Von Carstein

	Von Carstein
	Von Carstein are a playable sub-faction of Vampire Counts in Total War: Warhammer and Mortal Empires, separate from the main Vampire Counts faction. They were introduced in a FLC update in February 2017, alongside the FLC faction Brettonia.
	STARTING POSITION
	General data Type Playable Category Vampire Counts Ruler Vlad von Carstein Distinct features Beloved in Death: Vlad and Isabella benefit from improved battle prowess when reinforcing one another. Raise Dead: New units can be raised from the dead in any province. Famous battle sites provide bonuses to the quantity and quality of options available.    Varied unit roster with flying units, monsters, and expendable Undead troops.

Unit Roster 

Main article: Vampire Counts unit roster

Background

“

Life is a cancer, but I have the cure - death everlasting…”

„

Long ago, Queen Neferata stole the secrets of eternal life from Nagash. The elixir she created was flawed, bestowing immortality but at great cost. And so the Vampires were created and they have been a plague upon the living ever since.

Millennia later and the darkling figure of Vlad von Carstein arrived in Sylvania - a backwater region within the Stirland province of the Empire. Soon the whole of Sylvania's destitute nobility was in his thrall; the von Carstein bloodline was born. For years, the Vampire Counts of Sylvania kept their Undying existence a deathly secret. The region’s pathetic peasants and the neighbouring lords had their suspicions but nothing was proven until Vlad revealed himself in full lifeless glory at the head of an Undead host. His desire was nothing more than the throne of the Empire.

Vlad was slain at the Siege of Altdorf, the Undead army withered and his Vampire sires fled back to Sylvania, which was known to be a cursed land, tainted by perpetual death for evermore. Whilst Vlad’s bid for a vast Undead Empire failed, he did start a pattern that would repeat itself several times over the coming centuries. A von Carstein would take the reins of power within Sylvania and inevitably strike out against the living at the head of an Unliving army – power-hungry Necromancers, Zombie hordes, ranks of Skeletons, tomb-skulking Crypt Ghouls and bestial Varghulfs are just some of the nightmares a Vampire Lord can summon to his indomitable will.

Vlad may have been the first of the von Carstein line, but Mannfred was equally feared - he also came close to despoiling the Empire, being finally brought to bay at Hel Fenn and slain. But what is no longer living is never easy to kill; both Vlad and Mannfred have risen again. The dead have never rested easily in Sylvania and now they lurch from their graves, summoned to Unlife by the Midnight Aristocracy as each prepares to challenge mankind once more. Both believe they are the rightful, Eternal Emperor; the usurper, Karl Franz, will learn this at great cost - and all the living will pay tribute to the von Carsteins’ Unholy Majesty!

Lord Choices

• Vlad von Carstein
  • Additional Starting Units
    • Fell Bats
    • Blood Knights
    • Vargheists
  • Lord Effects

	Access to unique building in Castle Drakenhof, The Mausoleum of the Mad Count, which allows recruitment of Vampire heroes much sooner and greatly improves them in a variety of ways
	Undying Love: +15 to Melee Attack and Melee Defence when Vlad and Isabella are reinforcing each other
	Campaign movement range: +5% (all characters)
	All units in Vlad von Carstein's army receive Vanguard Deployment

• Isabella von Carstein
  • Additional Starting Units
    • Crypt Ghouls
    • Crypt Ghouls
    • Black Knights
  • Lord Effects

	Access to unique building in Castle Drakenhof, The Mausoleum of the Mad Count, which allows recruitment of Vampire heroes much sooner and greatly improves them in a variety of ways
	Undying Love: +15 to Melee Attack and Melee Defence when Vlad and Isabella are reinforcing each other
	Weapon damage: +25% for all Vampire heroes
	Vampire hero capacity: +3