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I am relatively new to WHFB. I've read plenty of the fiction, but just recently decided to start looking into the game.
I get that thematically, the two armies are vastly different (egyptian skeletons/statues vs. zombies/spirits/vampires.)
But my question is what is the difference in the way the two armies play? They both seem to be more centered around hordes of low-cost infantry with buffing units that raise more of them and single large strength units. So is there something i'm missing, or are they both similarly played armies with different themes?

If you like to win, pick VC, if not pick TK.

The synergies in the VC book seem to work much better than the TK book. One popular approach is to build a tooled up vampire lord and deliver him to hth combat in a group of Back Knights.

Another build capitalizes on the special scream attack of some VC units. My friend likes the VC blender lord backed up by a big horde of ghouls and a sizable unit of Grave Guard.

There's nothing wrong at all with TK and they can be a very solid army. VC usually have vampires who are high point leaders and do a lot of the heavy lifting in the game. Almost nothing in TK is high point other than their monsters.

If I had to say the biggest difference it would be that TK is about buffing their sucky units and getting them to make most of the kills in the game. VC is about using their more elite units to get kills.

The magic of TK is specifically geared around augmenting bad units into good units. VC magic is a lot of resurrection and some buffs, but they work better (IMHO) on stuff that's already decent. TK magic can give all units KB or +1A or 5+ ward, that's most beneficial to giant piles of models, elite or not. A VC can make their 10 point ghouls reroll failed hits and wounds, which is nice, but a TK could make their 4 point warriors have 2 attacks, KB, ward save. TK also has 2 hexes that makes enemies wussy enough to fight undead. The whole point being, with magic, you end up paying vastly less points for your units that turn out to be the same as the enemy's.

Of course, there are many ways to play each army. But it's far more likely you'll see a Vampire kicking ass than a Tomb King, as he just doesn't have access to the same huge list of powers and protection.

Which isn't to say TK don't have good units. Tomb Gaurd are very good. So are Necropolis Knights. And Carrion. Tomb Scorpion isn't bad. And TK have some pretty nice rares. Casket of Souls is awesome.

DukeRustfield pretty much summed it up.

Tomb Kings are about using characters and magic to buff units, so the units to the armies heavy lifting in combat. The characters are there to support the troops.Regarding raising troops, their magic is about raising [i]fallen]/i] troops - after all, it's the Tomb Kings army.

Vampires are about using characters and magic to do the heavy lifting themselves. There's some unit buffs, but they don't really raise many units effectiveness. The strength of the army comes from the vampires themselves, which can be built to dominate a magic phase or melt entire ranks off enemy units in assault by themselves. The troops are there to support the characters. Regarding raising troops, their magic is about raising anything and everything that might be on the battlefield, so it also includes raising entire new units. Most of the units in a VC army aren't the vampires personal army - that falls pretty solely to the more elite units like Grave Guard. Most VC troops are random dead that happened to be on the field that day.

VC focus on resurrecting crap units so fast the enemy can't kill them while relying on super killy characters and monsters to do the actual killing.

TK focus on buffs and some regrowing of units. A little weaker overall but can still be good if used properly. They use the actual units to do more of the heavy lifting. Best BS based shooting in the game as it takes no modifiers.

TK are defensive undead.
VC are offensive undead.

 Grey Templar wrote:
VC focus on resurrecting crap units so fast the enemy can't kill them while relying on super killy characters and monsters to do the actual killing.

I didn't know Grave Guard, Black Knights and Blood Knights were classified as monsters or characters.

Ok, should have added elite units. I'm a little tired right now.

 rapterz wrote:
TK are defensive undead.
VC are offensive undead.

I don't think that's really accurate. No one in WHFB is really that defensive as it's not a strategy that can win. If you had nothing but anvils you're going to have a hard time as you usually can't anvil everything (spells, war machines, elites, heroes).

VC zombies and skeletons are very defensive. They're just fodder.

Wet and Dry.


^^

VC: good army. TK: bad army.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

DukeRustfield wrote:

 rapterz wrote:
TK are defensive undead.
VC are offensive undead.

I don't think that's really accurate. No one in WHFB is really that defensive as it's not a strategy that can win.

Dwarfs. You force your opponent to play points denial.

 Sigvatr wrote:
VC: good army. TK: bad army.

VC are evil and TK are neutral!


. . .

TK are neutral evil.

Nah, I think they're actually Lawful Neutral. Neutral Evil is an impossibility.

 Sigvatr wrote:
Dwarfs. You force your opponent to play points denial.

Dwarfs don't win without hammers. Hence...hammerers. War machines are hammers, of which they have a ton. If they had nothing but IBs they would be horrific. Because some enemy hammers (new MC for instance) are going to come along and not consider them anvils and rip them apart.

DukeRustfield wrote:

 Sigvatr wrote:
Dwarfs. You force your opponent to play points denial.

Dwarfs don't win without hammers. Hence...hammerers. War machines are hammers, of which they have a ton. If they had nothing but IBs they would be horrific. Because some enemy hammers (new MC for instance) are going to come along and not consider them anvils and rip them apart.

I consider a gunline a fully defensive list as all you do, mainly, is stand and roll dice.

Tomb kings have a lot of difference to the VC.

A few key ones.

They can put out a lot of arrows even from chariots. I use archers as chaff except my hierophat bunker, and I'm launching 45 a turn.

A serious magic phase is possible. Lvl4 or Kathep/Arkhan(my man) + casket for d3 power dice, and hierotitan for +d3 to cast within 12" inches.

Fastest Chariot unit in game M8 or 9 with swiftness banner, and you can make those impact hits KB. and desert wind.

T8 monsters. The warsphinx is dead sexy. It makes a mess of most units.

The Tomb king himself is pretty cheap for what you get. Mine clicks in a 273 and doesn't die and racks up combat res. with 6 s5 attacks. The prince with GW, Armour of destiny is a super value at 154. T5, W3, 5+/4++ 3 S6 Attacks.

Head to head I've not lost with my TK vs VC yet. I'm usually able to chaff up the Vampire Lord, or drop him with double spirit Leeches or something else before he can kill me bros.

 Sigvatr wrote:
I consider a gunline a fully defensive list as all you do, mainly, is stand and roll dice.

They are hammers. High offense, low defense. That's what hammers do. An anvil isn't a hammer just because they lose .1 wounds and you lose .2. Because the game will be over before that matters.

But I don't see many BS gunlines anymore. I see war machine gunlines and they are totally hammers. They have almost no defense at all and huge offense.

EDIT: hammer doesn't mean you have to move. Just like anvil doesn't mean you stand still. Chaff is an anvil and you want to get that engaged ASAP. Redirectors are an anvil of sorts and they're moving all the time.

Oh, I don't disagree about your judgement on individual units. Note that I referred to gunline lists.

Someone posted a defensive list yesterday.
Max zombies and necro's.
No offence, but when you end a game with 300+ models on the board, your not going anywhere.