http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/93.page JForum - http://www.jforum.net VC and wanted to make a strong list
This is what I came up with - let me know what you think

Vampire Lord: 395
Level 3, HW
Dark Acolyte-
Master of BA-
Lord of Dead-
Flayed Hauberk-
Staff of Sorcery -

Vampire #3: 165
level 1
Dark Acolyte-
Lord of Dead-
Helm of cammandment-if he is not in CC, 12"
friendly unit can use his WS

Vampire #2: 145
level 1
Dark Acolyte-
Lord of Dead-

Necromacer: 80
-Dispel scroll

760 13 PD, 7 dispel, -3 for enemy to cast (with corpse carts), 1 dispel scroll
--------------------------------------

15 Skeleton Warriors: 128 (standard)

15 Skeleton Warriors: 128 (standard)

15 Skeleton Warriors: 128 (standard)

5 Dire Wolves: 40

5 Dire Wolves: 40

Corpse Cart: 100
Balefire
Corpse Cart: 100
Balefire

664
------------------------

20 Grave gaurd: 252 (standard)

252
-----------------------

5 Cairn Wraiths: 250

5 Blood Knights: 295 (standard bearer)

545 2246
------------------------

Dire wolves are for screeening the blood knights
I don't like taking groups of just 10 skele's b/c I have to rely on invocation
instead of having the ability to also cast offensive spells]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/267458/1144733.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/267458/1144733.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/267458/1146909.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/267458/1146909.page GMT VC so I'm not much help. I take the skeletons apart...not build them up =/]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/267458/1146966.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/267458/1146966.page GMT
I'd give your Grave Guard the Banner of the Barrows.

I don't think you need 2 Corpse Carts. I'm not a fan of Corpse Carts at all, so I would say drop them both, but a lot of people include one of them in their list, so I'm going to say drop one Corpse Cart and keep the other one. A possibility could be to mount your Necromancer on this Corpse Cart (this way it can join units).

I would probably drop the Staff of Sorcery, give your Vampire Lord the Helm of Commandment, and give the Vampires the Book of Arkhan and the Black Periapt. Another option for your Vampire Lord could be to drop the Dark Acolyte vampiric power and replace it with the Forbidden Lore (always have Vanhel's Dance Macabre).]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/267458/1146972.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/267458/1146972.page GMT
Corpse carts are really good with balefire in my experience, it can really frustrate your opponents magic.

Blood knights are a waste of points, you are much better off replaced them with the much more cost effective black knights. Think about it this way: black knights can break a unit for 120 points, blood knights can...break a unit more??..for 220 points. Its not worth the extra points.

I would strongly suggest making one vampire a BSB and taking the Drakenhof banner and then sticking him into the GG unit. It makes the unit almost impossible to destroy unless you go up against daemons with fire.

Drop lord of the dead and the staff of sorcery from your lord, these items are useless. What I would do is give him a mount and the dread lance and red fury if you've got the points and put him in your black knight unit. That character is a beast in combat and is still a great spell caster.

If you feel like you really want the helm of commandment, put it on your lord as WS 7 makes WS3 hit the unit on a 5+.

I echo what Airmaniac says about the items for your characters, the Book is almost an auto include for VC players and the Black Periapt is really good. As is forbidden lore.

Necromancers are bad, replace it with another vampire.

Oh yeah and after you replace the skeletons with ghouls, make them unit size 20. And don't give them standards, its just free VP for your opponent, take a UC though, an extra poision never hurts.
]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/267458/1147502.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/267458/1147502.page GMT
That's the advantage skeletons have over ghouls: Banners [potentially magical like doubling US banner or War Banner] and Musicians.

Ghouls stand up better to shooting, though. Basically if something is WS4 or higher and S3 or 4, skeletons tend to do better against them in hth with their armour saves and the static res from banner and musician in case of a tie. If they're WS3 and S5+, or they're shooting at you, ghouls are better. They also put fear into things like giants [or any other monster]. Very versatile.

As for tournament play, I think in general I'd go with 1 Lodestone corpsecart or none, and depend on lots of dispel dice with a +1 from staff of sorcery to counter enemy magic - 200 points on things that are largely useless against an enemy that doesn't use magic is devastating. 35 is less crippling.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/267458/1148200.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/267458/1148200.page GMT Let's see what else . . ..
1. Vamp Lord - drop the Staff of Sorcery and add the Helm on him for that WS7. He's a casty guy anyways so shouldn't be in combat.
2. Drop the Necromancer and go with a Wight Lord with the Nightsthroud and Sword of Kings. KB on a 5+ and a BSB is great!
3. Corpse carts are pretty versatile - -3 to cast will kill enemy magic, while if they aren't casty you pick up 3 bound spells. Good investment.
4. I would give your GG a champ, banner of the barrows and GW. Using the Helm and keeping your carts nearby, they get ASF, Str 6 killing blow, hit on a 2+, etc. etc. Champ will help in case any uber characters charge the unit.
5. Carn Wraiths can be incredible - just don't let them get shot, magic'd or anvil'd.
6. Blood Knights - I've never seen these guys make up their points. Frenzied and with high movement makes them so vulnerable to being misled. With so many casting dice, I'd go for a Black Coach instead.

Of course, a 13 PD VC army how it's looking would be borderline for some folks to cry cheese, but it can be effective.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/267458/1152443.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/267458/1152443.page GMT KB on a 6 with the sword of kings, but you can buy them the Beguile power as well as infinite hatred. They're also WS6 without the helm of commandment.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/267458/1154022.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/267458/1154022.page GMT