Core UnitsZombies - 3 points each, these are your premier tarpit, and can't be taken in units smaller than 20. WS/I/A are 1, Ld is 2, and S/T 3; they also have Always Strikes Last in case they weren't bad enough already, and no equipment save a hand weapon (which is often just a hand). Can get a Musician or Standard (5 points each rather than the usual 10) and the Standard is worth taking, but there's no such thing as a Zombie Champion. The Newly Dead means they regain an additional D6 wounds when casting Invocation of Nehek on them and can be increased beyond their starting size. That's key. They're cheap so you can field them in massive units, won't run (thanks to being Undead), and you can boost them back up (and beyond) when they inevitably suffer losses. Field them in big units, and they can hold up single-attack units forever.
They're particularly good against those elite great weapon/halberd single attack troops, who waste all their skill and strength on a puny 3 point Zombie. Multi-attack anti-infantry units such as Witch Elves are more dangerous - they can kill dozens per round of combat and similar numbers will crumble. There are various buffs in the Lore of Vampires that can make your troops better in combat, but your Zombies will always be bad - don't expect them to kill anything, and you won't be disappointed. If your General dies, your Zombies will crumble badly.
Even if for some reason you've not got any Zombies in your army list (why not?), bring some models along in case you get the Raise The Dead spell.
Skeleton Warriors - your second choice for tarpitting, they are more expensive at 5 points each. You get an extra point of WS so are more likely to be hitting things on 4+ rather than 5+, and also of Initiative and Leadership. While they don't have Always Strikes Last, they probably will strike last anyway, and they'll still crumble badly should you lose your General. A full command group is available at a pricey 10 points each, and one unit can take a magic standard up to 25 points - The Screaming Banner is okay, though your damage dealing units will get more from it; otherwise the Banner of Swiftness or Banner of Eternal Flame could be useful - but don't feel a need to give them a banner. They have light armour and a shield for a nice 5+/6++ parry, which you will pass a surprising number of. You could give them spears for free, but that loses you the parry save that is more useful to you than an extra rank of rubbish attacks.
The Champion makes them a better choice than Zombies for a wizard bunker, as he can challenge out lone characters that try to target your wizard, and if putting a combat character like a Vampire or Wight King in the unit, the Champion can take a challenge you don't want to waste your character on. Despite the relative high cost, it's worth taking a full command on your units.
The choice between Zombies and Skeleton Warriors is most often down to personal preference - both are good and perform the same tarpit role well, and armies will usually field both. If you've got Master of the Dead on a Necromancer, they're especially worth it.
Crypt Ghouls - an offensive infantry unit, Ghouls are more expensive at 10 points each. They have WS and Initiative 3, and while still only S3, have 2 Poisoned Attacks each. They have no saves, but at least have Toughness 4. You can get a Champion for 10 points, but no other command. Leadership of 5 means they'll crumble a bit less than the others. They're a fragile unit, but good at taking out monsters, monstrous infantry and low armour infantry. They will still die in droves, so even with Invocation, most units of Ghouls don't make it to the end of the game. You can stick a Vampire of some sort in there, as there's still a Champion to take an irritating challenge, and they're similarly offensive in nature. They work well in large hordes of 30+ to ensure they reach combat in a decent state, and that they put out a massive amount of hits.
Dire Wolves - a fast moving core choice with M9 and Vanguard (though be aware they likely won't be able to march). 3s on most the rest of the stats make them mediocre, though Slavering Charge gives them S4 on the charge. You can get a Champion for 10 points... just buy another wolf, unless you're bunkering a character in them for some silly reason. Summon Creatures of the Night on a Vampire will allow you to expand the unit over its starting size. They're decent chaff and redirectors, and a speedier alternative to Spirit Hosts, allowing them to get to warmachines quicker (though Fell Bats do that better). Don't feel that you have to Vanguard them just because you can - you can keep a unit or two in reserve for late game redirecting. At 40 points a unit, it's worth bringing a couple along.
Special UnitsCorpse Cart - a 90 point chariot that's there to buff your units, not to run them down like Tomb Kings. Toughness 4 with 4 wounds, it's protected by a 5+ armour save, and Regeneration (4++), which means it has at least some resistance to (non-flaming) warmachines; however, it won't stand up long to BS shooting. Damage output is minimal, with only S4 for its impact hits, 2D6 attacks from the Zombies pulling it, and a solitary S3 attack from the wizened Corpsemaster on top - though for 1 point you can get him a spear, which is worth remembering if you have a single point left over.
