As we prepare for the new edition of Age of Sigmar and the awesome Dominion launch box, we’ve been talking to our honoured conclave of Age of Sigmar playtesters and finding out how each faction will play. Today it’s the Lumineth Realm-lords’ turn. These haughty aelven perfectionists pack a mighty punch on the battlefields of the Mortal Realms.
But first: who are they, and how do they fare under the updated rules?
Who Are the Lumineth Realm-lords?
Like the vast majority of aelves in the Age of Sigmar, the Lumineth – or at least their ancestors – spent aeons in the stomach of Slaanesh, who stuffed himself on their souls as the forces of Chaos devoured the World-That-Was.
Eventually, Teclis and Tyrion hatched a bold scheme to rescue as many aelven souls as they could from what must have been a truly miserable afterlife, forming the Lumineth from the brightest and purest souls they saved (recycling or outsourcing the rest to create clammy Idoneth Deepkin or serpentine Scáthborn). These aelves settled in Hysh, the geometrically perfect Realm of Light, and swiftly set about inventing – and then mastering – every single discipline they could find, from magic and swordplay to cartography and botany.
But that eternity inside the Dark Prince had left darkness in their souls, and petty jealousies eventually gave way to all-out war, shattering Hysh and precipitating a massive daemonic invasion. Tyrion just about managed to save the day – and then gave the remaining Lumineth a serious talking-to about unity and humility.
It’s taken them a long while to get their own realm in order, but the Lumineth have learned from their mistakes and are once more heading out into the rest of the Mortal Realms to try and seal them off from the forces of Chaos.
Now we know who they are, let’s see how the Lumineth Realm-lords play. We spoke to Bryan Carmichael, himself a master of the martial and magical arts, about a few of the strategies budding Realm-lord generals can use to light their way in the latest edition of Age of Sigmar.
Bryan: One of the greatest strengths of the Lumineth Realm-lords is that they have a unit for every occasion. Each is specialised in its purpose, but if you learn to use them well – and when to field each element – you have all the tools you need to achieve victory.
You can go defensive with lots of shooting and magic – Vanari infantry and Starshard Ballistae supported by some of the Lumineth’s superb Wizards. This type of army will benefit heavily from abilities like Unleash Hell.
Alternatively, you could build a hard-hitting, resilient army of Alarith infantry and Monsters. The new monstrous rampage rules will serve you well here, along with the command abilities like All-out Attack and All-out Defence that buff your units in combat.
A rapid skirmish force of Hurakan that can run rings around your opponent could be great for capturing objectives. Of course, you could also mix all of these elements in an army led by the mighty Archmage Teclis and simply overwhelm your foes with the Power of Hysh.
Biggest Winners
With this year’s arrival of the Hurakan – the Realm-lords’ formidable wind caste – the Lumineth are already in a strong spot. But, as any right-thinking Teclian acolyte will tell you, there’s always room for improvement. Bryan has picked out three key Lumineth units to benefit from the new system.
Vanari Auralan Sentinels
Bryan: Reinforced units of Vanari Sentinels can make excellent use of the Unleash Hell command ability, which can be issued by their unit champion. With Heightened Senses from Aetherquartz, they’ll be shooting without a negative modifier, and the Power of Hysh spell increases the chance of causing mortal wounds – definitely enough to make chargers think twice.
They’re also a great way to target and remove the enemy general at range early in the game, robbing your opponent of a critical command point each turn.
Sevireth, Lord of the Seventh Wind
Bryan: Severith is already the most mobile model in the game, and the new edition will make him even more of an asset. Giving him an increased armour save with All-out Defence, healing with Heroic Recovery, or shooting at charging units with Unleash Hell all give him great utility. Tactical use of Redeploy in addition to his Spirit of the Wind ability make him all but impossible to engage in combat.
He’s the perfect counter to Monsters and monstrous Heroes, able to kill all but the mightiest in a single round whilst avoiding being pinned down.
Archmage Teclis
Bryan: With his mobility and access to a wide range of spells, Teclis has many tactics as well as increased survivability thanks to Heroic Recovery and Mystic Shield. He can teleport himself, double his movement, do damage with his Storm of Searing White Light, and then cast an endless spell like the Suffocating Gravetide through the enemy army for a turn of absolute carnage.
Alternatively, if a key unit needs to be eliminated, he can prevent your opponent from using Inspiring Presence with Howling Gale, and then use Voice of the Mountains to lower their Bravery, making them much more susceptible to losses in the battleshock phase. Like his army, he has a tool for every situation – and all you have to do is make good use of them.
Thanks for these pearls of wisdom, Bryan. So if you like a specialised force with a key for every lock, the Lumineth Realm-lords could be the lights of your life. Why not pick up Battletome: Lumineth Realm-Lords and a box of Vanari Auralan Sentinels before the new edition of Age of Sigmar drops? And don’t forget to secure yourself a copy of the brilliant Dominion launch box ahead of this weekend.
