Aussie needs help ...what army vs VC's ?

[Mobynick]

I know many newbies ask what army is best, powerful or coolest and I have read many responses to these questions. I'd like to go 1 step further and ask which army would be competitive verses VC. (yes I'll only play against 1 army, later I might branch but by then I'll be planning a second army)

I am thinking Brets, dwarfs, empire, he, de and woc. Brets I like because of their heraldry, they look awesome and would be my first choice .... but.... they seem very limited tactics wise and I suspect might get boring to play with and against?
Dwarfs look solid, I'd like to try and paint them in tartan.
HE's could counter most of VC's magic ..... right?
DE's because I have some.I like the idea of a eagleship partoling for undead...sort of a royal navy theme.
WoC look awesome too, also seem solid, I really really like the dude with the axe sitting on his horse, very menacing. Not sure chaos would want to pick a fight with VC's and vice versa? (could also do a fallen bretonnian knights theme).

So if you would please give me your opinions as to these options and their chances of being competitive against VC's I would be grateful. What would you take...why...how would you theme it (theme is important to me too). Thank you in advance, I look forward to your reply.
Nick

[plasticaddict]

I suggets going with the Dwarfs. I'm a bit biased as I play Dwarf gunline army, but I have had very good success against Vampire Counts. As a Dwarf you start with four dispell dice, add a rune smith and you get one more, add a runelord and you get two. It's very easy to build an anti-magic list giving yourself plenty of dispell dice, pluses to your dispell rolls, magic resistance (not really good aginst VC) spell breaker runes (i.e. dispell scrolls) and my favorite the spelleater rune. Against VC if you can shut down their magic they don't have very much staying power. Stop the raise spells and the Vanhels dance and you'll do pretty well against them.

[Lord Azaghul]

So if you would please give me your opinions as to these options and their chances of being competitive against VC's I would be grateful. What would you take...why...how would you theme it (theme is important to me too). Thank you in advance, I look forward to your reply.
Nick

Unfortunately VC are one of the most broken armies in the game: meaning the best armies to be competative are the 2 other broken armies: Daemons and DE.

I have been a dwarf player for years, and they are my favorate army, unforunately they just can't dish out enough firepower either in hth or shooting to do enough damage to the VC player to make a difference, they are just out classed at the moment.

If you plan on playing casual - go with whatever you want to paint. If you want to be competative (in the tourny scene) you're better off with a much newer book.

[Mobynick]

I don't subscribe to the whole "this army is broken" way of thinking. Granted some armies are better than others but surely each army is capable of winning if played well and with the favor of the dice gods?

What is the main issue with VC's that makes them so nasty?

[Chumbalaya]

VCs are broken, but not in the OP way. They are extremely one dimensional: move up, rez, win attrition. They have no shooting, very little offensive magic, are generally quite slow, and fold to just about any army that doesn't feel like playing their game.

With VC magic, it's all rezzing or offensive magic. Stop the offensive stuff (important Vanhel's, Wind of Undeath, and the like) but let them rez all they want. I could care less how big your unit of Skeletons are, they are never going to see combat.

VC movement is also the same. All the fast stuff gets 1 wound back per casting of Invocation. Focus on those units to cripple them and either remove them totally (can't bring them back) or force them to spend a ton of PD to bring them back to fighting strength. Once the cav goes away, there's nothing forcing you to engage them.

I wouldn't recommend starting an army just because it beats VCs (any army can if you work it right). If you like Bretonnians, go for them. Their Knights are nasty, numerous, and cheap, they have surprisingly effective shooting (flaming peasant bowmen and Trebuchets), solid magic defense, cheap blocks of ranked infantry or slightly less cheap blocks of stubborn infantry, fast cav, flying cav, and are extremely fast and maneuverable. Plus they hit like a brick in combat (always multi-charge against VCs to get maximum crumbley goodness).

[biteymcrunrun]

dunno bout the best army, but the best tactic for an aussie is definately the underarm bowl

[Mobynick]

dunno bout the best army, but the best tactic for an aussie is definately the underarm bowl

Poor old NZ'ers have never forgiven us for our great, great shame....you guys did lose though :)-

OK please everyone cast your vote....Bretonians or Warriors of Chaos.....good knights or bad knights.....courage and honour or rape and pillage???

[Craftworlds_Voice]

They have no shooting, very little offensive magic

That isnt really true - you can take a bloodline on your vampire lord allowing you to take any of the 8 lores of magic (and knowing all 6 spells) - thats a very nasty thing. Most good VC players play using such a vampire.

And according to the main Q - the best army against VC is deffinately daemons.

[Ulf]

I play Lizardmen, and they do pretty well against VC.

The Engine of the Gods puts a lot of hurt to all undead, especially blood knights are very nice targets. For the Engine of the Gods you need tarpit units to pin the enemy, so the Stegadon can charge or at least move close enough to make the engine work without loosing the shaman too soon. Saurus Warriors are very good tarpits, they are tough (T 4, Sv 5+ and shield) and not too expensive, and because they are cold blooded they have good chances of not failing their LD test even when losing CC.

A Slann with light magic deals even more damage. Burning Gaze is a S6 flaming magic missile with D6 hits, ideal for hunting undead monsters like Varghulfs or singled out Vampires - at a very low complexity. Cleansing Flare works much like the Engine of the Gods: Better range and strength, doesn't ignore armour though. Put the Slann in a unit of Temple Guard, and place them carefully - they tend to march straight across the board, crushing/burning anything in their path.

[Bedroom General]

Isn't it a case of RAW Biteymcrunrun?
Love the name incidentally.

[Aldramelech]

Goodbye