# Vampire Counts! Blah!



## CountChocula (Jun 4, 2011)

So I have just recently came back into the WHFB fold after being on hiatus and building my 40k Chaos Space Marine army. But I have always loved fantasy more than 40k and have decided to jump back in feet first and just go for it. I have started a VC army and was looking for tips on dealing with certain situations, the current thorn in my side you ask? Dark Elves! Argh *shakes fist* How does this fledgling Vamp general deal with things such as multiple repeater bolt throwers and lines of crossbowmen? I know that Blood Knights are always good but to be honest i try to stay away from the cliche'...the $100+ price tag on the new finecast BK's isnt helping my situation either


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## Asura Varuna (Feb 19, 2011)

I don't think there's much that the GG Deathstar can't handle:

Wight King - Great Weapon, Drakenhoff Banner
29 Grave Guard - Full Command, Great Weapons, Banner of Barrows

And then sit a Vampire Lord with Crown of Commandment behind them, spam cast Vanhel's and Ivocation and you're pretty much set. A spare Necromancer on a Corpse Cart with Ivocation wouldn't go amiss either.

Other than that you want the run of the mill pair of Ghoul blocks (30+, of course) and a few Ethereals thrown in for good measure.

That sort of dirty list should give anything in the game a run for its money.


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## ultor (Dec 6, 2010)

Well I have both VC and DE armies so I can say the GG deathstar can not handle a dual hydra list.

If both Hydra's are locked in the same combat with GG deathstar there will be 12 S3 AP attacks (you get regen for those) 4D6 Flaming Breath weapon attacks at S5 then 14 re-rollable S5 attacks (regen can't be used at this point) before you attack and after your attacks there will be 2D6 thunderstomps at S5 again. I don't really think a GG unit will remain effective after taking a crumble after the combat. So all DE player needs to do is to stop your van hel's and corpse cart bound spell from being cast before combat and then your deathstar is gone. 

Dark elf shooting and magic (you will have more problems if opponent chooses lore of death or Shadow) will chew through the ghoul blocks unfortunately.

Dark elves are the most difficult army for VC (imo) to play against so you need to come up with a better plan than "throw a deathstar and watch" in order to win.


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## effigy22 (Jun 29, 2008)

Another very good option are Cairn Wraiths. In fact, i believe most VC generals now swear by them, twin them up with the fast moving Varghulf and you got some very quick killy stuff! 

If you really want to hurt their magic phase - take a black coach as under the new rules, you roll for every dice they get from Winds of Magic (although this does affect you as well)


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## experiment 626 (Apr 26, 2007)

ultor said:


> ...Dark elves are the most difficult army for VC (imo) to play against so you need to come up with a better plan than "throw a deathstar and watch" in order to win.


I'd also put the following as being on par with the DE's;

- Lizardmen w/Slaan. So (very likely) your best caster will be neutered by the slaan removing any 6's you roll for casting, plus when's the last time a lizzie player didn't slap the VC general w/cupped hands on turn 1?!
Salamders are also nasty and will help deal with the drakenhof guard...

- HE Teclis lists. But then, who doesn't have trouble with game's biggest dick?! Plus, Teclis can pick his lore before the 1st turn, and shadows hurts VC's alot... (pit the gravestar, knock the toughness of the ghouls and then mindrazor a big block of anything!)

- Skaven slave spam. VC's don't have the units or speed to out-manouver the rats before they tie up units and then magic/shoot the target to death.
Mind you, it's worth a good laugh when those 2 abombs run into what they think is a horde of regenerating ghouls, only to find out it's a horde of flaming attack ghouls!:taunt:



Basically, if you want a competitive/tournament style VC list, then you're stuck with ghouls, grave guard w/great weapons, ghouls, a skeleton bunker, a couple vargs and maybe a coach...
VC's got hit pretty hard by 8th ed, and it's kinda in real need of some help! I'd say for now, just build what you like and play for fun. Right now, VC's are an easy target for getting hit by Turn 1 insta win tactics. Eventually we'll get our fix just like tomb kings and maybe even get some freakin options in our list as well!

Cheers!


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## CountChocula (Jun 4, 2011)

Thank you all so much for all the tips. Surprisingly enough I didn't see people telling me to spam Blood Knights which is kinda what I was afraid of. It seems to me, and maybe im wrong, that the armies who lack shooting (VC, Beastmen, etc I don't include lizzies because their magic is so ungodly) have gotten the short end of the stick. It is so difficult to go up against an Empire or Dwarf gun line, and to a lesser degree DE. I haven't yet had the privilege of going up against any HE lists or the Teclis list, and I dread the day I do. Any tips on dealing with the gun lines? Thanks in advance!


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## Vaz (Mar 19, 2008)

I won't tell you to spam Blood Knights because that doesn't work - but have a look at this unit.

Blooddrinker, Bloody Hauberk, Other Tricksters Shard Red Fury Ghoulkin Dread Knight Vampire Lord.

Dreadknight Vampire BSB, Banner of Strigos

5 Bloodknights, Full Command, Sword of Might, Razor Standard

This gives you a Vampire Lord with up to 10 reroll to hit S5 Attacks with -3 to armour saves causing enemies to reroll successful ward Saves, 4 reroll to hit S6 Attacks with -4 to armour saves causing enemies to reroll successful ward saves, 15 Reroll to hit S7 Attacks with -5 to armour saves causing enemies to reroll successful ward saves.

You can use Vanhels to get into combat quicker, use your magic to heal any wounded characters/resurrect dead Vampire Knights, and then use your attacks with the blooddrinker to heal any others dead. Vampire Lords are I6, IIRC, meaning that those attacks are faster than pretty much anything else out there and with Red Fury, are capable of killing 5-6 Elves/Humans and resurrecting dead Vampire Knights. Even Phoenix Guard, Abominations and Daemons are not excempt due to the Tricksters Shard forcing the reroll of successful Ward Saves, not to mention your Lord has a 2+/4++ for survivability.


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## CountChocula (Jun 4, 2011)

Wow, I like that! That is a force to be reckoned with!


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