# Vampire Counts Battle Standard Bearer



## Mitchy (Apr 19, 2009)

which of the standards should i take for my battle standard bearer, if i even decide to take one?

I was thinking:
The Banner of Barrows to go with my Grave Guard unit. The grave guard standard bearer would have the war banner, then they would also get the standard. So +2 to combat res, and they get +1 to hit. the standard would be held by a whight king, who would have probably a great weapon for his weapon, just so i can get some high strenght, and hopefully take on someone in a challenge, the only problem is he is vunerable without that shield, so maybe i might keep him with his basic arment.

What do you think? Good, Bad, or OK idea.


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## clever handle (Dec 14, 2009)

I would recommend not taking a magical standard for your BSB - he's already worth 100 extra victory points when killed before adding the cost of a magical banner. And if you are planning on taking a Wight King there are plenty of magical items which really buff him out - my list runs a Wight King BSB (in a unit of graveguard with greatweapons & the banner of barrows) with the sword of kings & the gem of blood. This gives me 3 WS4, S4 attacks with +1 to hit (coupled with crown of command and you're hitting most things on 2's) and killing blows on 5+... you're also T5 with effectively 4 wounds (assuming you don't roll a 1 for the gem of blood...)

You can watch your opponents faces light up with joy when you accept their challenge with your BSB - only to take a wound or two (which you can then heal) and proceed to take out their monster lord with a killing blow or two...

I always keep my wight king in a unit of 17 graveguard - that gives me 2 ranks, 2 sticks (and usually outnumber after a round of combat...) for up to 5 static combat before taking into account the kills you will almost certainly rank up hitting on 2's or 3's & usually wounding on 2's...

On the other hand - if you plan on running your BSB in a unit of blood knights it's a good place for drakenhof banner or flag of blood keep (I think?)


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## CoNnZ (Mar 28, 2009)

Only give him a magic banne if he's in a unit of knights. In which case drakenholf is best to limit their casualties


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## Mitchy (Apr 19, 2009)

i dont take Blood Knights, i might in a more competitive list, but this ones gonna be friendly (sort of)

also clever handle, i thought that if you took the BSB you cant take any magical items too
"If a Hero is carrying the Battle Standard, he can have a magic banner (no points limit), but if he carrys a magic banner he cannot carry any other magic item -though a Vampire may still choose Vampiric Powers."

Unless you dont have a magic banner, just the BSB?


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## clever handle (Dec 14, 2009)

right. You may wave a flag - but if it is a magical flag then you can't have any magical equipment. Assuming it's the bog-standard Battle Standard (+1 combat rez & for VC 1 fewer crumble wounds within 12") you can still take your magical items - NOTE: WARBANNERS are considered MAGICAL EQUIPMENT & not enchanted banners for this purpose.


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## Mitchy (Apr 19, 2009)

ok, so i might just do that, why not? ill give it to one of my caster Vamps, and call it a day.


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## Wolf_Lord_Skoll (Jun 9, 2008)

clever handle said:


> NOTE: WARBANNERS are considered MAGICAL EQUIPMENT & not enchanted banners for this purpose.


What makes you say this? They are treated as Banners and are a Magic Item, hence they would be Magic Banner. Besides, the main rulebook specificly calls them a "Magic Banner", see page 122


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## clever handle (Dec 14, 2009)

the fact that they are in the armory & not in the magical banners section...


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## Wolf_Lord_Skoll (Jun 9, 2008)

Read the main Rulebook. They are called a Magic Banner there, page 122.


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## maddermax (May 12, 2008)

clever handle said:


> the fact that they are in the armory & not in the magical banners section...


WLS is right here, it's a magical banner, no two ways about it. Just like all the Common Magic Items come from a certain section, (weapons/armour/arcane ect), the Warbanner is a magical banner. The only reason it's not listed in that section is that they like to list all the common magic items together, for whatever reason. So, having a warbanner means no other magical equipment.


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## Mitchy (Apr 19, 2009)

no magical equipment just to get +1 combat res is not worth it. So i think i will take a BSB, just i wont give it a magical banner. Thanks for the help everyone.


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## Tombking (Jan 5, 2010)

interestingly you can give vampire bsb,s vampiric powers like aura of dark majesty. They can take a magic banner pts unlimited - warbanner is a magic banner as far as anyone with a firm grip on reality is concerned and that = +3 combat resolution also a bsb can stack with a normal unit banner so +4 all together


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## Mitchy (Apr 19, 2009)

sounds awesome, im making a list of for my 1500pts of Vampire Counts for a camphaign im going in. ill post a link in a bit.


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## maddermax (May 12, 2008)

Tombking said:


> interestingly you can give vampire bsb,s vampiric powers like aura of dark majesty. They can take a magic banner pts unlimited - warbanner is a magic banner as far as anyone with a firm grip on reality is concerned and that = +3 combat resolution also a bsb can stack with a normal unit banner so +4 all together


Never take a warbanner if it will fit onto the unit!  it makes it far harder to take out. So if you're putting your BSB with a unit of skeletons or black riders, give the unit the warbanner, the the Vampire BSB something useful. The only times to bother about taking a magical Battle Standard is if it's a cool but expensive BSB only banners (>50 point ones), or if you can think of a really good combination of banners and you want two on a unit. Otherwise, keep it to one and put it on the unit itself.

Just my 2c


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## Tombking (Jan 5, 2010)

maddermax said:


> Never take a warbanner if it will fit onto the unit!  it makes it far harder to take out. So if you're putting your BSB with a unit of skeletons or black riders, give the unit the warbanner, the the Vampire BSB something useful. The only times to bother about taking a magical Battle Standard is if it's a cool but expensive BSB only banners (>50 point ones), or if you can think of a really good combination of banners and you want two on a unit. Otherwise, keep it to one and put it on the unit itself.
> 
> Just my 2c


good point - forgot to add give the bsb dread knight as well and they become a st7 on charge flanking monster who adds +3 combat resolution - have used this once works well and weighs in at 200pts can go abit wrong if he is killed but its an amusing build and can give a vaghulf a run for its money in the fast flanking monster role 

banners are a two edged sword because of the vp but dont fear them - especialy in vc's as they need every scrap of combat resolution they can get - as there foot troops suck in combat


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## Mitchy (Apr 19, 2009)

making a reversion of my list, sorry bought taking forever to comment, ive been a bit busy trying to paint everything before the camphaighn starts. (for some reason i can never spell that work right)

So far i still have to model a Vampire to hold the standard, i would use a Whight King, but in 1500pts i want all the spell casters i can get incase i fight High Elves.


EDIT: heres the link to my army list

http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/showthread.php?t=56841


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