Haunting host, updated, comments on balance, and rules for Captain Vangheist of the Shadewraith

I've now playtested my original Haunting Host list through a couple of games, against Empire and Cathay, plus some graph-paper tests of my own. Conclusions are as follows:

• At core it's pretty balanced, but predictably it's swingy. In particular, some of the swing is about what opponent you're facing, as some armies have much better options for generating magical attacks than others. See Appendix A, 'armies by ghost-killing capacity' and B, 'making it fair'
• Banshees and screams are ofc an excellent damage dealer, but aren't game-winning in the absence of big regenerating troop blocks even if you hop a load of them out of haunt in somebody's backline
• I wanted some special vampiric power equivalents, which have been added as 'spectral manifestations'. Just gives a bit more variety to the character ghosts. 
• Cairn Wraiths were underperforming badly compared to banshees and hexwraiths, with their low speed and swingy but basically low attack power, so I gave them a bit of a utility role in interacting with the Old Haunts rule and buffing nearby spellcasters. That way, even a banshees list potentially wants a wraith or two. 
• I forgot to put magical attacks on most of the units. Oops. Ghosts and wraiths do in fact have that.

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. You should absolutely field your ghosts as Empire allies. 

Haunting Host 

This Army of Infamy composition list is designed to be used with the Vampire Counts Legacy Army List, though should be compatible with fan variants, and alongside the Forming Units and Warhammer Armies sections of the Warhammer: the Old World rulebook.

Army of Infamy Composition List

Characters
Up to 50% of your army's points value may be spent on:
0-1 Banshee Queen* or Cairn Master* per 2000 points
0-1 Hell's Huntmaster* per 2000 points
Tomb Banshees and Cairn Wraiths
Core
At least 25% of your army's points value must be spent on:
Wisps*
0-1 unit of Spirit Hosts per 2000 pts may be taken as a core choice unless your general is a Hell's Huntmaster.

If your general is a Hell's Huntmaster,* Hexwraiths may be taken as core choices, and Wisps must be taken as Special choices instead of Core choices.
Special
Up to 50% of your army's points value may be spent on:
Spirit Hosts
0-2 Haints per 1000 points
If you have a Hell's Huntmaster,* 0-1 unit of Hexwraiths may be taken as a special choice.
If you have a Banshee Queen*, 0-1 Banshee Choir* may be taken as a special choice
If you have a Cairn Master, 0-1 Wraithly Coven or Black Coach may be taken as a special choice
Rare
Up to 25% of your army's points value may be spent on:
0-1 Mourngul* per 2000 points
Black Coaches, Wraithly Covens*, Banshee Choirs* and Hexwraiths 

Special Rules

Old Haunts

Every unit in this list has this rule. 

Units with this special rule may be deployed as ancient inhabitants of a particular terrain feature. After terrain is set up and sides are picked but before deployment, determine whether each unit will deploy normally or as a haunter. Secretly write down which piece of terrain each of the latter will haunt. Then, mark each piece of terrain haunted by at least one unit with a counter, but do not reveal what the units are. They do not deploy during deployment. 

If, at the start of any of your Movement Phases, an enemy unit or a unit with the Ancient Necromancer rule (see below) is within 6" of a haunted piece of terrain, you may reveal any or all units haunting that piece of terrain. They all deploy entirely within 6" of that piece of terrain. If this is not possible, as many units as possible deploy within this range and the remainder deploy entirely as close as possible to the piece of terrain. The unit may move and charge normally this Movement Phase, except that it may only declare charges against units within 6" of the piece of terrain it was haunting. Subsequently it acts normally. 

Any units not revealed at the end of the game do not count as destroyed. ('Leaving the haunted place alone' is not a traditional method of exorcism). If the terrain would be destroyed for any reason, all units haunting it are deployed normally before it is removed, and must immediately make a Dangerous Terrain test. ('Cannon bombardment' is not a traditional method of exorcism, but it does occasionally pop up).

Design note: This works pretty well in play, unless you're playing some kind of surrounded scenario. Then it sucks :(  if your scenario requires deploying a particular piece of terrain, I recommend a gentleperson's agreement not to haunt that piece unless your opponent clearly outclasses you. 

The terrain destruction rules were a minor addition that I think are pretty self-explanatory. IK cannons don't destroy terrain in the core rules, but I also know it's a common houserule that they do for certain types :) 

Ancient Necromancer 

Units with this special rule grant +1 to casting rolls for spells cast by other models from this list within 6" of them, to a maximum of +3. You may reveal haunters if an Ancient Necromancer is within 6" of them as described above.

If a unit with this rule is a Character, all instances of '6"' in this rule and the Old Haunts rule as it applies to it is replaced by its Command Range if the latter would be higher.

Design note: this gives slightly different utilities to the Wraithly Coven and the solitary character Wraith. The latter are better at buffing spellcasting, insofar as you can buy them individually, but the former are of course marginally easier to heal back and can hop around the battlefield with their other new rule, Cairn Walkers, to awaken lots of different little ghosts. The Cairn Master as general, meanwhile, is a 12" beacon of casting buffs (should you have the points to fit in another caster, as note they don't work on it) and awakenings.

Manifestations

Any Spirit Hosts, Hexwraiths, Banshee Choirs, and Wraithly Covens in this list may purchase a Poltergeist, Possessor, Misty Shape, or Lurker as an upgrade. Any character or Hexwraith unit may purchase a Barghest Pack as an upgrade. These units are detailed below. 

Deploying Manifestations: A Manifestation must be deployed at the same time as its 'parent' unit (the unit it was bought as an upgrade for), and must be deployed within 3" of that unit, or in the same piece of terrain if deploying with the Old Haunts rule. 
Connected: If it is within 3" of its parent unit, a Manifestation cannot be targeted by enemy shooting or enemy spells unless it's the closest target. In addition, whilst within 3" the Manifestation does not need to make a separate Leadership check due to the Death of a General rules; instead, any wounds lost may be removed either from the Manifestation or the back rank of the unit. 