Vigour Mortis is the first of your buffs - if an augment from the Lore of Vampires targets the Corpse Cart and is successfully cast, then all friendly Undead units within 6" gain Always Strikes First until the start of your next magic phase. It specifically states that Zombies lose Always Strikes Last and then gain Always Strikes First, rather than cancelling each other out - your Zombies will be hitting first in combat! You will always be taking LoV, which includes three Augments, two of which you will want to be casting whenever possible. The Corpse Cart is slow, unable to march at all as a chariot, and with a movement of just 4" - though Danse Macabre should help it keep up with your lines. Keeping one in the centre of your infantry lines, just behind the front, is well advised - and if you've got lots of blocks of footsloggers, two would be good. It's particularly useful to deny Elves their re-rolls from ASF, and can also help your troops hit before high Initiative armies like Warriors of Chaos.
Two upgrades are available - Balefire costs 15 points; enemy wizards within 24" deduct 1 from their casting rolls (this doesn't stack with multiple Corpse Carts); this helps with magical defence and is a decent choice. Unholy Lodestone is more expensive option at 30 points, but much more useful - when a friendly wizard within 6" successfully casts Invocation of Nehek, he can re-roll a single D6 for each eligible infantry unit when determining how many wounds are restored. You'll need a wizard close by, and to have several infantry units surrounding the Corpse Cart... but that should have been the case anyway. It makes Invocation much more reliable, and works well with a hero level Necromancer mounted on top.
Grave Guard - elite skeletons, they cost 11 points each with heavy armour, hand weapon & shield, or 12 to drop the shield for great weapons. They come with Killing Blow, and WS and Initiative 3, S/T 4 and Ld 6. They can take a full command group, and a magic standard up to 50 points. Grave Guard are the first of your damage dealing units, and are usually taken with great weapons to threaten high Toughness or heavily armoured units; that's not to say that the hand weapon & shield versions are bad - just you'll have several units from your Core choices already that work well at holding an opponent in place.
That said, the often ignored hand weapon & shield version do serve a use, if doing a traditional "hammer + anvil" approach with one unit holding your opponent in place, and another flank charging to do the damage. Zombies and Skeleton Warriors don't work too well as the anvil, as they will die in droves - and that negative combat resolution can result in your hammer crumbling. Grave guard with hand weapon and shield are Toughness 4, 4+/6++ parry, so are hard to kill, and have more static combat resolution than the alternative choice for this role of Crypt Horrors.
However, great weapons are the go-to option for these guys, as they give you valuable high strength attacks that are actually quite rare in your army. Grave Guard will chop through heavily armoured infantry, cavalry or monstrous creatures; however, they will die in droves so you should take them in large units. 20 is an absolute minimum (you are not an MSU army) but 30 or 40 in a horde is better; with a single attack each, anything you can do to get more is welcome. Magic banners are well advised - Banner of the Barrows is designed for Grave Guard, giving you a +1 to hit; the Screaming Banner is half the cost and a budget alternative to try to force opponents to fail their Fear tests.
Grave Guard often play host to combat characters - whether those be footslogging Vampires or a Wight King. These can add some reliability to the unit, whether it be extra kills, or a tough to kill character to handle challenges.
Black Knights - mounted Grave Guard, they start at 21 points, but should take barding (3 pts) and lances (2 pts) as upgrades. They have the same command group and magic banner allowance as Grave Guard, as well as Killing Blow. One key rule is Spectral Steeds, which means they are treated as Ethereal for the purposes of movement (so no dangerous terrain tests, and you can charge through impassable terrain if you have line of sight to your opponent) and don't suffer a movement penalty for barding. You can have great fun with this, sitting on one side of a building, holding off potentially several enemy units from approaching the other side.
I'd recommend taking them in units of 10 rather than 5; firstly, as a cavalry unit you may be away from your casters who could've resurrected your losses; secondly you have a low WS and a small number of attacks, so it's all too easy for your charge to be wasted as you fail to get the hits you expected. For this reason, I also consider it all the more important to add a magic banner and/or character to the unit to give it more reliability. The same two banners as for Grave Guard are advised; if you'd adding a character, it should be a Wight King who shares the Spectral Steeds rule - there's more in the Wight King section about how to kit them out.
