Help me start Vampire Counts!

[Winterfell]

Hello Warseers,

I've been wanting to start playing Fantasy again after selling off my Orcs and Goblins last spring. I just completed a Space Wolf project to update my 40k army for 6th edition and now I want to go with something else for a while. I don't want to do O&G again and after watching alot of Warbosstae video's on youtube I am absolutely sold on VC. That range is really stunning and I want to build up an initial 1000 point army.

So knowing that is it perhaps possible someone could help me put together a decent 1000 point starting army? I need help mostly with a starting general as well as how to put together my core as well as some interesting special units to add to my army.

As far as core Im much more attracted to skeletons and dire wolves over ghouls and zombies. Are skeletons+wolves an okay combo for core or am I really missing out without the other two?

When I look at special options I really like vargheists and would definitely want them in my starting army but the hexwraiths and black knights are so tempting as well. What would be the chances of fitting in vargheists and hexwraiths/black knights in my 1000 points?

Finally I'll need a general to lead these monstrosities. My initial thought was to get the Vlad model and run him as a counts as Vampire hero but thought of including a Wight King to lead those skeletons into battle?

Thoughts and advice welcome.

[ftayl5]

Well obviously you need a magic using general so necro or vampire would be your best bet. (hero) Vamps are really killer at low points because they offer decent magic and few things can outmatch them in combat.
A common trick is to stick a powerful vampire (or 2, or a vamp and another combat hero) in a fairly large skeleton unit. While the skeleton unit can give a rank bonus and deny the opponent steadfast, the vamp can do a lot of damage.

Zombies are a very good unit. They raise easily and can tarpit things pretty well, but there's no need to use them if you don't want to. Same with Ghouls, in the old book they were amazing and virtually an auto-include. With a 2pt price increase they're still very good but again not so good you must include them.

Hexwraiths are awesome at hunting anything with a high armour save, black knights are more for just supporting your blocks with flank charges. Vargheists are also excellent war machine hunters and flank chargers.
With the dire wolves too it's looking like you're after a fairly mobile force.

Not sure of points exactly but a rough list you might look at would be
A heavy armour and shield, level 2 vamp (can only have 25% in heroes, so unless you want to take a vamp lord you'll have to settle for less killiness, or demote the king to just a carin wraith)
Wight king with a great weapon
A unit of 30 skeletons with shields and command
2 units of 5 wolves
4 vargheists
5 hexwraiths
6 knights with lances, barding

I think that'd come in at about 1000

Think it over and post a list of your own if you want.

As to how to start: battalions are good but if you don't want ghouls or zombies then it's probably best to just by the products individually. Though the spare models make decent proxies for raising.

[Fruhauf]

Terrorgheists are amazingly effective at 1000 points, their scream can eliminate an entire unit of opposing knights if you roll nicely for their scream (although, not necessarily that high as 6 wounds + roll means you need to roll 8 to take out a unit of 5 ld 9 knights)

They're also not that bad in combat if you need something to tip the balance, plus they can scream in combat.

[Soundwave]

Either way you approach the army a mix of skeletons and zombies as well as small units of wolves and ghouls work well,so any purchase is a safe one at this point...

[Ratbeast]

Get as many Crypt horrors as you can, best unit in the book, and even better with a bit of magic support....... doesnt matter what else you field your horrors will never let you down

[ftayl5]

I disagree. Crypt horrors are good at being an anvil and can do some damage themselves but they're no great weapon wielding grave guard.
There really isn't a unit in the book that is actually bad, the internal and external balance of the book is very high and can really make anything work. Ethereal, necromancer themed, cavalry, flying themed, strigoi themed and many more; all viable builds.

[Algovil]

Hi Winterfell, as a collector of VC since a couple of years I give you some advice:

First and foremost get the models you like the look of and would like to paint!

