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I have discovered another Homebrew Corsairs Codex that predates mine by a year or two. I have posted the link for it below. I have attempted to contact the author to see if they are interested in a collaboration, but have not heard a response. I'm tempted to mine it for ideas, but I will not do so until it's the clear the author is no longer available.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZU9r74w3cVfe0-7wC7_HyANokK1lD-i1-qvicsrojQ/edit

To that end, before I incorporate any of that material, I am posting my Codex in its current state with changes based on the feedback I received both here and on the Eldar subreddit.

Some of the changes I've made incude:
* Corsair Prince and Baron aura abilities have been simplified and improved
* Malevolents have had their FNP save changed from 6+ to 5+
* Vypers have been given a -1 to hit modifier if they move their max distance (I always felt the rules for the Vyper never matched the fluff of them relying on their Speed for defence, I feel this how Vypers SHOULD work)
* Hornets have had their Assault Skimmer ability changed to make them more of a heavy weapons platform
* Buffs to a couple relics
* x2 New Corsairs Stratagems
* Fixes to Starblind Grenades
* Voidstorm Bands take up army slots when upgraded to Bladesworn

There are other changes, but I can't quite recall them all. I truly appreciate the feedback I've gotten here, it's been very helpful.

Please PM or comment here with your feedback both good and bad. Docdroid Link below:

https://docdro.id/ADZXx6L

Reckless Abandon needs the 12" range limit (and the 6" movement boost, once you've got that) from 7e. Without it, the rule is just endless keepaway. Shoot someone at 36" with a splinter cannon and trundle 3" away.

Brace of Pistols is 1D6 x models shots. Meaning that my unit of 20 Reavers can fire 20 shots or 120 shots depending on a single dice roll. This is obviously not a good position for balance purposes. Possessed are generally considered untenable with D3 x models attacks; a larger variation is even less attractive.

Brace of Pistols is also pretty complicated; it's D6 shots, they always wound on a 4+, but it gets an AP boost on a wound roll of 6+. Also there's a typo on the AP of the Reaver Band's entry, at least.

2 very valid points. I retained the Brace of Pistols being D6 from the index, but it is rather unbalanced. I'm thinking I should make them Pistol 2 or Pistol 3. Any thoughts on that?

As for Reckless Abandon, I've struggled with how to do it well. I've tried to stay away from "move-shoot-move" play mechanics, but that was what made Corsairs in 7E work, and perhaps it needs to be their "gimmick" in this edition. Given there are strategems that allow movement after firing, there mechanic isn't without precedent.

I will redo RE on my next revision.

Random thoughts as I skim through...

* I still feel like the Eye of She Who Thirsts feels a bit weird. The Forge World 7th edition version made perils feel thoroughly "icky" but didn't actually make your space elf explode. These rules make it weirdly likely that any given battle will finally be the day that your millenia old space elf will lose his grip and make a crater in your formation. Like, sure, his backstory is that he's been in countless battles where he's wielded his psychic powers with no problem, but mechanically he's about a 1 in 18 chance away from having his head explode every time you cast a power.

I'd prefer to see a version on perils that makes it less *lethal* and more debilitating. But that's kind of a pet peeve about eldar psykers in general.

* I like that the prince and baron auras are no longer causing them to slaughter their allies with more fervor than a commorraghn. I kind of miss having more of a distinction between them though. Sort of like how captains and lieutenants compliment each other by buffing different things. On the other hand, having a cheap, lesser HQ is useful in its own right. In 7th, the baron basically existed to give you a cheap shadowfield and access to what were basically proto-chapter tactics.

* The Line Breaker rule on the Wasp walker still feels kind of weird to me. I look at it and see a shooty unit that wants to use its mobility to stay out of combat and/or to take shots at exposed characters. Do you intend for people to charge with it? Also, Line Breaker is a mildly confusing name given that that's the name of a common secondary objective.

