| “ | Through life, death and Undeath, the first and greatest of the Vampire Counts pursues the throne; it is his by right! | „ |
Vlad von Carstein is a 
Vampire Counts Legendary Lord unit introduced in Total War: Warhammer with Update 3. In The Old World and Mortal Empires campaigns, he is one of the two Legendary Lord choices for 
Von Carstein, along with Isabella von Carstein. In Immortal Empires, he leads Sylvania, along with Isabella von Carstein.
Description[ | ]
Vlad von Carstein was the first and greatest of the Vampire Counts of Sylvania. A master swordsman and skilled general with no small aptitude in the magical arts, it was he who tainted the aristocracy of Sylvania with the curse of vampirism, and in doing so, created an Undead Kingdom at the heart of the Empire. Count Vlad was a towering figure, with a mane of long hair and piercing eyes. Those who met him and survived described him as possessed of a "feral charm", but with an evil temper that could turn into a berserk fury if he was thwarted in his endeavours. It is said that at such times, only his wife, Isabella, could calm him without blood being spilled. No records tell of Vlad's origins before his coming to Sylvania. Even the Vampires of that realm know nothing of his life before that fateful night in Drakenhof, and Vlad certainly never recounted or wrote down his personal history. That he knew much about the workings of the Empire, and its internal division at the time of his arrival, attests to knowledge of the dealings of mortal men for many years.
Though he was defeated in the great finale of the Vampire wars at Altdorf's gates, rumours persist of the Von Carstein partraich's second coming was noted by several Witch hunters from Sylvania before their holds and bases were destroyed by Mannfred. Of course, when others discovered this piece of information, the former Elector Count of Stirland was already making a bloody warpath across the Empire.
Attributes[ | ]
Wizard- ▲ Spellcaster: This unit can cast spells.
- ▲ Armoured: Armoured units can block damage from any source apart from Armour-Piercing damage.
- ▲ Melee Expert: Melee Experts might have a very strong melee attack or melee defence, or high values in both. Some also have melee-focused skills like Charge Defence. Use them to counter other strong melee units. When facing them, it is best to take them out before they can enter melee.
Spells[ | ]
In Warhammer III, Vlad has access to a mix of spells from the Lore of Beasts and the Lore of Vampires:
- Invocation of Nehek
- Vanhel's Danse Macabre
- Flock of Doom
- Raise Dead
- Transformation of Kadon
- Wind of Death
Multiplayer only[ | ]
Character abilities[ | ]
Active Abilities[ | ]
Campaign only[ | ]
Passive Abilities[ | ]
Campaign only[ | ]
Item Abilities[ | ]
Campaign abilities[ | ]
In Immortal Empires, Vlad becomes a legendary hero if Isabella Von Carstein is chosen as the Legendary Lord for Sylvania.
Embed Hero[ | ]
- Training
Constant Local Effect[ | ]
- Stimulate Growth
Target[ | ]
- Settlement
- Damage Walls
- Hero
- Wound
- Army
- Assault Unit
Unique Items[ | ]
Campaign starting units[ | ]
The Old World & Mortal Empires[ | ]
Immortal Empires[ | ]
Lord effects[ | ]
- Battle healing cap: +50% when in an army with Isabella von Carstein
- All units in Vlad von Carstein's army receive Vanguard Deployment
WH2[ | ]
- Attribute: Siege Attacker
- Undying Love: +15 to Melee Attack and Melee Defence when Vlad and Isabella are reinforcing each other
- All units in Vlad von Carstein's army receive Vanguard Deployment (Lord's army)
WH1[ | ]
- Campaign movement range: +5% (all characters)
- All units in Vlad von Carstein's army receive Vanguard Deployment
Character traits[ | ]
Personal trait[ | ]
Consuming Thirst: "Surrender and serve me in life, or die and slave for me in death."
- Battle healing cap: +50% when in an army with Isabella von Carstein
- All units in Vlad von Carstein's army receive Vanguard Deployment
Defeat trait[ | ]
Undeath Descendant: Down but probably not out, as you cannot really kill what doesn't truly live.
- Wound recovery time: -4
Talent Tree[ | ]
- Vlad's skill tree on TWWH Characters
- Skill Tree on TotalWarhammerPlanner (Lord)
- Skill Tree on TotalWarhammerPlanner (Hero)
Strategy[ | ]
The following applies only to the Mortal Empires or The Old World campaigns:
- He is a powerful melee fighter who gives all units in his army vanguard deployment, and casts spells from the Lore of Vampires.
- Vlad von Carstein solves one of the Vampire Counts' only weaknesses in battle: Getting in to combat. While ranged units and artillery could be a concern previously, giving your entire army Vanguard Deployment means you can almost immediately close the gap to melee. On top of that, Vlad himself also takes advantage, which makes up for his inability to take a mount. Lastly, units that cause Terror or Fear can almost immediately begin causing issue to the enemy.
- While he's not as much of a spellcaster as Mannfred, his abilities can help his army continue to perform either through regeneration or by buffing individual units. Once in melee, Vlad becomes one of the most difficult Lords in the game to take down, thanks to multiple sources of regeneration and strong overall stats. And against particularly difficult opponents, having Isabella reinforce him boosts those stats higher still, making him an absolute nightmare to contend with.
- If facing Vlad, utilizing ranged damage or cavalry can take him down without suffering too many casualties. If kept at a distance, ranged damage will chip away at him without consequence. Cavalry can keep him off his feet and cause severe morale penalties. If he does close the gap, try and take him down quickly, as his healing will essentially undo small bits of damage.
Gallery[ | ]
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