My turn!

We have had one resident Vampire Count player at our store for a long time. However, he is rather unorthodox. He tends to field combat-oriented Vampires with medium level magic. In fact, he even takes a Wight BSB.

Of course, times change and recently two new power gamers have picked up the army. One is currently in Japan so I haven't faced his army yet. The other new player now comes to the store regularly. We throw dice to decide opponents when we get to our store, and luckily I haven't had to face the VC but once. I will say it was the most boring game I have played.

He doesn't have 2000 yet. I had to face him at 1250 and gave him a solid whooping. However, he was the final push I needed to invest in some Wardancers. I watched him stomp my roommates brand new Dark Elves twice in a row! His list continues to grow and get nastier. Here is what I can remember seeing him field at 1500:

3 Level 2 Vampires
2 units of Skeletons
Grave Guard
Varghulf
Spirit Host (These are the 40mm ethereal bases, right?)

That was yet another game where my DE buddy got crushed.

Here are my concerns regarding the army:

1) The army is shockingly fast because of Vanhel's. Also, you cannot be within 8" when setting up flank charges. If you are, he turns and charges you instead.
2) Skeletons are raised to ridiculous proportion with 3+ Invocation spam.
3) WS Cap.
4) Hand of Dust and Book of Arkhan

Basically, he rolls across the board very quickly and grows his army to ridiculous proportions while doing so. He uses all the tricks you read about on the boards and his Vampires are very tough to crack as they're bunkered up.

When I faced him 1v1 at 1250, I kept my distance. I took a BW and Spellsinger caddy. My Glade Guard were actually my MVPs. They shot down a unit of Zombies, a Varghulf, and a unit of Grave Guard.

The rest of my army danced around him at 10"+ until 5th turn. It actually took two 6-man units of Wild Riders (one of which had the Warbanner) to take down a massive skeleton unit. It actually died at the bottom of 6th. I would have lost that game to Vanhel's if I didn't have 2 Dispel Scrolls and 5 dice. All in all, it was very boring.

With that said, it is looking like I'll have 3 DD and 2 Scrolls in 2000. I think this might be enough as I'll have a decent amount of shooting and plenty of CC nastiness. List here.

I think I've got the right idea:

1) Stay away and shoot
2) Combined charges in an attempt to entirely destroy units at a time with a lot of wounds & then subsequent combat resolution. Hence new Wardancers.

Am I missing anything here?

Hmmmm. I'd say that against vampire counts, concentration is even more important than it usually is. If you shoot down a couple guys from each unit, they're not even feeling it. If you knock down 9 skellies from one unit, he needs three successful castings of IoN to recover them, let alone enlarging the units. If you get the whole unit (against skellies or ghouls it is not impossible) he may be able to rise zombies, but zombies are FAR from being a serious threat.

Other than that, don't fight your way through hordes of crap. Go for the characters every time you can. Obviously, kiling the general is optimum, but every power die he loses is a IoN you don't have to dispel.
If you don't (or can't), there's just resignation. Realize he has more power dice than you can count with your hands, decide which spells you're letting through, and what MUST be stopped. He can re-cast Vanhel's dance, but it is a 7+, so with 2 dice it is a 50%, and he should be burning 3 dice to get it realiably. Find which vampire has the book, and make him your second priority assassination, just behind the head bloodsucker.

Additional advice:
Machiara takes on vampires
Eglardion fights hard against them
Seelenhaendler's report
One of my games against the counts

Against, VC I would say Glade Guard are not allot of good shooting. Unless there is a low count unit.(10) Then concentrait fire on that to destroy ever last one in 1 phase. Otherwise rank em up and use the MSU style.

The key to beat VC is to get multiple combats going at once so he can't support them all with magic. Draw in as many core unit into one big battle as you can. He is going to get the res no matter what so you need to get the kills with Wardancers and Dryads and flanks with WR and Treekin. Use the Treeman to cut off a flank. I like eagles so I use them to draw of units I don't want to fight (coach, bloodknights).

Although I agree that killing the general should be your priority, I don't know if you should go into every game expecting it to happen.

Most VC Generals will go out of their way to protect him. I'd count on them overthinking it and leaving Hero Vamps vulnerable. Elhann is right that the Book Bearer should be your priority, but I'd just try to kill the first one you can. Any Dead Vamp will hurt their casting ability. Stay out of combat until you can bring down a vamp or two.

I played a VC army at 2250 this past weekend. I beat him pretty handily because he rolled no Vanhel's (and only had the book). I guess that's what you get when your mages are a level 4 Lord, 2 level 2 Vampires, and a level 1 Vamipre.

My MVP was a Wardancer who KBed his Lord. He'll definitely be taking different armor next game.

Yeah, they have that anti KB armor, and I'm always afraid they will have it. KB the general is one of the few ways to take these guys down. VC players don't tend to bring it though. . . .

I suppose they have sooo many good items and skills they can't even decide what to take!