Vampire Counts: 8th Edition Tactica

[Hasardeur]

another question - does the Mortis Engine aura really stack? It doesn't say so specifically anywhere in the book (nor does it say otherwise - stupid and easily avoidable oversight, if you ask me) and I really don't get the feeling that this is intended.

[Frankly]

quick question - currently I'm planning to use a 30*Ghouls unit and a 40*Skeletons unit for my standard selection. So, um, where/how do I hide my Master Necromancer?

also, how would you run a Vampire Hero?

A Zombie bunker. Your going to be IoN'ing those skellies anyhow, might as well AoE some cheap zombies.

If you get a change try running those skelllies at 2 x 20 per unit and MotDead on your M.Necro to get double theyour IoN raises.

does the Mortis Engine aura really stack? It doesn't say so specifically anywhere in the book (nor does it say otherwise - stupid and easily avoidable oversight, if you ask me) and I really don't get the feeling that this is intended.

Yeah, it stacks. Well atleast thats how people are playing it in our area. Its a massive mistake if it doesn't.

How many points are you playing?

[Hasardeur]

A Zombie bunker. Your going to be IoN'ing those skellies anyhow, might as well AoE some cheap zombies.

If you get a change try running those skelllies at 2 x 20 per unit and MotDead on your M.Necro to get double theyour IoN raises.



Yeah, it stacks. Well atleast thats how people are playing it in our area. Its a massive mistake if it doesn't.

How many points are you playing?

ah, alright then, if everyone else is doing it surely it can't be wrong :P

I'm in the process of building up an army, aiming for 2000 points currently (will add more as time passes on).

Reading this thread (just caught up to the last page now), I get the impression that you pretty much have to field GG or Horrors to deal with elite infantry (I wasn't really planing to use either). I guess Black Knights/Vargheists are not really an option?

[Frankly]

I don't think so. I think you should play what you like and make it work for you, there are very few 'bad' options in the new book.

Black knights and Varghiest are both great units, both can work well off huge blocks of infantry. I guess people will say they're just not as 'optimal' as GG and Horrors units.

I'm actually a huge fan of both units. B.Knights are still an under costed hitty unit as they've been for the last 3 armybooks now, but the general rules focus more on rank and file these days.

I'm just starting to use Varghiest in a themed list. I'm loving them! Total glass canons, but they can really smack units around and rip up combats.

[SteelTitan]

Is anybody using regular (hero-level) Vampires?

I've been running a caster Vampire lord plus one or two necros and would like to use Vampires too but they are pricey.

[Askari]

Nope. Or at least I haven't yet found them useful.

With me trying out my Blood Knights again soon however, I'd like to stick a mounted hero Vampire in so I can have Invocation following them around - may even be, shocker, an use for Dark Acolyte to ensure it goes off on them too. May even give him the Book of Arhkan for guaranteed Vanhel's nearby too.

I do find them too pricey for too little benefit in standard blocks though - Vampire Lords are only included as they can take 10+ models a turn, heroes can't manage half that due to their lower magic item/vampire power limits. May occasionally be worth it for a Forbidden Lore Beasts Vampire, but it's still rather expensive.

[Wesser]

Is anybody using regular (hero-level) Vampires?

I've been running a caster Vampire lord plus one or two necros and would like to use Vampires too but they are pricey.

All the time. They have the profile and rough the cost of a human lord with one less wound, but one wizard level. It's easy to go wild with bloodlines and gear making him very expensive, but as long as you keep your focus on what you really need him to do then Vampire's have the greatest potential of our heroes.

Fear Incarnate/Aura/Glittering Scales/ad. handweapon works a charm for me.

So does throwing a Vamp on a hellsteed into my blood knights. After the initial mayhem I can detach him with a view of causing all sorts of mayhem. His powerful profile means he's a threat and counter most things. Bretonnian Pegasus Knights, Anvils of Doom and those pesky Slayer Characters which you'll probably have trouble with somehow began to look manageable

[Hasardeur]

so, what exactly are the advantages of the Coven Throne? Why would I want to pick it over, say, a dragon mount? And am I right in assuming that a vampire hero is pretty much wasted on that unit (because of LD7?)

[herohammer]

so, what exactly are the advantages of the Coven Throne? Why would I want to pick it over, say, a dragon mount? And am I right in assuming that a vampire hero is pretty much wasted on that unit (because of LD7?)

If they kill the vampire (who will probably be your general at any reasonable points limit) the throne has much higher LD for the first automatic crumble than the dragon does. The dragon pretty much is toast once the vampire dies, the throne will probably live and also has a ward save and bound spell to buff itself to keep fighting once another caster gets control.

[Balerion]

Also, the Dragon will get shredded by cannons, whereas the Throne will turn away 50% of its wounds

[Walgis]

I saw debates about skellys vs ghouls, but how about zombies? theyre really bad? i mean i dont want to take necromancer ilike vamp lords to boost zombies,and kinda fluffyabit, but is zombys rreally usefull?in my list i have few units of zombies to hold some unit and then flank charge them with vargheists.will vargheist doenought damage to win combat?

