The tides are shifting beneath the surface of the Mortal Realms, and the Idoneth Deepkin are rising with them.
The new battletome doesn’t just tweak a few profiles — it overhauls the army’s core mechanics. Gone is the predictable “Tides of Death” rhythm. In its place, we now have dual tide tracks: Tides of the Sea and Tides of the Storm, letting Idoneth players adapt round by round based on tempo and pressure. Let’s dive in.
Tides of the Sea – Defense with a Lethal Undercurrent
The Sea track is your go-to for survivability and board control. The first step, Concealing Tide, subtracts 1 from hit rolls targeting Idoneth units that didn’t charge. While this won’t protect you during an aggressive push, it’s huge for holding midfield or shielding softer units against enemy ranged alpha.
In round two, if you stay on this track, you unlock Swift Tide — a massive mobility boost that lets your units run and still shoot or charge. On traditionally fragile units like Reavers or Namarti, that extra maneuverability can flip a turn from reactive to aggressive in a blink.
Stick with the Sea into the third round and you hit the real wave-breaker: Strike First for your entire army in the combat phase. This is what turns your mid-board presence into a blender. Combine this with a well-timed charge and some offense buffs, and you’re preempting your opponent’s best units before they even swing.
Tides of the Storm – Mobility and Aggression
Prefer unpredictability and pressure? The Storm path starts with Unpredictable Tide, letting you teleport a non-engaged unit to any board edge — a phenomenal tool for objective play, outflanking, or screen busting. It’s basically deepstrike, but on your terms and in your Hero phase.
Follow it up in round two with Inexorable Tide, which reduces the enemy’s Rend by 1 when attacking your units. That’s a big deal in this current Rend-heavy meta and buys you more time to set up for a punishing strike.
Storm’s climax is Crit (Mortal) for melee attacks — if there’s ever a time to send your eels or sharks into the fray, this is it. It’s high risk, high reward — you’ll get lethal output, but you’ll need to survive long enough to land it.
Changing Tracks – Tactical Flexibility at a Cost
The most interesting twist? You’re not locked into a single tide track for the game — but changing tides resets your progression. So if you pivot from Sea to Storm, you start again at the beginning of the Storm path, and vice versa. This forces deep strategic planning: stick with one tide and gain momentum, or swap to adapt and lose ground.
It’s a real meta-shifting change that separates passive play from active command. Every Hero phase becomes a decision point — and that’s incredibly rewarding for players who like to read the board and pivot accordingly.
No More Deepstrike – But Ambushers Step In
One of the biggest changes is the removal of the army-wide reserve mechanic. This hits hard for long-time Deepkin generals who relied on off-board deployment for surgical strikes. But it’s not a total loss — the Soul-Raid Ambushers rule lets up to two units use Unpredictable Tide, granting a pseudo-deepstrike effect without losing tempo.
It’s not as hands-off as the old rule, but it’s arguably more engaging and flexible — and it ties beautifully into the new tide system.
Final Thoughts – Fluid, Flexible, and Brutal
This new battletome doesn’t just bring change — it embodies it. The updated tides give the Deepkin a far more reactive, modular playstyle. You’re rewarded for momentum, punished for indecision, and constantly forced to make meaningful choices.
The army now plays like the sea itself — gentle one turn, ferocious the next, and always one step ahead if you know how to read the currents. Between Mathaela, the new units, and the tide overhaul, the Deepkin aren’t just back — they’re more dynamic and dangerous than ever.
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