There is a build known as the "Black Knight Bus" that involves a unit of around 12 Black Knights with full command, a Vampire Lord and Vampire in the front rank, and then Necromancer hero hiding in the second rank. It is extremely hard hitting, and you don't need to worry about Blood Knights' Frenzy, but you'll need a lot of chaff units (Dire Wolves most commonly) to ensure you get your charges off in the right place, and you've also got all your eggs in the one basket.
Crypt Horrors - tough monstrous infantry, costing 38 points each. With T5, 3W and 5++ Regeneration, they can take a beating, though watch out for flaming weapons and static combat resolution, as you can't get a musician/standard bearer. Their damage output is mediocre, with WS3, S4, and 3 Attacks at Initiative 2, though they are at least poisoned. Movement 6 helps you get them in position, though despite being Ghouls fed on Vampire blood, they are not Vampiric so can only march within 12" of the General, though at least you can heal more than 1 wound per casting of Invocation. Leadership is a rather poor 5 as well.
You can build an incredibly expensive death star horde of 18+ of Crypt Horrors, but you're reliant on magical buffs to get sufficient damage out of them. More normally, they're taken in a block of six (as monstrous infantry you get your full attacks from the second rank) to give you a bit more damage output and sturdiness than the minimum unit size of 3. A Mortis Engine nearby will boost their Regeneration to make them sturdier, and is a common combo. They're a decent choice but not an outstanding one.
Fell Bats - your ideal warmachine hunters. 16 points each, they Fly (obviously), have WS/S/T/I/Ld 3, and W/A 2, plus Swiftstride as war beasts. You can take them in units of just 2+ giving you lots of drops in deployment, and also making them harder to shoot down. Bear in mind that most the time they won't be marching, as they'll be away from your General. If you're playing Skaven, expect them to be grounded and crawling along at just Movement 1, so take the wolves instead then. Take a few units (more if playing warmachine heavy opponents) and annoy your opponent with them. I've seen people advocate them as a bunker for a Hellsteed-riding character, but that's an unconventional choice... plus illegal as characters can't join flying units.
Bat Swarms - these play a completely different role to Fell Bats. They're a swarm, 35 points each, and coming in units of 2+. They might have 5 Attacks, but at Weapon Skill 3 and Strength 2, it's not going to do much. They have 5 Wounds and Toughness 2. They Hover, and that 10" movement is generally enough to keep up with whatever you're pairing them with. Their Cloud of Horror rule is the key one - an enemy unit in base contact with a Bat Swarm has the Always Strikes Last rule - troll Elves by combining with a Corpse Cart to hit before them. They can be really useful to ensure you get your hits in first, but beware the combat resolution they'll give away, as they're really easy to wound. If you are playing Elves, definitely bring some to deny them their re-rolls to hit, even if just to keep your tarpits alive for longer.
Spirit Host - are great. 45 points each, and can be taken in units of 1-10; they can
really troll your opponent if they don't know what they're doing. An Ethereal swarm with M6 and 4 Wounds, one of these can single-handedly hold up an enemy unit all game. However, they die to any static combat resolution (banners, ranks etc.) and a canny opponent will always bring a magic weapon or two to deal with your Ethereals. However, it's worth bringing a few (usually in single-model units), because they are outstanding at holding up monsters, or small units with no combat resolution, and are really cheap - if your opponent wastes a character or spell hunting them down, that's relief for your units that actually matter. A larger unit can protect a flank - but avoid enemy infantry blocks.
Hexwraiths - another troll unit! Ethereal cavalry, they're pricey at 30 points each, but potentially worth it. Fast Cavalry (so Vanguard and free reforms during movement), Ethereal and Movement 8 means you can get them where you want - though again, they won't be able to march if away from the General. They can take a champion, but no other command options, and they cause Terror. Their stats may appear mediocre at first, but they pack a real punch due to their special rules.
They have a single WS3 attack at Initiative 2, with Strength boosted to 5 from their great weapons - Soul Reapers makes these close combat attacks magical and flaming, and they
ignore armour saves. Soulstriders allows them to move through unengaged units (friendly or enemy) during the remaining moves phase, so long as they end at least 1" away from another unit. Spectral Hunters is the big one - if they move through one or more unengaged enemy units in the Remaining Moves sub-phase, pick one of those units, and they take a single S5 hit per Hexwraith that passed through it, distributed as per shooting, which again are flaming, magical, and allow no armour saves! The VC FAQs boosted them further, by allowing you to cast Vanhel's Danse Macabre to move them through another enemy unit, inflicting yet more hits!
