How can VC defeat a War Hydra in a 500Pt Battle?

Since I am afraid (prcatically filling my pants in fear) of Monsters, and I'll be battling a delf player in a few weeks, I'm curious to how to defeat a war Hydra easily with the least amount of casualties possible.
I've only come up with two ideas:
1. Field a lot of Necromancers and attempt to "Zombie Rape" the Hydra.
2. Field some Ethereals and pray to Azathoth that I don't lose combat.

I could really use the help of you guys, or else I'm screwed.
Thanks,
Vyv

wraiths would do the job fine.

how many, and should i add a banshee?

Wraiths are the way to go here, maybe a unit of 4-5 if you can find the points? The banshee might be worth it, but doesn't the Hydra have a really high leadership?

the hydra has Ld6 IIRC, but the unit has 8 while the handlers are alive.  Still very doable for a banshee

Balefire spike on the general, but that means throwing your vamp at the beast ;D

Ok, so I'll attempt to buy some wraiths later in the week.
How much would it cost me to get enough to take down a Hydra? 4 Wraiths and a Banshee?
I'll have to cut back on points, so I'll go mainly Necromancy to bulk up the army a little.

You could always feed it zombies.

Banner of Hellfire on an unit of Blood Knights (EDIT: ok, might not be viable for 500 points).

Or just on an unit of Grave Guard with great weapons or Black Knights.

Or else this vampire?

Dread Knight
Infinite Hatred

Enchanted Shield
Balefire Spike

The list is long...

For such a small number of points I'd go for wraiths, a block of skelletons and some zombies and a combat vampire (the points should be enough). You only have to make sure that the enemy characters do not charge your wraiths, and the chances of finding anything else with magical attacks to 500 points are really low. The wraiths' bane is enemy magic fire, but at 500 points you will not face it too often! Therefore, scream at the hidra and then make some extra wounds with your wraiths big weapons!

The unit strenght on the hydra is 7.  You don't want your wraiths to lose combat and pop... but if the dark elf player is taking a hydra in 500 points he probably does not have a lot of magic weapons flying around.  I believe each wraith is US 2, I would think 3 could get the job done or 3 + banshee.

Let me add, my experience with small games is missle fire wins.  I've won a lot of 500 point tournaments and which army I bring doesn't seem to matter much, the general with the most missle troops wins.  Thats bad news for VC.

Wraiths are US1 each, they do have 2 wounds. All you need to do is cause a wound each round on the Hydra to break even, given the number of decent high strength attacks you're putting out shouldn't be too hard.

Personally I'd take 3-4 wraiths (no banshee, you want the good attacks) since they're such a good unit anyway. Choking the Hydra with zombies may work, but you'd have to raise a ton each turn because they'd just crumble away and be free VPs. Or, since he's being kind of a jerk with a monster in 500pts, take a DoW cannon or make your whole army a unit of zombies and a unit of Blood Knights with a Vampire leading them. But after that I don't think he'd ever want to play you again.

I guess you lot still haven't found out who the 'jerk' is. I think all of this information is great to the 'jerk'.

I guess you lot still haven't found out who the 'jerk' is. I think all of this information is great to the 'jerk'.

Silence, Jerk, or I shall maim thee before the sun sets in the lonely hills of Bardon.