[Aun]

Tactica: Vampire

Vampire. The word strikes dread into the heart of even the most staunch dwarf player. Their powers are legendary. Whether supreme sorcerers, puissant combatants or brutal beasts, vampires are no pushovers.
But what about YOUR vampire?
Every Vampire Count player must go through the same process when they begin creating their army. What will my vampire be like?
Vampires are perhaps the most diverse race in the Warhammer World, only the Hordes of Chaos can even begin to compete with their mutability.
So, for all those fledgling vampires who read this, I hope this little guide will help you in creating your own unique vampire.

Theme

The first step a new Vampire should take, is in choosing the theme for his vampire(s). Will your vampires be blue blooded aristocrats, or snarling bestial monsters?
Bloodlines
There are five recognized Vampire Bloodlines from which almost every Vampire of the Old World originates. These are the Von Carsteins, the Blood Dragons, the Lahmia, the Necrarch and the Strigoi. Each Bloodline is unique and will have a major impact on your Vampire.
Von Carsteins: The typical Vampiric Aristocrat. When most people think Von Carstein, they think Dracula. But just because their typical doesn't mean their anything to scoff at, the Von Carsteins are the most famous bloodline for a reason. They brought the Empire to its knees and there could very well have been an Undead Emperor on Sigmar's Throne. The Von Carsteins are noted for being masters of animals and their armies often attract huge numbers of wolves and bats. The peasants of Sylvania will also march to war underneath the banner of their Von Carstein Lord.
Blood Dragons: The undying lords of combat, Blood Dragons can meet the disciples of Khorne head on and stand a good chance at beating them at their own game. The Blood Dragons are noble knights one and all. They are paragons of martial prowess, combined with the unholy energies of the Undead. The armies of the Blood Dragons will often be quite small compared to those of other Lord of the Night, but will contain many Knights, making them fast moving and hard hitting.
Lahmia: The Lahmia are a coven of female Vampires. Like snakes they slither into human society and positions of power. They, more than any other Bloodline, are adept at hiding their true nature from mortals. The Lahima are also the oldest Bloodline, constantly working to bring all of humanity under their yoke. Though the beauty of the Lahima is legendary, it is their cruelty more than anything that defines them. Rarely do the Lahmia march to war, but when they do their skeletal ranks will often be accompanied by misguided mortals intent on pleasing their mistress, onto death and beyond.
Necrarch: The Necrarchs are masters of the Necromantic arts. Powerful spell casters all, they hide themselves from the living in secluded locations where they can continue their unholy experiments undisturbed. The Necrarchs appear as dried corpses, frail and old. This is deceiving however, for dark magic fuels them and their just as strong as any vampire. The hordes of the Necrarch are massive, as the Vampire Sorcerers use their magics to raise as many corpses as possible. They drag their enemies down one by one, feasting on their flesh until they to rise to join the Dance Macabre.
Strigoi: Inside each vampire lurks a monster, and the Strigoi are this monster made manifest. The Strigoi are brutal in appearance, more monster than man. Pursued by their own kind for past deeds, the Strigoi are forced to feast on blood from the fresh corpses laid to rest in the graveyards they call home. Though bestial, the Strigoi are more intelligence than they might appear and are able to command the winds of magic just like any other vampire. The armies of the Strigoi are built more around the packs of Ghouls that the Strigoi seem to have an uncanny relationship with.
The Missing Bloodlines: Though every Vampire so far encountered in the Old World has been a member of one of the five Bloodlines above, two other Bloodlines are known to have escaped destruction. These two mystery bloodlines have never been described and can present a unique oppertunity to anyone with a creative imagination...
Background
Once you have decided on your Bloodline, you should start thinking about the background for your Vampire(s). Are they a cabal of Necrarch Sorcerers formed to resurrect Nagash? Are they a band of Blood Dragons searching for a cure to the curse of Vampirism? Or are they a band of Vampires, each from a different Bloodline and with their own reasons for joining together? The Background for you Vampire can have a big impact on your army, and powers he displays, so its best to put some thought into it.

Vampiric Powers

OK, so you have your theme, now lets take a look at some of the Vampiric Powers you can choose to customize your Vampire to mach your theme. Each Power is divided into several categories.
The Severed
Spectral Form: [Bloodline Association: All] Basically, your Vampire becomes a ghost. This means you cant be harmed by non-magical weapons, and can move through terrain like it isn't even there. However, there are quite a few downsides to this power. First off, its expensive. This power will take up half the points a Lord can spend on powers. Secondly, your Vampire cant join non-ethereal units, which is HUGE. The basic units in a Vampire Counts army are fairly weak and count on characters to cause enough casualties for them to win the combat. A Vampire with Spectral Form also cannot be mounted and cannot take any magic items, so that means the best save you can get is a 5+ armour (by also taking the Avatar of Death Vampiric Power) which isn't great considering the only weapons you'll be taking the save against are Magical. However, this power makes you virtually impervious to ranged attacks and works well with the Helm of Commandment, or any other Vampire you might wish to keep out of harms way.
Aun's Rank: 5/10. Its a nifty little power, but its huge points cost and the fact you cant take any magic items means its not a very competitive choice.

