Quickblood Warhammer fantasy battle 8th edition vampire counts vampiric power
Quickblood
Quickblood is an entirely new vampiric power available to both hero level vampires and vampire lords in 8th edition warhammer fantasy battle. It grants the vampire the always strikes first special rule and in some respects replaces the old infinite hatred vampiric power that was available in the 7th edition vampire counts army book. Infinite hatred is now a specific power that Strigoighoul kings now come with.
Unlike infinite hatred though in order to gain re rolls you must have a equal or higher initiative then your opponent, they also must not have the always strikes first rule themselves. This is compensated slightly by the fact that you will be striking either before or at the very worse simultaneously with your opponent.
Although not exactly given this vampiric power Vlad von Carstein and Isabella von Carstein both gain the always strikes first special rule if they are in the same unit together. Their version of this special rule is called Beloved in death and also has other peculiarities.
Pros and cons of quickblood
Pros are this vampiric power makes you strike before a multitude of enemies, with a high intiative it will also allow you to re roll to hit most of the time. This gives the vampire a chance to slay their foes before they can even strike, when combined with the red furyvampiric power it turns a vampire lord in to an almost unstoppable killing machine. Only vampire lords and Strigoi ghoul kings can afford both and since a Strigoi ghoul lord has infinite hatred it is less useful for them.
The quickblood vampiric ability synergises especially well with the magic armour nightshroud as this causes any models in base contact to have the always strike last special rule. This has the added advantage of cancelling out a enemies own always strikes first special rule if they should have it.
Cons are it is fairly expensive, it costs most of a hero level vampires vampiric powers allowance. You can also gain the always strikes first special rule from the vigour mortis special ability from a nearby corpse cart.