With the new Idoneth Deepkin battletome available for pre-order from Saturday, we’ve cast our net around the community for awesome armies to share. Yesterday we were set aflame by Amy Snuggs’ Fyreslayers army – but now the catch of the day is a jaw-dropping Idoneth force from Ben Swainson.
This army features some stunning colour choices, with a fiery theme to match its ancestral duardin foes – a striking look for the aquatic Deepkin, who usually focus more on tides than torches. We asked Ben for the story behind the scheme.
Ben: I loved the Idoneth Deepkin range as soon as I saw them, but it was the Eidolon of Mathlann that tipped me from “wow, these are cool” to “this is my new army”. It defines the range for me, exemplifying the character of the army, seemingly held aloft by magic as much in the real world as it is in the Mortal Realms.
Having been left with no choice but to start an Idoneth army, I settled them in the Realm of Aqshy,* near a volcano system. The atmosphere is coloured by purple smoke and ash, but the volcanoes also provide deposits of obsidian that the Deepkin use to forge their weapons.
This gave me an environmental colour, to which I added traditional fire colours, holding yellow back for the mounts. The various sea creatures, such as the Akhelian Allopex** and Fangmora Eels, are a huge focus for an Idoneth force. I wanted to highlight this by placing yellow against its complementary colour – purple. I patterned the mounts after real-world sea creatures, drawing from various sharks, sea snakes, and dolphins, altering their colours to match my theme.
I left the Eidolon until near the end, as I was slightly intimidated by the model that had encouraged me to start the army. As with any project, there’s a lot that I would do differently if I painted another (and I suspect the new battletome will give me the excuse to do so), but it now proudly leads my army into battle.
The Eidolon doesn’t often make it to the end of said battles, and manages to die in the most spectacular ways. I can’t prove it, but I’m fairly certain my Essex Mawtribes clubmates target it for specific punishment. Despite its inability to survive, it remains the main reason I chose the army and the main reason that I love it still.
Thanks, Ben! If you’re inspired to join the Idoneth Deepkin, start your army with an Akhelian Leviadon and see why these monstrous creatures of the deep are going to be even more devastating in the new battletome.
* Here’s why you need to book your summer holiday to Aqshy, the Realm of Fire.
** You’ll want to stay out of the ethersea with these toothsome terrors around.