Greetings, I have just this weekend bought following Spiral Corps Box, Chaksa Auxilars box, Diplomatic Delegates, Igao, Kosuil BS, Kosuil K1, Kaeltar box, Kerail box, Rasail box, Kaauri box, Neema, Taagma with msv and sniper rifle and the support pack. Pretty much cleaned the games store of their Tohaa :) I am looking for advice to focus my efforts. I have a personal rule to not play with unpainted minis. What should i paint first that will give a good 300 pt force? Just a good solid force to start learning the faction.
Kaeltar (Shotgun), Taagma, Taagma Sniper, and Chaksa Auxilars (Flamethrower) will be in just about every list you ever make. Draal, Kriigel, Diplomatic Delegates, and the Clipsos are also used a lot. The Kiiutan is also used often, even if he's only proxying for Jaan (who doesn't currently have a model). Reex can make a cheap fireteam with a Kriigel, Kaauri are cute little DZ guards, Neema is a solid Triad gunner. I find the Kosuil, Kerail, Rasail, and Support Box pretty low priority (though you'll want a Kosuil with Neema if you take her). Personally, I tend to make a Tri Core Triad (usually with Draal Marksman), a Taagma Sniper + Chaksa Triad, and then fill the list out from there. I am also 1000% biased and recommend you pick up a Greif Operator. So for me personally; Kaeltar Shotgun, Both Taagma, Chaksa Flamers, Draal, Kriigel, Diplomat, Clipsos, Kiiutan should be painted early, then figure out what else you're going to throw in the list.
Thank you for the comprehensive reply! I forgot I do have the Grief operator. I bought him long ago for my combined army. Ill add him to my list. Thanks again gives me something to focus on!
The #1 reason to play Spiral over Tohaa is helots and Taagma Tri-Core imo. Unless you really take advantage of those two things, I mostly feel like Spiral is just Tohaa-lite and that if you forgo those profiles you could replicate most Spiral lists (in a superior version) using the Tohaa Army builder.
I've actually found myself using a lot less Helots in N4 compared to N3, for whatever reason. They're still incredibly good though. The Tri-Core, Taagma Sniper, and Kriigel w/ Smoke are all Spiral-only superstars, and definitely some of the big reasons to play the faction. There's also the better profiles for the Kiiutan, but honestly 9 times out of 10 the first Kiiutan I'm taking is Jaan. But up against MO or another HI-heavy faction the E/M Mines guy is worth his weight in gold.
Honestly you should paint the miniatures you are most excited for first. Even if it might not be the most used profile there is. If you like the mini and want to paint it do it. My first tohaa was the Kiel saan just because I am a sucker for S5 HI.