Taticia – Basics
The Artefacts of Death – An Overview by TMS (previous MasterSpark)
As originally included in Carpe Noctem's magazine, "The Invocation", Issue #1
The Artefacts of Death – An Overview by TMS (previous MasterSpark)
As originally included in Carpe Noctem's magazine, "The Invocation", Issue #1
The Vampire Counts have at their disposal a large number of potent and useful magical items that they can bring to the tabletop but sometimes it can be a hassle to decide which one/ones will work better with your intended plan and strategy. Therefore we’ll provide you with an overview of the available items with comments about their general usefulness and how they stack up with each other. Every section will be dealt with from the most expensive option to the cheapest one. In this first issue we will look through the magical Weapons, Armour and Talismans.
Weapons
Chief amongst these Artefacts of Death is the Frostblade. Exclusive to Vampire Lords, this is a weapon of immense power. The Frostblade will automatically destroy any one model as long as you can score a single unsaved wound on it. This makes it a terrific weapon to deal with enemy monsters such as Dragons and Greater Daemons (beware of the magic-weapon-negating Obsidian Armour though) but also any multi-wound units such as Ogres and Trolls. When combined with Red Fury, the Frostblade will let you hew through an entire unit of monstrous infantry in a single turn! However, the weapon’s substantial points cost means that it’ll be the only magic item that the Lord will be entitled to. Thankfully you will still have access to some basic defensive measures through Avatar of Death or Dread Knight but if this Vampire Lord is your general, a 2+ armour save is rather meagre indeed. Also, it keeps the Vampire Lord at his base Strength 5 which might limit him when fighting some enemy characters and monsters. The Beguile power goes a long way to remedy this, luckily. Anyway, the most efficient way to use this weapon would be to have a secondary Lord choice carry it in a larger game. That way your army won’t suffer the effects of a lost general if he perishes in his attempts at “Frostblading” things.
Next up is the Dreadlance, this one also exclusive to Vampire Lords and then only mounted ones. At a cost of just above half of what the Frostblade will run you, the Dreadlance still packs an awesome punch if you’re able to get the charge. It also combines very well with certain Vampire Powers such as Beguile (lets you re-roll the failed wounds from your automatic hits) and Red Fury (since you’re likely to be putting the hurt on your enemies on a roll of 2+ or more with each attack, this has some real potential for mayhem). The downside to this weapon is, like the Frostblade, its points cost. You’ll still have some points left over to provide you with some decent protection but in the way of ward saves you’ll have to risk stupidity with the Crown of the Damned which will also take up the remaining points for magical items. Also beware that if riding a monstrous mount, the Vampire Lord will no longer be able to his this expensive weapon if his steed is destroyed and he himself is left on foot. However, the verdict stands that this weapon is indeed worthwhile.
The Black Axe of Krell is a weapon that must be wielded by a Wight King. As a great weapon that caused D3 wounds and also forces the survivors to pass a toughness test in subsequent turns to avoid losing more wounds, it will grant the bearer decent offensive prowess. Unfortunately, it will limit the defence of your Wight King as it will take up his entire magic item allowance. As a great weapon, it will deny him the use of his shield, leaving him with only his heavy armour. This will make him quite vulnerable to enemy monsters, which are the thing that the weapon itself is especially effective at hurting. Alternatively, you could also mount him on a barded steed, giving him a 3+ armour save. This will hurt his strength a little bit though, as you will only get +1 to your Strength value from great weapons when mounted. All in all, there are more efficient ways to equip your Wight King and achieve better results.
