I found this to be an interesting subject that has been coming up a lot in my group lately. My buddy is trying to get a Skaven army going, starting with the Island of Blood box. From what I've experienced in fighting the rats on occasion, players generally have 1 model per 10 points. So that means a 1000 point army has 100 models and a 2400 point army has 240 models. That gives pretty decent sizes for slave blocks and whatnot. But with only 20 models at most in a kit it can get expensive fast. Then the other army in the IoB box is High Elves. Much easier to get a decently sized army, especially since the box comes with a stinking Griffon. Blocks of 20 are great for them. Just need to get the battalion and a little extra stuff and you are in business. So a 2400 point army might have, say 80 models? 100 at most, right? So a 2400 pt Skaven army is actually 2x the cost (out of your wallet) compared to others, all because the points value of the models is so small. I'd imagine O&G can be the same. Now compare that to Chaos or Ogres. Seems to me that LM are kind of middle ground for this issue as our armies can be small and elite, large and expendable, or (more typically) somewhere in between. And the real kicker is that newbie Ogre players seem to be abundant! I am wondering if this is because of the cost issue or if it's because they like big monsters smashing everything.
I think the cost issue is certainly a factor in Ogres - as is their relative power. The best thing for your friend to do is find someone who wants to collect High Elves and has bought the IoB, and arrange to swap bits. Alternatively, ebay is - and always will be - your friend. Right now, this is up for a bargain at £25 if you are in the UK: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Warhammer-Skaven-Army-47-character-set-NEW-/261010597017?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3cc571a499#ht_858wt_1344 Alternatively: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WARHAMMER-FANTASY-ISLAND-BLOOD-SKAVEN-ARMY-/150803110030?pt=UK_Toys_RolePlaying_RL&hash=item231c90d88e#ht_500wt_1127 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Island-Blood-Skaven-Army-Warhammer-Fantasy-GW-/390397913610?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item5ae5876a0a#ht_500wt_1127 A couple of them will serve him much better than the IoB box! On the other hand, try independent retailers. Let me know if you are in the UK, as there are a couple online who offer a really great service and 15-25% off plastic box sets and Finecast, perfect for Skaven as most of their range is, which really adds up at higher prices. GWs prices are ludicrous, which is why I rarely buy anything direct from GW anymore - most is second-hand off ebay, or discounted from independents. Unless I need it in a hurry - say what you like about GW prices, they get stuff to you damn cheap, damn quick (usually 1-2 days with free delivery).