BaylorCorvette

I've said multiple times that I love what GW has been doing with the 1 in 4 units can be from X. How cool would it be if 1 in 4 units can be Freeguild Guard units and gain the appropriate keywords along with something like "Thrall." Narratively this would represent mortals under the control/influence of Vampires. Game play it opens up options to more things if you want them, including ranged units like Freegild Handgunners or Grossbowmen. I just have this image in my mind of all these mortals in Shyish that are under the influence of a strong Vampire Lord and are fighting along side. But also from the Black Library novels we know that mortals in Shysh do fight for Nagash, so it would be cool to see that represented in some way.

As for what else I think is in the Gravelords line up that we haven't seen, I think Dire Wolves are a safe bet, possibly a new Necromancer model. I don't think there will be any other Cavalry (except for possibly a Hero, would love a Vampire Lord / Blood Knight Hero on Horse). I am hoping for a infantry Vampire unit similar to the Vykos Blood-born. Also a larger more elite unit open too, be it a giant golem type of creature or Vargskyr type. Oh also a center piece model, possible a Vampire Lord (or named Vampire) on Abyssal Terror or something? I don't think for another couple of weeks. Last one came at around two weeks ago I think. Looking better and better for Gravelords on Monday!

I'm in the camp that thinks we will be seeing some Gravelords related news next Monday. Both banners very clearly show blood dripping from the dragons mouth.

I WISH. But at best I think we just get a reveal of the full Gravelords line up with MAYBE some rules.

yeah, my guess is Saturday surprise is AoS 3.0 and next Monday is Gravelords and/or Kragnos information.

So looks like we might be getting more info one week from today. Looks like a Blood Dragon banner, yeah? Also before anyone says anything about how it should be a red banner, there is actually a red banner with the same symbol too, just gotta squint to see it. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2021/04/26/warhammer-fest-online-is-next-week-and-its-going-to-be-big/

1 in 4 units in Living City can be Sylvaneth. Could you take the "Outcasts" battalion (3 units of Spite-Revenants) provided that you have at least 12 units in your list, so that you can have 3 Sylvaneth units. Or would this automatically make them allies?

Only missing some mortal wound dmg. Maybe that is a sub allegiance, lol.

haha I wish! Although this would be a 300+ point unit prob

I think the ability to run a nearly all Vampire list would be awesome. However, I agree that Blood Knights should be very elite and hard as nails. However their points should reflect that. As you mentioned BK's are very strong and martial warriors. There could be lesser Vampire units, such as the Vyrkos Blood-born that would be significantly weaker than Blood Knights but still fill other less elite rolls in the army while allowing an all Vampire list. I haven't purchased any of the BR Books, and have just read and/or watched summaries online. However I somehow missed that all(?) of the Mortarchs lost their Dread Abyssal. If true, then this can further support a new Mortarch kit. After what happened to Arkhan in BR Teclis, I thought that it may lay the foundation for a new Arkhan model since he is more or less an OBR model now. However the problem with that theory is that all three Mortarchs in LoN currently share the same kit so I dismissed that as a possibility. However, if all the Dread Abyssals were destroyed then GW could use this as an opportunity to come out with a new Arkhan model where he is maybe an OBR style construct and then Neferata and Mannfred get their own kit with perhaps a more Zombie Dragon style mount? If I had to put money on it, I am still going to say that the three Mortarch's do not get new kits and the mounts being destroyed is just more of a lore thing in the BR books.

Correct. On the WH AoS app, the Soulblight section has been there for over a week now with the Cursed City models. Them being usable in Gravelords should not come as a surprise to anyone IMO.

Agreed, that is a REAL shame of losing that battalion. I certainly hope it sticks around but I am betting Generals Handbook 2021 will eliminate it, or possibly an FAQ.

so until GW says otherwise the Dolorous Guard battalion is still a thing, right?

I agree 100%, just depends on if we get the bin or sin rule writer for our book, lol...

This isn't a thing. I was suggesting that it SHOULD be though, to highlight the eliteness of Blood Knights.

Funny you should say that. Because the (old) Chaos Knights made a fantastic foundation for my "Khorne Vampire Knights" (proxy for Chaos Knights in my Khorne Vampire army). Now I have to decide if I am going to get the new Blood Knights or use these guys.... What am I saying, of course I'll buy the new Blood Knights, they're beautiful. However I do love these guys too.

