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So after asking about choosing another faction, I've come down to trying to choose between imperial guard, or dark eldar.

I like both aesthetics , for guard id go the pask route, for dark eldar id like to do a kabal theme.

I was hoping i could get people who have experience with these factions to describe there strengths and weaknesses and why and why not to take them, i know theres plenty of threads on this, but they both have new codex's so id like an in date opinion

Guard has arguably the most diverse modelling selection, from the number of ranges GW offers to a nearly unmatched amount of 3rd party heroic scale bits, alternatives, and vehicles. And, just in case you wanted something else, historical kits can work well with some conversion work and adding of 40k gribblies.

Tabletop wise, Guard have a number of builds and options, and can be allied with everything reasonably to create a number of fluffy factions not otherwise represented by standard codices.

They're not top dog in this edition, and there are still some lemons in the codex that have remained there since 5th (and before I hear), but they look cool, have a wide variety of generally excellent fluff, play well on the table, present lots of options in allies and conversions, and generally let you be the manliest man in the galaxy facing down giant Tyranid gribblies with nothing but a lasgun and a heart full of courage.

Downside is that they're probably one of the most expensive armies.

TL;DR you want to play Guard, you just haven't admitted it yet.

i appreciate the insight on the guard. Anyone have anything on dark eldar that i could use to compare?

I've played Guard for a long while, played DE a few times (don't have the newest codex though). I like both, but prefer IG for their fluff, tanks, and variety. But you can't go wrong with either army.

Neither army is particularly cheap ($40 for 3 reavers, seriously?) but IG has a ton of alternatives that you can try out.

IG has more viable builds: foot guard, mech, tank, gunline (DE is almost exclusively raider/venom spam). And a bunch of fun HQ add-ons to try out: Commissars, Astropaths, Master of Ordnance, Primaris, Priests. But also plenty of mostly worthless units (ogryns, hellhounds, wyrdvanes). At the end of the game your opponent will be scraping up his last ten models, and you'll probably still have thirty infantry men left. You can customize Guard to fit almost any narrative playstyle you want with deep striking Scion platoons, aerial assaults with valkyries, 4+ armored vets, camo light infantry, demolitions vets to suicide against vehicles and MCs, heavy weapon platoons, special weapons squads, etc.

DE has speed and finesse. It's a lot less aggravating to play an army with BS4. Unless you're going to go all the way with modeling custom IG, DE are going to feel more of the 40k flavor. Missions are much easier to approach when every transport and jetbike in your army can turbo across the table. But watching all your AV10 open-topped vehicles bite the dust is also a pita. DE will also wreck your opponent's best laid plans as your poison weapons dink down MCs.

I just wanted to point out that, with the allies system, it's entirely possible for you to build an army with both IG and DE in it. Coming up with a fluffy reason for the army wouldn't be hard either. Whether you want to do that is up to you, but it's a possible third option.

DE are, most often, a glass hammer. (The kind you said you want, anyway.) They can be difficult to master.

I think the IG are a far more forgiving army, with better non-transport vehicles. The Pask led armored core is just aces.

IG will be easier to learn, I think, and more forgiving to play. DE are more of a challenge. So I'd make your choice based on that.

I'm going to go with IG. i was wondering if anyone could let me know how to build my infantry platoons for best gun line capability , and how to kit out the vet squads , so i can save money and model them right

Best bet is to start with two veteran squads and try them out (preferably with chimeras), then expand to platoons. Sounds like you want Pask as a tank commander. I might suggest also taking a company command squad as a second HQ so they can issue orders to your vets or platoons. I usually run vets in chimeras and platoons on foot. In addition to your platoons, if you are considering heavy weapons squads, I'd recommend only using autocannons. If you are considering special weapons squads, snipers are great for holding objectives, flamers and grenade launchers are good for assault teams, melta is good for monster hunting, I wouldn't take plasma for the 6-man SWS as they're too points-heavy for only 6 BS3 guardsmen, plasma is better for vets.

For vets, you always want to get them doctrines. Here are a few loadouts that I like to use:

Gunline Vets w/ forward sentries (camo cloaks + snare mines)
- 3x snipers
- 1x autocannon

Vets w/ grenadiers (carapace armor)
- 3x plasma
or
- 2x plasma, 1x heavy flamer, chimera

Vets w/ demolitions (melta bombs + demo charge)
- 3x melta guns
or
- 2x melta guns, 1x heavy flamer, chimera

For platoons, lots of people like to blob their squads into larger 20-50 man units, personally I don't but it's personal preference. If you do run a 20+ man blob, always, always take a commissar or priest with them:

Assault platoon 20+ guardsmen
- 1x flamer or melta gun per squad, melta bombs for sargents, power axes on sargents/commissars

Gunline platoon 20+ guardsmen
- 1x autocannon per squad, 1x sniper per squad

Heavy platoon 20+ guardsmen
- 1x lascannon per squad, 1x plasma per squad

I generally run my guardsmen in single 10 man squads with a load out like this:

Assault
- 1x flamer

Heavy
- 1x autocannon, 1x grenade launcher