Basilea got some great additions to their champion line up with the release of fractures. Aestelle, Orion, and the change of Ur-Elohi to champion rather than warlord open up some really fun alternative army lists. The writers have really don’t a great job at making relatively balanced units that lend themselves to some unique builds.
With that said, let’s start with the character that appears in nearly every list I build.
War Priest
Tier: A
Role: Utility Support Character
Cost: 85 | Nerve: 13 | Defense: 4 | Speed: 5
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 0.11 | Durability Index: 2,248 | Unit Index: 3.5
If there is a Champion that consistently finds its way into my lists, it’s the War Priest.
An 85-point Inspiring spellcaster is simply outstanding value. He is slightly more durable than your average wizard, provides critical support, and doesn’t require a significant investment to include.
What I really appreciate is how flexible they have become. Previously, I often viewed War Priests as cheap support pieces that sat behind the army and contributed occasional utility. With Holy Lance now available, they can contribute meaningful ranged damage as well.
I particularly like running one War Priest with Blizzard and another with Holy Lance if I’m leaning into a shooting package. A War Priest supporting a pair of Cannons creates a surprisingly respectable ranged threat that many opponents underestimate.
I almost always purchase the horse upgrade if points allow. Additional mobility is rarely wasted, and it becomes much easier to keep inspiring and spell support where it is needed as the battle spreads out.
Verdict: One of the best utility characters in the faction and a staple of many successful Basilean armies.
Ur-Elohi
Tier: A
Role: Flying Independent Threat
Cost: 230 | Nerve: 16 | Defense: 5 | Speed: 10
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 3.33 | Durability Index: 5,120 | Unit Index: 45.6
Ur-Elohi is one of those characters that consistently outperforms my expectations.
The profile is already attractive. Fast, flying, Fearless, and capable of delivering meaningful damage. In practice, the mobility often makes him far more dangerous than the raw numbers suggest.
I’ve run Ur-Elohi frequently, and they consistently find flank and rear charges that other characters simply cannot reach. The ability to operate independently is incredibly valuable, especially in an army that already has several units demanding support resources.
Dread is another ability that shouldn’t be overlooked. Basilea doesn’t have many sources of it, and every bit helps when you’re trying to push difficult nerve checks through.
One thing I find particularly valuable is the list-building flexibility. Sometimes I want access to Specialist Elohi but don’t want to commit to the full cost of Jullius. Ur-Elohi can often solve that problem while still contributing significantly on the battlefield.
Verdict: A highly efficient independent threat that frequently earns back its points.
Aestelle
Tier: B
Role: Defensive Combat Character
Cost: 145 | Nerve: 14 | Defense: 4 | Speed: 5
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 2.27 Melee / 1.11 Shooting | Durability Index: 2,607 | Unit Index: 28.1
Aestelle is a character that I find myself increasingly interested in, even though I haven’t put enough games into her to feel completely confident in my conclusions.
What attracts me most is the combination of support and combat utility.
I’ve already become a huge fan of Iron Resolve +1 and the Cleanse command, and the idea of providing that benefit through an aura immediately grabs my attention. Basilea’s elite units are already difficult to remove. Adding another layer of resilience can create some incredibly frustrating situations for your opponent.
One thing to be aware of is the lack of Inspiring. The first time I looked at the profile, I assumed it was there. Fortunately Basilea generally has plenty of access to Inspiring elsewhere.
Normally I’m cautious with multi-role characters. They often end up paying points to do several jobs adequately rather than one job exceptionally. Aestelle comes close to that line, but I think the support abilities are strong enough to justify her inclusion.
Verdict: Not an automatic inclusion, but a character with significant upside in the right list.
Dictator
Tier: B
Role: Infantry Support Leader
Cost: 160 | Nerve: 14 | Defense: 5 | Speed: 5
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 2.22 | Durability Index: 3,920 | Unit Index: 34.0
The Dictator has one ability that immediately catches my attention: Aura (Rallying).
