Inspired by the various tactica articles out there, I figured I would try my hand at writing up my own version for my beloved Vampire Counts. 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:
Lords
Vampire 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).
Heroes
Vampire 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.
Now on to troop choices....
Core
Since 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.
Special
Grave 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.
Rare
Banshee- 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.
Necromancy
A brief discussion of arguably the greatest lore in the game is in order at this point...
Invocation of Nehek- the ultimate multi-tasking spell. Gotta heal a character? Go ahead! Need to replenish troops in a unit? No problem! Want to CREATE a new unit for a flank charge or to contest/hold a table quarter? The Invocation can do it all! Perhaps best of all, it's always available to any of your wizards as it's the first spell on the list. My greatest use from this spell, however, is the creation of new units. Whether you're luring some frothing frenzied units away from the battle line or setting up a flank charge where none existed before, at least two of your characters should have this spell in every battle. (I personally give it to every character capable of casting spells). The best part of creating a new unit? Only the initial batch counts for VP purposes; thus you can raise a unit of five zombies, and then feverishly increase their size to your heart's content and their value will never go above 30 points. Oh, and I always recommend raising zombies as a new unit as they're easier and you have less of a chance of blowing it; on that note, always go for the mid-level casting for the near-guarantee of successfully raising the 5-model minimum.
Hand of Dust- while not as useful on a vampire (they kill well enough on their own), this can be a nasty surprise your necromancer delivers as a last resort (or if he's caught in combat). Otherwise, this is the least useful spell for my type of army.
Hellish Vigor- great for our low Initiative (I) troopers in protracted combats. Or for our great-weapon wielding vampires. Of course, allowing misses to be re-rolled is useful even if you're going first anyhow (against Empire Greatswords, e.g.).
Gaze of Nagash- a great magic missile; above average in power, number of hits, and range. Cast on an 8+, it's not impossible for your necromancer to toss two dice and deliver some extra punch.
Vanhel's Dance Macabre- an extra move spell coupled with a newly raised unit has obvious advantages. Or, if you miscalculate a charge and are off an inch or two, how about trying it again? Heck, you get to move (not march) an extra 8" which means you can turn and do all sorts of shifting that mere mortals who are still alive cannot do! (Remember, marchers cannot normally turn or reform, but with this spell, you can).
Curse of Years- a great scare tactic. Cast this one early in the game and draw out dispel scrolls. If you do manage to get it off, make sure you leave it around for a bit as it only gets better the longer it stays in play. (To that end, make sure it's the last spell cast by that wizard so you don't lose his other beneficial spells).
Magical Items
Rather than go through every item, I'll just stick to the ones I tend to use and why....
Weapons:
Sword of Unholy Power- great against lightly armored armies b/c of the extra punch you get in the magic phases (w/a Vamp's 3-4 wounds, that's easily 1-2 extra spells per phase, or dispel dice).
Tomb Blade- rarely used, but should I field a vamp in a skelly unit for some unfathomable reason, a nice cheap way of keeping the unit around.
Sword of Kings- great for your BSB.
Armor:
Enchanted Shield- always useful for those one-handed weapon combos.
Flayed Hauberk- great for vamps mounted on flying nightmares since they lose the +2 save from not being on a barded steed.
Talismans:
Carstein Ring- not available to my first bloodline preference, worthy of note. A great item, but at the cost of powers and other magical goodies; also, watch out for the recent rash of fire-counting items (negating regeneration is tough on this item!)
Obsidian Amulet- best used with a wraith
Crown of the Damned- a formal staple for my Count, now I stick to using it on Lords b/c I had too great of a penchant for rolling above 9 for my stupidity tests at critical moments.
Ring of Night- the only ward save w/no drawbacks.
Gem of Blood- not bad as a filler (and big surprise). I just don't like depending on items that require me to "not roll a one."
Arcane Items:
Staff of Damnation- not bad for a nightmare-riding necromancer.
Book of Arkhan- probably the most read book in VC circles. Don't leave home without it.
Spell Familiar- a good choice for necromancers to increase their utility.
Enchanted Items-
Cursed Book-couple this with a zombie dragon and watch the horror on your opponent's face the first time he tries to hit your vampire in HTH.
Talon of Death- sometimes tempting for a vamp on winged nightmare to lug around. Pretty expensive though, so you need to balance it vs. his bloodline powers.
Magic Standards-
Hell Banner- not bad to have your Knights causing Terror; the only problem is if your ‘chargee' runs away, you could be stuck in the open.
Banner of Doom- great vs. Empire (and other shooty armies)
Banner of Barrows- one of the few ‘must take' items. Without question it goes to your Black Knights.
Screaming Banner- a bit cheaper than the Hell banner, it makes Fear tests more likely to be failed, which again, could be a double-edged sword.
Bloodline Powers-
Red Fury- awesome. An extra attack? Who doesn't want that?
Blademaster- eh. Coupled with the Cursed Shield of Mousillon, pretty good combo (-2 attacks). But I'd rather spend my points elsewhere.
Heart Piercing- another ‘must take.' Rerolling (inevitably 1s and 2s) is critical for your vamps kills (as he'll almost always only need 2s to wound w/S7 via a great weapon).
