Double Engine army - what goes with it?

[Kalandros]

I'm wanting to dive back into this army even if I do have to buy a bunch of new things~

What I am looking at right now is a double engine army with either multiple monstrous infantry blocks or a big horde of crypt horrors with support.

However I'm really struggling on how to make this into an effective competitive list as the things we have to be careful of now, are quite sturdy:

T4 and T5 with 1+ armor saves all over the place! (Demigryphs, Mournfangs, Skullcrushers and whatever they come up with next.. )

So tell me, is there a possibility of making a competitive list with a focus on double engines?

What do I add to deal with the monstrous cavalry elements? The plentiful killing blows do nothing against them and I do not really want Terrorgheists even though I know they are quite good against exactly those models (until a cannon removes 'em ;P )

I have to face off against some pretty tough lists, so.. any pointers?
(models availability: whatever is necessary~ )

 

[The Sun King]

Nice! I love that you're going the Dual Engine route, is working great for me! I have yet to lose with this list: https://www.vampirecounts.net/Thread-Optimization-for-a-Dual-Engine-list

But if you go dual ME you shouldn't get CH since their regen wont get better thatn 4+. Therefore I would go Ghouls and Grave Guards(these guards are insane with 5+ regen). If you don't want TGs you could invest in Banshees instead to take care of the high armor targets, so try to tarpit those naste units and scream at them til they wither.

 

[Johnny-Crass]

Ghoul King
Deathcro
two healing babbies
Vampire with Seed
40 Ghoul
2x 20 zeds
2x 5 wolves
2x 8 horrors
2x 1 spirit host
3 varghiests / vargulf
2x Mortis Engine

 

[eggsPR]

Ghoul King
Deathcro
two healing babbies
Vampire with Seed
40 Ghoul
2x 20 zeds
2x 5 wolves
2x 8 horrors
2x 1 spirit host
3 varghiests / vargulf
2x Mortis Engine

Yes. You run Crypt Horrors bc when/if 1 engine dies, you keep the 4+ regen. It is almost such a daunting task that many opponents will accept the CHs at 4+ bc by the time they took out the engines you'd already have grounded his army into mush.

 

[The Sun King]

Yeah Seed of Rebirth rocks with Dual Engines.

 

[Kalandros]

Interesting, though how exactly do you deal with the the monstrous cavalry and their 1+ armor save? In Johnny's list, the only things that can are the 2 MEs Banshee screams and the Death Magic

Also how do you gear up the Ghoul King? o:

But I like Johnny's list as I can see the CH on each side, getting 4+ regen while the ghouls in between the 2 MEs gets 5+ regen That's a nice battle line.

 

[Johnny-Crass]

S7 Ghoul King messes up Cav

 

[Count Matthewzilla]

It looks like such a fun list, Johnny. Too bad my army is mostly a cav list. I would need so much to run this. Sigh.

 

[Seneschal]

I've seen an ETC list with dual engines and 2 units of 10 crypt horrors that did exceptionally well.

My Mannfred army with dual engines has gone 5-0-0. He's not the most competitive characters but he is a great deal of fun and can net you extra PD AND DD this time around.

 

[The Sun King]

I would give your SGK: Giant Blade(or Ogre Blade on a budget), OTS, RF.

 

[Johnny-Crass]

Ghoul Kings cant afford Giant Blade as they should be carrying your dispel scroll.

 

[Kalandros]

Its gonna take me a while to read up on all the possibilities and builds x:

Isn't that Ghoul King going to be army general? Its gonna be hard to throw him on the flanks to deal with monstrous cavalry x:
And expensive to do the dirty work - Is Dread Knight a good idea (forced challenges but WS8)?

 

[The Sun King]

I wouldn't throw your Characters on the flank in any case unless running a Black Knight bus.

I do not think Dread Knight is good unless specifically fighting against WoC.

 

[Kalandros]

Hmmm~ If only it were possible to fit 2 Ghoul Kings at 2500 pts~ hah.

Anyway, my other worries are - what are the hard counters to this army? (lets take Johnny's example list)
Of course flaming White Lions or Flaming Spearelves with Mindrazor could prove fatal but the rest of the army shouldn't be a problem

Against Ogres, those damn cannons are far and I've no screams for them

So what else is really scary against this army?

 

[Johnny-Crass]

High armOr hurts. I have a list with twin ghoul kings but yeah. Ogres are easy. Just sit the engines an inch behind the horrors

 

[Kalandros]

Cannon balls usually land on the model they target anyway, rarely before (like they might need to roll a 2 or at worse a 4 to not hit before the bounce)

 

[abmcdonald]

Well the engine pumps out 2 screams!

If you add some cairn wraiths, they can chew up some cav with their auto-wound no armour save attacks.

 

[The Sun King]

Correct me if I'm wrong: but I think Chill Grasp is about the most useless special ability in the book.

 

[Johnny-Crass]

You are wrong 1+ rerolls or T7+ are very common

 

[eggsPR]

Correct me if I'm wrong: but I think Chill Grasp is about the most useless special ability in the book.

Whoa whoa whoa calm down there lol! Do u know how many times, I've charged mournfang with a single wraith, threw a single dice at the end of a magic phase casting van hels on just him? Then rerolling to hit the chill grasp attack, making me win combat by 2, then run them down? The answer is a lot

Mounted scar vets don't like it either

 

[Kalandros]

Well the engine pumps out 2 screams!

2? Only one per engine.. no? o:

 

[The Sun King]

Only 1 scream per ME.

 

[The Sun King]

BTW. Glad to see I was wrong about Chill Grasp