AoS3 - Soulblight Gravelord Discussion

[Ravinsild]

However is 80 zombies too many? 2 packs of 40? I want to run skeletons myself personally but everyone has been saying zombies are the way and I’m trying to embrace the horde because I thought that was how SBGL wins 

[Neil Arthur Hotep]

16 hours ago, Ravinsild said:

However is 80 zombies too many? 2 packs of 40? I want to run skeletons myself personally but everyone has been saying zombies are the way and I’m trying to embrace the horde because I thought that was how SBGL wins 

Take the following with a grain of salt, because I am not a tournament player and have not been closely watching the tournament-winning Gravelords lists for a while. Plus, with the new battle pack, some things will have changed in terms of which units are good or bad.

Here is what I see as the big strength of Gravelords: You can basically play a horde army in addition to whatever other game plan you might have. Zombies are dirt cheap. You can run 2 blocks of 40 and that's not even a quarter of your list. And they are really good, too! Their offense is good, you will likely get a free half-unit refund at so.e point during the game and they absorb extra attack buffs well.

Skeletons up until the latest GHB were pretty solid, too. 30 with a necromancer are a very sticky tarpit at a reasonable price. The new Bounty Hunters battalion might be too much for them, though, since they need to live a combat phase to regenerate and they probably can't deal with double-damage units.

Direwolves are a good fast battleline option, but they are also a fairly high model count and high wounds unit for their point cost, paticularly in a where blocks of 20 infantry are rare. You can lean into them, as well. Min size is fine, buta block of 30 is pretty ridiculous to chew through. They can also potentially charge your opponent's deployment zone with a specific build in Vyrkos.

Grave Guard are the last hordy unit, and most Gravelords lists want at least one unit of them even if they don't help with battleline. You can comfortably do 20s or even 10s of them, since they buff extremely well. Take all these options together and you might find yourself with 100 models before you get into your actual game plan.

And there are several Gravelords game plans that are at least semi-competitive. Vyrkos small heroes with an infantry/casting focus or the Direwolf gimmick mentioned above, Kastelai Blood Knights, Legion of Night null deploy... Legion of Blood and Nagas lists seem workable, too. Or just goodstuff (Belladamma, Manfred, big Radukar, Vampire Lord/VLoZD paired with whatever troops you think are cool) in any of the above dynasties.

[Wordy9th]

After my tournament game I haven't been thinking of SBGL much, but these new changes and what they've done to MY SKELETONS have caused me conniptions.

I've long been an advocate of the 30 skeletons, Necro and CC combo and it's done me very well in the past, but the new bounty hunter concern has me thinking of the route to go with SBGL now, in regards to its prolific battleline horde options.

My initial thought is that when building 30 skeletons as an anvil, what hammers would I have to deal with in the game? The fear of the 4 fulminator charge, maw crusher etc was always there, and I think that a bounty hunter regiment would have to be on that tier of damage to completely delete a skeleton unit. The question of how prolific these units will be and if they have the damage potential to get in relatively unmolested and non-debuffed into the anvil and wipe it off the table is up in the air, but the likelyhood at this juncture is yes, and that skeletons might not be the choice.

In which case, what is? Min battleline in SBGL still does work, especially if they count for 3 each, and that might be the go to being backed up by the big hitters, grave guard and blood knights.

I've never been a fan of Blood Knights and their lacklustre damage, but with the new bounty hunter batallion and the ability for them to gain from Kastelai buffs (incuding the on demand +1 to damage artefact for the turn) can put them quite easily on 4 damage on the charge. 

Here's my conceptual list of what might do well in the meta:

 

Spoiler

Allegiance: Soulblight Gravelords
- Lineage: Kastelai Dynasty
- Mortal Realm: Ghur
- Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
- Triumphs:
Radukar the Beast (315)
Vengorian Lord (280)
Mannfred von Carstein, Mortarch of Night (380)
5 x Blood Knights (195)
5 x Blood Knights (195)
20 x Deadwalker Zombies (115)
20 x Deadwalker Zombies (115)
10 x Deathrattle Skeletons (85)
20 x Grave Guard (280)
- Wight Blades & Crypt Shields
- Reinforced x 1

Total: 1960 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 1 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 134
Drops: 9
 

Vengorian lord / Radukar  /the beast bomb of Rousing Commander and +1 attack for wherever you need to apply damage on the baord. GV batallion for the battle line to hold objectives for lots of bodies and very little points. Blood Knights hunt down GV (or anyone really) and the GG are there to take out non GV targets that the BKs can't deal with.

