Post: #1

Hi! I ordered some Ghouls and now I have over a hundred of them. That's why I decided to create a Vampire Counts list which core is filled with Ghouls.

The idea of the list is very simple. I'm going to stick the Lord and the support caster Vampire into the small Ghoul unit, and the BSB Vampire into another of the bigger units. The bigger units are in horde of course and the smaller in 5x6 formation.

Because of the Ghoulkin, my Ghoul hordes are pretty swiftly in close combat. The caster bunker follows the hordes but doesn't rush too much. The Wraiths are there for killing things which can't harm them (Hydras for an example). The Corpse Cart follows the Wraiths so IoN heals two wounds on the ghosts if they are harmed somehow.

The magic side is pretty strong... +2 extra PD and +5 to cast (+6 to cast when healing Ghouls) mean all the spells are easily casted. The support caster is there with the Pit of Shades and the debuff spells.

What do you think about it? Should I drop the Corpse Cart and take some fast units? Or do I need them at all?

- Cheers, Skarsnik.

Post: #2

I´d say two units of wraiths would be better than one big. Your army consist of mostly big blocks. You will have a hard time with a mobile opponent.

Post: #3

you also will be loosing attacks due to supporting or being out of contact with that many wraiths in a unit.

Post: #4

I'd drop the cart and include a unit or two of fell bats as warmachine hunters.

Post: #5

Thank you for commenting.

@ Mikael.K: I prefer one big unit of Wraiths more than two small units... If a Wraith or two is killed (how ghosts can be "killed"? ) from a small unit, the unit starts to be too small to do anything interesting. I could cast IoN on the unit but if the Cart isn't near it's going to be very slow (I prefer healing my Ghouls with Summon Undead Horde instead). But if the big unit loses one or two Wraiths, it still can fight quite well. And if I have one unit, it means buffing them is easier than two units. Of course this means I have only three combat units, but in a tourney last weekend my 2400 points Ogre army with only two(!) combat units worked well and got the second place of the tournament. I guess it's just my play style, I like few big units more than many small ones, especially in this edition when you have to kill all models to get any points.

@ lynks: That's true, all of the Wraiths are not able to fight unless I'm facing units at least 8 models wide (usually hordes). Maybe I should drop a couple of Wraiths? It'd free me 100 points to spend on something fun.

@ Count Lasombra: Well, if I drop a couple of Wraiths then the Cart can still be in the list. I'm still not sure about the Cart, but its mobile VDM which affects all units within 6" and the Lodestone sound good... But it's going to be terminated by crossbows or cannon very quickly. I'll try it for a couple of games and decide then.

So, I dropped a couple of Wraiths and added two units of Bats for baiting and war machine hunting. What do you think about the list now?

- Cheers, Skarsnik.

Post: #6

Aside from my personal disdain for the smelly wagon,it looks very good to me.I'm interested in seeing how the list does with the cart in it.Be sure and post a report.

Post: #7

Looks decent to me. I do agree that 8 Wraiths seems to be a bit much.

However, note that 8 Wraiths can be fully engaged vs a unit of 20mm models which is as small as 6 models wide, or a unit of 25mm models that's only 5 wide. (the end Wraiths can fight diagonally).

Post: #8

Finally I got to test this list! Yesterday I played against my friend's Daemons. My list was basically the one I posted here, except the BSB was a Wight King and I didn't have The Forbidden Lore. And my friend were forgotten home, so instead I had an another unit of 50 Ghouls! The Corpse Cart was replaced by a unit of 20 Zombies with banner (in a case if I roll Blood & Glory scenario ).

So, I deployed my three big Ghoul units as near the opponent as possible and the smaller Ghoul bunker went behind the Ghoul unit on right. BSB went into the Ghoul unit on right and the Vampire Lord in the bunker. The support Vampire went on leftest Ghoul unit. Fell Bats were deployed on right and Zombies into my back lines, behind a nice chunk of impassable terrain.

He deployed his 30 Horrors on the left, 50 Bloodletters in the middle and his two units of Furies and 6 Flamers on right. Two Fiends went between the Horrors and Bloodletters. Bloodletters had Herald of Khorne with BSB (and the Flaming Sword and the Armour of Khorne, of course). Herald of Tzeentch was stuck in the Horrors, he had an ability to fly and the gift which gave him Loremaster rule. Finally, he deployed his Lord of Tzeentch between the Fiends and Blooletters, he had the re-roll item, Loremaster and something else.

