Anhrathe in Kill Team (KT 2021) (Downloads)

[Ioldanach]

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Anhrathe in Kill Team (KT 2021)

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I got excited when I saw the rumors about the update to the asuryani/craftworlds, especially the bit about the possible inclusion of the corsairs, so I decided to update my anhrathe rules for the 2021 version of the Kill Team game. I'm skeptical about the rumors (though I'd love to see them come true).

 

This is currently a preliminary version. These are changed substantially from the version I developed for the 2018 version of the Kill Team game. For the most part, I've limited the options to what players might create using the Eldar Guardian models and the Eldar Corsairs upgrade kits from Forge World. This means that most of the options from the drukhari have been removed. I don't know if that was a good idea, but it's what I'm going with for now (we'll see what the feedback shows).

 

Areas of concern:

• Corsair Reaver and Voidstorm Corsair options allow for both melee and shooting loadouts (with both icons orange). If this is thought to be too powerful, I'll break them out into shooty and stabby units.
  
• Heavy and special weapons have been limited to those available to the asuryani (previous version followed The Doom of Mymeara in allowing both asuryani and drukhari weapons).
  
• Weapon options for felarchs are extremely limited, largely based on the upgrade sprue options.
  
• The malevolent has been removed from this version. I'm considering adding them back in as a stabby unit.
  
• The Strategic Ploys, Tactical Ploys, and Equipment are mostly cherry-picked from the Compendium (from the Craftworld, Comorrite, and Harlequin sections - only those that I thought were appropriate to the Corsairs).
  
• Corsair jet packs are an equipment choice, but they get expensive (2EP/model that gets them). I originally had them as an ability for the Voidstorm Corsairs, but made them equipment after deciding to use the Forge World images (everybody is wearing a Corsair jet pack).
  
• Images are limited. I'm using the ones from Forge World, and a few are just reversed so that they can be used multiple times. If someone has decent representative images (with white backgrounds), I might use them. Otherwise, I'll replace these at a future date when I have decent models converted and painted.
  

I kept a modified version of the back page from the previous version, giving players that aren't familiar with the anhrathe some background. I'm considering adding in the name charts, or perhaps giving new versions to expand the options (if players have the old ones).

 

*** 2021 December 11 Version ***

• The lasblaster and brace of pistols have had their special rule changed from Rending to Ceaseless.
  
• The version is now shown in the top right corner.
  
• Minor formatting improvements have been made (nothing substantive).
  

*** 2021 December 15 Version ***

• Added Drukhari weapons.
  
• Added name chart.
  

*** 2021 December 18 Version (Rogue Trader) ***

• Removed Ghostwalker fire team
  
• Corsair Reavers become shooty, Voidstorm Corsairs become stabby (neither is a veteran level)
  
• Added Corsair Malevolents. One Corsair Reaver fire team and one Voidstorm Corsair fire team can take a Corsair Malevolent in place of a Corsair Reaver/Voidstorm Corsair. The Corsair Malevolent can only take chainswords (1 or 2), spar-glaives (1 or 2), or a power glove (with either a chainsword or a spar-glaive). The end result is that you might be able to take up to 2 Corsair Malevolents in your kill team.
  
• Ghostwalkers become an optional upgrade that replaces a Corsair Reaver Gunner/Voidstorm Corsair Gunner. A Ghostwalker can be equipped with an Aeldari long rifle, lasblaster, or shuriken catapult. The end result is that you might have up to 2 Ghostwalkers in your kill team.
  
• Fists replaced with Corsair blades, which are mundane knives. Most models have these along with a brace of pistols.
  

*** 2021 December 26 Version (both variants) ***

 

After looking at the previous two versions and some of the official lists in the Kill Team Compendium, I decided to standardize the structure of both variants.

 

I liked how the ghostwalker was an alternative to the gunner (in both fire team types), so I extended that concept. After seeing that the gunners in The Doom of Mymeara were limited to special weapons and that only the balestrike bands, a heavy support choice, had heavy weapons, I adjusted the Kill Team faction rules accordingly. Since other factions don’t have heavy support fire teams, however, I made the balestrike corsair an alternative to the gunner, but only in the corsair reaver fire team. I made the corsair malevolent an alternative to the gunner in the voidstorm corsair fire team. Both the balestrike corsair and corsair malevolent are limited to one per kill team (not fire team). The corsair reavers and voidstorm corsairs are very flexible, with options to be either shooty or stabby, so I wanted the alternatives (ghostwalker, balestrike corsair, corsair malevolent) to force choices.

 

The voidstorm corsairs are effectively a fire team of felarchs, but with slightly fewer options than the actual Felarch. Since the previous corsair reaver felarch and voidstorm corsair felarch operative datacards were identical (minus the names), I consolidated those into a single datasheet, simply called “Felarch.”

 

In both lists, most operatives have a brace of pistols and Corsair blades. A brace of pistols is basically a bunch of pistols, while Corsair blades is basically a bunch of knives.

 

I’ve added the OUTCAST keyword to all of the operatives in both lists. This doesn’t haven’t any impact on these variants, but is based on what I’ve seen with the bespoke factions (e.g., Octarius and Chalnath). Each of these is similar to the counterpart lists in the Kill Team Compendium, but has unique rules and slightly different keywords. The OUTCAST keyword simply facilitates future efforts on some bespoke lists.

