2999 - vampire counts for open list tournament

[ARabidNun]

Fantasy Army: Vampires

Hello all,

I will be playing in an open list tournament and wanted to ask for your suggestions for my list. I admit the list has some "iffy" choices but I will explain why and please forgive me if I dont translate some things correctly in English.

1 Master necromancer level 3 with death magic and dispel scroll
1 Vampire lord (general) level 1 with heavy armor, shield
red fury, shadow knight (+2 WS), quick blood
ogre blade, armor of night? (enemy lose strngth bonus, attack last) and dragon gem

1 necromancer level 1 with forbidden rod
1 wight king standard bearer with banner of eternal flame
2 banshees
1 vampire level 1 heavy armor and shield
quick blood, shadow knight and dragon helm

20 zombies with standard and musicien
20 zombies with standard and musicien
45 skeletons with spears and full command
45 skeletons with spears and full command and screaming banner
5 dire wolfs
5 dire wolfs

30 crypt guards with double handed weapons and full command
magic banner (+1 to hit)
9 crypt horrors with champion
1 spirit host

1 mortis engine with grimoire
2996 points

My idea is giving the wight king standard the flaming banner keeps the banner positionable where I need it. The banshees (although very unpredictable) have very flexible roles and can be used as redirectors, tying up monsters, protecting flanks or simply bunkering in the center and hoping for high rolls and low enemy Ld. The Necromancer with the forbidden rod is more a sacrificial gamble in case I have a bad magic phase at a crucial moment. I will try to use the horros as the anvil while driving the hammer unit of crypt guards supported by the vampire lord or just the vampire.

Suggestions and comments are welcome.
Thanks

[Ville]

It looks pretty good! Some personal opinions:

1. I always have a ward save for my general. You can try to exploit your 2++ save against flaming attacks, but I wouldn't count on that.
2. I wouldn't bother with Death magic as our own lore is really good. Death also doesn't sync with the Mortis Engine.
3. The +2 WS vampiric power is cheap, but it can get you into trouble, as you always have to issue and accept challenges.

[madival]

Our core are pretty bad. I would try to fill out special and rare more instead of fluffing up the core. A level 3 with death won't perform to well. Your general will die with his current load out. Also, your English is close enough and a lot better then I could speak anything else.

[ARabidNun]

Thanks for the suggestions. For the ward save, yeah I have had the problem of the general dying, but usually because I overestimated his survivability or placed him in a tactically vulnerable situation. Is it better switch the amror I have listed for something with a 5+ ward or is there other suggestions? For the core, If I did the calculations right it is only just slightly over minimum required for 2999 points. I know VC core are like matchsticks so I take as little as possible. I hope to get the punch I need from the vampires and special units. For the +2 WS power, thats true, I think I always forget that little side note that I am obliged for challenges. The better strategy would be if I take that I need the other tricksters shard to counter enemy ward saves.

[Kayosiv]

If you're not giving the vampire a 2 handed weapon, you might as well go with the enchanted shield over the dragon helm. It ends up saving you like 8 points.

Your list feels very character heavy. If you plan to use the banshee for redirecting etc, I think that a wrath unit with a banshee (keep it small, just 2 wraths) and another spirit host will treat you better.

Armor of night (Nightshroud actually in English) is great, but goes best with an item that lets you re-roll armor saves. I feel a 4+ ward save will be better unless you have that.

Your wight king doesn't seem to do much other than carry a flag. I'd probably just give that flag to the hero vampire and save the 85 points.

[club_death]

those zombies will die in combat 1. even halfassed combat units will charge, kill 10-15, then crumble dead. not good. lore of vampires on your Master necro would help

[meowser]

those zombies will die in combat 1. even halfassed combat units will charge, kill 10-15, then crumble dead. not good. lore of vampires on your Master necro would help

> implying he'll let them get charged before he's had a couple IoN's go off

I assume it's just a necro bunker

[Striker]

Only 2 squads of 20 zombies?
At 3000 points you should be able to get...2-3 squads of at least 40-50. I don't play vampires (yet) but I'd assume you'd need more zombies for harrassing, necro bunker .etc.

[Kayosiv]

It's pretty rare that my unit of 20 zombies isn't a unit of 50 zombies by the time the game's over, with 10-20 of them having died during the game. If the zombies are only a bunker, 20 is more than enough as they raise like 10 a turn with only 1 successful invocation.