For a while now, I have been working on a vampire build that is fun to play, successful, and unique. I feel that the build I have created gives a solid balance between offense and defense while being able to control the board against currently popular strategies like BJ elves and burst wizard teams. HaniButt Level 1 Human Priest - Support Nimbus Blade Duality Mace Savage Plates Twisting Shield Lt. Buckwell's Boots Medallion of St. Virgus Shielding Token Skull of Savage Iljin Inspired Command Novice Piety HaniPoo Level 1 Human Wizard - Control/Burst Searing Pain Staff of Soot Chit of Choking Smoke Ring of Appropriation Sensate's Ring Sensate's Ring Smoke Robe Iberial's Boots Untrained Flexibility Focused Pyromancy HaniBalls Level 1 Human Priest - Vampire Lifesuck Spear Vampire's Blade Parrying Buckler Jet Armor Sticky Slippers Draining Console Hand of Melvelous Flax's Thirsty Vial Trained Tactics Focused Healer The key to making this work is to use smoke bomb effectively. Smoke bomb is used to control enemy spells (including purge) and attacks (limits to close range attacks) as well as deal with terrain attachments. Nimbus is also very important because it is used as a baiting mechanism to control your enemies' movements, before you use the vampire to kill off enemies one by one. Did they purge your nimbus? Well that's too bad cause you have another one. Whittle your enemies down with your wizard, but only use savage curse when it is absolutely necessary to ensure that you save your control cards. Let me know what you think, and whether I could use any improvements. Happy Card Hunting!
I think you are missing the point of vamps. They are good at recovering from hits. If you Nimbus them up you're missing out on half the value of vamp attacks. You would be better served running a high damage warrior. I would suggest ditching the Nimbus and running Unholy Wellsprings and Martyr Blessings. Aside from that, you seem to be running some subpar boots just because they are higher rarity. Also, what's with all the humans? They have the worst tokenless skills and you're not taking advantage of their best cards. Of course, if it ain't broke don't fix it. Ignore all that if you've been winning and like the build as is. I would definitely look into better boots on the support priest and wizard though.
Hmm I think I might agree with getting better boots for the wizard because I am finding that I need him to move farther rather than block spell damage because he never actually gets heavily damaged by wizards I find. But I like keeping the flanking moves on the support priest to gain cantrip on the pass or to move and buff right away. However, I definitely agree with you on the nimbus vampire being redundant, because although it adds an extra dynamic to controling enemies, I am finding that a step-based elf warrior works even better with my build. Thank you for your feedback!
I've been toying with a vamp build (Draining Console is crazy powerful, especially vs wizard teams, and a vamp needs to do something with those gold tokens). It's definitely working better than before the expansion. I haven't locked down a consistent support character yet. For the vamps, dwarves are too slow, but humans are almost as good as elves. I need one more Superb Trickery to really make those elf vamps sing, but Insight is a great cycling racial, albeit at the cost of a blue. For the humans, Superb Command has good vamp synergy, and maybe a Bloody Command on the support to get that team sprint. Problems that vamps run into: (1) armour, (2) blocks and blocking support, (3) buffed wizards, (4) drawspam fighters and (5) terrain wizards. A smoke/Akon's support mage is great at dealing with 1, 2 (except melee only, of course), 3 and 5. This is the better option vs wizard teams, and allows you to use weapons and armour with Cleansing Ray to deck cycle the vamps (as well as heal 4 in smoke). A buffing priest frees up more attacks on the vamps and handles melee teams more effectively.
I have one mouse boots and I've switched out my wizard's boots for those. Worked like a charm Thanks Pawndawan! I would love to use bloody command but unfortunately I don't have one. That said though, I've found that retreat (I have since put an untrained flexibility on my support priest) is a great way to both defend AND attack, and works very well with nimbus. I also find that (4) is dealt with quite well as long as you are able to bait most of the blocks and can kill them in one/two turns. Flash of agony with savage curse also does the trick as a finisher if you manage to run away after draining the life out of a warrior. This build does very well against most teams in the middle ranks, but does lack the firepower needed to deal with well built triple warrior teams. That's why I've switched out my vampire for a step warrior and I've finally been able to stay stable around the 1400 (for the first time hehe).
