Blood Knights

Blood Knights is a Vampire Counts cavalry unit in Total War: Warhammer. The Flag of the Blood Keep flashes violently; the Blood Knights run their enemies down.

Description
Blood Knights are the most fearsome cavalry in all of the Old World. The training and discipline they received in life is enhanced by the unnatural speed and strength of the Vampiric curse. Blood Knights are nigh-on indestructible, riding with fangs bared through storms of arrow and shot. Such is their honour that they will refuse no martial challenge and will fight at the forefront of an Undead army without question. It is said that even the fabled Grail Knights of Bretonnia cannot match the Blood Knights lance-for-lance upon the field. Over time, the Blood Knights have become a macabre parody of the virtuous Templars that Walach turned. Though they retain the Dragon as their symbol, with blazons and crests in their likeness, their armour is encrusted with images of death and slaughter. Their blades are fell weapons inscribed with dark runes, chased with precious metals and fashioned in the likenesses of evil beasts. The Knights do not ride flesh-and-blood horses, but instead charge across the field of battle upon evil Nightmares clad in thick barding painted with the disturbing icons of necromantic power.

Abilities

 * Frenzy
 * The Flag of Blood Keep

Strategy
Rivaled for best heavy cavalry unit in the game with Dragon Princes and Grail Knights, Blood Knights are very powerful. Terribly expensive as well as terribly powerful, these vampire knights are some of the best horsemen of all factions. Their charge will reliably decimate almost any enemy unit, except for a few that can match their prowess: other elite anti large cavalry like Grail Knights or elite anti large infantry like Phoenix Guards. In case of being unable to avoid such an engagement, be sure to give yourself an extra edge by buffing or healing your Blood Knights with spells. Where they are better than other cavalry is that their models can be resurrected by healing spells, meaning that with the proper support they will be more effective for longer.

While they can wreck large monstrous infantry units like trolls or minotaurs, they can have trouble with single model monsters like giants and dragons. The problem is that only a few of them will be able to make contact during the charge and most of them will end up milling around the perimeter during melee as the monster is able to kill one Blood Knight model after another in a few hits. Terrorgheists or Varghulfs are generally more effective at killing monsters while Skeleton Spearmen are far more cost effective way of tarpiting them.