WFB: Wiley One does Vampire Counts
I am frequently asked for help with lists or to give my opinion on them. I was recently asked what exactly the list that I placed 2nd overall at The Alamo Indy GT contained. Just to give those of you not in the know a little back story. I placed 2nd overall and had a record of 4 wins 1 loss with a Vampire Counts army. I scored most of the objective points, and my paint scores were in the upper middle of the pack. I had no bad game votes and one best game vote, if memory serves me right.
Anyway, The List – 2500 points
General-
Vampire Lord
Level 3
Helm of Commandment
Earthing Rod
Wristbands of Black Gold
Forbidden Lore – Vampires
Master of the Black Arts
Battle Standard-
Wight King
Shield
The Drakenhof Banner
Other Heroes-
Vampire
Staff of Damnation
Forbidden Lore – Lore of Light
Vampire
Dispel Scroll
Forbidden Lore – Lore of Beasts
Special Choices-
Grave Guard (39) – Horde Formation
Great Weapons
Full Command
Banner of the Barrows
Core Choices-
Ghouls (36) Horde Formation
Unit Champ
Ghouls (36) Horde Formation
Unit Champ
Ghouls (19)
Ghouls (18)
So there’s the list, 2500 points on the button. Some would say this list looks weak, or even, how did you win with this list? Some see it right off the bat. Well, here’s what I used tactically to make it work. Additionally, some notes on why the list works as well as it does.
First, notice that it is an undead list and everything in the army is base toughness 4 or higher. That along with the fact that I have Helm to loan weapon skill 7 to a unit of my choosing within 12″ of El Jefe and its “watch out anvil here comes the hammer!” The reason that undead is a key factor is their immunity to psychology. I know it was supposed to be nerfed in 8th Edition, but I still see people failing those leadership checks, even with a re-roll, quite frequently.
Second, please notice that the characters in my army aren’t meant for combat. Something I think many people are overlooking in 8th Edition. I think every army I faced over the course of the tournament and even in the past few events I have attended locally, people want their characters to fight. In this list nothing could be further from the truth. If your lord is in combat with anything, something has gone wrong. Utilize the true line of sight rules and make sure to take out any possible threats before they reach the important units in the back. The only character you want in combat is your BSB, not because you want to, but because you want the unit he is with in combat. Sounds like this would be a good time to transition to tactics….
Tactics
This list works on the fact that your characters are in the rear with the gear. The two large Ghoul blocks and the Grave Guard are the combat units and you want to get them there as quickly as possible. This is where the Lore of Vampires comes in handy. Since fighting in close combat is the thing to do in 8th Edition, a movement spell is just what the doctor ordered. Pay attention to this next part…. VAN HEL’S is the most important spell you will cast in a turn!!!! This spell is amazing in 8th Edition. Since the magic phase is intended for the active player to have a slight advantage on casting dice (winds of magic roll). Plus the fact that you have the Vampire Lord with plus 2 casting dice. You have a serious advantage. Add that to the fact that Van Hel’s is a Necromancy Spell and you have the recipe for serving up some serious heart break cake to feed your opponent.
I typically run the Grave Guard in the middle and the BSB goes in with them. The two larger Ghoul blocks on either side of the Grave Guard with no characters in them. And in the rear with the gear are the two other small blocks of Ghouls. One of them holding the Lord and a lower level Vampire. The other holding the lower level Vampire that has the Lore of Beasts and a decent armor save. This unit is for surprise tactics with turning the Vamp into some sort of scary beast after the rest of the plan is already in effect.
The two larger blocks of Ghouls can do a lot of things for you. They will hold up units that you don’t want to deal with yet. With 41 attacks to the front that are Poison, Weapon Skill 7 if needed, and have the potential to receive strength buffs from the Lore of Beasts caster, these units are really the Swiss Army Knives of the army. Utilize them to their full advantage and don’t worry about losing them, but similarly don’t forget you can bring them back!
The Grave Guard…. What can I say about this unit except wow! They are amazing at what the do, which is touch stuff and kill it to the man. This unit is the food processor. It slices, it dices, it cuts Julienne fries! You charge this unit in and loan it Weapon Skill 7, if it doesn’t need to go elsewhere. They now hit on 2’s with the plus one to hit banner (Banner of the Barrows). They wound on 2’s against most things. Oh, and I don’t think I mentioned they have Killing Blow too! These guys are nasty in every sense of the word. Give them whatever you thing they may need as a boost in combat and watch them work. I typically, unless otherwise necessary, just give them a Van Hel’s to launch them into combat. You can also use the other side of Van Hel’s when needed to allow them to re-roll misses and give them ASF (which means they will fight at their initiative). This is a great option for the turn that you need to protect a Ghoul unit with Weapon Skill 7, as the Grave Guard will more than likely still hit on 3’s.
All in all I think the list is pretty solid and has the potential to hit like a truck. The most important thing about this list is that it doesn’t heavily depend on Magic, it’s just a bonus. Though, you are more than likely going to get off at least one Van Hel’s a turn.
Glad I survived the illness I had and am back writing on BoLS. Until next time, Wiley One over (this cold) and out (of bed finally).
Well BoLSiacs what do you think? Is the list something you would play? Do you think it is viable in your local Meta? Why or why not? Let us know what you think in the comments and make yourself heard.
