The last and most dangerous of the von Carstein Vampire Counts is Mannfred, a subtle, devious and treacherous individual. Some say he was awake when the von Carstein ring was stolen and laid a glamour upon the sentries to prevent them from noticing it. While Konrad von Carstein ravaged the Empire in an attempt to emulate the victories of the great Vlad, Mannfred laid low and studied the art of necromancy. It is said that he journeyed as far as the Kingdom of the Dead in search of the secrets of unlife, returning to Castle Drakenhof with a fund of dark lore and biding his time there until he felt sure of his power. After Konrad's death he became the undisputed ruler of the Sylvanian hosts, but for a full decade he did nothing, letting the various contenders for the Imperial throne think that the Sylvanian threat was over, giving them time to fall out among themselves, which they duly did.

Once the Empire was again racked by vicious civil war, Mannfred deemed it time to strike. His Undead legions crossed the Sylvanian border in the depths of winter and marched through the snows to Altdorf, putting any villagers they met to the sword and adding them to the ranks of their army. In the infamous Winter War of 2032 he defeated several hastily assembled Imperial armies which attempted to block his path. Victory followed victory and mere rumours of Mannfred's approach were enough to send villagers fleeing from their homes to freeze to death in the snow. His force reached Altdorf in late winter and he arrived to find the city battlements empty of defenders.
Triumph filled Mannfred. He looked set to take the Empire's greatest city when the Grand Theogonist Kurt III appeared on the battlements and began to recite the Great Spell of Unbinding from the Liber Mortis. Seeing his followers begin to crumble to dust, Mannfred ordered a hasty retreat. Although he was probably the most powerful of the Vampire Counts, his foes now seemed prepared to meet the Undead threat head on.

Mannfred marched his battered army down the Reik to Marienburg. He intended to lay siege to the port, but found his plan thwarted by the army of Marienburg and a company of High Elves who had recently established a trading colony there. Among the Elves was the High Mage Finreir whose awesome power turned the battle against Mannfred's force at the crucial moment. Mannfred settled down for a lengthy siege until his scouts revealed that an army from Altdorf was fast coming up behind him. He was t forced to lift the siege and flee back the length of the Empire. So began a long game of cat and mouse, where neither side was entirely sure who was the cat. Mannfred's army would be whittled away by armies of the various Imperial states and then would replenish itself after a great victory.

Eventually Mannfred was driven back into the Sylvanian forests. Determined not to make the same mistake as they had before, the desperate nobles of the Empire swore a truce among themselves and slowly but surely began to scour the Sylvanian woods. In this task they were aided by the Dwarfs. Now united, the citizens of the Empire were relentless. Eventually Mannfred was brought to battle at Hel Fenn and cut down by the Count of Stirland as he attempted to flee. His body was lost at the very edge of the great swamp and was never found. For his feat, Martin, Count of Stirland, claimed all of Sylvania and added it to his domains. Since no one else actually wanted to claim the accursed land, no one gainsaid him. Thus was ended the threat of the Vampire Counts, or so it seemed.

Mannfred was by far the longest lived of the Vampire Counts and rumour has it that he still exists to this present day, threatening to return once more at the head of the Undead Sylvanian armies. Indeed, the poet Felix Jaegar claims to have encountered him while in the company of the Dwarf Gotrek Gurnisson as late as 2503. Jaegar, however, is a known criminal and populist agitator and the accounts of his travels are highly fanciful, so serious scholars discount the claim. One doubts whether a mighty Vampire such as Mannfred von Carstein could really be put to flight by an outcast Dwarf, as Jaegar claims. Jaegar's account is no doubt spurious so we shall content ourselves with the known facts of Mannfred's life. As far as this history is concerned, Mannfred von Carstein, last of the Vampire Counts, perished at Hel Fenn. Long may he rest.

Mannfred can be taken as a Lord choice, but he will use up two of your Hero choices as well. Taking Mannfred counts as taking a Lord and two Heroes. He must be fielded as presented here and no extra equipment or magic items can be bought for him.

Weapons: Sword of Unholy Power (see Unholy Artefacts).

Armour: None.

Magic: Mannfred is a Level 4 Wizard.

Mount: He rides a barded Nightmare.

Bloodline Powers: Mannfred has the following powers from the Carstein Bloodline: Aura of Dark Majesty, Summon Wolves, Call Winds.

Ebony Staff: The Ebony Staff, also known as the Black Staff of Undeath, is a powerful tool of evil. Mannfred risked everything to retrieve it from a Chaos servant's fortress. This staff allows Mannfred to cast one spell for free in each of his Magic phases. The spell is cast with a Power Level equal to its casting value and can be dispelled normally.

Cloak of Darkness: This mantle has been enchanted by Mannfred himself and is one of the most powerful magical defences ever created. This cloak provides Mannfred with a 3+ Ward save.