Age of Sigmar: Under The Sea – Subfactions of the Idoneth
Everything’s better down where it’s wetter, especially thanks to the new Battletome update. Check out the new Idoneth Deepkin Enclaves.
The new Idoneth Deepkin book has been out for a week, and they’re already making a pretty big splash. The updates in the new tome are pretty incredible, from battleline Hurtles to legions of angry flying sharks.
Even the blind Namarti have seen a marked improvement, heralding a move away from the eel spam lists of old. In theory, at least.
One of the coolest things, though, is the updates to the six Enclave subfactions. They represent the different styles of Idoneth combat and DEFINITELY aren’t craftworlds. Here’s a quick breakdown of the 6 new subfactions, and how to get the most out of them on the tabletop.
Ionrach
The first of the Enclaves created by Teclis, ruled over by moist Bill Nighy himself, Ionrach are the most adept at manipulating the swirling magics of the aetheric sea. As such, when they go to battle, they can manipulate the flow to a degree unseen from the other Enclaves to best fit the situation at hand.
Their subfaction gives your heroes a unique Heroic Action, allowing a unit wholly within 12″ to benefit from the Flood or Ebb tide rule IN ADDITION to the current tide rules. This is especially deadly on the High Tide turn, allowing you to run, charge, and strike first in combat. Akhelian or Allopex units will thrive here.
Nautilar
The turtle squad, the Nautilar enclave built their city on the back of a massive Leviadon, and as such have a closer relationship with the beasts. This means they can take the deadly creatures as Battleline, though at 500 points a pop you’ll be competing with SoB for smallest army.
Thankfully, the Nautilar turtles are worth it, able to carry out a Monstrous Rampage that increases the Rend of their Fins and Jaws to -3, sawing through all but the toughest hide and tearing off huge chunks. Unleash your hurtles and watch the enemy retreat into their shells.
Mor’Phann
Every group needs a goth friend, and Mor’Phann is that in spades. Their grim obsession with death and just general creepy manner of existence has left them on the fringes of even Idoneth culture. However, their healing skill is second to none, bordering on necromanctic.
On the tabletop, their Soulrenders can coax back 3 extra Namarti models with their Healing Lanterns, keeping the eyeless warriors in the fight much longer to hold points or remove threats. Just don’t ask how they did it; you don’t want to know.
Fuethán
Sharks are cool, and no one understands that better than the hyper-militant Fuethán Enclave. They boast a larger concentration of Allopexes than any other legion, and their stock of creatures is of particular savagery.
In addition to taking the deadly beasts as Battleline, they can bring groups of 3 single Allopex units as a special battalion. Every combat phase, one of those sharkies goes nuts, scoring 2 hits instead of 1 for every unmodified 6 to hit with their Bite, or 3 hits in the are within 3″ of another Allopex from their battalion. Chum the waters just a little and this Enclave will reduce your enemy to scarp in no time.
Dhom-Hain
When it comes to martial ferocity, there’s no one better than Dhom-Hain. While some of the other Enclave put their faith in their beasts, these warriors work themselves into a deadly frenzy, becoming almost beasts themselves. Their Namarti are adept at battle formations, and can dictate the flow of battle to an absurd degree.
If you take the first turn on a battle round, a Namarti unit that kills its target in the combat phase can attempt to charge another unit. If they succeed, they get to fight a second time when your turn comes back around. If you took the second turn, the Redeploy command can target up to 3 Namarti units rather than just 1. Your opponent will have a hard time predicting your movements, and you can use that to lure them into your waiting jaws.
Briomdar
Masters of stealth thanks to living in the undersea forests of Ghyran, the Briomdar Enclave are masters of ambush and infiltration. Their Soulscryers can appear from almost anywhere, unleashing a tide of deadly warriors into the enemy’s vulnerable flanks like a pack of piranha.
When the Soulscryer deploys off the table, they can bring 3 units instead of just 2, and those units can be set up a little further away, allowing you to better space out your attack pattern.
Which Enclave is your favorite?