The Blood Drinker is a very useful tool for both Vampire Lords and Heroes. With each successfully caused wound, you’ll be able to regain one earlier lost wound from either the wielder him/herself or the wielder’s unit. This is exceptionally useful when the wielder leads a unit of tough and expensive troops such as Grave Guard, Black Knights or Blood Knights (especially these last ones) and will take some pressure off of your magic, giving you an opportunity to instead use it elsewhere. Remember also those newly resurrected models will get to fight in the very same combat phase that they were brought back in, provided that they’re placed in the front rank. Its downside is that it will keep the wielder at the base Strength 5 which will make it more difficult to crack the harder foes out there such as cavalry and enemy characters. The Blood Drinker is better suited to battle the enemy infantry where the Vampire’s default strength will let it carve bloody paths through them, raising his fallen minions as he goes. The Powers Red Fury, Infinite Hatred and Beguile will all boost the efficiency of the Blood Drinker but at an additional points cost (obviously). Like the Tomb Blade, the power of the Blood Drinker cannot be increased by any of the master powers or the presence of an Unholy Loadstone.
The sword Skabscrath (or “Skabskrath” as it was called in “Dark Omen”) is one of the more seldom used magical items. This is mainly due to the fact that the same effect is available through the Vampire Powers for cheaper, but also because the Vampire Counts have access to no less than three Terror-causing unit entries in the rare category. However it can still find its use in the hands of a flying Vampire who can swoop in behind enemy lines and force the enemy to take multiple terror tests. The thing to note here is that the Supernatural Horror power would leave the Vampire unable to also purchase Flying Horror and would instead be forced to ride a more compromising Hellsteed, whereas Skabscrath will allow the wielder the safety of moving along with a unit. It is basically an alternative way to cause terror for those who do not wish to spend points from their Vampiric Powers allowance.
The Sword of Kings is a Vampire Counts classic and in this seventh edition of Warhammer it has returned as a very powerful weapon indeed. It can either be given to a Vampire to lend them the Killing Blow special rule, something that is never without use (except perhaps against the Ogre Kingdoms), or it could instead be granted to a Wight King. This is where it gets interesting for in the hands of a Wight King it will boost the potency of the Wight’s Killing Blows by 50%, causing them on 5+ instead of on a 6 only. This makes it a phenomenal weapon against both enemy cavalry and characters and well worth the points cost. If a downside would have to be mentioned, it’d be that the wielder would be left at his base Strength and that no amount of killing blows in the world will help him against creatures that are immune to it.
The Tomb Blade is a cool little device that lets the wielder raise a previously lost Skeleton Warrior for every successful wound that he causes on the enemy. However, unless in the hands of a Vampire Lord with the appropriately combat-boosting Vampire Powers (and he really could be doing more than being stuck re-raising his fallen skeleton minions), you’re likely to find that the base offence of a Vampire won’t make the weapon’s effects as impressive as it could be. If you’d instead purchase a weapon that boosted the wielder’s offensive prowess you’d be able to more readily kill opponents which would also lead to fewer losses in close combat. The Tomb Blade is certainly not without its uses but there are better options out there. Also to note is that the Games Workshop FAQ for the Vampire Counts has ruled that neither the Lord of the Dead power nor a nearby Unholy Lodestone will boost the Tomb Blade’s effect in any way, unfortunately.
Next we reach the three common magic weapons, the Swords of Striking, Battle and Might. Each of these weapons is a worthwhile buy for their low price and will all boost the wielder’s close combat efficiency in one way or another. The Sword of Striking will allow you to hit with greater ease (can work well with Red Fury), Battle will grant you an additional Attack (always useful) and Might will increase your Strength (making it easier to wound and punch through the enemy’s armour save). These are all good buys and will enable some pretty nifty combinations with other magical items due to their economic cost. Overall, the Sword of Might is often the most effective choice as it will help you in two phases when it comes to hurting your enemy, instead of just one like the others.
For its very modest cost, The Balefire Spike is a cheap and easy way to get a source of flaming attacks into your army. As a lance it can work as a (much!) cheaper alternative to the Dreadlance, allowing the wielder to purchase a fair few more magical items to boost him in other ways. Remember that the character will have to be mounted to make use of this weapon. The only true downside to The Balefire Spike is that, as it gives you flaming attacks, it can be ignored and negated by certain units and abilities that render the opponent immune to flaming attacks. Foremost among these are the High Elves and their Dragon Armour. If you expect to fight against the High Elves, then this weapon might be best to leave at home.
