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Tactica Vampire Counts - arbogast | |
| Inspired by bored1's article on Tomb Kings' tactica, I figured I would try my hand at writing up my own version for my beloved Vampire Counts (and use a similar format, I hope you don't mind). Realize this discussion is a reflection of the type of army I've come to play in both design and flavor–it does not represent the other ways of playing the VCs. To that end, I'd characterize my army as a Blood Dragon force that's fast, small, and utilizes the dreaded Necromancy (quite a bit for this particular line).
The first caveat is why I choose Blood Dragons. Well, beyond the obvious combat prowess, I love the background of Abhorash and envision my own vampires aspiring to great feats of martial perfection. Oh, and I don't find the Lahmia's powers that feasible, the Strigoi are too linear to play (not enough options), and the Von Carsteins are too generic (though my second preferred bloodline). I will begin with a discussion of the characters available: LordsVampire Lord - what can you say about the biggest, baddest warrior around? Sure he costs quite a bit (points and an extra hero slot), but by tooling him out to be invulnerable to troops with a WS 4 or less and nigh-impervious to WS 5-10 enemies (who'd need a 6 just to hit him), what do you expect? He's also the only character able to ride a dragon (which costs another hero slot); thus, he's really only feasible at 3k or more points. His most important stat increases (over the Count) are his wound and leadership (the latter b/c it makes the Crown of the Damned feasible).Vampire Count - my preferred general at 2000-2999 point games. He's a great all-around melee devastator and has some magic to boot. The only really tricky decision is what mount he should ride into battle upon; a nightmare (to join his Black Knight cadre) or a flying nightmare (to ride about on his own wreaking havoc and sowing terror among the enemies ranks). I tend to like the flier for several reasons. One, the Knights don't really need him to be an efficient killing unit. Two, the mount is priced wonderfully; compared to the Bretonnian Hypogryph, the undead version is S6 on the charge and is 25 points less! (albeit with one less wound, but that shouldn't matter after the Count's charge). Three, he and the Count have a Unit Strength (US) of 5 which means when he hits the enemy's flank (or rear), not only does he negate their rank bonus, but gains the benefit of the flank/rear charge thus negating the enemy's inevitable ‘outnumber' bonus, allowing the Count to win through sheer killing power. Master Necromancer - a great magic user, but never at the expense of your main whirlwind of death (i.e. your vampire). Besides, for his cost (properly outfitted) think about taking a Dark Emissary and Fen Beasts (more on this later). HeroesVampire Thrall - I've never been terribly fond of these guys. One, they're too expensive for use as a Battle Standard Bearer (BSB). Two, their magic item/bloodline point allotment is a bit sparse for my tastes. Don't get me wrong, you could do much worse for a hero slot, but I just have other preferences for my character options.Wight Lord - a great BSB; not only b/c he's cheaper than the Thrall, but the Wight Lord already has the killing blow ability. Ride him with your Black Knights, and he's in good company. If you don't like BSBs, fine, give him the Sword of Kings and now characters and Khorne Chosen Knights are sweating a 1 in 3 chance of decapitation (couple the sword with an Enchanted Shield or Gem of Blood for extra staying power). Wraith - a tough choice. Great for causing terror, but a bit fragile against any other character (whom typically wield magical weapons). Give him the Obsidian Amulet and now we're talking about some staying power. Heck, in a challenge against a character with no magic weapon, you're sitting pretty! (Well, as pretty as a millennia-old robe containing the spirit of a long dead necromancers can be...) Necromancer- ah, the pivotal characters in any VC force. Cheap enough to field two, yet their magic is among the most powerful in the game. How do they fit in with the Blood Dragon fluff? While my vampires may not be as studious in the necromantic arts as other lines, but that doesn't mean they're stupid about it. Having two of these wizards bolstering your magic phase is essential. Plus, there are several great items (more later) that further enhance their magical abilities. I usually keep one mounted for mobility and stick another in a unit of skellies for protection. CoreSince I believe speed and strength rule the field in Warhammer Fantasy, I find fault in most of the VC's core choices. But let's see if they have other uses...Skeletons - crappy Weapon Skill (WS), mediocre Strength (S), and an embarrassing lack of clothes. So what could I