Editing Warhammer/Tactics/8th Edition/Vampire Counts (section)

====Magic Weapons====

*''Giant Blade:'' Close Combat with the sword is at +3 Strength for 60 points. Extra Strength is never a bad thing. Getting S8 on anything, especially a model with 5 fucking Attacks, is fucking amazing. That being said those 60 points eat up your options for magic items, so you probably should think hard about other options first. You'll still have 40 points for Nightshroud after this.

*''Sword of Bloodshed:'' +3 Attacks for 60 points. Remember that with Red Fury, any unsaved Wound caused grants you an additional attack so going from 5 Attacks (that can become a maximum of 10) you can get 8 Attacks (which can become a maximum of 16). It's by no means an optimal build even for a blender lord, but at the same time isn't terrible. Once again, take a good long look at other options, and if you do take it consider the Nightshroud. If you AREN'T making a blender lord, this really is a waste of points. Actually, the maths supports rage giant blade over this, except against very weak infantry, anything T3 with 5+ or worse save will be obliterated, T4/4+ or higher take giant blade.

*''Obsidian Blade:'' 50 points, Attacks made with it don't get Armor Saves against it. Good for a Vamp designed to go toe to toe with more point-costly enemies or for high-armor foes like Warriors of Chaos or dwarves. More specifically a Vamp equipped with this can become a FANTASTIC character-killer, particularly with abilities like Dread Knight and Beguile. Want your OC Vampire Lord to finish off Archaon or Tyrion for bragging rights? Here's how to do it. 

*''Ogre Blade:'' 40 points, +2 Strength. Vamp Lord with 7 Strength is still amazing. Also decent on the Wight King to bump it up to S6. 

*''Sword of Strife:'' 40 points, +2 Attacks. Same as above, still good on a blender lord. Forget it on the Wight King for the most part. 

*''Fencer's Blades:'' 35 points, paired weapons, bearer has WS10. With your Vamps at WS7 and WS6, this really isn't that great. The Wight King on the other hand can benefit from it a lot. 

*''Sword of Anti-Heroes:'' 30 points, quite an appropriate name. Bearer has +1 S and +1 A for every enemy character in base contact with the bearer or their Unit. Truth be told, this weapon is better used AGAINST Vampire Counts rather than BY them. Can be useful if you know you are going to see a multi hero/lord death star, at 3 characters its equivalent to SoB and GB combined.

*''Spellthieving Sword:'' 25 points, Wounds caused to a Wizard force them to lose one spell each. But chances are good any opponent in melee with your Vamp is about to die, unless you're talking about a Lord like Malekith. But really you should be focused on actually killing the fucker. 

*''Sword of Swift Slaying:'' Bearer has Always Strikes First for 25 points. For 30 points you can take that as a Vampire Power, and there's literally no reason in any situation ever to take both. Take the Sword to save 5 points when you aren't taking magic weapons of any other kind or when you're trying to save points for more powers, take the power to save magic item points or to prevent one of those item-destroying abilities like the kind High Elves in the High Lore have. You can also take it on the Wight King, which is when it's worth consideration. 

*''Sword of Battle:'' 20 points, +1 Attack. Meh. Take if if you're on a budget with your blender Vampire Lord, but if that's the case why are you trying to make a blender lord?

*''Berserker Sword:'' 20 points, grants Frenzy. WHY would you want Frenzy? More importantly, why would you want to bother with Frenzy without the bonuses from Skabscrath? Probably more of a detriment than a bonus.

*''Sword of Might:'' +1 Strength for 20 points. Not bad. Not great. S6 Vamp is okay though.

*''Gold Sigil Sword:'' Attacks made with it are Initiative 10, 15 points. Vamp Lords already have I7, Vamps have I6. Once again probably not great, especially with TWO ways to get ASF. Bumping up the Wight King is okay though. 

*''Sword of Striking:'' Attacks made with it are +1 To Hit, 15 points. Not terrible, but Vamps already have such a high WS it's not too great unless low on points and need to bump up the hero assassin.

*''Biting Blade:'' Attacks made with it are Armor Piercing (-1 to the enemy's Armor Save). 10 points. It's the poor man's Obsidian Blade. Not a bad choice. But truth be told, Sword of Might is better. 

*''Relic Sword:'' 10 points. Attacks with it always Wound on 5+ unless a lower result is needed. But chances are good your Vamps are going to be Wounding on better then that anyway. may be worth it vs Tombkings. Bleh. 

*''Shrieking Blade:'' Bearer (and thus their Unit) causes Fear. 10 points. WHY. Everything you have causes Fear. 

*''Tormentor Sword:'' 5 points, any monster or character who suffers an unsaved Wound has Stupidity for the rest of the game. There is almost never a time this is useful for anyone. 

*''Warrior Bane:'' 5 points, any monster or character who suffers unsaved Wounds from it loses one Attack each to a minimum of 1. This once again is almost never good, and honestly would be best AGAINST Vampires. In the imaginary scenario where you are facing another Vampire Counts player and throw a hero Vamp against your opponent's Lord Vamp, this could be conceivably useful. But that's about it.