Idoneth Deepkin Army List (2026): 1000 & 2000 Point Lists for AoS 4th Edition

Part of our Idoneth Deepkin hub: every Idoneth Deepkin guide, lore page and painting tutorial in one place. Browse all Age of Sigmar army lists.

Idoneth Deepkin are aelf sea-raiders who ride eels, sharks and giant turtles through a magical ethersea. They’re one of the fastest armies in Age of Sigmar, with hard-hitting cavalry that crashes into the enemy, pulls back and crashes in again. If you like elegant models and a hit-and-run style, they’re a great fit.

The trade-off is that Idoneth are an elite army with fewer models than most. Cavalry that gets stuck in a long fight will be ground down. Idoneth win by timing their charges, using their tide abilities at the right moment and never giving the enemy a fair fight.

New to the faction? Our Idoneth Deepkin army guide covers the background and the full range.

A quick note on rules and points

Idoneth Deepkin use Battletome: Idoneth Deepkin, released in July 2025 alongside the Akhelian Tide Guard Spearhead, plus the free rules updates since. Matched play uses the General’s Handbook 2026-27.

Points come from Games Workshop’s official Battle Profiles, October 2026 document (published 28 October 2026). Every value below is points as of Battle Profiles, October 2026. Check the Warhammer Age of Sigmar app before you play, because points change several times a year.

The General’s Handbook also adds optional “Scourge of Aqshy” seasonal rules, including new heroic traits, “Ethersea Companion” upgrades and alternative Namarti Reavers and Isharann Tidecaster profiles. We’ve stuck to the battletome versions, which are simpler to learn.

How army building works at 1,000 and 2,000 points

The General’s Handbook 2026-27 is designed for 1,000- or 2,000-point battles. 2,000 points is the standard size for events and most club games. Our Age of Sigmar points explained guide goes into more detail. For Idoneth Deepkin:

• Regiments. Your army has 1 to 5 regiments. Each is a Hero plus up to 3 non-Hero units, or up to 4 in your general’s regiment.
• Check each Hero’s options. The Akhelian King, Volturnos and the Eidolons can take any Idoneth unit. Isharann priests such as the Tidecaster and Soulrender can only take Namarti units (Thralls and Reavers).
• Raidmasters and Emissaries. Some Heroes can join another Hero’s regiment. The Akhelian Thrallmaster and the Ikons join as an “Akhelian Raidmaster”, and the Isharann Heroes join as an “Isharann Emissary”. An Akhelian King or Volturnos can take one or the other, not both. Each one uses up a slot.
• Unit sizes. Akhelian Guard come in threes and Namarti in tens, the same as the Spearhead box.
• Auxiliary units cost an extra 20 points each after the first in the 2026-27 season. We don’t use any.
• Enhancements. One battle formation, plus one heroic trait and one artefact, which can’t go on Unique heroes. One formation and one heroic trait cost points.
• Spare points. If you spend 50 or more points less than your opponent, you get an extra command point in the first battle round.

List 1: Akhelian Tide Guard (1,000 points)

This list is built on the Akhelian Tide Guard Spearhead box: an Akhelian King, three Morrsarr Guard, three Ishlaen Guard and ten Namarti Reavers. Our Idoneth Deepkin Spearhead guide covers the box in detail. That’s 580 points. We add a Tidecaster to the King’s regiment, then an Akhelian Thrallmaster with a shark and a unit of Thralls.

Battle formation: Namarti Corps (0 points). Your Namarti can re-roll run and charge rolls while they’re within 12″ of an Akhelian unit, so the infantry keeps up with the cavalry.

Enhancements: Hunter of Souls (heroic trait) on the Akhelian King. Pick Infantry, Cavalry or Monsters at the start of the game, and he gets +1 Rend against that type. Lifekelp Pod (artefact, heals nearby Idoneth cavalry) on the Thrallmaster, who should stay close to the Allopex.

How it plays: The King and the two cavalry units are your strike force. The King hits hardest on the charge, the Morrsarr Guard have a once-per-battle charge blast that can do a lot of mortal damage, and the Ishlaen Guard are your defensive cavalry for holding objectives. The Tidecaster is a Wizard, so cast Lore of the Deeps spells every turn. The Reavers are your ranged support, holding your home objective while chipping at the enemy with their bows. The Thrallmaster’s regiment is a second wave: the Allopex is a fast shark that can pin down an enemy unit, and the Thralls are melee infantry for the middle of the board.

What to buy: Spearhead: Idoneth Deepkin (Akhelian Tide Guard), an Isharann Tidecaster, an Akhelian Thrallmaster, an Akhelian Allopex and a box of Namarti Thralls (the Namarti kit also builds Reavers).

List 2: The High King’s Charge (2,000 points)

At 2,000 points, Volturnos, High King of the Deep, leads a big cavalry army, backed by an Eidolon of Mathlann, a living storm of the sea god’s wrath. It’s fast, it hits hard and it can be anywhere on the board by turn two.

Battle formation: Akhelian Beastmasters (20 points). Your Akhelian units get +1 to hit with their mounts’ attacks. With five cavalry units, an Allopex and two kings, that’s a lot of extra damage.

