Official Rumour Thread: New Vampire Counts Book

[Sception]

He probably wont but I hope Vlad's model changes because the current one cannot stand in a unit because of his cape and sword.

Actually, you can fit him in units, but you have to be careful about how you pose both the big man himself and the models you intend to fit around him, especially the models that share a side with him. It took some effort, but I was able to put my grave guard together such that he fit in the unit, although the one immediately behind him couldn't be holding a great weapon. It also helps to raise vlad up a bit via some scenic basing. A little piece of slate or something looks great and makes ranking much easier.

Yeah, it was a little hassle, but it can work. Of course, I'm one of the few who really love the current vlad model (although that giant shoulder spike had to go), so for me it was well worth the hassle.


As a note, my guard are split between HW & shield models with great weapons slung over the back and great weapon models with shields slung over the back, and I just put in front the models holding the gear the unit is equipped with.



I'm happy at the look of the black knights. They're close enough to my conversions that I think, with a few left over bits from the new kit (and maybe that voncarstein sprue, if I stick with the VCs), my converted knights wont look out of place mixed in amongst the new guys - unless of course the new skeletal steeds are radically different in proportion to the old ones. I'll have to see them in person.

My automatic purchase list already includes a box of black knights and the new wight king (I've got like three wight kings already, but I can't help it, that thing is too awesome).

Other purchases will depend on viewing the rules and deciding whether I'm going to stay with voncarsteins (in which case I'll pick up isabella and a VC upgrade sprue) or jump ship to necromancers (which would give me an excuse to grab the Lichmaster, Krell, and a mortis engine).


Either way I might pick up some of the new giant ghouls, not for use as an actual unit, but rather as fillers for my ghoul unit.

 

[Nagashizzar]

My God in Heaven !!!!!!

Everything is awesome!!

Anyword on Corpse Cart ?:'(

 

[Sception]

It's safe to assume the model is staying the same, though there is, as far as I know, no word on what it will look like rules-wise.

EDIT1: Is it just me, or does the lack of any mention of bloodline rules in the white dwarf, combined with the lack of a new range of generic vampires of various bloodlines, imply that we will not, in fact, be seeing a return of separate bloodline rules in the new book? It seems they're adding a bunch of options that feel themed towards specific bloodlines (big ghouls for strigoi, coven throne for lahmia, mortis engine for necrarch), allowing for themed armies to be built, so it seems likely the bloodlines will get greater weight in the fluff then in the current book, but at this point I doubt we'll be seeing a full on return of the bloodline rules as such. It just seems like the sort of thing they would have gone on about in the white dwarf as a big deal, not something they'd try to slip in under the radar, as it were.

EDIT2: DoN, can we get an update to the first post with the new info and pictures?

 

[Pietr Von Carstein]

Copy pasted from Harrys first post in the warseer thread;

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.

 

[Vampire Ron]

Incredibly, there has also been a price drop! The old Black Knights cost a silly amount to get half a unit going, but now they cost less than half what they used to. Might actually consider some Black Knights now.

Edit:
Prices seem to be as follows:
Isabella - £9.50
Krell - £10.50
Wight King - £8.00
Coven Throne/Mortis Engine - £36.00
Black Knights/Hexwraiths - £18.50
Crypt Horrors/Vargheists - Somewhere between £27.00 and £33.00, personally I think £30.00
Book - £25.00
Cards - £3.25

 

[SotF]

I for one am pretty excited about a new rulebook and new minis.

Particularly like the new character models. I do hope there's a new BSB model in there somewhere as well.

Well, we got one a few months ago from Forge World, so I kind of doubt there will be a specific new one on release though you could convert the new wight king.

And as for bloodlines, I'm kind of hoping they have variant lists in the back of the book for each bloodline with specific bonus' and restrictions.

 

[Celeritas]

Yeh I'm going to get the Forge World BSB regardless, as I love it!

The new Wight King does look like it could be converted quite nicely.

 

[Guyzooip]

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)

His mini is still one of the best, so it's still a win.

 

[Elbisrever]

- That Coven Throne could become the bane of Horde infantry units! Can you imagine 30 Stormvermin hitting eachother in the head with their halberds before any blows are even struck?! Works well with the Doom and Darkness spell ( - 3 Ld) and if the Vampiric Power of -1 Ld for all enemies with 6" still exists, then that would be awesome too.

- The Mortis Engine rules are pretty awesome too: works well with the Crypt Horrors ( they'll get 4+ regen) and make the Seed of Rebirth ( page 503 fat rulebook) way to good for only 10 pts Put this thing behind ( or between) your infantry and go!

- If the rules for the Hexwraiths are correct then I'm buying a whole lot of these! How cool is it to just run through EVERYTHING and cause dmg if it's an enemy?!

- The rule for 'Hunger' seems a little out of reach, only 1W regain on a 6, no matter how many you've killed? I would say on a 5+ to make it worthwhile but not to overpowerd. Still, better than nothing, especially if the regen of the Mortis Engine is close.

- Master Necromancers? Back to 0ld sk00l it is again!

- Those Crypt horrors can be a real Tank-unit: T5, 5+ regen and again, even better with the Mortis Engine close. Initiative 2 doesn't hurt that much then..

All in all, very promising..:konrad:

 

[eastern barbarian]

exciting times so far We will of course have to see point values of units first to see if they are actually good or not too much. Personally I am hoping for nice, balanced book that will allow us build different kinds of VC armies and not to have everybody cry when they play against VCs.