Ghoulkin: [Bloodline Association: Strigoi] This power is pretty much a 'must have' for any Strigoi armies. Its cost isn't outrageous, and you only need to have it on one vampire for it to affect your entire army. Gaining an additional march move before the game even begins can be a big bonus and can let you manuver your Ghouls into new positions in response to any surprises your enemy might have placed in his deployment.
Aun's Rank: 8.5/10 Really, there isnt any downside to this power, and its such a massive boost to Strigoi armies you'd be clinically insane not to take it on one of your Vampires, and its fairly cheep to, which is just icing on the cake.

Supernatural Horror: [Bloodline Association: All] I don't have a very high opinion of this power, its far to expensive for what it does. Your Vampires already cause Fear, and there are plenty of units which already cause Terror that you can take. If it where 5 points less it would make an interesting combo with Flying Horror on a Vampire Thrall, but sadly, it isn't.
Aun's Rank: 3/10 There isn't really any good reason to take this power, unless your going for a specific theme

The Arkayne
Master of the Black Arts: [Bloodline Association: Necrarch] On the surface this power might not seem to be worth its large points cost, but when you factor in that Lore of Vampires has a fairly low casting level for a lot of the spells, and the fact you can cast them more than once, you'll quickly see why many people will field multiple Thralls with this power alone. This is a very good power, but it has the drawback of a large points cost which will limit the combat effectiveness of any Thralls that take this power. However, its excellent for any Support Lord.
Aun's Rank: 8/10 Taking this power on Thralls will make them a bit fragile, but I cant really complain about it considering how powerful the power is.

Forbidden Lore: [Bloodline Association: Necrarch] This power is a bit expensive for what it does, but on a lord who already has Master of the Black Arts and/or Dark Acolyte it can prove very useful. I myself have been vexed by rolling some poor spells for my Vampires, and this spell solves that problem nicely. However, its points cost relegates this power to Lords only. A Thrall simply cant get any use out of it.
Aun's Rank: 6.5/10 This is great on a Caster Lord, useless with everyone else.

Dark Acolyte: [Bloodline Association: Necrarch] Dark Acolyte is for those of us who want to have our cake and eat it to. This power can make Thralls competent spell casters, but still gives them enough points to take another power that can help them out in combat. I myself take this power on two of my thralls. Its also useful on a Lord if you want to bump them up to a level 4 wizard.
Aun's Rank: 8.5/10 Great for everybody realy.

The Bestialle
Flying Horror: [Bloodline Association: Strigoi, Von Carstein, Necrarch] Oh how I lament this power. If only it where 5 points less, we could have some truely awesome combination. This power, as it is, is limited. It lets your Vampire move around the field quite a bit faster, and it combines well with Avatar of Death, but you don't really want your Vampires flapping around on their own, as it tends to get them killed rather quickly. If you find yourself constantly vexed by Artillery, and Dire Wolves and Fell Bats aren't getting the job done, this power may be for you. But honestly, if want to fly around, just get a Hellsteed and save your Vampiric Power points on something else.
Aun's Rank: 6/10 Another power that you should only be interested in if your looking for a particular theme, or you find yourself in a specific situation.

Infinite Hatred: [Bloodline Association: Strigoi, Blood Dragon] This power could be considered a 'must have' for any combat Lord and combines very well with Red Fury and Avatar of Death/Dread Knight. The ability to re-roll all failed rolls to hit in every round is nothing to sneeze at when its applied to a Vampire Lord. Its use on Thralls is a bit more limited. It still combines well with Avatar of Death/Dread Knight, but most people tend to use their Thralls for magical support. However, if your a die-hard Blood Dragon, more power to you.
Aun's Rank: 8/10 No combat oriented Vampire Lord should leave home without this power, and its not bad on combat oriented Thralls either

Hunter in the Dark: [Bloodline Association: Strigoi] This power has many of the same problems that Flying Horror does. Its a bit to expensive for what it does and you don't really want your Vampires off on their own, especially not when their close to the enemy. The only use I can see for this power is if you know your going to face a lot of Artillery, and you cant count on your Dire Wolves or Fell Bats to clear it out in time, or if you combine it with Supernatural Horror and your trying to scare some Skinks off the battlefield.
Aun's Rank: 6/10 Its use is extremely limited. Not much more to say for this power...

The Martial
Red Fury: [Bloodline Association: Blood Dragon, Strigoi] A very nice power for any combat lord to take, it can transform any vampire from a threatening close combat character, to a swirling tornado of bloody destruction. Its high cost means Thralls wont find this power to attractive, but they could get some use out of it if you kit them out with some magical equipment.
Aun's Rank: 9/10 This power will make almost every opponent rue the day they let your Vampire Lord get into combat with them.

Avatar of Death/Dread Knight: [Bloodline Association: Blood Dragon] These powers are the only way you can give your Vampires mundane equipment, so their fairly common. Their not to expensive, and if your aching for a Great Weapon or Lance on your Vampires, why not?
Aun's Rank: 8/10 Its the only way to get mundane equipment, and its not very expensive.

The Courtly
Aura of Dark Majesty: [Bloodline Association: Von Carstien, Lahmia] This power is somewhat situational. It can hurt armies like Orks, Empire and Skaven, but other armies like Chaos, Lizardmen and Dwarves can laugh it off. In the end, its just to expensive and situational to be very competitive, and you'll usually be auto-breaking your enemies anyway...
Aun's Rank: 6/10 Just to expensive and situational for most people to use it with any regularity. The word superfluous comes to mind with this power.