Oh Radukar also summons 10 wolves for GV battle tactics where needed too. 

Mannfred's there because he's a great dude, nice guy really.

The list feels like it hits the notes of what the season is "supposed" to be about. Whether the meta shakes out that way or not, time will tell!

[Ravinsild]

I’ve also been trying to lean into the new way while not spamming too much GV myself so I thought of a list something like this:

Army Faction: Soulblight Gravelords
    - Army Type: Kastelai Dynasty
    - Grand Strategy: Prized Sorcery

LEADER

Vampire Lord on Zombie Dragon (435)*
    - General
    - Command Traits: A Craving for Massacre
    - Deathlance
    - Artefacts: Fragment of the Keep
    - Mount Traits: Foetid Miasma
    - Spells: Invigorating Aura, Amethystine Pinions

Coven Throne (290)**
    - Spells: Invigorating Aura, Blades of Shyish

Vampire Lord (140)**
    - Spells: Invigorating Aura, Soulpike

Necromancer (125)**
    - Artefacts: Arcane Tome
    - Spells: Levitate, Invigorating Aura

BATTLELINE

Blood Knights (195)*
    - Kastellan
    - Standard Bearer

Blood Knights (195)*
    - Kastellan
    - Standard Bearer

1 x Deadwalker Zombies (230)*

ENDLESS SPELL

Emerald Lifeswarm (60)

OTHER

Grave Guard (140)*
    - Seneschal
    - Standard Bearer
    - Hornblower
    - Great Wight Blade

Fell Bats (75)**

Fell Bats (75)**

CORE BATTALIONS:

*Battle Regiment

**Warlord

TOTAL POINTS: (1960/2000)

I think the idea is to start with everything on the board. Screen my good stuff with Zombied and run them forward onto something like whatever will be the point of power or whatever it’s called. 
 

Fell bats will score the new savage spearhead and fly around taking points that nobody is sitting on to scoop up free objectives and probably die early possibly giving me a point through callous overlord. 
 

pump CP into Blood Knights and VLOZD from my Coven Throne for +1/+1 and +1 save making them sturdier and killier whilst they go deal with enemy hammers, bounty hunters and GV. 
 

Necromancer and Vampire Lord support the Zombies until I can get GraveGuard into the fight and then +1 attack double fighting GraveGuard demolish anything and everything. 

[Neil Arthur Hotep]

So, with the new GHB rules, is the bravery bomb finally viable? There is a lot of incentive to bring a bunch of big units now, after all, and the Horrorghast got cheaper as well, I think.

The full set up is probably Legion of Blood with an Arcane Vampire Lord on foot. Power out that Horrorghast with your +2 to cast, get the Vampire Lord in close for the d3 extra models fleeing from Battle battleshock, and hit the opponent with 2+ Deadwalker or Deathrattle units for -2 bravery. This shuts off Inspiring Presence and results in 2d3 extra models fleeing if any flee.

I kinda feel that if bravery bombs are not good in this meta, they will never be good. Which is very likely just how things are. It seems like this set uo could really hurt big Skaven or Gitz blobs, but would also put a dent into Ogors or Nurgle Blightkings if you can get it to stick. But on the other hand, a lot of battleshock immunity is not from Inspiring Presence (not as much as it used to be, but still) and the Death mirror is always a concern (particularly OBR).

I suppose if you are alreay in Legion of Blood, adding a Horrorghast is just 40 extra points, so it's not too big of an investment. Might be worth the gamble for an occasionak blowout?

[Wordy9th]

I can see a squad of GG backed by a vampire lord in LoB doing serious battleshock damage to anything from Eels to BKs. Might be worth a shot!

Do Black Knights have play now as 100 point battleline that don't give up GV? I think they might. Also four attacks at 2 damage each if they're in bounty hunter...

[Skreech Verminking]

1 hour ago, Wordy9th said:

I can see a squad of GG backed by a vampire lord in LoB doing serious battleshock damage to anything from Eels to BKs. Might be worth a shot!