 

[Zhatan]

I like what I am seeing rules wise but it all depends on what the units will cost of course. Also I am worried about our raise spells as it seems to have increased in power... does that mean we can only cast it once?

 

[Pietr Von Carstein]

@Zhatan Ghouls have increased in cost, zombies have gone down but not sure by how much, skeletons have supposedly gone down to 5 points, dire wolves are the same.

 

[Duke Danse Macabre]

I was expecting 6 for the skeletons unless you need to pay for light armour like with TK.
Ghouls should of remained the same, they were good but their poison made up for their lack of armour and the extra toughness helped with them not being to march under their own power.
They were 2 points more than the standard empire troop and allot more than chaos marauders, we should not really be forced away from ghouls by a points hike, especially when our GG are 2 points more and Tomb Guard are 1 point less than our GG and they get a 4+ armour, T$, S4 and killing blow plus a parry and equipment options.

 

[The Ungroundable]

@Zhatan Ghouls have increased in cost, zombies have gone down but not sure by how much, skeletons have supposedly gone down to 5 points, dire wolves are the same.

Basically as I expected. I'm a happy man. I think we'll have to pay a point for spears on the skellies and that'll be a nice round 6 - 33% more skellies for us to field if so.

 

[Zhatan]

@Duke
But we don't know if the gouls stats and abilities have changed as well and that might be the reason for the points change.

 

[Mr Saturday]

Well. This IS a lot to digest. Before even commenting on the new and shiny, there seems to be a points reduction over many units, but without army and unit rules adjustments and changes to hand it's hard to put these drops in context. The lore change seems good from what I've seen so far. Vampire powers, hard to say, need more info. The spirit (sorry) of the changes seem very good indeed, but from a cursory glance I worry we're overpowered. Again, without all the rules it's hard to say for sure. If it follows the previous 8th ed books it should be okay. I am glad skeletons and zombies are coming down in cost, I wonder what, if any rules changes they have seen?

We now have a huge range of unit options. I pray this sees the end of 'the list'. The flying monstrous infantry look very promising. Super fast flankers with a fair old punch which can march out of range of the general? Oh yes. And the big win for me, the master Necromancer returns. Excellent.

As to the models themselves, the coven throne/mortis engine. Wow. I love it, but will it stand up? It looks so fragile. But wow. I do hope the coven throne has a few rider options. The new black knights? At last, and they are beautiful. Separate barding and caparisons? Lovely. The hex wraiths look great too, and it seems this unit is amazing, if truly expensive. Wight king. Gorgeous. Isabella, nice, if you like that sort of thing. Krell? I think he's good, not sure. What's more interesting is the mention of the army of the barrows, is this Kemmler's horde? The vargheist, I won't say until I see the sprue. As to the crypt horrors, disappointing. Not my cup of tea at all.

I'm still on vampire model stimulation overload. What a month January will be.

 

[Duke Danse Macabre]

If they give them a 6+ regen then I can warrant it.
That would mean the Crypt Horror has a +1 almost all round and the mortis engine would also become more awesome.

I do want to see allot more characters in this book though, the current had characters and background but no models, the black prince etc.
Hope each bloodline gets at least one character then all would be well and good.
I don't want to lose things either, not seen any mention of spirit hosts, fell bats, bat swarms or a hint of a new black coach kit.

 

[Celeritas]

My concern is the Black Coach won't feature in the book at all.

With all the new units we've been talking about, I don't know what role the BC would fill nowardays.

 

[The Ungroundable]

I'll cry if my BC is retired, it's the best magic defence in more fighty lists

 

[Markuene]

I dont think Black Coach would be useless - why would they reFaincasted it in the first place then? In order not to sell any model? Doubtful

Actually we've got some info about ghost and fell bats - they gonna be cheaper.

 

[Vlad the Acolyte]

I don't want to lose things either, not seen any mention of spirit hosts, fell bats, bat swarms or a hint of a new black coach kit.

I agree. I haven't seen any mention (model wise) of what is happening to the BC or the Fell Bats, even though they are no longer obtainable on the GW website. Mind you - the leaked info also refers to a finecast of Kemmler, and other info suggests no new sculpt for him, so maybe the same will be the case for the Fell Bats and BC? There is talk of Fell Bats being cheaper, which means that we will definiteley not be losing them.

Might make for a good mobile division of Terrorgheist, Vargheists & Fell Bats to encircle our prey / slaughter gunlines :lol: But this would depend on how marching will work now (i have a bad feeling about this ).

Also, maybe some of these models are being saved for a later release?

 

[Duke Danse Macabre]

The BC is not yet in finecast, we were expecting a new model for it.
Its a iconic model for our armies and its been in all the vampire counts rule books.

 

[Sharkbelly]

Sorry if I missed this in an earlier post, but any word if the minimum core restrictions will be lifted? With the rumor that ghouls might be special, it'd be hard to reach 25% otherwise.

 

[Mr Saturday]

I would imagine a second wave of releases will see spirit hosts, bats, fell bats, Kemmler and zombies up to date.

 

[old man doom]

I would imagine a second wave of releases will see spirit hosts, bats, fell bats, Kemmler and zombies up to date.

Yeah, but I'm not sure about the zombies.... Although, that could be why the battalion is down...