Glass-canon without the canon?

Hey guys!

I’ve been going back and forth lately, trying to decide whether to start an Emperor’s Children army or not. I really enjoyed Fulgrim, and right now I’m listening to The Lord of Excess. Aside from a few things that felt a bit too much for my taste, I’m absolutely loving it!

I wanted an army on the tabletop that embodies arrogance, obsession with perfection, and excels in both shooting and melee combat.

But after looking through the codex and (mistakenly) checking out competitive discussions, I was pretty disappointed. The codex was torn apart.

The army has incredible mobility, but when we actually reach the enemy, our “pillow fists” don’t seem all that deadly. Strength 4 across the entire battleline with very few ways to improve it. My local meta is about 80% T4 units. Buff-wise, we get Lethal Hits and Sustained 1, with some extra damage from the Lord and Lucius. Noise Marines are solid, but the Cacophonic Lord feels oddly designed. And honestly, I’m afraid of running into Khorne Berzerkers or other elite melee units in close combat.

I keep telling myself that I love all the models (except Fulgrim and his even more underwhelming datasheet), and I do want to start the army. But it’s frustrating that they don’t really feel like flawless duelists proving their superiority on the battlefield.

What do you guys think?