Walking Death: [Bloodline Association: All] This is a very nice power to put on a Battle Standard Bearer, but other than that, you'll be better of giving other powers to your Vampires...
Aun's Rank: 7/10 A 'must have' for BSB's, not very useful for everyone else.

Beguile: [Bloodline Association: Von Carstien, Lahmia] This power can make an interesting combo with Infinite Hatred. Being able to re-roll all failed to hit, and to wound rolls can spell death for most characters who your Vampire will come across. However, this power only works against one model, so its rather useless unless your fighting an enemy character, and it requires your enemy to fail a LD test (granted, its at a reduced value) so Lizardmen and other armies with high LD can be completely unaffected by it. Its a nice power for a themed Vampire, but you shouldn't expect anything spectacular of it.
Aun's Rank: 7/10 Nice for a themed Vamp or if you really need to kill something in a challenge, but not very useful otherwise.

The Master
Lord of the Dead: [Bloodline Association: Necrarch] Cheep and useful, this power is pretty nice. You can come on to the battle with small~ish skeleton units, and end the game with massive blocks. This power can pay for itself many, many times over. It makes a nice combo on a Thrall with Dark Acolyte, but can be useful anywhere.
Aun's Rank: 8.5/10 Raise 2 skeletons with this power and its already more than paid for itself, but in all likelihood, it will raise far, far more than that...

Summon Creatures of the Night: [Bloodline Association: Von Carstein] Like Lord of the Dead, this power is cheep, but its use is much more limited by the fact you can only raise 1 non-infantry model per casting of Invocation, which is horribly inefficient. If you have a fast vampire running along with some Dire Wolves you might want to take this power to keep the unit up-to size, but 1 dice for 1 wound is still not a good use of resources...
Aun's Rank: 5/10 Its cheep, and that's really the only thing this power has going for it. Unless you have a theme you want your Vampire to meet, don't bother with this power.

Summon Ghouls: [Bloodline Association: Strigoi] The Strigoi got a lot of love this edition. This power is really great for a Ghoul Army and combo's very well with Ghoulkin. Having this power on every Vampire in your army (Especially with Ghoulkin on one of them) and taking nothing but Ghouls can turn your army into a nightmare for any opponent.
Aun's Rank: 9/10 Another 'must have' for the Strigoi. This power an Ghoulkin can make an All Ghoul army very competitive.

[Aun]

Artifacts of Death

As if having awesome supernatural gifts wasn't enough, your Vampires can also take magical equipment to make them even more powerful!

Magic Weapons
Forstblade: One wound, one kill, its that simple. Wound something once, and it dies, with apparently no saves of any kind. However awesome this weapon is, it has two sever drawbacks. Its extremely expensive. It cant be taken by a Thrall and will be the only magical item your Vampire Lord will have if you do take it, which is bad because then you wont have any magical protection on your Lord. Its other drawback is the fact its completely useless against single wound models.
Aun's Rank: 5/10 I've never even heard of anyone thinking about taking this item. Its simply not a good item.

Dreadlance: This is an awe inspiring item for Blood Dragon lords, and means you wont have to buy Infinite Hatred for them. 4 str7 auto-hits stand a good chance of killing almost anything, and when you combine it with Red Fury, the result is truely terrifying. With Red Fury your Vampire Lord can kill just about anything in the Warhammer World on the charge, from Star Dragons to Greater Daemons. But perhaps the best part of this item, is that it leaves you enough points to still get some magical Armour or Talismans to protect him.
Aun's Rank: 10/10 Seriously, this is about as close as your gonna get to the perfect weapon.

Blood Drinker: The Blood Drinker is an interesting weapon. While it doesn't improve your Vampires (already impressive) combat skills, it does make him and his unit a lot more survivable, which in my book is always a good thing. Its also fairly cheep for a Lord, and gives you some room for even more protection, making your Vampire Lord nigh unkillable.
Aun's Rank: 7.5/10 I'm tempted to give this item an 8, but the fact it doesn't increase your combat abilities keep me from doing so. Its definitely not a bad item however.

Skabscrath: Its seems the Vampire Counts have both the best weapon, and most useless weapon in their book. Seriously. Don't take this. If I see anyone with this item I will be forced to brand you mentally disabled.
Aun's Rank: 0/10 Don't take this. Ever. If you really, REALLY want to cause Terror, take the Bloodline power that's five points cheaper.

Sword of Kings: I don't particularly like this item for Vampires, as its almost a crime not to put it on a Wight King, but its not very expensive if you really want to have Killing Blow.
Aun's Rank: 6/10 If for some reason you really want your Vampire to have killing blow, go ahead, but I would personally just get a Wight Kind for that....

Tomb Blade: This is a pretty neat weapon for a Thrall that also has Lord of the Dead and Dark Acolyte, not very expensive, and if you manage to kill three enemies with this weapon its already paid for itself. It also themes well with Necrarchs.
Aun's Rank: 7.5/10 Just like Blood Drinker, the only thing that stops this from being an 8 is the fact it doesn't increase your combat ability.

The Balefire Spike: For its point cost...its not that bad. That doesn't mean it isn't useless. If you happen to find yourself fighting Ents or Kind Tut and you have some points to spare, go ahead and take it, but I'd rather get something else. Anything else.
Aun's Rank: 5/10 Another item I've never seen anyone use, and for good reason.

