As both the final warband released for the Direchasm season and the first appearance of the Idoneth Deepkin in Warhammer Underworlds, Elathain and his companions probably feel a bit of pressure, which explains why they’re so eager to flood onto the battlefield. Let’s look at every card that comes with Elathain’s Soulraid so you can see how they harness the tides to Inspire before storming the enemy with the aid of a stealthy piranha-like fish and a courageous crab.
All of the fighters in this warband (yes, even the crab) Inspire at the same time on turn two, giving the Idoneth a powerful early game to thrust into enemy territory, but they also un-Inspire soon afterwards on turn three. A canny commander of these aelven soul-thieves must be ready to make the most of their brief power-up, before crashing down on their opponents like a wave.
Elathain Ill-fated
As the leader of his warband, Elathain is a respectable combatant in his own right, able to catch his opponents at range with his net or dice them up in close combat. Perhaps his most valuable ability, however, is Soul-harvest which can return his ally Tammael to combat by ripping the very soul from an opponent’s fresh corpse.
Fuirann
Fuirann is a member of the Ishlaen Guard, and she’s a supernal swordswoman who’s capable of racing across the field and falling upon her opponent in a barrage of sabre slashes. Like her fellow Idoneth aelves, she can Move, or even Charge, while she has a single Move token, giving her a massive threat range when un-Inspired.
Tammael
The range of Tammael’s attacks makes him a perfect rearguard defender, as he can control the movement of enemy fighters and intercept fast-moving foes looking to flank the rest of the Soulraid. When Inspired, he gets even faster, ensnaring the enemy with every attack.
Duinclaw
A bond-beast enthralled by Elathain, Duinclaw follows in the wake of its aelven companions and is never far behind the front line. Some might consider this crab the Soulraid’s mascot, but they’d change their tune after an encounter with its razor-sharp claws.
Spinefin
Unlike the rest of the warband, Spinefin is not a fighter. Instead, this fish can appear at will around the battlefield in all sorts of unlikely places. Those who think a harmless fish can be safely ignored will think twice once they’re forced to contend with blocked hexes where they least expect them.
Elathain’s Cards
While having the entire warband Inspire at the same time is a powerful boon, it also becomes predictable. The fighters of Elathain’s Soulraid have concocted a way to extend their power-up, unless their foe chooses to sacrifice their own cards.
The incredible burst of damage possible on the second turn lends itself well to knocking out several enemy fighters at the same time, so it’s only natural that the Idoneth can take advantage of this to score some vital glory.
Both Elathain’s Soulraid and other aggressive warbands will be glad to get their hands on a few vials of Lifeblood Draught, which rewards aiming headlong for the choicest enemy targets to keep your own elite fighters in the fray.
Along with these options comes a whole treasure trove of cards for both Elathain’s Soulraid and universal use, rounding out the Direchasm season with some all-new options for your warbands.
Elathain’s Soulraid is available to pre-order from Saturday, so you have plenty of time to decide how you’re going to paint your giant crab and his friends. Do you have a colour scheme in mind? Let us know on the Warhammer Underworlds Facebook page.