Lore of Vampires

The Lore of Vampires is a lore of magic introduced in Total War: Warhammer.

Lore Attribute

The Curse of Undeath
As the powers of Dark Magic are wielded for the purpose of Necromancy, its unwholesome energies invigorate the Undead.
	Passive Ability Lore of Vampires
Type	Regeneration (Area)
Target	Self, Allies
Heal Per Second	+0.05%
Effect range
Duration	7 seconds
Affected units	Affects allies in range(all)
Affects units if	Undead
Enabled if	Leadership is higher than broken Casting
Triggers when casting spell Resurrects dead combatants Heals injured before resurrecting Greatly replenishes hit points of combatants

Spells

• Invocation of Nehek
• Invocation of Nehek Upgraded

Invocation of Nehek
The caster intones the dread syllables once uttered by Nagash, restoring friendly targets.
	Spell Lore of Vampires
Cost	7 Winds
Type	Regeneration
Target	Self or Ally
Heal Per Second	+0.80%
Range	200 metres
Duration	18 seconds
Cooldown	30 seconds
Affected units	Affects allies in range(max: 1)
Affects units if	Undead Not on or below a platform Hit point replenishment cap not reached
Can use if	Leadership is higher than broken
Replenishes hit points of combatants Resurrects dead combatants Heals injured before resurrecting

Invocation of Nehek Upgraded
The caster intones the dread syllables once uttered by Nagash, restoring friendly targets.
	Spell Lore of Vampires
Cost	13 Winds
Type	Regeneration (Area)
Target	Self, Allies (4)
Heal Per Second	+0.80%
Range	200 metres
Effect range	35 metres
Duration	18 seconds
Cooldown	30 seconds
Miscast chance	50%
Affected units	Affects allies in range(max: 4)
Affects units if	Undead Not on or below a platform Hit point replenishment cap not reached
Can use if	Leadership is higher than broken
Added effect area Resurrects dead combatants Replenishes hit points of combatants Heals injured before resurrecting

• Vanhel's Danse Macabre
• Vanhel's Danse Macabre Upgraded

Vanhel's Danse Macabre
Friendly targets are filled with magical energy, making them even more aggressive!
	Spell Lore of Vampires
Cost	4 Winds
Type	Augment
Target	Self or Ally
Speed	+25%
Melee Attack	+24
Range	200 metres
Duration	29 seconds
Cooldown	28 seconds
Affected units	Affects allies in range(max: 1)

Vanhel's Danse Macabre Upgraded
Friendly targets are filled with magical energy, making them even more aggressive!
	Spell Lore of Vampires
Cost	8 Winds
Type	Augment
Target	Self and Allies
Speed	+25%
Melee Attack	+24
Range	200 metres
Effect range	35 metres
Duration	29 seconds
Cooldown	28 seconds
Miscast chance	50%
Affected units	Affected units: Affects allies in range(all)
Added effect area

• Raise Dead
• Raise Dead Upgraded

Raise Dead
Necromancers can awaken mortal remains to reinforce their Undead legions.
	Spell Lore of Vampires
Cost	5 Winds
Type	Summon Unit
Uses	7
Target	Ground
Range	50 metres
Duration	1 second
Cooldown	39 seconds
Summons a unit of Zombies Good at defending spellcaster Summoned units degrade over time

Raise Dead Upgraded
Necromancers can awaken mortal remains to reinforce their Undead legions.
	Spell Lore of Vampires
Cost	6 Winds
Type	Summon Unit
Uses	7
Target	Ground
Range	50 metres
Duration	1 second
Cooldown	39 seconds
Miscast chance	50%
Summons a unit of Skeleton Warriors Good at defending spellcaster Summoned units degrade over time

