Some rumours on Vampire Counts (official pics added to first post)

Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:

No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.

If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

**Aerethan**

I don't want to wait another month! I need them NOW!!!

I know what I'm getting for my birthday in February now though.

**Lockark**

Kroothawk wrote:
BramGaunt wrote:New White Dwarf is out on january 7th all around the world.
(...)
I think in this case, as strange as it is, WD and the rest will be released at the same day. Otherwise, yes, january 14th for everything undead =)

So Vampire release 14th January ... I guess.

huh.... That's REALY close.
o.o

**The CF**

Yeah, that's really close. Like, close enough for leaks...
WHERE ARE MY LEAKS!? I NEED THEM NOW TO STILL MY ADDICTION.
Ah, I can barely wait.

**Experiment 626**

Maybe some birdies will start singing after Christmas?! (we can hope)
I think part of the reason for the lack of anything at all is just the general timing of Xmas. The rumor mongers have better things to do during this time of year, like eating vast quantities of turkey!

Warseer seems to be of the mind set that we might start seeing some leaked WD photos shortly after Christmas, so there's that to look forward to in the meantime at least.

**The CF**

Well, that's true. If I had leaks or something by this time of year, I would release it close to christmas as a christmas present!

**Sasori**

Well, we started getting pictures for the Necron Release, on the 17th (I think) of October, so perhaps in a Week or so, we'll start seeing the VC leaks from White Dwarf.

**The Decapitator**

As far as I can tell GW have stopped sending VC Batallions to their stores in the orders to replenish what is sold. I know of a couple of stores in the UK that haven't been sent them in their delivery despite being sold out for weeks.

Whether this means the contents is changing or the box is just being redesigned is not clear.

**-Loki-**

My guess is the Battalion will be repacked to showcase a new unit.

Wild speculation - zombies and skeletons are pretty central to the main imagery they have for Vampire Counts, so they will either drop the Ghouls or Corpse Cart and include one of the new dual kits, either the Black Knights/Wraith rider kit or the walking/winged monstrous infantry kit. Depending on the cost of those kits, both Ghouls and Corpse Cart might get dropped.

**Experiment 626**

-Loki- wrote:My guess is the Battalion will be repacked to showcase a new unit.

Wild speculation - zombies and skeletons are pretty central to the main imagery they have for Vampire Counts, so they will either drop the Ghouls or Corpse Cart and include one of the new dual kits, either the Black Knights/Wraith rider kit or the walking/winged monstrous infantry kit. Depending on the cost of those kits, both Ghouls and Corpse Cart might get dropped.

At the very least, GW are pulling/not re-stocking the current battalion as the artwork will be changing to match the new army book cover, (so Little Timmy's parents/family can match the pcitures up), and they might also change the product code as well. (a given if the contents end up changing in any way)

Would be nice to get the new cav in there as an added bonus in place of the ghouls/CC though!

Most importantly though, I want our army to regain some freaking internal balance! It would be nice to expand on the required 25%+ ghoul section of the list...

**-Loki-**

I wouldn't be surprised if skeletons and zombies dropped in points. I can't see crumble changing, since Unstable is in the rulebook as a USR., so cheaper skeletons and zombies makes sense.

Ghouls, there was a rumour that they'd go to 10 points per model. That's getting pretty expensive, 300+ points for a block of 30 and a Ghast.

**DarkStarSabre**

-Loki- wrote:
Ghouls, there was a rumour that they'd go to 10 points per model. That's getting pretty expensive, 300+ points for a block of 30 and a Ghast.

Expensive but possibly necessary. Right now they're absolutely disgusting with multiple poisoned attacks and good toughness as well as being significantly cheaper than the only really comparable unit that fills much the same role - Witch Elves.

The fact that every VC army I've come across since 8th edition has 2 Ghoul hordes in it as standard says something about the unit's effectiveness. It is possible to be too effective. I will admit. As a DE player I feel ashamed of using a Hydra. As a Lizard player I feel absolutely diabolical using a Slann (then I look at what 8th edition did to Stegadons and to the comparative points/abilities of Kroxigor when compared to Ogres, Minotaurs, Trolls and Rat Ogres and I don't feel that bad....).

**Experiment 626**

DarkStarSabre wrote:
-Loki- wrote:
Ghouls, there was a rumour that they'd go to 10 points per model. That's getting pretty expensive, 300+ points for a block of 30 and a Ghast.

Expensive but possibly necessary. Right now they're absolutely disgusting with multiple poisoned attacks and good toughness as well as being significantly cheaper than the only really comparable unit that fills much the same role - Witch Elves.

