This weekend saw the announcement that next weekend, we're going to be seeing pre-orders go live for the new Soulblight Gravelords army for Warhammer Age Of Sigmar. Bloodsuckers and shambling skeletons are coming to invade The Mortal Realms.

Soulblight Gravelords Battletome // Warhammer Age Of Sigmar

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At the head of this new release is the new Death Battletome. Included within, you'll find all of the rules for playing as the new aristocracy of the night and their undead hordes. We've seen some good previews for this army over the last few months which introduce some classic Old World-looking bloodsuckers into the mix alongside some strange new creations.

Brand New Undead Units

The classic Zombies and Skeletons from the Games Workshop line that have been serving the various editions of Warhammer Fantasy Battles and Age Of Sigmar are getting replaced. First up, we have the new Deadwalker Zombies who have crawled out of their graves to serve a new master.

Deadwalker Zombies // Warhammer Age Of Sigmar

I like that they have removed the gravestones from many of these, a feature that was very prevalent on the zombies from Cursed City. The collection of zombies here are a massive update on the previous set and show off the inventiveness of the sculpting team. I like the roots that have infested their bodies and the poses which really show off their shambling nature. I also like that we can deduce their means of death for the most part!

In addition to the new zombies, we also have some new Deathrattle Skeletons.

Deathrattle Skeletons // Warhammer Age Of Sigmar

Building on the themes presented in Cursed City, this new look set of Deathrattle Skeletons should be a fitting addition to many an undead army. I like the shattered armour, the tattered cloth, the rusted weapons and the grinning skulls. Also, there isn't a batwing in sight which I'm sure will make a lot of people, including Lloyd, very happy.

I like that the almost Kislevite/Eastern European aesthetic has carried over into their design. If you do have a copy of Cursed City then I could see it being a good way to start up a new Soulblight Gravelords force with these plastics seamlessly melding into your collection.

When it comes to cavalry, the Soulblight Gravelords are able to call on their vampiric cavalry, the Blood Knights.

Blood Knights // Warhammer Age Of Sigmar

Much like the Blood Dragon Knights of old, these Blood Knights are powerful vampires in their own right. That means that each of them is a powerhouse in combat, able to use their Nagash-given gifts to smash their way through ranks of mortal warriors with ease. Again, I am a big fan of the look which is reminiscent of classic Warhammer Fantasy Battles.

Monstrous Fell Bats have also been updated. These creatures now descend from on high with leather wings to snatch up unsuspecting soldiers.

Fell Bats // Warhammer Age Of Sigmar

They look big and terrifying which is just what you want from your massive monstrous bats. We saw them hovering in the background of one of the preview shots from last week so it's good to see them getting added into the mix for the Soulblight Gravelords from the off. As an army that lacks much in the way of ranged support, having flying monsters sure does help harry the enemy.

New Characters

You can't have an army of the undead without some vampire leaders. So, maybe a Vampire Lord would fit the bill?

Vampire Lord // Warhammer Age Of Sigmar

This lord could well be a lady too if you so desire. I think the face looks androgynous enough to suit both should the fancy take you. I'm not overly fond of the bats fluttering away behind the Vampire but I think the overall miniature looks very cool. Again, plenty of calls back to the Old World.

Lauka Vai is the new breed of vampire stalking The Mortal Realms. We've discussed her before on The Weekender and whilst she is probably very marmite, I quite like the end result.

Lauka Vai // Warhammer Age Of Sigmar

It's good to see Games Workshop fully embracing the uniqueness of Warhammer Age Of Sigmar. I bet their sculpting team have a lot of fun coming up with strange new creations to throw at us. Lauka Vai sure is strange and if you fancy making another of her kind, the set also allows you to make a standard Soulblight Vampire Lord too.

The core of a good Soulblight Gravelords force is now coming together nicely from Games Workshop and it won't be long until you can get your hands on it. As well as the new Battletome and miniatures, they also have a set of themed dice and warscroll packs for you to pick up too.

Are you going to be starting a new undead force for Warhammer Age Of Sigmar?