Ionus Cryptborn is one of Sigmar’s greatest champions, and after many lifetimes of service he has been granted a mysterious new purpose – returning to smite the God-King’s foes from atop his draconith ally Cthorak.
In the early days of the Age of Sigmar Ionus fought the endless Goretide of Khorne shoulder to shoulder with his good friend Vandus Hammerhand, though their relationship is now a little more fraught. As the Aqshian tine of the Twin-Tailed crusade confronts the Khornate tribes in Dawnbringers: Book III – The Long Hunt, Ionus – now dubbed the Warden of Lost Souls – is back, with powerful new rules.
While searching for a cure to the curse of reforging in deepest Shyish, Ionus happened upon Cthorak. A ragged creature with tattered wings, this draconith has been prematurely aged by the enervating magic of the Shyish Nadir, but his power has not dulled.
Cthorak’s Spirit-Scouring Flames can immolate lesser foes entirely, but survivors do not escape unscathed – instead, they’re soulburned. At the end of each hero phase, soulburned units have a chance of suffering D3 mortal wounds as the pale flames persist.
As one of Sigmar’s oldest and most favoured champions, Ionus’ prayers are answered with a little extra punch. The Lightning Tempest he can unleash is a raging storm that leaps between nearby enemies again and again on a roll of 3+, dealing D3 mortal wounds each time.
The Draconith Skywing Army of Renown in The Long Hunt recreates the kinds of aerial formations that Ionus leads into battle. Every unit in this army must have the STORMCAST ETERNALS and DRACONITH keyword, but as a result Krondys, Karazai, and Stormdrake Guard units with two models become Battleline.
The Draconith Guardians of these armies are selfless bodyguards who’ll forfeit their own safety to intercept attacks aimed at the Warden of Lost Souls, allowing you to reallocate wounds that target Ionus on a 4+.
Your veteran dragons are prone to some seriously monstrous rampages. Stun and Impact Tremors both hamper their opponent’s ability to fight effectively, subtracting 1 from wound rolls and reducing pile-in moves to 1” respectively.
On top of these abilities – plus a few more waiting to surprise you – the Draconith Skywing comes with a whole page of enhancements, including three new prayers for Ionus, a spell for Krondys, a unique grand strategy, and three battle tactics which change how these scaly squadrons engage in battle.
The full rules are available in Dawnbringers: Book III – The Long Hunt, alongside three other Armies of Renown including the Lofnir Drothkeepers and The Roving Maw. The Long Hunt and Cryptborn’s Stormwing will both be available to pre-order on Saturday, but you can download the rules for Ionus Cryptborn right now, by clicking the button below.