 

The difference between the two variants (other than the images) is in the weapons:

• The Doom of Mymeara variant preserves the drukhari weapons.
  
• The Rogue Trader variant replaces the drukhari weapons with their asuryani counterparts and also allows hand flamers, power axes, and power gloves.
  

I also created a new orange skull icon for the faction keyword and changed the abilities and special rules text to size 9 font. Both of those changes will be in the updated faction rules template (which will be uploaded once I get the portrait frame image elements separated for those hobbyists that don’t have Photoshop).

 

The Doom of Mymeara variant supports those players that collected the more recent version of corsairs, including those that may be represented using drukhari miniatures. The Rogue Trader variant supports those players that are using the Warhammer 40,000 1st and 2nd Edition eldar miniatures.

 

The key problem, mostly relevant to the Rogue Trader variant, is the need to convert – there aren’t any man-portable bright lances or scatter lasers. I could see using 1st edition harlequins for their power axes and power gloves, and the old 2nd edition sprues have power gloves (not to mention that some of the 1st edition models have power gloves and/or hand flamers). Some players have these models/bits, though, so the Rogue Trader variant might work for them. For those that have more recently joined the eldar corsairs fan club, The Doom of Mymeara variant, the Forge World upgrade sprues and drukhari kits will provide the bits that you need.

 

If the rumors have any truth to them, we’ll see the corsairs in the future, at which point I’ll update these to match the models (assuming GW doesn’t give us Kill Team rules for them right away). At that point, I may keep some of the more exotic stuff for bespoke anhrathe variant lists. We should have shiny new models if the corsairs are brought back, so those will drive the options (though some conversion opportunities may be provided by other models in the aeldari ranges).

 

*** 2021 December 31 Version (both variants) ***

• Removed chainsword
  
• Corsair blades changed to array of blades (identical to Comorrites)
  
• Brace of pistols changed to laspistol (see Astra Militarum) with fusillade ability
  
• Shuriken pistols and splinter pistols (latter only in DM version) added as alternative to brace of pistols
  
• Changed the celestial shield (equipment) to a shimmershield
  

*** 2022 January 7 Version (both variants) ***

• Streamlined the weapon options. – operatives no longer come with a brace of pistols, array of blades, and additional weapons. Instead, they typically come with an array of blades (or some other melee weapon) and a ranged weapon. This is in line with the operatives in the official factions in the Compendium.
  
• Removed the blast pistol from the felarch (Rogue Trader version only). The RT version wasn’t supposed to include drukhari weapon options, so the blast pistol was an error (probably a cut and paste error). The blast pistol remains an option for the felarch in the Doom of Mymeara version.
  
• Removed the shimmer shield (equipment). Only a few of the official factions have an invulnerable save, so it was inappropriate to add it here when it wasn’t in the sources upon which both of these variants are based.
  

See the support topic for details.

 

I appreciate any feedback that players might provide in improving these rules.

 

Note that the Rogue Trader and Doom of Mymeara versions are separate variants. choose whichever one meets your collection limitations based on the notes above.

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• Submitter
  Ioldanach
• Submitted
  11/30/21
• Category
  Kill Team

 

[Brother Tyler]

A few very quick observations...

 

First, nice job on the format. Do you plan on making a template available for others to use like you did with the previous edition?

 

The lasblaster rules look like a shuriken catapult with the name changed. Was that intentional?

 

The brace of pistols and spar-glaive look like weaker versions of the shuriken pistol and storm guardian blades, respectively. Was that intentional?

 

I can see why limiting the weapons to those on the upgrade sprue might be attractive, but I suspect that a lot of players that have used the previous rules (both yours and those from The Doom of Mymeara) might be dissatisfied.

 

I'm on the fence about the specialisms. Most factions allow only one or two specialisms to different options, but there are quite a few with three specialism options. Ultimately, I don't think they'll hurt too much, especially since most players are likely to focus on just Combat or Marksman for any one model (with the possible exception of leaders).

 

The ploys and all of the equipment look fine. Did you consider including any of the weapons/wargear from The Doom of Mymeara? The rules for the Corsair jet pack are an interesting compromise. I don't think they imbalance things too much. The 2EP for them will have to be playtested. As it is now, it looks like you're basically choosing between grenades of some kind and jet packs simply because of the points.

[Ioldanach]

First, thanks! Yes, I'm working on the template. It's a bit more fiddly than the previous edition, though, especially with the images, so I'll probably have to include a tutorial on how to use it. Once you get the hang of it, it's not difficult. The initial learning curve, especially for those that aren't well-versed in using Microsoft Word's more advanced features, can be a bit frustrating. This set of rules is kind of an experiment, helping me to see how I can improve the template before I "publish" it. Each unit entry is a table superimposed over the image. The author will need to create the unit images (and I'll include a template for that), and then add in the appropriate orange specialism images, re-sizing them and positioning them just right. The "Abilities" and "Unique Actions" headers are images in the table, and they'll move based on the amount of text above them. I also have the colored shapes (the black triangle, gray circle, blue square, and red pentagon) as part of the template so that authors/editors can cut and paste them in. The template will include a bunch of pages for entries, allowing authors/editors to tailor the ones they need based on the (sub-)faction. So there will be several pages with two normal-sized unit entries, several pages with one normal-sized unit entry, and several pages with one large-sized unit entry. There will also be templates for the ploys and equipment, and I'll work on templates for special rules (such as the Grey Knights and their psychic powers). The images for the crosshairs and crossed knives will also be included (though those will probably be in the unit entries so you'll just have to cut and paste them in).

