If you have Viks, bishop, ashes and Malifaux child you have enough stones left to have up to 8 activations in total if you take some smaller models like the effigy, void wretches even ronin.
If you want you can get another big hitter in there but then you will almost certainly be stuck with 7 activations rather than 8.
I agree the viks are upgrade intense and I normally run them with 7 points of upgrades which and at least 4 stones which means blood could be said to have cost 10.
The last game I played with the viks I played them with child, effigy, bishop, strongarm and desolation engine. Strat was stake a claim but with close deployment. I can't remember all the scheme pool but I took quick murder and leave your mark. Idea was to get into the enemy crew quickly and take them out before they could start accomplishing schemes. I still had 7 activations which is low but I didn't find it handicapped me too much. I won the game 7-2 by denying them the chance to score points more than going after my points.