Last on the list of magical weapons is the humble Biting Blade. At such a low price you really cannot complain about what it gives you. If you have the points left over after loading your character up with the rest of what you’ve wanted, and you’re not already toting a lance or other such weapon, adding the Biting Blade is never a poor choice. Reducing the enemy’s armour save and granting you magical attacks for a one-digit cost is good but chances are that you’ve already filled the offensive spot with something else.
Armour
Highest up on the list of magical armours is Walach’s Bloody Hauberk. This is a very useful piece of protection that will serve its wearer well in all circumstances, providing you with the only ward save available outside of the stupefying Crown of the Damned (and the Talisman of Protection..). Its points cost is the only true downside to this armour. For this reason is it best used on Vampire Lords where it’s not expensive enough to negate the character the use of other nifty items.
The Accursed Armour is an interesting artefact. On one side will make the wearer tougher but on the other it’ll rob him of some weapon skill and initiative. The Games Workshop FAQ has also ruled that if the wearer also uses the Helm of Commandment, the weapon skill that is passed on will still be affected by this armour. However, if the wearer is affected by the Helm of Commandment from another source, the negative effects of this armour will not apply. Therefore if you can keep this support up, you’ll only notice the positive points of The Accursed Armour. It tends to be the most useful on a Wight King, making the wearer truly tough and resilient. If he’s a unit with the Banner of the Barrows, the negative sides to this armour will be further reduced. The downside to this armour is that it forces you into taking these sorts of precautionary steps which may or may not be convenient depending on your list and opponent at any given time. At the end of the day however, the additional toughness makes it worthwhile in most situations.
The Flayed Hauberk is an item that you will always be able to find some use for. It is a very convenient and easy way to grant one of your characters an effective armour save without compromising the ability to create certain combinations with other items and powers. The only possible downside to this item is that there’s only one of them to go around!
The Armour of Night will certainly help to keep one of your characters safe from ranged missile attacks that need to roll to hit, provided that he/she’s on foot. This is especially helpful on Vampire characters that are running or flying around on their own, although the missiles that do hit won’t have much armour to go through. If combined with the Wristbands of Black Gold the effects of this armour will be that much greater, although the points cost will unfortunately follow suit.
An artefact of great potential, the Nightshroud is deserving of consideration whenever you’re creating an army list. By essentially giving any who strikes the wearer the “Always Strike Last” special rule (even though it does not officially exist), this will let the wearer attack and hopefully dispose of any would-be attackers. This is especially useful when given to a Wight King with the Sword of Kings but it is also a valuable tool for keeping any Vampire safe from Assassins and the like. A Vampire Lord with this piece of armour will likely be able to whack that dastardly Assassin before he gets a chance to do anything! Anyway, the one downside to the Nightshroud is that it is only a suit of light armour which will often reduce your total combined armour save. This is indeed offset by the advantages that it confers though. Also, even though it is explicitly permitted, the Nightshroud will not do much good for Necromancers. Although if you are so inclined, placing the Nightshroud-wearing Necromancer right next to a Wight King with the Sword of Kings will let the Wight King take a whack at whatever attempts to hit the Necromancer before they got to swing. This, however, is not the most effective use that you can get out of the points spent. Really.
Killing blows are bountiful in the Warhammer world of today but luckily we have the Cadaverous Cuirass to counteract them. At a cheap points cost it will render the wearer immune to the additional effects of killing blows and poisoned attacks. This is a very good buy for your general if you intend for him to partake in any close combat situation. There are really no downsides worthy of mentioning – it is a good buy!
