Thinking about getting the Age of Sigmar Idoneth Deepkin Battleforce box? We’ll tell you how to bring it up to 2000 points!
Christmas is right around the corner and today we’re diving into the last battleforce box GW is bringing to warm our homes this holiday season- Idoneth Deepkin!
If you want to see my break down of all the boxes and which ones are my favorites you can check out this article! Otherwise today we are taking the plunge into the cold icy depths (or warm if you’re in the Realm of Fire) to look at the “good guys” who just want to steal your souls.
No, it’s not Nagash it is the Idoneth Deepkin!
*Note this is a great way to start an overall Idoneth Deepkin army, if you want the widely used tournament list that is all eels, all the time, you are better off buying those separately.
Let’s look at what comes in the battleforce box: ($170)
- 1 Isharann Tidecaster: 100 Points (Leader 1 of 4)
- 10 Namarti Thralls: 140 Points (Battleline 1 of 2 Required)
- 10 Namarti Reavers: 140 Points (Battleline 2 of 2 Required *Must have Isharann General*)
- 3 Akhelian Ishlaen Guard: 140 Points (Battleline if Akhelian General)
- 1 Akhelian Allopexes: 140 Points (No Unit Type)
- 1 Akhelian Allopexe: 140 Points (No Unit Type)
- Total Points: 800
Isharann Tidecaster: Move 6, 6+ Save, 7 Bravery, 5 Wounds.
Staff attack: Range 1, 2 attacks, hitting and wounding on a 3+, for D3 damage. He ignores the first wound allocated to him each turn, and may also let you start the tides of death table backwards at the beginning of the game (if he is your general).
He can cast and unbind a single spell. Riptide is the unique spell. Riptide: Casting value 7, range 18, they subtract 1 from all hit rolls, and suffer D3 mortal wounds at the start of your following hero phase.
Namarti Thralls: Move 6”, 5+ Save, 8 Bravery, 1 Wound
This unit has a blade melee attack: Range 1”, 2 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on 3+, with -1 Rend, for 1 Damage. Add 1 to the Attacks if the unit they are attacking has 1 Wound, or if they have 4 or more Wounds instead add 1 to Damage. The icon bearer in this unit lets the unit re-roll failed battleshock tests and adds 1 to his Attack.
Namarti Reavers: Move 8”, 5+ Save, 6 Bravery, 1 Wound
Has a missile bow attack will let you do one of the following attacks: Aimed Fire: Range 18”, 1 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 4+, for 1 Damage. Storm Fire: Range 9”, 3 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 4+, for 1 Damage. Melee Blade attack: Range 1”, 2 Attacks, Hitting on a 3+, Wounding on a 4+, for 1 Damage. The icon bearer lets you re-roll failed battleshock test and adds 1 to his blade attack.
Akhelian Ishlaen Guard: Move 14” (Fly), 4+ Save, 6 Bravery, 4 Wounds
They have three different melee attacks starting with Helsabre: Range 1”, 3 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, for 1 Damage. Then Fanged Maw: Range 1”, 1 Attack, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, for D3 Damage. Finally, the Tail: Range 2”, D3 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, for 1 Damage.
This unit ignores Rend when making save rolls and when they charge they have a 3+ Save instead of 4+. Finally, the icon bearer lets you re-roll battleshock tests, the musician lets you re-roll charges, and the leader adds 1 to his attacks characteristic.
Akhelian Allopexes: Move 12” (Fly), 4” Save, 6 Bravery, 8 Wounds
Has one of the following missile weapons: Either the Harpoon Launcher: Range 24”, 3 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, for 1 Damage. Or a Net Launcher: Range 18”, 1 Attack, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, for 3 Damage.
Then they have 3 different melee attacks the first is Hooks and Blades: Range 1”, 5 Attacks, Hitting on a 3+, Wounding on a 4+, for 1 Damage. Next is Bite attack: Range 1”, 1 Attack, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, with -2 Rend for 3 Damage. Finally, a Fin attack: Range 1”, 4 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, with -1 Rend, for 1 Damage. If this unit is within 12” of a unit that has any enemy models that have been allocated wounds they can re-roll charges against that unit.
