Obsidian Rose/Red Grief/Black Heart

I think I'm coming around more to the Obsidian Rose Obsession and Stratagem over Flayed Skull, or at least I want to try it out.

I'm not wild about the fact that my Archons are footslogging it but I'm over it, and I'm also not 100% sure who should be the Deathly Perfectionist of Misery: Agoniser, or Venom Blade?

The Raider & Venoms are Cult vehicles so they can Advance & Charge to soak Overwatch, something I felt was more valuable than adding 6" to their Splinter Cannons/Dark Lance. The firepower is pretty good I think, it can handle armour with darklight and bodies with all the Shredders and the two Void Mines.

Seems balanced?

Obsidian Rose Battalion

Archon w/Blast Pistol, Armour of Misery, & Venom Blade -Deathly Perfectionist- 82
Archon w/Blast Pistol & Agoniser 84

20x Kabalites w/2x Dark Lances, 2x Blasters, 2x Shredders, Agoniser & PGL 217
-Webway Portal-
10x Kabalites w/Splinter Cannon, 2x Blasters, & Agoniser 108
5x Kabalites w/Blaster & PGL 50
5x Kabalites w/Shredder & PGL 41

Cult of the Red Grief Outriders

Succubus w/Sharnet & Impaler 55 -Hypex

5x Scourges w/4x Dark Lances 140
5x Scourges w/4x Shredders 92
6x Reavers w/2x Grav Talons, 2x Heat Lances, & Agoniser 148

8x Mandrakes 128

Venom w/2x Splinter Cannons 75
Venom w/2x Splinter Cannons 75
Raider w/Dark Lance 85

Black Heart Air Wing

Razorwing Jetfighter w/2x Dark Lances 145
Razorwing Jetfighter w/2x Dark Lances 145
Voidraven w/Dark Scythes & Missiles 165
Voidraven w/Void Lances & Missiles 165

I like the idea, I think it just needs some tweaking in weapons/artifacts to be more effective.

The first is Dark Lances on troops aren't as good as they seem. You'll be moving a lot and -1 to hit isn't fun. I'd say lose them on the Scourges and the big Kabalite blob. Make the blob a pure infantry killer and give them 4 Shredders and 2 Splinter Cannons. Give the second small Warrior squad a blaster over shredder imo too. It just works out better.

Switch one of the scourges to Haywire Blasters or double up on Shredders. Dark Lances just don't work on a hyper mobile unit that should be moving/kiting and shooting. Shredders can still do ok on T6 and under vehicles.

I like the Air Wing. I have a soft spot for Voidravens, I think they're great for nuking squads with the mine and taking on high toughness enemies.

Take the points from giving up the Dark Lances and add more mandrakes. If you want to free up even more points, lose the Agonizers on the warriors and put the PGLs on Archons.

I'm limited by my collection to 9 Mandrakes at a maximum, but if I make all the changes you recommend to the Kabalite and Scourge ranged weapons I have 77pts to play with. I don't think the list needs another Venom but that would solve my footslogging Archon issue.

I'm still leaning towards keeping some darklight in the Kabalite blob to make best use of the Obsidian Rose Stratagem. Even if it's 'just' a pair of Blasters...

So after reading HERO's WIP Kabal List thread and soaking in some of KabaliteSon's constructive criticism here's another variant.

I'm avoiding Index options because it just feels too impermanent to me.

The plan is to play at arm's reach and use the deep striking Mandrakes and Scourges for clean up. The Webway Kabalites take advantage of the Kabal Stratagem and are well equipped to sit on an objective and be a decent threat to armour and infantry at a good range. I think some field tests will help me determine if it's simply better for me to run them in a dedicated anti-armour OR anti-infantry role, so I'll stay on the fence with their equipment for now.

The Archons keep a Ravager each company for the hit re-rolls and aim to link up with the Webway Kabalites or wade in with the Mandrakes.

Kabal of the Obsidian Rose Batallion

Archon w/Agoniser, Blast Pistol, & Armour of Misery -Deadly Perfectionist-     84
Archon w/Agoniser & Blaster    91

20x Kabalites w/Dark Lance, Splinter Cannon, 2x Blasters, 2x Shredders, & Sybarite w/Agoniser & PGL     207    -Webway Portal-

10x Kabalites w/Dark Lance, 2x Blasters     114

10x Kabalites w/Dark Lance, 2x Blasters 114

5x Scourges w/4x Shredders     92    Or HWB to keep that distance...otherwise they're kind of my 100pt anti-infantry assist unit/cleanup crew

8x Mandrakes     128

8x Mandrakes     128

Ravager w/3x Disintegrators     125

Ravager w/3x Disintegrators     125

Black Heart Air Wing & Raiders

Razorwing Jetfighter w/2x Dark Lances     145

Razorwing Jetfighter w/2x Dark Lances     145

Voidraven w/Dark Scythes & Missiles     165

Voidraven w/Void Lances & Missiles     165

Raider w/Dark Lance     85

Raider w/Dark Lance   85

Firepower Analysis

4 Air Wing Missiles
6 Blasters & 2 Dark Scythes
6 Dissies
11 Dark Lance
6 Shredders
16 Baleblast
28 Splinter Rifles (+ 1 Cannon, 2 Twin Rifles, 1 Carbine)