use these fellas for? Protecting my wizards. I almost always give them spears (as I count on them being charged), and since most undead units will hang around a turn or two, at least they'll be able to hit back with someone. I field ONE unit of these guys, about 20-25 strong, depending on points available. (In small games, I may not field any at all). Zombies - other than having an obscene amount of fun building these shambling clods, I NEVER start with a unit on the table. In horde armies they may be fine, but I don't play VC hordes nor do I appreciate them always going last and lack of weapon options. However, they do have a very important use in my army. They're the first to be raised with the Invocation of Nehek; not only are they easier to create a unit with, but they're not worth as many Victory Points (VPs) either. They make the ultimate speed bumps/frenzy taunters, but not much else (unless I can raise 25+ as a sinkhole unit).. Ghouls - I had high aspirations for these guys, but their vulnerability to panic/break tests (alive with LD 6!) makes them a liability. Sure their two poisoned attacks and Toughness (T) 4 are useful, but against a very limited number of foes. Compared to the rest of my army, they're left in the dust and don't make a very effective rear guard. Bat Swarm - admittedly, I haven't had much experience with these guys. I'm undecided between their S2 and their unbreakable/non-crumbliness. Of course, being able to have two swarms (including the Spirit Hosts) in the army is never anything to sneeze at (if I recall correctly, the VCs are the only army able to do this). Dire Wolves - ah, the children of the night. Scoffed at by many, used as screening pincushions by others, these cantankerous canines are my favorite core choice. At 10 points a piece for core fast cav that charges 18", I don't how they're not a no-brainer in any VC force. I field them in units of 10, and they hit flanks or hit light units incredibly well. The only thing I typically don't do is upgrade to a doomwolf. The hunting hounds may be my favorite choice, but I know they die easily and don't waste the points on an extra attack. SpecialGrave Guard - while these elite warriors of the VCs have some hitting power, I find them too slow and expensive given my preferences. I have fielded them before, and I would always equip them with halberds and the Banner of Doom. But unless I was playing in a 3000+ point game, I leave them to hold down the barrow.Black Knights - as you may have guessed by now, my favorite unit of the army. They're fast, hit often (Banner of the Barrows) and hit hard (Killing Blow). Since they're cavalry, they can easily outnumber after their kills and viola, autobreak against most enemies. A favorite tactic of mine is the dual-banner combo by sticking a BSB in with the unit (Hell Banner or the Screaming Banner work well). In bigger games, another unit of these bad boys is raised, and some sort of character will ride with them (maybe a mounted Wraith). Fell Bats - another personal favorite. Although they're only T3 (a bit sub-par by newer fliers), they're also only 20 points, a great bargain for a fear-causing flier. These guys stick to warmachine/lone wizard hunting, and the occasional skirmishing units. Spirit Hosts- ethereal swarms, what's not to love? I always field as many bases as possible without sacrificing the efficiency of my other units. The ultimate missile screen, they move at a staggering 6, and ignore terrain. They can't be hit by most troops/champions, and are the ultimate unit for holding up the enemy for a flank charge or crushing light units. If they hit a flank of anything, they could very well win combat on their own. RareBanshee - normally I don't take the screaming lady as I've rarely seen her make her points back. Easily picked off by magic missiles or fliers, she's just not my cup of tea. Think of her as a severely limited Casket of Souls.Black Coach - having played Chaos and the Empire (and been on their receiving end), I've moved away from chariots, especially ones that cost 200 points. With no march capability, they tend to be slow and can be outmaneuvered. While terror-causing is nice, you can get the same effect that's more mobile and cheaper through Wraiths or a magical standard. And sure it's great that the thing gains wounds, but a S7 great weapon will cleave it half just as easily (a measly 5+ ward save notwithstanding). Thus, since I don't typically like either rare choice, it frees my list up for things like Dark Emissarys and Fenbeasts. I wouldn't take both in less than 2000 points, but I often use the Dark Emissary instead of one of my necromancers. The Fenbeasts are just amazing as they're unbreakable, cause fear, and don't crumble, allowing them to fit right in with their undead allies. Next: Necromancy | |
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