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The 8th Ed has really messed with the way i play my undead. So this is the list i came up with, but its not really very effective. I need some advice that will help me maintain my style of play and help me win. The style is basically using magic to enhance the undead to win the occasional fight while the Vamps do the killing.

Vampire Lord wt Dark Acolyte, Lord of the Dead, Infinite Hatred, Walking Death, Blood Drinker, Flayed Hauberk, Crown of the Damned

Vampire wt Infinite Hatred, Avatar of Death, GW, Walach's Bloody Hauberk

Wight King wt Barded Steed, Lance, Enchanted Shield, Gem of Blood

Necromancer wt Invocation, Wand of Jet, Corpse Cart, Balefire

20 Skeletons wt spears, FC, Hellfire Banner

20 Skeletons wt FC, Warbanner

20 Zombies wt Musician, Standard

21 Ghouls wt Ghast

5 Dire Wolves

Corpse Cart wt Balefire

18 Grave Guard wt GW, FC, Royal Standard of Strigos

4 Fellbats

3 Spirit Host

Varghulf

Ok the first thing you have to remember about VC and 8th is that your core choices cant win combats. Even with characters in the front, they arent good enough.

The crown of damnation is really bad on a vamp lord. You dont want such an expensive model getting stupid and not doing what you want him too. There are better ways to get wardsaves.

If you're not taking a BSB then there is no reason to have a Wight King. They arent as good in combat as regular vamps so the only reason to take them is because they give you a BSB for 25pts less. You also have him on a mount when you have no unit of cavalry to stick him in, which is odd.

None of your characters have the Helm of Commandment or the book, two items which i think are essential at 2000+pts. They turn your infantry from poor in combat at reasonable, which is very worth it. The necromancer would probably to better having book than wandof jet.

Zombies aren't worth spending points on. They die just too damn quickly. Get rid of them and get more ghouls and skeletons to fill out your core choices.

I dont think you have enough grave guard. They are the best infantry available to vamps, but are still only average by the standard of other elite infantry. T4 and a 5+ sv isnt the most resiliant setup in the world, you you will lose a fair few before you can strike back. I ususally run mine in units of 20 or 24.

Im not sure how good spirit host are anymore. Being etherial is nice, but i just dont think they do enough damage to justify their points cost. I would say scrap them and get more grave guard.

The more I play with a varghulf the less impressed I am with it. Thunderstomp is good, but I2 is very very bad, and T5 with regenerate certainly isnt unbeatable. I think wraiths are better overall.

I'm still learning what is good for vamps in 8th, but this is what i have learned so far from my experiance. Hope it helped.

Your skeletons can't have the war banner. It went up 10pts in the new rule book.

Crimson Devil wrote:Your skeletons can't have the war banner. It went up 10pts in the new rule book.

Where there is a magic item in the BRB with the same name as one in the army book, you use the points cost for the one in the army book. He is allowed that banner.

The crown thing kind of occurred to me on my own, bit of a wasted item. I will add a BSB but i actually think the wight king is very useful in that he's a lot tougher than a vampire and has killing blow. The reason he's mounted is for the armor save.
The book? Really?
Im considering the Helm but it leaves my vampire out of the fight. It basically means that he's most effective when he's standing around looking helpful. I want him getting stuck in and then i feel like i wasted 30pts.
I want more ghouls, but that all i own for now so... sucks to be me. Im not sure how 20 GG would do, 24 i would like but again, i own 20 right now so ill try it that way.
I like the Varghulf, he's no hydra and he needs support but there you go. Wraiths are better so i may try that. Spirit host scare my opponents, cause if properly used they cause so many problems, at the very least they make a good missile screen.
Ill post a revised list in a day or so, thx guy


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Vampire Lord wt Lvl upgrade, Dark Acolyte (lvl 4), Forbidden Lore, Infinite Hatred, Blood Drinker, Flayed Hauberk, Helm of Commandment

Vampire wt Infinite Hatred, Avatar of Death, GW, Walach's Bloody Hauberk

Wight King wt BSB, Lance, Barded Steed, Enchanted Shield, Gem of Blood

Necromancer wt Invocation, Wand of Jet, Corpse Cart, Balefire

25 Skeletons wt Spears, FC, Warbanner
25 Skeletons wt FC, Standard of Everlasting Death
21 Ghouls wt Ghast
5 Direwolves

20 Grave Guard wt GW, FC, Banner of the Barrows
4 Fellbats
3 Spirithost
Varghulf

This may be the best i can do until i get some more Ghouls and pick up some Wraiths. I was thinking another unit of 20 or 2 units of 25, and 3 or 4 Wraith to replace the Spirit Host. I can probably get my hands on 4 more GG for free so they can be 6 wide.