In an army built around elite infantry and Defense 5 units, Rallying can be incredibly powerful. Basilea already specializes in forcing opponents to work harder than they want to for every wound. The Dictator leans heavily into that identity.
The challenge I continually run into is mobility. Without access to a mount, he’s largely committed to supporting slower infantry formations.
If you’re running Foot Guard, Men-at-Arms, or Paladin Foot Knights, that isn’t necessarily a problem. In that role he performs quite well.
Outside of those lists though, I often find myself wishing he could keep pace with the rest of the army.
Verdict: Excellent support for infantry-heavy armies, but limited by his speed.
Ogre Palace Guard Captain
Tier: B
Role: Ogre Force Enabler
Cost: 160 | Nerve: 15 | Defense: 5 | Speed: 6
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 2.22 | Durability Index: 4,500 | Unit Index: 42.7
The Ogre Palace Guard Captain is one of the more unusual characters in Basilea.
Unlike most Champions, he isn’t an Individual. That distinction matters more than many players initially realize. He can participate in prolonged combats, benefit from support differently, and generally behaves more like a small unit than a traditional character.
His damage isn’t amazing, but it’s consistent. Combined with stronger nerve and a larger footprint, I’ve generally found him more useful in sustained combat than most heroes.
The bigger attraction is army construction. Being able to make Ogre Palace Guard Core opens up some interesting themed builds.
Whether those builds end up being top-tier competitive armies is another question, but they are certainly something I intend to experiment with further.
Verdict: Opens unique list-building options while remaining a capable battlefield piece.
Orion
Tier: B
Role: Mobile Character Hunter
Cost: 195 | Nerve: 15 | Defense: 5 | Speed: 8
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 2.59 | Durability Index: 4,500 | Unit Index: 38.8
Orion is probably the best dedicated duelist available to Basilea.
Duelist (D3+2) means he’s averaging roughly nine attacks against enemy characters, while Disarm and Crushing Strength (2) allow him to turn those attacks into meaningful results.
The thing I value most, however, is his role as a backfield defender.
I frequently find myself wanting a fast Individual that can sit behind my lines, threaten flyers, hunt enemy heroes, and protect artillery. Basilea surprisingly doesn’t have many options that fill that role.
The downside is cost. You’re paying a premium for a fairly specialized tool.
Verdict: A useful toolbox character, but not something every list requires.
Bearer of the Holy Icon
Tier: D
Role: Inspiring Support
Cost: 85 | Nerve: 12 | Defense: 4 | Speed: 5
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 0.11 | Durability Index: 1,915 | Unit Index: 2.9
Every faction has units that suffer because another option exists in the same section.
For Basilea, I think the Bearer of the Holy Icon falls into that category.
The biggest challenge isn’t that the Bearer is bad. It’s that the War Priest exists.
Whenever I compare the two, I struggle to come up with situations where I would intentionally choose the Bearer. The War Priest brings spellcasting, flexibility, and more overall utility while costing exactly the same amount.
That leaves the Bearer in an awkward position where it feels less like a standalone choice and more like a worse version of another unit.
Verdict: A victim of internal competition more than a bad unit.
Alanis Sallustis
Tier: C
Role: Combat Character
Cost: 130 | Nerve: 15 | Defense: 4 | Speed: 5
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 1.67 | Durability Index: 2,993 | Unit Index: 29.6
I may be missing something here, but Alanis has never really clicked for me.
The damage profile is fine, but not exceptional, and unlike many of Basilea’s other Champions he doesn’t bring obvious support utility or meaningful list-building benefits.
The lack of a mount option hurts more than it initially appears. I generally value mobility very highly on characters, particularly ones that want to contribute in combat.
Holy Strike is an interesting rule and I can certainly see situations where it provides value, but when I compare Alanis against the other Champions available to Basilea, I usually find myself spending the points elsewhere.
Could there be a list where he’s exactly what you need? Possibly.
I’ve just never been particularly motivated to find out.
Verdict: One of the few Basilean Champions that I struggle to recommend.
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