Warhammer - Vampire Counts 1.7 out now!

This ended up being a much larger patch than I had initially planned, but hopefully it will be worth it. There are not that many huge changes but rather many small ones, mainly tweaking the cost and rules for some magic items and Vampiric Powers, and a few buffs for the Lore of Necromancy. Enjoy, and many thanks to my Patreon supporters as always!

 

Patch notes:

• Characters belonging to one Bloodline may not join units belonging to another Bloodline, nor may two characters from different Bloodlines join the same unit.
• The Red Thirst: Roll a D6 at the end of each Close Combat phase in which one or more models was slain by a Vampire with this special rule. For each 5+ rolled, the Vampire recovers a single Wound lost earlier in the battle.
• Deathly Cabal is an augment spell with a range of 18". Until the start of the caster's next Magic phase, the target gains a 5+ Ward save against non-magical attacks and the Terror special rule.
• Skeleton Horsemen do not have light lances by default. Cost 8 pts. Can replace shields with bows for free. Light armour cost 1 pt.
• Crypt Ghouls may upgrade to skirmishers for free.
• Sylvanian levy may not take shields.
• Dire Wolves are Unit Size 10+.
• Heavy armour for Grave Guard cost 1.5 pts.
• Varghulfs and Mournguls are Special Units.
• Skeleton Catapult crew may take light armour.
• Master of the Black Arts: A player using a model with the Master of the Black Arts power can re-roll the result when it is determining the strength of the Winds of Magic in each of your Magic phases. Costs 25 pts.
• Blood Knights costs 36 points.
• Increased cost of polearms and shields for skeleton warriors.
• Increased the cost of great weapons.
• Invocation of Nehek: Core Units gain 2D6 Wounds; Special Units (except Cavalry) gain D6 Wounds. Characters, Special Units that are Cavalry and Rare Units regain D3 Wounds per successful casting.
• When a spell from the Lore of Necromancy is successfully cast, one Undead unit within 6" of the caster regains 1 Wound (Core Units regain D3 Wounds) following the rules for Invocation of Nehek.
• Fixed bug with Wight Kings having option for Nightmare instead of Skeleton Steed.
• Fixed bug with Neferata missing Shadowblood. Is now an innate bound spell.
• Belladamma Volga's unique spells are innate bound spells.
• Blood Knights can take a Magic Standard up to 75 pts.
• Kurdoss Valentian has a Line of Sight value of 2 and a Unit Strength of 3.
• Ushoran is a Monstrous Creature. Costs 560 pts.
• Cado Ezechiar is a Lahmian.
• Blood Knights are no longer Blood Dragons.
• Wellspring of Dark Magic costs 50 pts.
• Dark Acolyte: The model adds +1 to the number of Wounds healed (Core Units regain +D3 Wounds) whenever it successfully casts Invocation of Nehek.
• Warrior Pride: The model can re-roll failed armour save results of 1. Cost 20 pts.
• Hunter in the Dark is a generic Vampire Power.
• Domination: All enemy units in base contact with this model suffer -1 to their Weapon Skill.
• Frostblade: The wielder gains the Ice Attacks and Multiple Wounds (D6) special rules. Costs 60 pts.
• Reaper of Sorrows: All attacks with this weapon automatically Wound and have the Ignores Armour saves special rule. Costs 25 pts.
• The Flayed Hauberk: Model on foot only. Heavy armour. This item gives the wearer a 1+ armour save that cannot be improved by any means.
• Armour of Night is Von Carstein model on foot only.
• Nightshroud is Infantry or Cavalry only.
• Cloak of the Waxing Moon costs 20 pts.
• Gem of Blood ignores all saves.
• The Dermal Robe costs 70 pts.
• Sceptre De Noirot: The bearer of this item may re-roll one dice of their choice when determining the number of Zombies or Skeletons raised with the Invocation of Nehek and Raise Dead spells from the Lore of Necromancy.
• Staff of Damnation costs 35 pts.
• The Book of Arkan costs 35 pts. Is power level 3.
• Amulet of Screams costs 20 pts.
• Midnight Tome costs 20 pts.
• Dreadbolt Ring: For each unsaved Wound the bearer of this item inflicts in close combat, one enemy unit in base contact suffer D3 Strength 3 Attacks with the Flaming Attacks special rule after they have resolved their normal attacks.
• Casket of the Ages: If the Wound is not saved, the victim must pass a Toughness test or suffer an additional Wound with no saves allowed.
• Saccharine Goblet: For each of their Attacks that does not inflict an unsaved Wound, they must pass a Toughness test or suffer one Wound with no saves allowed at the end of the combat (before Break tests are taken).
• Grave-sand Shard: Once used, it automatically restores Wounds to any unit they are with following the rules for Invocation of Nehek from the Lore of Necromancy.
• Billious Decanter: Ghoul or Strigoi only. The bearer gains the Frenzy special rule and +1 Attack for the remainder of the game. However, they will automatically fail any Berserk Rage tests and must always Pursue.