Do Black Knights have play now as 100 point battleline that don't give up GV? I think they might. Also four attacks at 2 damage each if they're in bounty hunter...

probably not, but I’m building mine up.

they look cool, especially as a body guard unit for a blight king on dead horse 

[Neil Arthur Hotep]

4 hours ago, Wordy9th said:

Do Black Knights have play now as 100 point battleline that don't give up GV? I think they might. Also four attacks at 2 damage each if they're in bounty hunter...

I hope they might. They are good, mobile chaff for your actual GV units. Sadly, even with literally double damage, their sustained damage output is still bad. For what it's worth, they are still DEATHRATTLE SUMMONABLE, so they get access to all the good buffs in a pinch.

[TechnoVampire]

How do people feel SBGL are faring under the new GHB rules? I’m considering abandoning a 2 drop with battle regiment to put 3 units of blood knights in bounty hunters: 
 

Army Faction: Soulblight Gravelords
    - Army Type: Kastelai Dynasty
    - Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
    - Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

LEADER

Prince Vhordrai (455)
    - Spells: Amethystine Pinions

Vampire Lord on Zombie Dragon (435)
    - General
    - Command Traits: Rousing Commander
    - Deathlance
    - Artefacts: Standard of the Crimson Keep
    - Mount Traits: Foetid Miasma
    - Spells: Invigorating Aura, Flaming Weapon

Vengorian Lord (280)
    - Spells: Invigorating Aura, Amaranthine Orb

BATTLELINE

Blood Knights (195)
    - Kastellan
    - Standard Bearer

Blood Knights (195)*
    - Kastellan
    - Standard Bearer

Blood Knights (195)*
    - Standard Bearer
    - Kastellan

Blood Knights (195)*
    - Standard Bearer
    - Kastellan

ENDLESS SPELL

Chronomantic Cogs (40)

CORE BATTALIONS:

*Bounty Hunters

TOTAL POINTS: (1990/2000)

Created with Warhammer Age of Sigmar: The App

[Liquidsteel]

I have not had a chance yet (been enjoying the new Nighthaunt), however in my theoretical list I plan to still take some GV's, to open up some additional Battle Tactics.

2 x 10 skellies can score you 3 VP with Barge Through Enemy Lines, and likely also set up an easy Desecrate Their Lands, though this could also be scored by flanking Knights etc.

Having some summonable units opens up the two other BTs from the book; Callous Overlord and Unstoppable Armies. The latter doesn't say unmodified, so whilst it's still a gamble, if you don't have anything else that's doable and you reckon you can still kill a couple of units, it at least opens up something.

My first attempt would likely be the below, as I prefer Mannfred and never really saw a VLoZD as reliable outside of a stacked Vyrkos build with Sangsyron, Mannfred's aura and Bellas exploding 6s spell.

A unit of Fell Bats makes for a nice non GV throwaway unit that you can use to cap an objective early on. Cogs is in, it could also be something else e.g. Purple Sun, though without any bonuses to cast it might be a poor investment. The extra points could also just be 10 more skellies, another unit of Fell Bats, or perhaps upgrade one unit of Skellies to a second unit of dogs, or perhaps even Zombies.

All 3 lists are 7 drops, which I think should be a decent number, as aside from the 1 drops or 3-4 drops, many lists that I and others have been running have been at least 8 drops (Command Entourage, 2 x BH, 2 x EC, Bat Reg).

Standard

Spoiler

Allegiance: Soulblight Gravelords
- Lineage: Kastelai Dynasty
- Mortal Realm: Shyish
- Grand Strategy: Vampiric Conquerors
- Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Prince Vhordrai (455)*
- Lore of the Vampires: Amethystine Pinions
Mannfred von Carstein, Mortarch of Night (380)
- Lore of the Deathmages: Fading Vigour
Wight King on Skeletal Steed (130)*
- General
- Command Trait: Rousing Commander
- Artefact: Grave-sand Shard

Battleline
5 x Blood Knights (195)**
5 x Blood Knights (195)**
5 x Blood Knights (195)**
10 x Deathrattle Skeletons (80)***
10 x Deathrattle Skeletons (80)***
10 x Dire Wolves (135)*

Units
3 x Fell Bats (75)*

Endless Spells & Invocations
Chronomantic Cogs (40)

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment
**Bounty Hunters
***Expert Conquerors

Total: 1960 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 127
Drops: 7

 