Skeletons are just fine, all core choices can work, but sometimes worse or better considering the rest of the army list. With Zombies for example you need other units that can fight and win by them self because multiple combats with zombies is never good. Ghouls are good in combat, but expensive in points as the only core choice in an army. Skeletons are not great in combat, but in big units, they do fine, and work well with for example screaming banner etc.

Dire Wolves are great! I suggest using several, maybe 2 small units, 5 strong each, to control the movement of your enemy, they are not useful in bigger units though.

All three special choices you mention are good. You can choose whichever you like the best. Vargheists I suggest in units of maybe 3 to use together with dogs for flanking. Hexwraiths I never tried, they are very vulnerable to magic but can do damage for sure. Black Knights are a good combat unit, preferable together with characters to give them extra hitting power.

ftayl5 give a good example of a list IMO.

I would get one big units of skeletons, say 30, 5 wide, maybe with screaming banner and two units of 5 dire wolves for core, the a unit of black knights, maybe 9 of them together with a mounted vampire hero, with fitting powers and items. If you like to use Rare choices I would suggest the Varghulf since he is a solid choice against most armies, Terrorgheist sure, but lot of points and really would look stupid in a 1000p army, he is a bit of hit or miss as well.

For the rest of the points, 3 Vargheists, 5 Hexwraith, either or both. Maybe a Necromancer or a Wight King, first one being my choice.

HEROES: (maybe 200pts max)
Mounted Vampire Hero
(not sure items etc)

CORE: 285
30 Skeletons, FC, Screaming banner
5 Dire Wolves
5 Dire Wolves

SPECIAL: (not sure about points, maybe: 400)
9 Black Knights, barding, lance+shield, FC
3 Vargheists

RARE:
Varghulf

If you keep the vampire cheap you could fit in those stuff, not that much magic, but what the hack

[Winterfell]

Awesome! Thanks a bunch.

Here's what I have so far.

Vampire Gregor Von Carstein
Lvl 2, Hvy Armor, Shield.

Wight King
Great Weapon

30 Skeletons, FC, Screaming Banner
5 Dire Wolves, Doom Wolf
5 Dire Wolves, Doom Wolf

3 Vargheists, Vargoyle

5 Hexwraiths, Hellwraith

3 Cairn Wraiths

Should come to 999 by my math. Maybe not the most optimized list but it should be a start? Hopefully I won't get crushed.

[Moss]

Thats' actually a really good looking list, and there's no reason you should lose many games with it.

If you're looking to optimize without changing the overall flavor of the list, you can drop the champions from all units except the skeletons. Use the points to buy a power or two for your vampire.

Remember that ethereals are your friends in low-point games.

[m1acca1551]

Drop the doom wolfs and give some vampiric powers, vamps need to be powered up with either blood line powers or magic items, i'd prob go down the path of magic items something to give you an edge in the magic phase.

At 1000pts i'd take a necromancer over a wight king, why? Vamps need magic and being able to invoc with him takes the risk out of using your vamp. A level 1 would suffice leaving you to take a magic item on both your characters if you want.

Other than that your list looks good, welcome to the aristocracy of the night!

[Doommasters]

If you can't afford to drop in some Vampire Powers to the lord it could also be worth using a lvl2-4 Master necromancer and instdead of taking the Wight king kit out a Vampire either for LD distruption or pure carnage? Once you get up to menough points for redfurry and a magic weapon the SGK becomes god like in low points games but 250pts at 1000 you can probably get more from the lvl3-4 necromancer and a tooled up Hero Vampire.


But again pick the models you like the look of is the best bet VC have no real bad choices.

[m1acca1551]

Agreed doommasters, i dont think there are any vc minis i dont like!!

Taking a level 3-4 may be a little ott for 1000pts, but that may be up to your local meta as to wether you go competitive or not.

[Winterfell]

I wasn't sold on the champions but I thought the vampire power's would count against the 25%?

[Moss]

Yeah, I didn't do any of the math and so didn't realize you were already at your hero cap. If you drop the champions and swap the wight king for a level 1 necromancer, you will have room for some vampiric powers; you can switch that level 2 upgrade from the vampire if you'd like.