Sword of Striking: Vampires have high Weapon Skill as they are, no real need to take this.
Aun's Rank: 4/10

Sword of Battle: Vampires have high Weapons Skill and high strength, but they do have what could be considered a low number of attacks. However, if more attacks are what your looking for, for five more points you can get Avatar of Death with two hand weapons and Heavy Armour. This is still a nice weapon for those Vampires dedicated to Magical Support that would like a bit of an edge in combat.
Aun's Rank: 6/10

Sword of Might: For those of us who want to hit like a ton of bricks, but also want to strike first, we have the Sword of Might. The Sword of Might is cheep, and on a Vampire, very deadly, because you can use it in combination with a shield, hit like a charging rhinoceros, and still use your super high initiative.
Aun's Rank: 8/10 Combined with a Shield from Avatar of Death, this weapon really shines.

Biting Blade: If you happen to have five points left over, and haven't purchased a magical weapon, you might as well take this.
Aun's Rank: 5/10 It earns a five by dint of the fact its so damn cheep.

Magic Armour
Walach's Bloody Hauberk: I honestly consider this piece of kit to be required for every Vampire Lord, its simply to good to pass up. Its fairly expensive, but gives you a good armour save and a nice ward save, and all without any negative effects. Part of me regrets the fact this armour cant be combined with the Dreadlance, but another part of me realizes just how broken that combo would be.
Aun's Rank: 8.5/10 As far as armour goes, this is a great buy. Sure you can get a better armour save, or ward save, but the Bloody Hauberk is the only piece of gear that can give you the best of both worlds, albeit at a cost in points.

Accursed Armour: Why anyone would ever want to sacrifice their Vampires combat prowess simply for an extra point of toughness and a suit of Heavy Armour is beyond me. This is another piece of wargear I've never seen anyone use.
Aun's Rank: 2/10 Its pretty much useless...

Flayed Hauberk: This is a piece of gear the I find really good on Thralls, but shy away from on my Lords. Its an easy way to give your Vampires dedicated to casting some protection, but you can get a 2+ armour save just by taking Dread Knight on Lords, or with Walach's Bloody Hauberk combined with hand weapon and shield, hence, why I relegate this to Thralls. It is a great item for thralls however.
Aun's Rank: 8/10 Awesome item for Thrall Vampires to take, but Lords can find better.

Armour of the Night: If you take a Vampire with Flying Horror/Hunter in the Dark and Avatar of Death, you really should take this armour. Its great for Vampires that you have run around on their own, however, Vampires that run around on their own, and can be very nice for Caster Vampire Lords that also have the Helm of Commandment that you want to keep away from the enemy, and its not very expensive either.
Aun's Rank: 8/10 A nice piece of equipment for our flying/scouting/supporting vampires, there isn't any reason not to take it on them.

Nightshroud: Personally, the best combo with Night Shroud is with the Sword of Kings on a Wight King, as it gives him a good chance of decapitating characters before they get a chance to attack back. However, the ability to strike before anyone else in base with you is useful to any combat oriented Vampire, and the armour isn't expensive.
Aun's Rank: 7/10 Its a nice piece of equipment, but you wont have a very high armour save, so if whatever you attack survives, you could be in trouble. Its also better used on other characters in my opinion.

Cadaverous Cuirass: For its points, this item isn't that bad, but its very situational, which means it isn't seen very often. Killing Blow can really ruin any Vampires day, but only a few units have it, and usually their easy to avoid. Some players never have to deal with Killing Blow, while for others its a constant annoyance.
Aun's Rank: 7/10 Like the Nightshroud, this is a very situational item that's either useless, or gold. If you find your Vampires is constantly getting axed with Killing Blow, go for the Cadaverous Cuirass, if not, look for something else.

Enchanted Shield: Eh, its OK. If you have Dread Knight Walach's Bloody Hauberk will have the same effect and more, if your not mounted and have the Flayed Hauberk or Walach's Bloody Hauberk on other things you cant go wrong with the Enchanted Shield.
Aun's Rank: 8/10

Enchanted Items
Hand of Dust: While expensive, the Hand of Dust can really put the hurt on units. It has a low power level however, and has a 1/6 chance of running out. The Hand is useful for drawing out enemy Dispel Dice, but the fact it can only be used against units your in base contact with means this expensive item is useless in the first few turns. The potential for 12 str5 hits is still nice however...
Aun's Rank: 7/10 The items cost and the fact it can only be used in combat let it down, and honestly, if you have a Vampire that wants to get into combat, it can probably cause more than enough wounds on its own without the help of this item.

Rod of Flaming Death: Short range, high points cost, low power level. I have nicknamed this item 'Skinkbane' since that seems to be the only purpose for it, scaring away skirmishers that are trying to march block you. However, I can also get five Dire Wolves for the same cost who can intercept enemy Skirmishers and march block the enemy themselves.
Aun's Rank: 6/10 I wouldn't recommend this item to anyone.

