Ah, what could be better than a stroll on the shores of Aqshy, warm volcanic sand beneath your feet and the gentle light of Hysh on your face? A nice little break by the sea is just what we all need just before the new General’s Handbook drops and the fighting resumes.
Sadly, the beaches of the Mortal Realms aren’t the safest of places for a holiday. Innumerable unseen horrors lurk in the briny depths – and what’s that we’ve caught with our patented soulbait? Why, it’s an extremely perturbed Akhelian…
First to rise from the waves is the new Ikon of the Sea. These are Akhelians – aelves of the warrior caste whose souls are fully formed. They appear at first glance to be beings of placid contemplation who channel the fathomless wisdom of the ocean. But when they join battle, they move as if carried by The Surging Sea, launching themselves and a friendly unit into combat faster than you can yell “surf’s up”.
Tidal Glaive
Charge (+1 Damage)
Attacks: 5
Hit: 3+
Wound: 3+
Rend: 1
Damage: 2
The Surging Sea
Once Per Turn (Army), Your Charge Phase
The Ikon’s aura of calm yet fearsome power sweeps up nearby Idoneth, carrying them into battle like a racing current.
Declare: Pick this unit and up to 1 friendly unit within this unit’s combat range to be the targets.
Effect: For the rest of the turn, add 1 to the number of dice rolled when making charge rolls for the targets, to a maximum of 3.
Armed with a Tidal Glaive which hits harder on the charge, you’ve all the incentive you need to get stuck in as fast as possible, made much easier by the Ikon’s mastery of the ethersea – enabling them to run and charge at will.
Their counterpart is the Ikon of the Storm, a solitary being who eschews composure, fully giving over to the elemental wildness of the depths. A flurry of blows from their Maelstrom Blades summons the Whirlpool’s Fury in the ethersea, preventing opponents from retreating and allowing allies to ride these rippling eddies in and out of combat at will.
Maelstrom Blades
Attacks: 7
Hit: 3+
Wound: 4+
Rend: 1
Damage: 2
Whirlpool’s fury
Passive
An Ikon of the Storm is a vortex of rage, overwhelming enemies and inspiring their kin to fight ever harder.
Effect: Enemy units cannot use RETREAT abilities while they are in combat with this unit.
Friendly units that use a RETREAT ability while they are wholly within 12" of this unit can still use SHOOT and/or CHARGE abilities later in the turn.
These new Akhelian heroes herald the imminent arrival of Battletome: Idoneth Deepkin, the complete companion book for the abandoned children of Teclis, their dark fate turning them to pitiless raiders who terrorise the Mortal Realms, seeking bounties of souls.
The ebb and flow of the oceans has also affected the ethersea, and their Battle Traits have been suitably overhauled. The Tides of Death are out – too macabre by far for a season of war in Ghyran – and the Tides of the Sea and Tides of the Storm are in. Rather than being locked into one set of progressing abilities, you’ll have two discrete tracks to follow, though swapping mid battle will reset your progress. And if this leaves you adrift, we’ll be taking a deep dive closer to release.
A new Battletome means a new Spearhead: the Akhelian Tide Guard. This new force is composed of an Akhelian King and their royal entourage – 10 Namarti Reavers and three Akhelian Morrsarr Guard crash into their foes like a tsunami, while three Akhelian Ishlaen Guard hang back and wait for the opportunity to engage with a lightning-fast charge. It’s as fast and flexible a Spearhead as you’d expect from these pelagic plunderers.
We’ve got that sinking feeling… like there’s more to dredge up from the abyssal depths of the Mortal Realms, but we’re off for some fish and chips. Keep a weather eye on Warhammer Community for more reveals from beneath the waves.