Not bad in that this box contains everything you need to get going to play a 1000 point game, and as there is no starter set for this army it is a great jumping off point. Something to consider though is you are going to need to buy the Gloomtide Shipwreck ($40) which is a must-have for any Idoneth Deepkin army.
After that, let’s fill out our remaining points with a couple more hero options with the Isharann Soulrender ($25) and Lotann, Warden of the Soul Ledgers ($35). So your 1000 point army is going to cost you ($270) and will look like this.
- 1 Isharann Tidecaster: 100 Points (Leader 1 of 4)
- Lotann, Warden of the Soul Ledgers: 100 Points (Leader 2 of 4)
- Isharann Soulrender: 100 Points (Leader 3 of 4)
- 10 Namarti Thralls: 140 Points (Battleline 1 of 2 Required)
- 10 Namarti Reavers: 140 Points (Battleline 2 of 2 Required *Must have Isharann General*)
- 3 Akhelian Ishlaen Guard: 140 Points (Battleline if Akhelian General)
- 1 Akhelian Allopexes: 140 Points (No Unit Type)
- 1 Akhelian Allopexe: 140 Points (No Unit Type)
- 1 Gloomtide Shipwreck: 0 Points (Scenery)
- Total Points: 1000
Isharann Soulrender: Move 6”, 4+ Save, 8 Bravery, 5 Wounds
He has 2 different melee attacks the first being Talunhook: Range 2”, 2 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, with -1 Rend, for 2 Damage. Then a Rakerdart’s Serrated Bill: Range 3”, D3 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, with -1 Rend, for 1 Damage.
At the end of your battleshock phase pick a unit of Namarti wholly within 12” and return a D3 models + 1 for every model the Talunhook killed. At the start of your combat phase pick an enemy hero within 3” and roll a dice. (subtract 2 if it’s a monster). On a 4+, you can re-roll failed hit rolls with the Talunhook.
Lotann, Warden of the Soul Ledgers: Move 6”, 6+ Save, 7 Bravery, 5 Wounds
He has 4 different melee weapons the first is Bone Quill: Range 1”, 1 Attack, Hitting on a 3+, Wounding on a 5+, for 1 Damage. Then Cudgel: Range 3”, 1 Attack, Hitting on a 4+, Wounding on a 3+, with -1 Rend, for 2 Damage. Next is Blade: Range 3”, 1 Attack, Hitting on a 3+, Wounding on a 4+, with -1 Rend, for 1 Damage. Finally Tentacles: Range 3”, 6 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 4+, for 1 Damage. He adds 1 to the bravery of all Idoneth Deepkin units while they are wholly within 12”. In addition re-roll hit rolls of 1 for Namarti units while they are wholly within 12” of this model. Every time you allocate a wound or mortal wound to this model roll a dice, on a 5+ ignore it.
Gloomtide Shipwreck:
Each time a wound or mortal wound is allocated to an Idoneth Deepkin Unit wholly within 6 inches of this terrain on a 6+ it is ignored. Non Idoneth Deepking units within 3 inches of the shipwreck take a mortal wound in your hero phase on a 4+ (D3 Mortal wounds if it is a 6+)
That isn’t too bad if you’re not interested in the Akhelian side of things, if you are, I don’t think the battleforce box is for you since there are not a lot of eels in this box. Taking this to 2000 points is going to get a little pricey though….
Starting off let’s add a couple more characters with the Isharann Soulscryer ($25) and Eidolon of Mathlann, Aspect of the Sea. ($110)
- Isharann Soulscryer: 100 Points (Leader 4 of 6)
- Eidolon of Mathlann Aspect of the Sea: 440 Points (Leader 5 of 6)
- Total 1540
Isharann Soulscryer: Move 6, 6+ Save, 7 Bravery, 5 Wounds.
