Games Workshop held their big New Year Preview at the end of last week, which included some awesome reveals for the grim dark future of Warhammer 40,000. Piratical shenanigans are afoot within The Maelstrom with new miniatures coming for the Red Cosairs of the Chaos Space Marines and Prince Yriel of the Aeldari.

Huron Blackheart // Warhammer 40,000

At the heart of the Red Corsair release is the big man himself, Huron Blackheart. We knew this miniature was coming: the Tyrant himself and a veteran of the events of the Badab War. However, he is also coming out alongside his crew of miscreants. Another of the miniatures we'd spotted before was Garreon the Corpsemaster, one-time Apothecary of the Astral Claws. He was responsible for tinkering with the gene-seed of the Astral Claws, one of the things that triggered the entire civil war within the Imperium.

Garreon the Corpsemaster // Warhammer 40,000

He is now back to undertake all sorts of other strange experiments and he doesn't care where he gets his samples from. You can see that by the Red Corsair on the base of his miniatures, who isn't too happy about being next on Garreon's checklist.

One thing everyone knows about pirates is that they are prone to mutiny at the drop of a hat. Well, that's where Katar Garrix comes in. He is The Headsman of the Red Corsairs, cutting the head off anyone who would dare to defy the orders of Huron.

Katar Garrix // Warhammer 40,000

Watching the winds of the warp and guiding the ships of the Red Corsairs through The Maelstrom, you also have Garlon Souleater. This Mantis Warrior Librarian has now become Huron's Sorcerer, drawing on dark powers to manipulate and twist Huron's schemes and foil the attempts of the Imperium to stop these renegades.

Garlon Souleater // Warhammer 40,000

Huron's crew isn't just made up of Renegade Space Marines. He also calls on mortals to serve within his ranks. Captain Sargotta is one such mortal, the shipmaster of the Red Corsairs' fleet and the reason behind many of their naval victories.

Captain Sargotta // Warhammer 40,000

She is posed on her floating command platform, which she uses during boarding actions to plug herself into ship systems, taking control of them and bringing them into the fleet. I get the sense that she might often end up doing this and turning guns on friendly ships for a bit of a surprise.

Last but not least, we have a Xenos addition to Huron's crew. Unlike the Imperium, the forces of Chaos and the Renegades have no qualms about bringing on board as much outside help as possible, especially when it's as deadly as The Enforcer with Plunder.

The Enforcer with Plunder // Warhammer 40,000

The Enforcer is a Tarellion bounty hunter who hunts down cowards who fail to follow through on the orders of the Master of the Red Corsairs. Say hello to the Bossk of Warhammer 40,000. She tracks down her targets with impunity and if they put up too much of a fight, her Barghesi will simply rip them to shreds. Bring them in dead or alive. Preferably dead, as there's less piratical paperwork.

These new miniatures act as the leaders of the Red Corsairs, allowing you to craft yourself a really thematic and interesting Chaos Space Marine Renegade force for use on the tabletop.

Build Your Red Corsairs Crew

As well as the main characters above, you can also get a bunch of additional miniatures and upgrades to theme your own crew. This starts with the Red Corsairs Reave-Captain, who can make a name for himself as the captain of one of Huron's lesser ships within the fleet.

Red-Corsair Reave Captain // Warhammer 40,000

Deadly leaders in their own right, they can be armed with a mixture of different weapons, as you can see above. Lead from the front and prove your mettle as a captain of the Red Corsairs by charging in and claiming some scalps.

To do that, you'll need a crew of killers. The Red Corsairs Raiders takes the standard Chaos Space Marine plastic miniatures and gives them a tweak with some great upgrade components.

Red Corsair Reavers // Warhammer 40,000

What I really like about the Red Corsairs is that they're Renegades, not full Chaos Space Marines in the way you'd expect. They are evil, no bones about that, but they haven't fully fallen to mutation and all of the Chaos weirdness just yet. Instead, they are just twisted, brutal killers with no rules but their own. You could imagine them coming from all sorts of Legions and Chapters to fight against the tyranny of the Corpse Emperor.

As you can see, you can use the Upgrades set to turn your regular miniatures into Red Corsairs, be they regular Marines or Terminators. I think there is a bit more on the sprue than this reveals but I suppose we will wait and see for a full breakdown on that.

Red Corsair Upgrades // Warhammer 40,000

If you're looking to sink your hooks into the Red Cosairs, rules for them are going to be found within The Maelstrom: Lair of the Tyrant. They should also be available through Warhammer Community as PDF downloads and on the Warhammer 40,000 app if you don't want to pick up the books.

Lords of the Maelstrom // Warhammer 40,000

There will also be a Battleforce for the Red Corsairs containing ten Legionaries, five Terminators and ten Traitor Guardsmen led by the Reave-Captain we saw above. I think this set is going to be very popular.

Aeldari Corsairs Off The Starboard Bow!

Going up against the forces of Huron and the Red Corsairs, we have the return of the exiled noble, Prince Yriel. Saviour of Craftworld Iyaden and scourge of many an evil-doer, he is back to make sure Huron and his crew are put back in their box.

Prince Yriel // Warhammer 40,000

Armed with the legendary Spear of Twilight, Prince Yriel is a dashing figure on the battlefield, resplendent with his twin back banners and ornate armour. A lovely update to the old miniature and now with a helmeted version if you'd prefer to give Prince Yriel a more mysterious look.

Prince Yriel comes backed up by Kharseth, his Void Dreamer and Aethyrmancer.

Kharseth // Warhammer 40,000

Kharseth is a pysker who can sense the shift in the Warp that guides fleets through its tumultuous currents. This means that they can guess when a ship is going to appear and ambush it before it knows what has hit it. On the battlefield, they manifest the void, turning it into freezing blasts of energy that rip apart their foes.

If you're intent on lightning-fast raids, then you're going to need a crew able to enact your plan. That's where the new Corsair Skyreavers come in.

Corsair Skyreavers // Warhammer 40,000

These shock troops come with a range of different weapon options to choose from, making them adept at handling all sorts of situations. The Felarch can take a Shuriken Pistol, Fusion Pistol, Neuro Disruptor or Raiding Hook, plus you can also introduce the likes of a Shredder, Blaster, Fusion Gun or Flamer.

The last new addition to Prince Yriel's Corsairs is the Starfang. The Starfang is armed with Drukhari weaponry, a quick and deadly scouting unit that can pop armoured targets and make way for the other Corsairs to take down enemy infantry.

Starfang // Warhammer 40,000

The Starfang kit can also be built as the classic Vyper! One of the oldest kits in the Aeldari collection finally gets an update with a sleeker design.

Vyper // Warhammer 40,000

It still looks classically Vyper-ish, so I appreciate that. A great option to include in your games if you need highly mobile guns to race around the battlefield and secure it for your incoming crew.

All of these miniatures and more will be coming as part of another themed Battleforce, the Eldritch Raiders.

Eldritch Raiders // Warhammer 40,000

This set comes with Prince Yriel, Kharseth, a set of ten Skyreavers (which can also be two units of five), the Starfang/Vyper and ten of the existing Corsair Voidscarred. A solid start to someone's piratical crew and a bolt-on to an existing Aeldari army. I collect Iyaden and so I feel like I need to bow before the majesty of Prince Yriel at some point!

Much like with Huron and the Red Corsairs, the rules and more for Prince Yriel and his own Corsairs will be included in The Maelstrom supplement coming later this year. You will also be able to get the rules for free on Warhammer Community and via the Warhammer App.

What do you make of these new pirates?