Strength of Steel- some say overkill with a great weapon (S8), I say it negates a 2+ save. Also, this is great if you're going with a one-handed magic weapon.
Honor or Death- not bad (especially against Bretonnian characters who will lose their blessing), but pretty tough against LD 8+.
Deployment
Now this is pretty important (as for all armies). But there's a few things unique to the VCs to keep in mind.
1. No missile troops. So don't worry about hills or other missile-friendly terrain. (Often the terrain is not in your hand, but depending on the group, there's different ways to set up terrain, etc).
2. No marching w/o your general. This is the biggest concern for me usually. Although I've tried to minimize the need for him beyond the first turn, (b/c most things in the army are fast) one still has to keep this in mind. If he's mounted on a winged nightmare, he won't be around long, so don't depend on non-magically induced marching. If he's with the Black Knights, you're better off-another consideration for how you want to field your big guy.
3. Impassable/Difficult terrain: great for defending your swarms and fell bats. They can move over it with no penalty while most of your enemies will have a hard time reaching you through such terrain.
4. The VCs in this format are NOT a defensive army. You don't want to take the charge, ever! (Well that goes for most armies of course, but seems especially true w/the undead). So don't worry about hanging out waiting for them to come to you. Don't get caught behind/between terrain that will slow you down. You ought to be closing the distance and fast! (Negating the enemy's shooting and hitting him hard).
5. Screening: using the swarms to protect your Knights is perfectly viable and a smart move. The Spirit Hosts work best for this (except vs. cannons), but I imagine the bat swarms can do the same.
Other than that, set your troops up in mutual support. You can have flankers on the side (wolves or spirit hosts) or use your knights as a hammer (holding the enemy up w/swarms to their frontage). Most of your troops will need supported charges to win (except the Black Knights). Remember this in your deployment. And try not to react to your opponent's placement (unless necessary, like a Hellblaster or something).
Tactics
This is obviously a tough one to talk about beyond generalities (since so many unique situation arise on the board vs. different armies). With such a disclaimer stated....
1. Your general should remain near your troops as long as possible. If he's on a flying mount, save him for the last movement–that way you can utilize his presence to march everyone off before he flies away. But don't keep him there at the expense of tasty targets (flank charge, lone wizards, warmachines, etc).
2. The pivotal unit in this army is obviously the Black Knights. They can take most things head on (but don't unless you have to) or by themselves. The others will need support; hold up a unit w/a swarm and then hit them in the flank with another swarm, some dire wolves, whatever works. Dual charges not only increase your damage potential, but also bolster your ability to outnumber thus autobreak (on that note, always take musicians; winning by 1 point and autobreaking is well worth that points). Against units immune to fear (for whatever reason) your work is a bit more cut out for you. Since few armies have all their units immune to fear, send your Knights against those that are immune, and use your other units against those susceptible to your greatest asset.
3. Magic use–very important to facilitating your victory. As I've said before, I love raising new units to mess with the opponents plans. Even if you don't have frenzied folk to lead away, when placing the new unit, make sure you angle them in such a way that exposes the enemy's flank should they be charged. By angling them off to a side, the enemy must align himself against your frontage. If he kills them (likely) then he either will stay w/an exposed flank or overrun to get out of the way (which will still put him out of position). This has helped me more times than I can remember. Also, by placing new units in the way, you prevent charges against your more valuable units. Of course, healing your important characters (general, necromancers) is of obvious utility.
4. Your general presents another problem. He's holding your army together; if he dies, you crumble FAST. Yet, he's your meatgrinder. So what to do? This army is meant to be an all-out assault on the enemy. Most players expect undead to be slow shambling hordes. Ride him forth and crush all who stand in your way. His prowess will keep him alive; and he's more vulnerable when not in HTH combat.
5. Mandatory challenges–yup, the Blood Dragon weakness. Against most people, no big deal. Against a fire wizard w/Von Horstman's Speculum and a blade of fire, a challenge = dead vampire. Again, just b/c your vamp has to challenge doesn't mean you have to put him in a combat where a challenge must be issued. Hit a flank, no character in combat, no challenge. He kills off all around him forcing a tough break test, and you can run down the character for free. Not honorable enough for a Blood Dragon? Eh, he's an undead vampire that drinks the blood of the living for sustenance. How honorable does he have to be? (Or more fluffy, is any mere mortal really worthy of the honor of meeting the Vampire in HTH combat? No one is his equal, so don't worry about it). Of course, great satisfaction is had every time he smashes a character into the ground, so it's up to you. Not to mention he scares the beejeezus out of any player (if they know what's good for them). I've seen people refuse the challenge (thinking it would save the character); well, the vamp takes his frustration out on rank and file troops and runs them down anyway.
6. A few brief notes on army construction.... First, I almost always give my vamps great weapons (so you don't have to worry about losing it to nasty magical spells). But this precludes you from hitting ethereal creatures (and Bretonnian Lords equipped with a certain Locke of hair). But at S7, he crushes chariots, most armor saves, and wounds dragons on a 3+. Secondly, ALWAYS take musicians (noted above)–as soon as you don't, you'll draw combat or lose to the enemy's musician.
=So that's that. Thanks for reading through it all. Hope it helps or at least provokes ideas/questions/constructive criticism.
