Get ready to ride the aethersea — Battletome: Idoneth Deepkin is crashing onto pre-order this Saturday, and it’s bringing an ocean’s worth of changes.
Not only are the aelves of the deep getting a new core army rule, but they’re also bringing along two brand-new Armies of Renown. These fresh force compositions offer two radically different approaches to your Idoneth collection, letting you lean into either lore-drenched fury or precision phalanx warfare.
Chorrileum Wardens: Summon the Storm, Ride the Tide
First up, the Wardens of the Chorrileum offer a thematic, spell-heavy build focused around an Eidolon of Mathlann as the army’s spiritual and literal center. You don’t deploy the Eidolon normally — you hold them back, building up Chorrileum Spirit Points as the battle unfolds. These points accrue through spellcasting rolls of 8+, friendly or enemy unit destruction near Isharann units, or losing your own models while holding objectives.
Once you hit three spirit points, the floodgates open. You can Call Forth the Tsunami, dropping the Eidolon anywhere on the battlefield — even straight into combat. It deals mortal wounds on impact and then, if needed, you can burn its rampage potential to fight twice, albeit with a strike-last penalty on round two. It’s a high-stakes, high-impact summoning mechanic that rewards timing and risk management.
The theme continues through spellcasting with options like Essence of the Chorrileum — which heals or resurrects models — and Slipstream, a utility repositioning spell. This build rewards you for keeping your Isharann safe, casting often, and planning for the explosive arrival of a tide-fueled monster. Bonus points: you can still summon the Incarnate of the Deep, giving you two spectral wave engines crashing around the board.
The First Phalanx of Ionrach: Volturnos Unleashed
If the Chorrileum are all mysticism and ebbing power, the First Phalanx of Ionrach is the Idoneth in full disciplined fury. This Army of Renown is Akhelian-only — no spellcasters, no Namarti — and it’s led by Volturnos, who’s your locked-in general and comes with Strike-first baked in. His elite cadre draws strength from the ancient Teachings of Asydrazor, a unique point-based system that triggers powerful tactical options.
Each hero phase nets you D3 Asydrazor Points. You can spend these on three flexible battle tools: The Shield of Ulchiss lets a unit retreat without harm and still shoot or charge. The Spear of Asphoren gives +1 to charge rolls. The Sword of Gwynnar grants another unit Strike-first. Combined, these tools allow Akhelians to reposition, blitz, and break enemy lines with signature Deepkin speed.
To make your cavalry even nastier, Bond-beast traits offer unique boosts — improving defense, buffing redeploys, or even letting Volturnos’ auras apply to their often-unbuffable companions. There’s also a one-use trait that lets you pop any of the Asydrazor effects for free — a perfect tool to spring a trap or flip the momentum mid-battle.
Final Wave: Which Deepkin Path Will You Choose?
Whether you want to slowly build up toward a tidal surge of spirit energy or crash down with a wall of cavalry steel, this battletome has something rich for every Idoneth fan. The Wardens of the Chorrileum reward patient spell use and surgical deployment, while the First Phalanx plays more like a classic hammer of Akhelian spears and eels — only faster and harder-hitting.
With flavorful mechanics that mirror their undersea origins, the new Idoneth Deepkin battletome is one of the most characterful updates we’ve seen. Tomorrow promises even more with a peek at Regiments of Renown for armies outside the Deepkin. But for now, there’s plenty to chew on — or get swept away by — in this tidal wave of a release.
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