To check out the previous article in this series, please go here.

What kind of investment are we talking about anyway?
With any new army, there is always an investment. You will spend a lot of effort putting the models together, you will spend a lot of time painting them, and you may well be spending a lot of money on assembling the army. Like most hobbies, Warhammer and 40k have costs associated with them. While there are certain things you can do to mitigate the cost of creating an army (such as converting special miniatures from less expensive ones, rather than buying the special miniatures, or perhaps limiting your use of the expensive ones among other ideas) there is generally a fair amount of money that will go into making an army. This is offset by the fact that you generally don't need to buy it all at once. $25 a week for two months is easier to manage than plunking down $200+ all at once. Doing it that way also saves you some hassle. In case you haven't noticed yet, the more unpainted stuff you have just lying around, the less motivated you feel to paint. A good way to manage your money and your resources is to buy only what you can paint right now, then don't buy anything else until it's done. Still, it's useful to look at the big picture and see how much it's all going to cost, especially since I'm comparing 4 armies right now. I won't use cost as my only metric, but it's one of the categories I'll be keeping an eye on. That said, how do these armies I've been planning stack up against each other financially? I took a look at what I'd need for each army and then went to the GW-US online store to see what it would cost. There are also a few items that I could only get through Battle Wagon Bits (bwbits.com.) I thought about looking on ebay, as you can sometimes get a pretty good deal there, but I decided against it for two reasons. First is that I have generally found that the amount saved on buying the model off ebay is eaten up on shipping. In addition, you will generally have to do more work (such as stripping paint and repositioning limbs) to get the model ready for your army than you'd have to do to an unpainted, unassembled model. Second, while you can find good deals on ebay, they change from one minute to the next, so even if I found a great price on a bunch of Space Marine Bikes right now, there'd be no guarantee that I could find a similar deal a month down the road. So, let's take a look at these potential armies and see how they rate financially!

Nightlords

141 LT with DarkBlade and Pistol, demonic flight, Sorceror, Wind of Chaos (Stealth Adept, Infiltrate)

210 3xObliterator

210 8xCSM: (Stealth Adept, Move Through Cover, Infiltrate) Asp. w/Fist/Pistol/Mutation, 2xMelta 5xBolter
210 8xCSM: (Stealth Adept, Move Through Cover, Infiltrate) Asp. w/Fist/Pistol/Mutation, 2xMelta 5xBolter
172 6xCSM: (Stealth Adept, Move Through Cover, Infiltrate) Asp. w/Fist/Pistol/Mutation, 2xMelta 3xBolter

233 5xRaptor (Stealth Adept, Skilled Rider, Infiltrate) Asp. w/Fist+pistol, 3xMeltagun
233 5xRaptor (Stealth Adept, Skilled Rider, Infiltrate) Asp. w/Fist+pistol, 3xMeltagun
233 5xRaptor (Stealth Adept, Skilled Rider, Infiltrate) Asp. w/Fist+pistol, 3xMeltagun

206 6xHavoc (Stealth Adept, Tank Hunters, Infiltrate) 4xAutocannon
1848pts

What I'll need...
66 3xObliterator
180 4xRaptor Box (incl. 3 Champs and the LT, plus 6 regular Raptors and 9 that will get Meltas)
30 15xRaptor Assault Weapons Sprue (9 Raptor Meltas, 6 CSM Meltas)
100 4xCSM Box (Incl. 3 Champs, 13 CSM w/Bolter, 6 CSM that will get Meltas and 6 Havocs, 4 of which will get Autocannon)
14 4xHavoc Autocannon Bitz
For a grand Chaos Total of...

$390

Note that I will be converting the Lieutenant from a Raptor as I like the models, and that I'll be using 6 of the CSM bodies for Havocs. (I could buy them separately, but they don't look any better to me and they are significantly more expensive.) I'll also end up with an extra Raptor body and 4 extra CSM bodies. I may keep them for future additions and adjustments to the force, or I might sacrifice them for bitz to make the rest of the army look better.