Horrors got the regular three spells, Flickering Fire, area damage spell and the bigger missile. The Herald of Tzeentch took Lore of Death and the Lord of Tzeentch took Lore of Shadows. My Vampire got Raise Dead and the Lord got Vanhel's Dance (yay!), Gaze of Nagash, Wind of Undeath and Summon Undead Horde (yay!).

After deployment I moved my all Ghoul unit 8" towards the enemy, five Ghouls died because of moving through Venom Thicket. Then I got the first turn, and the Ghouls moved another 8" towards the Daemons. Fell Bats flew over a forest, near his Flamers. Zombies stayed where they were. Magic brought my mighty 11 dice. The leftest Ghoul unit got 13 new guys there because of Summon Undead Horde, and the Ghoul unit in the middle and the Ghoul unit on right moved because of Vanhel's Dance. 24" move and my opponent didn't even have time to react, that's insane! Finally I blaster the another unit of Furies with Gaze of Nagash.

The Daemons reacted pretty quickly. The Bloodletters charged my unit of 50 Ghouls. The Fiends on the left moved near my leftest Ghoul unit with annoying angle, I must charge them now. On the right the Furies did the same thing for my third Ghoul unit. Oh well, at least I get some victory points. Flamers moved to face my Fell Bats, Horrors stayed where they were. The Herald of Tzeentch flew near my engaged Ghoul unit, and the Lord of Tzeentch flew behind the Bloodletters. In magic phase the Herald of Tzeentch sniped my support Vampire away because of my awesome dispel rolls. Then the Lord of Tzeentch casted Enfeebling Foe on my engaged Ghouls, and now I had Str1 Ghouls. Finally the Herald of Tzeentch used Steed of Shadows to fly near my bunker. Then Flamers shot my another unit of Bats. In close combat I lost 14 or something Ghouls and I killed a couple of Bloodletters. The Ghouls held anyway.

My turn two, my leftest Ghouls charged at his Fiends and the right Ghouls with BSB charged at his Furies. The bunker of Lord moved a bit, to face the arrived Herald. The another Fell Bat unit flew behind the forest, they had already seen what happens for Bats who go near the burning things! Magic was pretty poor, the engaged Ghoul unit got 15 or something Ghouls back, nothing else. In close combat the Furies were killed, and the unit reformed to watch the flank of the Bloodletters. One and half Fiends were butchered, but they still didn't melt away. Come on, 328 points against 110... The Ghouls took some good beating, and again I killed only a couple of Bloodletters. Many Ghouls melted, so I had only few of them left.

The Herald of Tzeentch flew between my bunker and the Ghoul unit with BSB, out of sight of both units. The Lord of Tzeentch stayed on his place, and so did the Horrors. The Flamers move a bit towards my Ghoul's rear. Magic is poor, and so is shooting. In close combat the Bloodletters finish the remaining Ghouls and reform towards my Ghouls with BSB. Then the last Fiend is beaten, and I reform my Ghouls... To face the rear of the Bloodletters.

My turn three, the Ghouls charge at the rear of the Bloodletters. The Fell Bats behind the forest charged at his Herald of Tzeentch (my opponent said he forgot I had bats behind the forest ). The Ghouls with BSB moved a bit but didn't charge the Bloodletters, and so did the Ghouls with Lord. In magic phase I danced my Ghouls into the Herald, to be sure I kill him. Then I danced the Ghouls fighting Bloodletters. Close combats were bloody - first of all I killed the Herald and reformed to watch towards the Bloodletters. Then I used Helm of Commandment to buff the Ghouls as the Lord isn't in close combat anymore (is this legal? We thought it is but we're not sure). Because of ASF, re-rolls and Ws7 the Ghouls teared many Bloodletters, but they all didn't melt away.

Then his turn three. Lord of Tzeentch flew towards my bunker. Magic was poor, and so was shooting (again). In close combat the Ghouls still didn't finish all the Bloodletters.

On my turn the bunker moves towards the Lord of Tzeentch, and the BSB Ghouls charge at his Flamers. Magic sniped two wounds on the Lord of Tzeentch. In close combat I kill the Flamers easily.

The remaining turns were spent on Lord of Tzeentch -hunt. He flew away and casted Pit of Shades three times on my Ghoul bunker, in a hope of killing my Lord. Many Ghouls died but they were replaced in my magic phase. I caused one wound more on the Lord of Tzeentch because of Wind of Undeath. Then the game ended.

I won the game by 17-3. The game was nice, and on turn two it looked like a loss for me, but it ended well for Vampires anyway. Next time I'll replace one Ghoul unit by Wraiths, I didn't need three fighting Ghoul units plus the bunker. Against Daemons the Ghouls are better, but otherwise some ethereal things are cool.

- Cheers, Skarsnik.