Sylvanian Handgunners

 is a ranged infantry unit for the Vampire Counts added in the Aye-Aye! Patch for Total War: Warhammer II.

In campaign mode, they are recruited after recruiting a Von Carstein Vampire Lord via the Bloodlines mechanic. There is a limit on how many Sylvanian Handgunners may be recruited.

Description
Although the armies of the Vampire Counts consist predominantly of undead raised through Necromancy, in some cases units of Sylvanian Peasant Levies have followed their von Carstein masters into battle.

The peasants of Sylvania live grim and joyless lives, in constant fear of their vampiric overlords. Thus, just as the human rulers of other nations press their peasants into service, so do the Vampire Counts of Sylvania.

In battle, they are not a very effective fighting force, but are used in a similar manner as zombies or skeletal infantry. However, they are capable of independent thought, which can give them an advantage over their lifeless comrades-in-arms. In particular, they fight with the grim desperation of a man more afraid of his commander than his foes. And, of course, when the levies die in battle, they can simply be reanimated.

Sylvanian Peasant Levies are sometimes armed by the Vampire Counts, but usually carry their own weapons. Thus they are typically found carrying spears, staves, pikes, axes, hammers, scythes, farm implements, hunting bows, and occasionally crossbows.

Attributes

 * ↑ Armour-Piercing Missiles: The damage of armour-piercing weapons mostly ignores the armour of the target, making them the ideal choice against heavily-armoured enemies. They are often heavier and attack at a slower rate though, making them less efficient against poorly-armoured targets.