The Awesomeness of the Warhammer Fantasy range of models continues as the Vampire Counts get the all-star treatment in the latest White Dwarf. Their update includes a large "Chariot of Doom" style kit with the Coven Throne/ Mortis Engine, a couple other multi-kits and some heroes. Enough talk, though, let's look at the photos and consider conversion possibilities as well.
Let's start with the Coven Throne above and the Mortis Engine below:
The whole kit seems great and there appear to be more than enough great pieces that VC players will have plenty of stuff left over for conversions within their existing armies. Either way, you will get the bonus of an extra Vampire or Necromancer depending on what kit you build.
For converters, the spectral horses are awesome. The chassis should make a great base for Daemon players to mount Ku'Grath. The flaming skeletons and all the great undead bits will without a doubt make for some great Chaos conversions across the board. I am very happy to be an up-and-coming daemon player myself as well as a Chaos Marine player!
OOH Baby! The Vargheist shares a kit with the Crypt Horror below. This is the box that gets me exited. I am sure the VC players (looking at you, Wolfson) will have some fun with these models, but for the conversion and Counts as folks, there is some potential here. For me, the Vargheist is the answer to my issue with finding Fiend models I like. With minimal green stuff work, these guys will make super-sexy fiends that have never been done before! Bye-Bye Spider and Snake Fiends!
The Crypt Horrors below are a great way to spend less money buying Gorgers for Ogre Kingdoms players (and they look better and fit the Gorger profile). They could make giant Plaguebearer-style Plague Beasts or even small damon princes of nurgle (add the wings to them from the varghiest side of the kit. On the far out side, These could be the counts-as crossover for some kind of bat themed Thunderwolves (I know, I shouldn't have brought it up, but I love the bats!)
In any case, these are my favorite kit so far, hopefully, they are awesome on the table as well, since I would love to see giant bats on the table.
The plastic Wight King is cool, in fact, I wish GW would just do this for 40k (and I am sure they will soon). Imagine how much cooler it would be to get Captains, Sanguinary Priests, Homeculli, Exarchs, ect in these easy plastic kits, ready to kitbash. Don't get me wrong, the detail on Finecast is superior, but it would be nicer to see conversion ready DIY Librarians and such.
The next kit is the Black Knight and Hex Wraith kit. Both look pretty cool, though the dead knights are an obvious favorite for any old D&D fan. They make me want to start an undead themed Guard army with these guys serving as rough riders!
The wraiths are cool as well and I think there are a lot of great things that can be done with them ... I think even flamer conversions (Tzeentch that is) are possible, but this is just me shooting from the hip!
Krell looks awesome! The Von Carstein kits looks nice too, but may be a little too baller for most VC players' tastes. Issabella in Finecast is cool too. The Von Carstien kit would be perfect for CVinton's Night Lords Counts as Blood Angels! Storm Shields of Fear!
My final thoughts on this are that I look forward to facing a new kind of VC on the tables in the next coming months as I get to hang out with the master of Undeath himself, Wolfson. Hopefully, we can work out a deal where I can buy some of his extra bits from him as well as there seems to be some great stuff here for the upcoming daemons.
Those are my thoughts, let's here what you converters, Twilight fanbois and VC players have to say!
Holy Crap well looks like im going to be spending some cash to upgrade my forces. The modeling oppurtunities alone........
ReplyDeletedamn that mortis engine is ipressive. I like that Isabella von carstein figure. Me thinks she may get turned into a lady Malys :-)
ReplyDeletewow, you've found your fiends, that's for sure. those will be perfect. I like the continued trend of dual kits. It makes my bits box happy.
ReplyDeleteThat chariot has officially pushed my desire to buy something just to paint it. Seriously, if it is half of what my mind is making that picture into in real life...what a crazy ass model. Thats the kind of shit that passer-bys see on the table top and stop to ask people about this weird game they're playing.
All of the 8th edition (hardcover) books have increased in power to balance themselves out. The Vampires are the first already powerful book to be released in 8th edition, so I am curious to see what they give up to retain the balance. I already know the Crown of Command is no longer in the book, and I assume magical charges are no longer in the book though the Van Hel's spell IS there.
ReplyDeleteThe models are FANTASTIC and are really tugging at my urge to buy more Fantasy models.