New Units

Banshee Queen

Concept art for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, via Warhammer Wiki

The grief of the Tomb Banshee for what she lost in her mortal life is legendary. The intrinsic entropic force of Dhar makes it a chain for many. But just as mortals can use grief as a building-block for a new self, some Banshees embrace its emptiness as a space for the creation of a new dark power wholly unlike what they wielded before. Others then swarm to her side, hoping to learn these nihilistic secrets and drown what they were in stygian rivers of terrible new grandeur.

M  WS BS S  T  W  I  A  Ld Points

 6     3    3   3  3   3  3  2   7   195

Troop Type: Regular Infantry, Character 

Base Size: 25x25 mm

Unit Size: 1

Equipment: Hand Weapon

Magic: The Banshee Queen is a Level 2 Wizard who uses spells from Dark Magic, Illusion, or Necromancy

Special Rules: Dark Vitality, Ethereal, Indomitable (1), Necromantic Undead, Regeneration (6+), Magical Attacks, Terror, Wailing Dirge, Lore of Undeath 

Nihil's Voice: The Banshee Queen's followers are empowered by her morbid transcendence, whilst her foes are haunted by dark voices, waking dreams, and omens. Friendly units within the Banshee Queen's Command Range gain Indomitable (1), and enemy units within the same range must re-roll successful Fear and Terror tests. 

Upgrades: 

• May be a Level 3 Wizard - 40 pts
• May be mounted on a Spectral Steed (see Hell's Huntmaster, below) - 16 pts
• May take Spectral Phenomena worth up to 100 pts. 

Design notes: This one just keeps changing. The last version was +1 Combat Res but making her a BSB/general is just too good I fear, makes her almost a shoe-in. Now we have something that's clearly a morale effect, not a generic 'win combat more' power, and the BSB effect has been moved to Spectral Phenomena.

Cairn Master 

a skeletal character with a scythe, Jean Fouquet, c. 1460, via Wikipedia

Some ancient dark magicians, particularly those learned in early forms of Necromancy, preserved their magical potence into death alongside their spirits. Where Cairn Wraiths haunt a singular site, these potentates of the ghostly world wander from place to place, binding their fellows to their will in the dead of night. Some are convinced they live yet, others proud of their transcendent condition; at any rate, none will consent to be ruled over by necromantic adepts still shrouded in flesh.

 

M  WS BS S  T  W  I  A  Ld Points

 6     4    0  3   4   4  2  3   7   150 

Troop Type: Regular Infantry, Character

Base Size: 25x25 mm

Unit Size: 1

Equipment: Spectral Scythe (see Cairn Wraith)

Magic: The Cairn Master is a Level 2 Wizard who uses spells from Dark Magic, Illusion, or Necromancy

Special Rules: Dark Vitality, Ethereal, Indomitable (1), Necromantic Undead, Regeneration (6+), Terror, Invocation of Nehek, Lore of Undeath, Ancient Necromancer

Reaper King: The Cairn Master restores one additional wound to Ethereal units when it uses Invocation of Nehek. If it dealt at least one wound in the Combat Phase last turn, it makes the Leadership Test to activate Invocation of Nehek at +(wounds dealt).

Upgrades: 

• May be a Level 3 Wizard - 40 pts
• May be mounted on a:
• Spectral Steed (see Hell's Huntmaster, below) - 16 pts
• Black Coach (replacing Wraith driver) - 155 pts
• May take Spectral Phenomena worth up to 100 pts. 

Cairn Wraith and Tomb Banshee (addendum)

Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot, 'Death'

Additional Special Rules:

Cairn Wraith gains Ancient Necromancer
Gain the following option:

• May be mounted on a Spectral Steed - 8 pts
• May take Spectral Phenomena worth up to 50 pts. 

Hell's Huntmaster

Herne with his steed, hounds and owl, George Cruikshank, c. 1843, via Wikipedia

Through the night their steeds trample endlessly, souls cursed by the gods to hunt forever. If Hexwraiths are mindlessly committed to their eternal quest for stolen life, the Hell's Huntmasters' condition is far worse. They know the dread crimes they committed that damned them to this state. They know that what waits for them should they fall in the chase is merely another cycle of the eternal rebirth, the ride. But they do not stop, for the scent of prey is on the air, and they are spiteful. 

                           M  WS BS S  T  W  I  A  Ld Points

Huntmaster      -     5    0   4   4   3  2  3   7   150

Spectral Steed  8     2    -    3   -   -   2  1   -

Troop Type: Light Cavalry, Character

Base Size: 30x60mm

Unit Size: 1

Equipment:

Hell's Huntmaster: Hand weapon and great weapon

Spectral Steed: Skeletal hooves (counts as hand weapons)

Special Rules: Ethereal*, Flaming Attacks, Fly (8)*, Magical Attacks*, Necromantic Undead*, Open Order*, Regeneration (6+), Spectral Reapers, Swiftstride,* Terror

* These rules are possessed by the Spectral Steed, and are transferred to other units riding one.

The Hunt Eternal: Hexwraith and Barghest Pack units within the Hell's Huntmaster's Command Range have the Indomitable (1), Dark Vitality and Vanguard rules.

Ghost Riders in the Sky: If you field no other spellcasters, the Hell's Huntmaster may be the general despite not being a wizard.

Options

• May take Spectral Phenomena worth up to 100 pts. 
• May be a Level 1 wizard: 40 pts.
• May be a Level 2 wizard: 70 pts.

Design notes: Turns out the stories of ghostly hunts quite often feature a former sorcerer as their leader, so the optional rule to make them a general without being a wizard is unnecessary. Priced in accordance with Skaven 0-2 chars. 