* I still don't see a niche for malevolent bands. When would a person field these over a melee-focused troop squad? T3 W2 sv5+ with a 5+ FNP just isn't durable enough to be called "durable," and I feel like the numbers probably math out to favor an equal number of points of troops if you're looking for offensive output. Plus, the troops fill troop slots for generating CP while the malevolants are a morale liability.

* I still question the usefulness of Silent Advance on a ghostwalker band. You can't really build them to be "good" at melee, but you can build them to be a decent ranged objective holder. So moving closer to the enemy lines before the game starts is going to be only situationally useful. Maybe I'm missing out on a brace of pistols build that makes them into decent mid-fielders?

* Venoms being transport capacity 5 causes a lot of frustration for drukhari players as most units have a minimum squad size of 5. Basically, it's tough to find a seat for your characters unless you happen to be taking a voidstorm band. Might not be the worst thing to bump this up to 6 (similar to a star weaver).

* I kind of like Serpent's Grace. It's fluffy. It's useful. Moving that far every turn is probably enough of a downside to balance it out reasonably well. Good job.

* Assault Skimmer rule on hornets. To clarify, is that a -2 penalty on top of the -1 to hit from moving and shooting with heavy weapons?

* Typo in the last sentence of the Star Blind Grenades strat, but I like the strat.

Overall, looks like a move in the right direction!

*

Anhrathe wrote:
2 very valid points. I retained the Brace of Pistols being D6 from the index, but it is rather unbalanced. I'm thinking I should make them Pistol 2 or Pistol 3. Any thoughts on that?

Pistol 3 would be the average of a D6, yes. Instead of 20-120 shots, your unit of 20 Reavers fires 60 shots.

Alternatively, if you do want to retain a random aspect, make it D3+1 for 40-80 shots. A tighter spread, but still variable.

Anhrathe wrote:
As for Reckless Abandon, I've struggled with how to do it well. I've tried to stay away from "move-shoot-move" play mechanics, but that was what made Corsairs in 7E work, and perhaps it needs to be their "gimmick" in this edition. Given there are strategems that allow movement after firing, there mechanic isn't without precedent.

I will redo RE on my next revision.

With any special ability, you need to consider how it influences that army's practical play style. Reckless Abandon should encourage Corsairs to "live dangerously" by getting in close to shoot people up and then darting back, constantly risking a charge.

So I would encourage a return to move-shoot-move at 12", because that's what encourages/allows that behaviour. I would also recommend that you make sure I have a reason to want to shoot enemies specifically within 12"; if I had a bunch of powerful Rapid Fire (24" or Range =< 12" weapons, for example. That sets up a clear dynamic of wanting to run up close and shoot while playing "keep away" and risking a charge.

Forgive me for the delay in version 3.3

The changes will be few in number, but broad in effect. I'm changing the Brace of Pistols, and the Reckless Abandon ability in concert with it.

Reckless Abandon will function more or less identically to the way it did in 7th, and the Brace of Pistols will change to a sort of a mini rapid fire weapon. You get an additional shot at half range, but not a ridiculous random number of shots at any range. They will be an optional weapon for Reaver bands but Skyreavers and Ghostwalkers are still obligated to carry them.

I feel this fits fluff-wise with Corsairs being adept at close range gunfights: they an opponent you your opponent is running a risk getting close, just as the corsairs are themselves constantly having to make a gamble on getting closer to do more damage but risking a charge in process.

Is there any reason the characters have as many wounds as a Phoenix lord compared to an autarch?

I'm still not sure about the hq stats.

They have+1 move and +1a compared to an autarch - they have more attacks then Phoenix lords currently do (except asurmen). Their original stats were no different to an autarch.

Also you've got 36" ranged plasma grenades on the Prince, barons, malevolents, voidstorms. and S4 -1 in brace of pistols on reavers.

For brace of pistols, you could give them 2 hits for each 6 rolled to hit, so they can hit with between 0 and 4 times per model. Or they can gain 1 additional attack for each successful original hit.

You've also got your vehicles with 5+ WS, which seems weird to me. All non combat eldar vehicles are ws6+