If you caught yesterday’s Sunday Preview, you know that the first wave of Soulblight Gravelords is up for pre-order this weekend. We’ll be kicking the lid off the proverbial sarcophagus to take a closer look at them all week long.
Not only are the new models disturbingly tempting, but the battletome includes five vampiric bloodlines, each with its own culture and style of warfare. A few of them are getting more attention later this week, so consider this a tantalising taste.
What Do All Vampires Have in Common?
If there’s one thing you really ought to know about these vampires, it’s that they’re pretty much all exceptionally strong Wizards. Most of the vampire dynasties can ultimately trace their lineage back to Nagash,* so naturally (or is that unnaturally?) their focus is on the dark art of necromancy.
When you’re an immortal being suffused with potent death magic, learning to summon the dead is an appropriate hobby to take up – especially if you want to grow your undead horde. Soulblight Gravelords earned their name by raising massive armies of the dead to fight alongside them.
These corpses are driven by the will of the necromancer, and those closest to their vampiric lords are even harder to put back down.
Notice the mention of gravesites there? At the beginning of battles, you can designate two spots on the battlefield that mark sources of plentiful corpses.
And if all that magical might wasn’t enough, Soulblight Wizards can double-cast spells if luck is on their side.
All in all, the Soulblight Gravelords make up a resilient army that will frustrate your opponent. Let’s find out how the various legions and dynasties mix up the formula.
The Cursed Bloodlines
Each dynasty or legion of vampires has developed its own characteristics over time. Shaped by their leaders, customs, and desires, they all have their own preferred methods of warfare.
Legion of Night
The trap-layers.
Mannfred von Carstein’s endless pursuit of power has made his vampiric vassals ambitious and arrogant. The Legion of Night prefer to use hordes of the undead to slow the enemy down and act as bait, while powerful vampires sweep in to claim glory once they sense an easy kill. They’re the sneakiest of the five bloodlines – Mannfred and his dread abyssal, Ashigaroth, even have a nasty habit of leaping out of combat only to reappear somewhere else entirely.
Legion of Blood
The classy ones.
Neferata is the Mortarch of Blood. She thinks of herself as the queen of all vampires and maintains an incredibly complex network of spies. While Neferata prefers political manipulation to threats of outright violence, her Legion of Blood is no stranger to warfare.
When they do sally forth from their stronghold in Nulahmia, the Deathrattle legions march in lockstep, in a menacing display of Neferata’s ironclad will. Add the fact that the Legion of Blood can take Black Knights as battleline units, and you have a reliable core of skeletal warriors around which to build your army.If you want to showcase the dark majesty of Death, the Legion of Blood are peerless exemplars.
Kastelai Dynasty
The knightly orders.
The Kastelai are the most warlike and martial-minded of the vampire dynasties. These vampires reside in the Crimson Keep, a magical castle that has a tendency to translocate from place to place. They have a strong preference for mounted warriors, all the better for catching up to the fortress when they get left behind.
The lord of the Crimson Keep is Prince Vhordrai, the Fist of Nagash. This mighty vampire leads his knights to war from the front, or more accurately from above on his zombie dragon. The well-drilled Kastelai cavalry values feats of skill and strength in combat, and they become even stronger as the blood begins to flow.
Avengorii Dynasty
The nightmare brood.
The Avengorii are gruesome horrors that have willingly abandoned the pretence of humanity. Making their homes in underground lairs in the Realm of Beasts, they seek out the largest, most worthy brutes in Ghur to feed on. Ultimately, their armies are little more than rampaging packs of monstrous undead creatures.
Not only are the Avengorii twisted in body, but their minds also become increasingly deranged over time. Other bloodlines see them as debased, but they know they’re just a hair’s breadth away from becoming just like them.
If you like armies full of massive fiends, like the incredible Lauka Vai we recently revealed during Warhammer Fest, you can’t go wrong with the Avengorii. They’re even able to take Terrorgheists and Zombie Dragons as battleline units… feel free to imagine the look on your opponent’s face.
Vyrkos Dynasty
The wolf pack.
This unusual dynasty has developed a distinct culture. The legends say their Soulblight curse cannot be traced back to Nagash, but rather to a godbeast – which would explain the strange nature of their affliction.
Of their connection to totemic animal-spirits, chief among them is the aspect of the wolf. This connection manifests in the lupine features that can be found on their warriors and their ability to command packs of Dire Wolves.
The matriarch of the bloodline, Belladamma Volga, makes no effort to suppress her animal core, her lupine legs proudly on display. Rumour has it that her hulking mount, Rothabak, was once one of the matriarch’s ill-fated suitors – if riding to battle brandishing a scimitar atop a former beau isn’t the ultimate power move, we don’t know what is.
On the tabletop, the variety of Vyrkos Heroes, including Radukar the Beast and Belladamma Volga, all count as generals if taken in a Vyrkos army. That makes them a great option for players who like strong support from leaders and Wizards.
Check back all week for more insights into the Soulblight Gravelords. The battletome and a jaw-dropping selection of models are up for pre-order on Saturday, but in the meantime, let us know over on Facebook and Twitter which bloodline fits your dark machinations best.
* Well, most of them anyway... Also, did you know vampires are really into genealogy? Something about bloodlines just appeals to them.