I don't get all the Flagellant hate. They're not WS2 anymore. Yes, they're expensive, but they're an unbreakable unit that can thrash many things in the first round of combat. If you are backing them up with light magic, they can be truly terrifying. Without that though, they do become more situational - they need to swing first, and the Initiative is only moderate. If those Marauders had great weapons, a horde of Flagellants would do an absolute number on them.
For those of you who want a unit that's fantastic in all situations against all opponents, perhaps you're being slightly delusional. Sure, there are things that will savage them before they can attack. That's when you have to protect them or try to bolster them, and why your whole army doesn't consist of them (not that you can do that legally anyway, since they're Special).
As for these models, I doubt I will be getting any of them. But the fact that Forgeworld are focusing on 2 of my major armies does leave me excited to see more...