Evil Suns Speed Freaks or Saim Hann Windrider Host?

[FormelyKnownAsSmashyPants]

Okay so after a moment of clarity I realised I’ve been spreading myself too thin hobby wise and have decided to limit the number of projects I work on. At the moment I’m working on some DA hellblasters from the Dark Imperium starter set, and going to be be painting up the Inceptors as BA. Anyway they are going to be my two Imperial armies, I’m going paint up the DG from the starter set as my Chaos army and I want do an Evil Suns and Saim Hann army, but need help deciding which to do first. The other will be put on the back burner until some time in the future. Down the track I want to do a Salamanders army, a Goliath gang and some AoS/WarCry Khorne.

 

Anyway as I mentioned I do want a xenos army, and have narrowed it down to either Saim Hann or Evil Suns. Even though their strengths and weaknesses are very different, both armies will be made up of very similar/equivalent units and I will play them in more or less in the same way. The Eldar army would see the army built around units of Windrider jet bikes, HQ and elites to taste (definitely going to included some aspects, starting with some Banshees, and hopefully some Scorpians when they update them), some Vipers and Guardians in Wave Serpents to claim objectives. The Orks would be built around warbikers, buggies, deff kopters, and boyz, burna boyz, lootas and nobz in trucks. Both armies would have fliers and maybe a couple of small, special FW units.

 

The pros for the Eldar are there is very little conversion work needed, this is also a con. The paint recipe is basically the same as my BA, only the Eldar would have less ie no battle damage. No battle damage is also a con as it can be fu, and also can cover up or other wise detract from painting :cuss ups elsewhere on the model. I’d have the chance to do some cool vehicle markings, would be able to paint up some gems and do some cool colour tinted canopies.

 

The Orks allow for SOOO much potential when it comes to individualising every unit and there’s lots of chances to convert/kit bash unique vehicles. Like the Eldar I can do some cool vehicle markings, plus red warpaint on Da Boyz.

 

I’m heading over to 4chan to check the tactica section for both armies, just wondering if anybody can thick of any pros/cons to either army, and maybe share some of you’re experiences playing, painting and modelling with either army.

[eternal_warrior12]

I have personally fought a lot of orks in my store but never a fully fluffy Saim Hann army. I’d say go Aeldari and stay as fluffy as possible.

[Lexington]

Always go Full Orks.

[The_Chaplain]

As much as i love orks, id say go with the saim hann first. Ork deffkoptas (assuming you want the assault on black reach ones and not the ancient one on the webstore) are very expensive monetarily, and ork warbikers are very expensive for their performance on the tabletop points wise. Its also hard to buff them because they lack mobile rerolls, psychic buffs,etc. (No weirdboy on a bike for example) so keeping up bubbles and auras can be tricky. There is a lot more conversion potential with orks though, youre right.

 

Eldar by comparison synergize very well in that you can get mobile rerolls with an autarch skyrunner, psychic buffs with farseer/warlock skyrunners, improved ballistic skill on the whole etc.

Edited April 27, 2020 by The_Chaplain

[andes]

Go Orks. The new buggies are a blast to build and paint, they're got so much character! Plus, the conversion and kitbashing opportunities go on for days. Can't help but think that painting all those basically identical weedy gitz would get tiresome after the first couple but maybe that's just me.

[DuskRaider]

Orks are a lot more fun, both modeling and playstyle wise. The downside is much more to paint.

[Panzer]

Orks. Always.

[MARK0SIAN]

I don’t know if this tip helps but I painted up my first ever Orks recently. I found that they’re the absolute best units I’ve painted so far for making great use of the contrast paints. It made it so quick and easy to get the boyz done and the result looked good (by my standard).

 

Obviously if you’re not using contrast paints then my advice doesn’t help :)

[Xenith]

Orks are way more fun to paint. I'll be testing out a contast-Eldar scheme soon which I think may have potential. but tanks will be trouble. 

 

As an aside, unless you really love, red, having BA, Evil Sunz and SaimHann is torture. I'm going to try and avoid having another red army. I did my orks buggy as Bad Moonz, da best klan.

[Guest Triszin]

Do....

 

Both...

A army of Orks and eldar racing and destroying everything that tried to stop the race

[Xenith]

Do....

 

Both...

A army of Orks and eldar racing and destroying everything that tried to stop the race

 

Two races racing in a race, racing to erase the rest of the races?

[FormelyKnownAsSmashyPants]

 

Do....

Both...

A army of Orks and eldar racing and destroying everything that tried to stop the race

 

 

Two races racing in a race, racing to erase the rest of the races?

Lol.

[Dr. Clock]

Saim Hann will be easier and faster to build for the table, but you'll have to get pretty into painting a single mini (the bikes) over and over again (albeit with considerable variation).

 

Orks will take more time, but allow for a much 'broader' canvas in terms of potential kitbashes, if that's something you like.

 

I will add, however, that I'm an Eldar grognard (started in 2nd Ed.), so in defence of and to expand on the Saim-hann idea there are lots of conversions from AoS Aelf/Idoneth stuff possible to build out the different riders for various jetbike units, and you also can still choose any unit in the codex and not feel like you're off-theme. There are a few nifty spear bits in the Dark Eldar range, but in general High Elf stuff looks rad for 'feral' Eldar like Saim Hann...

 

In terms of gaming, a jetbike core need not be 'all scatters all the time' any longer as it was when they first appeared. My loadout (last time I was really playing around the beginning of 8th) for bikes was 2x (3 scatters) + 1x (3 cannon + 3 catapult) + mounted Warlock + Mounted Farseer. For Saim Hann you're probably then looking at a mounted Autarch + 2x (4?) shining spears for a flank assault. From there you could just start buying heavy armour. 2-3 Falcons with Aspects (DA + Dragons) is a go-to sideboard for maximum skimmer fun ; )

 

If you have the funds, Hornets are amazing...

 

Cheers,

 

The Good Doctor.