Vampire BSB combo

[Xander]

I've played a few games with the new book and I've found that combos are much harder to put together in this book, but I've found a pretty good one!

Vampire
BSB
Fear Incarnate
Dark Aura of Majesty
Screaming Banner

I like to throw this guy in either a unit of Grave Guard or Black knights and be sure that the unit has the banner of the barrows. After this I throw in a Wraith character. This causes the opponent to take a fear test at -1 leadership on 3D6 discarding the highest roll. If they pass they must take the test again! If against anything that causes fear, the unit causes terror because of the wraith and forces fear causers to roll the test still! This means with the +1 to hit the unit will most of the time only need 2s to hit and 2s to wound with great weapons! Any thoughts?

Edit: If someone has already posted this, let me know.

 

[Hutobega]

I like that idea. still 3d6 with anything leadership 10 (subtract the 1)so 9 will still be rough and if they have a BSB nearby hmmmm

 

[Seelenberührer]

There's a thread called "skellies and the fear combo", or similar, started by HERO. I'd find it, but I'm pretty lazy, and also pretty drunk. But the reasoning goes that you're better using the banner as the skeleton's equipment banner, with a vampire that's then able to be kitted out to actually kill stuff. This leads to a cheap(?!) unit that packs a punch in combat, while dealing more wounds, taking less, etc.

Meanwhile, I think the book has far more synergies than the previous one. Maybe not so much in the way of Game Winning Combo of Doooooom, but definitely more combinatoriality between units and items. A lot of people have been griping about the reduction in the number of magic items in the recent books, but I actually like it. It makes the "moving parts" in any given army list more quantifiable, and by relocating the emphasis to the variety of troops themselves, reduces the chances of a given list being "solved" (like the last book was).

 

[baynexilos]

I have my vampire BSB take supernatural terror and aura of dark majesty. This way i can cause fear in ogres and such. My skelly unit takes the banner and my lord thats also in that unit takes the fear incarnate cause he has points left over (red fury+quickblood leaves just enough for fear incarnate).

 

[Von Calyptra]

I posted it a little while back. And for some reason I can't seem to get the link to work. https://www.vampirecounts.net/Thread-Our-scary-scary-vampire-BSB (It's on the second page now, titled "Our scary scary vampire BSB.")

I think it's a waste to give the Screaming Banner to skeletons, who cannot realize its full potential.
I am undeterred. I'm converting a model for him now.

 

[VonDookie]

I posted it a little while back. And for some reason I can't seem to get the link to work. https://www.vampirecounts.net/Thread-Our-scary-scary-vampire-BSB (It's on the second page now, titled "Our scary scary vampire BSB.")

I think it's a waste to give the Screaming Banner to skeletons, who cannot realize its full potential.
I am undeterred. I'm converting a model for him now.

Why convert? - Malisteen had the perfect consideration on another thread. I present to you, our Vampire BSB:
http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat720003a&prodId=prod1460014a

 

[Xander]

For all of you that say take it in a skeleton unit, I disagree. You can't guarantee that you'll be able to get both that unit of skeletons into combat, and a unit with WS 3 or above. The point in the fear is to have over double your opponents WS, which you can literally never do with skeletons (bar casting speed of light). In the grave guard their WS is at 3. If the opponent fails the test that makes them need a roll of 5 to hit the grave guard. At least, this was my thought process.

 

[Dreadgrass]

I'm thinking this combo could have merit:

Vampire (Hero Level)
Mundane Items: Heavy armour, Great weapon, (optional BSB)
Powers: Aura of Dark Majesty, Fear Incarnate
Magic Items: Terrifying Mask of EEEEE!, Stone of Rebirth, Dragonhelm

Points:207(232 with BSB)

Placed in a large Graveguard unit with full command, Great weapons and Screaming Banner.

High chance of Fear, Terror to laugh at Ogres/etc. and still some protection/ bite on the Hero.

For extra fun:

- Strap on a Wight King BSB, give him a Great weapon and the screaming Banner and strap Banner of the Barrows onto the unit. (Hitting on 2's, wounding on 2's... sound familiar? Now with the enemy hitting on 5's!)

- Mortis Engine for extra survivability

- Support magic (pretty much any of the Vampire lore buffs, flaming sword of rhuin, Harmonic Convergence for re-rolling 1's, etc.)

 

[baynexilos]

The reason i put in on skellys most of the time is that i have to take core and i can put he banner in their allowance. Your still making it harder to hit them and easier to hit the enemy (3+ to 4+ and 4+ or 5+ to 3+). I still dont know how useful this combo is though, I plan mostly for tournament settings where I do not know my opponents armies ahead of time. Anyone can take the terror banner for 50 points and just laugh at 70 points you used for this combo (maybe more depending on if your taking another hero just for it and at least 25 more if you want terror as well). Also their are 3 armies that are completely immune to psychology and many units in the other armies that are also immune. Included in these are units with frenzy which their are quite a few of.
So while ive had some fun with it in a couple games it wasn't really game breaking and against some opponents completely worthless. Plus its not like fear never works without this stuff and i dont think that the points are going to be worth is at a tournament level.

 

[The Dead of Night]

Depends on the tourney meta IMO. In my area a lot of people take Lizards, WoC, Empire and DE (certainly the top contenders), so the combo can still be pretty effective against the most important match ups.

 

[Von Calyptra]

Rather than have Skeletons my opponent needs 4s to hit, I'd like Ghouls my opponent needs 5s to hit.

 

[Zeleck]

i agree with baynexilos. But more so because soon enough most players will see it coming even if they can't do much about it.