Wisps

WFRP 1e Core Rulebook, 'Marshlight'

When the dead drift forth on the wind, some weaker forms herald them. Minor apparitions, flickering lights, falling objects, strange winds... these 'wisps', as scholars have named them, appear in many forms, and are known to be not so much dangers as omens thereof. Under the control of powerful spirits however, these minor forces of Dhar can be put to clever use - for though they are little more than illusions possessed of a faint flicker of will, illusions are invaluable in war. 

 M  WS BS S  T  W  I  A  Ld Points

 6     1    0   1   1  1   4 1   3    7/model

Troop Type: Regular Infantry

Base Size: 25x25mm

Unit Size: 5+

Equipment:  Wispy, grasping hands (hand weapon) 

Special Rules: Fear, Evasive, Reserve Move, Skirmishers, Vanguard, Necromantic Undead, Ethereal, Magical Attacks

Ephemeral Enemies: At the end of the Combat Phase, if a unit of Wisps is engaged in Close Combat then it is destroyed. This does not allow the enemy unit to overrun - the Follow Up and Pursuit phase is already over, and anyway the warriors are far too busy wondering where the mysterious glowing forms went!

Poltergeist 

unknown staff artist, La Vie Mysterieuse, 55, April 1911.

For many in the Empire, the ghosts their folklore tells of are Poltergeists. This is because an ordinary spectre silently reaps souls in the night, leaving little sign of its presence that might not be attributed to terminal imbalance of the humours, whilst sudden assault by the contents of one's crockery-drawers tends, even where fatal, to invite the attention and curiosity of the neighbours.

 M  WS BS S  T  W  I  A  Ld Points

 6     3    3   4   3  1   4 D3 4   30

Troop Type: Regular Infantry

Base Size: 40x40 mm

Unit Size: 1

Equipment: Thrown Objects (see below) 

Special Rules: Fear, Loner, Open Order, Fly (8"), Ethereal, Necromantic Undead, Regeneration (6+), Magical Attacks

Thrown Objects: In Close Combat, Poltergeists may choose to fight with the profile of any non-magical weapon wielded by a model in base contact with them. In the Shooting Phase, Poltergeists may hurl nearby objects at the enemy as a shooting attack with a range of 8", ignoring all negatives to hit. They make X shots, at a strength of (7-X), where X is the roll of a single D6, with Armour Bane 1. 

Possessor

Some spirits yearn so strongly for life that they can seize control of nearby bodies, puppeteering them according to their whims. Usually, they attempt to mime out a grotesque pantomime of their actions in life, but when steeped in Dhar and bound to the will of the lords of the dead they can be a much greater threat, turning the swords of the strongest foes against their brethren.

M  WS BS S  T  W  I  A  Ld Points

 6     3    0   1  1  1   4  *   4   50

Troop Type: Regular Infantry

Base Size: 40x40 mm

Unit Size: 1

Equipment: The enemy's (see below)

Special Rules: Fear, Loner, Open Order, Reserve Move, Ethereal, Necromantic Undead, Regeneration (6+)

Possession: At the start of a round of Close Combat involving the Possessor, one enemy model of your choice in base contact with it must make a Leadership test. If they pass, the Possessor does not attack this round. If they fail, the Possessor attacks using the profile of that model (but on its own Initiative and Weapon Skill) against any unit in base contact with that model, even if that unit is not in base contact with the Possessor, and that model does not attack this round.

Lurker

There are many reasons for citizens of the Old World to fear what hides in the shadows, and not to walk abroad after dark. When some of those reasons pass beyond the mortal world, they become Lurkers, fear-ghosts that feed (endlessly and without satiation) on the dread of the victims they follow. When the brave attempt to destroy them, they vanish like mist, only to reappear at the worst possible moment.

 M  WS BS S  T  W  I  A  Ld Points

 6     3    3   4   3   2  4  2  4    50

Troop Type: Regular Infantry

Base Size: 40x40 mm

Unit Size: 1

Equipment: Hand Weapon

Special Rules: Fear, Loner, Open Order, Fly (8"), Ethereal, Necromantic Undead, Regeneration (6+), Magical Attacks

It's Behind You: The Lurker and the unit with which it is purchased may deploy using the Ambushers special rule. The Lurker also gains an additional charge reaction ,as does the parent unit whilst the Lurker is within 3": redeploy the unit anywhere within 6", in any facing and formation, then Hold. 

Ominous Shadow: Enemy units with at least one Lurker in their flank or rear arc and within 8" can never claim a Rank Bonus - their troops are too distracted by the horror skulking in their peripheral vision! Additionally, they treat their Unit Strength as 5 lower for purposes of Fear tests. 

Misty Shape

'Haunted' by Pauline Moss on DeviantArt, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 License. Not listing this on the rest 'cause you know the deal with Wikipedia and GW are either going to sue me or not. 

Betimes a fog comes down upon a clear night on the moors and forests. This is usually attributed by those who live near the Wasteland to Marsh-Daemons, but for East Imperials, the finger is more likely to be pointed at Geistnebel. Ethnographically-inclined Amethyst mages have suggested that these are likely the same genus of the dead as the Bretonnian Fantôme de la Brume found near, but certain Grey Magisters darkly imply that the latter have a quite different origin.

M  WS BS S  T  W  I  A  Ld Points

 6     3    3   2   2   1  4   1   4   50

Troop Type: Regular Infantry

Base Size: 40x40 mm

Unit Size: 1

Equipment: Hand Weapon

Special Rules: Fear, Loner, Open Order, Fly (8"), Ethereal, Necromantic Undead, Regeneration (6+), Magical Attacks

Veil of Tears: The area within 6" of the Misty Shape counts as partial cover during the enemy shooting phase only. Weapons which do not roll to hit cannot trace line of sight through the area during this time, and friendly models get a 6+ Ward save against their effects if they don't already have a better one.