 

The lasblaster, brace of pistols, and spar-glaive were intentional, but I don't mean to leave them that way. I need to balance each against their asuryani/drukhari counterparts. Basically, I want the lasblaster to be, on average, just as effective as both a shuriken catapult and splinter rifle. Similarly, I want the brace of pistols to average out against the shuriken pistol and splinter pistol; and the spar-glaive should average out against the storm guardian blades and array of blades. I need to work through these, though, so the current entries are placeholders.

 

As for adding the drukhari weapons back in, my only real issue is the space. Realistically, that's not really an issue because I can just use the larger unit entry (though I haven't made that image yet). The rules are already in the Compendium, so it will just be a matter of adding them.

 

The 2EP for the corsair jet pack is just an initial estimate. I think it's going to come down to playtesting to see if 2EP is too expensive. It's going to come down to whether or not the slightly enhanced movement has a substantive impact on the game. I like the corsair jet pack as an equipment upgrade because it allows for both the original (1st edition) and The Doom of Mymeara representations of the corsairs where some of the models don't have the corsair jet packs. Also, and completely selfishly, it frees me from having to include that rule in every unit entry (allowing for the possibility of the drukhari weapons, for example).

 

I found a couple of other images of the Forge World Sunblitz Brotherhood corsairs, so I'm going to be able to have a bit more variety. Most, I think, are just the same models from slightly different angles. It will help break the monotony up a bit, though.

[Ioldanach]

I've made a couple of minor changes in the new version.

I found that the distribution of damage for shuriken weapons and splinter weapons versus 3+, 4+, and 5+ armor is not regular (I've spent the past week and a half living in Microsoft Excel working on this analysis). I'll provide some screenshots of my data once I get it into chart format. Suffice to say that the different damage and defense values don't provide regular distributions. Both Rending and Lethal 4+ shift the distribution toward the high end of damage (Lethal 4+ being better than Rending, but splinter and shuriken weapons being relatively close because of the different damage ratings). To set the lasblaster and brace of pistols apart, giving them Ceaseless means that they're more likely to inflict some damage, but it's a more regular progression. You may find the charts interesting (whenever I get them posted).

I decided to keep the spar-glaive identical to the storm guardian blade.

In the next version I'll look at adding the drukhari weapons back in.

Another thing I've debated is giving the felarchs a bit more flexibility. The anhrathe are a wild bunch and I suspect that some players will want to use older models. I'd like to be able to provide that opportunity. Back in the 1st and 2nd editions, the corsairs could take things like power gloves and power axes, and at least two models had chainswords (I think of them as proto-Striking Scorpion exarchs). And we know that the pre-Fall aeldari used some of these weapons because of the aspect warrior shrines and wraithguard (axes in the Fire Dragons and Wraithguard, chainswords with the Striking Scorpions). I think those might be added, but limited to combinations found on the models.

This might be a bit self-serving since most of my anhrathe kill team will be made from those older models (converting some to have the corsair jet pack is going to be a PITA), but I think that limiting the exotic options to the felarchs keeps things within reason.

I'm still working on the template. I need to create the large entry graphic when I have time. Then it will just be a matter of providing the boilerplate language and building the tutorial and tools to help authors.

[Ioldanach]

I updated the file to include the drukhari weapons and some of the more exotic Rogue Trader era "Space Elves" miniatures. These are only experimental.

 

I included the chainsword as an option. The rules for a chainsword and a Storm Guardian blade are identical, so I adjusted the chainsword rules to do less damage, but to have the Rending special rule. I'll have to conduct an analysis to see if this is worthwhile, otherwise I may just remove the chainsword. The power fist rules match those for other power fists and the hand flamer rules match those for the Adepta Sororitas.

 

I added a chart for names, similar to that found in the previous edition. I'm debating whether or not this is necessary. I'm inclined to remove it, as well as the current last page; those would then be included in an Index Xenos article on the anhrathe, giving players all of the lore behind the sub-faction (for whatever game system they use).

 

My chief concern at this point is that each of the units is remarkably similar. The Ghostwalkers are a bit more limited in their weapon options and have the Solace in Shadow rule, making them a bit more stealthy. The Reavers and Voidstorm Corsairs, meanwhile, are differentiated only in that the latter are "veterans" and a fireteam is one model smaller. I'm not sure if this is the right path. I don't necessarily think it's "bad," but I don't know if there is enough distinction between things for other players. From a lore perspective, the anhrathe are wild and unregimented, so the current highly flexible rules seem to work fine.