Your opponent will target them with every spell or ranged magical attack they possibly can, as otherwise these can decimate armoured units like heavy cavalry, and regenerating monsters. It can be quite hard to make use of Spectral Hunters if your opponent positions well, but Danse Macabre can help with that. Don't send them alone into big infantry blocks, as they will lose to static combat resolution. Expect your mileage to vary with Hexwraiths - one game you'll take out a pair of Hydres and a Cold One Chariot; the next they'll get splatted turn one by a Fireball. They are worth bringing regardless, as when they do well, they do
really well.
Vargheists - the other half of the Crypt Horrors kit, and the opposite to them - they're a more offensively focused glass cannon, pricier at 46 points each. Vampiric and Flying, they are your fastest unit, able to move up to 20" in a turn. However, they're Frenzied and Ld7, which means you might struggle to pass those Beserk Rage tests - some players will turn them around after their movement if not intending to charge next turn (as Flyers they're Skirmishers, so you can do this) but this is a tactic I would consider not to be fair or realistic play, and on a par with conga lines. If you're not doing that, then you'll have to be careful with their positioning, follow them around with a BSB (which hinders their movement, and the alternative of a Hellsteed-riding Vampire BSB is
not a good choice), or just accept they're crazed vampires that are going to end up in combats you don't want them in.
In terms of damage dealing, they have 3 WS/I 4 S5 attacks each, plus another from Frenzy, and can stomp. You can get a champion for an additional attack, which isn't a bad way to use up a spare 10 points. They are only Toughness 4, with 3 Wounds, with no saves of any kind, and being Vampiric can only heal one wound per casting of Invocation. They're a speedier warmachine hunter than Fell Bats, but are generally wasted on that role - instead, hit support units, flanks, low initiative monsters and so on - but watch out for big infantry blocks, or multi-attack models such as Witch Elves. I wouldn't recommend taking them in units of more than 3, unless you have a way of managing their Frenzy tests.
Rare UnitsVarghulf - 175 point medium tier monster that nonetheless makes a good hammer. It's extremely fast with M8 and Vampiric allowing it to march (though hindering what you can heal with Invocation); this allows it to reliably operate independent of your main lines, and unlike Vargheists it doesn't have Frenzy to worry about. Leadership is a terrible 4, but as it's Vampiric it'll survive the loss of your General. It's only Toughness 5 with 4 Wounds, but has Regeneration (4++) to give it some survivability against warmachines and the like.
The Varghulf has five WS/S 5 attacks, plus Thunderstomp as a monster, and benefits from Hatred (re-rolling misses in the first round of combats) to put out a decent level of damage. Bestial Fury means for purposes of combat results, a Varghulf counts as having no flanks/rear, meaning you can take risks with its positioning. It's competing with some strong choices in Rare, but is a good, relatively cheap and reliable damage dealer. Keep it clear of things it can't Thunderstomp, as that's where a good portion of your damage comes from.
Blood Knights - the best heavy cavalry in the Warhammer world, they will eat Grail Knights or Chaos Knights for breakfast. Their stats are elite, as you'd expect for 50 points each, with WS5, BS3, S5, T4, W1, I5, A2 and Ld7. They're kitted out with heavy armour, shields and barded Nightmares (S4) for a 2+ save, and lances for an outstanding S7 on the charge (3 of those attacks each thanks to Frenzy). They are Vampiric, so can operate independently of your General - however, with Frenzy and just Ld7, you are best off with either a BSB in the unit for Leadership test re-rolls or a Vampire Lord to give you Ld10; otherwise you'll be failing Beserk Rage tests and charging chaff. Frenzy will cause you problems with overruns when you inevitably win combats, so be prepared for that.