Helm of Commandment: The first time I used the Helm of Commandment, I put it on a thrall and used it with a large block of Grave Guard that also had the Banner of the Barrows. The result where Grave Guard that hit on 2+. I've been hooked on it ever since. The item is hugely powerful, and its fairly easy to keep people from engaging the Vampire holding it. Naturally you should equip this item to a Vampire specialized in spell casting.
Aun's Rank: 8.5/10 Easily the most useful Enchanted Item, the Helm of Commandment can have humble Skeletons defeating Chaos Warriors in combat (I'm speaking from experience here)

Cursed Book: The Cursed Book is a neat little item that's especially valuable against things like Dwarves and can make an interesting combo with Nightshroud. However, I've never had the available points to include it on any Vampires. Its not that the Book is a bad item, its just there's better things to take first.
Aun's Rank: 7.5/10 Its not bad, but not good enough for me to give it to anything.

Talisman of Lycini: If you take the Hunter in the Dark Vampiric Power, you should take this item as well. Its useful for Vampires that you'll have running around on their own, but for everyone else, its use is rather limited. It can prove to be a nasty surprise for people when your infantry model suddenly charges 18" however...
Aun's Rank: 7/10 Its necessary for any Hunter in the Dark Vampire's out there, but unnecessary for everyone else.

Talismans
The Carstein Ring: Basically, this little trinket lets you revive your vampire when he gets killed. You place him in the front rank of any friendly unit, and he comes back with all his wounds. The Ring has two issues with it that prevent it from being used regularly however. The first is the fact your Vampire will come back only on a roll of 2+, which means there's a 1/6 chance that this very expensive item will do nothing at all, and you lose your Vampire Lord, and probably the game. The other issue is the cost of the item. It will eat 3/4th of the points you can allocate to magic items, and you cant get a descent invulnerable save. Sure it leaves you with enough points to get a nice 2+ armour save from Cadaverous Cuirass, but as most experienced Fantasy players will tell you, that save is not something you should count on.
Aun's Rank: 7/10 For some people, this is the ultimate defense for Vampires, for other people, its far to expensive to be used.

Crown of the Damned: You hate it, you love it, you sit there drooling. The pro's and con's of the Crown of the Damned are one of the most hotly debated issues in the Vampire Counts community. Here are the facts: It gives you an excellent ward save, its relatively cheep, but it makes your Vampire suffer from stupidity. Personally, I don't like the crown. I really don't see the point in taking an item meant to reduce risk on your Vampire, but only adds another risk in return for a 50% chance of saving a wound. Yes its the best ward save your Vampire can get, yes its cheep, and yes, Vampire Lords are LD 10. But what will you do when you fail that test?
Aun's Rank: 8/10 You either love it, or you hate it, but its still not a bad item, I just don't want to risk my Lords to Stupidity. If you want to run the odds, then take the Crown, just don't get angry when you roll that 11 or 12 for your stupidity check...

Wristbands of Black Gold: Tired of cannon balls taking out your vampire before he can even reach those pesky dwarves? Then the Wristbands may be right for you. The Wristbands are a very situational item, and therefore, aren't widely used. They can provide excellent protection to a Sorcerer Vampire riding around on a Hellsteed however. They also combine with Armour of the Night to make your Vampire practically invulnerable to shooting. The fact remains however, that simply placing your Vampire in a unit (which is typically where you want them to be anyway) provides sufficient protection from shooting to render the Wristbands inefficient, and they wont help you at all once your reach combat.
Aun's Rank: 7.5/10 The Wristbands are niche item that are very good at providing protection for specific Vampires, but outside that niche their useless (the fact their completely useless in combat, the place where you want your Vampires to be, keeps the item down)

Gem of Blood: The Gem of Blood looks like something that should be in the Skaven armory. Its not overly expensive, and can really ruin an enemy characters day, but there's also a chance it could ruin yours as well! Some people swear by the Gem, while others balk at the idea of risking their Vampires such.
Aun's Rank: 7/10 You feelin lucky? If so, you may find the Gem an attractive option, and there's certainly the pleasure of watching that Assassins Killing Blow rebound onto him, but it could also spell instant defeat for you if you happen to roll that 1...

Talisman of Protection: I guess if you happen to have 15 points left over and you haven't spent it on something like Black Periapt you might want to take this...
Aun's Rank: 4/10 For its points, its a horrible item.

Arcane Items
Skull Staff: Simple, and to the point, but by Nagash this item is expensive. It can combine with Lord of the Dead to let you cast Invocation on skeletons with a 2+ and raise them above starting size, and can help you out in dispelling the enemy. However, there's a big drawback in the cost for this item. It does leave you just enough points to take the Crown of the Damned for a ward save or Helm of Commandment if you want a dedicated support Vampire.
Aun's Rank: 7.5/10 The cost of the item makes most people shy away from it, but the power of of raising 21 Skeletons a turn (6 power dice, 2+ for invocation, average of 21 skeletons) and then providing them with WS 7 (Helm of Commandment) is nothing to sneeze at..

Staff of Damnation: This item, if used correctly, can be devastating. I've seen this item used once, and it was on a Vampire Blood Dragon inside a unit of Blood Knights. The player charged the Blood Knights into an enemy unit, drew out his opponents despell dice, and then unleashed the Staff. The results where horrific, as it essentially gave the Blood Knights and their Nightmares an extra attack for combat. If used on a unit that also has Vanhel's cast on it, the item becomes truely sick.
Aun's Rank: 8.5/10 If used correctly this item can win you the game, the hardest part is simply waiting for the right moment to use it, and drawing out the enemies despell dice.