 

The Ghostwalkers are inconsistent. They have long rifles and their Solace in Shadow rule makes them function like asuryani Rangers. However, their gunners take special weapons instead of heavy weapons. In the Warhammer 40,000 game, this wouldn't make sense - they should either be shooty or stabby. Special weapons tend to be used more in stabby units, whereas heavy weapons are more shooty. I was tempted to make the Ghostwalkers purely shooty, or perhaps having a shooty version and a stabby version. From the perspective of Kill Team, the current squad isn't bad since each model operates independently, so perhaps my hangup is just a remnant of looking at them from the perspective of the Warhammer 40,000 game.

 

I was tempted to include the Malevolent, but I balked when it wouldn't work the same as the old method (I'm going to have to look at some other factions a bit more to see if I can make it work). I thought about maybe making a Malevolent a 0-1 add-on to a Ghostwalker fire team.

 

The challenge is in incorporating changes while remaining loyal to the rules and representation in The Doom of Mymeara (Second Printing).

 

I appreciate any feedback.

[Brother Tyler]

In the context of hobbyists with models based on previous editions, I think the return of the Drukhari weapons was a good idea.

 

The rules for Storm Guardian Blades and chainswords being identical (before your change) is interesting. I'd like to see what the comparison yields (hopefully we'll see that with the analyses of the other weapons).

 

I don't think that the addition of the power glove and hand flamer hurt. It will also be good for players who have the "armless" Eldar miniatures and used those Eldar power gloves (me, for instance). Neither weapon is game-breaking, nor do they appear to be optimal, so players are really only likely to take these options for thematic purposes. The only drawback to this, though, is that some players might object since it's further away from the existing Aeldari faction lists and what they can have. That's not really a big deal, though.

 

You mentioned variation and flexibility. I don't think there's really a problem since Deathwatch and Grey Knights players have very limited options. I think that what you've done actually allows even more flexibility since players can either use similar models for any fire team type or they can use diverse older models. I see what you mean about the Ghostwalkers, though. Despite that, I think that most players [that already have Aeldari Corsairs] will want to continue using their Scouts/Rangers unless/until GW officially changes these guys.

 

One possible change to differentiate the Corsair Reavers from the Voidstorm Corsairs is to change the number and type of Gunners. I'm basing this on the version of Voidstorm Corsairs that is in the first printing of Imperial Armour Volume Eleven - The Doom of Mymeara. In that version, one in every three Voidstorm Corsairs could take a special/heavy weapon. To replicate this, you could allow a Voidstorm Corsair fire team that doesn't include a Leader to include a second Gunner.

 

I like the idea of including the Malevolents, but I would extend it to all of the fire team types. Perhaps any fire team that doesn't have a Leader can take a Malevolent instead of X...? I assume they're going to be something like what appeared in the version you did for the last edition (they're not in the first printing of The Doom of Mymeara). This might be a way to add Fighters to the list.

 

I think there's merit to removing the lore - and I would love to see some sort of article about the Aeldari Corsairs.

[Brother Tyler]

I found an error (I think).

 

On page 1 where it says "Each VOIDSTORM CORSAIR fire team can only include up to one VOIDSTORM CORSAIR operative." I think you're missing "GUNNER" at the end before "operative".

[Ioldanach]

I found an error (I think).

 

On page 1 where it says "Each VOIDSTORM CORSAIR fire team can only include up to one VOIDSTORM CORSAIR operative." I think you're missing "GUNNER" at the end before "operative".

 

 

I'll fix that.

 

I took your idea for Malevolents and my concerns for Ghostwalkers and created an alternate version that I'm calling the "Rogue Trader" version. I'm working on the original version, that I'm dubbing the "Doom of Mymeara" version, in parallel. They care called by these names because I'm using images appropriate to those names to set them apart. I'll post both the corrected DM and the new RT versions in a minute (after I fix that "Gunner" error).

 

The gist of the RT version is that I've made the Corsair Reaver fire team shooty and the Voidstorm Corsair fire team stabby, with the former taking heavy weapons for the Gunner and the latter taking special weapons for their Gunner. The Voidstorm Corsairs are no longer "veterans." I've removed the Ghostwalker fire team. Now, any fire team can take a Corsair Malevolent in place of a Corsair (Reaver/Voidstorm) and a Ghostwalker in place of a Gunner (Reaver/Voidstorm). The Malevolent is a Fighter, limited to swords and power gloves. The Ghostwalker is a Gunner, limited to the Aeldari long rifle, lasblaster, or shuriken catapult.

 

I've also removed fists and replaced them with "Corsair blades" (which are just a bunch of knives).

 

These changes only appear on the RT version, leaving the DM version as-is (minus the correction that I'll implement on the next update).

[Ioldanach]

Here are the comparisons of shuriken weapons, splinter weapons, and the iterations of Corsair weapons (lasblaster and brace of pistols) that I evaluated.

First, the shuriken weapons, using a BS of 3+ versus different Save values (3+, 4+, and 5+).

Second, the splinter weapons, using a BS of 3+ versus different Save values (3+, 4+, and 5+).

Third, different versions of Corsair weapons using a BS of 3+ versus a Save value of 3+.

I liked the regular progression of version 5 the most. Version 6 was close to version 5. The distribution of damage progression for versions 1 through 4 were very irregular, and the overall percentages were noticeably worse than both shuriken and splinter weapons. I only conducted analyses for versions 5 and 6 against Defense values of 4+ and 5+, but those were roughly similar so I'm not wasting your time with them. I ended up going with version 6 because it was best (without being overly powerful compared to either splinter rifles or shuriken catapults).