Martial Honour means that unless a friendly character of the same or higher Ld is in the same combat, a Kastellan (champion) must issue and accept challenges; for this reason you probably want to avoid bringing one or you're potentially wasting 4 S7 attacks on a mere unit champion. If there's no Kastellan, any Blood Knight can accept a challenge (though cannot issue one) which means there's no disadvantage to not taking a champion - if someone tries to challenge out your Vampire Lord in the unit, just accept with a regular Blood Knight. A Kastellan can take a magic weapon up to 25 points, but the lance is good enough unless you want the Sword of Swift Slaying for ASF to deal with some Elves or high initiative opponents like Warriors of Chaos (though if you have a Vampire Lord in the unit they'll probably have ASF anyway). You can take a musician and standard too, and the standard can either take a magic banner up to 50 points, or the 75 point Flag of Blood Keep. The Flag of Blood Keep may seem a fortune to spend on a banner, but it gives you a 4++ against ranged attacks. This is
vital as your 2+ armour save is not that good, and your unit is going to be relatively small due to its cost - you need to keep your Blood Knights alive to combat, and this will discourage your opponent from shooting you (feel free to reveal it straight away). If for some reason you're not taking that banner, Gleaming Pennant is good for re-rolling your first failed Frenzy test (if no BSB/General) or Banner of Eternal Flame to
really make sure you put down those regenerating monsters.
Blood Knights are hard to use due to Frenzy and Vampiric (only healing one wound per casting of Invocation) but when used correctly are one of the most devastating units in the game. They will smash anything that is heavily armoured or high Toughness; cavalry, monsters, monstrous cavalry and so on. Be particularly careful against armies or units that might strike before or at the same time as you, as every loss hurts - this is one of the occasions when Lore of Shadows would be advisable over LoV, as Miasma will lower your opponent's Initiative. Similarly, Nightshroud will give anyone in base contact ASL, helping you to hit first; Bat Swarms fill this role too. I usually field them in units of 4-5 with standard and musician, and a blender Vampire Lord, which is around 750 points... you can field more if you want to base your entire approach around them, loading up a couple of hero vamps too, and with Dire Wolves as redirectors and Hexwraiths for chaff clearance - but a Blood Knight in the 2nd rank is wasted points, only able to make 1 attack.
Cairn Wraiths - the same ones as in the Heroes section, but taken as a unit of 3-10; they're also cheaper at 50 points each, and can take a Banshee as a champion, which is a 25 point upgrade. Their role is different if taken as a unit - they're not a throwaway drop so a magic missile in the face is going to be costly. They will still lose to static combat resolution (ranked infantry) but are a more reliable threat against cavalry, monsters and so on. They also work quite well as area denial, and you can pin enemies on the other side of terrain. They're not bad, but compete with some very strong options in the Rare section, and have the same vulnerabilities of other Ethereals whilst no longer being a cheap choice.
Black Coach - 195 point chariot that grows stronger as the game progresses. The coach itself is S5, T6 and has 4 Wounds; it's drawn by two Nightmares and crewed by a Cairn Wraith. It has a 3+ armour save and 4++ ward to make it actually really quite hard to kill, causes Terror, and is Vampiric - while as a chariot it can't march, it means it doesn't crumble should your General die; this plus its ability below makes it a late-game specialist.
Evocation of Death is its special rule - at the beginning of your magic phase, roll a D6 for each power dice in your pool, and for each 6 you roll the Black Coach grows more powerful - these is cumulative as the game goes on. If you've "siphoned" one dice, you get +1 Impact Hits, 2 gives +1S to the Cairn Wraith and Nightmares, 3 gives all your attacks (mount, crew, impact hits) Killing Blow and Flaming Attacks, 4 gets you Magic Resistance (2) and Strider, 5 gives you Ethereal, and 6 you gain Fly! In Storm of Magic games, this thing is amazing - bring a convoy of them! Otherwise, generally stick to just one, as siphoned dice are randomly split rather than shared between them.
This is a really dangerous chariot, and by turn 5 or so it should be flying around the place smashing weakened units to bits. It won't ever solo infantry blocks, but it will scare your opponent, and they will prioritise taking it down early on. Like any chariot, it's most effective when charging, but once you've siphoned a couple of dice the Cairn Wraith and Nightmares are actually quite dangerous on their own, and the coach itself is hard to damage. It is well worth taking one; it is one of a small number of units you have available that you can confidently use independent of your General's 12" march range.