OR

Drop the champions and wight king. Drop the level 2 upgrade on the vampire. You can get a naked lvl 3 necromancer.

[Reasonable Commissar]

Id always take at least 1 level 1 naked necro as a magic backup just in case your general dies and your army starts crumbling. Plus with another necro thats another casting of IoN and if you can afford to give him master of the dead upgrade you can increase your skellis above starting number before they get into combat.

Ive had really good luck with Hexwraiths when my opponent hasnt had much magic or magic items but they can be hit or miss, against Skaven with all their warpstone weapons I would forsee them dying quickly unless you kept them out of sight.

Cairn Wraiths and a Banshee are nice as well but again depend on your opponents magic ability and items. Im a big fan of Etheral and find they pay off more often than they dont and even if your opponent does have a lot of things to take them out you can still do ok if you manage to position and block things well.

[Memnos]

I recently finished first in a campaign weekend and learned something:

The Strigoi Ghoul King is ridiculously good. To the point that he was singlehandedly winning games for me. 15 Ironguts? Throw the Strigoi in to them. He'll wipe out a rank a round by himself. 50 Dark Elf Warriors in horde formation? Unless there's an assassin in there, he'll wipe them out in 3 combat phases. I actually felt bad about it. I fought a dual-hydra list, so I placed him in with the banner of flamey doom and killed one before they struck. Terrorgheist took out the other.

I could have literally left the rest of my army at home.

[Doommasters]

I have also seen the SGK do some great things which is nice, also have seem him crumble to combat res and be sniped a few times also. Think he is well balanced for his points and being in an amry that rely on their charcters and rares options to do most of the work it makes sense.

A list that has been doing well at our club is; SGK, Master Necro and double terrogheist......seems to be pretty solid and gives the Ogres something to really worry about.

[Askari]

I think the SGK is awful. Utterly, terribly, awful. There's nothing he can do that a properly tooled up Vampire Lord can't do just as well. The Lord can be far more resilient (due to having armour) and a better Wizard also.

Unless you're completely strapped for points, such as in 1500 and lower games, the SGK is a poor choice. IMO.

[Doommasters]

I think the SGK is awful. Utterly, terribly, awful. There's nothing he can do that a properly tooled up Vampire Lord can't do just as well. The Lord can be far more resilient (due to having armour) and a better Wizard also.

Unless you're completely strapped for points, such as in 1500 and lower games, the SGK is a poor choice. IMO.

Can't really argue with you as I don't play VC very often but I was under the impression the SGK and Lvl4 Master Necro was a decent option rather than going for the all in lord?

[logan054]

Awesome! Thanks a bunch.

Here's what I have so far.

Vampire Gregor Von Carstein
Lvl 2, Hvy Armor, Shield.

Wight King
Great Weapon

30 Skeletons, FC, Screaming Banner
5 Dire Wolves, Doom Wolf
5 Dire Wolves, Doom Wolf

3 Vargheists, Vargoyle

5 Hexwraiths, Hellwraith

3 Cairn Wraiths

Should come to 999 by my math. Maybe not the most optimized list but it should be a start? Hopefully I won't get crushed.

Its not bad, honestly I would take a varghulf over Wraiths at this points level, one of its main advantages is it's a vampire and can march right up a flank, I find it a excellent mage hunter, basically charges in, kills the wizard and the locks the unit in combat until they break or run out of models (and it can grind through a fair few models with S5 stomps combined with decent combat stats).

I think I would be more inclined to take a couple of spirit hosts in units of 1 over the hex wraiths and then use the left over points to buff my vampire (at the very least give him armour of silvered steel and great weapon), drop the wight king and then get a necromancer, you might even be able to squeeze in a small unit of zombies with dropping the doom wolf

I think the SGK is awful

I couldn't agree more, the only reason I see to take one is if your doing a themed list.