Missile Weapon is Scryfish Shoal: Range 18, 8 attacks, hitting and wounding on a 5+, for 1 damage. Finger-claw is melee weapon: Range 1, 3 attacks, hitting on a 3+, wounding on a 4+, for 1 Damage. You can set this unit along with up to two other Idoneth Deepkin units off the battlefield to start the game.
You can set them up at the end of any of your movement phases anywhere wholly within 6 inches of table edge, but no more than 9 inches away from enemy units. Pick an enemy unit within 24 inches and add 3 to charge rolls for friendly Idoneth Deepkin units within 12 inches of that unit. However, each unit must end there charge within a half an inch from the enemy unit selected.
Eidolon of Mathlann Aspect of the Sea: Move 10” (Fly), 3+ Save, 10 Bravery, 12 Wounds
He has a missile weapon Abyssal Energy: Range 15”, D3 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, with -2 Rend, for 2 Damage. Then he has three different Melee attacks the first being a Psi-Trident: Range 2”, 3 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, with -2 Rend, for 2 Damage. Next is a Deep-Sea Sceptre: Range 1”, 3 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, with -1 Rend, for 1 Damage. Finally, the Stormshoal: Range 3”, 2D6 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 4+, for 1 Damage.
You can either re-roll one casting roll for this model or heal D3 wounds in your hero phase. Add 3 to the Bravery of Idoneth Deepkin units while they are within 9” of this model. He is a wizard and can cast and unbind two spells a turn and has two unique spells, the first being Cloying Sea Mists: Casting Value 6, Range 12”, if the target unit is a friendly Idoneth Deepkin unit it can heal D3 wounds otherwise it suffers D3 mortal wounds. The other spell is Tsunami of Terror: Casting Value 7, Range 12”, pick D6 enemy units and subtract 1 from hit rolls and their bravery until your next hero phase.
After that will want to take advantage of the Soulscryers ability so let’s max out the thralls and buy another 20 ($100) to max the unit out, and then buy a third battleline unit with another 10 Namarti Reavers ($50).
- 30 Namarti Thralls: 360 Points (Battleline 1 of 3 Required)
- 10 Namarti Reavers: 140 Points (Battleline 3 of 3 Required)
- Total 1900 Points
Finally, with your last 100 points, we are going take a command point, the soulsnare shackles, and the prismatic palisade. Hitting your opponents Movement and blocking their charges will help keep your weaker archers alive. If you don’t want to run the endless spells or don’t have them, you can always get another Isharann Soulrender or something similar. So, your final list will look like this.
- 1 Isharann Tidecaster: 100 Points (Leader 1 of 6)
- Lotann, Warden of the Soul Ledgers: 100 Points (Leader 2 of 6)
- Isharann Soulrender: 100 Points (Leader 3 of 6)
- Isharann Soulscryer: 100 Points (Leader 4 of 6)
- Eidolon of Mathlann Aspect of the Sea: 440 Points (Leader 5 of 6)
- 30 Namarti Thralls: 360 Points (Battleline 1 of 3 Required)
- 10 Namarti Reavers: 140 Points (Battleline 2 of 2 Required *Must have Isharann General*)
- 10 Namarti Reavers: 140 Points (Battleline 3 of 3 Required *Must have Isharann General*)
- 3 Akhelian Ishlaen Guard: 140 Points (Battleline if Akhelian General)
- 1 Akhelian Allopexes: 140 Points (No Unit Type)
- 1 Akhelian Allopexe: 140 Points (No Unit Type)
- Command Point: 50 Points
- Soulsnare Shackles: 20 Points (Endless Spell)
- Prismatic Palisade: 30 Points (Endless Spell)
- 1 Gloomtide Shipwreck: 0 Points (Scenery)
- Total 2000 Points (Total cost $555)
This is a pretty expensive force and you could just buy two battleforce boxes and then get some of the cheaper leaders, but I think you really need one of the two Eidolon’s in a 2000-point game.
To see the other Christmas Bundle lists, click the links below!