Terrorgheist - 225 flying monster, the Terrorgheist is M6, WS3, BS0, S5, T6, W6, I3, A4, Ld4, causes Terror and is unsurprisingly a Large Target given its massive 150 x 100 mm base. It is most definitely not a dragon - it's less skilled, less, strong, and has less attacks. It also lacks a scaly skin save, and its only defence is Regeneration (6+) which isn't doing much for you. Two upgrades are available - Rancid Maw for 15 points given you Poisoned Attacks (decent), and 10 points for Infested, which means that when you die each unit in base contact (friend or foe) takes 3D6 S2 hits - okay if you might be sending it into weak hordes but not a great use of point - particularly if you have a Strigoi on top, who won't appreciate this at all.
The reason you take this is its Death Shriek, which is like a Banshee's Ghostly Howl dialled up to 11. This is a special shooting attack that targets a single unit even if the Terrorgheist has charged, marched or is in combat. Its range is 8" and you need line of sight (not hard given how big the gheist is); if in combat it has to be targeted against a unit in base contact. If not in combat you may choose to target a unit in close combat. Roll 2D6 and add the number of Wounds the Terrorgheist has left. For each point that this exceeds the target unit's Leadership, they suffer a wound with no armour saves allowed. This is a magical attack, and wounds are distributed as from shooting.
Quite clearly this attack works best if your Terrorgheist is in good health. Similarly obviously, your opponent is going to target the Terrorgheist with shooting/magic to take its wounds down as quickly as possible. As a Large Target, Invocation will only heal one wound per casting - if the Terrorgheist is even in range of that spell, so you will struggle to heal it up. A common way of dealing with this is to take them in pairs for target saturation. Getting them behind enemy lines will avoid BS shooting, though won't help with warmachines - bring lots of Fell Bats along as a fluffy accompaniment to deal with any your opponent has. Manoeuvring the thing is no easy feat either given its base size, so a canny opponent will limit where you can place it.
In terms of targets, you want to be after high value, low Ld targets - particularly those that rely on an armour save to stay alive; monsters, heavy cavalry, heavy infantry and so on. Against Dwarves, forget it - your Terrorgheists will be shot to bits first turn. The Terrorgheist is not a dragon, so it will not shred units in combat - the Thunderstomp will do most your damage (so avoid anything you can't stomp) plus your Death Shriek. Being in combat will stop you being shot/magic missiled, but it limits what you can target - screaming Skaven Slaves down is a waste of a Terrorgheist. Overall, the Terrorgheist is a useful choice that your opponents will fear - but if they're canny they will focus fire it into irrelevance, so have a plan for using it. In a way, it's the opposite to your Black Coach - starting the game strong and getting progressively weaker.
Mortis Engine - the alternative build from the Coven Throne kit, the Mortis Engine is a support vehicle playing a very different role, and is one of your strongest choices. It's a typically pricey 220 points chariot, drawn by the same Spirit Host (M8 - no marching as a chariot but you can keep up with your front lines, Spectral Steeds - so no dangerous terrain tests and you can charge through impassable terrain, and 2D6 WS/S3 magical (FAQed) attacks at Initiative 1), ridden by a Corpsemaster (practically irrelevant as far as combat is concerned; also only has Ld5), but at least accompanied by a Banshee Swarm (another near-useless 3 S3 magical (also FAQed) attacks, but at least you get a Ghostly Howl attack - see the Banshee entry). It's quite clear that even with S5 Impact Hits, this is not combat orientated. It's reasonably durable with Toughness 5 and 5 Wounds, a 5+ armour save, and Regeneration (4+) - however, flaming cannonballs and the likes will smash it to bits, so give your opponent a few things to aim at.
The Reliquary is the key special rule - at the start of each, roll 2D6 and add the current turn number - this is the range of the Mortis Engine's aura. All enemy units within this take D6 magical (FAQed) hits (distributed as shooting) with the Strength equal to the current turn number. Place a marker next to all friendly Undead units within this aura - they improve their Regeneration save by 1, to a maximum of 4+; if they have no Regeneration they gain a 6+ regen. If you have multiple Mortis Engines, this is stackable (FAQed)! Finally, if you rolled a double on your 2D6 then the Mortis Engine takes a wound with no saves allowed. When the ME suffers its last wound, every unit within 12 inches plus the current turn number (friend or foe) suffers 2D6 hits (distributed as shooting) with the Strength equal to the current turn number.