Book of Arkhan: Just about every Vampire Counts army these days has a Thrall carting around the Book. Its a very useful item. The fact it has a 1/6 chance of running out is slightly annoying, and its a bit expensive for a Thrall, but having another Vanhel's can win games.
Aun's Rank: 8.5/10 Like the Staff of Damnation, this item can win you the game if used at the right moment, but you need to draw out the enemies despell dice. It can also be useful in drawing out the enemies dice if your looking to cast a different spell...

Scepter de Noirot: Gives you five free zombies when casting Raise Dead, which pretty much pays for itself after being used once. This item can be fairly useful on a thrall, and leaves you enough points to buy some armour.
Aun's Rank: 8/10 Can be fairly useful on a caster vampire, and it doesn't have any real flaws. If your looking at making a horde undead army, you cant go wrong with the Scepter.

Crimson Gem of Lahmia: The only time I'd consider useing this item is if you happen to have Isabella von Carstein in the same unit. In that situation it can prove to be very useful, otherwise its fairly useless. Putting wounds on your Vampires is generally a bad idea, and while you can always regenerate them with Invocation, whats the point of sacrificing a wound to get a power dice when your going to need at least one to regenerate the wound?
Aun's Rank: 6.5/10 If you have Isabella in your army, the Gem can be a useful item indeed, otherwise, just ignore it.

Black Periapt: The Periapt is an extremely useful item for any army, and in my opinion is under priced. I almost always find myself with an unused dispell dice, which I save for a turn and use as a power dice. I combine this item with Helm of Commandment on one of my Caster thralls to create a powerful support Vampire that hasn't let me down yet.
Aun's Rank: 9/10 For its points, this is an awesome item and a 'must have' for any magic oriented Vampire Counts army.

[Aun]

Themed Combinations

Now we know all about the powers our Vampires can take, and about the items they can use, so lets see some of the ways they can be combined..

Master of Shadows
After long centuries living on the dark fringes of society, this Vampire is a master of trickery, deception and stealth.
Vampire Thrall with Hunter in the Dark, Supernatural Horror, Armour of Night, Sword of Battle, Talisman of Lycini
This guy is designed to get in amongst the enemies artillery and skirmishers, and scare the pants off them, and if failing that, cut them apart. The downsides to this guy is that he's only a level 1 wizard, so he wont be adding much to your magic phase, and he doesn't have much protection if he gets caught by a serious opponent.
Variations: Vampire Thrall with Hunter in the Dark, Infinite Hatred, Armour of Night, Sword of Might, Talisman of Lycini
If you know your going to be facing a tough army like dwarves who's artillery wont be scared away so easy, you might like this variation more. Both these guys have a nasty trick up their sleeve, in that you can use them to summon Zombies on the enemies flanks or even rear if you can manage to worm them back there.

Lord of Shadows
Millennia of experience have gifted this Vampire with knowledge gleamed from the worlds most accomplished assassins. When combined with the huge necromantic lore that he possesses, this Lord of Shadows is a terror to enemy commanders, no matter where they might be hiding...
Vampire Lord with Hunter in the Dark, Master of the Black Arts, Infinite Hatred, Armour of Night, Wristbands of Black Gold, Talisman of Lycini, Sword of Battle, Black Periapt, +1 magic level
If you happen to be playing a large game where you get a secound lord choice, you might want to consider the Lord of Shadows. He's fast, deadly, and nigh untouchable at a distance, and he's a very competent sorcerer. Within a few turns this Vampire can raise a sizable horde of Zombies on the enemies flanks, and then move in to deliver the killing blow.

The Lich Lord
Cold be hand and heart and bone, and cold be sleep under stone: never more to wake on stony bed, never, till the Sun fails and the Moon is dead. In the black wind the stars shall die, and still on gold here let them lie, till the dark lord lifts his hand over dead sea and withered land. ~ Wight's Chant, The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolken
Vampire Lord with Spectral Form, Avatar of Death (great weapon) Dark Acolyte, +1 Magic Level
Another useful Lord choice if you happen to find yourself in a large game, you can feel confident about taking a Great Weapon on the Lich Lord because he'll be invulnerable to the enemies attacks. The Lich Lord would be well placed inside a group of Cairn Wraiths, letting you give them free reign on a flank. Because of the Vampire in their midst they become even more mobile and can play merry hell with the enemy. The Lich Lord is also a level 4 wizard, so he'll be a help in the Magic Phase. However, be careful not to let things with magic attacks near him, as his Heavy Armour isn't going to protect him much...

The Werewolf
Who knows what forms the curse of Vampirism has taken after thousands of years of magically fueled evolution? Who can say how many giant wolves that carry off peasant children are more than wild beasts?
Vampire Thrall with Forbidden Lore (Lore of Beasts), Summon Creatures of the Night, Flayed Hauberk, The Cursed Book
The basic idea behind the Werewolf is to cast Bears Anger on himself, transforming our already deadly bloodsucking fiend into a maelstrom of destruction. With the Flayed Hauberk our Werewolf has some nice protection, and he can use the Cursed Book against any characters who challenge him, which combined with Bears Anger can see the death of many a hero. However, there are a few problems with this build, the worst being the fact he's only a level 1 wizard, which means you can use only two dice to cast Bears Anger on him. While you will probably be able to get the spell off, the enemy also has a good chance of dispelling it. The other problem, is that for every power dice used to cast Bears Anger, that's one less power dice used on Invocation to keep your Undead Horde kicking.
While the Werewolf isn't an extremely competitive build, its certainly a fun one.