• Gaze of Nagash
• Gaze of Nagash Upgraded

Gaze of Nagash
Bolts of Dark Magic leap from the caster’s eyes, withering flesh and blackening the bone beneath.
	Spell Lore of Vampires
Cost	7 Winds
Type	Magic Missiles
Target	Single Enemy
Ranged Damage	105 (71%)
Explosive Damage	95 (68%)
Number of projectiles	5
Range	250 metres
Cooldown	44 seconds
Causes moderate magical damage Good against armour Good against large combatants Strong vs a single combatant Requires line of sight to the target

Gaze of Nagash Upgraded
Bolts of Dark Magic leap from the caster’s eyes, withering flesh and blackening the bone beneath.
	Spell Lore of Vampires
Cost	14 Winds
Type	Magic Missiles
Target	Single Enemy
Ranged Damage	105 (71%)
Explosive Damage	95 (68%)
Number of projectiles	10
Range	250 metres
Cooldown	44 seconds
Miscast chance	50%
Increased number of missiles Causes moderate magical damage Good against armour Good against large combatants Strong vs a single combatant Requires line of sight to the target

• Curse of Years
• N/A

Curse of Years
A complex sigil is performed, transfixing the enemy with a shifting array of hallucinatory images that disjoint and befuddle, inviting their deaths.
	Spell Lore of Vampires
Cost	11 Winds
Type	Hex (Area)
Target	Ground, Enemies
Increase Cooldowns	+15 seconds
Speed	-25%
Melee Attack	-24
Range	200 metres
Effect range	35 metres
Duration	32 seconds
Cooldown	47 seconds
Affected units	Affected units: Affects enemies in range(all)

Curse of Years does not have an overcast version.

• Wind of Death
• Wind of Death Upgraded

Wind of Death
The Wizard calls forth spectral winds that howl through the enemy ranks, tearing their souls from their bodies.
	Spell Lore of Vampires
Cost	15 Winds
Type	Wind
Target	Ground, All
Damage Per Second	24 (100%)
Duration	5 seconds
Radius	6 metres
Movement Speed	20 metre per second
Range	150 metres
Duration	5 seconds
Cooldown	44 seconds
Affects units if	Grounded Not on or below a platform
Medium, forward-moving area of effect Strong vs multiple units Good against armour Weak vs a single combatant

Wind of Death Upgraded
The Wizard calls forth spectral winds that howl through the enemy ranks, tearing their souls from their bodies.
	Spell Lore of Vampires
Cost	20 Winds
Type	Wind
Target	Ground, All
Damage Per Second	72 (33%)
Duration	5 seconds
Radius	8 metres
Movement Speed	20 metre per second
Range	150 metres
Duration	5 seconds
Cooldown	44 seconds
Miscast chance	50%
Affects units if	Grounded Not on or below a platform
Increased damage Medium, forward-moving area of effect Strong vs multiple units Weak vs a single combatant

Variations

Certain units have the same spells from the above list broadly with one tweaked to them, see list below:

• Awaken from the Grave
• Awaken from the Grave Upgraded

This Spell is available only to Helman Ghorst and replaces Raise Dead.

Awaken from the Grave
Helman Ghorst, the maudlin Necromancer, uses his dark knowledge of the black arts to raise the dead and bring them under his control.
	Spell Lore of Vampires
Cost	12 Winds
Type	Summon Unit
Uses	2
Target	Ground
Range	50 metres
Duration	1 second
Cooldown	48 seconds
Summons a unit of Grave Guards Good at defending spellcaster Summoned units degrade over time

This Spell is available only to Helman Ghorst and replaces Raise Dead Upgraded.

Awaken from the Grave Upgraded
Helman Ghorst, the maudlin Necromancer, uses his dark knowledge of the black arts to raise the dead and bring them under his control.
	Spell Lore of Vampires
Cost	12 Winds
Type	Summon Unit
Uses	2
Target	Ground
Range	50 metres
Duration	1 second
Cooldown	48 seconds
Miscast chance	50%
Summons a Wight King Good at defending spellcaster Summoned units degrade over time

• Command of the Unliving
• Command of the Unliving Upgraded

This Spell is available only to the Strigoi Ghoul King & Strigoi Vampire Lord and replaces Raise Dead.

