Really? No competition?
While I certainly see how these Acanthrites share similar qualities with wraiths, I feel that they have far more features in common with Praetorian.
Here is my case:
1) The Guns:
The default Praetorian weapon layout includes a gun called the rod of the covenant. While the gun is also a power weapon it's "unwieldy" nature means that if your selecting this armament for the Praetorian, chances are you are doing so for the guns stats as more effective power weapons can found in the hands of the Lych Guard for around the same cost.
The rod of covenant has the power of a heavy bolter and can chew through terminator armor with its AP rating. seems decent, but the gun only gets
minimal shots and has a terrible range of
X inches.
In contrast to this, Acanthrites get a gun called a "cutting beam." Superior to rod of the covenant in every way minus the power weapon feature, the cutting beam has a
X inch range, can still penetrate terminator armor, has a higher strength then the rod of the covenant, and is a melta weapon. As a result, the cutting beam not only kills heavy armored infantry just like the rod of the covenant, it's more likely to wound, can do it from a farther distance, and is far more threatening to vehicles due to the melta rules.
Wraiths have no equivalent weapon
Acanthrites: 1
Praetorians:0
Wraiths: not even in the game
2) Melee Weapon
Having already discussed why the rod's power weapon feature is not that effective compared to other choices, lets move onto Praetorian that have been built for combat by being equipped with a void blade and a particle caster. Praetorians armed in this fashion get
more attacks by being armed with a pistol and close combat weapon.
Acanthrites not only get void blades as standard equipment but also have
more base attacks as stated in their profile, this means that Arcanthrites enjoy the same number attacks as a Praetorian while also using the void blade. While Praetorian have more strength then Acanthrites, Arcanthrites still win in my mind because they get to keep their cutting beam. This means that Acanthrites can shoot just as far as the praetorian particle caster, with the same strength, but with the additional bonus of killing terminators and the melta rule. As a result, if Acanthrites get to shoot before assaulting their targets, they will likely kill more models with 4+ armor saves than Praetorian will. (plus they are way better at killing vehicles)
Comparing these traits to wraiths, I think you'll see a difference in target preference. Wraiths are 2x as strong as guardsmen and have
more attacks base. While void blades and the phase attacks of the wraith both benefit from the rending special rule, the difference in strength and toughness between the Acanthrites and the wraiths means that they will be going after different targets. Wraiths excel at killing horde units with low armor saves. While Wraiths can be successful against heavily armored units, anything with a power fist can kill a wraith outright because its lower toughness. Not so with the Acanthrites, their toughness after better guns means that this unit has the potential of doing more damage against heavily armed and armored enemy units.
So after checking the score the amount in question appears to be
Acanthrites: 2
Praetorian: 0
Wraiths: can't kill vehicles, and armored units like Acanthrites can, but can murder everything else much more efficiently.
3. Toughness
While Praetorian have reanimation protocols and the same toughness as Acanthrites. For the sake of time I'll just ask what you would rather have,
more wounds, or less plus reanimation protocols. If your not much of a gambler (I include myself in that mix ) then you probably have selected
more base wounds because this element is a static guarantee unlike the reanimation protocol which is left to chance. Sure you can get a res orb in the squad, but the cost of the orb plus the fixed cost of getting a figure who can take an orb leaves much to be desired unless this was your original strategy anyways. (and lets be honest, would rather your destroyer lord hang out with the Praetorian or the wraiths?)
Checking the score again
Acanthrites 3
Praetorian: 0
Wraiths: probably a toss up. can't handle lascannon shots like Acanthrites can, but do get a chance to save with their invulnerable.
4: Jump Infantry
all three units have it
scores remain the same
5. Stealth
only Acanthrites have stealth. This means that they have an guaranteed invulnerable save at specific ranges. While it's not the Wraith's invulnerable save, It does mean that the Acanthrites can shrug off long distance heavy weapons. Praetorians need a cover for this or need a reanimation protocol save.
Score: Im not keeping track anymore, it should be clear how Acanthrites are much better than Praetorian.
6.) Cost
Sure, Acanthrites cost
a few points more, but the extra wounds, cutting beam, and stealth should more than make up for this.
So there are my two cents. Hopefully I have articulated why Acanthrites have more in common with Praetorians then wraiths and why Acanthrites are just plain better than Praetorian.
[mod]Post edited for copyright infringement. While you did try, please try a little harder not to post exact stats.[/mod]