The Enchanted Shield. Old Reliable. At the same points cost as the Cadaverous Cuirass, the Enchanted Shield will also rarely disappoint you. It works very well with the Avatar of Death power as it will grant you a 2+ armour save in close combat, provided that you choose the shield option and that you’re not using a magical weapon to deny you the armour boost you get from using a hand weapon and shield. It’ll also do you good if you’re a Dread Knight, boosting your already serviceable 2+ save to a 1+ while still leaving plenty of points open for other items.
Talismans
Exclusive to Vampire Lords, The Carstein Ring is a powerful trinket that’ll let your Lord come back to unlife on the roll of 2 or more after he or she has been destroyed once. The prerequisite for this is that there must be a unit which the Vampire Lord can join, so you should not choose a flying mount in addition to this ring lest the wearer will be removed as a casualty. Anyway, while The Carstein Ring is certainly a good thing to have around if your Lord is killed, the points spent on it could instead go towards making sure that it won’t come to that situation in the first place. Making use of it means that your Lord (who will likely be your general) will have to get him/herself killed which is not a healthy approach to the game. It could theoretically be used as a diversion where you lure a portion of your enemy’s army into a trap with your Lord and then have him teleported away when he falls but it is still a plan full of risk. The possibilities are there but the alternative ways to go about it are there also!
The Crown of the Damned is a peculiar item. At an affordable cost it provides the wearer with the very best ward save available to the Vampire Counts, at the cost of suffering the effects of stupidity. The only character choice that would truly benefit from this is a Vampire Lord, whose Leadership value is high enough to mitigate most of the stupidity tests you’ll get to take, whereas a hero Vampire will suffer from it roughly half the time on average. A Wight King is also a candidate but he should not be in need of a ward save, they’re not that vitally important. Anyway, the downside to this item is painfully obvious – stupidity! While a Leadership value of 10 will not suffer from it that often, losing control of your very army general at any given time could be disastrous. However, there’s not much to do about it if you’re looking at fielding a combat Lord and also fancy having some additional protection against certain dangerous things such as Killing Blows through the use of the Cadaverous Cuirass. For the points it is a good buy but you should beware the risks of stupidity. It will most often be worth the while but every now and then it will strike at you with terrible consequences, potentially losing you the entire game.
When it comes to defending a character from ranged attacks you’ll need to look no further than the Wristbands of Black Gold. These will give the wearer an admirable protective measure against any and all ranged attacks for an economic cost in points. Unfortunately, this effect does not extend to the character’s mount nor the unit he is with, which makes it less than generally useful. The downsides to choosing this piece of equipment is essentially that it’ll not protect the wearer at all in close combat and that it takes up the Talisman slot which could otherwise be used for other ward saves. It could be combined with Walach’s Bloody Hauberk to defend the wearer in all possible circumstances but that’d eat away at your points allowance in a rather steep fashion. A good buy for the right user, this is.
The Gem of Blood is another useful item for consideration. This will give the wearer a once-per-battle solid chance at quick retribution against whichever enemy manages to land the first wounding hit of the day at a not too prohibitive points cost. Unfortunately, this little device can backfire on the wielder, making no use of itself at all while causing an additional wound to the wearer, this time without any armour saves allowed. This item should not be put on any character model with less than three wounds as it could spell their immediate demise if you roll poorly. There’s also the risk that the first wounding hit that lands on the wearer will be one from a lowly foot soldier, where the rebounding wound won’t make much of a difference (or could potentially harm the wearer!). All in all, there will often be an out-and-out more efficient use for the points that this item will cost you but it is still not without use. Shaving off an additional wound from an enemy character or monsters could prove very important at times!
Last in this section comes the Talisman of Protection. While it comes at a more than reasonable cost, a 6+ ward save will often fail to perform when you need it the most. If you have the points to spare and haven’t given your character any other form of ward save (and can’t afford a better one), then this one could be of use. You never know when you’ll roll those strings of sixes. The Talisman of Protection is never useless but unfortunately, it is never reliable either.
…and that is all that we’ll bring you for this issue. In the next one we will look into the other sections that make up the Artefacts of Death. Stay tuned!