The fact that every VC army I've come across since 8th edition has 2 Ghoul hordes in it as standard says something about the unit's effectiveness. It is possible to be too effective. I will admit. As a DE player I feel ashamed of using a Hydra. As a Lizard player I feel absolutely diabolical using a Slann (then I look at what 8th edition did to Stegadons and to the comparative points/abilities of Kroxigor when compared to Ogres, Minotaurs, Trolls and Rat Ogres and I don't feel that bad....).

Ghouls are pretty balanced for their cost. They seem so 'broken' because they're the only option we have in our 25% required 'crap' section that can actually kill gak! 8th ed combat is all about inflicting mass damage, ghouls can do that! Keep in mind, they're only S3 and have no armour to add to their resilience. So sure, they seem very powerfull against blocks of other 'basic' core like I3/T3/5+ save troops, but against armoured targets, they tend to bounce. Alot!
If chaos gets the likes of 5pts maruaders w/great weapons, or dark elves get 'citizen levy' cheap spearmen, VC's should keep our ghouls! Now if GW is planning to curb those options when those books get their re-do, then fine, riegn in the ghouls.

Most of us VC players would be over joyed to use skeletons & zombies instead of ghoul-spam, but why should we bother when those other choices are so badly gimped by being at least twice what they should cost, AND requiring alot of additional investment like augment spells/characters to make them viable?!

Personally, I think it was a big mistake to give us ranked ghouls in the first place. They should go back to being skirmishers as it adds another viable element our army is depressingly lacking; a manouverable missile screen that can survive more than 10-20 arrows! (dire wolves suck at screening & fell bats are way too expensive for such a tactic...)

Anyways, hopefully by Monday we'll start seeing a few more rumors about the new book?!!

I'm hoping we keep our ability to re-cast spells as that's been a staple of necromancy since 4th or 5th edition!

**-Loki-**

Harry cleared a few things up in the Warseer thread, but I'm at work now so I can't quote him.

Basically, the Coven Throne and Mortis Engine aren't bloodline specific, it just ended up sounding that way when he said they looked Lahmian and Necrarch.

The Wraith riders might have been a mis-hearing. European translation is 'Dark Riders', which could just be Black Knights, so while the cavalry kit is a dual kit, exactly what it is a dual kit of is up in the air again.

**Kroothawk**

Harry wrote:So what's new? Thats not in the first post?
I think it has most stuff.

Dual cavalry kit. (I hear "wraith riders" but i heard it from europe and my understanding is that the translation is black riders so I honestly have no idea what is in this kit. )
Dual Monsterous infantry kit. (Ogre size undead monstrocity (Can't be much more specific) with option to make flying undead monstrosity)
Dual 'wagon' kit (Mortis Engine or Coven Thrown ... These seem to have become very tied to bloodlines ... which I am not sure they are ... partially my fault for describing the coven thrown as a laminan passion wagon. I do not know how to describe them to you and have no idea how they are represented in the rules or if they have any connection to specific bloodlines. (As far as I know this is all just wishlisting and guesswork).

On individual minis and characters I have haerd a few (less solid) scraps of info:

I have heard about Krell but whilst there has been lots of talk about Kemmler ON HERE, I have heard nothing about him anywhere else. So as far as I know this is just wishlisting too.

I have heard about a plastic Wight King from a couple pf places. Now this could be the same mini (Krell) but I assumed Krell would be finecast. So I suspect there might also be a Wight King amongst the one piece plastics for release in January.

I heard about Isabella von Carstein too. (IMy understanding was this was a mini as well as a return to the book) I also heard about a female vampire early on. Not sure if these are the same mini or different ones but I suspect different. Again I wouldn't be surprised if we got Isabella in finecast and a generic female vampire in plastic.
(...)
Krell is defo a new mini and looks suitably hard. My understanding is that Isabella is a new mini too. But I heard less detail so less confident.

Frgt/10 wrote:I was told a brand new Krell model; not sure on Izzi
I was told 'wraith riders' along with black knights for the dual kit.
Sounds like a fairly definitive description to me.

**Xeriapt**

Hooray for VC re-release, havent played mine in maybe a year or so. I might actually get back into fantasy.

Would be cool if there was a plastic kit to do your vampires, similar to how you can buy high elf mages and such.

New zombie models would be good also, Id love to add to my zombie horde, I only have about 120, need more lol.

Some very cool sounding stuff overall, heres hoping for some leaks.

