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I've got a game coming up this weekend against a Vamp player. He has a lord in a unit of Blood Knights, a few big blocks of skeletons, some Tomb Guard, and some other small stuff like a Corpse Cart and a unit of Vargheists. We played at 2000 points and he beat me soundly because I had a more generic list and just couldn't overcome the beatstick his Vamp lord kept hitting me with. Moving to 2500, I'm rebuilding my list from the ground up.

Based on advice from some people at the Seattle Bunker, I've dropped my Slaughtermaster in favor of a Tyrant in an Irongut bunker. I've set up the Tyrant to be Leadership 10 and stubborn. He's also built to beat any hero/champ initiative that he may come across. Striking first will hopefully improve his survival. Running this unit with the Thundertusk should make a pretty good beatstick for my army. I expect the Blood Knights to avoid the Tyrant and try a flank charge on the Thundertusk so I'm using Bulls as MSU redirectors/flankers/countercharges just to make him hesitate and to let me pound the Blood Knights with my Mournfangs.

Maneaters are set to snipe his Necromancers and the Firebelly is for any regenerating units.

270 | Tyrant (Crown of Command, Gold Sigil Sword, Heavy Armor, Ironfist)
215 | Bruiser, BSB (Brawlerguts, Great Weapon, Heavy Armor, Rampager's Standard)
188 | Butcher, Lv2 (Hellheart, Ironfist)
290 | Ironguts x6 (FC, Standard of Discipline)

170 | Firebelly (Arabyan Carpet)

116 | Bulls x3 (Bellower, Crusher, Ironfists)

116 | Bulls x3 (Bellower, Crusher, Ironfists)

116 | Bulls x3 (Bellower, Crusher, Ironfists)

021 | Sabertusk

203 | Maneaters x3 (Bellower, Captain, Heavy Armor, Ogre Pistol, Scout, Sniper)

360 | Mournfang x4 (FC, Dragonhide Banner, Heavy Armor, Ironfist)

170 | Ironblaster

250 | Thundertusk

2498 pts total

I'm not the best player in the world so any advice on list/tactics is appreciated. Also, if there's some "pants around the ankles" flaw in my strategy, please let me know. I'd rather hear it here than see it in play on the table.

you don't have enough boots on the ground in my opinion. I think even regular bulls in units of 9 or so can dish out such a high number of attacks that it can be frustrating. A unit of knights getting hit in the flank by a ranked unit of bulls also crumbles really fast.

I don't think I've ever run a unit of ogres in 8th that didn't have at least 7 ogres, usually 8 is the minimum. I think leadbelchers are awesome due to the number of shots they get. You may be don't have the numbers of models, but I would doulble the number of bulls/ironguts(sub with leadbelchers) you have in your army at least and cut back on characters. I don't see your firebellies doing much for you. One level one firebelly with great weapon and hellheart is all you need in a magic light list. If you are sure you don't want to take the slaughtermaster (+1 strength and toughness and regen and easy to cast stubborn makes up for a lot of mistakes and poor dice in my experience.

Personnally the thundertusk is very hit or miss in my book also. He's fun to use and a great0looking model, but not very reliable against the undead massess.

I hate to rail your army list, but at 2000 points, you dont have near enough bodies imo. So the fact that you're trying to play 2500 pts make you almost autolose. He can squeeze a cheap lvl3-4 Necro lord in with his super vamp as well, which means magic will eat you alive.

Slaughtermaster with fencing blades and 4+ ward has 5 wounds. You will get at least 2 good spells (stubborn, regen, +1 S/T) or more. Each of those spells allows you to heal your character which makes it really hard to take him out, even for a vamp lord in one turn. if you get to hit him back, there is a pretty good chance he has no more knights left and then his lord crumbles. Even if he dies and you die, with that unit gone, with ogre numbers of attacks and stomps, you can march up and take out the rest of his units without problems.

buckero0 wrote:
you don't have enough boots on the ground in my opinion. I think even regular bulls in units of 9 or so can dish out such a high number of attacks that it can be frustrating

Sorry if my formatting doesn't make it clear, but my Irongut is a nine-man unit - six 'Guts and three characters. But I do see your concern about too few boots on the ground. It's something I'm a little concerned with, too.

buckero0 wrote:
...are sure you don't want to take the slaughtermaster <snip> makes up for a lot of mistakes and poor dice in my experience.

I'll know what you're saying about the Slaughtermaster and am still looking at if/how I should work the list to fit him in. If I do, I expect it will be at the cost of the Firebelly. I'd also probably boot the Butcher from the 'Guts and move him to a unit of Bulls and put the Slaughtermaster in with the 'Guts. But I do so love my Flying Fatboy.