Thousand Sons

129 LT w/Dark Blade+Pistol, Disc of Tzeentch, Mark of Tzeentch, Wind of Chaos
135 LT w/Twin Lightning Claws, Disc of Tzeentch, Mark of Tzeentch, Wind of Chaos

210 5xRubric Terminators
210 5xRubric Terminators

275 5xRubric Marines+Sorceror w/Powerfist, Pistol, Mutation, Gift of Chaos, 3xThrall Wizard, Rhino w/ExArmor and Smoke
275 5xRubric Marines+Sorceror w/Powerfist, Pistol, Mutation, Gift of Chaos, 3xThrall Wizard, Rhino w/ExArmor and Smoke
275 5xRubric Marines+Sorceror w/Powerfist, Pistol, Mutation, Gift of Chaos, 3xThrall Wizard, Rhino w/ExArmor and Smoke

145 Predator Twin Linked Lascannon Turret, 2xLascannon Sponsons
145 Predator Twin Linked Lascannon Turret, 2xLascannon Sponsons

1799pts

What I'll need...
1 option: 3 Rubric Boxes 120 which would give me 9 extra Rubric bodies (give the heads to Termis and I'd have all the rubrics and the champs and 9 of the 10 Terminators covered.) Bitz order a Thousand Sons head for the Terminators at $2 and I'd be set. Total= $122.

2nd option 2 Rubric Boxes ($80) giving me 15 Rubrics and 2 of my Champs. I could bitz order 10 Heads for the Terminators at $10 (9947010207302) and bitz order a Kson Sorceror model at $9 (9947010207308 and 9947010201306.) Note that this does not give any of my champs a powerfist and leaves off the left arm of the Bitz-ordered Champ. Since it comes with the basic CSM sprues, though, I should be able to get the Bolt pistol arm for the Champ out of that sprue (not like the Rubrics are gonna use it!) I can get 4 regular Space Marine Powerfists from BattleWagon Bits (bwbits.com) for $4. Total= $103.

90 10 CSM Terminators: 2xCSM Terminators Boxed Sets
80 2xCSM Predator
54 2xCSM Sorceror [2x Sorceror Model $20 (99060102013) 2xTzeentch Lord Discs $34(9947020114204 and 9947020114205)]
27 9xChaos Cultist classic models $3 each (9947010203603-9947010203608)
Grand total for Thousand Sons is...

$354-373, depending on whether I take option 1 or two.

Biker Army

131 Chaplain (Reclusiarch) Terminator Honors, Rosarius and Crozius Arcanum, Bolt Pistol, Space Marine Bike.
126 3 Scout Bikes: Skilled Rider, Furious Assault, Melta Bombs, Sgt w/honors and Pfist/pistol
126 3 Scout Bikes: Skilled Rider, Furious Assault, Melta Bombs, Sgt w/honors and Pfist/pistol

253pts 4 Bikes plus 1 MultiMelta Attack Bike. Skilled Riders, 2xMelta, Sgt w/honors and Pfist/pistol
253pts 4 Bikes plus 1 MultiMelta Attack Bike. Skilled Riders, 2xMelta, Sgt w/honors and Pfist/pistol
238pts 4 Bikes plus 1 Heavy Bolter Attack Bike. Skilled Riders, 2xMelta, Sgt w/honors and Pfist/pistol
238pts 4 Bikes plus 1 Heavy Bolter Attack Bike. Skilled Riders, 2xMelta, Sgt w/honors and Pfist/pistol
238pts 4 Bikes plus 1 Heavy Bolter Attack Bike. Skilled Riders, 2xMelta, Sgt w/honors and Pfist/pistol

80 Landspeeder Tornado
80 Landspeeder Tornado
80 Landspeeder Tornado

1843pts

What I'll need...
25 Chaplain on Bike
105 3xTornado
92 2xScout Bike Squadron plus 2xScout Biker Boltgun 9947010121906 (Need 2 Pfists)
167 5xAttack Bike (Note: I've been interested in doing an Attack Quadbike conversion for some time. I saw something like it a while back online. Essentially, you take 2 regular Bikes, plus the Heavy Weapon of your choice and fuse them together, creating a seat or standing area in back where the Gunner can fire the weapon. You could theoretically make it a Trike instead, getting 2 Attack Bikes out of a single Space Marine Bike Squadron set and the two Heavy Weapons of your Choice, which can be Bits ordered. Multimelta Devastator $10 99060101218 or $4 Heavy Bolter 9947010118602. (Note that the Heavy Bolter must be added to an existing Body.) You'd also need an additional Space Marine for each pair of Trikes. (That's why I mentioned the whole Multimelta Devastator!) (If I bought 3 Bike squads, 2 Multimelta Devastators and 3 Heavy Bolter Bits for this, I'd have 5 Attack Bikes and 1 Bike leftover. That'd be $167, but it'd look a lot cooler.) On the other hand, if I just bought 5 Attack Bikes, I'd still need another Melta for my Biker Squad and an extra Bike Squadron Box as well, which would come in at $173, so maybe it wouldn't be so bad to do the conversions after all!