1 x Zombies with Cogs

Spoiler

Allegiance: Soulblight Gravelords
- Lineage: Kastelai Dynasty
- Mortal Realm: Shyish
- Grand Strategy: Take What's Theirs
- Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Prince Vhordrai (455)*
- Lore of the Vampires: Amethystine Pinions
Mannfred von Carstein, Mortarch of Night (380)
- Lore of the Deathmages: Fading Vigour
Wight King on Skeletal Steed (130)*
- General
- Command Trait: Rousing Commander
- Artefact: Grave-sand Shard

Battleline
5 x Blood Knights (195)**
5 x Blood Knights (195)**
5 x Blood Knights (195)**
10 x Deathrattle Skeletons (80)***
20 x Deadwalker Zombies (120)***
10 x Dire Wolves (135)*

Units
3 x Fell Bats (75)*

Endless Spells & Invocations
Chronomantic Cogs (40)

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment
**Bounty Hunters
***Expert Conquerors

Total: 2000 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 137
Drops: 7
 

 

2 x Zombies no Cogs

Spoiler

Allegiance: Soulblight Gravelords
- Lineage: Kastelai Dynasty
- Mortal Realm: Shyish
- Grand Strategy: Take What's Theirs
- Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Prince Vhordrai (455)*
- Lore of the Vampires: Amethystine Pinions
Mannfred von Carstein, Mortarch of Night (380)
- Lore of the Deathmages: Fading Vigour
Wight King on Skeletal Steed (130)*
- General
- Command Trait: Rousing Commander
- Artefact: Grave-sand Shard

Battleline
5 x Blood Knights (195)**
5 x Blood Knights (195)**
5 x Blood Knights (195)**
20 x Deadwalker Zombies (120)***
20 x Deadwalker Zombies (120)***
10 x Dire Wolves (135)*

Units
3 x Fell Bats (75)*

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment
**Bounty Hunters
***Expert Conquerors

Total: 2000 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 147
Drops: 7
 

 

[TechnoVampire]

Nice lists, I agree with much of your thinking. I’ve yet to play with the new rules, but it’s good to hear how others feel. 

I’m considering trying to lean into bounty hunters while avoiding GV’s (denying the battle tactics opponents can use that require them)… I also play nighthaunt and am keen to avoid building another horde style army in favour of something more elite. 

It seems that under the new rules GV’s and expert conquerors don’t lend themselves that well to using skeletons and zombies that have been cheap and resilient enough to capture objectives and hold them, but now die very easily to bounty hunters. However I feel like I’m losing out on a lot of the good SBGL stuff not having a summonable unit. I love grave guard, but I find their speed makes them pretty hard to get to where they need to go. 

I’ve been using VLOZD for a while and also find his damage frustratingly unreliable. My thinking with my above list was that pairing him with Vhordrai and giving him flaming weapon in combination with Vhordrais fist of Nagash CA would make for a strong pair of hammers. I played my brothers idoneth at the weekend and alpha striked him with the pair turn 1. Vhordria killed the Akhelian king and 20 reavers. VLOZD killed 4 thralls. I’m aware that’s anecdotal, but it feels like the case too often. 

this is the other list I’ve been playing with: 

Army Faction: Soulblight Gravelords
    - Army Type: Kastelai Dynasty
    - Grand Strategy: Hold the Line

LEADER

Mannfred Von Carstein (380)
    - Spells: Overwhelming Dread

Necromancer (125)
    - Spells: Invigorating Aura, Fading Vigour

Vampire Lord on Zombie Dragon (435)
    - General
    - Command Traits: Rousing Commander
    - Deathlance
    - Artefacts: Standard of the Crimson Keep
    - Mount Traits: Foetid Miasma
    - Spells: Amethystine Pinions, Invigorating Aura

BATTLELINE

Blood Knights (195)
    - Kastellan
    - Standard Bearer

Blood Knights (195)*
    - Kastellan
    - Standard Bearer

Blood Knights (195)*
    - Kastellan
    - Standard Bearer

Blood Knights (195)*
    - Kastellan
    - Standard Bearer

OTHER

1 x Grave Guard (280)
    - Seneschal
    - Standard Bearer
    - Hornblower
    - Great Wight Blade

CORE BATTALIONS:

*Bounty Hunters

TOTAL POINTS: (2000/2000)

Created with Warhammer Age of Sigmar: The App

… though I’m tempted to switch VLOZD to vhordrai and maybe remove necromancer or a unit of blood knights for something else? 
 

Edited August 4, 2022 by TechnoVampire

[TechnoVampire]

… can anyone tell me how to hide content (lists) using an iPhone so posts don’t take up huge space? 