This rule is great on several levels. First, it helps to protect your troops - Crypt Horrors become extra-tough, Ghouls gain an actual save, you can switch to spears on your Skeleton Warriors and still get a 6++. The damage the Mortis Engine puts out will cause your opponent to try and focus fire it down ASAP - you can use that to your advantage as a "distraction Carnifex" to prevent other units being targeted; Invocation can be used to heal it up - while as a Large Target you can only heal 1 wound per casting, it should be close to at least one (and probably more) casters. The detonation when it dies can be used to really intimidate your opponent late-game by being more reckless with it, charging right into the middle of their remaining units. You will likely want to position your Mortis Engine similar to how you would a corpse cart - centre of your forces, just behind the front line, so its aura covers the maximum number of units, but keeping it out of combat (until late game).
Blasphemous Tome is a 20 point upgrade that you really should be taking, always. All wizards (friend or foe) within 12" gain +2 to their casting rolls when casting spells from the Lore of Vampires. However, if any wizard (even if non-LoV) miscasts within 12" of one, they must roll twice on the Miscast table, and their opponent chooses which result applies. This is one of the buffs that makes you amongst the very top tier for magic in WFB, and with LoV's relatively low casting values, you shouldn't miscast too often. It can also scare any opposing wizards away from you. This really benefits those who take multiple low-level Necromancers to spam Invocation, and also fits well with an infantry General, maybe bunkered in some GW Grave Guard just ahead of the Mortis Engine.
Other "fluffy" non-army book unitsWhile these aren't "official" Vampire Counts army book units, with Games Workshop having ditched Warhammer Fantasy Battles, there's more leeway for players to decide what is appropriate to field or not. I've listed a few units from the Monstrous Arcanum expansion here (none from Storm of Magic were right) that I feel would be appropriate additions to a Vampire Counts army. Of course, you will need to agree their use with your opponent first; I suggest all of them would count as Rare choices. Frustratingly, neither the Mourngul or Necrofex Colossus have the Undead special rule that they really should do so (having just Unbreakable and Unstable instead) - I'd suggest asking your opponent if you can use that rule on them - this allows you to heal them through the Lore of Vampires and benefit from buffs like the Mortis Engine's Regeneration one, but also means they crumble if your General dies, can't march outside the General's 12" bubble, and suffer further damage from the Lore of Light. I assume the only reason they didn't have the Undead rule is that they weren't in the VC book, and it seems appropriate that they should do so.
Mourngul (Monstrous Arcanum) - essentially a particularly massive, magic-infused Ghoul, so more than fitting for your army. It clocks in at a whopping 270 points, and struggles to justify that. It's a Monster with M6, WS5, BS0, S5, T5, I3, A4, and Ld8. As well as Unbreakable and Unstable, it causes Terror, has Obstacle Strider so can jump straight over any walls your opponent is hiding behind, and has an additional Chomp Attack that benefits from Killing Blow (Chomp Attacks are an additional attack that has a +1 to hit against models with the Large Target rule).
Haunter of the Dark gives it a 5++ ward against shooting attacks, Magic Missiles and Direct Damage Spells. It also specifies that the Mourngul is deliberately
not a Large Target (it's a "thing of shadows and icy fogs") - if your opponent has let you use the Undead rule for the Mourngul this would allow Invocation to heal more than just a single wound per casting; I'd suggest for the purpose of Invocation that it be treated as a Large Target - so only one wound can be healed per casting.
Killing Cold means enemies in base contact have Always Strikes Last, as useful as it is on Bat Swarms and the Nightshroud; it fails to specify enemy models or units, so you probably have to assume the lesser of the two and that it just refers to models. Also, the Mourngul is immune to "any descriptively cold-based power or effect such as a Thundertusk's Icy Breath or a Yhetee's Aura of Frost". Have fun arguing those scenarios out with your opponent. Finally, Carnophage allows the Mourngul to regain a wound for each wound it inflicts in combat (it can't exceed its starting value) - really helpful for keeping it alive, even if your opponent won't let you heal it with Invocation. There's nothing that prevents this from applying to your Thunderstomp attacks.
All-in-all, it's a mediocre monster that doesn't put out a great deal of damage, lacks protection, and whose special rules aren't enough to justify its cost. But it's an amazing model, really fitting for your army, and watching it eat and heal while stomping and chomping your opponent's prize infantry can be great fun. In the even you're not playing it as Undead, scoot it up a flank into your opponent's vulnerable backline, munching on warmachines, missile units and so on.
