Total War: Warhammer 3 best Vampire Counts units

Check out the best units the Vampire Counts can throw into battle

Commanding a relentless tide of undead to throw against your enemies in never-ending waves is the greatest dream for any necromancer – and Total War: Warhammer 3’s Vampire Counts definitely have that art down to a tee. Even when you defeat them in a close battle, their mighty and unnatural magic allows them to simply resurrect many of the bodies lying cold on the field, enabling them to continue their onslaught in the next turn.

It’s not just cheap zombies and skeletons that make up their armies – they are merely the first wave, sent out to soak missile fire and occupy the enemy. Vampire Counts may call on higher tiers of undead as well, such as the well-equipped Grave Guard, ethereal Hexwraiths, and more than terrifying Terrorgheists. That, of course, doesn’t even include the vampires themselves, who don’t just fight as lords or heroes, but also in elite formations such as the Blood Knights.

We’ve collected the best Vampire Counts units in Total War: Warhammer 3 in this spooky list to simplify your path to becoming an undead overlord.

Best Vampire Counts units in Total War: Warhammer 3

Best Vampire Counts melee infantry: Grave Guard

Creative Assembly

Vampire Count infantry is nowhere near the best in the game, but it doesn’t have to be – it just has to survive long enough for monsters and lords to come and clean up. The Grave Guard is quite good at that job, being both armored and shielded as well as having an anti-infantry bonus, which enables them to hold their own for quite some time and bind enemy forces. They can cause fear as well, lowering the morale of enemies around them.

Best Vampire Counts ranged infantry: Sylvanian Handgunners

Creative Assembly

The immortal nobles of Sylvania don’t just have undead followers: loyal mortals form the rare ranged units of Crossbowmen and Handgunners to march in the Vampire Counts’ hosts. Just like their imperial counterparts, Sylvanian Handgunners pack armor-piercing missiles and can support their infantry effectively against high-value targets.

Best Vampire Counts monstrous infantry: Mournguls

Creative Assembly

Lethal and sneaky, Mournguls are perfectly capable of acting as part of the main line or being employed as flankers that infiltrate the enemy’s formation. They have armor-piercing damage, anti-infantry bonuses, come equipped with Stalk, and can regenerate their health thanks to The Hunger – an all-around great shock unit.

Best Vampire Counts flying monstrous infantry: Vargheists

Creative Assembly

Vargheists are very squishy creatures and you’ll want to keep them away from ranged attacks at any cost, but once you let them loose on the enemy’s archers or flying units, their Frenzy ability allows them to do a lot of damage very quickly. It’s best to support them with Fell Bats or a flying lord.

Best Vampire Counts melee cavalry: Blood Knights

Creative Assembly

Blood Knights are some of the best cavalry in the entire game with each and every member of a unit being a vampire. They benefit from The Hunger to sustain themselves in combat, have the Frenzy ability to increase their damage, are armored and shielded, and wield lances that grant them anti-large capabilities, meaning they can easily go up against most other cavalry with very few exceptions. The fact that their warriors can be resurrected with necromantic magic makes them nigh unstoppable.

Best Vampire Counts chariot: Mortis Engine

Creative Assembly

Mortis Engines are powerful necromantic constructs, which constantly suck out the lifeforce of nearby enemies, healing undead at the same time. They also boost the power reserves of their army, allowing for more rapid spell-casting. They are an incredible support unit and allow even a frontline of cheap zombies and skeletons to survive for a long time. In addition, the chariot can cause terror, enabling it to support your own infantry with shock attacks at crucial moments.

Best Vampire Counts war beast: Fell Bats

Creative Assembly

Fell Bats are very cheap, die very quickly, and can’t do anything against armored targets. However, they are excellent at interrupting enemy artillery and ranged units, preventing them from firing at more valuable targets like Vargheists or Terrorgheists. They are quite effective at swarming flying lords as well, absorbing hits while Vargheists do the real damage. Pesky little fellows!

Best Vampire Counts monster: Varghulf

Creative Assembly

Varghulfs attack very quickly and deal armor-piercing damage, which makes them fantastic at fighting single-entity units, especially when supported by some infantry to absorb hits. Thanks to their surprising speed and high mass, these monsters are able to charge through enemy lines and extricate themselves with ease. They have Regeneration, so keep them away from anything with Fire Damage.

Best Vampire Counts flying monster: Terrorgheist

Creative Assembly

Terrorgheists can do a little bit of everything, so they are frequently seen in Vampire Count armies – and for good reason. They cause Terror, have an anti-large bonus and armor-piercing damage, are armored themselves, and come with Death Shriek, a breath attack that’s great at clearing infantry. Unleash these flying monsters against single-entity units first, and then let them run amok among the rest to satisfy their eternal hunger.

Best Vampire Counts Regiment of Renown: The Chillgheists

Creative Assembly

The Chillgheists is not just a great band name, they are a lethal melee cavalry unit that can hunt down pretty much anything thanks to their Chilling Aura. This aura slows down any enemy units in their vicinity, preventing them from escaping or kiting them effectively. This is particularly useful against ranged cavalry, which often can be very frustrating to deal with as the Vampire Counts. They have armor-piercing, magical attacks and are Ethereal units, which means they ignore most damage that isn’t magical as well as any terrain effects.

You can find best units lists for Chaos Dwarfs, Dwarfs, and the Empire under the links or check out the best Total War: Warhammer 3 mods.