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Hi...

I've just started getting into 40k With my friends and i cant decide between the two armies. I've gone for the models in which i like the most.. which i think i'll enjoy modelling and painting more. Probably Dark eldar just above grey knights.

but with my just starting i'm not entirely sure How the rules play. I'm picking the Main rulebook up this weekend so it wont be long!. my friends dont really play tournaments so its going to be a friendly army

I'm not necessarily looking for the easiest army to play, as i'm hoping to get into gaming, but perhaps which has the most potential? I know with grey knights being a small army i may struggle?

Any help would be great! x

Grey Knights is a fairly forgiving army to start with, and has few models to get going. So, on just those 2 points, start there.
They're also easier to get a passable paintjob with, and you'll be on the table quicker than with DE.
Then, when you know what kind of DE army you want, build them up afterwards. DE are a fiddly army to play. You'll need to know how certain units work before you get tabled a few times.

So here's the thing.

Grey Knights have:

The fewest models to start playing
The easiest paint job to look cool
High durability, forgiving units
Tons of options per unit so you can experiment and play around
And they are part of the Imperium, so if you ever decide you like (deep breath in):

Tempestus Astra Militarium Blood Angels Dark Angels Space Marines Space Wolves Inquisition Sisters of Battle

Then you can easily ally in any of them, and you get benefits compared to any other Ally configuration.

GKs are the clear, clear winner here.

Dark eldar have way more flexibility, cooler models, stronger codex, and while you're getting better at painting, a more challenging paint scheme.

Dark eldar all day, urr day!

The only thing is, I don't want to have to ally. And with grey knights having few models I don't know whether I'd eventually get bored. My friends collect chaos and space marines.

I was looking to collect orks but they just cost so much money, I don't want to have to plunge that much into them..

So I know grey knights would be cheaper, and easier to begin playing with, and I like the models equally as dark eldar... being beginner friendly isn't too important as I'd like to get better and learn. But can grey knights keep you entertained? Are the armies equally as strong? With grey knights being so expensive.. are they more resilient then normal space marines??

I'm looking to spend about £350 - £400 at the end of the month to start my army. I just can't pick between the two. X

It mainly comes down to the models dude. If you like the DE, or in fact Eldar, then go down that route. Personally, I like the DE models and prefer painting those colours to metallics


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I would say DE are more fun to play if you don't want to ally right now. More choices and new models, including the best looking flyers and the awesome jetbikes.

I'm impartial by the way, I play Tau

I'm a girl ^^ but I get your point. I want this army as a hobby. Not just for gaming.

Only issue is my friends play tau and eldar so I think I'll be tabled quickly and often playing with them :/ x

I'd go with dark eldar. Grey knights look cool and have some nice options, but I feel that dark eldar have more options. That, and they look pretty great too.

They're not a forgiving army to play at first, but honestly there are very few armies that won't get you tabled in your first few games. Until you learn their rules and start using your units as well as you can, you'll win some and lose some.

And like The Division Of Joy said, if you dig the dark eldar look, go with them.

Dark Eldar are not forgiving to new players. A wrong move, a bad tactical decision and they shatter like a wine glass. If you fail to Jink, there goes your transport and the next turn, there go the guys inside it, dead or useless. If you fail to build and bring your own LOS blocking terrain for the table there is a chance that things will systematically wreck you every time. For example, the Tau you mentioned have Ignores Cover S5 missiles. A single volley can kill a Dark Eldar Raider fairly easily and the counter to that is to hide so it can't shoot at you.

Very steep learning curve and I really don't think it would be the best army to start with. My fourth army is finally going to be Dark Eldar and I'm still hesitant about having the skill to field them properly.

Grey Knights don't have the numbers but they do give you some fun fluff options. Adding in Inquisitors later on is a great way to spice up the army.

Can you play grey knights without using the ally chart? Or would they get boring??

You absolutely can play them alone. Grey Knights can be played like a Dark Angel army (lots of Terminators), a Deep Strike army (teleporters) or a traditional Space Marine army (Rhinos, Razorbacks and Land Raiders) and any combination of them. There are plenty of options with different levels of success on the table, but I doubt you'll get bored of them. I just happen to enjoy adding in allies.

I chose dark eldar in the poll there is more options as to what kind of army you want, and the models are beautiful.

But it comes down to what army you can spend many, many, many hours painting, building, play testing, etc.

Also, if you haven't already done so, maybe stop by your local gaming store and flip through each codex. Read some background on each and get a feel for their histories and lore.

So from what I gather...

Grey knights are easier to play. But as I don't have the book or know little about them j feel like their niche is vs daemons. I hear their force weapons took a downgrade. In my head I just had them as elite space marines but they don't seem to have anymore survivability, albeit terminators as troops? Any unique weaponry?

Dark eldar seem to be harder to win with, but more rewarding at the same time. (Once the learning curve has been scaled). A lot of variety and a fairly unique book. You can table an enemy in 2 turns or be tabled in 2 turns?

I'd go for Dark Eldar - perhaps more longevity in playing Start off with a smaller army, then build up. For 300-400 you should be absolutely fine with any army, even Orks I'd wager.

Tbh I would play grey knights. Love the models. Love the idea. Easier to paint. I just don't know if the elite ish Ness of them would work? Are they strong enough to deal enough damage? Do they waste points in having the ability to kill daemons?

From what I remember from playing against them, they get some nice exclusive toys.
Rad bombs to drop the T.
Psykout ammo, or whatever it is.
They may not be that good against hordes, but duels and fast-strike seem to be what they excel at.

Hahahaha, 48 votes including mine and the results are exactly 50/50? That's hilarious, unhelpful obviously, but hilarious.

My vote is Dark Eldar, I think they have a really unique play style and you'll probably have alot of fun with them. Painting is going to be more challenging, but also more rewarding if you are going to take painting seriously.

I would also practice alot because Dark Eldar aren't really well rounded, which means that they're really powerful in some aspects on the battlefield, and really weak in others. winning might be hard until you get strategy down pat. It might occur to you after you have been collecting DE that you may not like their play style, you might notice that Dark Eldar are really, REALLY fragile. They're kind of like glass cannons but zoom around the table with their ridiculously powerful guns.

It might be a good idea to read lexicanim on Dark Eldar if you haven't already, its essential that you like the army you play. Other than that I hope you choose the army that stands out to you the most,
cheers mate

And remember there's always room in the guard

I have had both armies at some point in time, and I do like them both. If you are equal parts hobbiest/gamer then I would go with Dark Eldar. IMO they have some of the best looking models in the game and the best looking models they have also happen to be really good right now (scourges and reavers).

Grey Knights are some of the best looking Marine models though. I think dark eldar edge them out for a few reasons, especially if you aren't going with allies. 1) Most of the GK models are the same minis just equipped slightly differently so it can feel like you're just assembling/paint the same models over and over again. DE units are all pretty unique. 2) one of the better units GK have is the DreadKnight, and I just think it's a silly model, not as bad as the Space Wolf Santa Claus, but it's up there. So just a personal preference really.

Space Wolves

Grey Knights will be easier to learn and master, DE will offer more versatility and viable builds to explore.

I would argue go DE. GK are fun, have a lot of psychic shenanigans, and are pretty easy to learn/use, but the DE are more versatile, fast, and trickier to use. Again, play what you like, but I think DE are a funner army as they require more strategy.