>>2582165If you're near a camera shop that sells used equipment, you might go check out their older used beat up strobes, because you can get a lot of power there for cheap, but if you don't have that option, Alien Bees are pretty much the go-to for power, support, convenience, and reliability. They have a little bit of an issue with color temperature shifting, but it's not bad, and it isn't a deal breaker.
Obviously you can't use those on camera or for events, so I'd focus on the flashguns first, since you CAN use them for portraiture as well, rather than the Strobes not being very versatile.
