The undead legions of the Soulblight Gravelords have received a significant infusion of terrifying new reinforcements! Fresh from their crypts, we’ve got our claws on the majestic Prince Vhordrai, the imposing Vampire Lord on Nightmare Steed, the eerie faction-specific manifestations, and the suitably gothic Cursed Sepulchre. As usual, our review is loaded with high-res sprue images and size comparisons.
The new Soulblight Gravelords releases will be available for pre-order starting Saturday, 10 May 2025. The pre-order period lasts two weeks, with the official release date set for 24 May 2025.
The new Soulblight Gravelords models unboxed
In this review, we’re looking at all the new Soulblight Gravelords kits that weren’t part of the Deathrattle army set: Prince Vhordrai, who can also be built as a Revenant Draconith without a rider, the Vampire Lord on Nightmare Steed, as well as the manifestations and the new terrain pieces. Next week, we’ll also be taking a look at the Blades of the Hollow King, known from the Black Library novels, for which there are also rules in the new Soulblight Gravelords battletome.
Prince Vhordrai, Lord of the Crimson Keep / Revenant Draconith review
The Prince Vhordrai kit can alternatively be built without the rider as a Revenant Draconith (previously known as a Zombie Dragon). The box contains two large plastic sprues, a massive 160mm round base, and an instruction booklet.
The size of the Revenant Draconith is comparable to the recently released Krondys, Son of Dracothion. This makes the model bulkier than the old Zombie Dragon / Terrorgheist kit, and the base size has increased from 130mm to 160mm.
The Draconith and Prince Vhordrai are monopose. However, with the dragon you have a choice between two different sets of horns as well as two different tongues. Prince Vhordrai has no weapon options or alternative parts to build him as a generic Vampire Lord, and there aren’t any other bitz included. For those who want to magnetize, Vhordrai’s saddle/seat is completely separate, however, the reins (which have been left off in the image above) are connected to the Draconith’s mouth. That could prove a bit tricky.
Patreon bonus content: Ultra high-res, uncompressed versions of these sprue images (and backsides of the sprues) can be downloaded here.
However, even if the build options are a bit limited, the sculpt is absolutely spectacular. The level of detail is outstanding, and the dragon in particular looks extremely “un”lifelike. A superb centrepiece model for the new Soulblight Gravelords range.
Vampire Lord on Nightmare Steed unboxing
The Vampire Lord on Nightmare Steed harks back to the old Warhammer Fantasy days, but never actually got its own model. That’s changing now. The box contains two small plastic sprues, an 80mm round base, and an instruction booklet.
Patreon bonus content: Ultra high-res, uncompressed versions of these sprue images (and backsides of the sprues) can be downloaded here.
Even though the model is monopose, there are quite a few build options:
- 2 heads for the steed (one with less and one with more barding)
- 3 heads for the Vampire Lord (two with flowing hair, one bald)
- a right hand with either a sword or an axe
Combined with the atmospheric, but not overly busy, scenic base, where skeleton warriors are rising from the ground, this makes for an evocative army leader.
Soulblight Gravelords Manifestations
In this wave of releases, the Soulblight Gravelords are finally getting their own endless spells. The box contains four manifestations:
- a Hand of Nagash, a rather large model on a 120mm oval base
- an Unholy Reliquary, which comes on a sculpted 50mm base
- two Sanguine Swarms on 40mm bases
There aren’t any build options, and as is common with most endless spells and terrain kits, the production of the plastic sprue has been outsourced to China. The level of detail on the casting is therefore a little softer and less textured, which is particularly noticeable on the large bony fingers of the Hand of Nagash. However, the design of each manifestation is absolutely creative and thematic, making the set a real eye-catcher on the tabletop.
Soulblight Gravelords Cursed Sepulchre & Nighthaunt Nexus of Grief dual kit explained
Last but not least, we have a new faction-specific terrain piece for the Soulblight Gravelords, the Cursed Sepulchre. Alternatively, the kit can also be assembled as a Nexus of Grief for the Nighthaunt, though the differences are more cosmetic.
Patreon bonus content: Ultra high-res, uncompressed versions of these sprue images (and backsides of the sprues) can be downloaded here.
The kit consists of two large, identical plastic sprues and is completely modular in design:
- First, you build three base plates. Two of these are made up of two identical halves (as every part is included twice due to the identical sprues). The third base plate is made from two halves of two identical parts.
- Then, you populate the base plates with masonry. One mausoleum is intact, one mausoleum has broken two-part side walls and a riddled roof, and the third structure is a half-collapsed enclosure. All the side walls, as well as all the wall sections with gates, are freely interchangeable, and the roof sections can also be swapped. The wall and roof sections are detailed on both sides.
- Additionally, there are two different sets of two roof finials that can be exchanged between the two mausoleums; two open coffins that fit on any of the three base plates; as well as two tree stumps that can be used (with or without an optional branch) to decorate the base plates, they fit onto specific spots
Even though the same sprue is included twice, meaning every part is identically duplicated, quite a bit of variation can be created thanks to the clever modular design. The difference between the Cursed Sepulchre and the Nighthaunt’s Nexus of Grief is only the paint job, and the fact that for the Soulblight you turn the wall sides with the withered tendrils outwards, and for the Nighthaunt, you turn the sides with the roses outwards.
It’s a bummer that the mausoleums aren’t directly compatible with the old Garden of Morr / Sigmarite Mausoleum or the terrain pieces from the Warcry: Crypt of Blood starter box. It would have been cool if the buildings had connection points for the walls and fences from Crypt of Blood.
Where to get
You can find the latest GW releases at our 🇬🇧/🇪🇺 partner stores Wayland Games, Element Games, and Firestorm Games, at 🇩🇪 Taschengelddieb and PK-Pro, and at 🇺🇸 Noble Knight Games with a welcome discount of up to 20% over RRP. Using our links helps to support Tale of Painters at no additional cost to you, so thank you very much for using them!
I hope you found this review helpful, feel free to leave a reaction or comment below, or post your questions here or discuss on our Discord channel.
8.0 Score
Pros
- Fantastic upgrade from the old Zombie Dragon
- Vampire Lord on Steed has quite a few cosmetic options
- Very creative manifestations
- Cursed Sepulchre is quite modular
Cons
- No alternate bitz or options for Prince Vhordrai
- Details on the manifestations are a bit soft
- As the Cursed Sepulchre sprue is repeated twice, there are a lot of identical parts
Final Verdict
With this wave of releases, the Age of Sigmar-ification of the Soulblight Gravelords range is almost complete. While the build options for some individual units are somewhat limited, the exceptional sculpts, particularly on Prince Vhordrai and his Draconith, truly stand out. The imaginative design of the endless spells adds significant character to the faction, and the modularity of the Cursed Sepulchre provides welcome flexibility, despite the missed opportunity for direct compatibility with older terrain. It's not exactly cheap, as usual, since the models aren't available in a bundle like the army set or the new Spearhead box.
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