• Shard of Night is an Enchanted Item: Vampire only. One use only. This item may be used at the start of any round of Close Combat. When it is, the bearer suffers 1 Wound with no saves allowed. In exchange, they gain +2 Strength for the duration of this round of close combat. Costs 5 pts.
• Flayed Pennant is Strigoi or Ghoul only.
• Royal Standard of Strigos is Strigoi or Ghoul only.
• New Magic Standard: Infernal Standard. Wight King with Battle Standard only. The model carrying this standard increases the range of the Battle Standard to 18". Costs 25 pts.
• New Magic Standard: Icon Of Vengeance: Any Undead model in the unit carrying this standard that is slain in close combat may immediately make an additional Attack, even if they have already attacked this turn. Costs 20 pts.
• Banner of Hellfire: Bound Spell, power level 3. This banner contains the Flaming Sword of Rhuin spell from the Lore of Fire. It can only be cast on the unit carrying this standard. Costs 25 pts.
• Clarified that multiple banners only affect Undead and which units can carry them.
• A Strigany Mystic may only join units of Strigany or Ghouls.
• Zombies have WS1, costs 2.5 points.
• The Newly Dead: Zombie units suffer D3 more casualties than normal due to being Unstable.
• Corpse Carts costs 100 pts. The Restless Dead have WS1.
• Shrieking Charge: In any turn that a unit of Morbheg Knights successfully charge an enemy unit, roll 2D6 and add 1 for each Nightshrieker in the unit. For each point by which the result exceeds the target unit's Leadership, the target unit suffers 1 Wound which Ignores Armour Saves. Shrieking Charge is a non-physical attack and Wounds suffered from it are distributed as if from shooting. This has no effect on Animated Constructs.
• Necrofex Colossus does not have Magical Attacks.
• Black Coach has Magical Attacks.
• Evocation of Death: Immediately after the total number of power dice is determined in each player's turn, you may discard one dice from the magic pool for each Black Coach on the battlefield. Each discarded dice increases that Black Coach's abilities for the rest of the game.
• Spirit Horde has Magical Attacks.
• Scrying Pool: Bound Spell, power level 3. This is an augment spell that targets the Coven Throne. All crew (including any characters mounted on it) may re-roll all failed To Hit and To Wound rolls for the remainder of the turn.
• Battle of Wills: Included rules for artillery weapons that do not roll to hit.
• The Devils of Swartzhafen: If Mannfred von Carstein is included in your army, you may upgrade one unit of Vargheists to the Devils of Swartzhafen for +5 points per model. This unit has the Scouts and Terror special rules.
• The Chillgheists: If Reikenor is included in your army, you may upgrade one unit of Hexwraiths to the Chillgheists for +1 point per model. This unit has the Ice Attacks special rule. In addition, enemy units in base contact with them roll one dice less than normal for their flee distance.
• The Konigstein Stalkers: If Helman Ghorst is included in your army, you may upgrade one unit of Skeleton Warriors to the Konigstein Stalkers for +1 point per model. This unit has the Poisoned Attacks special rule.
• Drakenhof Guard: If Mannfred von Carstein is included in your army, you may upgrade one unit of Grave Guard to the Drakenhof Guard for +1 point per model. This unit ignores casualties caused by being Unstable.
• If I Cannot Rule, None Shall Rule! The enemy Army General cannot make use of their Inspiring Presence rule while they are within 12" of Kurdoss Valentian.
• Removed Ring of the Night from general magic items. Moved its effect to Konrad von Carstein.
• Lady Annika has the Loner and Scouts special rules.
• Ouboroth has Poisoned Attacks. Sekhar costs 190 pts.
• The Direpack: If Belladamma Volga is included in your army, you may upgrade one unit of Dire Wolves to the Direpack for +1 point per model. This unit has the Multiple Wounds (2) special rule.
• When a spell from the Lore of Necromancy is successfully cast, all Undead units within 6" of the caster regains 1 Wound (Core Units regain D3 Wounds) following the rules for Invocation of Nehek.
• Beguile: At the beginning of the Close Combat round, after challenges have been issued and/or accepted, select a model in base contact with the Vampire. That model must take a Leadership test with a -3 modifier; if the test is failed, the Vampire may re-roll failed To Wound rolls against that model that phase.
• Fear Incarnate and Flying Horror can be taking by all Bloodlines.
• Honour or Death: After issuing or accepting a challenge with a model with this power, the enemy character must take a Leadership test. If failed, the enemy model will automatically refuse the challenge following the normal rules.