I tried posting this the other day but apparently it didn't post. Anyway, my friends and I had a game night where I played my first 3 battles with the new VC book. The list I had was this:

455: Vampire Lord w/ Master of the Black Arts, Forbidden Lore & Lord of the Dead. The Flayed Hauberk, Helm of Commandment & Crown of the Damned. Level 3.

195: Vampire w/ Infinite Hatred & Walking Death. Sword of Battle, Armor of Night & Talisman of Lycni.

185: Vampire w/ Master of the Black Arts & Book of Arkhan

215: Necromancer w/ Extra Spell; Powerstone & Dispel Scroll. Corpse Cart w/ Balefire.

88: 10 Ghouls w/ Ghast

80: 10 Ghouls

293: 19 Grave Guard w/ full command & Royal Standard of Strigos

165: 15 Skeletons w/ full command & War Banner

150: 15 Skeletons w/ full command & Hellfire Banner

175: 2 Cairn Wraiths & Banshee

My first battle was against ogres.

Tyrant w/ 5+ Ward and 7 str 6 attacks

Bruiser w/ stuff

Butcher w/ Scroll and stuff

7 Ogre Bulls

7 Ogre Bulls

4 Leadbelchers

20 Gnoblars

Scrap Launcher

Slave Giant

DoW cannon

I chose Lore of Fire for my Lord for pure destruction of the enemy.

Deployment was such: My ghouls w/ ghast were on the far left w/ my caster vamp. On their right were the skeletons with the Hellfire Banner. Next to them were my Grave Guard w/ Lord. Next to them were the other skeletons w/ the corpse cart. Next to them were the ghouls w/ the Lycni vamp. Next to them were the wraiths.

He had his Leadbelchers w/ Butcher on my left, ready to swing around a graveyard in the center. His giant was behind the grave yard. The Bruiser and Bulls and Tyrant and Bulls were the next 2 units. The Scrap launcher was next to them with the cannon behind it on a hill. The Gnoblars were on the far right--next to the table edge.

Ogre Turn 1:

Everything moved forward. Spells were dispelled. Cannon picked off 4 Grave guard and scraplauncher killed a few skeletons.

Vampire Turn 1:

Ghouls, skeletons, and grave guard advanced into the center. The casters backed out of their units so as not to get into combat. The lycni vamp and wraiths ran up onto a hill in the center.

Skeletons and Grave Guard were replenished and zombies were raised right in front of the Leadbelchers. The Banshee screamed a few Gnoblars to death.

Ogres Turn 2:

Both Bull units charged Grave Guard but the Bruiser at least wasn't in base contact. The Leadbelchers charged the zombies. The Giant charged the ghouls behind the grave yard.

Magic was dispelled and shooting killed a few skeletons.

The Leadbelchers killed the zombies and overran towards my Caster vamp. The Gian killed the ghouls but didn't overrun. The Ogres clobbered the Grave Guard and I had one left! The standard bearer was holding both units in place!

Vampire Turn 2:

The Ghouls charged the flank of the tyrant's unit. The Wraiths charged the Scrap Launcher. The Lycni Vamp charged the cannon. The Hellfire Skeletons reformed to face the flank of the Leadbelchers.

I summoned Grave Guard back to full strength and used the Book to Danse the skeletons into the flank of the Leadbelchers.

The skeletons beat the ogres in combat and chased them all down! The Ogres again clobbered the grave guard some but the ghouls put some wounds in too. I lost combat by two. The Lycni vamp whiffed and only killed one model. He passed his break test. The Wraiths wounded the Scrap Launcher.

Ogres Turn 3:

The Giant charged the skeletons in the rear. He killed a few and one combat--killing more. The Ogres beat down some more Grave Guard and Ghouls. After combat they were down to about 2 Ghouls and half strength Grave Guard. Wraiths Wiffed and lost a wound. Lycni vamp butchered the crew.

Vampires Turn 3:

Lycni Vamp ran behind the Bruiser's unit--ready to charge next turn.

I failed 6 castings of Invocation in a row! I put Van Hels on the Grave Guard and got the Ghouls up to 5 models. Even with all the magic buffs I lost combat by just enough to lost the last of my Grave Guard and ghouls. If only those castings had gotten through! The Wraiths wounded the Scrap Launcher again. The Giant killed some more skeletons

Ogres Turn 4:

The Tyrant charged out of his unit into my Vamp Lord. Oh crap. The rest of the unit reformed to face the skeletons and Corpse Cart. The other unit charged the Caster Vamp.

The Giant stomped the last skeletons into dust. The Wraiths wounded the Scrap Launcher again. The Ogres butchered my caster vamp. The Tyrant wounded my Lord twice and took one wound in return. Here I forgot that I could take ward saves against combat res wounds so my Lord died.

Skeletons lost a few to crumble but wraiths passed.

Vampires Turn 4:

The skeletons took a few wounds from crumble and the wraiths lost a wound--causing one to die.

Lycni Vamp and skeletons charged the Ogres as a last ditch effort. It wasn't meant to be. Both died to wounds and combat res. At this point I called it a game.

I realized after the game that I forgot a few things. I forgot that my Lycni Vamp had the Sword of Battle. I forgot that I could use Ward Saves against combat res wounds and I forgot Miasma of Deathly Vigour on the first couple turns. The game would've been completely different if I could've only passed one of those 6 failed castings. I would've charged in with my Lord (who I was going to cast Flaming sword of Rhuin on), the Lycni Vamp, and the unit of skeletons with the War Banner. I probably would've dished out enough wounds and had enough static combat res to make both units flee and with that many units I would likely chase them both down. Obviously it wasn't meant to be and I lost my very first battle with the new book. Oh well, I'm still getting used to the army.

Thanks for reading! I'll post the next 2 battles soon. Hopefully...

Miasma of Deathly Vigour I forget these two alot!

I'm not sure your friend could get 7 str 6 attacks with his Tyrant, 6 is max I think.

Yeah you could be right I dunno. Anyway he dished out some hurt every turn. Oh how I wish killing blow could work on him...