2000 point vampires-The empty graveyard

[madival]

Fantasy Army: Vampires

So I am tiring of the theme idea frankenstien. I like it, but I really want to try something different really. I am going to try for the empty graveyard idea I have had. Ghosts and corpses and coffins and everything graveyardish. No vampires though. I dislike the idea of vampires. Don't fit with any themes and they are so incredibly expensive for what they do. The only vampire is gonna be the black coach because he fits in theme and has done so many incredible things. Here is the list.

Lord

Heinrich Kemmler

Hero

Necromancer-level 2, Rod of flamming death

Banshee

Banshee

Core

45 zombies-standard

45 zombies-standard

45 zombies-standard

5 dire wolves

5 dire wolves

Special

10 hex wraiths- hell wraith

rare

black coach

6 cairn wraiths

The idea is to fit in theme, yet be difficult to play against. Terror everywhere can cause some unexpected fun. The tons of zombies result in tough tar pits. I realized last game that 30 grave guard aren't the hammer I need. They died last time to a stank in a single go. I want to make a list where things are harder to get rid of then a single charge (which happened a lot last game). They kill stuff that I kill well already. I am getting the zombies via mantic so it isn't the GW looking zombies because I don't like them that much. I can horde my zombies or short bus them. Banshee help drop targets that zombies have problems with. Knights, elite units, something that mass s3 just cant hurt. The ability to drop a stank in a shot is interesting. I want a shooting attack. I may put Kemmler with the wraiths since he has ethereal.

[ftayl5]

My initial thoughts are you lack a solid hammer with ranks. I like Grave Guard because they can do good damage and can negate steadfast. The only way for you to negate steadfast is to pair your hitting units with zombies... which will result in you possibly even losing combats and those 10 wraiths disappearing against anything even remotely good at fighting. I'd want a unit of skeletons. You could drop a zombie unit and a few zombies from the other 2, for a slightly smaller skeleton unit.

After some thought, this might work even without the skeletons. Unless you're fighting units that have magical attacks, zombies with banshees might actually win combats eventually if you can keep reviving them. Meanwhile Hexwraiths can rip more armoured guys to pieces, black coach and wraiths are solid too.
You have good hammers, but no real anvils. So I still think skeletons with their 5+ 6++ and (slightly) better WS would be of use.

I would split the hexes into 2 of 5, I'd hate to see so many points destroyed by 1 magic missile.

[Askari]

You don't have anything that can kill the enemy apart from the 6 Cairn Wraiths, but they'll be Fireballed out of existance quickly enough. Hexwraiths just aren't killy enough for their cost, and a unit of 10 isn't even going to be able to use it's 'run through' ability hardly ever either.

If you come up against a player without any magic and insufficient magic weapons, you'll win! In all other cases, i.e. most of them, the Ethereal units will be annihilated quickly, then they'll just spend all game lazily chopping Zombies up as let's face it you're not going to get any points back without those 'wraiths anyway. I'm not sure if Kemmler can join the Wraiths, as the rules forbid a character joining Ethereal units even if the character can become Ethereal temporarily, would Kemmler count as temporary as he doesn't have to be? I'm not sure...

If you want to stick in a Graveyard theme, what's wrong with Gargolyes (Vargheists) or bloated corpses (Crypt Horrors)?

Although I must say, I found it funny when you said Vampires are expensive for what they do, and then go on to take 10 Hexwraiths :P

[madival]

Hex wraiths are amazing for me. 12 inch vanguard move with a 16 inch march through the enemy or even right up to the enemy sees these guys on the enemies doorstep turn 1 along with the black coach and the dire wolves. If I can get an aoe van hals off, my entire army can cross the board in a turn. I don't particularly like the varghiests or the crypt horrors. I could fit them in theme, but I am simply not a fan of monsterous infantry. Never been good with them. Always feel I need something baby sitting them. I don't see how hex wraiths aren't killy enough. 10 s5 power weapon attacks can lay the smack down on people. I ran 5 and they would never win combat and crumble, but 10 can win combats.