Fourth, a comparison of splinter, shuriken and Corsair weapons using a BS of 3+ versus different Save values (3+ top, 4+ middle, 5+ bottom).

The distribution of damage for the Corsair weapons is much more regular than for the other weapons. Both splinter and shuriken weapons have a higher chance of doing maximum damage, but the Corsair weapons are more reliable at the middle ranges. The splinter weapons are clearly superior to both shuriken and Corsair weapons. Overall, the decision to make the lasblaster and brace of pistols identical to their shuriken counterparts, but replacing Rending with Ceaseless, makes them roughly competitive with, but not clearly superior to, the other Aeldari weapons.

These are just the carts showing the final data. The spreadsheets are interesting to look at. Those images are too big, though. I might post one of them just so you can see my methodology.

I haven't conducted an analysis of the new chainsword (which changes from the version used in the Compendium to something slightly different in order to differentiate it from the Storm Guardian blades). Fighting weapons are a bit more difficult because of how the dice work (parry instead of armour). I might analyze those using the same defense/save methodology just because it's more straightforward.

Edited December 20, 2021 by Ioldanach

[Brother Tyler]

I smiled when I saw the images of the old minis in the new version. 

 

I'll need time to digest the Malevolent/Ghostwalker updates. The concept is similar to the T'au and their drones. You've used a slightly different method, but the end-state is quite close. Based on that rough glance estimation, the concept seems sound. The issue, then, becomes balancing the Malevolent and Ghostwalker "upgrades" in the fire teams.

 

I like the change from fists to knives - it seems much more in keeping with the lore for the Anhrathe.

 

That data is very interesting. The competitive conclusion is to just use splinter rifles. Either that or remove splinter weapons entirely (though I'd be interested in seeing a comparison between the cannons).

[Brother Tyler]

In the Rogue Trader version the Sv of the Voidstorm Felarch is 3+ whereas the other Voidstorm Corsairs (warriors and gunners) has been changed to 4+ (compared to the Doom of Mymeara version). Was that deliberate?

[Ioldanach]

That was an oversight. I've fixed it and it will be in the next update.

 

I had to update the charts and explanation above (and in the "Thoughts about the New Kill Team" discussion) because I kept saying "Defense" when I meant to say "Save."

[Ioldanach]

The more I think about it, the more I think that the splinter weapons need to be removed from the mix. They are such an obvious choice that the only competitive lists will be those that take only splinter weapons (as opposed to lasblasters and shuriken catapults). The lasblasters (under their current rules) and shuriken catapults, meanwhile, present relatively equally competitive options. The shuriken catapult’s higher chance of high damage is offset by the better overall reliability of the lasblaster. By extension, it might be appropriate to remove all drukhari weapons, with the possible exception of the blast pistol for the felarch. I could see drukhari weapons being in some bespoke version representing an anhrathe kill team that includes drukhari in it, but the majority of anhrathe, according to the lore, seem to have asuryani roots. Yes, there are some [former] drukhari among the anhrathe, but these are a minority.

I still haven't had time to conduct the comparative analysis of [new] chainsword versus spar-glaive. If one or the other is significantly better, the lists will return to just having a spar-glaive, with physical representation being a matter of choice and not WYSIWYG different weapons.

As more and more rumors come out, especially this morning's concerning a future kill team that will include corsairs (not sure if "includes" means that there will be some corsairs in an otherwise asuryani kill team or if it will be all corsairs as an aeldari kill team), I can't help but think that the corsairs really need to be different from the asuryani [guardians]. Otherwise there's just no point to them aside from catering to fans (like me). At this point I’m thinking about combining elements from the two lists:

• Keep the DM corsair reavers (as standard troops) and voidstorm corsairs (as elite troops). This changes them from the shooty/stabby RT version. The flexibility of the fire team types sets them apart from the asuryani (and drukhari).
• Keep the ghostwalker as an alternative gunner for the corsair reavers, but allow up to two corsair reaver fire teams to take one (as opposed to the single ghostwalker that the RT list currently allows).
• Keep the corsair malevolent as an alternative to a voidstorm corsair gunner, retaining the limit of one per kill team.
• Keep the corsair blades (instead of fists).
• Keep the hand flamer and power glove – these will definitely distinguish the corsairs from their craftworld counterparts.
• Add [power] axes? Power axes used to be a thing for the Rogue Trader era Space Elves and Harlequins. We know that the aeldari used axes, especially since both Fuegan and the wraithguard have axes. I could definitely see felarchs having a power axe option; and maybe voidstorm corsairs (and maybe corsair reavers) might take a mundane counterpart. Any of these choices would help to further distinguish the corsairs from the asuryani. I think the power axe for the felarchs is a safe option, so that’s all I’ll go with for now.
• Re-assess the heavy weapons. I just took a careful look at The Doom of Mymeara and the only infantry squads that can take the heavy weapons are balestrike bands, the corsair equivalent to a devastator squad. The other infantry squads are limited to special weapons. To that end, I’m going to keep the heavy weapons, but assign them to a new option – a balestrike corsair that is limited to one per kill team and is an alternative to a corsair reaver gunner.
• Re-structure the voidstorm corsairs to more closely match the version in The Doom of Mymeara. In this, they basically become a fire team of felarchs. I would limit some of their options to keep them toned down, and because I think it’s doubtful that players would have sufficient bits.

