Vampire
Tier 2About
The Vampires are one of Blood Bowl's most thrilling and infuriating teams to coach. Their roster features powerful Vampire players with incredible stats -- strength, agility, speed, and Hypnotic Gaze -- alongside shambling Thrall linemen who serve as both teammates and walking blood banks. On paper, the Vampires look like one of the best teams in the game. In practice, the Bloodlust mechanic ensures that nothing ever goes quite according to plan.
Every turn, each Vampire must pass a Bloodlust roll or be compelled to bite the nearest Thrall instead of performing their intended action. This can -- and will -- wreck carefully orchestrated plays at the worst possible moments. A Vampire who should be scoring a touchdown might instead be snacking on the ball carrier's escort. It is as maddening as it sounds, and it is exactly what makes this team so entertaining.
Despite the chaos, a well-coached Vampire team is genuinely dangerous. When Bloodlust cooperates, the Vampires can do things that no other team can match. Hypnotic Gaze allows them to neutralise key opponents without blocking, their stat line lets them play any style, and their Thralls provide expendable bodies to absorb punishment. The key is accepting the randomness and building plans with contingencies for when the fangs come out at the wrong moment.
Positionals
| Position | MA | ST | AG | PA | AV | Cost | Starting Skills | Primary | Secondary | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thrall Lineman | 6 | 3 | 3+ | 4+ | 8+ | 40k | None | General | Agility, Strength | 16 |
| Vampire Thrower | 6 | 4 | 2+ | 2+ | 9+ | 110k | Bloodlust (2+)Hypnotic GazePassRegeneration | Agility, General, Passing | Strength | 2 |
| Vampire Blitzer | 6 | 4 | 2+ | 4+ | 9+ | 110k | Bloodlust (3+)Hypnotic GazeJuggernautRegeneration | Agility, General, Strength | 2 | |
| Vampire Runner | 8 | 3 | 2+ | 3+ | 8+ | 100k | Bloodlust (2+)RegenerationHypnotic Gaze | Agility, General | Passing, Strength | 2 |
| Vargheist | 5 | 5 | 4+ | 6+ | 10+ | 150k | Bloodlust (3+)ClawsFrenzyLoner (4+)Regeneration | Strength | Agility, General | 1 |
Strengths
- Vampire players have outstanding stat lines across the board
- Hypnotic Gaze is a unique and powerful ability to neutralise opponents
- Can play any style -- bash, pass, or run -- depending on the situation
- Thralls are cheap and expendable, perfect for absorbing hits
- Regeneration on Vampires helps them survive the long haul
Weaknesses
- Bloodlust is wildly unreliable and can ruin turns at critical moments
- Thralls are weak and die easily, depleting your roster
- Vampire players are extremely expensive to replace if they are lost
- Team is highly dependent on dice luck with Bloodlust rolls
- Inconsistent performance makes competitive play challenging
Tips & Strategy
- Always keep a Thrall adjacent to each Vampire as a Bloodlust safety net
- Activate your most important Vampire actions last, so a Bloodlust failure does less damage
- Use Hypnotic Gaze to lock down key opposing players without risking a block
- Recruit extra Thralls; you will lose them regularly and need replacements on hand
- Do not over-invest in Thrall skills -- they are there to be bitten, not to be stars