Barghest Pack

Adam Simpson, Black Shuck art for Royal Mail stamp

Scholarly opinion differs on the Barghest. Some Amethyst Magisters say these huge nigh-black hounds are a type of Daemon or wild Spirit formed of Dark Magic; others, that they are merely the souls of wild dogs and wolves driven mad by love of the hunt. Some, who have seen them prowling graveyards at night and driving off interlopers, say they are particularly fierce angels of Morr. If they are, though, they have an unusual willingness to ally themselves with the undead, for such beasts can often be seen snapping and frothing in ghostly hunts or slinking at the heels of some dark master. They are fiercely protective, and take a diabolical pleasure in chasing down those doomed for death and tearing them apart. 

M  WS BS S  T  W  I  A  Ld Points

 9     3    -   3   3  4   4  4  4    115

Troop Type: Swarm

Base Size: 50x50mm

Unit Size: 1

Equipment: Flashing claws and fiery teeth (hand weapon)

Special Rules: Fear, Loner, Open Order, Fly (10"), Ethereal, Necromantic Undead, Regeneration (6+), Swiftstride, Vanguard, Counter Charge, Flaming Attacks, Magical Attacks

Scent of Doom: If the Barghest Pack is within 3" of an enemy unit, other friendly units may re-roll failed Charge rolls against that unit and that unit must re-roll successful saving throws against other friendly units. Note that neither ability affects the Barghest Pack itself.  

Design notes: Spirit Host, but flying cav speed and vanguard. Vanguard tends to be 1-2 ppm on 1-wounders, so counts for 8 here. Flying cav mechanics package tends to roughly 1.333x value per model, looking at how very similar demigryph (3wd) and pegasus (2wd) knights cost the same, so brings the base 49 pts to 65. Flaming attacks on a single multi-attack model are worth 5 pts. Scent of Doom feels like effectively a decent if short-ranged and hard-ish to set up (you'll generally have to get in 3" and then stay there for a turn) bound spell, so I'm just pricing it like 'getting a decent bound spell' at abt 35 pts. I round up by 2. Sanity-checking between the costs of a great eagle and preyton, this seems about right. It's a bit of a boring value-generator as it stands, but I also can't think of anything better for the 'omen of doom' vibe the barghest legends often have. 

The 'being protective' is covered by Counter Charge; considered adding a Look Out Sir effect but ultimately decided it was too much, this is already pushing the complexity and price level for a smallish creature that's nominally an upgrade.

Haint

Nastier than this. BBC, Ghosts

Many spirits haunt their resting-places, but for some wood and stone become as flesh and bone animated by spectral muscles. Some of these are benevolent ... but the masters of the spectral dead rarely seek out this type, preferring those bound to their grave-sites in scenes of murder and butchery. Though such spirits are more vulnerable than most to material destruction, for razing their desecrated dwellings will banish them as sure as blessed arms a common shade, they are a terrible threat nevertheless - for who knows what building might be their dwelling until the walls begin to bleed and the doors slam and bar themselves?

 M  WS BS S  T  W  I  A  Ld Points

 6     3    3   5   7  6   4 D3 4   150

Troop Type: Monstrous Creature

Base Size: 50x50 mm

Unit Size: 1

Equipment: The environment

Special Rules: Fear, Flammable, Open Order, No Escape, Stomp Attacks (D6), Armour Bane (2), Necromantic Undead, Large Target, Regeneration (4+), Warp-Spawned, Magical Attacks

Bound: the Haint must deploy using the Old Haunts rule. The Haint must deploy inside the piece of terrain which it Haunts when revealed, or wholly within 3" if the terrain cannot be occupied. It may never move further away than this for any reason. Whilst it lives, the terrain is Dangerous Terrain in addition to any other terrain type, and Dangerous Terrain tests made for it are failed on a roll of 1 or 2. If the Haint is destroyed, remove the terrain piece from the battlefield and replace it with an equivalently sized area of Difficult Terrain. Likewise, if the piece of terrain in which the Haint dwells is removed for any reason, or if the Haint would be forced to move outside it by an effect which compels movement, the Haint is destroyed.

No Escape: Enemy units which Flee or Fall Back in Good Order whilst within 6" of the Haint may not move further from its piece of terrain than it is allowed to go.

Upgrades: 

• Inexplicable Draw (40 pts): At the end of the Charge sub-phase, units which declared no other charge and could make a legal charge against the Haint must pass a Leadership test not to do so.
• Old Evil (25 pts): The Haint causes Terror. 
• Animated Armour (20 pts): The Haint has a 5+ armour save, makes D6+1 stomp attacks rather than D6, and its Regeneration functions against Magical attacks.
• Cursed Treasure (15 pts):  Choose a Core or Vampire Counts magic item worth up to 25 points. If the Haint is killed, your opponent selects one champion or character within 3" of its piece of terrain. They gain that item. If they are ever killed, the Haint is returned to the field on full wounds within the nearest piece of terrain within 6". If there is no such piece of terrain, place a counter on the battlefield and treat it as a piece of terrain for these purposes, then return the Haint as above. This process may repeat any number of times.
• Thrashing Branches (10 pts): The Haint makes an additional attack per enemy model in base contact with it. This attack is made at Strength 2 with Always Strikes First. 

Design notes: just some flavourful little upgrade options. Mostly memes or niche utility. Inexplicable Draw and maybe Animated Armour might be the most useful if you feel like spending 190-210 pts on a distraction carnifex. Haunt it near the enemy backline and make all their support units run into it...

Realized the Warp-Spawned rule already exists for 'no regen against magic' so crunched this into that.

Banshee Choir

Warhammer Armies: Vampire Counts 8th edition . For models that could never be fielded as units... banshees sure do have more banshees per banshee art than wraiths, huh?

Stats as per Tomb Banshees, except the following additions and replacements.