The weakness with some of the options, of course, is the availability of bits and the need for conversions. The hand flamer, power glove, power axe, bright lance, and scatter laser fall into this category. Unless GW is going to stick the Anhrathe with just shuriken catapults, (brace of) pistols (via shuriken pistols), and spar-glaives (via storm guardian blades, whatever GW ends up calling the Anhrathe version), the lasblaster becomes a conversion issue, too, unless GW expects people to cannibalize Swooping Hawks (not likely). In this, I think that some of these ideas would be highly unlikely if GW were to ever give us real corsairs, and what representation they might have. From recent trends, I’m guessing that corsairs (and a hypothetical asuryani update) would be a kit similar to the orks – monopose bodies with a range of head and arm/weapon options. I could see economies of scale where corsairs and craftworlders share common body sprues that also include bare heads. Each might then have different helmet, back, and arm/weapon sprues. In this, I could see the corsairs aligning more closely with the storm guardians in their body poses. I could see this evening out if GW includes grav weapon platforms and all of their options in the guardian defender kit (the storm guardian kit wouldn’t need as many sprues). At this point, however, I think we definitely need to cater to players that are using either the Forge World conversion kits (with guardians) and players that are using the 1st/2nd edition models and kits (so power axes are the least important thing).

[Ioldanach]

I did a little more thinking and made some adjustments to the above, keeping The Doom of Mymeara and Rogue Trader variants as separate. They are mostly identical except that The Doom of Mymeara variant keeps the drukhari weapons while the Rogue Trader variant replaces those with asuryani counterparts (e.g., dark lance removed and replaced with bright lance) and adds the hand flamer, power axe, and power glove for a few models.

 

The structure of each is identical (you can see the explanation at the download page).

• You can take a corsair reaver fire team with a gunner (now only able to take special weapons). Instead of a gunner you can take a ghostwalker or a balestrike corsair (heavy weapons, one per kill team).
• You can take a voidstorm corsair fire team with a gunner (also only able to take special weapons). All voidstorm corsairs are effectively felarchs now, though with slightly more limited options. Instead of a gunner you can take a ghostwalker or a corsair malevolent.
• Instead of a corsair reaver/voidstorm corsair in one fire team, you can take a felarch (single operative datasheet now).

You can see more details at the download page.

 

I'll continue to make small refinements to these variants, seeing them as "get you by" rules for players until (unless) GW gives us shiny new official corsairs in Kill Team. If the rumors are true and we see new eldar corsairs, I'll update these to align with the WH40K rules (there won't be a need if GW gives us official Kill Team 2021 rules for the corsairs ).

 

I have some bespoke variants in mind, hence the addition of the OUTCAST keyword to all of the operative datasheets.

 

The current version of each is dated 26 December 2021 (follow the link in the first post).

[Ioldanach]

It’s time to murder my darlings. I’ve been looking at some things and think that a few more changes need to be implemented. There are probably more things that need to be taken care of, but I’ll (we’ll) get to those eventually. These should serve as a sufficient starting point.

 

First is the brace of pistols. In the first edition of The Doom of Mymeara, the corsairs had shuriken pistols and no access to drukhari weapons. The second edition of The Doom of Mymeara gave access to drukhari weapons and replaced the shuriken pistol with the brace of pistols, providing the following lore/rules:

 

Corsairs commonly carry a multitude of pistols, valuing their ability to unleash a fusillade of shots at close range. These raiders often carry enough pistols that instead of reloading an empty weapon, it is simply discarded for a fresh one.

 

A model with this special rule counts as being armed with two shuriken pistols and two splinter pistols…

Imperial Armour Index Xenos gave the brace of pistols a range of 8”, which was shorter than the 12” that both shuriken and splinter pistols had. Where the other pistols fired one shot, however, the brace of pistols fired D6 shots. The brace of pistols also incorporated the abilities of both splinter (poisoned) and shuriken (rending).

 

From a mechanical point of view, however, the concept seems unnecessary. The Warhammer 40,000 game doesn’t cover reloading, after all, so having a bunch of spare pistols doesn’t mean anything mechanically. Either the model is firing a shuriken pistol or it is firing a splinter pistol. The only real potential bonus is when the model is firing two pistols at the same time. This can be easy to implement if the model is only allowed to fire one type of pistol, but can get complicated if the rules allow for the model to fire two types of pistols at the same time. The concept of a pew pew corsair gunfighter seems intriguing, however, shades of Jango Fett before Mace Windu came along. The best way to implement it while preserving balance with the guardians and kabalites is to consider the brace of pistols to be a pair (bunch) of laspistols while also allowing [certain?] operatives to take shuriken or splinter pistols instead. The profile would be changed to match the Astra Militarum laspistol, but with either 1 additional attack or the fusillade ability, or both. This would represent the corsair dual-wielding laspistols.

