Can anyone tell me how to make to place an individual vertex or make a face. I know this is a kind of a high polygon modeller but I'm coming over from Milkshape 3d. Also is there any way to get a polygon count?

Poly count is easy. Just MMB on any node and it will give you the poly, point and vertex count. Getting it for a whole scene is a bit more involved though, currently you have to script it.

As for placing individual points, you'd have to use the add sop, to then join them together I'd go for the polyknit sop for starters.

Have a look at the curve sop too.