An -iality at its Best : The VERY expensive Dark Eldar Beastmasters!

My oh my, Games Workshop. You keep on teasing me, you ol' bean.
First it was the release of the new Orcs and Goblins Army Book, then you announced the new Tomb Kings Army Book and now you actually release the models from the Dark Eldar book that people pretty much never, ever expected to see. Unleash the beasts! You know, given the fact that for some unknown reason you're still slacking on the release of my Fenrisian Wolves and Thunderwolf Cavalry models. But, I'll cut you some slack, I see what you're trying to accomplish here.

"Hey, you guys. Let's give Beastmasters different options but make sure to release every monster as a separate metal blister. People will HAVE to pay up if they want to use them to their full potential. Like you would EVER run a single Beastmater, right?"



Lets do some math here. Say you want to run them as a big and scary Beast squad. I would just run:

"Most of the profits go for food.."

1 Beastmaster with Agonizer ($15, 12pt.+20pt.= 32pt.) with 2 Razorwing Flocks ($12.25x2=$25, 30 pts.)
1 Beastmaster ($15, 12pt.) with 2 Razorwing Flocks ($12.25x2=$25, 30pt.)
1 Beastmaster ($15, 12pt.) with 1 Clawed Fiend ($22.25, 40pt.)
1 Beastmaster ($15, 12pt.) with 1 Clawed Fiend ($22.25, 40pt.)
1 Beastmaster ($15, 12pt.) with 5 Khymerae ($14x5=$70!!!, 60pt. )

INHIBITORS FAILING!

This will give you a 280 pt. unit that has a total of 38 wounds, 16 models. On the charge it does 8 S3, I6 attacks from the Beastmasters, 2 S3 poison 4+ power weapons attacks from Agoniser Beastmaster, 20 S4, I6 attacks from the Khymerae, 20 S3, I5 Rending attacks from the Razorwing Flock and a minimum of 10 S5, I5 attacks from the Clawed Fiends. That's a LOT of attacks all at WS4 and at above average Initiative. How much would you have to pay for this unit? Well, while keeping in mind that this is also the cheapest configuration that's using the maxed out variants of all 3 types of beasts.. = $239.50

Cheapest way to run this maxed out? With 5 Beastmasters controlling a total of 5 Clawed Fiends for.. $186.25

The most expensive? Get ready for this.. 5 Beastmasters with 25 Khymeraes. For just $425.

LOL. I'm not raging since I don't play Dark Eldar and the models are fairly priced individually, but if you really want to make a cool themed list or a full, big unit you really have to pay out of your ass. They could have easily made like a metal box that has one of each. Also, plastic. The models are all well-made and look awesome, but it just becomes so expensive for what you get.
But hey, at least they made the models, right? And they DO open some pretty cool conversion options for us Space Wolves.

 

The Razorwing Flock will make fantastic Chooser of the Slain models. You can make four of them if you clip out the two connected ones which means FOUR cyber ravens for the 4 Rune Priest cheese list. Three of them even come with their own flying plastic rods.  No more clipping out the only redeemable part on the archaic Njal Stormcaller model! :) Also, I am sorry but if you don't split this into two Flocks when you play your Dark Eldar rather then you are silly and you should give me your money so I can spend them wisely.

Ah, the coolest model of them all. The mighty Clawed Fiend. Where to begin with? You could make sweet Mark of the Wulfen models. Get rid of the head or convert it to not look like a demon. Put it on a 25mm round base, give it the remnants of rended power armour, some wolf tails, some wolf necklaces and give it an an actual rail or get rid of whatever that scorpion-rat thing is. And how long until we see some 12-year-old mount Space Marines of top of it and use it as a Thunderwolf Cavalry model? *shudder*

Hey, at least we finally have something to convert into Fenrisian Wolves! Of course we would have to green stuff actual skin and then flesh on top of them, get rid of all the silly xeno-daemonic bits, sculpt faces and tails and then realize that they all have the same pose.. for $14 a pop when you need 15 of them!

I still hope my friend decides to run 3 squads of fully equipped Beastmasters and then team up with my all Thunderwolf Cavalry and Fenrisian Wolves list. If there aren't a whole lot of buildings we will win!