Pts: 85/model

Troop Type: Regular Infantry, not, Character

Unit Size: 3-10

Special Rules: add Skirmishers, and Open Order

Mournful Choir: This unit makes only a single Wailing Dirge attack. If successful, it deals an additional 1 wound for every Tomb Banshee in the unit beyond the first. If unsuccessful, it deals 1 wound for every Tomb Banshee in the unit beyond the first, -1 per point by which the enemy unit passed their Leadership test (so if they passed a test at modified Ld 4 with a roll of 2 against 4 banshees, they'd suffer (2-4)+(4-1) wds, or 3 wds).

Design Notes: the 5-pt discount from lone banshees is definitely feeling like the right zone for these.

Wraithly Coven

The fresco at the back wall of the Church of St. Mary of the Rocks in the Istrian town of Beram, Croatia, Vincent of Kastav, 1474

As their wills wither away across centuries, some weaker Cairn Wraiths flock or are bound together with inhabitants of neighbouring haunts. Whether they were once rivals or distant relatives, in this covenant of Dhar they regain a small measure of their old power, and the ability to traverse the ancient leys that connect their unquiet graves.

Stats as per Cairn Wraiths, except the following additions and replacements.

Pts: 50/model

Troop Type: Regular Infantry, not Character

Unit Size: 3-10

Special Rules: add Skirmishers, Open Order, and Ancient Necromancer

Cairn Walkers: When you deploy a unit of Cairn Wraiths either as Haunters or normally, note a number of pieces of terrain Haunted per the Old Haunts rule equal to the number of Wraiths in the unit. Whilst within 6" of one of these pieces of terrain, in its Remaining Moves Sub-Phase, the unit may take a special manoeuvre to redeploy wholly within 6" of any other piece of terrain noted for it. This costs half of its movement.

Design Notes: these stay at 50 ppm because they're much better suited to being a skirmishy combat unit than Banshee Choirs are. 

Mourngul

Monstrous Arcanum

M  WS BS S  T  W  I  A  Ld Points

 6     5    0   5   5   5   3  4   8   270

Troop Type: Monstrous Creature 

Base Size: 50x50mm

Unit Size: 1

Equipment: Terrifying Claws and Maw (AP -2)

Special Rules: Dark Vitality, Terror, Ethereal, Necromantic Undead, Stomp (D3), Magical Attacks

Shadows and Icy Fogs: The Mourngul does not have the Large Target rule, unlike other Monsters.

Chomp Attack: The Mourngul makes 1 additional attack each round with the Killing Blow special rule. This attack has +1 to hit against Large Targets. 

Carnophage: For every wound it inflicts in close combat, the Mourngul regains a wound previously lost, up to its maximum Wounds value.

Killing Cold: Enemy units in base contact with a Mourngul have Always Strikes Last. It is unaffected by effects based on cold such as a Thundertusk's Chill Breath or Yheetee's Numbing Chill. 

Design notes: In addition to previous tweaks to the base Mourngul, added Dark Vitality and Necromantic Undead. It's been a thing for the last couple of editions that everything in VC is undead even if clearly narratively it's something more ambiguous like a ghoul, and whilst I don't actually like that fixing it will have to wait for my full ground-up redesign of the game. GW hiring agents, contact me. I love your company and would never say otherwise. Dark Vitality is in line with a lot of big VC monsters like Varghulfs. Also removed the superfluous Obstacle Strider, which is neither a rule in this edition nor useful for an ethereal creature. Considered having its long arms make it ignore obstacle combat effects but like. If that were so it'd be so for giants. So you may still cower.
In practical terms this should play almost identically to how it did before, except you can Nehek & death-spells it.

Spectral Phenomena

General design notes: I tend to think 8th's VC book had the right number of these, i.e. 14. This is that +1 that's just 'be the (TK-style) BSB'. Hopefully none of them completely breaks the game at their price-point, but rather adds some flavourful - and mechanically scary - capabilities to characters that make your opponents feel like they're in a horror movie. Where there wasn't a good comparison point for pricing, I've adopted two simple rules:

 A) 'if I'm getting too excited about pairing these two things, and at least one of them could fairly be called a 'game-shaping' upgrade, I probably shouldn't be able to afford to pair them.'
B) If bringing more than one of these could be annoying for me to remember or my opponent to face, given they aren't unique, it costs 55+ points so that I can only do that in a 2k+ game or at considerable investment (putting it on an HHM and a Cairn Master or Banshee Queen)

G

Lineal Doom (75 pts): Before deployment, choose a character in the enemy list and declare it. The first time this model moves within command range of it, it suffers D3 wounds, with no armour or regeneration saves allowed. 
Design notes: You have to assume you'll be targeting this at threatening opponents. A top-end character without upgrades tends to be 40-50 pts per wound, whilst a BSB or minor wizard tends to be 30-40 pts per wound, so if we average that to ~40 pts per wound and about 2 wds with a slight discount for the randomness, that works pretty well. No need to raise it for value of upgrades, because if they've upgraded they've probably bought a ward and if they haven't they can still play keep-away. 

Luring Light (75 pts): During each friendly and enemy Start of Turn sub-phase, choose an enemy unit which can draw a line of sight to this model from their front arc. It must make a Leadership test. If it fails, it immediately moves its full movement directly towards this model if possible, and is otherwise treated as though it had failed a Stupidity test. 
Design notes: I wanted this to be 'all units, 24" range but I think it's just too swingy there. Horrible against high-ld mobile armies, oppressive against low-ld ones that want to win combats. Two targeted uses is a bit easier to plan around, and still nasty since you can use it in two phases. 

Pathetic Fallacy (65 pts): A model with this upgrade may activate it during the Command sub-phase of their turn. Until your next Start of Turn sub-phase, enemy units cannot use the Fly (X) special rule and all enemy shooting suffers an additional -1 To Hit modifier. Each time the model activates this upgrade, it suffers a wound, with no saves of any kind allowed.

