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Just to be clear, I'm well aware that Wraiths and Scarabs are the optimal choices for our options for Assault units. I have 12 Wraiths, and 20 Scarab bases. So PLEASE don't tell me to take those instead, I already know how they work...
I was poking around the Codex and looking at other under used units in the Dex and I think I've found a way to make them work. Yes, this means building a list around them but I think it'll work, while remaining viable (not Optimal) and competitive. In either case, it should be a lot of fun, not many will see it coming, and I won't have to hear 'Crap you have Wraiths' or 'I just can't deal with Wraiths',etc. A full unit of Flayed Ones comes in for only a handful of points more than a unit of Wraiths. So here goes.
List A
Nemesor Zahndrekh
2 x Tremorteks.
19 Flayed Ones (4 pts over the 1850 for the last one)
20 Warriors (Zahndrekh will go here) *Can shift one Warrior for a Flayed One
8 Warriors in Ghost Ark (Tremortek)
8 Warriors in Ghost Ark (Tremortek)
8 Immortals (Gauss) in NightScythe
8 Immortals (Gauss) in Nightscythe
2 x Annihilation Barges
There are 2 special characters that help out the Flayed Ones. Imotekh would appear to be the obvious choice for the Bloodswarm Nanoscarabs. I disliked this because it's a random unit that might not even be on the table when they came in, and they might be near a unit that you wouldn't want the Flayed near. In addition, your opponent would know which unit was hit and could mess you up even further.
Nemesor Zahndrekh is a perfect choice for the Flayed, because they are able to use his Phased Reinforcement rule. An assault unit that functions like Deathmarks gives you some great response options in game. You're going suddenly give your opponent ~20 models that weren't there when he chose to place his unit. Not only that, the unit will be able to charge on your turn. This gets really evil when you give them Furious Charge from Adaptive Tactics (or Counter Charge if you don't think they're going to make it.) For the pesky units, Counter tactics will remove Hit and Run or Counter charge. The unit will take casualties, because the threat of ~80 S5 attacks (Furious) suddenly makes the rest of the shooting less intimidating.
The rest of the units are balanced out to be equally effective in what they do without resorting to min/maxing or spam. I've really learned to like Tremorteks because they only have to hit to force your opponents to move in difficult ground. This will give you some limited control on units that will come in to fight the Flayed and try to save the unit threatened. I do wish the Tremorstaves carried over to the assault phase, but I'm happy with what I'm getting for a mere 5 pts.
The flaws I've seen are obvious. One, your opponent still has a full turn to decide to shoot that unit. A unit that massive, bunched up after a Deep Strike is just BEGGING to be targeted by templates, and their dinky 4+ is going to destroy a majority of them. With no Orb, the RP won't get as many back, if there are any left. Going first, or fighting an opponent that doesn't have any reserves could also mess things up, but at least you'll be able to spread out on a run.
An alternate solution I did think of is to help solve this problem is to change the list to this.
List B
Drop 1 of the Immortal units and Nightscythe
Add a Destroyer Lord with a Semp Weave and Orb to attach to the unit of Flayed.
Max out the capacity of the other units.
(You could drop 1-2 Warriors for a MSS if you can't live without it, but that's not what he is there for.)
This will give the Flayed a Res Orb, a character than can be used to soak some hits saving most of the unit, and also give the Flayed Preferred Enemy EVERYTHING! It would take some learning to know when and where to place the DLord in the unit depending on how much heat they're going to be taking, if the enemy has Barrage, or Flamers, etc. It comes at a cost of only having 1 Flyer, and I've gotten into a comfort zone having 2 on these larger lists. I would also have to get a DLord, which I don't want to do just yet since I think he's virtually useless.
So thoughts? I'm aware the unit has to survive the turn it comes in on either list, but the I think the threat to a majority of units could match the Wraiths. (Not on speed of course, but the number of attacks and damage for sure.)
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