360 8xBike Squadron box set. (Need 5 Pfists)
Grand Total for the Biker army is...

$747! By the Emperor's Spleen! That's a pricey army.

Note that I could Bitz order the powerfists, but I think I can make cool spiked gloves from the guards on their chainswords that look like Giant brass knuckles.

TAU

97 Shas'el w/Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Target Array, Hardwired Multi Tracker.
97 Shas'el w/PR, MP, TA, HWMT.

124 2x(Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Multi Tracker)
124 2x(PR, MP, MT)
186 3x(PR, MP, MT)

60 6xFireWarriors
60 6xFW

140 2xPiranha w/Fusion Blaster, Target Array.
140 2xPiranha w/FB, TA.
140 2xPiranha w/FB, TA.

200 2xBroadside, each w/Stabilization. Team Leader w/Target Lock and Drone Controller w/2 Shield Drones.
200 2xBroadside, each w/Stabilization. Team Leader w/Target Lock and Drone Controller w/2 Shield Drones.
280 3xBroadside, each w/Stabilization. Team Leader w/Target Lock and Drone Controller w/2 Shield Drones.

1848pts.

What I'll need...
12xFireWarrior (1 box) 35 (incl. 2 drones)
9xCrisis Suit 20each(!) (incl. 1 drone per box) $180
7xBroadside 35 each(!) (245)
6xPiranha 25 each (150)
I will need 6 Shield drones. I should be able to convert these from the Gun drones that come with the Crisis Suits.
That would bring the grand total for this army to...

$610!!

Note: I Don't really like the look of the Crisis Suits. One possibility would be to attempt a conversion from the new XV25 Stealth suits, which I like much better. Since I won't be using any Stealth suits in the army, it would make it easier for an opponent to tell what they were. If I went this route, I'd have to get spare weapons and I'd have to do some very extensive conversions to make it absolutely clear what they were intended to be. Sheer model-wise, this would be less expensive, but it'd take a lot more time and work on the conversions to make sure that it was obvious what they were. If I went this route, I might also decide to do this with the Broadsides for continuity. If so, I'd need 6 boxes of Stealths. I'd also need Weapons, and the Tau weapons mostly don't seem to be sold as bitz. I could buy Railguns for the Broadsides at $6 per suit, though. I might have to also pick up some crisis suit weapons from battle wagon bitz (bwbits.com) Missile Pods are 2.50 each. Multitrackers are 1 each and Target Locks are 1 each. I don't see Plasma Rifles in their listings. Assuming that they were available, I'd assume that they'd be about 2.50 each like the Missile Pods. That would put each of my Crisis Suits at 7 (base cost) + 5 (weapons)+1(MT) or $13 and the broadsides at 7+6(2xRailgun) or $13 for the basic guys with an extra 1 for the Team Leader (Target Lock)

That'd be 6 boxes of Stealths for 120
7 Paired Broadside Railguns 42
3 Target Locks& 9 Multitrackers 12
9xPlasma Rifle and Missile Pod 45

$219 for all the suits (plus any additional stuff that I might need to add to the XV25 suits to make them look more Crisis-y.
That would make the Tau total...

$404! (Still nasty, but not as eye-popping.)

Note, supplemental: despite the savings of $206, the interest in converting from Stealth Suits does not stem from my inherent cheapness. (Don't get me wrong, I am, shall we say, quite frugal with my money!) It is actually an esthetic concern. The more I look at the Crisis suits, the more I realize that I just don't like them. No matter how they are painted or how well, the models are just too boxy for me. I used to scoff when I heard people talking about ugly models, but I honestly don't think that I could get enjoyment out of playing with an army of these guys.

And the Winner is...
Thousand Sons, surprisingly enough! Even though most of the armies have a similar model count, the Thousand Sons army uses more basic models and inexpensive kits than the others, though Nightlords isn't far behind. As I say, price isn't the be-all, end-all metric here, it's just one part of the comparison process. In the next article, I'll be comparing the armies in terms of how closely each one fits my initial criteria. (They all fit to some degree, but some are closer than others.)