Hi Folks,

My Curiosity/Interest/Call-it-like-you-want has been activated some weeks ago when Valrak's runoured that the Eldar Corsairs could have a kind of extended release of new units forming a new xenos' faction.

Incredulity was my first feeling. Indeed, my references, or at least what comes to my mind when Corsairs are mentionned, is the army list published in FW Imperial armour book vol.11: The Doom of Myrmeara.

Since that time, the Drukhari evolved in such a proportion that many aspects and archetypes of the Corsairs have been litterally been eaten by the former. So, what would be the case really? Getting another faction, intermediate between the Aeldarii and the Drukhari and pumping out some redesigned ideas from each army? It does not sound reasonable at first sight. Yet the recent update of GW webstore marking the Warwalker as being "Sold out Online" mad (voluntary omission of the "e") me think it twice.

Indeed, if the Ynnari fqction remains included in the Aeldarii Codex and if Ynnari accessible unit coming from the Dark kins are also inside, I imagine that the codex will need to be reduced in some way. It cannot be that big and includes as much DS as the SM codex, or can it? I wouldn't mind a big fat Codex...

Yet, let's imagine that some stuff will be phased out and eventually been resurrected latter in a Corsair faction: the war walker could be one of such units disapearing from the Aeldarii standard units to come back as a WASP version FW used to have. It would not be the worst idea on earth.

What else did the Corsairs get in this Imperial Armour book that may be a base for a decent hypothetic future new faction? (wow, this is a words collage)

Beyond the batch of special rules it used to have, I will evacuate the flyers such as the Phoenix of the Nightwing - I do feel that the current trend in miniature release indicate a lack of love for such units.

Some other lighter half antigrav/half flyers vehicles such as the Hornets could yet come back though.

I will also evacuate the characters as they may essencially be upgraded counter-parts of some of the specialists already included into the VoidScarred KT boxed set. Either as minor characters or as upgraded versions.

The other historical units are probably some of the most interesting entries to be revised one by one for their potential:

• Reavers - we basically already have them through the alternative assembly of the Void Scarred
  BUT, these could have jetpacks before as equipment. And in that case we start having an interresting unit, not really a Swooping hawk unit as troop, but almost.
• Ghost walkers are the ranger like troops - it could be something similar to the Aeldarii rangers or the sniper inc. into the Void Scarred; thus a little bit redundant with the Crafworlder exiled. As such, even if fluffy, it would overlap, except if these get a darker touch through rules or characteristic features to make them different in use or tactics.
• Cloud riders are archetype jet bike riders. Jet bikes are good for any pointy ears faction. So the Corsair should get some; with the evolution of the kit under its ultimate released version, the tactical role of the Jetbikes has evolved from mounted infantery to mobile HW platform. These even eclipsed the Vyper in that role, making the latter more or less useless. The cloud dancer get access to distinct weapon but their tactical use would be very similar to the Craftworld bikers. Not really an issue, but if they were instead a shock assault bike squad, itcould be a nice touch, with a more feral salvagery that might fit to the Corsairs' better.  For what's worth my opinion...

• Transports are using either Flacon or Venom as standard vehices, through some borrowing to black and white space elves´ usual factions. It could stay like this or not, depending on the trends, but I feel like Corsairs should be a fast moving army deserving a more adapted transport than these in order to work at full squad size, and without being deep striking. This ultimate tactical feature should remain a Dark kin specificity while Corsairs would eventually be better as a fast deployment, fast insertion and rapid redeployment force.
• More Elite units such as Voidstorms or Malvolents looked like prototypes of Incubis and... something else hard to classify. They never got models in fact. I do not know what to think about the Malvolents and they might eventually be erased from the history. These are so weird...
• Vypers squadrons could come back as a thing but, as commented in the previous jetbile entry, these should in that case be distinct from what we know. Very very distinct from what we have now... Their role has been covered by other jetbikes now and the only reason to get some vypers is getting access to Laser lances, Plasma gun or ML*. Is it enough to justify the datasheet? I really love the model but I must admit it is outclassed and that except within the hypothesis of a serious extra weaponization and specific rules, it is better to get first bikes and only after Vypers if you really like/need HW redundancy on fast movers. It would not be that different in the setting of Cloud dancers as they used to be.
• Balestrikes are a Devastator squad made Eldar. And if they get a jet pack they start to seriously look like Scourges. Another overlap. 

• Other Corsair vehicles are in general based on Falcon chassis variants. Could a warp hunter come back as a signature Corsair unit? Would be fun, nope?

It is a lot of potential units and a new faction does not necesarilly need that much. Some cleaning up migh help. But not too extreme as a new army characteristic/archetype shall emerge in the end. And it should be a playable characteristic, not a fluff one only.

So what? We have a bunch of (historical) units that are dramatically close to stuff already existing in a way or another in the dark Eldar and Eldar armies. Would the currently available combination options be reduced (because, for example, future Ynnari rules will limit what you can gather form both sides of the eldars under the banner of Ynnead), then some alternatives might be offered by the Corsairs. But is it really necesary getting so many hues between the different Asuryanii factions?

The tactical specificities of the Corsairs should I guess be worked on to make these worth not playing any of the 2 formers and neither Ynnari. Starts being a real challenge in term of design to bring on the table top something worth it and different enough to be interresting. But I often lack of imagination.

Yet a good trick might be giving access to specific units included in the past as aeldarii branded ones but making them exclusive now: Warwalker, Warphunter, some Hornets... This is a first possible step that would allow perpetuating collections while introducing in the pipe new stuff.

And in any case, a second step would be focussing on the Reavers that must be revised rules wise. As the Reaver set already exists and as recuts are unlikely, these lads must be worth being fielded; if compared with Guardians or Kabalites these latter two are in general always superiors. If you field Reavers only because you have no alternative choice in your aemy list, well, OK, but it is not IMHO a winning formule. Especially at the current price for this set: a filler unit at 50 bucks is a luxury none should be ready to accept.

Third step, would be getting a big focus on the historical jet packed army, which looks like being a good niche to develop a new tactical archetype. Looks like the rumored input from Valrak may go in that direction; it might be a very good idea to get something linked with the traditional eldars and dark ones without playing in the same way. But, again, the KT Reaver set does not fit so well in that perspective.

But these lucubrations and opinions of mine have a very limited value. It is interresting how and where a "Sold out online" tag can bring you if you let your mind divagate a little bit. Probably that I have too much free time. That´s what is called going off the tangent.

See you folks.

* but cloud dancers had access to dark lance too