VC - Black Knight vs Blood Knight vs Hexwraith

[mdoolitt]

Which would you use and why in campaign? Is one particularly better than other for specific enemy? Or for Legendary lord?

[Darviathar]

Black Knights don't compare to either, for starters. Blood Knights are anti-large, so they will usually chew up opposing monsters or other cavalry. Hexwraiths are really good against elite units, but you simply do not want to use them in battle against fodder, given how their "armor" works. I use Hexwraiths only in certain situations, but Blood Knights are a part of every major stack. Quite honestly, I've had little (if any) use for Black Knights ever since Blood Knights were made available. They aren't THAT much cheaper and they don't come close to measuring up. What this game really needs is more limited recruitment of units, so that you cannot cheerfully put 4 blood knights into every stack, and have to utilize lesser units.

[drillmaster]

Why use 4 Blood Kniight units? You can set yourself some basic rules. No vampire army would march around with THAT many knights. Instead a sinlge unit backed up by 2 black knights units would make much more sense. The fact that you CAN have then doesnt mean that you HAVE to have them. Same applies to the stupid steam tank/demigryph armies people seem to be building and then complain that the game is too easy.

[Påsan]

Thing is you dont need 4 blood knights to trash the AI. You can have two and save yourself the upkeep.

As for the cav: Hexwraiths tank and scare. Blood knights pretty much kill every other unit in the game, Black knights is a cheeper more traditional cav which needs to be used more careful.

[Markas]

What this game really needs is more limited recruitment of units, so that you cannot cheerfully put 4 blood knights into every stack, and have to utilize lesser units.

Amen. The replenishment system of Med 2 I really would like back. Dunno if there's a mod for it.

[Ichon]

Blood Knights are one of the most expensive VC units and while they are pretty strong they also shouldn't be used exclusively in my opinion especially vs Empire, Dwarf, and GS armies that have lots of ranged and few monsters. They work excellent vs Chaos and well against those GS armies with a few monsters. Otherwise Black Knights with Lances are totally capable of getting the same more even more kills depending on which unit gets more than 1 or 2 strong charges off.

Hexwraiths can be good but feel alot more risky/situational to use and so despite that they are not a bad unit it is just much easier in campaign to avoid them. In MP I think they can shine and frequently present a match up problem for opponents more than Blood Knights.

[joeman_0]

I don't even know how to use hexwraiths. i have noticed that they have bad stats but their attacks are AP and have 80% physical damage mitigation. due to their crappy stats, I don't know what to think of them. Also since they are expensive, I never use them.

[Påsan]

Blood Knights are one of the most expensive VC units and while they are pretty strong they also shouldn't be used exclusively in my opinion especially vs Empire, Dwarf, and GS armies that have lots of ranged and few monsters. They work excellent vs Chaos and well against those GS armies with a few monsters. Otherwise Black Knights with Lances are totally capable of getting the same more even more kills depending on which unit gets more than 1 or 2 strong charges off.

Hexwraiths can be good but feel alot more risky/situational to use and so despite that they are not a bad unit it is just much easier in campaign to avoid them. In MP I think they can shine and frequently present a match up problem for opponents more than Blood Knights.

Blood knights are flat out superior to black knights so if both units are used the same the blood knights will get more kills and take less casualties.

However in multi you pretty much always go blood knights anyway due to it being one of the very few reliable anti-large units in the entire rooster. Hexwraiths are more of a speciality unit you bring to kill elite units. (They suck vs monsters and are bad vs normal infantry) Black knights for armies that do not focus on cav or to support the blood knights. Or vs Dwarves since bringing anti-large units vs them is pointless.

[mdoolitt]

How are you supposed to use Hexwraiths? They have vanguard deployment - are you supposed to surprise your opponent and kill some enemy hero character?

[Darviathar]

I don't have 4 Blood Knight Units in my stacks, even though I utilize 40 unit armies. Max of 2, and usually grouped with Mannfred/Vampire Lord unit, or a Vampire hero.

My 40 man armies always include 8 skeleton types and 8 zombies, even in late game. An undead stack without fodder units just doesn't feel right, but filling out your VC stacks against late game chaos (boosted by mods) with fodder units is a good way to lose, since your Elite Infantry is not going to hold the line long against Chosen.

[Chlodwig I.]

Blood knights are flat out superior to black knights so if both units are used the same the blood knights will get more kills and take less casualties.

are you sure?
Because Black Knights get bonus against infantry, Blood Knights against large units
Black Knights have stronger charge attack
So my guess Black Knights will do equal or better on Infantry

What this game really needs is more limited recruitment of units, so that you cannot cheerfully put 4 blood knights into every stack, and have to utilize lesser units.

And than the people will create a mod to remove that cap because they complain that CA is limiting the game ecperience etc.


So if you got so much income that you can afford to have 4 Blood Knights in your Stacks be happy
but if you don't like to have 4 Blood Knights in your Stacks just don't recruit them
no one is forcing you to put 4 Blood Knights in your stack.

[Ichon]

are you sure?
Because Black Knights get bonus against infantry, Blood Knights against large units
Black Knights have stronger charge attack
So my guess Black Knights will do equal or better on Infantry

Yes, you pointed out exactly why I still use Black knights vs most opponents.

Blood Knights can last fairly well in melee compared to Black Knights but if you are using Black Knights to charge as you should if you are using them then you can get similar or better results compared to Blood Knights for less money.

Blood Knights have 2 main advantages over Black Knights- anti-large and better melee capabilities- charge they perform similarly I think due to Blood Knights having slightly heavier weight or something they seem to do as well as Black Knight with Lances while the extra Fear effect also might mean that in the longer battles they are breaking enemy units slightly easier. Either way in 2 VC campaigns with over 100 manually fought battles I did not find Blood Knights to be a noticeably better units except vs Chaos and armies that field lots of Large/Monsters. Empire in campaign typically does not but in MP with Demis so popular it is different so in campaign I'd say Black Knights do just fine vs all armies except Chaos and late game Greenskins though I expect when Bretonnia becomes playable that Blood Knights might have a bit more utility vs all that cavalry.

[Chlodwig I.]

yeah I fought that scripted battle to get the Equpiment for my LL and I used Blood Knights, and Black Knights (w/wo Lances) and the Blood Knights did way better than the Black Knights

2 Blood Knights with a vampire on Horse where holding the right flank while 2 Black Knights, 2 Skeletons with lance and a Wraithlord on Horse struggeled on the left flank