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So I've reached that unfortunate point in building my Ork army that I sort of... have everything that I want. All that's left is painting, and I want to get some more variety in my games, so I've decided to start a second army. Cost and availability is a non-issue (I have a lot of sources to get things secondhand, including rare models like Adepta Sororitas), but I'm having trouble settling on something.

Coming from Orks, I obviously want something fairly different. Shooty over assaulty, maybe, but I like having the option to get stuck in combat and actually manage to do (fairly) well. I want a lower model count and to not have the list be 80% tanks (so that excludes things Imperial Guard), I don't want to play an Eldar variant and there are too many Tau players at my store as it is.

So I'm more or less down to: Adepta Sororitas, Grey Knights, Dark Angels, Chaos Space Marines and Necrons. Could anyone give me sort of an army breakdown of each? Again, I'm looking for a shootier sort of army with close combat options and a lower model count than cheap orks. Preferably with an armor save that lets them take a hit or two.

Sisters from my understanding are close range shooting and dabble in assault, gk also are more assaulty, have you considered tempestus scions

Well it depends, are you looking for something completely different, or are you looking for something that can emulate what you were doing with your orks, but just in a different way?

Because if you want something completely different, then of those Necron is your answer. Necron can't do anything even remotely similar to a trukk rush or a manz in canz list or a green tide or a bike list (wraithwing really isn't the same as a nob biker list). Meanwhile, orks can't do anything even remotely similar to a flying bakery. Orks have tons of bonkers weapons, necron have just that one, with a couple different profiles. Orks can do a bunch of different close combat things, while necron have that one CC weapon, and cause their opponents to beat themselves up with mindshackle scarabs.

The two are pretty dissimilar.

If you want something that lets you do orks in a different way, perhaps with an extra option or two, then I'd say either DA or CSM. They can run lists similar to what you're used to (ravenwing rather than a bike list, mass power armor/cultist horde rather than green tide, etc.). But, of course, they do it in rather different ways. You know, with power armor and bolters, etc.

If you're coming from Orks, might I recommend adding High Initiative to your list of criteria.

I started with Necrons, and now have small CSM and Tyranid armies, and probably the most satisfying change between Necrons and the others, has been finallly going first in CC without the help of wargear.

I would say first: paint your orks.

you will get a tremendous amount of satisfaction with an army that is actually done - yes, its a very elusive thing in this hobby, but very cool if you can achieve it.

now, having said that -

I think necrons or GK. both are quite different from orks, but have diverse builds they support.

Depending on what you go with in crons, you can get a lower model count army and less vehicles, and still be effective - that and the models are just amazing.

GK, while not having as many diverse units in their core models - offer a lot of options with their inq units.
By mixing in some more expensive units (termies, etc.) with cheaper ones you can get a lower model count and some good variation.

Finally, I don't think any of your other choices are bad ones either - I would say maybe play against a few of those other armies to get a feel for them - and maybe trade sides with the one of your friends to see how you like the style of that army (proxying units where need be).

best of luck!

Definitely finish/keep working on your orks. I've been playing 40K for a while now and it sucks that the only army I ever finished was one that I painted up for a friend. I'm now trying to actually paint minis for myself and it's really satisfying - the end result anyway, I still dislike the process but I digress!

I'd recommend grey knights. They are a really low model count army that are good at every aspect of the game. They have a strong psychic phase, their shooting is accurate and high strength and they are mean on the charge too!

I like the idea of adding Necrons to your Orks personally, for both fluff and gameplay reasons. Fluffwise Necron lords vary a lot in mindset, and using Orks (or were they built to fight the Necrons? thought I read that somewhere...) would definitely fit in with some Necron Lords. Gameplay wise, you have your cheap melee + some dakka Orks combined with useless in melee Necron warriors. Necrons bring great air and skimmers too.

Well, CSM are Allies of Convenience, so you can build them up gradually.
There are some similarities with the units, but some are very different. Also, psykers.

For convenience perhaps go Space Wolves since the new 40k box will feature them vs. Orks.