Cylostra Direfin: The Fourth Lord in Curse of the Vampire Coast
Last week, Creative Assembly released a new trailer for Curse of the Vampire Coast; the next upcoming DLC for Total War: Warhammer 2. The trailer put one character front and centre; Luthor Harkon, the Arch Grand Commodore of the new faction, the Vampire Coast. In the trailer, none of the faction’s other Legendary Lords were revealed. However, Creative Assembly has been releasing details on each one day after day. They have detailed Count Noctilus and Aranessa Saltspite. Now, they have revealed the Vampire Count’s mysterious fourth and final lord; Cylostra Direfin. It seems that Aranessa is not the only lord who isn’t actually a vampire – Cylostra appears to be a ghost!
Who is Cylostra Direfin?
“Legend has it that the sea witch Cylostra Direfin was once the favourite court singer of the Bretonnian king,” says Creative Assembly; “Sent on a voyage across the ocean to sing for the Phoenix King, they were hit by a fierce storm. The madame’s notes turned to screams of fury as the ship sank, and all on-board drowned. Decades later, a Bretonnian galleon of rotten wood and tattered sails can be seen navigating the seas even in the most savage of storms. It is The Lamprey, the ship of the vengeful spirit Madame Cylostra and her crew, the Drowned.”
Cylostra Direfin in Total War: Warhammer 2
Cylostra Direfin is the caster of the four Vampire Coast lords. While some of the others may have some magical abilities, Madame Cylostra is the best pure caster among their number. Her faction effects boost the loyalty of newly recruited units. They also reduce both the upkeep and recruitment costs for Mournguls and Syreens across the entire faction! Her personal Lord Effects, on the other hand, lets the Bretonnian spectre grant heightened physical resilience and even magical attacks to her units.
Like all the other Vampire Coast Legendary Lords, Cylostra can enter battle upon a monstrous mount. Specifically, she can ride upon a Rotting Leviathan. She also carries a unique item called the Bordeleaux Flabellum. This ghostly fan gives her a bonus to both public order in all provinces and vampiric corruption in her local provinces. It also grants her a passive ability which reduces her ability recharge times when she casts a spell.
Cylostra Direfin’s Unique Skills
Ghosts of the Past: Cylostra has the power to summon units of ghostly Bretonnian knights, or even her own unit of Damned Knights Errant. Players can even upgrade them to Damned Questing Knights or Damned Knights of the Realm!
From the Depths: Thanks to Cylostra’s ability to summon lost souls from the depths, the cost of raising undead units is reduced. Additionally, the recruitment rank of her army is increased.
Conjuration Through Hate: Cylostra boosts the hero capacity and recruitment rank of Mourngul Haunters.
Fiery Diva: “Cylostra Direfin is a prima donna in more ways than one,” says Creative Assembly; she has reduced cooldown and casting costs for all of her overcast spells.
Emerging Terror: Any Syreen, Mourungul, and Bloated Corpse units in Cylostra’s army benefit from boosted physical resilience. Bloated Corpses also benefit from significant reductions in upkeep costs.
Siren of the Storm: Thanks to her affinity for the sea, Cylostra reduces the miscast base chance for her overcast spells. Moreover, she has a greater Winds of Magic power reserve than most casters.