Necrofex Colossus (Monstrous Arcanum) - the biggest and baddest of necromantic creations, this comes in two varieties - the Corpse Giant, and the massive Nightmare Colossus. Neither had a model (though see
here on the forums for an outstanding scratch-built one), and both have a whole host of additional rules. They are basically a mass of "bits" in a vaguely humanoid shape, the body fashioned from things like a house... a ship..., with bodies and souls stitched into it to create a massive walking monster. It is very much Vampire Counts, particularly if your army is based around a Master Necromancer.
The Corpse Giant has M6, WS3, BS0, S7, T6, W6, I2, Ld8 and costs 275 points. The Nightmare Colossus is 500 points and M8, WS4, BS0, S8, T7, W10, I1 and Ld10. Both unsurprisingly cause Terror, are Large Targets, Unstable and Unbreakable, Enchanted Attacks (Magical Attacks), and have special attacks a bit like a regular Giant. The Nightmare Colossus also has Largest of Monsters (it can Thunderstomp anything but models with this rule) and Colossal Beast (can only be wounded by attacks of S4 or higher, and regardless of Strength never better than a 3+. If it is subject to a spell or effect that would kill it outright, it instead suffers D6 wounds. Its Thunderstomp also inflicts 2D6 wounds).
Vortex of Death applies to both, and is actually a whole host of special rules: Regeneration (4+) except for against Flaming and Magical Attacks, +1 to casting rolls for LoV/Lore of Death spells for any wizard (friend or foe) within 12", -1 for those casting Lore of Life/Light within the same radius, and Undead Vulnerabilities - it suffers extra damage from any spell/attack that specifies additional damage to Undead models.
Either can choose from one of three different special attacks at the start of each combat phase: Batter and Slash (D6+1 attacks against one enemy unit in base contact), Impale (pick a model in base contact - this suffers a single attack with the Heroic Killing Blow special rule), or Screams of the Damned (targets a single enemy unit in base contact; roll D6+2 and add the Necrofex Colossus's Leadership - your opponent rolls a D6 and adds their highest Ld from that unit. You subtract their score from yours and whatever is remaining is the number of wounds you inflict on them, with no armour saves allowed. However, Unbreakable or Immune to Psychology units are immune to this attack). This gives you a decent range of attacks to pick from - Batter and Slash is probably your standard, Impale isn't reliable enough although it may scare off any some characters. Screams of the Damned is outstanding against low Ld units particularly for the Nightmare Colossus, but weaker for the Corpse Giant and against armies like Dwarves. Much of your damage will come from your Thunderstomp - the Corpse Giant should try to stick to infantry that it can stomp.
Four upgrades exist, and you can take any number of them - Scythes and Barbs for 10 points allows you to re-roll the dice for your Thunderstomp and Batter and Slash results; this is amazing for that cost and should always be taken. Corpse Killer at 20 points is less effective, inflicting D6 S2 hits on each enemy unit in base contact at Initiative 1 - but can discourage hordes of cheap troops; it's nothing amazing but if you have the points spare then get it. Vampire Blood is a pricier 30 points and boosts your regen up to 3+, but you must always charge an enemy unit (your choice of which) if you can. This is too big a risk for such an expensive model - you want it in the right combats, not charging poisoned Witch Elves. Finally, there's Dark Soul that allows you to purchase wizard levels (!!) for 35 points each for either Lore of Death or Lore of Vampires. The Vortex of Death will still affect you; however for each miscast you permanently lose 1 Toughness in addition to the other miscast effects. Risky as it'll get targeted by every ranged weapon/spell that can reach it, but a Toughness 7, 10 Wound monster throwing spells around to heal itself, and then smashing out 3D6 re-rollable S8 attacks in combat against
anything is as awesome as it sounds.
Yes, it's a fire magnet, but the Necrofex Colossus is a good choice with yet another boost to your magic, tough and damage dealing, and with some excellent upgrades. Whatever size you take it in, it should impress.
Fimir Warriors (Monstrous Arcanum) - Monstrous Arcanum lists them as having "Kinship" with the Vampire Counts, which comes as somewhat of a surprise, since they're more normally considered to be aligned to Chaos. While they were abandoned by the dark gods and thus mainly do their own thing, I've not read anything that suggests that they have a particular kinship with the undead, so I won't profile them here. If you disagree, feel free to raise the topic, and if I'm persuaded I'll write some more about how/why to fit them in.