[Askari]

Good Lord don't do that! Zombies bleed CR like nothing else in the game.. sure Vargheists in the flank will kill, but enough to offset the all the Zombies that died? Probably not, unless you're fighting Skavenslaves or Goblins. Which means crumble, which means dead Vargheists.

[SteelTitan]

Nope. Or at least I haven't yet found them useful.

I've been running a rather standard list (skeletons, ghouls, grave guard, blender lord, zombie bunker for necros) and now Im thinking of trying out a black knight bus list. In such a list, I can see mounted Vampires being more useful than in an infantry list.

Any experiences with this?


Im thinking mounted blender lord in a group of 10-12 black knights + wight king bsb + mounted vampires (for additional IoN).
Than lots of chaf to make sure that the cav unit gets the right matchups and plenty of tarpits.

[Askari]

It's probably a good way to go, with a fast-moving Vampire Counts list. Like I said I've been itching to use my new Blood Knights now, but I imagine Black Knights are overall a better choice to accompany a blender Lord.

In that situation, I'd gear the Vampire hero to take down monsters. The blender Lord can scythe ranks of infantry, while the Vampire Hero might get a Great Weapon or Ogre Blade for some truly high Strength attacks, or perhaps be a challenge taker with Dread Knight, Quickblood, Glittering Scales and Other Trickster's Shard. I wouldn't bother with the Wight King BSB as the unit can already take the Banner of the Barrows from their allotment, if you truly wanted a second magic banner you can just make the Vampire hero a BSB with say... Flaming Banner, Great Weapon, Heavy Armour, Barded Nightmare, Quickblood (to cancel out the GW) or Screaming Banner, Lance, Shield, Heavy Armour, Barded Nightmare, Fear Incarnate, Aura of Dark Majesty. That way you get the benefit of BSB and extra Invocation, while the Vampire still has a reasonable defence due to a high armour save.

For support I'd either use a small unit of Blood Knights (i.e. 4) with Flaming Banner for monster hunting. Or just a couple of Varghulfs who are good enough and fast enough to operate on their own.

Core would be pretty standard but with more favour given to Dire Wolves due to their speed. Any other block will probably need a Necromancer and Book of Arkhan to let them keep up with the mounted parts of the army.

This is mostly theoretical I admit, but it makes sense in my head.

[SteelTitan]

That actually sounds like a really fun list! I will make sure to save your post for character-setup inspiration.

I've been using a Ogre Blade lord lately and I think I prefer it over the extra attacks. Killing 7-8 models a turn is usually enough.
The thought of sticking in blender heroes is quite appealing. Red Fury is on the expensive side for heroes but it would be so much fun to have a total of 3 vampires in a cav unit going to town with red fury.

[huitzilopochtli]

Been thinking of replacing my grave guard with black knights. Not sure how the points would work, but it would mean that instead of 10 BKs and 30 grave guard I'd have a horde of 30 black knights. Is this a viable idea? I have some doubts as to the maneuverability of that unit but imagine how hard it would hit!

[Brotheroracle]

Has anyone considered the fly option for vamps on foot? In 7th a buddy of mine used it a lot, he would make three chars with fly spread them out between units, second turn would jump them all out and charge one target. Very unexpected the first time I played it. I was thinking of including a flying hero (or general!?) so that I can fly him to support a fast flank of varghiests and knights.....

Heck its tempting just to make a vampire flying circus style list now that I think on it, a couple of units of vargheists, some fell bats, a TG..... well it would be fun to play at least.

[SteelTitan]

Been thinking of replacing my grave guard with black knights. Not sure how the points would work, but it would mean that instead of 10 BKs and 30 grave guard I'd have a horde of 30 black knights. Is this a viable idea? I have some doubts as to the maneuverability of that unit but imagine how hard it would hit!

Doesn't it hit as hard as a horde of grave guard + 10 steed attacks?
They have the same # of attacks, same WS, same Strength (less in consecutive rounds of CC), but with a higher armour save.

[huitzilopochtli]

Doesn't it hit as hard as a horde of grave guard + 10 steed attacks?
They have the same # of attacks, same WS, same Strength (less in consecutive rounds of CC), but with a higher armour save.

Yes, on closer inspection you are right. I was momentarily absorbed with the cool factor of a horde of black knights and foolishly chose that moment to ask about it here. I retract my question. It also won't fit in my current 2500 army. A man can dream, though... A man can dream.

[Frankly]

Heck its tempting just to make a vampire flying circus style list now that I think on it, a couple of units of vargheists, some fell bats, a TG..... well it would be fun to play at least.

flying ghoul king

2 x vamps on hellsteeds

ghoul unit

lots of wolves

2 x 8 Vargheist

black knight unit

2 x Terrorgheist.

Getting a few games in with this setup atm. Not as many as I hoped to get a real feel for the list, but its been a blast to play.