VC/magic help!

[Airwalker]

so i've been play small games (1000,1200) with my friend who plays VC. He always bring a lvl4 master necro and two lvl 1 necros along with his damn vampire whos a lv1. He also rock hex wraiths and spirit hosts on the board and usually just thrashes me bad and ends the game with more units then he started with. I tried a lv 2 sorc, master, xbow, spearman, 2 bolt throwers, executioners and an assasin. Another friend suggested i run 3 naked lv1 sorceress's and ditch the master and assasin but i really dont like the idea of having no CC punch. What are your thoughts about that or any suggestions at all to help with the ethreal/magic.

[MexicanNinja]

I am extremely new to DE but I had much experience with VC. Well, you're just not going to be able to stop the invocation spam he has. He's got 4 casters to spam that sig spell with. As for the Hexwraiths and Spirit Hosts, either magic damage or combat res. I would suggest taking black guard instead of executioners (you get stubborn and more attacks). The extra attacks will allow you to kill more models and force a faster "crumble" on the unit (unstable). I also suggest dropping the assassin and one of the bolt throwers for a War Hydra. That will do wonders for CC. If you are set on spearmen, keep 'em. However, I would suggest either another unit of xbows (more damage before you close the gap) or corsairs (more attacks in close combat). I would also suggest a level 4 with with fire (this will allow you to cause more damage to units from range) and you will be able to put wounds on those ethereal units. This will allow you to keep the master and take a BSB.

[strategem]

I don't play much against VC but I would say run a Supreme Sorceress with sacdag and Dark Magic (hope for soul stealer and black horror) and at 1200 points make her a lvl4 and give her the pendant.
I would also run 2 lvl1's both with fireball (for the ethereal's) , with one scroll, and the other the crystal of midnight to use against his vamplord (this will give him only 3 casters but also stop his general from regaining wounds when casting, should help to make the army crumble a bit faster).
Chuck in 2 units of 15 RXB with muso, hydra, and corsairs. and just remember to concentrate magic and shooting combined to completly wipe out a unit each turn.

[Cold73]

I usually play larger games against VC, and their I often use a lvl 4 (Shadow) and a lvl 2 Fire.
Smaller games are a bit different from the larger once because there is less to focus on.

For smaller games I'd take a lvl 4 with Dark (hope for a Magic Missel..and Word of Pain)... and possibly a Ruby Ring of Ruin on a unit Champion.... You need Magic Missiles to get rid of his Ehtereal Units. Those are priority...you dont want them to hold up you Hydra.

In the first turn I'd focus on getting rid of the spells that damage your own units...it is a pain to see his units grow...but it will only mean they will stand in combat a round or so more.
when combat has joined try to dispel as much of his Raise spells as you can...especially those that reach the unit you are fightning now.

Personally i hardly use shooting against VC... they often regrow the units i damage faster then i can get them down....
I focus on melee..and crumbling his unit fast....combined with Shadow Magic and a good number of attacks I've seen my Corsairs crumble a unit of 50 zombies in one round of combat.
(No...no mind razor...just Withering)...