*disclaimer: this article was written more than 2 years ago, with the 6th ed rules, so something might have been changed, since then*

I have long played against this undead army, since my best friend has a Vampire Count army, therefore I know, quite good, the single VC units, and some tactics.

This army is very similar to Khemry (better the other way around, since Tomb Kings came second): some units even share the same names. The only big difference is that Tomb Kings (or Khemry) have war machines, VC don’t, and this characteristic will change the whole prospective of Vampire armies, that in 99,9% of the time, will only have hand-to-hand units (in fact, skeletons can be equipped with bows, but BS 2, and a high points cost, dissuades even the most “elfish” Vampire).

In my WHFB career, I have seen two types of VC armies: one typical, and one made of elite units.

1.The typical Vampire Counts army

            This army follows exactly what the game designers meant, when creating the Counts’ army book (was it maybe Alessio Cavatore?): the plan is mainly to attack with three or four big units (25-30 minis) of brainless creatures (zombies and skeleton warriors).

            The extra points are used to get heroes, magical items, black nights, grave guards, wolves, and other, more juicy, units.

            The tactic of this army is to attack in h2h with these three-four blocks of rubbish, and then hit even harder with the remaining units (that have even better characteristics) (this is pretty much the so called wave tactic, where you see two lines of units, attacking one after the other)

Using this tactic, a Vampire count can spend up to 60% of his points in big expendable units, the rest in smaller elite units and heroes.

This kind of tactic can be applied, more or less, to every army. But why do most of VC generals use this tactic? Because, as said before, VC units are brainless: this means that they are immune to psychology and they never flee and, most of all, because all units cause fear. With causing fear units, outnumbering the enemy is vital, and this characteristic will cause a fear test, even in the heart of bravest knight of the realm (remember: if a causing fear wins the combat, and outnumbers the enemy, the enemy will have to flee, no matter what).

Of course, all this has a cost: a skeleton costs 8 pts, a zombie 6 (plus armor, and what ever). But don’t get fooled, a good VC general will be able to increase the number of skeletons with magic, so you might begin with 3 units of 25 skeleton warriors each, but you could finish with 3 units of 40 skeletons warriors each, if the wizard is successful/lucky in casting the spells.

            The problems are not over yet.

If skeletons (for instance) loose the combat, they don’t flee, but they die. Undead units loose as many minis as the points by which they have lost the battle. This is why skeletons and zombies are ranked in BIG units: even if your knights win every combat against a skeleton unit, composed by 30 minis, they will be stuck for several turns, making it easy for the second wave to come closer and closer.

For example: 12 knights of the realm (aprox.300 pts unit) charge 30 skeletons (aprox.280 pts unit).

The knights have 10 attacks (8+champion) at WS 4 vs WS 2 = 3+ (6,66 hit); St 5 vs To 3 = 2+ (5,55 wound); no armor save: the score is 5,55 to 0 in favor of the knights.

The bretonian steeds attack, and have 9 attacks at WS 3 vs WS 2 = 4+ (4,5 hit); St 3 vs To 3 = 4+ (2,25 wound); armor save 5+: that will cause 1,5 casualties in the undead unit, for a total of 7,05 slain skeletons.

The knights have 3 ranks, the skeletons had 3 ranks at the beginning of the battle (draw); they will both have standard (draw); the unit strength, after the battle is a tie, 24 each (draw), this means that the skeletons loose by 7,05 (round down to 6).

So, the knights killed 7,05 skeletons (round down to 7); 7 skeletons die because of the lost combat. That equals to 14 slain: the skeletons remain with 16 minis in the unit, and the knights do not have the charge bonus anymore, plus, the next round of h2h, there will only be three knights attacking (plus horses), unless the brets decide to expand frontage, and loose one rank (tough choice, but I would go for the second).

It will take at least another turn, if not two, for the nights, to finish these suckers off, making it easy for the second wave to charge the lance.

NASTY!!!

What can be done?

1.DO NOT get outnumbered!!

2.DO NOT be charged!!

3.When you hit, hit as hard as you can: with 6^th ed. Lance formation, YOU CANNOT allow to get stuck in long battles, leaving your flanks free to be charged. You have to destroy the charged unit in the first round of h2h, using the lance bonus, otherwise it will be a short match.

4.Always have a mage in the army (2^nd lvl should do it). The damsel won’t be there to cast some offensive spells, but to prevent that evil Necromancer to cast his spells (which can be very menacing, the “summon skeleton warriors” above all, that, by the way, is spell n.1).

5.When you make your peasants go against those undead horrors, always support them with a knight (a high Ld should prevent them from fleeing too early).

6.Try to take away as many points as possible, from the undead units: attack from the flank, and take out that +3 rank bonus, and get the +1 in combat resolution (+4 in the combat resolution means +4 casualties in the unit).