The Alpha Wolf
Having hunted his prey for thousands of years, the Alpha is a threat to all creatures that walk under the night sky, his roars of anger shaking the still air under the full moon.
Vampire Lord with Forbidden Lore (Lore of Beasts), Supernatural Horror, Infinite Hatred, Summon Creatures of the Night, Talisman of Lycini, Book of Arkhan, The Flayed Hauberk, Crown of the Damned, +1 Magic Level
This guy is the big bad wolf incarnate. Not many things can stand up to 7 str7 attacks with ws7 and re-rolls to hit, and with him being a level 3 wizard you have a higher chance of getting Bears Anger off. He's also hard as nails with a modified toughness 6, 2+ armour and 4+ ward, and with Talisman of Lycini and the Book of Arkhan, he can move very fast indeed. The Alpha Werewolf is a great example of how you can make a powerful Vampire, but still maintain a strong theme.

The Temptress
Armed with the patience, cunning, and hunger of a Black Widow, this Vampire temptress lures her prey in with unnatural beauty before devouring their life blood.
Vampire Thrall with Beguile, Infinite Hatred, Nightshroud, The Cursed Book
This Vampire can really ruin any hero's day. Just wait until they fail that LD test for Beguile, and then spring your trap with Cursed Book, and suddenly you re-roll all rolls to hit and wound against an enemy that's WS1 and Initiative 1. Even when not breaking enemy character under her hell, the Temptress can still cause havoc among the enemy. She's especially effective against High Elves, Skaven, and anything else with particularly high Initiative.

The Seductress
A queen of the unmatched appearance, whole armies bow and scrape at her vestige, men weep at her words, and fools sell themselves dearly to protect their immortal lady.
Vampire Lord with Beguile, Infinite Hatred, Aura of Dark Majesty, Nightshroud, The Cursed Book, Sword of Kings, Gem of Blood, +1 magic level
This is one blue blooded ta'uk'me that you don't want to mess with. Armed with all the same character killing goodness as the Temptress, the Seductress is an even worse prospect with killing blow! Armed with the Gem of Blood, any fool bold enough to strike this queen of the dead will be swiftly punished, and with Aura of Dark Majesty she works well with Terror causers like Cairn Wraiths.

Special Characters

What Vampire Tactica would be complete without a discussion about these high lords of undeath?

Vlad Von Carstein
First up is the big man himself, the first Vampire Count, Vlad. Vlad's basic profile is exactly the same as a generic Vampire Lord, only with an additional attack. He's a Level three wizard, so he's not the best Vampire at spell casting (but that's what Mannfred is for anyway) he's armed with Blood Drinker, the Carstein Ring, and all the Courtly Vampiric Powers. He has two unique features, the fist is that he causes Terror, and the secound is the fact he has a 4+ Ward save from the Carstein Ring, which is good because Vlad doesn't have any armour save at all. All things considered, Vlad is...rather lacking when compared with Mannfred or Konrad, in that he's not as good as them at combat or spell casting. It seems like GW was trying to make Vlad out to be nigh impossible to kill instead of making him a combat beast, but the fact he has no armour at all (even with that nice 4+ ward) means he isn't as survivable as you might think. Spells that can destroy magic items are the true bane of Vlad, for without the Carstein ring to keep him going, he's simply an overpriced Vampire Lord that cant exactly do anything very well...

Count Mannfred Von Carstein
Mannfreds Lord form is quite the intimidating character. Teclis may be the greatest living wizard in the world, but Mannfred is, in the opinion of many, the most powerful wizard PERIOD, and I'm inclined to agree with them (and I have a high elf army!) Not only is Manfred a puissant spell caster, he's also more than competent at killing the enemy, and with the armour of Templehof, he's difficult to kill. Count Mannfred can take two arcane items in addition to his basic wargear with no points limit. Your almost required to take the Skull Staff with Mannfred, but for the secound option most people tend to take the Staff of Damnation, but if you happen to have Isabella Von Carstien in the army, giving him the Crimson Gem of Lahmia wouldn't be a bad idea, as it basically lets you have a free power dice. So, what are Mannfreds con's? The first is cost. When you factor in the two Arcane items he'll be carrying, Mannfred can quickly become quite expensive indeed. His other con is the fact that, while he does have 5 wounds, he only has a 5+ armour save. Giving him a Barded Steed can help, but you should be careful not to get to cocky with Mannfred and send him up against something like a Bloodthirster.

Countess Isabella Von Carstein
Isabella is actually a character I use somewhat often, as a proxy for one of my own Vampires. Isabella is something of an oddity. Her stats are fairly...lackluster for a Vampire (other than her high Initiative). She also has no armour and no magic weapons, and while Beguile is nice, she isn't really very competent against enemy characters. Isabella is also only a level 1 wizard, so she's not a big boost to your magic phase. So why take her? The main reason, is because Isabella can automatically heal one wound on any vampire in the same unit as her. Most people tend to look at Isabella as a kind of unholy nurse, useing her Blood Chalice and 1 power dice (used for Invocation) to keep their Vampire Lords kicking, and when you combine this with say, Blood Drinker, it can become very hard to kill your Vampire Lord. Isabella is also extremely cheep, costing ten points less than an unequipped Thrall. Isabella has one more ability worth mention, if you happen to have Isabella and Vlad in the same army, and Isabella is slain, Vlad gets Frenzy and Hatred, which can be a frighting prospect for the enemy, so some of the more heartless Vampire Counts players may be inclined to sacrifice her simply to achieve this effect.