 

One alternative I’m considering for representing the old concept is to allow a corsair model to take both types of pistols and one other weapon (array of blades, spar-glaive, whatever). The operative can then switch between the shuriken pistol and splinter pistol at will, which matches up to the lore I quoted. Another alternative might be to provide an ability whereby an operative equipped with (certain?) pistols can increase their Attacks stat by 1 and/or get fusillade/ceaseless, but can only use a gun butt profile in Fighting during that turning point (and I’d have to add the gun butt profile). I’m not sure if either of those is necessary, though.

 

For now I’m going with laspistol and fusillade ability to represent a “brace of pistols.”

 

Second is the Corsair blades. I’ve changed them to match the drukhari array of blades. The concept is the same – the operative has a bunch of knives. Being different for the sake of being different doesn’t seem prudent.

 

Third is the chainsword. At this point I’m thinking about just going with the spar-glaive, identical to the Storm guardian blades and chainsword (removing the chainsword as a separate entry). If chainswords/chainblades are given distinct rules when the Striking Scorpions are added to the asuryani options (as the Kill Team Core Book implies will happen), I’ll revisit this. In the meantime, being different for the sake of being different doesn’t seem prudent.

 

Fourth, I’ve changed the celestial shield (equipment) to a shimmershield. Felarchs weren’t able to take shimmershields in The Doom of Mymeara, and their asuryani/drukhari guardian/kabalite counterparts can’t take invulnerable saves. The voidstorm corsairs, however, are intended to be a corsair counterpart to dire avengers, so making the shimmershield an equipment option (costs points instead of being integral), seems reasonable. This change downgrades the invulnerable save from 4+ to 5+, and reduces the cost from 2EP to 1EP.

 

The above changes have resulted in a number of changes to each of the fire teams regarding the weapon combinations. For the most part, the end results are similar to what they were before, but with pistols offering choices (instead of the operative just coming with a brace of pistols) and the chainsword being removed. What I’m looking at now is whether or not these are balanced with other lists. The primary comparisons are the guardians and kabalites. These are generally equipped with a pistol and sword or a “rifle” and fists. The array of blades is the corsair counter to fists. Right now most models have a pistol choice, an array of blades, and some other weapon. I’m trying to figure out if that’s right, or if the corsairs should be limited like their counterparts. Realistically, a model equipped with a lasblaster or shuriken catapult isn’t going to use the pistol profile, so including the pistols seems to be an indulgence. Similarly, a model with a spar-glaive isn’t going to use the array of blades profile. The only real reason I can think of for keeping these is for thematics and model appearance, but I’m not sure if that’s sufficient reason.

 

And then there are a few things I’m considering, and for which I’d like some input from others.

 

First, I’m considering including a void dreamer as an alternate leader. This would basically be identical to the felarch, but would take a witchblade and have access to a few psychic powers. This draws on the concept of aeldari outcasts occasionally experimenting with their psychic abilities outside the protective strictures of the Witch Path. This might not be a full void dreamer, so might have a slightly different name. Thematically, the concept is similar to the way in which asuryani warlocks can join guardian squads (though they are not included in the asuryani kill team in the Compendium). Void dreamers (or whatever they might end up being called) would not be “battle psykers,” but would be more concerned with seeing, cherry picking three from the Anhrathe in the previous edition of the Kill Team game.

 

Second is dissonance weapons. Aside from a few cannons in the asuryani list, and not counting the howling banshees, neither the asuryani nor drukhari make extensive use of dissonance weapons. So the extensive inclusion of these weapons in The Doom of Mymeara rules for the corsairs makes them one of the signature weapons for the anhrathe. The main problem is that there are no bits for these weapons. We might extrapolate how they look based on the corsair jetbike conversion kit that Forge World used to make, as well as from the asuryani support weapons, but the conversions forced/allowed by these rules should be based on kit-bashing and not on sculpting. I’d love to see Games Workshop give these weapons to the corsairs if/when they re-introduce them to the setting, at which point I’ll incorporate them into these lists. For now, though, they’re going to remain on the “would like” list.

 

Third is a ploy (I’m not sure if it should be strategic or tactical) that capitalizes on equipping operatives with corsair jet packs. The concept I have in mind right now is allowing all Corsair Fleet operatives that are equipped with corsair jet packs to make a 2” (3”?) move after all operatives are deployed but before starting the first Turning point (or something like that). Or maybe it could be something different, depending on suggestions I get from the audience.

[Brother Tyler]

An alternative for the brace of pistols might be to treat it like the Aeldari missile launcher or plasma weapons where the brace of pistols has two profiles, shuriken pistol and splinter pistol, and the operative chooses which to use. Based on your analysis above, though, I don't see why anyone would ever choose to use the shuriken pistol when the splinter pistol appears to be statistically better (that probably only applies to anyone that has seen your analysis or conducts their own, I suppose). If you don't decide to do that, I like the current paired laspistols concept.

 

The change to the Corsair blades (to the Drukhari array of blades) makes sense, as does the removal of the chainsword. I had to go back and re-read the Asuryani section in the Core Book. Your interpretation [that the Striking Scorpions will be available later, not to mention the Howling Banshees] seems reasonable. Now I'm really excited to see what GW is going to do with this game.

