The Vampire Coast is the weakest faction in the entire game

[ikko]

After trying out every faction and almost every lord for every faction, I think I can definitively state that the Vampire Coast roster is the weakest in the game. This isn't something I'm saying just because I don't enjoy playing them; or because I think 'vampire pirates' are a lame idea for a theme, or that I find crustacean beast units dumb and nowhere near as cool or threatening as dragons, hydras, dinosaurs, scorpions, mammoths or practically any other single entity beast unit in the game.

No, I say this because the Vampire Coast is not a threat in any campaign I've ever played. Their armies are by far the easiest to deal with out of any major faction. They don't have any threatening units; except for 3 out of their 4 legendary lords, their Necrofex Colossi and the Queen Bess unit. All their other units are trash.

Their roster is meant to be missile-heavy, but they don't have any decent missile units. Zombie Gunnery Mob units make up the bulk of their army, but these don't rank anywhere near the best missile units from other factions. The High/Dark/Wood Elves all have better missile units, the Skaven have better missile units, the Empire has better missile units, even the Dwarves have better missile units.

The melee units are similarly trash tier; the only unit worth mentioning is the depth guard which, due to their low model count, are completely irrelevant in every battle. You swarm them and annihilate them with magic or by charging them in the back. They've never caused me any trouble.

The Vampire Coast has NO CAVALRY, yes that's worth repeating, they have NO CAVALRY. While the Vampire Counts have black/blood knights and the Tomb Kings have their Nekherara cavalry and Sepulchral Stalkers, the Vampire Coast get nothing but Mournghouls. Completely inadequate to protect the flanks or make flanking maneuvers.

The single-entity beast units are similarly underwhelming. The crustaceans they get are nowhere near as useful as a Hydra or a Dragon or practically any single-entity monster the Tomb Kings or Vampire Counts get. The Necrofex Colossi are the only saving grace.

An inherent problem to any undead faction is the crumbling mechanic. Every player knows all you need to do is focus fire on their lord to crumble their entire army. The Vampire Coast is especially susceptible to this tactic due to the aforementioned weaknesses in their roster. While the Vampire Counts can threaten you with Blood Knights or Terrorgheists and the Tomb Kings can send Scorpions or War Sphinxs to pin you down, the Vampire Coast roster has nothing you need to pay attention to. Their hordes of zombie pirates are weak, easily surroundable and vulnerable to being blasted by AOE magic. Their big monster units can just be ignored if you pin them down with some spearmen or something. Then just focus fire on their general and any of the Necrofexes and you win every time.


Anyway, before this post get's too long the TLDR is that the Vampire Coast sucks and I don't care how many vampire pirate fanboys I offend with this hot take.

[jonoliveira12]

It is one of the strongest, you just have to abuse their mass ranged troops, and the clearly OP Necrofex Colossus.

[ikko]

If you don't create Necrofex or Terrorgheist doomstacks, then their roster is trash, I'm sorry. Their missile units all need line of sight to fire which automatically makes them worse than the missile units from the High/Dark/Wood Elves, the Skaven and the Dwarfs.


Every map in this game is hilly and you have to zoom way in to make sure your gunpowder units have line of sight on the approach, it's a pain in the ass to keep line of sight for 10-15 zombie units, and any faction that has arc-firing missile units has a clear advantage here.

[THEDOSSBOSS]

Originally posted by jonoliveira12:

It is one of the strongest, you just have to abuse their mass ranged troops, and the clearly OP Necrofex Colossus.

The entire post is scuffed. The OP is basing all this on going against the AI-controlled race. Yes, some races are easier to deal with because of the AI's inability to properly utilise the units and mechanics. The issue with how the AI uses vampire Coast is that it is essential to target the right enemies at the right times. The bloated corpses themselves are by far the biggest balance changer when playing as the vampire coast,especially when the AI can't deal with them. Switch that around, and the AI doesn't know how to use them properly

So yeah, vampire counts are easier to deal with, not because their race is weak, but because the AI cannot properly use them in the way that they were intended to be used. They are indeed one of the strongest races in the game.

[Hailstorm]

Vampire coast crabs are meant to hold the front line of the enemy down for your ranged and depth guard are good but need to attack flanks and not facetank enemy projectiles.

