Vampire Counts Warband - Is this too much?

One of the FLGS is starting an escalation league next month. I have joined with my Vampire Counts in the hope of getting more models painted before I move (always helps to have some impetus).

The first part of the league is a 500 point Warband (using the Warband rules) and I have created a list I am considering playing. My question to those reading - is this too much? Am I being a bit of a prick by bringing the Wraiths?

Are you ready for the bad touch?

HEROES:
Vampire - Lord of the Dead, Biting Blade, Flayed Hauberk (145)

Vampire lives in the unit of Skeleton Warriors and spams Invocation of Nehek to raise more Skeletons with his 3 power dice and +1 to cast. I gave him the 2+ armor save and -1 AP magic sword just in case he does manage to get into CC. My original build was a bit nastier but I had to squeeze in under the 150pt limit for Warbands.

CORE:
Skeleton Warriors x 10 - Musician, Standard, Champion, Banner of the Dead Legion (125)
Zombies x 20 (80)

Zombies tarpit and guard my flank. Skeleton's have the double US banner to ensure I get the outnumber from Fear but that is only really useful once I have raised more Skeletons in the unit. I am considering dropping it for a Warbanner, or I could add a Banshee to the Wraith unit.

RARE:
Cairn Wraith x 3 (150)

"Like bringing a bazooka to a knife fight" is what I called the Wraith unit when someone played them against me at 500pts. I think there will be enough things to deal with them on the table that they won't be as devastating as the might be, but it is still a rather nasty surprise for most players. Without Van Hel's to back them up they become substantially less powerful.

Total Points: 500 (of 500)

Overall I am happy with this list and it is made up almost entirely of models I still have to paint (which is the point). I'm aiming to have this done for the first week of January. Time to break out the brushes and get to work!

Progress Report - 10/19/08.

Work, work. I spent the past week or so putting together my 1000 point Slayer Army before playing it against MikeyD's Greenskins last Tuesday. There were some high (and low) points to the game, but I did not do a good job of tracking the events that took place so I will spare you a rambling recap (this time). Long story short, the Slayers got shot to bits and managed to squeeze out a Draw from the game.

That game was a test to see which army I would run in my group's current 500 point "Paint and Play" campaign that I am running. The idea is to work together to get our WHFB armies under way and hopefully have a fun, fluffy, and painted army by the end of the campaign. We are starting at 500 points and are working our way up (maybe to 2000 or 2250) from there.

I am setting goals for all of the competitors which will award points. These are in addition to the points which can be won for painting the models in the army, and points awarded in games played. Our first set of campaign matches will take place this week on Tuesday, with more to follow until we are done. My first matchup is with the new Warriors of Chaos list, a Nurgle force led by a Chaos Sorcerer. Should be a good test for the Beer Gut Tribe!

I got my force together this week and here is what I will be using in this "all comers" type campaign.

Butcher @ 155
- Bangstick

Bulls x 3 @ 105

Ironguts x 4 @ 192

Gnoblar Trappers x 8 @ 48

Total Points: 500 (of 500)

The Butcher can normally only be the Army General under the Warbands rules but my fellow gamers felt the OK book had enough list restrictions and allowed me to use him. It is a pretty basic set up, but then again most lists are this way for the Ogre Kingdoms at sub 1000 points.

In preparation for the games and painting I primed the models I need for this list today. Overall they turned out well, but I certainly could have done better. I may have applied too much primer to the Butcher and lost some of the details I spent so long sculpting on his apron. Oh well, better luck next time I guess!

I will be adding some "fluff" and other backstory for this group in the coming weeks, partly so I can meet the goals I set for the group and earn some bonus points!

I should have some more painting and in progress pictures to post soon. Time to ruin all my hard work with my shoddy painting skills! I leave you with a cruddy shot of my work space. This is where I put together all of my models. It is also the space I use for all of my music projects which is a little frustrating as I have to switch back and forth depending on what I want to work on. Hopefully I can make myself a better work space soon, or at least get a few more lights!

Until next time, see if you can find any lurid details of my life from this picture (hint: the trash holds secrets untold).