Design notes: Storm Banner but I don't like one-use-only for a special ability so instead it's reusable but always has a cost. Also, the weather is mirroring how you feel, i.e. OWWWWW. On careful consideration, it costs the same as Storm Banner. Shooting is worse than normal against this army because there's only so much that's magic, but shutting down flying is a really useful way to keep the enemy from trapping your fragile ghoulies. 

Uncanny Apparitions (55 pts): At the beginning of the game, roll 3d6. As long as this model is alive, you may replace the result of one die on any Break or Leadership test with one of these results, then remove that die from the pool. When this model wins a combat, add a new roll to the pool. 
Design notes: This is probably overcosted but I think spamming it on 'hero-level' chars would get irritating, and it feels like a boss power. If it's bad at this cost, I'll make it better.

Oppressive Presence (50 pts): Enemy units within this model's Command Range have Always Strikes Last and may not March. 

Eerie Appendages (40 pts): In your Combat Phase, if it is not engaged in Close Combat, this model may attack as if it were against any unit within its Command Range. No attacks are made in return, and this model's mount and unit, if any, do not attack. If the target unit is not engaged in Close Combat no Combat Resolution is calculated, though a Panic Test may be triggered as normal by damage. This model does not count as engaged for any other purposes, including the effects of Combat Resolution.
Design notes: notably a bit better on the Wraith, so doesn't buff the banshee's schtick too much, but also being only at best 3 WS4 AP-2 D3MW at 8" I take it to be roughly comparable to a magic bow. Of those, it's obviously worse than a bow of the seafarer but seems more comparable to a bow of loren (much shorter range but higher wounds and not affected by shooting penalties). So pricing it the same. I'm not actually sure I'd pay more than 25 for this, but best to start high! 

Grasp the Heart (35 pts): This model may exchange all of its attacks for a single attack with AP -5, Magical Attacks, Killing Blow, and Monster Slayer. 
Design notes: I reckon 1 attack on this statline is about half as good as a Mace of Helsturm.

Soul-Bound (30 pts): At the start of the game, after spells are generated, choose a magic item in your opponent's list. If playing with hidden items, pick one of the 3 highest-costed at random and learn what it is. This character has Hatred, Killing Blow, and Monster Slayer against its bearer. If its wielder dies in a combat in which this character is engaged, this character becomes equipped with that item, even if it cannot normally bear magic items.
Design notes: stealing an item with strict conditions has historically been worth about 5-10 pts, and I reckon 'hatred and KB/MS against 1 character' is worth about 25 if you're using it well? Keeping the theft cost on the low end because it randomizes if using secret items.

Collector of the Damned (25 pts): Each time this model kills an enemy character, it adds a Soul. It may expend any number of Souls at any point. Each Soul expended increases one of its statistics by 1 until the beginning of your next turn.

Design notes: Command Range shenanigans aside, this is probably the only way to make a modestly solid combat char and you kind of already need to be winning combats to do it. It'd be very good in some armies, not sure it is here. I mused on whether it'd be too good paired with Lineal Doom for a potential 'free' Soul, but honestly it feels like a nice payoff for that and if you're spending 100 points I think you deserve to feel a bit nice.

Maddening Visage (25 pts): A unit that Flees or Falls Back in Good Order from this model for any reason (Terror, combat, or other special causes) must immediately make a Dangerous Terrain test, in addition to any other Dangerous Terrain tests it would have to make. If this causes any wounds, it cannot rally for as long as it is within this model's Command Range and front arc.

Ectoplasmic Bile (25 pts): This model has a Strength 2 AP -2 Breath Weapon. A unit struck by it suffers -1 Initiative until the end of the turn. 

Imbued with Shyish (25 pts): Friendly units within this model's Command range may re-roll any failed Leadership test. In addition, friendly units within this model's Command range reduce the number of Wounds lost due to the Unstable special rule by D3. (Note that this is not cumulative with the Indomitable (X) special rule. If a unit is affected by both, use the highest value.)

Deadly Innocence (20 pts): On the first round of close combat, enemy units must pass an Initiative test to attack this model. If they fail, they may still attack other eligible targets if there are any. 
Design notes: If we assume anything scary has I5+ and that you might be in 'first combat' with distinctly non-fighty ghost char about twice in the game, we can effectively price this based on the Charmed Shield, if that stopped all attacks rather than just one (5+ vs 6+ twice. I know that maths is a bit different. Shhh.) Say that 'all' is ~4. Price. Considered making it penalize charges as well but that just seemed overcomplicated.

Legendary Haunt (15 pts): When you deploy this model as a haunter, it may subsequently deploy from any piece of terrain marked with the Old Haunts rule, regardless of whether it was where it was originally deployed haunting. It follows the rule in all other ways. 

Don't Turn Around (15 pts): Once per turn, when an enemy unit within this model's Command Range makes a Reform or Turn manoeuvre, immediately after the manoeuvre is completed you may place this model anywhere within 6" of it and in its new front arc.
Design notes: I really like the narrative here. Is it good to chaff with your characters? MAYBE! IDK I'm pricing this competitively. I do not think it'll break the game.

It Drifts On Midnight Winds... (10 pts):  (Models without Fly only) This model gains Fly (8").

Design notes: Yes, it's under half what Flying Horror costs for VC, but it's also almost straightforwardly worse than a Spectral Steed, and the value proposition of fly on Ethereal is a lot weaker than on material units. You can already ignore terrain. This is +2" move and the ability to march whilst staying infantry. Banshees critically cannot march and scream. You can pay (6 pts more on a major char, 2 less on a minor one) to get this and an extra attack from the steed. 

Special Character: Captain Vangheist of the Shadewraith

John Blanche for Dreadfleet.

