I'm currently on a 8-2 run with this team, rising from 1400s to 1600s, so I guess I should tell you all what I'm doing so you can beat me back down. This is a fairly standard 2-dwarf vamp build, with a support priest. It has some key epic / legendary item requirements, though. There's nothing too complicated about the way it works - you soak hits and drain the opponent. The support priest should usually hang back, but can also assist with capping or go in for an unexpected kill. Most of the effort goes into deciding when is the right time to swarm, when you should stall, when / on whom you should cast buffs. It's weak against sheer damage (my two losses were against oblit + all-out-attack combos). It's also weak against control wizards, but those get smashed by all the warriors running around, so I haven't really seen any dedicated control teams. It's also weak against smoke bomb + warriors, due to the need for LOS with ranged attacks and buffs. 2x Dorf Vamp Dwarf Priest 1x Support Human Priest I should note that the first iteration of this build was triple dwarf vamps, mostly like the vamp presented here, but with 1 utility item on each for frenzies / nimbi / martyrs. I wanted more team move, though, hence the concentration of utility items into a human support priest. I should also highlight a couple of less-used items that really help this build: Raging Rock - Toughness is a necessity for any dwarf racial, but the two Blind Rage are great damage buffs. You can almost always manage around the damage drawback. Burnished Plates - Frenzy Aura is fantastic, especially if you draw it with a full hand of attacks and some buffs stacked from previous turns. Marty's Blessing is also always fantastic, especially since vamps can easily soak a few hits for the card draws. The team heal works nicely with Talented Healer for a quick team bump. Ritual Straps - This is still my favorite non-vamp tokenless divine armor. Purging is a must-have, given the quantity of buffs / nimbi running around at the moment. The lifesaving block is also nice, and hide armor is a small healing buff that doesn't require an action.
I've run something similar that I found works well. I've been using 2 Elf Priests with Perfect Insight to use Pathfinding to ensure Team Runs (for getting into and out of combat) and Dodge (to survive). I've been thinking about swapping an Elf out for a Dwarf to try Blind Rage. Generally my team wins trades, but is reliant on having Mass Frenzy up and a Team Run to engage. I suspect using Dwarf vampires might be better depending on the map rotation. The times I lose are usually due to your same issues of control / burst wizards or burst warriors. Or simply never drawing a Team Run / Pathfinding or Mass Frenzy.
I tried using Sliding Boots on a dwarf vampire. I still think they need Dorimer's Boots, or something with Quick Run to get into the action and start killing those pesky wizards. It really depends on the map though.
I have been using Turquoise Boots on my vamps. Healing Dash is cantrip when you have Talented Healer on and Sparkling Cloth Armor is great for closing in on wizards.
Whoa, Turquoise Boots are sick for a dwarf vampire. Healing Dash/Sparkling Cloth Armor/Quickness Aura are all good.
You know I had never thought of how sick Martyr blessing is for a vamp build... I might just have to break out drains and the Mail Of The Martyr which I can't beleive is an uncommon and I now need to put on my shopping list, although it seems like Burnished Plates is the more popular choice. I wish I had any boots with Violent Spin, and I have been seeing Purging Burst a lot more and it is a nasty card which I might have to weave into my build if I go for one. Right now I am having fun with a weak (1250-ish) rating and I Nimbus Preist 2 Warrior build.
Minor tweak: On both vamps, I've swapped in Turquoise Boots for Wlakwa's Boots, and used the resulting major token to equip Slippery Shield instead of Buckler Of Protection. Current rating is 1650, which is the highest I've ever bothered to maintain. It sure keeps those chests coming, tho. ^_^ My only loss in the last 10 matches has been due to rage-quitting against a stalling player. Control wizards continue to be a weak matchup, but cantripped Healing Dash and the response-move from Sparkling Cloth Armor have been excellent. 3x Hard to Pin Down has also added a ton of movement to the build, even if it sacrificed a Defender's Block on each vamp. I've been underwhelmed by Quickness Aura, and might consider switching to Diamond Moccasins instead, since those have SCA, a decent cantrip move, plus Brutal Charge, which will often be more useful than Quickness Aura.
@spionecefalide has broken my win streak by stacking tons of armor and dodge while also colluding with the RNG. (And he still only won 6-5 with 2 hp left on his last character, and mine all at mid-to-full health.)
What about St. Forgue's Sword instead of the Lifesuck Spear? Frees up a gold token and adds a bit of weird versatility. Mind Worm seems like a dead card, but it can be annoying, especially early in the game, or if an opponent has an armour/harness combo.
Gave a modified version of this a spin last night (based on my limited equipment [that's what she said]). Swords as above, Mail Of The Martyr, Crafted Monkey Boots and Slippery Shield on the vamps; St. Olf's Fiery Pike, Unholy Nimbus and some Cause Fumble on the priest. Great fun. Was winning comfortably but left my wounded priest exposed to an oblit.
I was pretty excited when I managed to get a Vampire in Quick Draw. Invigorating Touch, Spear Of Darkness, Touch Of Pain, Talented Healer, he even had Loner.
I actually adapted this build for a while.. I don't have all of the items and I decided I would rather have a draining dagger than the lifesuck spear. did pretty well but the whole Dwarf thing messed with me a bit. I have adapted a vamp from this build to my current 1-1-1 with my fun wizard (Heartripper, staff of chask and 4 runestones which is sweet since I have 0 attacks that are affected by squemish) and a typical human warrior. I would say the slippery shield was a must for me and i am a big fan of diamond mocs, (quick run, sparkling and brutal charge are three cards I am always happy to draw). I still have issues with when to advance an when to hold back when using Dwarves (and in general) I still miss nimble strike making up for my lack of planning movement wise.
Been playing this again with slight tweaks: - support priest carries a second Spellstripper Relic instead of Tome Of The Martyr - vamps carry Slippery Shield and Diamond Moccasins - shielding tokens were replaced with a second Flax's Thirsty Vial and a Kristoph's Skull It works pretty well, though I resign against wizards on Hyperthalamus Havok because it's pointless even to try. It's also weak against control due to lack of movement, and can only really win with timely movement draws.
My team rolls with 3 dwarf vampires, with some variations due to equipment availability. I spread the support among them equally so that I don't lose any capability if any one of them drops out. 2x Dwarf Priest: Nanahut's Morningstore - I get a lot of mileage from Punishing Strike & Cleansing Ray Vampire's Blade Aegis Of The Defender Burnished Plates Turquoise Boots Kristoph's Skull / Very Bad Gift - Essentially, the same item; I just have one of each. Bleneth's Frenzy Charm Purging Charm Perfect Toughness Focused Healer 1x Dwarf Priest: Same as above, but drop the Skull & Frenzy Charm and add: Bleneth's Frenzy Tome Flax's Thirsty Vial
