everything in between. There’s even a cloak that will make your character ethereal—how cool is that? I also feel obligated to mention one of the coolest wizard-boosting items I’ve ever seen—the Black Periapt, for a mere 15 points, will let you save one used die from your Magic pool or Dispel pool and use it in the next magic phase. Against armies with little magic, this is practically a free magic die per turn, and against everyone else it’s an opportunity to reallocate your dice on the fly to wherever they’re needed most. I said it before but I’ll say it again—the strength of the Vampire Counts is in their customizability.

Overall

Taken as a whole, I hope you’ll see that the Vampire Counts have a lot going for them. Depending on your bloodline and your vampire powers, you can tailor your army to meet almost any specifications. Use a Blood Dragon and a lot of Special troops for an elite force of armored combatants, or a swarm of Necrarchs with Invocation of Nehek for a fiendishly large army of ever-replenishing skeletons. The only real weakness of the army is ranged combat—the only ranged attacks available in the entire army are either magic spells or magic items, and of course the Rare Banshee’s 8" howl. If you play Vampire Counts, you will have to get in close and do your killing in person.

From a hobbyist’s point of view, the Vampire Counts are a mixed bag. You can assemble an entire army with a couple of metal characters backed up by a bunch of plastic skeleton regiments, so it’s cheap, and most skeletons tend to look the same so they’re easy to paint. This can also make them kind of boring for the expert, as there’s not as much possibility for customization and uniforms and such. Still, the look and feel of an undead army lends itself to some spooky conversions, so it all depends on how much work you want to put into it.

If you, like me, love commanding a horde of undead horrors to enforce your cruel will across the face of the land, you’ll love the Vampire Counts. And if you don’t…you’ll serve nicely as a faceless (literally) thrall to my unholy bidding. Peace out.

Written by Fellfrosch on October 30th, 2002