**LazzurusMan**

I really am looking forward to the release, I have tried using VC many times and only won 1 game using mainly skeletons and zombies...and that was against a black powder only army of empire.

They seriously need to make skellies and zombies cheaper or better.

+1 S/T for zombies, either that or a rule similar to necrons where they continue to crawl after you with no legs etc.

Skellies need to be cheaper if they are to stay at the same stats, if not, then at least +1 T. They are undead for gak sake, they feel less pain than worshippers of nurgle, yet die way too easily.

Just my thoughts. Would be awesome if I was somehow correct XD

**His Master's Voice**

The only thing I need from GW in terms of undead are new skeletal steeds. The current ones are dreadful, and not in a good way, and I don't have the time to sculpt and cast my own. Not to mention having them in plastic (or at least finecast) rather than resin would be so much better due to durability.

**Xeriapt**

Yeah new skelly steeds would be nice.

Im rather attached to my Bloodknights though so I dont know if I would have room for Black knights lol.

I think skellies are fine as is, they just need to be cheaper.

**bubber**

Frgt/10 wrote:I was told 'wraith riders' along with black knights for the dual kit.

Will there be 9 of them with the option of the unit champion riding a dragon-like creature 'cause that sort of rings a few bells.....

Have given up playing WFB since the latest ed as you can't field a balanced-looking army (which is generaly how I collect armies).
Zombies esp need fixing - with every unit being able to turn now after wiping out a unit, you can't even use them to lead the opposition on a merry dance!
I'm not a very good player & even I have loads of mantic ghouls now - that's how broken VC are now.
I want to be able to field a 20-strong unit of cavalry too! Pref blood knights, but that'll never happen.

**TBD**

Harry wrote:

Dual 'wagon' kit (Mortis Engine or Coven Thrown ... These seem to have become very tied to bloodlines ... which I am not sure they are ... partially my fault for describing the coven thrown as a laminan passion wagon

Thrown?

Maybe this is a wagon with an undead giant on it that throws vampires around then

**Xeriapt**

How did you know? Are there pics!!?!!

**LazzurusMan**

Aerethan wrote:I don't want to wait another month! I need them NOW!!!

I know what I'm getting for my birthday in February now though.

My 18 birthday is in feb, if I don't get new VC from at least 1 of my warhammer buddies at my local Gaming club I will not be amused.

Unless the new VC don't come out in jan...then all will be broken and confused for longer than we want :(

**Experiment 626**

LazzurusMan wrote:
Aerethan wrote:I don't want to wait another month! I need them NOW!!!

I know what I'm getting for my birthday in February now though.

...Unless the new VC don't come out in jan...then all will be broken and confused for longer than we want :(

Except the masses will still scream VC are stupidly OP, a top tier army and need to be nerfed by having ghouls & grave guard removed, magic to be limited to lore of fire & all vampire stats to be reduced to 3's across the board.

**Hellstorm**

Pics are up on Warseer. Page 86 and 87.

Wow they are amazing!

release date is the 14th of January!

**ChiliPowderKeg**

Thanks for the link Hellstorm. Now picture time.

**His Master's Voice**

Ghnghhhhgnhhhyyy....

Sorry, was kinda preoccupied for a moment there.

Those skeletal horsemen are so getting pre-ordered the moment they hit the store front.

And the Morits Engine? Hgnhhhghnnn....

Holy gak, it appears the barding on the steeds is optional. Hells yeah.

**kenshin620**

SO MANY SKULLS!

Oh wait, thats the point I suppose

Finally some reasonably priced cavalry, ethereal options to boot!

And wow, that engine thing is huge

**Experiment 626**

Woot! Book is writen by Phil Kelly - so already things are looking up! (we won't be Crud, and no OTT fanboy background...)

Our lore attribute according to warseer is that when a spell is succefully cast, the casting wizard or another model within 12" regains a wound. TK's I think will be jealous, though I'm also taking this as a sign that the Blood Drinker is gone, or else could perhaps belong only to Vlad now.

**kenshin620**

Experiment 626 wrote:Woot! Book is writen by Phil Kelly - so already things are looking up! (we won't be Crud, and no OTT fanboy background...)

Meh the latter doesnt really apply to Fantasy anyways, cant really remember the last time there was any super biased fluff unless I'm a bit ignorant. Even Ward's stuff wasnt anything too special (actually a bit boring imo)

**Scottywan82**

Actually kind of disappointed. The black knights and hexwraiths especially are fairly lame compared to other undead figures.

Any word on plastic single figures?