Vampires Abound!

So as promised from last weeks debacles I come with gifts of new Vampire Counts models! The book is already out by now with it’s horribly atrocious cover art, but I still feel like giving some opinions!

As always we’re starting in the Lords and Heroes section of the charts with Isabella Von Carstein.

This errr…rather unattractive lady is in Finecast since GW is still trying to shove that down our throats. The detail is all there and it’s crisp, and it’s nice to see her in a slightly dramatic pose but she just doesn’t wow me. Maybe it’s the low cut top and the visible panties?

Moving on we have Krell.

Krell is quite clearly not a Vampire, but I digress. He looks pretty cool with a really creepy vibe, and his axe is pretty neat(even if I think the whole “stick screaming faces on it, that’s scary right?” thing is a bit silly myself). He’s got all the detail, if a bit uninspired in his pose. The one thing I don’t like are his feet, they just look….well….weird to me. Other than that a superb model that would make a fine Lich in D&D.

Next we get the Wight King, and boy howdy.

I am loving this guy. He looks evil, he looks mean, he looks awesome. All the detail is fantastic, the pose isn’t completely boring, and the basic design is just great. This guy would make an even better Lich than Krell.

Last thing in the Lords/Heroes department is the Vampire Counts’ new obligatory “we’re giving everyone a big model because screw uniqueness!” thing; the Mortis Engine/Coven Throne.

I have to admit I am impressed by the staggering amount of detail on this thing, but I just can’t bring myself to be all that excited about it. It looks cool(if the ladies on the throne look kinda’ uninspired) and it’s oozing with cool little things, but I still can’t like it all that much. I mean; not only is it a shameless shill to get you to spend more cash, but dear god that thing is going to be a nightmare to transport anywhere. I bet it’ll be a converter’s dream come true, though, with all the left over bits you’ll probably have.

Moving on to core selections we get…… a whole lot of nothing. Apparently GW was content with the designs of the core troops for the Vampires and opted to not only not remold any of them(which in my opinion the Ghouls and Zombies need badly) nor give the Vampire Counts any new core choices.

So with that we move to Special Units. And we start off with the new Black Knights/Hexwraiths.

Now I won’t lie; the Black Knights are awesome. They just look so good, and the horses look good too. GW; why don’t you give those horses to the Tomb Kings as well so they can stop riding those fugly things you gave them? Seriously, though, I am really digging these guys. If they weren’t $30 a pop I’d probably buy some for other purposes.

The Hexwraiths, though, I’m not quite as excited about. I’m not a big fan of molded fire, and I feel like big ass scythes on horseback can only end in disaster.

Next up we get the Vargheists/Crypt Horrors kit.

I really like the Vargheists; they look like smaller versions of the Varghulf which I always thought was a pretty awesome model. They look mean and bestial and monstrous. What I’m not digging is the random set of smaller wings on one of them and the strange inclusion of pubic hair. Would loincloths have been so hard, GW?

The Crypt Horrors are nice in detail and all that jazz, but they just look like bigger versions of the Ghouls which I still don’t like. It’s that whole hunched over thing; just doesn’t look good to me.

And that’s your lot. No new Rare choices either which, again, strikes me as a bit odd. GW did re-release a whole bunch of stuff in Finecast(seriously; like 50% of the New Releases are just remolds in Finecast), but I really don’t care enough to go through those because you’ve already seen them before.

On the whole I’m not as impressed by the new Vampire Counts as I thought I’d be when they got announced. Some of the models are really neat and I really dig, but the majority are just kinda’ “meh” to me. The details on them are all really nice and they’re all really nicely done, but just looks wise the majority of them didn’t catch my eye.

So I hope you enjoyed this little stroll down Von Carstein Way. Man, it sure does feel like Necrons got way more stuff, doesn’t it?