Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

My friend wants me to start playing and there's quite a group of players at the local shop. So after learning the rules, researching the flavor and abilities of each Faction, I decided on Cryx.

Any advice on a first army? Well balanced and good at exploiting what Cryx is good at, that kind of thing.

If you want the standard Cryx kind of thing (Spell casting,
infantry, and all that jazz)--

Any of the Prime Warcasters will do.

Iron Lich Asphyxious
Warwitch Deneghra
Pirate Queen Skarre

Deneghra is mostly a spellcaster, Iron Lich CAN fight, and Skarre
is known primarily for sacrificing her own troops for damage and
focus. For the first two, you're building your list around arc nodes.
For the third you're building around infantry with the occasional
arc node.

Start by purchasing the mandatory Skarlock, some bonejacks, preferably Nightwretches, pistol wraiths for support/harassment and maybe an infantry unit.
Bile Thralls or Bane Knights are both excellent choices.

To get a basic hold of what Cryx is all about, the battlebox is a great start. Add to that:

1 Scarlock
1 Full Unit of Mechanithralls
1 Full Unit of Bile Thralls

If I'm correct, that's in the ballpark of 500 pts... If not, add a Pistol Wraith or two.

That should give you a great idea at the kind of tricky devistation that Cryx is known for.

So, your army would look something like this:

1 Denegra
1 Slayer
2 Deathripper
1 Defiler
1 Scarlock
1 Mechanithralls Unit (10)
1 Bile Thralls Unit (10)
1 Pistol Wraith
1 Necrotech
1 Scrapthrall

(The Tech and lone Scrapthrall are just there to push the points to 498/500)

When you feel like expanding, be sure to pick up a unit of Bane Knights (unit) and the Witch Coven (Warcaster). Both are GREAT examples of the kinds of things Cryx can do.

if you're a good model-maker then a Deathjack paired with either Goreshade or Mortenebra works wonders for me but then I always attack - you see my IG tank army ineffectively charging across a battlefield!

Just go for what you like the look of Cryx has very few super-sucky models. Be aware that some solos rely on synergy with certain units e.g. Rengrave & Revenants. The Battle box and a unit of Mechanithralls (not the attachments) or Bile Thralls will supply you with a good mix of models that will leav room in your army for other purchaces. Cryx also have access to a samll number of Mercenaries, Gorman De Wolfe and Ogrun Bokurs are good Mercenary choices.