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Lord of Ravens

Vargheist
May 2, 2009
672
Sanai said:
I had an idea for an upgrade to zombie units.
Bilge Rats- The zombies are accompanied by the rats that stow away upon the ships. This carpet of rats bites and claws at the enemies of the zombies, and carry many a foul infection. However, these rats are cowardly, and will flee if the battle does not go the zombies way.
(Unit gains an extra attack, which is poisoned. Lasts until the unit is defeated in combat (like frenzy))

This could be a unit on its own (it was in the original list). I think we hould be careful of having too many upgrades for the Zombie Pirates. We discussed earlier in the thread that upgrades should be limited to pistols and handguns.

OK what we havo far is.

Zombie Pirates- with limited upgrades
Wrecks- add to Zombie Pirates
Seagull flocks- like bat swarms
Bloated Corpses single smely bombs
Zombie Slaves- like our zombies. With hindsight, these are perhaps not so good an idea as they are basically the same as the pirates.

I think we need at least one, completely different core choice from these. It needs to be rannd file however.

Another idea, I think that Zombie Pirates should be the only unit that counts towards the minimum Core requirement. This will force players to hae(at least) 3 units in a 2000 pts list.
 

uga bug

Black Knight
Jan 3, 2010
302
Lord of Ravens said:
I think we hould be careful of having too many upgrades for the Zombie Pirates. We discussed earlier in the thread that upgrades should be limited to pistols and handguns.

OK what we havo far is.

Zombie Pirates- with limited upgrades
Wrecks- add to Zombie Pirates
Seagull flocks- like bat swarms
Bloated Corpses single smely bombs
Zombie Slaves- like our zombies. With hindsight, these are perhaps not so good an idea as they are basically the same as the pirates.

I think we need at least one, completely different core choice from these. It needs to be rannd file however.

Another idea, I think that Zombie Pirates should be the only unit that counts towards the minimum Core requirement. This will force players to hae(at least) 3 units in a 2000 pts list.

Maybe in the core the zombie pirates and slaves should both be included. Althoguh their stats would be very similar, maybe the pirates should have the option for the upgrades that alter the stats. The slaves could just be standard zombies. As well as this we could make it so that for every unit of slaves you must have a unit of pirates-it'd allow for pirates predominantly in the core section.
On top of this the pirates shoul dstill have the weapon options.
The bloated corpses also shouldn't count as one of the required core choices.
 

Sanai

Stylish Deviant
True Blood
Oct 30, 2009
5,193
Behind Darvy
How are bloated corpses going to work? Are they gunna be deployed like as a unit of 3, in skirmish formation, or on their own? Or perhaps are they gunna join units? Or are they going to work like fanatics, like living grenades pushed into the fray by the zombies?
 
Aug 9, 2009
142
UK
I'd say the "slaves" don't need to be their own unit, merely the zombie pirates that aren't given any upgrades should be weak enough.

Perhaps have the Zombie Pirates
- Upgrade to Hand Weapon + Pistol
- Upgrade to Handgun
- Some kind of Melee upgrade, or not.
 

Lord of Ravens

Vargheist
May 2, 2009
672
Discussion for the Zombie Pirate Unit has been moved to its own forum. Please do not discuss this unit in this thread any more.

LoR
 

xaeromancer

Zombie
Apr 16, 2010
32
UK
I don't like the idea of zombie slaves, it just seems redundant.

I do like the idea of wrecks as an alternative to corpse carts, though. Not truly a chariot, but more a large ghost; they join a unit (or rather, a unit embarks the wreck) and so allow it to march (and, perhaps with an upgrade or bound spell, become ethereal.) However, since it sails on winds of dark magic, it must move a further d6 inches in a random direction at the end of each magic phase. Perhaps it's ghostly bosun could negate this by expending a power dice?

I think skeletons with a brace of pistols would be quite a strong addition, just because I like the image of Ray Harryhausen skeletons dressed as pirates and shooting flintlocks. No hand weapons, but they are dedicated shooters. This would further differentiate the list from the Vampire Counts

And sea ghouls, pirates who have been shipwrecked and resorted to cannibalism. They probably wouldn't have poison attacks, but maybe some sort of feeding frenzy.

I wouldn't take them myself, but swarms of seagulls and bilge rats sound quite creepy.
 

Keldane

Ghoul
Mar 1, 2010
133
xaeromancer said:
I think skeletons with a brace of pistols would be quite a strong addition, just because I like the image of Ray Harryhausen skeletons dressed as pirates and shooting flintlocks. No hand weapons, but they are dedicated shooters. This would further differentiate the list from the Vampire Counts

And sea ghouls, pirates who have been shipwrecked and resorted to cannibalism. They probably wouldn't have poison attacks, but maybe some sort of feeding frenzy.

