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I played 2250 against the new undead army book today, and while I put up a good fight, in the end I was thrashed.

He had two very large black knight units. He allowed me to charge them both. One with my chosen and a chariot, and the other with marauders with an exalted champion. My marauders eventually bested their opponents, but his lord's unit....let's take a look.

10 Black Knights, barding, Banner of the Barrows. [+1 to-hit, not auto3+ anymore]
Wight lord battle standard bearer - his banner gave the whole unit and characters regeneration.
Vampire Lord - Lance that auto-hit, Red Thirst [more attacks for each unsaved wound], +1 to combat resolution.
Behind this unit stood a vampire thrall with some helm that allowed 1 unit in 12" to fight at his WS instead of their own.

So WS6 black knights with +1 to hit - this would be 2+ to-hit on any unit but my chosen, who carried the Rapturous Standard.

So here in this T4, 2+ armour, regenerating unit that has killing blow and a vampire averaging 7 S5 wounds a turn plus the unit's attacks, he's got about +5 in static combat resolution as well! This unit is brutal! I held my ground the first turn, but eventually was sent running. I managed to kill everything else he had but some ghouls off to the far side, but he did the same to me. I think if I'd charged with another chariot as well [it was backed up a bit ready to charge fell bats if they tried to come around behind] I might have swung things slightly in my favor, but that unit is terrible!

There's also ways to make a vampire lord cause terror and fly, accompanied by 3 more vampires that make enemy units within 6" reduce their leadership by -1. Terror tests at -4 anyone?

This new codex brings many new things to the Undead, and they are definitely a force to be reckoned with.

-Spellbound

Vampire Counts you mean? Sounds wicked.

People are really looking forward to Magic Items + powers.

malfred wrote:People are really looking forward to Magic Items + powers.

Uh, not me

Can you take multiples of bloodline powers? With no negatives (like, second power costs 2x, etc)?

If so, that's ... unfortunate.

- Salvage

Yes. One vampire cannot take the same power multiple times, but more than one vampire can have the same power, without penalty.

Hence 4 vampires with -1 leadership and one causing terror, all flying. Jump in on the flank and watch a unit cause panic checks down the line.

*yuck*

It's the Psychic Choir, except Vampiric and actually much nastier - with Terror you just have to be nearby!

- Salvage

Ugh, better pull out my immune to terror dwarf units and equip the rest with anti-terror runes... wait... ah crap.

thanks for the batrep, im anxious to get into VC's now. im interested in using as much cav as i can, as its an apsect of warhammer i have yet to utilize.

After reading several VC batreps across different sites, I have this to say:

I need to see a VC army lose. Yes, people post reports about their army winning, but I still need to see that the new vamps are beatable. Feeling pretty set upon with all the über! going on with this book ...

Also with Studder playing them I need to know I have a fighting chance!

- Salvage

Spellbound wrote:Yes. One vampire cannot take the same power multiple times, but more than one vampire can have the same power, without penalty.

Hence 4 vampires with -1 leadership and one causing terror, all flying. Jump in on the flank and watch a unit cause panic checks down the line.

So the -1 to leadership stacks? That sounds rough.

My Tomb Kings managed to beat a Vampire Count army. Here are some weaknesses that I noticed (no guarantee on these being there in a competitive list, just my experience)

The red knights are vulnerable to flank charges. You put a ranked unit into their flank and they are finished, due to undead combat res. They are frenzy so they gotta charge your carrion or whatever. Living armies could even flee and not lose their bait unit.

The Casket works pretty well vs. their trash leadership, although their boss will obviously protect the guys near him.

The flying terror causing scout Vampire doesn't get to do a lot if the enemy are undead. He didn't have the posse of -1 guys with him, but that would obviously still apply.

VC still have no shooting, and a pretty crummy magic defense (very few scroll carriers and those who do, necromancers, tend to be in carts instead of ranked units)

I hate those corpse carts. The -1 to casting per one within 24" is brutal.

I say an Ogre army beat a Vampire army. The count was the only thing that survived. the ogres walked in and due to high attacks and wounds, ate through all core choices. A unit of 4 maneaters with great weapons hit that grave gaurd on the charge, killing 10 of em. Grave gaurd only reponded back with a wound. caused the unit to loose i think 6 more guys to resolution? Anyways, Ogres do well on undead in general most times, as log as they dont run before hand (cure, take maneaters, terror causing tyrants, and gorgers. And if lead belchers get in range, well, the vampire looses basically the whole unit.)

I bested a VC player the other day as well...

granted it was his first hack at the new rules and he didnt have fun new units like blood knights, varghulfs and corpse carts...

but still.

My unit of squig hoppers thrashed two, yes two vampire thralls, which included his general. (it was a 1500 point game)

I can't really offer much overall insight to them as an opponent as it was my first fight against VCs new or old, but I assure you, they are beatable.

Wood elves are in for a really hard time with the new preponderance of 2+ save cavalry who ignore terrain.

Wood elves are in for a really hard time with the new preponderance of 2+ save cavalry who ignore terrain.

AARGH! Why'd you have to say that. I know it's true, but two regular players just picked up VC at our local gaming store, and I'm just starting WHFB with my Wood Elves list.

I bested a VC army two weeks ago(3000 pts ea). He went balls to the walls with the spirit hosts, big Vamps(Vamp Lord, 2 Counts[?], 3 Necromancers-all in carts), 12 Blood Dragons, tomb wraiths...The works. I got 1st turn, popped the Lord w the Dagger o Sotek. BAMMMM!! Crumble. That, and a tricked out Slann and a couple of Priests helped out alot too. They are not unbeatable, like some of the folks here said earlier. The trick is to pop that Lord as soon as you can. Dark Elf Assassins would do nicely. Swordsmasters of Hoeth too.

Whoo!
Threadomancy!

Noisy_Marine wrote:

Spellbound wrote:Yes. One vampire cannot take the same power multiple times, but more than one vampire can have the same power, without penalty.

Hence 4 vampires with -1 leadership and one causing terror, all flying. Jump in on the flank and watch a unit cause panic checks down the line.

So the -1 to leadership stacks? That sounds rough.

The bloodline power you are talking about says any enemy unit within 6" of one or more Vampires with this power suffer -1 leadership (cumulative with any other power). This means that if all 4 vampires have this bloodline power (which is 50 pts btw) the enemy is only at -1 leadership no matter how many are within 6" of them. Now if you used that one spell from the main rulebook (Death I think, I don't want to bother go looking it up) that gives -3 leadership to a unit, then you could get a unit to -4 leadership = a damned good target for a Banshee scream or two.

All four vampires flying has been pretty fun to use though, especially with Ghoulkin.