Prince Yriel of Iyanden is one of the most infamous pirate lords in the galaxy, a legend whose exploits have inspired many an adventurous Aeldari into a life of high-stakes swashbuckling. He’s no mere myth, however. He’s a former Autarch of Craftworld Iyanden who now leads his magnificent band of Corsairs – known as Anhrathe in the Aeldari tongue – to glory in the upcoming Codex: Aeldari.
In his youth, Yriel was chosen to walk the Path of Command and become an Autarch, but his illustrious career was cut short when he rashly left Iyanden open to attack from Chaos raiders. Censured, his pride drove him to abandon his craftworld with many faithful warriors in tow, forming the Eldritch Raiders Corsair fleet.
Now, thanks to his life as a corsair prince, Yriel’s strategic skills are sharpened to a razor edge, and he commands his army with the acumen of an Autarch. In fact, his Path of Command ability is more expansive than usual, affecting units with the Anhrathe keyword in addition to the usual Core.
Hit and run raids are a corsair speciality, using raw speed to strike with overwhelming force, and Yriel’s ability is not limited to the Anhrathe, and everyone from aspect warriors to the Wraithguard can hitch a ride with the Prince of Corsairs. The Aeldari have an arsenal of powerful close-range weapons, and getting to deploy them within arm’s length of their targets makes for a potent advantage.
If his skills stopped at being a brilliant tactician, Yriel would be dangerous enough, but command is far from his only talent. When a Tyranid hive fleet came to his former home, the Outcast Prince returned as a whirlwind of death, sweeping aside the largest of monsters with the Spear of Twilight. And to this day, he can still put a shift in with it.
Yriel is an excellent pick as Warlord, especially if you include Corsairs. Anhrathe units don’t prevent an Aeldari Detachment from accessing their powerful Strands of Fate ability, so you can slot them into an army whenever you like without losing access to deadly army-wide abilities.
Mixing wily Corsairs into ranks of tough Wraith units is peak Iyanden, and adds a diverse splash of colour to your massed yellow legions.
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