I suppose the main draw for Vampires is that they keep coming back. And, since they can fly, you can just make them attack the rear mages. I do agree, though, they should be one or two levels lower... I really like Lords and Queens, though, but that's possibly because Death and Blood are my two favorite schools of magic. And, if you use Pale Ones like me, you really need fliers.
And yes, Vampires in D&D are really challenging. Our DM once talked of making a
city of them as an adventure sight...
