Are Vampire Counts BAD now in Warhammer the Old World!? | Renegade Reveal | Square Based Show

Summary

The episode reviews Val’s draft Vampire Counts Renegade rules for Warhammer: The Old World. The hosts describe the army as one of the game’s strongest, largely because its units can return models and its undead rules can make blocks exceptionally difficult to remove.

The draft aims to bring the army closer to the power level of the core armies without simply removing popular choices. It also seeks to restore flavor and encourage more varied army builds. The rules are explicitly a draft, and the hosts invite community feedback.

Army Building and Core Mechanics

The army list loosens several conditional or competing unit restrictions, giving players more freedom to build themed forces. For example, Grave Guard can be taken as Core without a Wight Lord, and Corpse Carts move from Special to Core.

A Vampire Lord can unlock Blood Knights as a Special choice. The draft also opens options for Strigoi-themed forces and Sylvanian-style mercenaries, including Free Company Militia or Empire Archers.

Master of the Dead makes the army’s highest-level wizard its key support for the undead, separating that role from the general. This can let a Vampire fight more freely or support themed lists led by another character.

Invocation of Nehek is less effective at restoring some powerful units: Heavy Infantry such as Grave Guard recover fewer wounds, while units with Dark Vitality or Ethereal recover only half the usual amount, rounding up.

The Hunger lets units that cause unsaved wounds potentially recover wounds. It is intended to make Ghoul- and Crypt-related units more self-sustaining in combat.

Rules, Items, and Magic

Wailing Dirge is clarified as a magical shooting attack with an 8-inch range. It can target a lone character. A model engaged in combat can target an enemy unit in base contact, including after charging. It cannot attack an unrelated unit fighting elsewhere, limiting the frustrating effect of screaming into combats without exposing the attacker.

The Helm of Commandment is reduced to a flat +1 Weapon Skill rather than D3, while remaining useful for improving Grave Guard. The Drakenhof Banner costs more and must be carried by a Battle Standard Bearer, so it can be lost if that character is killed. Meanwhile, the Banner of the Barrows becomes cheaper.

The Von Carstein Ring combines a ward save with a chance to return its wearer to play once after they are removed as a casualty.

The Scepter of Denoirro no longer lets its wielder cast Invocation twice. Instead, a Master Necromancer can add D3 wounds when restoring eligible infantry or cavalry.

Vampiric powers offer a customizable alternative to fixed bloodlines. Notable options include Red Fury, which grants extra attacks after causing unsaved wounds; Honor or Death, which provides challenge-related protection; and powers suited to fighting or spellcasting builds.

Raise Dead creates a small unit of Zombies near the caster. These summoned Zombies do not count as Core or award victory points, but they can be raised further.

Unit Changes and Tactical Implications

Zombies become cheaper, weaker, and easier to kill: their Toughness falls to 2 and their Weapon Skill to 1. They also cannot pursue or overrun. Their resilience and growth depend more on support from a Corpse Cart.

The Corpse Cart costs 60 points and is no longer a Wizard. Within 6 inches, it lets Zombies lose their shambling restriction, gain Weapon Skill, and recover extra wounds through Invocation. This makes the Cart an important target: destroying it can limit the Zombie horde’s growth.

Other notable changes include:

• Crypt Ghouls gain light armour, Armor Bane, and an Ambusher option. Crypt Horrors gain improved protection and benefit from the Hunger, though the hosts note they may need playtesting.
• Vargheists gain improved durability and more controllable charges. Spirit Hosts and several other units can be fielded in smaller minimum units, lowering their entry cost.
• Black Knights become slightly cheaper and faster, while Blood Knights and Hexwraiths largely retain their profiles. Ethereal and Dark Vitality units are still harder to restore through Invocation.
• The Strigoi Ghoul King gains improved claws and armour, as well as army-building benefits for Crypt units, providing a foundation for a Ghoul-focused force.
• The Vampire Lord returns as a more powerful, customizable character who can reach higher Wizard levels. The Varghulf gains attacks and the Hunger while losing Frenzy.

Overall, the hosts see the draft as an attempt to curb Vampire Counts’ strongest recursion and combat combinations while preserving the roster and creating more viable choices. They expect testing to reveal whether the reductions go far enough—or too far.

Featured Gamers and Sources

• Val — Presented and authored the Vampire Counts Renegade draft.
• Rob/Robin — Co-host and reviewer on Square Based.
• CJ — Mentioned in the sign-off.
• Jordan Sorcery — Referenced as someone Val may consult about the history of Vampire Counts bloodlines.
• Community and chat feedback — Cited throughout as an important source for draft review.
• Scot — Mentioned in connection with a possible upcoming Beastmen book.