Need Some Help w/ a Death Tournament List

[AverageBoss]

So I have a fairly large Death collection from WFB, but I have had trouble getting it to work in AoS. Mostly, I just seem to lack any consistent hitting power, and most enemies I run into just seem to be able to take everything I throw at them on the nose, and dish it back twice over. I have a tournament this weekend, and I am thinking of bringing my undead again, but am a bit discouraged and am looking for ideas on a decent list I could run with my collection.

I have at my disposal:

Arkhan
Zombie Dragon (solo, Vampire Lord, or Ghoul King mounted)
1x Ghoul King on foot or Crypt Ghast Courtier (old metal Ghoul King )
1x Varghulf
2x Vampire Lord on Nightmare
2x Necromancer
40x Ghouls
30x Grave Guard that I could also run as Skeletons with any of the weapon options both units have.
10x Dire Wolves
10x Black Knights
5x Blood Knights
1x Mortis Engine
2x Marghast (either kind)
3x Spirit Host
5x Hex Wraiths
6x Crypt Flayers or Vargheists

Seems my main problem is that my army was very varied in old Fantasy, which seems to cause some issues in the now more split and focused Death subfactions. But, I am still wanting to make it work somehow. I could always play my Tzeentch or Stormcast, but Vampires were my first Warhammer love.

2,000 points btw.

[Bradifer]

Abhorrant Ghoul King on Terrorgheist (400)
- General
- Trait: Ruler of the Night
- Artefact: Cursed Book
Varghulf Courtier (160)
Necromancer (120)
30 x Crypt Ghouls (300)
10 x Crypt Ghouls (100)
6 x Crypt Flayers (320)
5 x Blood Knights (260)
2 x Morghast Archai (240)
10 x Skeleton Warriors (80)
- Ancient Blade & Shield
Total: 1980/2000
 

Alternatively, if your group will not let you run the Zombie Dragon as a TerrorGeist, simply turn it into a Vampire Lord on Zombie Dragon, and turn 10 ghouls into 10 skeletons.

 

This list has 1 hard hitting ,mobile, tanky behemoth hero.

2 support heroes.

Necro can danse the 30 ghouls or 6 flayers. or he can just Mr. Mystic Shield. Keep him near 10 skelly's for survivability.

Varghulf regens the flayers & ghouls and gives massive re-roll hit buff if GKoTG casts a spell successfully.

4 decently hard hitting units. (30 Ghoul, 6 Flayer, 2 Morghast, 5 Blood Knight).

Your tarpits are annoying and can regenerate, and your hammers move fast or fly.

You have plenty of ways to outplay your opponent with movement/regen/retreating/unit priority.

[CanHammer-darren]

Nice. Just note only vargulf gets reroll hits not anyone else if GK casts a spell 

[AverageBoss]

Thanks for the advice.

Though I have to ask, with so many FEC models in the army, why the TG over the ZD and giving them all the ability to reroll wounds?

[Sutek]

The Ghoul kings have command abilities that are useless in matched play so it's definitely worth spending the extra points for the Vampire Lord on Zombie Dragon.

I'd also be tempted to reduce the Ghouls to 20 and use the Ghoul King on foot for another wizard and access to the black hunger spell.

[AverageBoss]

After everyone's advice, I am probably going to go with:
 

Allegiance: Death

Leaders
Varghulf Courtier (160)
Abhorrant Ghoul King (100)
Vampire Lord On Zombie Dragon (440)
- General
- Deathlance
- Trait: Red Fury
- Artefact: Tomb Blade

Battleline
10 x Skeleton Warriors (80)
- Ancient Blades
2 x Morghast Archai (240)
- Deathlords Battleline
30 x Crypt Ghouls (300)
10 x Crypt Ghouls (100)
6 x Crypt Flayers (320)
- Flesh Eater Courts Battleline (Crypt Infernal Courtier General)
5 x Blood Knights (260)
- Soulblight Battleline

Total: 2000/2000
 

 

[CanHammer-darren]

I think this list will do ok by as with most death lists it lacks shooting. You will wilt in the face of skyfires or kunnin rukk. But then again a lot of armies do

 

from my own experience the Vargulf is the lynchpin. You cannot lose it early or else you will lose. 

[AverageBoss]

Don't need to worry about Skyfires, I am the only one who uses any, and only 6 at that in an actual DoT army rather than C:GA. Also, nobody around here uses Rukk.

Had my games today though. 1st round was against ogres with Blood and Glory. He went first and made it into combat on the first turn wiping out my flayers and vargulf immediately. Everything in my army crumbled without much of a fight, except my Vampire Lord who whipped out half his army single handedly. The ogre player went on to win the overall tournament.

2nd match was against Dwarves with Escalation. I scored the maximum number of points for the round. Once again my vampire did most of the work, though the flayers did contribute to a large skirmish in the middle of the table. The dwarf players dice were really cold though, 2 flame cannons managed a grand total of 2 mortal wounds during the whole game, and one of his close combat units missed every single attack. Meanwhile I was pulling off 10" charges on average.

3rd round was against Beastclaw Raiders with 3 places of power. 3 characters (1 stonehorn, 2 tusks), a 3rd tusk, and 60ish night goblins with fanatics to act as a screen. He killed my vampire lord effortlessly on the first turn, simultaneously capturing two objectives). I repositioned and moved everything I had down one flank and managed to take out 2 tusks, but lost everything except my Blood Knights and Ghoul King in the process. I think he was number 2 in score for the event, losing to the above ogre player during round 2.

[CanHammer-darren]

Sounds like fun. Check out my tournament report for a view form the other side using terrorgheist and horrors