2500pts vs Lizzies and vamps

[Bies]

so I tried out a new list today against two of the better players in the area. Naturally the base of the list is the same as it relies on my models.

Dreadlord - dark steed, hydra blade (+d3 attacks) Pendant of Kaleth, Postion of strength (+3str 1 round of combat), heavy armour, shield, sea dragon cloak (SDC)

Master - Dark steed, BSB, Ring of Hotek, Armour of Hag Graef (the 1/2 str shooting one) shield, sea dragon cloak, lance

Death Hag - manbane poison, +d3 attacks, couldron of blood

Sorceress - lv1, 2xDispel scrolls

2x10 crossbowmen, shields
6 dark riders - musician
2x5 cold one knights - musician
7 shades - great weapons
- Assassin, rending stars, manbane, AHW (this guy is an awesome monster/chariot killer)
14 Black Guard - Full Command, ASF banner
- Assassin, +d3 attacks, manbane, AHW (undecided if manbane or killing blow is the way to go. With KB he becomes an awesome character killer, with manbane he can shred medium/light infantry

2xHydras

So the list has a few more bodies on the able in the shape of a couldron and the 2nd set of Knights. It does loose the Dragon however which IMHO weakens the list somewhat (there is less "impact" now the Dragon is out and many people have many counters to Hydra's which are include due to the amount of Hydras/Nurgle walls/Bloodknights around all with Regen. Like my lizard player had a Scar Vet with a 20pt sword that gave a further - 2 to AS (so at str5 the scar vet gave -4AS...) w/ Flaming.

Anyway. List 1 was against VC

Vampire Lord - Abyssal terror, red fury, flaming lance, helm of commandment, 2+AS / 4+ward
Vampire - ghoulkin 4+AS, 5+ward, on steed, lv2
Vampire - ghoulkin, 3+ward against shooting, lv1, on steed
Wright - on steed, BSB, regen banner

3x15 ghouls
2x5 hounds
corpse cart - +1 to healing units, ASF bound spells
9 Black Knights - Flaming attacks or something
Black coach
Vargulf.

I got hammered this game, a lot had to do with dice rolls (Hydra failing to wound on a 3+ after getting 7 hits on the ghouls and I needed 2 kills to win combat...)

My lord went up against the Vargulf and while I popped potion (so to speak) I only managed to do 3 wounds to the beastie. In the next round of combat I lost (neither side getting any kills) and was promptly run down.

Nothing really went well for me which was a shame and the Abyssal Terror lord butchered the Blackguard in the space of minutes, 9 died in the 1st round of combat AND I CHARGED?! man me instantly miss my dragon - while I don't average 9 kills it does have the same effect! haha

The biggest highlight of the game was the Dark Riders who ran through a unit of hounds and overran into the Black Coach (with no buffs on it - was my turn1) I contemplated stopping short but decided to go for it anyway. Eitherway I got lucky and scored a wound on it. Over the next 4 rounds of combat I lost 3 of my 6 riders and scored no wounds back but kept winning combat (outnumber, flank compared to 1 kill) so slowly wittled it. Eventually I managed to make my 6+save and the coach lost by 2, failed both wards and crumbled!!

The 2nd game was against Lizardmen. I changed my list slightly and dropped the Hydra blade on my lord and instead put Caledor's Bane on him (lance +3 str, no scaly skin) this way I figured he'd have str 7 for 2 rounds plus scaly skin save is what the majority of lizards have...

Lizard list:

Lord Kroak
Skink priest - lv2, 2xDS engine of the gods
Skink priest - lv2, 2xDS engine of the gods
Scar vet - BSB with -4AS weapon and flaming attacks

4x10 skinks with javelins
2x4 terradons
25 Temple Guard - banner
1 razordon
1 slamander

This game I thought I had the bag and all the trophies. I played well and rolled pretty much exactly on average.

Then I found out Kroak was worth 600 vps...

highlights of this game would be:

Lord slowly battling down a unit of 10 skinks which refused to break (within Kroaks ld and bsb in range). He then went on to charge the Templeguard along with a Hydra, took out the Temple Champ in a challenge (his head now adorns my saddle - not really but it is a cool idea...). This unit was worth something like 365vps + 600 for Korak +250 for the BSB or so. So A LOT of points. Unfortunately I only got into it during turn 5. In 4 rounds of combat I managed to kill 21 Temple Guard + the BSB but there were still 4 left so 1/2 vps only and Kroak wasn't touched (I hate slann so much). In return I had lost the Hydra.

The black guard were rocked to death by Kroak. They got into the Salamander and an EToG and went about doing what Black Guard with +1 attack from the couldron does best...make sushi!

Unfortunately this then placed them next to the Templeguard (currently being slaughtered by my lord on crack) 2 rounds of magic 6" range 5+ to cast 2d6 str4 hits. Kroak could cast 2 of these on 2d6 PD a turn (he didn't want to risk higher as my Hotek BSB was in the Black Guard.

Eitherway the spells played a significant part in the death of my Hydra, was the only reason my lord took 2 wounds (he was out solo and hit by 9 hits and 12 hits in 1 damn turn...). Only the BSB survived surounded by the mangeled bodies of my Black Guard and one of the assassins.

Like I said I thought I had this. At the end of T6 I had

Dreadlord - 1/2 vps
BSB
Couldron
2x5 COK
10 crossbomen
1 table side

(hmm seems alot less now I think about it)

He had

Kroak (worth 600vps alone remember)
Temple guard 1/2
Razordon
1 terradon unit (3 terradons left).
1 unit of skinks with 2 models left

So close indeed I guess, actually we both ended at 1100 vps each (what was left + extras)

I think I played the list better and the lord made more sense in the 2nd game then the 1st. I'm hoping to try it out again on Tuesday. Thing is I took my dragon home to finish painting this evening and I REALLY like the model and it will be a shame not to bring it along. I'd also like to stick a couldron in though (I have a pot of boiling oil from the old siege set back in 5th ed + the classic war altar as a mobile pulpit for my death hag / crone helebron conversion).

Anyway any ideas on my list and other potential tricks/modifications would be appreciated!