The Support section might be the smallest section in the Basilean army list, but it includes the best part of the army – Elohi.
Elohi
Tier: S
Role: Flying Hammer
Optimal Damage vs Def 5: 6.67
Damage per Point: 2.30%
Often when I start making a Basilea lists, I end up asking myself the same question:
How many units can I fit?
Looking strictly at damage-per-point, they don’t immediately stand out. In fact, their efficiency trails behind Paladin Knights and several other dedicated combat units.
Then you remember everything else they bring.
Speed 10.
Fly.
Defense 5.
Fearless.
Strong offensive output.
Excellent command ability synergy.
The combination is absurd.
What makes Elohi so difficult to evaluate using spreadsheets alone is that mobility creates opportunities that raw combat statistics cannot measure. A unit that can consistently find open flanks and rear charges effectively increases its own damage output far beyond what the stat line suggests.
I honestly don’t think I’ve played a game where Elohi failed to contribute significantly. They pressure objectives, threaten vulnerable support pieces, punish positioning mistakes, and routinely force opponents into defensive play.
Fearless is another ability that often gets overlooked until it matters. Basilea already tends to field elite units. Having a flying hammer that simply doesn’t care about nerve checks from ranged pressure is incredibly valuable.
For me, Elohi are one of the defining units of the faction.
Verdict: A complete package of mobility, survivability, and offensive threat. One of the strongest units available to Basilea.
Cannon
Tier: A
Role: Long-Range Fire Support
Optimal Shooting Damage vs Def 5: 2.50
Shooting Damage per Point: 2.50%
I think Cannons are significantly better than many people give them credit for.
The damage profile is already respectable, but what really interests me is how they fit into the broader Basilean army. Unlike some artillery pieces that simply sit in the backfield hoping to generate damage, Cannons create tactical problems.
Shattering D3 can be extremely impactful if you’re building toward a dedicated shooting package. I continue to believe that Basilea can realistically support that style through War Priests, artillery, and high-speed combat threats that keep enemies penned in.
You often want to leave behind units to hold back field objects. The main issue with artillery is that cheap flying units can flank and clear artillery relatively easily. This makes Grapeshot more relevant than many players initially expect. Having a credible deterrent against light flyers and harassment pieces forces opponents to think twice about how aggressively they commit.
Another point worth mentioning is cost. At only 100 points, Cannons don’t require a major sacrifice elsewhere in the list. That’s a big deal in an elite faction where every point matters.
When I bring ranged support in Basilea, Cannons are usually where I start.
Verdict: Efficient artillery that adds meaningful ranged pressure while fitting naturally into a variety of army builds.
Phoenix
Tier: C
Role: Mobile Healing Support
Optimal Damage vs Def 5: 1.00 Melee / 2.22 Shooting
Damage per Point: 1.23%
I have spent a considerable amount of time trying to figure out how to make the Phoenix work in 4th edition.
Every time I look at the profile, I see several things that I want.
Fly.
Radiance of Life.
Reasonable mobility.
Some chip damage.
Useful support abilities.
The problem is that it feels like the unit is trying to do several jobs at once without truly excelling at any of them.
The damage efficiency numbers aren’t particularly impressive, which isn’t necessarily a problem. Plenty of support units are successful without causing meaningful damage. The issue is that the Phoenix also doesn’t quite reach the support impact of units like Samacris.
Where I think it remains relevant is access to Radiance of Life.
Basilea loves durable units. Basilea loves healing. Anything that improves grinding power is worth paying attention to.
The Phoenix gives you another way to access those effects without committing to a Warlord slot.
I haven’t spent enough table time with one in Fourth Edition to completely write it off, but at the moment I still struggle to justify it over other available choices.
Verdict: Useful support abilities held back by a profile that doesn’t seem fully committed to a single role.
Heavy Arbalest
Tier: C
Role: Budget Artillery
Optimal Shooting Damage vs Def 5: 1.33
Shooting Damage per Point: 1.66%
Unfortunately, the heavy Arbalest performes far below the Cannon in its primary role of ranged fire support. Where Cannons are a 2.5% damage per point, the Arbalest is only 1.66%.
The Cannon hits harder, offers more utility, and creates greater battlefield impact. In an elite army, twenty points isn’t nothing, but it’s usually manageable.
The only time I can reliably see myself taking one is when a list ends up just short of the points required for a Cannon upgrade.
Verdict: A reasonable budget choice that now in 4th edition has US 1. Always upgrade to the cannon if you can spare 20 pts.
Final Thoughts
For me, Elohi remain the gold standard. They are one of the best examples in Kings of War of a unit whose battlefield value greatly exceeds what basic statistics suggest. Every game they create opportunities, threaten flanks, pressure objectives, and force opponents to adjust their plans. Never leave home without them.
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