My first 500 points

[Tall]

So this will be my first proper post, so if you could be gentle I'd appreciate it. I've had some VC for a number of years now, but only just decided to use them for anything other than collecting dust!
Well here goes,

Vampire, Dark acolyte

19 Zombies, musician
10 skeletons, FC
5 Dire Wolves

3 Cairn Wraiths

I can't remember the points off the top of my head but it does come to 500 on the nose.

Is there anything that you'd change?

 

[Grish]

Zombies have to be 20 models minimum, unless you're using warbands rules.
I'd drop the wolves to give your Vampire lord of the dead power and some protection like the Flayed Hauberk.

Wraiths are extremely good at this level, almost too good. They're extremely fragile so watch out for magical attacks/shooting.

Welcome back to the undead!

 

[Tall]

Ah a rookie mistake no less, how embarrassing

Vampire, Dark acolyte, Lord of the dead, Flayed hauberk

20 Zombies, musician
10 skeletons, Standard, musician

3 Cairn Wraiths

Something like that?

 

[Grish]

Something like that. The musician isn't usually worth it on Zombies but if you extra points you can't spend elsewhere its fine. Even a standard would be better on them.

This setup will allow you to cast Invocation on your skeletons 4 times a round, and it should go off 2.66 times a round. Assuming one gets dispelled, that means you'll be raising 1-6 or 2-12 skeletons a round. Once they get large enough, use your magic to hopefully corral in your opponents with raised zombies. Vanhel's Danse is good as is Gaze of Nagash at this point level.

Deploy a little back to give yourself time to raise your troops, and this will be a nice point denial list. Basically to get points they'll almost have to engage you. You won't be able to really run them down with infantry, but the wraiths should help to contain them.

Vampires aren't so good at this level of points. Slow moving, no shooting. Hard to engage the enemy. The best we can do is deny points and hopefully force them to engage us.

And remember; your vampire is the crux of your army. If he goes, everything goes. Watch out for monsters and killy characters.

Good luck!

 

[Tall]

Cheers for the advice, I'll be working on 1500 points over the next few days

 

[bob the bone]

take out command and add a necromancer or more modals

 

[Grish]

Add a necromancer? With what points? Command will net what, 12 points? 43 shy, and even then a necro will do next to nothing.

Bob, get some experience under your belt and you'll be better equipped to assist people with their list.

 

[Tall]

I played a couple of games over the weekend with this list. While I did win against my own WoC, I lost against Wood Elves. I didn't find the big block of zombies overly effective to be honest, that coupled with the fact they can be raised easily enough I felt that those points could be used a little better elsewhere. So I picked up 20 Ghouls, would I be better off swapping out the zombies for the ghouls?

 

[Von Drakwald]

I also find big blocks of zombies to be dissapointing, as they go down very easily. Even in close combat they arn't as good as skeleton warriors to lock others in combat, because they get near to no combat resolution, making them crumble very fast.
Besides that, I am a great fan of ghouls as they have a whole lot of poison attacks, in addition with 4 toughness, making them capable of taking some shooting.
Basically ghouls are a good shock unit, with which your opponent has to take care of fast, because otherwise he will get into trouble!
Zombies can however be usefull in bigger points list, as they still can be effective to protect flanks of a more important unit of yours, more so because they're very cheap.

 

[Lestate]

I would drop the zombies, instead add a unit of ghouls (as many as your point cost can afford), drop the wolves (who are a good screening unit but you have nothing to screen at this point) and give flayed hauberk and lord of the dead to your thrall. The idea is to use your ghouls as flankers with your skeleton block nearby (who keeps on growing thanks to lord of the dead) and summon a few zombie units=> your opponent charges them, overruns and then gets flanked by your ghouls it's just my oppinion but I hope it helped

 

[Neferazo]

Zombies are bad, yes, but you raise D6 + 4 of them with every IoN! You're just supposed to tie stuff up until you can kill them with something proper, OR your opponent has a horrible round with the dice, and you can chase him off, dragging some of their number down as they go

 

[Grish]

At 500 pts, you will have a difficult, if not impossible time, beating wood elves. Even if you tailor a list to fight them. They are all skirmishing, plenty of shooting, and do well against low CR. Their army is mobility, ours is ranked infantry. They are the best army I believe at this level of points. Dark Elves might also be good, haven't played against them in the new book at 500 pts.

Warhammer is not meant to be played at this level and some aspects of the game break down. If you are playing at 1/4 the points, perhaps play at 1/4 the table size (3x2). Might have a better chance then.

On a regular size table, the best you can do against Wood Elves is play for a draw, if thats even possible. They are just too fast to engage you, and can shoot you all day.