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I am thinking about getting the start collecting box for them i want to focus primarily on ghosts and for the most part want to run an army where I wont need to buy much but I really like the look of the various spirits I am curious how a nighthaunt faction runs

It seems that they can be good distraction units with good damage output. Spirit Hosts and Hexwraiths are ethereal and have a good save, fly and can deal some mortal wounds.

Thinking about them with Neferata's bloodcourt, where will be anvil from spirit hosts with quick hexwraith to intercept and hammer from Neferata's Morhast Archai, Vampire Lord on the dragon and Cove throne. In theory it can be devastating.

I just started a Nighthaunt army!

If you want to focus on Nighthaunts I'd recommend staying away from the starter box...just because the Mortis Engine does not have the Nighthaunt keyword and is unusable in a Nighthaunt Allegiance army. If you plan to use him someday or just want to augment your forces with theses awesome ghostly troops then it is a good deal. The Start Collecting! Skeleton Horde gives you a mortarch, 10 battleline skeles and 5 more hexwraiths also.

If you are building a pure Nighthaunt army though I'd recommend getting 4 Spirit Hosts (at least two for 1k points battleline reqs) and filling up with hexwriaths and a smattering of Carin Wraiths (two Wraiths are better, roughly, than one Corpse Cart plus cost the same.) and Banshees.

Mournguls (Forgeworld) are beastly and add some much needed punch to this army. They are cheesy, but I feel in a pure Nighthaunt army totally warranted.

As pure Nighthaunt you will only ever have 1 wizard, and then only if you take the command trait, so are relying on ignoring rends. Place objectives in cover, if you can, and put some LoS blocking terrain up, again if you can. They can be a thorn in someones side but really lack the punch to roll someone over (sans Mourngul). Win through points and use maneuverability to your advantage. Run retreat mortal wounds from hexwraiths while moving to a better fight or to block access to an objective and stacking spirit host on said objectives all while Cairn Wraiths spread 6+ FnP and around your general 5+...seems to do good for Necrons to have a 4+/5+ ;D

Pretty sure the GHB says you can choose what allegiance you want to use. So the start collecting box Malignants will require you to get 3 more spirit hosts, then getting the Nighthaunt allegiance to make the spirits battleline AND be able to use the mortis engine as well.

You can still use the death allegiance abilities no matter your Alligence...you still need all your models to have the same keywords to have a nighthaunt Alligence.

Spirit Hosts are amazing and you can paint them up in a day! Just buy loads of them - screw everything else

I second that

 Grevenilvec wrote:
Pretty sure the GHB says you can choose what allegiance you want to use. So the start collecting box Malignants will require you to get 3 more spirit hosts, then getting the Nighthaunt allegiance to make the spirits battleline AND be able to use the mortis engine as well.

That would be great, but if im not mistaken Spirit hosts are only battleine if you call Nighthaunt allegiance, which the Mortis engine lacks :(

Aexae wrote:

 Grevenilvec wrote:
Pretty sure the GHB says you can choose what allegiance you want to use. So the start collecting box Malignants will require you to get 3 more spirit hosts, then getting the Nighthaunt allegiance to make the spirits battleline AND be able to use the mortis engine as well.

That would be great, but if im not mistaken Spirit hosts are only battleine if you call Nighthaunt allegiance, which the Mortis engine lacks :(

You're not mistaken. As written, the rules don't allow you to field the Mortis Engine if you want Spirit Hosts as Battleline as they can only do so if all models in the army have the 'Nighthaunt' keyword.

They are a good and constant set of units. If you look at the main abilities in the group, you find a few things that stand out.

They always get their save regardless of rend.

Hexwraiths can do damage without heavy interference from luck.

Spirit Hosts are fast, cheap battlelines that have mathematically calculable damage that is influenced little by enemy armor values.

The heroes are also fairly constant. They arent much individually, so you'll want to probably max your matched play slots for them, which is fine, because they are cheap.

All in all, they make an army that performs pretty close to as expected, leaving most of the games results up to you and your choices.