Lore here: https://warhammerfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Vangheist?file=Images_%284%29.jpeg

M  WS BS S  T  W  I  A  Ld Points

 6     6    6   3  4   3  5  3   8   585

Troop Type: Light Infantry (Character)

Base Size: 25x25mm

Unit Size: 1

Equipment: Light Armour, two hand weapons

The Traitor's Shot: Range 9", Strength 3, AP -2. Armour Bane -1, Quick Shot

• Mutineer's Mark: When a unit is wounded by this weapon, place a counter on it. In each of its player's subsequent Start of Turn Sub-Phases, the unit must make a Leadership Test on the lowest leadership of any model in it -1 per Mutineer's Mark counter on it, with no other modifiers allowed. On a failure, the model with the lowest Leadership (randomize if there are multiple) makes its attacks against a model of your choosing as though it were the Combat Phase and they were an opponent in base contact with it. On a success, remove one Mutineer's Mark counter.
• Essence-Fuelled: Each time the bearer of this weapon loses a wound, add +3" to its range and +1 to its Strength. Each time the bearer gains a wound, reduce it by the same. 

Liber Malefic Nautica: The bearer of this item counts as a level 1 Wizard and may be the general of a Vampire Counts army. They know the following spell:

Hellish Cartography: Conveyance, 7+/11+, 12". Remove a target friendly unit or the Shadewraith counter from the battlefield. In your next Start of Turn sub-phase, replace it anywhere on the battlefield and, if a unit, each model in it makes a Dangerous Terrain test which inflicts magical wounds. On an 11+, target any number of friendly units within range instead.

Special Rules: Fly (6), Fear, Dark Vitality, Ethereal, Indomitable (1), Necromantic Undead, Regeneration (6+), Magical Attacks

Swashbuckler: When Vangheist charges, follows up, or overruns into a unit, he may make a shooting attack against that unit before moving, as if he had taken the Stand and Shoot charge reaction.

Arch-Traitor: Vangheist's Close Combat attacks have Killing Blow. When fighting in an enemy unit's flank or rear, or in the first round of a challenge, Vangheist's Killing Blow triggers on a roll of a natural 5 or 6.

Haunting Voice: Vangheist's Command Range is 12", or 18" if he is your general. Enemy units within Vangheist's Command Range must re-roll successful Leadership Tests against Fear or Terror. 

The Shadewraith: When placing counters for the Old Haunts rule, place an additional special counter named 'the Shadewraith' which does not mark a piece of terrain. this represents where Vangheist's ghost ship floats above the battlefield. Any number of units may be noted as haunting within this counter. In each of your Command Sub-Phases, so long as Vangheist is on the battlefield or haunting this counter, choose one of the following Orders to affect how the Shadewraith behaves this turn.

• Boarding Action: The Shadewraith counter moves up to 10" in a straight line, then all units haunting it are revealed regardless of whether any enemy units are within 6". They may charge normally this turn. 
• Ghostly Flight: The Shadewraith counter moves up to 20" in any direction. Units haunting it may not be revealed this turn. 
• Close the Distance: The Shadewraith counter moves up to 10" in any direction. During the Shooting Phase, make 2 Spectral Cannon or Grapeshot shots from its position.
• Fire as she Bears:  The Shadewraith counter moves up to 10" in any direction. The next time an enemy unit moves whilst within 12" of it or shoots at a target within the same range, before they resolve that action, make 4 Spectral Cannon or Grapeshot shots targeting units within 12" as if it were your Shooting Phase.
• Drop Anchor!: The Shadewraith counter stays static. Any number of units with the Old Haunts rule may be returned to a haunting state tied to this counter if they end their Remaining Moves phase within 6" of it.

Spectral Cannon: Range 48", Strength 6, AP -2. Armour Bane (2), Cannon Fire, Magical Attacks, Multiple Wounds (D3). 
Spectral Grapseshot: Range 12", Strength 3, AP -1. Magical Attacks, Needs More Nails. 

Design notes: the stats given here are mooooostly templated on those found in the WFRP scenario 'Skeleton Crew'. Exceptions: he has speed 6 and the same fly to keep him in line with ghosts in general. I and Ag are averaged to 4I. WP & Fel are averaged and based on the Leadership baseline to 8. WS and BS are based on derived skills for the weapons he actually uses, not the base stats. He's got about as many wounds as a Cairn Wraith, more than a Tomb Banshee, so I'm going for the high end of those.

Then abilities and talents are the following:

Dark Vision - flavour in a wargame.

Ethereal 

Fear 3 - a bit better than a zombie, a bit worse than a Varghulf (which has terror in WHFB). On par with a Bloodletter, which still has Fear, so he gets Fear.

Flight 4 - equal to move, so turns into Fly (6) here

Painless - doesn't feel pain. Contributes to me rounding his toughness up rather than down, otherwise no effect.

Undead 

Unstable - these two go into the standard 'ethereal undead char' package.

Beat Blade - make a test to reduce enemy defence

Careful strike - better at hitting the locations you want to. Treating this as Killing Blow, then making it situational to make him specifically a good backstabber. 

Combat aware - test to ignore surprise. Turning this into +1 I 

Distract - combat distraction of opponent. Combining this with Careful Strike in the Arch-Traitor package

Enclosed fighter - ignore penalties to dodge or hit due to small spaces. A bit situational for a mass wargame.

Fast shot - shoot outside of normal initiative order at the cost of your next turn. Would become ToW's Quick Shot, but pistols have that anyway which they don't in ToW. What they don't have which they do in WFRP is the ability to attack with them in Close Combat, so I give him that (so long as he's winning) in a thematically interesting form in the Swashbuckler rule.

Feint - Make a false attack to improve future ones. Again, going into the Arch-Traitor package.

Hatred (Light Mages) - FWIW I think this is an error. Vangheist didn't especially hate the wizard he betrayed's order, just the guy himself for potentially taking him to his doom. Removed it.

