Vampire Counts - Where Do I Go From Here?

[ElectricPaladin]

With the winning of the eBay auction, I take my first steps down this dark path. Here's what I got:

• Vamp Lord on Dragon
• Necromancer on Foot
• Necromancette on Horse
• Wight King
• Crypt Wraith
• 20 Zombies
• 20 Skeletons

I got about $70 left. What should I get? A box of ghouls? A vampire on foot? Then what? Do I want the corpse cart and wolves I missed out on by going the eBay route? Advise me - I am yours to manipulate.

Thanks in advance.

[Chronowraith]

I'd say you are missing two things to make a fieldable army... more fodder (skellies and/or zombies) and something killy (Terrorgheist, Blood Knights, Black Knights, Vargheists, Crypt Horrors, Varghuls, or Grave Guard). Additionally you probably want some redirect units... either wolves or bats typically.

Note: I added something killy because a vamp lord on a dragon won't be possible until you hit probably 2500 points (I don't have my book in front of me).

[ElectricPaladin]

I'd say you are missing two things to make a fieldable army... more fodder (skellies and/or zombies)...

Would you eschew ghouls? Last time I posted about this, I was pointed to ghouls as my go-to infantry unit. Skeletons because they're cheap, good anvils, and can easily grow to unlimited size with a minor upgrade, and ghouls because they can actually hit back. My impression of zombies is that they are cheap - which is good - and I should own a box or two because you never know when my wizard might cast that "up comes a unit of zombies" spell, but they aren't a great main infantry unit.

and something killy (Terrorgheist, Blood Knights, Black Knights, Vargheists, Crypt Horrors, Varghuls, or Grave Guard).

How are hexenwraiths? I love the models and the combination of the Ethereal rule and the ability to ride straight through enemy units and deal damage to them is entertaining.

Any and all of the others are great, too. None of them are off the table (except possibly the blood knights, if only because of the cost) - do you have a favorite?

Additionally you probably want some redirect units... either wolves or bats typically.

So I do want those wolves I passed on by not buying the battalion box straight off... hm... perhaps I should just see if I can get a battalion super cheap somewhere? That would leave me without the aforementioned "killy" unit, but I'd have even more skeletons and some ghouls and some wolves.

[Mr Mystery]

I found the remains of my second Zombie dragon kit the other day, including an intact Strigoi.

Happy to post it out to you if you want it.

[ElectricPaladin]

I found the remains of my second Zombie dragon kit the other day, including an intact Strigoi.

Happy to post it out to you if you want it.

Sure. I'm at:

Mark Stone
528 Merritt Ave, #107
Oakland, CA 94610

Do you want anything in return?

[Mr Mystery]

Sure. I'm at:

Mark Stone
528 Merritt Ave, #107
Oakland, CA 94610

Do you want anything in return?

Nah. It's just cluttering up my (tiny) flat at the moment.

ALso, Interwebs dude...PM me your address, fool!

Also got (I think, depends which sprue it is) the bits for the bad arse Dragon riding Vampire.

[MAVV]

You could easily use Bretonnian knights (or Empire for that matter) as Blood Knights. A few simple conversions and a darkish paintjob and you are good to go. $99 for five models is a bit too steep @__@ but BK +blender vamp lord = one dead enemy army.

[ElectricPaladin]

Nah. It's just cluttering up my (tiny) flat at the moment.

ALso, Interwebs dude...PM me your address, fool!

Also got (I think, depends which sprue it is) the bits for the bad arse Dragon riding Vampire.

I was all set to respond that there's nothing so terrifying about putting your address on the Internet, but then my wife told me all about the (unlikely but) horrible and (more likely and) really annoying things that could result from this choice, so I'll be more circumspect in the future.

Has anyone got a recommendation for the killy unit? I feel like I have so many options in the Vampire Counts army book... it's hard to decide. At the moment, I'm most torn between hexenwraiths (gorgeously weird models, great rules - at least as far as I can tell), black knights (basic bad-*** cavalry, and my mounted necromancette can ride with them), and black knights converted into blood knights (because there's no way in hell I'm paying $100 for five cavalry models).

Fortunately, with the gift of the dragon-rider, I don't have to buy a vampire on foot anymore. It might take a little conversion to straighten out his legs and set him up to walk around, rather than ride, but that doesn't seem too daunting. More money for units!

[Wildeybeast]

I was all set to respond that there's nothing so terrifying about putting your address on the Internet, but then my wife told me all about the (unlikely but) horrible and (more likely and) really annoying things that could result from this choice, so I'll be more circumspect in the future.

I assume the worst of those was your students finding out where you live?

[ElectricPaladin]

I assume the worst of those was your students finding out where you live?

Nah, they know that already.

The worst was an elaborate scheme involving some crook making a dossier of me and waiting till I say something like "out of town - no painting this weekend " and then coming to rob my house.

The most likely - but still annoying - was Internet crawlers finding my address and sending me junk mail.