Vampire Counts vs. Wood Elves: How does one kill Hawk Riders?

[harleyquinrazer]

As the title says, finally finished a VC campaign on short victory and hoping to finish long victory before the Isabella DLC comes out changing the faction completely.

First time fighting Wood Elves who weren't the map superpower (I don't know who razed two of their main settlements but really owe them a debt of thanks). The garrisons were ridiculously tough (I'm using an end-game VC army which has little trouble against almost every other faction) because nothing I have counters multiple hawk riders who shoot at me from the air with impunity.

I've tried using Vargheists (works only if it's 2 against 1 and they don't run away when attacked) and Terrorgheists (they run away and my terrorgheist is useless for the battle). I think I've got the measure of Treekin (Blood Knights) and Treeman (Send just about everything against it and keep a Mortis Engine nearby to minimise the damage) but have no idea what to do about those flying pinpricks.

[Cyprinodon]

Flying units are annoying VC. Use spells, I think VC have one that slows a target. Then try and flank them with bats and another flyer. The bats should tie them up until the var/terror Getz there

[harleyquinrazer]

Lore of shadows? That's late on (unless developers get to implement Isabella for free).

I don't use bats past the early stages and they're too slow to reach the hawk riders anyway.

Is the answer against Elves just to bring more flying units?

[Sagranda]

You could slso just ignore them, demolish the elven ground forces and force the Hawk Riders to land.

Originally posted by harleyquinrazer:

Lore of shadows? That's late on (unless developers get to implement Isabella for free).

?
You can recruit Vampire heroes with access to the Lore of Shadows once you have build a Vampire Crypt

[harleyquinrazer]

Tier 4 city and at least 10000 in the bank to afford the crypt (cheaper with a deployed necromancer hero).

Short of rushing the building early, it's not an option for the first 30 turns or so minimum.

Does the game automatically force the side with no ground forces to flee the battlefield as a loss?

[Angarvin]

bats capture, vargheists finish. job done.

[Sultschiem]

Already explained that in another thread:

Get a vampire hero with a hellstead and lore of shadows. Lore of shadows adds a passive 4% movement speed which makes the vampire on a hellstead faster than the hawkriders.

Any form of speed-buff or debuff will make your flyers catch up with them.

Not gonna do the math here again. Even your normal lords have the "Dance Macabre" spell that increases speed by 24% and your attack, making it easier for vargheists to catch up and kill them.

[harleyquinrazer]

Thanks for the tips. Under-rated speed boost from Danse Macabre now sees an important application against the Elves.

Looks like it's the Lore of Shadows to the rescue for the Counts (and Isabella's faction). I normally equip my Vampire Lord armies with at least one shadow vampire as a flying caster so no need to drastically reconfigure the army composition then.

[Wambat]

Originally posted by harleyquinrazer:

Does the game automatically force the side with no ground forces to flee the battlefield as a loss?

What the game does is force flying units to land and fight on the ground if all other ground forces are in flight (so to speak). You can then beat them on your own terms; they are not great at ground combat. It is usually safe to ignore Hawk Riders most of the battle, they are nowhere near as dangerous/damaging as gyros.