Basilea Warlord Review
One of the things I enjoy most about Basilea is that the Warlord section doesn’t feel like a simple exercise in finding the biggest combat monster available. Every Warlord brings something different to the table. Some are force multipliers, many have exceptional speed, some unlock entirely new army builds, and a few can legitimately change how you construct your list.
While Basilea has access to some impressive combat characters, I generally find that the best Warlords in the army are the ones that make the rest of the army better. Basilea already has plenty of excellent combat units in Elohi, Paladins, and Monster Slayers. The question is usually not whether you can find enough damage, but rather which Warlord best enables the army around them.
Let’s take a look at each option.
Gnaeus Sallustis
Tier: S
Role: Command Support Warlord
Cost: 240 | Nerve: 17 | Defense: 5 | Speed: 9
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 3.11 | Durability Index: 5,780 | Unit Index: 41.9
I was excited to get Gnaeus on the table when Fracture released, and he has since become a staple in almost every Basilean list I build.
The reason is simple. Basilea gained some incredibly powerful command abilities in Fracture, and Gnaeus can issue two of them every turn. That alone gets my attention.
Speed 9 allows him to keep pace with virtually every important element in the army and get those commands where they matter most. Def 5, high nerve, and Fearless make him durable enough that opponents usually have bigger problems to deal with than hunting him down.
What pushes him into S Tier is that he improves the units Basilea already wants to take. Elohi get better. Paladins get better. Monster Slayers get better. He doesn’t require a special army build or force you into a particular playstyle. He simply makes good Basilean units better.
I’ve also found that opponents frequently underestimate his impact. They focus on dragons, Elohi, and cavalry while Gnaeus quietly influences multiple combats every turn. Because he isn’t an Individual, he can also contribute meaningful flank and rear charges when opportunities appear.
Verdict: The benchmark Basilean Warlord and usually the first one I consider when building a list.
Samacris, Mother of Phoenixes
Tier: A
Role: Mobile Support Warlord
Cost: 265 | Nerve: 16 | Defense: 5 | Speed: 10
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 1.00 Melee / 2.22 Shooting | Durability Index: 5,120 | Unit Index: 22.9
I find myself liking Samacris more every time I play her.
At first glance, the damage profile looks terrible. One wound in melee and just over two from shooting isn’t what most people expect from a 265-point centerpiece character.
The thing is, that’s not why you’re taking her.
Heal (6) and Radiance of Life become surprisingly valuable in an army full of Defense 5 units. The longer the game goes, the more opportunities she has to generate value through healing and support. Unlike many support characters, she’s also extremely difficult to pin down.
What really stands out to me is her objective play. Speed 10, Fly, and Unit Strength 2 gives her incredible reach in the later turns of a game. Several times I’ve won scenarios simply because Samacris could threaten objectives that my opponent thought were safe.
I also appreciate that she doesn’t require any specific army build. If you’re already bringing durable elite units, she’ll find useful work to do.
Verdict: Her damage doesn’t justify the points. Everything else does.
Jullius, Dragon of Heaven
Tier: A
Role: Flying Utility Warlord
Cost: 320 | Nerve: 17 | Defense: 6 | Speed: 10
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 3.89 Melee / 1.78 Shooting | Durability Index: 11,560 | Unit Index: 62.1
Jullius is a character I’ve gone back and forth on several times.
As far as I know, he’s the only Defense 6 flying character in Kings of War, which immediately makes him unique. Most flying monsters eventually die if enough resources get pointed at them. Jullius is considerably harder to remove.
The tradeoff is offensive output.
Almost four wounds into Defense 5 is respectable, but it isn’t what most players expect from a flying dragon-sized centerpiece. If you’re looking for raw damage there are certainly more efficient options available.
What keeps him in A Tier for me is the flexibility he creates during list construction. Being able to make Elohi Regiments Specialist opens up army builds that simply don’t exist otherwise.
I also think his defensive profile often generates more value than the damage statistics suggest. A Defense 6 flyer can take risks that most flying monsters cannot.
Verdict: Not the hardest-hitting Warlord available, but one of the most unique.
High Paladin
Tier: B
Role: Cavalry Enabler
Cost: 160 | Nerve: 15 | Defense: 5 | Speed: 5
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 2.00 | Durability Index: 4,500 | Unit Index: 35.2
The High Paladin is a solid character that mostly suffers from competing with stronger options.
His personal combat profile is fairly average, but that’s not really why you’re taking him. Holy Edict extending command range out to 15 inches is genuinely useful in an army that increasingly rewards proper command management.
The other major reason to consider him is his ability to make Paladin Knight Regiments Core. Just like Jullius enables Elohi builds, the High Paladin opens the door to cavalry-heavy Basilean armies.
I almost always purchase the mount if points allow. The additional speed dramatically increases the area he can influence and makes it much easier to keep pace with the units he’s supporting. The mounted version is usually the stronger choice.
Even with the upgrade, I don’t think he reaches the level of Gnaeus or some of Basilea’s premier Warlords, but he enables army builds that few other characters can.
Verdict: A good support piece that enables cavalry-heavy lists.
High Paladin on Dragon
Tier: B
Role: Dragon Combat Warlord
Cost: 320 | Nerve: 19 | Defense: 5 | Speed: 10
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 5.56 Melee / 2.20 Shooting | Durability Index: 7,220 | Unit Index: 55.4
I really want to rank this model higher.
Like most Kings of War players, I love dragons. They look incredible on the table and immediately become the focal point of the army.
The funny thing is the statistics are actually very respectable. Nearly six wounds into Defense 5 is good damage output, and the overall profile is durable enough to survive longer than many flying monsters.
The problem isn’t the profile.
The problem is my actual experience using dragons. Titanic bases often create positioning issues that don’t show up on paper. I tend to find flanks and favorable charges much more consistently with Elohi, Ur-Elohi, or Jullius.
That doesn’t make the dragon bad. It simply means I’ve struggled to get the same value from it that I expected when I first read the profile.
There are certainly players who will have more success with him than I have.
Verdict: Strong profile and fantastic model, but not my preferred way to spend 300+ points.
Abbess
Tier: C
Role: Sisterhood Support Warlord
Cost: 130 | Nerve: 14 | Defense: 4 | Speed: 5
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 2.33 | Durability Index: 2,607 | Unit Index: 36.0
The Abbess really only becomes interesting once you start building heavily into Sisterhood units.
Aura (Brutal +1) for Sisterhood units has some value, and making Panther Lancer Regiments Core can help unlock a different style of army. Outside of that niche, though, I struggle to find a reason to take her.
The damage output is actually fairly respectable for the points. In fact, it compares favorably to several characters ranked above her.
The issue isn’t offensive efficiency.
The issue is that other Basilean Warlords bring more impactful support abilities, stronger command options, or list-building benefits that apply more broadly across the faction.
I almost always upgrade to the Gur Panther mount when possible. Speed 9 dramatically improves her usefulness and makes it much easier to keep pace with Sisterhood units. If I’m taking an Abbess, that’s generally the version I’ll be playing.
Verdict: Primarily useful in dedicated Sisterhood armies, and usually worth mounting if points are available.
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