[Sardorim]

... What?

Use more guns, mate. They're ridiculously powerful.

[GalloglassCA]

Lmao. One of the most mechanics bloated/had to be nerfed multiple times faction in the game is underpowered? LOL No.

[THEDOSSBOSS]

Originally posted by ikko:

If you don't create Necrofex or Terrorgheist doomstacks, then their roster is trash, I'm sorry. Their missile units all need line of sight to fire which automatically makes them worse than the missile units from the High/Dark/Wood Elves, the Skaven and the Dwarfs.


Every map in this game is hilly and you have to zoom way in to make sure your gunpowder units have line of sight on the approach, it's a pain in the ass to keep line of sight for 10-15 zombie units, and any faction that has arc-firing missile units has a clear advantage here.

They melt monsters far faster than most ranged units I come across. Maintaining line of sight comes down to micro. You are complaining that you aren't skilled enough, or can't be bothered to be skilled enough, to use them right. In single player especially, getting that levitation advantage is the easiest thing in the world. And as I said, between bloated corpses and the artillery/monster potential, they are extremely easy to use

[Hailstorm]

VC is mainly weak when AI controls it because it tends to recruit mostly basic units until the end where its just a random mishmash of anything like 8 bloated corpses in a single stack.

[RCMidas]

Crabs. Give the enemy your crabs. Not the Leviathans, just the regular old gun-mounted crabs. Pair a bunch of those with mournguls for rear assaults, throw in just SO MUCH artillery and watch the enemy weep.

Plus you should be sending out your Vampire Captain heroes to deal with stuff as much as possible.

[Hurricane]

Lol no they are one of the strongest... best tier 5 unit in the game the necro! Super ranged unit and very good in melee!

Super cheap ranged units. Super aoe. Cool spells. Tankiest lord on his dragon over 100 md and regen!

You sir need to git gud. They are a super race! Only weak vrs mass cav

[ikko]

There's no way you guys are telling me you'd take any Vampire Coast ranged unit over a Waywatcher from the Wood Elves, a Shade from the Dark Elves, a Sister of Avelorn from the High Elves or a Skaven Weapons Team.

The VC is meant to be a missile-focused faction but it's missing a truly decent missile unit.

[Hailstorm]

Originally posted by ikko:

There's no way you guys are telling me you'd take any Vampire Coast ranged unit over a Waywatcher from the Wood Elves, a Shade from the Dark Elves, a Sister of Avelorn from the High Elves or a Skaven Weapons Team.

The VC is meant to be a missile-focused faction but it's missing a truly decent missile unit.

VC ranged is meant to be an endless tide of medium range AP units that hold the line since they are undead, and artillery/deckgunners are used to shoot things that run away before they get in range.

[Hurricane]

Originally posted by ikko:

There's no way you guys are telling me you'd take any Vampire Coast ranged unit over a Waywatcher from the Wood Elves, a Shade from the Dark Elves, a Sister of Avelorn from the High Elves or a Skaven Weapons Team.

The VC is meant to be a missile-focused faction but it's missing a truly decent missile unit.

We have no arty... vc arty units shred them lol...

Vc regen instantly after battle.

Super spells super lords super tier 5...

Queen is super good for nuking.

What you struggling with?

Go play ranged focussed with them. They are super strong!!! The rifles are meh when you start the game but with tech and lord buffs end up insanely good. Melt everything.

[Sardorim]

... What? All their missile is decent to great. They had to nerf them so much cuz in multiplayer an all ranged Vampire Coast army was absolutely destroying everything. Even now they're still super strong.

Are you just not setting up proper lines of sight and having them come to you?

[funkmonster7]

Originally posted by RCMidas:

Crabs. Give the enemy your crabs. Not the Leviathans, just the regular old gun-mounted crabs. Pair a bunch of those with mournguls for rear assaults, throw in just SO MUCH artillery and watch the enemy weep.

Plus you should be sending out your Vampire Captain heroes to deal with stuff as much as possible.

The Gunnery Prometheans don't shoot when they're engaged in melee. Are they really that potent? I just use the regular cheaper Prometheans.