Great stuff, this is. ... All of this is by EvC (the quote button made some parts of text go with a line through the text :S :
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I've got a load of rumours courtsey of the UKGT... and here they are for you all. Please note that any stuff in [square brackets] is my own thoughts or speculation- do not repeat it as fact or rumour to anyone anywhere unless you are an idiot! Now if you thought that the new High Elves sound powerful, wait till you see the new Vampire Counts... among the less scatalogical terms used to describe them were "sick", "disgusting" and "filthy". You have been warned
So, to begin with, not much info on characters other than Wight Lords are now "Wight Kings". Guess GW realised how silly a hero-level character with "Lord" in the name was...
As is well known, bloodlines have been removed (in terms of rules). There is now a -massive- list of bloodline powers to choose from, encompassing most of the powers we currently have and more. Here's a really interesting one: for 25 points, any Skeleton or Zombie within 12" can use the WS of the Vampire, as long as the Vampire isn't in combat. WS7 Skeletons? Nice! Another new magic item lets one wizard take spells from any of the basic lores from the main rulebook, except Life [presumably Light won't be available either or my source mis-spoke/ mis-heard himself].
Speaking of the magic, the Necromantic Lore is undergoing a massive revamp. Curse of Years will be the 4th spell on the list and even drops a couple of points for casting value, don't know if it's been weakened at all. The spell replacing it is called something like "Winds of Death", and makes EVERY enemy unit on the table take one hit, and any wounds go towards making a new Spirit Host near the caster! Incredible stuff... I heard two separate, very differing rumours about the invocation, one that it can only be used to make Zombies, and the other that it can be used to raise anything, "skeletons, wights, wolves, ghouls etc." [although since Ghouls aren't undead I'm not sure if I believe that. It could mean that Necromancers can raise anything but Vampires only Zombies]
Moving onto units, Zombies are cheaper some, and are now even more rubbish. S2 these days, and always strike last. Always. [Don't think Hellish Vigour will exist any more.] You know the Zombie bunker tactic? Gone! Characters can no longer join Zombies. Also, Zombies cannot pursue any more- when a unit breaks, for every rank of Zombies, the flee-ers take a bunch of extra hits/ wounds. Doesn't seem that nasty really.
Ghouls will be ranked-up infantry again. Not sure how that'll turn out.
Grave Guard can take great weapons
The Knights of Blood Keep are going to be horrific. Unit size 4-20, frenzied, 3 attacks each at S5 with lances (So S7!), the less said about them the better...
Wraiths return as ranked up units, as has been speculated for a while. The Banshee now fights with them as a unit champion, making them very expensive. To be honest I can't imagine this looking any good on the table top, although if they skirmish that might make more sense.
The Black Coach is going to make a lot of people happy (or scared). For a start, 4+ ward save- no word on immunity to S7 attacks though. However, it can go a little bit mental in the magic phase! Any wizard within 6" can donate a power dice, which you roll and for every 6 you get, it permanently gains a new ability, including...
1) Scythes
2) Hatred
3) ? [My money's on immunity to S7 destruction]
4) Ethereal
5) Fly
Yes, that's right, an invisible [Edit: meant ethereal!], flying, terror causing large target. You'll need to donate 30 power dice on average to get that far, but if you do... wow. And still 200 points.
Special characters are five von Carsteins as has been said, Vlad and old Mannfred are the Lords, with Isabella, young Mannfred and a third as heroes. I can't imagine Konrad being a lowly hero, he's a lord and a half, but we'll see...
That should keep us going for a bit. Out in about six months remember[/b]