[TechnoVampire]

15 hours ago, Liquidsteel said:

I have not had a chance yet (been enjoying the new Nighthaunt), however in my theoretical list I plan to still take some GV's, to open up some additional Battle Tactics.

2 x 10 skellies can score you 3 VP with Barge Through Enemy Lines, and likely also set up an easy Desecrate Their Lands, though this could also be scored by flanking Knights etc.

Having some summonable units opens up the two other BTs from the book; Callous Overlord and Unstoppable Armies. The latter doesn't say unmodified, so whilst it's still a gamble, if you don't have anything else that's doable and you reckon you can still kill a couple of units, it at least opens up something.

My first attempt would likely be the below, as I prefer Mannfred and never really saw a VLoZD as reliable outside of a stacked Vyrkos build with Sangsyron, Mannfred's aura and Bellas exploding 6s spell.

A unit of Fell Bats makes for a nice non GV throwaway unit that you can use to cap an objective early on. Cogs is in, it could also be something else e.g. Purple Sun, though without any bonuses to cast it might be a poor investment. The extra points could also just be 10 more skellies, another unit of Fell Bats, or perhaps upgrade one unit of Skellies to a second unit of dogs, or perhaps even Zombies.

All 3 lists are 7 drops, which I think should be a decent number, as aside from the 1 drops or 3-4 drops, many lists that I and others have been running have been at least 8 drops (Command Entourage, 2 x BH, 2 x EC, Bat Reg).

Standard

  Reveal hidden contents

Allegiance: Soulblight Gravelords
- Lineage: Kastelai Dynasty
- Mortal Realm: Shyish
- Grand Strategy: Vampiric Conquerors
- Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Prince Vhordrai (455)*
- Lore of the Vampires: Amethystine Pinions
Mannfred von Carstein, Mortarch of Night (380)
- Lore of the Deathmages: Fading Vigour
Wight King on Skeletal Steed (130)*
- General
- Command Trait: Rousing Commander
- Artefact: Grave-sand Shard

Battleline
5 x Blood Knights (195)**
5 x Blood Knights (195)**
5 x Blood Knights (195)**
10 x Deathrattle Skeletons (80)***
10 x Deathrattle Skeletons (80)***
10 x Dire Wolves (135)*

Units
3 x Fell Bats (75)*

Endless Spells & Invocations
Chronomantic Cogs (40)

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment
**Bounty Hunters
***Expert Conquerors

Total: 1960 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 127
Drops: 7

 

1 x Zombies with Cogs

  Reveal hidden contents

Allegiance: Soulblight Gravelords
- Lineage: Kastelai Dynasty
- Mortal Realm: Shyish
- Grand Strategy: Take What's Theirs
- Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Prince Vhordrai (455)*
- Lore of the Vampires: Amethystine Pinions
Mannfred von Carstein, Mortarch of Night (380)
- Lore of the Deathmages: Fading Vigour
Wight King on Skeletal Steed (130)*
- General
- Command Trait: Rousing Commander
- Artefact: Grave-sand Shard

Battleline
5 x Blood Knights (195)**
5 x Blood Knights (195)**
5 x Blood Knights (195)**
10 x Deathrattle Skeletons (80)***
20 x Deadwalker Zombies (120)***
10 x Dire Wolves (135)*

Units
3 x Fell Bats (75)*

Endless Spells & Invocations
Chronomantic Cogs (40)

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment
**Bounty Hunters
***Expert Conquerors

Total: 2000 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 137
Drops: 7
 

 

2 x Zombies no Cogs

  Reveal hidden contents

Allegiance: Soulblight Gravelords
- Lineage: Kastelai Dynasty
- Mortal Realm: Shyish
- Grand Strategy: Take What's Theirs
- Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Prince Vhordrai (455)*
- Lore of the Vampires: Amethystine Pinions
Mannfred von Carstein, Mortarch of Night (380)
- Lore of the Deathmages: Fading Vigour
Wight King on Skeletal Steed (130)*
- General
- Command Trait: Rousing Commander
- Artefact: Grave-sand Shard

Battleline
5 x Blood Knights (195)**
5 x Blood Knights (195)**
5 x Blood Knights (195)**
20 x Deadwalker Zombies (120)***
20 x Deadwalker Zombies (120)***
10 x Dire Wolves (135)*

Units
3 x Fell Bats (75)*

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment
**Bounty Hunters
***Expert Conquerors

Total: 2000 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 147
Drops: 7
 

 

Also can I ask why you use wight king on skeletal steed?