Concerning skeletons, we've considered them, and I don't believe we've considered them in the manner you've suggested. Personally, I still want to steer clear of them, and that's a matter of personal preference. Concerning sea ghouls, we've already discussed them and decided not to include them. Sure, they could probably be justified in fluff, and personally, I think the theme here is more of a "salt-preserved animated corpses manning their decaying ships" sort of deal. :lol:
 

xaeromancer

Zombie
Apr 16, 2010
32
UK
Having an entire list based around zombies is going to get a little tired, a lot quickly. Just because it's a Zombie Pirate army doesn't mean everything has to be a zombie (or a pirate.) After all, the main army are Vampire Counts and there aren't any vampires in the core units and very few Counts on the whole. Variation has already had to be built into the core unit.

Also, considering that pirates and stories of cannibalism go hand in hand (or, cooking pot,) it would be a shame to leave them out.

I've never seen anything where a zombie uses a ranged weapon, though. This has always been the remit of skeletons in every RPG and war game I've ever played, every book I've read, every film I've seen. Zombies don't use guns and, under no circumstances, do they run, despite the current trend. But fast zombies are a whole different thread...
 

Keldane

Ghoul
Mar 1, 2010
133
Bloated Corpses have been given their own thread. Please keep all future discussion of them there.
 

Alexos

Ghoul
Oct 20, 2009
115
I think that making the Skeletons more of a kind of unit that is smarter, and a little tougher, would work.

They would be like handgunners, or just hard units to use as an anchor for the rest of the army. I've always looked at zombies as the unit that will go and fight the enemy, tying them up, while skeletons take and hold objectives.
 

Keldane

Ghoul
Mar 1, 2010
133
Wrecks have been given their own thread. Please keep any further discussion of this unit type there.

Skeletons have been suggested several times now, and while I personally still feel they should be excluded in favor of zombies, I'm beginning to wonder if I may be in a minority on the matter.
 

Sanai

Stylish Deviant
True Blood
Oct 30, 2009
5,193
Behind Darvy
I am of the opinion that Skeletons should be steared clear of in this list to give it its own identity. If we have to have skellies, I would prefer they be a special or rare choice, and kept out of core.
 

Alexos

Ghoul
Oct 20, 2009
115
Okay, seeing the other polls/threads, I will stop trying to use other Armybooks as a basis for rules!

Yippe for me! :rock:

I think that having a faster unit would help in the Core selection. something that will be cheap, and therefore perfect for March Blocking, sheilding flanks, and hunting down warmachines.

Unless we're going to use the rules for boats and all that. I haven't heard anything on that.
 

Keldane

Ghoul
Mar 1, 2010
133
I believe we've discussed two flying units - a swarm of Dreadgulls (core choice), and an Albatross with an aura of malignancy that negatively impacts those that come too close (special choice) - that have much higher maneuverability.
 

Alexos

Ghoul
Oct 20, 2009
115
I was thinking something with a little more punch, like a kind of Cavalry, maybe?

It would be light cavalry, because it would be in the Core selection area.
 

uga bug

Black Knight
Jan 3, 2010
302
Alexos said:
I was thinking something with a little more punch, like a kind of Cavalry, maybe?

It would be light cavalry, because it would be in the Core selection area.

I dont think any form of cavalry is really suited to the ZP list-zombies are slow, and i imagine the whole force to be in the majority a slow shambling horde.
and as discussed before pirates wouldnt tend to use cavalry-a horse isnt much use on a ship!
 

Alexos

Ghoul
Oct 20, 2009
115
Horses can swim...

and, failing that, I am willing to make a unit of Zombie Cavalry with Propellers attached to their hooves!

Also, they don't have to be HORSES! they could be manatees. Or some freaky chaos-lookin' thing.

Or even Giant Clownfish.

My point is, Horses don't need to be used in a Cavalry force.
 

The Dark Lord Mr Fluffy

Master Necromancer
True Blood
Dec 23, 2007
2,586
Eire
What about skurvy dogs? They're a very useful unit, their old fluff made sense and they were damn fun to make! Even if I lost mine :P

Hehe I'd like to see some kind of Zombie Cav, but logically, that just sounds too daft :P
 

Alexos

Ghoul
Oct 20, 2009
115
Fine, my Zombie Captain will have to give up his favorite horse, Sprinkles.

I agree with scurvy dogs, but I think they should be something else, more like Sharks.
 

The Dark Lord Mr Fluffy

Master Necromancer
True Blood
Dec 23, 2007
2,586
Eire
Land sharks :P I can see the models now! Zombies running around with sharks on their heads :)
The champion needs to have "a shark with frickin' laser beams on its frickin' head" :P

I'm assuming all units have the aquatic rule, right? Maybe there should be one hindering their movement while not in water? Fits logically, but come on, when has this game ever needed to use logic? :P
 

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