Skabscrath Warhammer fantasy Battle 8th edition Vampire Counts magic item
Skabscrath
Skabscrath has under gone a complete transformation in 8th edition from 7th edition where it made the bearer cause Terror now a cheap Vampiric power. It now considerable increases the Vampire Lord or Strigoi Ghoul King wielding its prowess in combat,it has a high points cost so only these two Lord choices are viable options to take it after all a combat weapon would be of little use to a Master Necromancer.
Skabscrath grants the wielder the Devastating Charge, Frenzy and Flaming Attacks special rule this effectively grants the character an extra attack all the time plus yet another attack when they charge. Flaming attacks helps against the many creatures with Regeneration out there and is also good when assaulting buildings as it allows re-rolls to wound.
It also grants the wielder the Death Shriek special rule the same as a Terrorgheist uses this is a short range leadership based attack that can be used in close combat and allows no armour save.
The last special rule the sword grants can be dangerous espically if your oppent has a way of finding out you have the sword early on, this special rule means that if the bearer has not caused a model to be removed in close combat that instead they themselves are removed as a casualty!
Pros and cons of Skabscrath
The pros are the additional flaming attacks the sword grants alongside with the potential powerful Death Shreik ability though with only 3 wounds (or 4 with the Vampiric Power Curse of the Revenant) it can be less effective then that of a Terrorghiest though with a Vampire Lord weilding it safe in a unit this is unlikely to happen.
The cons are this does not increase the wielders strength meaning against armies with tougher monsters and characters you can be left struggling to wound them. Frenzy should not be too much of a problem with a high leadership (and re roll from the Battle Standard bearer) but remember it also forces you to overrun or pursue should you defeat your enemy and there is always the small chance you will fail your leadership test.
It is also expensive meaning you have little left overpoints to spend on defensive items for the character wielding the sword, again this depends on the army you are facing.
The removed as a casualty rule should rarely be a problem as this magic weapon should be wielded by a Vampire Lord or Strigio Ghoul King who is in the thick of the action.