Mannfred the Acolyte
Unlike his older form, Mannfred the Acolyte is much less powerful. Having the same stats as a basic Thrall, no armour, and no combat boosting powers or weapons, he isn't going to be a combat character. He is armed with the Sword of Unholy Power and one additional Arcane Item, but the fact that he's a level 2 wizard prevents him from really useing these items to the full. He isn't all that expensive however, but his lack of any save at all, and low combat ability will mean Mannfred the Acolyte is hardly ever seen.

Konrad Von Carstein
The most powerful, feared, and hated Vampire that has ever graced the table top, the mention of Konrad's name is enough to send Oger's running for the hills. Konrad's basic stats seem unimpressive, he has a slightly higher WS than other Thralls, but also a slightly lower LD. Its his abilities and weapons however, that make Konrad such a beast. Konrad comes equipped with two close combat weapons ( so +1 attack) one of which is magical and doubles the number of wounds inflected on enemy models after they take any saves, alone this is weapon is simply a minor concern for most players, but when you combine it with the fact Konrad has Infinite Hatred (always re-rolls failed rolls to hit) AND Red Furry (+1 attack for each wound inflected), Konrad becomes quite the beast. But the icing on this monstrous cake is that 50% of the time, Konrad will also be Frenzied. Konrad, if used to his full potential, can cause 30 wounds (5 attacks, all hit and wound, causing 10 wounds, which equals 10 extra attacks, causing 20 wounds, with the grand total being 20 wounds caused) which is extremely outstanding. Konrad's also ridiculously cheep for what he can do in combat.
Konrad does have three faults however, the first being that he is the only Vampire with no magical ability whatsoever. These means that the rest of your Vampires are going to have to work double time in the Magic phase. Secondly, Konrad only has Heavy Armour, which means that should anything survive his flurry of attacks, they can pose a serious threat to Konrad. Finally, Konrad has a 50% chance of suffering from Stupidity rather than Frenzy. Keeping Konrad close to your general can help with the Stupidity checks, but its still rather annoying to lose the additional attack Frenzy provides.

[wesswll]

Give him one.

Great article Aun, I could never decide what equipment to give my Unholy Lords of Night, but this article really helped me.

[Skarbrand]

I second what wesswll said but Konrad cant inflict that many wounds, only ten, trust me i asked Games workshop and they said that the swords 2 wound instead of 1 doesn't count for Red Fury

[Nightmare]

Countess Isabella Von Carstein
Isabella is actually a character I use somewhat often, as a proxy for one of my own Vampires. Isabella is something of an oddity. Her stats are fairly...lackluster for a Vampire (other than her high Initiative). She also has no armour and no magic weapons, and while Beguile is nice, she isn't really very competent against enemy characters. Isabella is also only a level 1 wizard, so she's not a big boost to your magic phase. So why take her? The main reason, is because Isabella can automatically heal one wound on any vampire in the same unit as her. Most people tend to look at Isabella as a kind of unholy nurse, useing her Blood Chalice and 1 power dice (used for Invocation) to keep their Vampire Lords kicking, and when you combine this with say, Blood Drinker, it can become very hard to kill your Vampire Lord. Isabella is also extremely cheep, costing ten points less than an unequipped Thrall. Isabella has one more ability worth mention, if you happen to have Isabella and Vlad in the same army, and Isabella is slain, Vlad gets Frenzy and Hatred, which can be a frighting prospect for the enemy, so some of the more heartless Vampire Counts players may be inclined to sacrifice her simply to achieve this effect.

Eeeeeeee!!

I got your PM last night, read through it all and got to this bit. It quite simply made me start converting said unholy nurse to join my army. It's so tempting to karma you for giving me this idea.

[Aun]

Thanks guys! ;D

I got your PM last night, read through it all and got to this bit. It quite simply made me start converting said unholy nurse to join my army. It's so tempting to karma you for giving me this idea.

Yep I <3 Isabella. I have Blood Drinker on my Vampire Lord, and with Isabella in there, he's practicaly impossible to kill (unless he takes a hit from Killing Blow...sigh* right through the heart...)
But whatever you do, dont let someone challenge her, just move her in your back rank (where she can still heal people) as she simply cant stand up to anything in a straight fight.

[Nightmare]

Can she still use magic and the chalice whilst not in the first rank?

[Aun]

I dont have my codex on me, but if memory serves me right she can use the chalice on any vampire "in the same unit" as her. As far as magic goes, I'm not sure. That situation has never realy come up with me, but I'd check the section about challenges. It should state whether or not wizards are able to cast magic in the back rank.

[Zen]

Flagged for Karma and to be stickied. Also sent the Mods a suggestion that we talked about

Well, looks like I have to come with Tactica: Lizardmen then! Can't lose out to you on this board >