Nightseer2012

Start collecting Deathrattle, where the only thing you really “want” right now is the Grave Guard? I love the mounted Wight King model, but man Wight Kings and Black Knights got hit sooo hard.

Yes. Specifically in Vyrkos, Dire Wolves are thematically some of the best, because you can get them to 3+/2+ on a charge when they are with a Vyrkos Vampire. Belladamma is going to do some serious work in Vyrkos lists.

It is honestly a real shame the Cursed City Vyrkos Bloodborn got nerfed immediately in the Battletome, along with CC Radukar the Wolf, and CC Vargskyr. I would almost want to make the hero ball work, but even in a Vyrkos Dynasty list, less than half the models in the hero ball even benefit from being in a Vyrkos list.

Oh, just noticed on Neferata, her Hunger is replaced with Mortarch of Blood. Heals D6 instead of D3 when she kills in combat. Helps her survivability a lot.

Final wishlist for an uncertain future... I hope the White Dwarf lets us make our own Vengorian Lord.

Right? I am settling at "will try to just grit my teeth through it and hope that 3.0 balances a little of the jank out". Ordered the book, dice, Lauka Vai, and the White Dwarf. I will probably give it a few weeks of people playing with the book before I fill in anymore, because my undead armies are "ok" as is. The only things I may get in the future are Belladama (I love her model, even if I don't use it), and some Blood Knights whenever they restock, because again, just beautiful models.

Finally can look at Neferata's warscroll. Her dagger can assassinate heroes sometimes, could be really good for big monster heroes with low saves, since it is only rend -1. At least she is a 2 cast, 3+ save wizard with a good spell and CA. Feels like a strong duelist escort to whatever your general is, handing out -1 to hits, ethereal+, and debuffs from the Deathmages lore.

It is possible, it just definitely hurts to be the transitional battletome.

What about a Vrykos Vengorian Lord w/ Driven by Deathsteanch? Deep strike the Gravegaurd, move up to support with Vengorian general w/ DbDs, both the Grave Guard and the Vengorian Lord get a reroll on charges?

So far it feels like in a vanilla army... one squad of 30 skeletons unsupported babysitting a home objective. Than other battlelines are... Dire Wolves? You want them moving forward to harass and steal other objectives while your heroes do literally ALL the work, lol. My three leanings of lists are either... -Legion of Blood for the Neferata + VLoZD w/Soulbound Garments= unrendable 2+ armor save monster -Avengorii Lauka + Vengorian Lord w/Perfect Plate = Hard to rend/wound Buffed Monster Mash -Vyrkos Belladama wolf spam (wondering if Deathsteanch Drove is worth writing a list for until it dissapears in AoS 3.0)

Did they not get the rules for Neferata either? I don't see her in there anywhere. Kind of sad that Vyrkos sounds like a ton more one-use items. It seems odd to me, they mention how much certain rules improve, but make no effort to mention the limitations on some of the rules they are lauding. Not talking about how Invigorating Aura doesn't stack, for instance (and is really bad in an army of lvl 1 wizards), or that they limited the use of Deathly Invocation (previously IoN) to ONCE per turn, and made the range smaller on TOP of making it wholly within the smaller range. Or talking about how Endless Legions. They say it is awesome to not need your general, because now you can just summon up your unit anywhere. Sure... I am so excited to MAYBE summon 15 skeletons that my opponent already obliterated once, but now out of position, and at the END of my turn. What a joke review.

Anvil of Apotheosis rules introduced in the 2020 General's Handbook allow you to make your own customized heroes for most factions, using a points system. These characters are even allowed in Matched Play if your opponent or Tournament Planner allows it. Several White Dwarf magazines have been adding new updates to that creation system, and the next magazine is supposed to contain updated rules for creating new Soulblight Vampires, Necromancers, and White Kings.

Funny, yet somewhat retroactively depressing thought occurs. The next White Dwarf Magazine is supposed to have updated Anvil of Death rules for Soulblight in it. Everybody remember to come back here and post your "better than in our battletome" Vampire Lords once the Anvil of Death is available.

The Vengorian Lord is not a named character. I shouldn't have used so many pronouns, the Vengorian is who I was referring too. My bad.

I also like that he has a unique difference to the VLoZD. All of his attacks on his profile are HIS attacks, he technically isn't mounted on anything so traits will effect his whole profile.

Hm, looking through the Realms of Battle Items for Avengorii lords (because Avengorii artifacts are garbage), and the Chamonic Plate of Perfect Protection could be fun on a Vengorian Lord. Plate of Perfect Protection - If an attack that targets the wearer has a rend of -1, change the rend of the attack characteristic to "-". Stack this with the Vengorian's Nightmare Miasma, your negating a lot of rend -2 attacks, keeping a healthy +3 save. Depends on your opponents amount of rend, but seriously, the Avengorii items are so bad, so I am just looking for more useful items, lol. Aqshy's Incandescent Rageblade is another standout (one profile's attacks explode on 6's).

Anyone have eyes on what the "Legion of Shyish" battalion looks like? I am going to assume it is one of those super mega battalions of 1-2 of all the other battalions, that no one will ever take because it would be like 4000 points, but I was curious because it was only 60 points by itself. Also, hoping the skittles have a decent warscroll. It doesn't need to be amazing, just plz be *enough*.

I like Belladama Volka. Between "Under the Killing Moon", "Pack Alpha", and being Vyrkos, she can get the humble Dire Wolves do do some serious work, especially on the charge. Radukar the Beast has obvious synergy with summoning more wolves, and giving units more attacks. And the Deathstench Drove actually isn't bad in Vyrkos, I could just use some help figuring out how to speed up the corpse carts. Soulscream Bridge? Helps with mobility, and adds more -1 bravery our army, idk.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH.... WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS BOOK. IT IS SO JANKY. Gah.... trying so hard...

If it works the same way as in Legion of Nagash, Locus of Shyish allows you to target a different unit when "resolving" the spell a second time, so Pinions on different units is actually nice, Soul Spike is meh, but on two different units "could" be something.

Ok... pushing positive mental attitude and diving for fun combinations... ummm... Realm of Fire's Incandesent Rageblade (Artifiact: 6's to hit explode into 2 attacks, make wound rolls and saves for each) Legion of Blood's Walking Death (Trait: 6's to Wound cause mortal wounds = to weapons damage instead of normal) on a Vengorian Lord (Who is not forcibly tied to the Avengorii Bloodline apparently) . The the Rageblade onto his claws, possibility for multiple exploding mortal wounds on a D6? Nice thing about the Vengorian Lord, all of those attacks count as the Vampire (not a mounted monster like the VLoZD). Idk, I am just trying to make fun our of random at this point, lol.

Sorry, I just caught my own error, it is inly HERO vampires that hand out the aura.

Totally a random weird observation. In the Vyrkos Dynasty, if you take the Ulfenkarn hero ball, Radukar *the Wolf* gets re rolls to cast. Watch Captain Halgrim, The Kosargi Nightgaurd, and Gorslav the Gravekeeper all wound on 2+ when near a Vyrkos vampire. Radukar, the Vargskyr, and the Bloodborn all are vampires who can count for handing out the "+1 to wound on Deadwalkers and Deathrattle" rule. It stinks you can't take them separately, it really does, totally on board there, ...but I am in fact tempted to see what would happen if you take them anyway in a Vyrkos list.

The fact that ANY vampire isn't also a wizard hurts my brain, after your know... ALL of history tells us vampires are natural wizards.