The release of Battletome: Idoneth Deepkin is rapidly approaching, bringing with it a tsunami of pallid aelves and bonded sea-beasts rising from the deep to raid the Mortal Realms.
You’ve seen how Akhelian Allopexes are becoming even bloodthirstier, and braced yourself for entire armies of Nautilar Leviadons, but that’s just the beginning. The new Idoneth rules run as deep as an abyssal trench – and today it’s time to look at Isharann Rituals.
Two nobles castes rule over all of Idoneth society. The Akhelians are warriors without peer, while the Isharann are wielders of watery magic. It’s common to find an Akhelian King flanked by Isharann advisors – such as the cunning Soulscryer or vicious Soulrender – whose mastery of the ethersea allows their allies to fight at peak potential.
Any Idoneth Deepkin army can benefit from the Tides of Death – army-wide bonuses that shift with each battle round as the ethersea ebbs and flows – but Isharann Rituals will really let you ride the waves. If your army includes any ISHARANN units,* at the start of the first battle round you can choose from one of four rituals to influence the ethersea.
Each ritual is associated with a different ability from Tides of Death – so if you pick Ritual of the Surging Stream, which triggers on Flood Tide, your second turn will be twice as nice. Allowing your Morrsarr Guard to sprint across the battlefield and still shoot or charge is already powerful enough, but how about making them even faster? Say no more – the Isharann have it covered.
Any successful soul-raid depends on timing – pick the perfect moment to land your ritual, pair it up with the right fighting stance, and watch your warriors sweep away all opposition like an unstoppable tsunami.
What could be better than unleashing a powerful ritual? Well, unleashing two of them – that’s just maths. With an Isharann Tidecaster in your army, you’ll be able to pick an extra ritual at the start of the first battle round, ensuring you get the bonus you need, exactly when you need it.
Perhaps you’d like to follow up all those Flood Tide charges with a cunning withdrawal? In the fourth battle round, Ebb Tide gives your units the ability to charge or shoot after retreating – combined with the Ritual of Spiteful Riptide, your agile Namarti Reavers will deal mortal wounds even as they slip out of combat.
The new battletome contains even more seafaring shenanigans for these ethersea arcanists – not just the other two rituals, but also new Isharann Command Traits. Plus, there’s a tide-changing allegiance ability for Ionrach – the enclave of High King Volturnos himself. After taking a beating from these raging waves, your enemies will be glad to forget encountering the Idoneth.**
As we said, all this is just the beginning. With Battletome: Idoneth Deepkin up for pre-order this weekend, you won’t need to wait long to descend into the tactical depths and start plotting your soul-raids…
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* Including a certain ill-fated Idoneth from the labyrinth of Harrowdeep...
** Memories of the Idoneth don’t hold fast in the minds of their foes, only a lingering sense of unease. And, presumably, a heap of soul-stolen corpses.