 

As far as the Celestial Shield/Shimmershield change goes, does every faction have a leader with an invulnerable save option? If felarchs couldn't take some form of invulnerable save in previous editions of the rules, perhaps you need to just remove this.

 

I think that your thoughts on reducing weapons clutter (not your words ) are probably sound. If nothing else, it will streamline things a bit. If Kill Team were like Necromunda, all of the extra weapons would have meaning. In Kill Team, though, they're unnecessary.

 

I would love to see a Void Dreamer as you've described, for the same reason that I'd love to see the Asuryani being able to take Warlocks in their Guardian kill teams. If you keep them toned down so that they're not at COMMANDER levels, it might be fun to playtest (you can always remove them later if they turn out to be too powerful for the Kill Team concept).

 

I'd love to see dissonance weapons. The key problem I see with them, though, is that they work best when two or more of them are fired at the same target. The list would have to allow for at least two operatives to be armed with these weapons. With the alternating activation of Kill Team 2021, though, some work would have to be done to make the massing of [dissonance] fires effective. Either that or you'll have to modify their rules to something that is both thematic and works in the game mechanically. And your point about not having bits and the requirement to convert is also quite relevant (I have a feeling that someone has 3D printing files of these somewhere on the web, not that helps us here).

 

I like the idea of the ploy but see a (slight?) problem in that it is tied to specific equipment. The kill team becomes a one trick pony that is focused on the Corsair jet packs. There's nothing wrong with that (since it's so thematic), but I would suggest including at least one additional ploy that isn't tied to a specific piece of equipment. I don't really have an idea for such a ploy at the moment, but I'll see what I can come up with.

 

I'm curious to see what you're going to do with the OUTCAST keyword. I'm seeing shades of things that compare to what you did with the Shadow War: Armageddon lists, which promises to be interesting.

[Ioldanach]

Per previous discussions, the following changes have been made in the new versions I just uploaded today:

 

The weapon options have been streamlined. Operatives no longer come with an array of blades and brace of pistols as standard with additional weapons. Other factions don’t have this feature, so it seemed inappropriate and unnecessarily complex to include them here. Operatives now generally come with one ranged weapon and one melee weapon.

 

The Rogue Trader version was not supposed to include any drukhari weapons, but in cutting and pasting from the Doom of Mymeara version, I forgot to remove the blast pistol from the felarch’s options. I have now removed it (though the Doom of Mymeara version, which retains the drukhari weapons, still allows the felarch to take a blast pistol).

 

After the question was posed, I took a closer look at the various factions in the Compendium and saw that most do not have an invulnerable save. Since The Doom of Mymeara (second edition) doesn’t allow felarchs to take an invulnerable save, I removed the shimmer shield (equipment). I’ll have to take a closer look at the Rogue Trader sources and Warhammer 40,000 2nd Edition Codex: Eldar to see if the squad leader level character could take an invulnerable save (usually a refractor field or similar). If it turns out that they could, I may return that equipment to the Rogue Trader variant.

 

The suggestion to represent the brace of pistols as allowing the operative to choose between the shuriken pistol and splinter pistol profiles is actually very sound. The only problem is that the splinter pistol will be the go-to choice, making the two options superfluous. If the two weapons were closer and there was a tactical reason to choose either depending on the situation, I would do that. As it is, though, it seems like nothing more than a tip of the hat to the old lore.

 

I’m still looking at ploy ideas, and welcome any suggestions, but some of the factions don’t have many ploys, so I’m not sure if the corsairs need more ploys. I could see replacing some of the current ploys, which are taken from the craftworlds, drukhari, and harlequins lists, but we’ll need to come up with ploys that are thematically appropriate to the corsairs and why/how they fight.

 

I didn’t add the squad leader level void dreamer character that I described previously. That wasn’t in either The Doom of Mymeara or the 1st/2nd edition Eldar rules for the pirates/corsairs, so it seemed inappropriate to add them here. I’m considering creating a third variant later, once these two variants are finalized, to create my own version of the eldar corsairs that, though based on the older sources, is more of a synthesis of them. If I do that, I’ll probably include the void dreamers in that variant. Yes, I’ll probably work on the OUTCAST list soon, too. I’m just waiting to finalize these two CORSAIR FLEET variants so that the corsairs in the OUTCAST list are consistent. In concept, the OUTCAST list will combine some elements of the CRAFTWORLDS list and the CORSAIR LIST into a new list, not entirely one or the other, but a slightly different mix for a different type of kill team.

 

I’m getting the sense that, aside from actual playtesting results, both of these variants are close to their finalized forms as representations of previous incarnations of the corsairs. I have a feeling that the corsairs, if indeed they are in the upcoming Craftworlds codex, will be revised somewhat and the variants that I’m working on will become obsolete. At that point, assuming Games Workshop doesn’t give us official rules for the eldar corsairs in Kill Team, I’ll create a new variants that translates the Warhammer 40,000 version into Kill Team 2021 concepts.

[Brother Tyler]

I think the new version is a lot cleaner and more in line with the official factions.

 

Rumors about the Anhrathe in the Asuryani codex are interesting. If there is any truth to them, the Kill Team rules (either yours or an official version) will be quite interesting.