Enhancements: Hunter of Souls on the Akhelian King and Lifekelp Pod on the Ikon of the Storm, who rides with the second cavalry wing. Volturnos is a unique character, so he can’t take an enhancement.

How it plays: Volturnos leads the main cavalry hammer: two units of Morrsarr Guard for big charges and Ishlaen Guard to hold what they take. The Akhelian King’s regiment is a second hammer that can hit a different flank or follow up. The Eidolon of the Storm is a powerful monster Hero who adds serious damage wherever the cavalry strikes. The two Reaver units and their leaders sit back on your home objectives, shooting at anything that comes close. Plan your big charge around your tides. For example, the Tides of the Storm column ends with your melee weapons dealing mortal damage on critical hits, which is perfect for the round you go all in.

What to buy next: Volturnos (the Akhelian King kit builds him), a second box of Morrsarr Guard (the kit also builds Ishlaen Guard), an Ikon of the Storm, an Eidolon of Mathlann (the kit builds either Aspect), an Isharann Soulrender and a second box of Namarti.

General tactics

Choose your tide. Each battle round you can unlock the next ability in either the Tides of the Sea or the Tides of the Storm column. The Sea column is defensive (enemies get -1 to hit units that didn’t charge, then run-and-charge, then strike-first). The Storm column is aggressive (redeploy a unit to a battlefield edge, then reduce the Rend of attacks against you, then mortal damage on critical hits in melee). Switching columns resets your progress, so pick a plan and commit.

Use Twin Tides. Once per turn, after an Akhelian unit attacks, a nearby Namarti unit that hasn’t attacked yet can shoot or fight too. Keep Reavers or Thralls near your cavalry to take advantage.

Charge, then pull back. Akhelian cavalry are deadly on the charge and much weaker in a long fight. Retreat when a fight turns against you and charge again next turn.

Save the Morrsarr blast. It’s once per battle. Save it for a big unit or a key Hero.

Protect your Heroes. The King and Volturnos are strong but not tanky. Don’t let them get caught alone.

What to buy first

1. Spearhead: Idoneth Deepkin (Akhelian Tide Guard). Over half of List 1 in one box.
2. An Isharann Tidecaster. Gives you magic, and joins the King’s regiment.
3. An Akhelian Allopex. A fast, hard-hitting shark that’s useful in any list.
4. Namarti Thralls. Your infantry core.
5. An Eidolon of Mathlann or Volturnos. The step up to 2,000 points.

Our Idoneth Deepkin painting guide shows how to paint the riders and sea creatures with cool blues and pale skin.

Common mistakes

• Putting cavalry under an Isharann Hero. Tidecasters and Soulrenders can only lead Namarti. Your cavalry needs a King, Volturnos, an Eidolon or a Thrallmaster.
• Taking both a Raidmaster and an Emissary in one regiment. A King’s regiment can have one or the other, not both.
• Getting stuck in combat. Cavalry that can’t pull back will be ground down. Plan your retreat routes.
• Switching tide columns. It resets your progress, so you lose the strongest late-game ability.
• Forgetting the Namarti. The cavalry gets the glory, but Twin Tides only works if Namarti are nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Akhelian Tide Guard Spearhead enough for 1,000 points?

It gives you 580 of the 1,000 points in List 1. Add a Tidecaster, a Thrallmaster, an Allopex and some Thralls to get to exactly 1,000.

Can I use the older Soulraid Hunt Spearhead?

Yes. Its Isharann Soulscryer, Akhelian Allopex, Morrsarr Guard and Namarti Thralls are all current units. The Soulscryer can replace the Tidecaster in List 1’s general’s regiment for the same 100 points, though it plays differently.

Is the Akhelian Leviadon worth it?

It’s a huge turtle-monster at 450 points, which is a lot at 1,000 points. It’s an option at 2,000 points, but we’ve kept the lists to more flexible units.

Are Idoneth Deepkin good for beginners?

They’re a bit trickier than most armies because the tides and charge-and-retreat style take practice. If you like fast armies and planning ahead, they’re very rewarding.

Is 1,000 points a real game size?

Yes. The General’s Handbook 2026-27 is designed for 1,000- and 2,000-point battles.

How many models are in the 1,000-point Idoneth Deepkin list?

List 1 has 30 models: an Akhelian King, a Tidecaster, three Morrsarr Guard, three Ishlaen Guard, ten Namarti Reavers, an Akhelian Thrallmaster, an Allopex and ten Namarti Thralls. That’s a small army by Age of Sigmar standards, which is why Idoneth rely on well-timed charges rather than numbers. The 2,000-point list only grows to 39 models.

What is the difference between the two Eidolons of Mathlann?

The Eidolon of Mathlann kit builds either the Aspect of the Storm or the Aspect of the Sea. The Aspect of the Storm is the aggressive version, a monster Hero who hits hard in melee, which is why it suits List 2’s cavalry charge. The Aspect of the Sea is the more spell-focused, supportive version. Both are manifestations of the dead sea god Mathlann’s will.

Related guides

See every faction in our Age of Sigmar army lists hub, or start smaller with our Age of Sigmar Spearhead guide. For another aelf army, try our Daughters of Khaine army list or the Lumineth Realm-lords army list, and use our Age of Sigmar army builder tools guide to plan your own list.