[Liquidsteel]

Wight King on Steed is there because he's the best option for the points. 

3+ save,  7 wounds and a move that is fast enough to keep up with the knights to deliver Rousing Commander etc.

It's him plus a unit vs vengorian.

[Gothmaug]

Looks like we're getting a unique hero with warscroll. The  Hollow King, Cado Ezechiar  associated with the novel line. I think this may be the first time since i started (bout 6 years ago), that a unique sculpt for a preexisting mini (vampire lord) has gotten its own warscroll (Anasta Malkorian, event minis, store anniversary minis, etc, i'm looking at you). 

 

 

[Inferno]

15 hours ago, Gothmaug said:

Looks like we're getting a unique hero with warscroll. The  Hollow King, Cado Ezechiar  associated with the novel line. I think this may be the first time since i started (bout 6 years ago), that a unique sculpt for a preexisting mini (vampire lord) has gotten its own warscroll (Anasta Malkorian, event minis, store anniversary minis, etc, i'm looking at you). 

 

 

Where did you find hint that model will have its own warscroll?

[Neil Arthur Hotep]

7 minutes ago, Inferno said:

Where did you find hint that model will have its own warscroll?

The community preorder article talked about it, I believe. They mentioned his collection of magical rings, in particular.

I will be interested to see if this guy is any good. I have recently been painting Death stuff again an could go for another vampire. Gravelords are starting to feel a lot like a WHFB army right now with all the unique minor heroes we have.

[El Syf]

They also mention his greatsword is good for killing enemy heroes. Probably won't amount to anything though

It will also be interesting to see if the warscroll alludes to any other changes for Soulblight in the future, I believe there was a subtle change to the hunger on the latest Warcry vampires warscroll?

Edited August 17, 2022 by El Syf

[Neil Arthur Hotep]

3 hours ago, El Syf said:

They also mention his greatsword is good for killing enemy heroes. Probably won't amount to anything though

Would be cool if he was like Sigvald. A mobile unit with the ability to actually take out key pieces would probably have a niche in GLords.

But he will probably just be a 6" move dumbdumb with a 3/3/-1/2 attack profile, as is tradition.

Edited August 17, 2022 by Neil Arthur Hotep

[El Syf]

I've gone on about enough but I really would like our vampires to feel like they used to, legion of blood updates in wd went a little way towards this. They are just so meh, mind you can anyone tell me if chaos lords are any good theses days?

[El Syf]

Q3k1CwxzAiZNJAyt.pdf (warhammer-community.com)

Less points than a normal vampire lord and arguably better? Definitely has some flavour to him and relieved that he got an extra point of rend on his sword. Preorder confirmed for me.  

[LeonBox]

2 hours ago, El Syf said:

Q3k1CwxzAiZNJAyt.pdf (warhammer-community.com)

Less points than a normal vampire lord and arguably better? Definitely has some flavour to him and relieved that he got an extra point of rend on his sword. Preorder confirmed for me.  

Also his mortal wound ability is amazing. Mid-range characters that would usually be impossible to chew through (Eltharion springs to mind) are eminently killable if you Finest Hour and all-out-attack Cado. 

[Gothmaug]

This image is from the Warhammer community site today.

 

Check out his version of the hunger. The amount he heals is equal to his damage output that turn! Also he has the Vampire Lord keyword. And he's a foot hero. DOes that mean he benefits from the Legion of Blood's buff to unmounted Vampire lords? Or does it have to say Vampire Lord in the Unit Name? Its probably the latter. But he's still a solid character, and I really like the miniature sculpt. Hey GW, if you ever read these forums, was it that hard to make a warscroll for a unique sculpt? Could you step it up and make one for Anasta Malkorian? 

 

His spell flexibility is nice too. 

 

[El Syf]

The vampire in the last underworlds warband had this version of the hunger too. Hopefully version 2 battletome has this across the board. Vhordrai would be don.

[Boar]

9 minutes ago, Gothmaug said:

DOes that mean he benefits from the Legion of Blood's buff to unmounted Vampire lords? Or does it have to say Vampire Lord in the Unit Name?

Regardless he cannot have subfaction keyword, first paragraph of warscroll