Command of the Unliving
The once-proud Strigoi now dwell in dank recesses, binding foul, crypt-dwelling scavengers to their inexorable will.
	Spell Lore of Vampires
Cost	9 Winds
Type	Summon Unit
Uses	2
Target	Ground
Range	50 metres
Duration	1 second
Cooldown	48 seconds
Summons a unit of Crypt Ghouls Good at defending spellcaster Summoned units degrade over time

This Spell is available only to the Strigoi Ghoul King & Strigoi Vampire Lord and replaces Raise Dead Upgraded.

Command of the Unliving Upgraded
The once-proud Strigoi now dwell in dank recesses, binding foul, crypt-dwelling scavengers to their inexorable will.
	Spell Lore of Vampires
Cost	16 Winds
Type	Summon Unit
Uses	2
Target	Ground
Range	50 metres
Duration	1 second
Cooldown	48 seconds
Miscast chance	50%
Summons a unit of Crypt Horrors Good at defending spellcaster Summoned units degrade over time

• Drowned Dead
• Drowned Dead Upgraded

This Spell is available only to Vampire Coast spellcasters and replaces Raise Dead.

Drowned Dead
Drowned sailors are easily bound, for they remember their last voyage and many of their worldly duties.
	Spell Lore of Vampires
Cost	7 Winds
Type	Summon Unit
Uses	4
Target	Ground
Range	50 metres
Duration	3 seconds
Cooldown	41 seconds
Summons a unit of Zombie Pirate Deckhands Mob Good at defending spellcaster Summoned units degrade over time

This Spell is available only to Vampire Coast spellcasters and replaces Raise Dead Upgraded.

Drowned Dead Upgraded
Drowned sailors are easily bound, for they remember their last voyage and many of their worldly duties.
	Spell Lore of Vampires
Cost	10 Winds
Type	Summon Unit
Uses	4
Target	Ground
Range	50 metres
Duration	3 seconds
Cooldown	41 seconds
Miscast chance	50%
Summons a unit of Zombie Pirate Gunnery Mob Good at defending spellcaster Summoned units degrade over time

Units with the Lore of Vampires

Daemons of Chaos

Unit
The Blue Scribes	🗙	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔

Tomb Kings

Unit
Arkhan the Black (campaign only)	✔	🗙	🗙	🗙	🗙	🗙	🗙

Tzeentch

Unit
The Changeling (Formless Horror: Count Noctilus)	✔	✔	🗙	✔	🗙	🗙	✔
Unit
The Changeling (Formless Horror: Heinrich Kemmler)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
The Changeling (Formless Horror: Isabella von Carstein)	✔	✔	✔	✔	🗙	🗙	✔
The Changeling (Formless Horror: Mannfred von Carstein)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
The Changeling (Formless Horror: Vlad von Carstein)	✔	✔	✔	✔	🗙	🗙	✔
The Changeling (Formless Horror: The Red Duke)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
The Blue Scribes	🗙	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Unit
The Changeling (Formless Horror: Helman Ghorst)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔

Vampire Coast

Unit
Count Noctilus	✔	✔	🗙	✔	🗙	🗙	✔
Vampire Fleet Admiral (Pistol - Vampires)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Vampire Fleet Admiral (Polearm - Vampires)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Vampire Fleet Captain (Vampires)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔

Vampire Counts

Unit
Heinrich Kemmler	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Isabella von Carstein	✔	✔	✔	✔	🗙	🗙	✔
Mannfred von Carstein	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Vlad von Carstein	✔	✔	✔	✔	🗙	🗙	✔
The Red Duke	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Blood Dragon Vampire Lord	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Lahmian Vampire Lord	✔	✔	🗙	🗙	🗙	🗙	✔
Master Necromancer	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Necrarch Vampire Lord	✔	✔	🗙	✔	🗙	🗙	🗙
Vampire Lord	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Von Carstein Vampire Lord	✔	✔	✔	✔	🗙	🗙	✔
Necromancer	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Unit
Helman Ghorst	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Unit
Strigoi Ghoul King	✔	✔	🗙	✔	✔	🗙	🗙
Strigoi Vampire Lord	✔	✔	🗙	✔	✔	🗙	🗙

Warriors of Chaos

Unit
The Blue Scribes	🗙	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔

Strategy

• Invocation of Nehek should always be brought on your caster because of its amazing utility. Useful for healing your lord or valuable units who have gotten injured. It also resurrects models, allowing units to be brought back to full strength. You cannot go wrong with this spell unless you use it to randomly heal a unit of Zombies. Notably, Invocation can only heal three targets in its radius when overcast as of a WHII patch. It healing & resurrecting spell passive for key unit or a blob of units is critical in maintaining an edge in battle. Raise Dead & Drowned Dead (Vampire Coast) is critical for shutting down missile units or tarpitting enemy Lords or infantry. It can summon 7 times for V. Count, 4 times for V. Coast as very great fodder unit (NOTE: Vampire coast can only summon lower times and little higher cost of WoM in term for their better fighting stats) .
• Vanhel's Danse Macabre is quite good and the overcast version can give your units the edge in a pitched fight. For that reason, it is usually overcast for maximum effect.
• Gaze of Nagash is quite a good armour-piercing magic missile attack. Unfortunately, it is quite pricey compared to other spells in this lore, but can be useful in niche scenarios for quick ranged damage.
• Raise Dead is the perfect spell for blocking an enemy's movement or simply buying time/bodies to bog down your enemies. They can be cast on enemy ranged units to stop them form firing or placed directly on a friendly character to insulate them from damaging enemies. Similarly, this spell offers great utility and you can hardly go wrong with it. Usually, the Zombies are enough to get the job done and the skeleton warrior version is unnecessary. For this reason, the other overcast versions like Crypt Horrors or a Wight King are also unnecessary. The one exceptions to this rule is the Zombie Pirate Gunnery Mob, notable because they are a ranged unit and can pack a punch if summoned off to the side of an enemy and allowed to broadside them repeatedly, dealing significant damage.
• Curse of Years is not a bad spell and is useful in dueling scenarios between characters, however the rest of the spells available overshadow it
• Wind of Death can singlehandedly destroy several units if they are bunched up. Usually best used against infantry, but it can also destroy cavalry units if they are caught in its wake. Wind of Death is one of a god tier "wind" spell that destroys infantry lines. Very expensive and very costly, but absolutely devastating when pulled off correctly. Use carefully because it costs an absurd amount of magic. Overcast is generally worth it for the extra damage.

Invocation of Nehek, Raise Dead, and Wind of Death are probably the most famous spells in the game, making the Lore of Vampires strongest lore of magic in term of healing, resurrecting and summoning new unit etc zombie + skeleton warriors and zombie deckhand mob + zombie gunnery mob for V. Coast.

Magic General Winds of Magic · Unique spells · Bound spells · Summons Lores of Magic Lore of Beasts Lore of the Big Waaagh! Lore of Dark Magic Lore of Death Lore of the Deep Lore of Fire Lore of the Great Maw Lore of Hashut Lore of Heavens Lore of High Magic Lore of the Hag Lore of Ice Lore of Life Lore of Light Lore of the Little Waaagh! Lore of Metal Lore of Nehekhara Lore of Nurgle Lore of Shadows Lore of Slaanesh Lore of Tempest Lore of Tzeentch Lore of Vampires Lore of the Wild Skaven Spells of Ruin Skaven Spells of Plague Skaven Spells of Stealth Lore of Yang Lore of Yin Unique Lores of Magic Cataclysm Deliverance of Itza Runic Magic