I think what I suggested would go a long way. Making the unit leader able to issue Command Abilities and also generate the deathless aura. Then give them retreat and still charge OR dual weapons, allowing them to be effective on both the charge and in combat. I think this would depict pretty well how elite the Blood Knights are. I just hope we don't get a boring watered down Cavalry warscroll for them.

Unfortunately I do not think we are going to get a special Vampire Lord on Zombie Dragon model other than what we have right now that can be Prince Vhordrai. If we get a special center piece model I suspect it would be something else.

I too would love to see a Vampire foot unit of some sort. My dream would be the equivalent of Blood Knights on foot, elite and heavily armored. However, I would also accept a lightly armored more hit and run unit similar to that of the blood borne.

So it would appear the Blood Knights have your traditional lances that are good on the charge and poop when you're stuck in combat or swords that don't care whether or not you charged. I reaaaaaally hope that the Blood Knights have some cool unique warscroll abilities and they just aren't "Vampire Cavalry." I actually really like their attack profile right now, where the only difference between charging and not charging is 1 dmg vs D3, but the rend stays the same. It differentiates nicely compared to most cavalry that are either all about the charge or don't care either way. I would love to see a retreat and still charge, or even a run and still charge. Maybe bump them up to 4 wounds per model and have the unit leader act kind of like Hekatos, where it can issue command abilities and generate the deathless aura. Another cool ability and maybe what @Raptor_Jesues was alluding to is if the Blood Knights had BOTH lances and swords. Meaning they get one weapon profile on the charge and another weapon profile if they are "stuck" in combat. I would absolutely love that. It gives huge flexibility and I can just picture it now, a large unit of Blood Knights crashing into enemy lines, lances smashing the enemy then the Vampire drops the lance and draws a sword and hacks down even more enemies as they ride through the enemy unit.

So it would appear the Blood Knights have your traditional lances that are good on the charge and poop when you're stuck in combat or swords that don't care whether or not you charged. I reaaaaaally hope that the Blood Knights have some cool unique warscroll abilities and they just aren't "Vampire Cavalry." I actually really like their attack profile right now, where the only difference between charging and not charging is 1 dmg vs D3, but the rend stays the same. It differentiates nicely compared to most cavalry that are either all about the charge or don't care either way. I would love to see a retreat and still charge, or even a run and still charge. Maybe bump them up to 4 wounds per model and have the unit leader act kind of like Hekatos, where it can issue command abilities and generate the deathless aura.

I'm with you, I hope there is an actual narrative tie in with Soulblight Gravelords as it relates to the Broken Realms narrative we have. I am going to be super disappointed if in between BR Books or at the end of the BR Narrative, GW is just like "oh yeah and here is the Gravelords book, have fun." My hope is that GW ties in the fact that Nagash just got his a$$ kicked and perhaps as he is resting / recuperating the Soulblight take advantage of the slack in their leash and fill the power void. I think there is a lot of potential with the BR series & Gravelords. Lets just hope GW follows through.

The only thing I don't like is that more and more things in AoS are getting mortals on unmodified 6s To Hit, making minus to hit less important. Yes a minus to hit will still impact things, and a lot on the older armies. But If I charge in with a unit of semi elite Cavalry into a medium sized unit of LRL Archers I might get reduced in strength significantly. I guess I'm just VERY apprehensive of charge reactions. Like others mentioned, this is only going to hurt melee armies more. Now if there was some sort of shooting reactions too, then I would feel a bit better.

Yeah yeah specific character / set of characters is a great example of it as well. To be honest, I really like that take on Skeletons as opposed to them just being mindless reanimated bones.

I said this in the Rumor Thread but I think warrants a post here. With the Witch Hunters confirmed it Kragnos, I wonder if Gravelords will have a tie in to BR Kragnos too, being released in parallel or shortly there after? I have to believe there is no way that the Witch Hunters do NOT have anything to do with Gravelords.. Also, to those saying that Skeletons are just mindless pawns, that really isn't true in AoS. If you read some of the novels, specifically Neferata: The Dominion of Bones, the Skeletons retain a lot of their memories and personality from life. Now Zombies on the other hand, yeah they're more your traditional mindless undead thrall/servant.