Isabella von Carstein

Isabella von Carstein is a Vampire Counts Legendary Lord introduced in Total War: Warhammer. They can be downloaded free from Steam here. She is good in melee, provides buffs to Vampire heroes, and is a Lore of Vampires spellcaster. As wicked as she is learned, no mortal can harm the Unliving Countess of Sylvania, for she reigns eternal!

In the campaign, she is one of the two Legendary Lord choices for the Von Carstein faction, alongside Vlad von Carstein.

Description
As the daughter of the last Count von Drak, Isabella carries in her veins true nobility, laced with supreme arrogance and cruelty. Though her union with Vlad von Carstein was at first a marriage of convenience, love soon blossomed - a love that was to see Isabella ushered into the ranks of the Midnight Aristocracy, granting them both the power to realise their dreams. Isabella's newfound ability to raise the dead, coupled with her undying devotion to her husband, means the von Carsteins are more than a match for their enemies. With the Chalice of Bathori in hand, and Vlad at her side, there are few in the Old World who can stand against Isabella von Carstein!

Roleplay note: Again with the "humanity among monsters" thread that connects Vlad and Isabella, when first married out of convenience they rapidly fell into true love. Isabella begged Vlad to embrace her into vampirism but he refused, caring deeply for the beautiful young woman without pause all the way through when she was an elderly matron of the household. She became terminally ill and finally, unwilling to see his beloved in pain any longer, he gave her the blood kiss and she turned back to her beautiful young and healthy form, though now twisted as vampirism does.

Campaign Effects (as starting lord)

 * Additional Starting Units
 * Crypt Ghouls
 * Crypt Ghouls
 * Black Knights
 * Lord Effects
 * [[file:construction.png]] 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
 * [[file:melee.png]] Undying Love: +15 to Melee Attack and Melee Defence when Vlad and Isabella are reinforcing each other
 * [[File:Weapon damage.png]] Weapon damage: +25% for all Vampire heroes
 * [[File:Agent.png]] Vampire hero capacity: +3
 * +1 Blood Kiss on campaign start

Abilities

 * Master of Beguilement
 * Undeath Resurgent
 * Red Fury

Mounts

 * Barded Nightmare
 * Hellsteed

Spells

 * Lore of Vampires

Items

 * Blood Chalice of Bathori

Strategy

 * Isabella von Carstein has probably the most useful defeat trait of any lord: permanent hit point regeneration in battle. If your lords are on the front lines, it might be advisable to seek out the Von carsteins and 'farm' her trait on your lords.
 * Her 1st tier Red Skills are different from a regular Vampire Lord. One will buff Fell Bats and the other buffs Vargheists (adding armor!).
 * She has access to Loremaster for Lore Vampires, making her a credible spellcaster.
 * Vampires Heros in her army get +25% to their damage. Naturally this leads to many players running amok with an inexpensive doomstack that has at least 10 vampire heros.

Isabella is a beast.
This is obvious, but during campaign Vlad and Isabella have fantastic synergy. Combined they both add 15 to Melee attack and defense...which turns them from powerful Vampire lords to mostly unstoppable. Put Vampires in Isabellas army, at least 2 preferably 3 or more. Also, take Isabellas Red line skill 'At dawn they sleep' IMMEDIATELY. It turns bats from a useful, powerful unit into a Godlike unit.