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undergoing reconstruction

Vampire Lord
Supernatural Horror
Hunter in the Dark
Master of the Black Arts
Extra Level

Sceptre de Noirot
Armour of Night

Necromancer
Power Stone
Extra Spell
90

Necromancer
Dispel Scroll
Extra Spell
80

Skellies x20
Full cmd
Spears
200

Skellies x20
Full cmd
Spears
200

Zombies x20
Music, Std
92

Grave Guardx14
Full cmd
GW
Banner of the Barrows
257

Grave Guardx14
Full cmd
GW
212

Black Coach
200

Cairn Wraithx5
Banshee
275


other stuff coming soon

i wanted an imposing general that i can take risks with and feel comfortable sticking alone into enemy deployment zone. i also wanted the option for a first turn flank charge with a huge tarpit. Dansing Grave Guard with GW were somthing i couldn't resist. I figured the Coach (coolest unit in the game, useful or not) will provide march moves for Grave Guard at the expense of siphoning power dice from necros inside those GG units for a turn or two. Cairn Wraiths gave me an excuse to add another vampire. Another tarpit because I love the models and two units of skellies to satisfy core choices. Haven't tested it yet; does it look feasible? feedback much appreciated.

Firstly some rules issues, you can't have multiples of the same magic items in the army barring scrolls and powerstones, so no to 2xBanner of barrows, you can swap the other for the always useful warbanner for example. You also can't have 2xarcane items on the same character (barring again scrolls & powerstones), so no to one vamp having both the book of arkhan and sceptre.

Secondly about the base idea of your list; having your most imporant & expensive model. who at the end of the day isn't even very good fighter with his current gear, in the middle of enemy army at turn 1 is a bad, bad idea, terror or no terror. Altough he doesn't necessarily get shot/magiced to death if you keep him hidden in a forest, you'll have to expose him to possible combat, shooting and magic if you actually wan't to accomplish anything. Also if he's in the middle of enemy army your main troops may have trouble marching and are out of range for his spells for a turn or 2 at least. Vampire lords are great (imho) for 3 things - 1)CC-Killer, 2)Support, 3)Magic Dominance when kitted appropriately, and your guy isn't unfortunately doing anything of those good.If you really wan't to use scouting terror fellow, use a hero-level guy and don't risk your general foolishly. I also don't particualry like etheral vamps as improving wraith unit with a 150 point guy who essentialy does the same thing as a normal wraith (3 str 5) attacks isn't really a good bargain. Yes, he can go solo around the world, but then he's awfully vulnerable to anything magical and has a big difficulty of beating pretty much anything but the very poorest stuff in close combat especially when you don't have bsb around. The only good use I see for the ethereal vamp is If you somehow manage to tie up an expensive, fighty character without magic weapons into close combat and you aren't outnumbered/have supporting combat res..

I also don't understand how you'll make first turn "tarpit" charges?

alright, good. my play group had some confusion over arcane items so i'm glad that clears it up. i'll edit that part.

yeah you've got a point with that ethereal vamp i'll take him out

the lord choice would be a hero but for what i wanted him to do i needed more magic levels. the first turn charge comes from raise dead + invokation + danse = 15-22 zombies 12" away from caster plus 8" danse move counted as charge.

You're basing everything on 3 successful casts on turn 1.

yep. 5+, 4+ arent so difficult, as for the danse, if i don't get into combat first turn the game isn't over, i still have a unit in enemy deployment that can march and march block.

Allright, I'll see you point about the 1st turn charge now. I don't really buy into that tactic for various reasons, though: 1) You need a good scouting point for the vamp, not always available... 2) You need to get 1st turn to this to work better, dice-off 3) You need to get all those spells off when opponent's magic defense is still relatively intact and you might not be able to buff the summoned unit with the secondary casters due range. 4) The summoned guys are _zombies_ who can't pursue and die in droves vs pretty much anything so even if you get the charge off (unlikely, unless you actually roll the spell for the lord and roll irresistable with 4 dice), and on top of that the charge can be fled if the prospects are particualy bad for the opponent. Yes, you might nail some cheaper stuff (warmachines and such) very early if you happen to roll well but the risk vs pay is not very good for the VC in this. You can of course try this thing out so you'll see for yourself how things work out.

The vampire magic works much better imo if you start using the dances at a later point in the game when you can support the zombie charges and actually win combats and break the enemy. The basic and old overpowering trick is to charge (or take a charge) with either skellies or gg who make pretty good anvil units and then in the ensuing magic phase summon zombies and charge them to the flank/rear with dance so you'll negate ranks and such and win the combat and possibly auto-break the enemy.

well shucks ah well it was worth a shot. I'll change it up when i get a chance