Listed as 'Magical Sense', which in 1e let you sense a creature's or object's magic by touch but which doesn't exist in 4e. Not relevant in a battle really anyhow.

Menacing: ~10% better at scaring people - this along with his very high intimidation skill goes into the Haunting Voice feature.
Old Salt - ignore all situational modifiers from making tests at sea. No real effect.

Orientation - good at navigating.

Pilot - good at sailing.

Reaction strike - make free attacks when charged. Given charging on a WFRP scale would happen within a WHFB combat, just treating it as +1A.

Riposte - attack back when struck. Treating it as +1A.

Sea Legs - ignore seasickness penalties.

Second Sight - see magic.

Sure Shot - ranged attacks ignore armour equal to your level in Sure Shot. Effectively just bonus AP, which gets put on the weapon. 

The Traitor's Shot as designed is just a marginally worse pistol that takes longer to reload but gives anyone it hits Jealous Thoughts causing them to become less friendly by 10pp. Mentions of it using Vangheist's essence to fuel it seem to do nothing. This seems kind of shit and I have no idea why - maybe just so he's less lethal to PCs in the adventure?

Now obviously he's a hoarding pirate, he won't spend his essence lightly, so I made it start with roughly the same downgrade (75% of the range, -1/8 of the S rounding down), added the -1 AP from the Sure Shot feat, but then as he gets more desperate he's more likely to draw on it and it improves. I also turned Jealous Thoughts into a full-blown test-vs-betrayal effect, given he is our 'Arch-Traitor'. 

In terms of points, I valued the Shadewraith at 4 cannons (400 pts), and him as a cairn wraith (50 pts) with 100 pts of magic items (boosting ws, bs, A, adding the pistol's treason effect, and killing blow) and a slightly shit wizard level (30 pts). Haunting Voice replaces the wraith's Terror. As with most special characters, he costs a lot but I'd far rather he be overpriced than oppressive and unfun. Since his art has 2hw he also gets that for another 5 pts.

Appendix A: Armies by Ghost-Killing Capacity

I thought it'd be useful to make a comparison tool for how good different armies are at fighting ghosts. This isn't very scientific, but I hope it provides some sense of who is not good at this and might need some additional help. 

• Has spellcasters or equivalent capable of casting magic missiles or damage effects: 1
• Has especially strong spellcasters: +1
• Has access to a spell lore with good magic missiles dealing at least 2d6 (or a template) of hits: x2
• Has a spell or targeted effect that grants units magical attacks: 2
• Spell grants mass magical attacks: +4
• Has good combat characters with builds that can output a lot of attacks: 2
• Has cheap combat characters (50 or fewer pts): 1
• Unit champions can access magical attacks in core (in theory every Grand Army, but y'know): 1
• Unit champions can access magical attacks in special: 1
• Mass magical attacks in core: 4
• Mass magical attacks in special: 3
• Mass magical attacks in rare: 1
• Mass or precisely targeted magical shooting in core: 4
• Mass  or precisely targeted magical shooting in special: 3
• Mass  or precisely targeted magical shooting in rare: 1
• Units that can keep up with ghost movement (either ethereal, flying, or move 7+ with good manoeuvres) in core: 2
• Units that can keep up with ghost movement (either ethereal, flying, or move 7+ with good manoeuvres) in special: 2
• Units that can keep up with ghost movement (either ethereal, flying, or move 7+ with good manoeuvres) in rare: 1
• Ld.9 (or access via i.e. Warband) in Core: 4
• Ld.10: x2
• Only via General/chars: /2
• Fear or ITP or another minor morale buff: x1.25
• Terror or unbreakable or another major morale buff: x1.5
• Ld.9 (or access via i.e. Warband) in Special: 2
• Ld.10: x2
• Only via General/chars: /2
• Fear or ITP: x1.25
• Terror or unbreakable: x1.5
• Ld.9 (or access via i.e. Warband) in Rare: 1
• Ld.10: x2
• Only via General/chars: /2
• Fear or ITP: x1.25
• Terror or unbreakable: x1.5
• Has strong combat res shenanigans OR a way to get VP that isn't killpoints: 2
• Has a way to turn off fly: 1

Total score out of 50, divided by 10 to elide any false precision, gives the following approximate ranking:

7/10: Daemons

6/10: Wood Elves

5/10: Beastmen, Vampire Counts, Warriors of Chaos

4/10: Chaos Dwarfs, Dark Elves, Dwarfs, Cathay, High Elves, Bretonnia, Skaven, Tomb Kings, Empire

3/10: Lizardmen, Orcs and Goblins

2/10: Ogre Kingdoms, Renegade Crowns

My intuition, and what my limited playtesting suggests, is that Daemons are obviously going to curbstomp you, you'll struggle against armies at 6-5, 4 is the sweet spot where this army is a challenging puzzle but can be beaten by a good player (perhaps with some tailoring), and at 3-2 you start to feel like you're bullying people. 

Ro, if you specifically are reading this know that your Cathay AoI clocks in squarely at 6/10. 

Appendix B: Making it Fair

If you're playing an opponent on Daemons with this army, I'm sorry, you're getting dragged to hell I fear.  Ditto a Tree Spirits WE army. Other WE or the 3 at bracket 5, assuming they're not tailoring too hard you should have a fighting chance. 

In the bottom two brackets, or for less competitive players on lists at 4 who are struggling, the major buffs I've trialled are:

• Drive Back the Dark: Flaming attacks roll to wound ghosts. They don't kill them, but are counted towards combat resolution.
• Exorcism: Signature spell Enchantment, 7+ to cast, that gives the caster's unit Magical Attacks for a turn. 
• Blessed Blades: All unit champions and characters have magical attacks.

If that's all failing, maybe this list isn't for your playgroup. Or maybe you have other ideas! Please fire them at me if so.