UPDATE August 2026: The update and the new regiments have been added, and the classification has been changed to match the Nords article.
Hi everyone,
after having written tier lists for City States, Dweghom, and Nords over the past few months, one request kept coming up from our player group around Bremen and Bremerhaven: “Could you do something like this for the Sorcerer Kings as well?”
So this assessment is my very own personal opinion. It reflects how I evaluate the units in their roles, what impact they have on the game, and how they can be combined within the army. None of this has to be mathematically perfec, some things, like the Mahabmarati, I play simply because I think the models look great. That’s why they’re rated higher for me than they might be for others. <-- thats old, new Mahabharati are insane^^
A quick overview of the ratings, and then we’ll get started:
S-Tier:
Units that are considered overpowered due to their rules or efficiency. They are often seen as must-picks because they improve almost any list.
A-Tier:
These units are among the best in an army. They shine in their roles and often form the core of competitive tournament lists.
B-Tier:
Solid and well-rounded units with strengths and weaknesses. They perform their role well but have clear limitations. In my opinion, all regiments and characters should ideally fall into this category.
C-Tier:
Units that are rarely seen and seem inferior compared to similar options. They often have room for improvement but are still playable, just less efficient than their alternatives.
D-Tier:
Units that are considered unplayable or in urgent need of a rework. For new factions, this may be because they are waiting for synergies with future releases.
rten.
Faction Mechanics
Rituals
Rituals are now built up over several steps and then played as Command Cards. At the end of the Supremacy Phase, you choose a Ritual and begin collecting Ritual Markers for it. Spells and Regiments with the Elemental Conduit Draw Event provide these Markers for Rituals that share a Court with them. In addition, the first Ritual each round starts with a number of Ritual Markers equal to the current round number, up to a maximum of 5.
Once the Threshold is reached, the Ritual is completed and moves into your Command Stack in the following round.
Sorcerous Patronage & General Information on the Sorcerer Kings' Mages
All three types of characters, Maharajah, Raj, and Sorcerer, can choose a Court and automatically know all Spells and Rituals associated with that Court. The Spells only affect Regiments belonging to the same Court and are specifically designed to enhance the strength of the corresponding Element. None of the Paths is bad, and all of them offer very convincing buffs and offensive spells.
For the Sorcerer Kings, Dhanur and Rajakur can be taken as a fifth selection in a Warband. Brutes belonging to the same Court as the character count as Mainstays, providing a virtually free list-building option.
In addition, characters pass their Court on to Rajakur and Mortals, while the Warlord passes their Court on to the Mahabharati and Ghols.
Therefore, it is important to make sure that your preferred buffs are affecting the right units. At the moment, however, most players tend to run mono-element lists in order to make the synergies within their chosen Court as effective as possible.
Characters
Maharajah, B-Tier and A-Tier as Warlord
For 120 points, the Maharajah brings Wizard 8, Resolve 4, and a solid melee profile, making him enjoyable to play based on his stats alone. However, the main reason to take him is his Supremacy. It not only allows him to choose a second Court, but also lets him start a new Ritual with a different Court after completing a Ritual. This gives you the opportunity to add up to three additional cards to your deck. This comes with both advantages and disadvantages, but due to the effects of most Rituals, it is generally considered more of a benefit.
His second major strength is his role as the preferred Mahut rider. This makes the Mahut one of the most reliable anchors in the game while also providing a solid combination of magic and support. Although he is almost always taken as the Warlord in this setup, this would be the only way I would consider running him as a non-Warlord.
Raj, A-Tier and C-Tier as Warlord
For 100 points, the Raj brings everything you would expect from a solid battle mage: Wizard 7, Resolve 4, and Flurry. This often makes him my first choice among the characters, as he casts reliably, is flexible, and, like all mages, can freely choose his Court.
However, I now only consider his Supremacy interesting in the Court of Air. There, it grants Opportunist to all Court of Air Elementals, resulting in a noticeable increase in damage output. In the other Courts, the requirements for his Supremacy are either too cumbersome or too rarely relevant, making him a poor choice as a Warlord in those cases.
My favorite place for the Raj is among Ghols from the Court of Fire. Together with them and Molten Blades, he can reliably wipe out MSU Regiments while simultaneously providing cheap and mobile magical support.
The most popular build at the moment, however, is Raj with Bound to the Elements and Prijm Khanjar. This allows him to join any Regiment belonging to his Court and adopt its Unit Type. This turns a solid melee fighter into a beast with 9 Attacks, Flurry, Flawless Strikes, and 3 Impacts, all for only 135 points.
Overall, the Raj is the most flexible and probably the strongest all-rounder among the characters. His greatest strength lies in the combination of his low cost, reliable magic, and the ability to use him in very different ways depending on the list.
Mahabharati Sardar, D-Tier
For his points cost, the Sardar simply does not bring enough to the table, making him the weakest character in the faction. He exemplifies several fundamental design problems: he is too expensive, inefficient, and clearly outperformed by the other characters. On top of that, you generally do not want to spend Ritual Tokens on the relatively small buff he provides to Rajakur or Mahabharati, even though I consider the buff itself quite solid.
The Sardar does not generate Ritual Tokens, has the least appealing and only restricted Warband, and his buffs only affect a small number of units, such as Rajakur or Mahabharati Initiates. At the same time, alternatives such as the Raj or Maharajah are cheaper, more flexible, have higher Resolve, and are stronger offensively.
The Flank rule added with the update can slightly improve his effectiveness, but it is not enough to compensate for his fundamental weaknesses. As a result, the Sardar remains difficult to justify in most lists.
Overall, he is practically only played in highly restrictive or experimental lists. For a standard competitive list, there is little reason to choose him over the other characters.
Sorcerer, B-Tier and B-Tier as Warlord
At 90 points, the Sorcerer is the budget mage of the Sorcerer Kings. She provides a full Wizard with a free choice of Court, but has a weak melee profile in return. Her role is therefore primarily to provide cheap magical support and additional list-building options.
She is generally taken for one of two reasons: either because of her powerful, but list-restricting Supremacy, or because she provides an inexpensive way to unlock an additional Warband.
Since the update, she also has the same range as the Dhanur. Especially in the Court of Water, this makes her a solid buffer for the Regiment she joins, while still allowing her to contribute some damage of her own.
Regiments
Dhanur Disciples, C-Tier
Since the justified nerf to the Court of Wind Spells and their reduced range, they have disappeared from almost every list. If they were a Light Regiment, we would probably see them taken in pairs more often, but in their current form, they simply do not offer enough to the faction. The first picks in Rounds 2 and 3 are always occupied, meaning they only arrive on the battlefield relatively late. By that point in the game, they are often already obsolete.
On top of that, they are one of only two Regiments in the faction that do not generate Ritual Markers. This makes it even harder to integrate them effectively into a list.
If you still see a few Regiments of them being played, they are usually accompanied by a Court of Water Sorcerer, who has a reasonable chance of granting the Regiment Aimed Shot with Lamellar Flow. Whether that is worth 220 points, however, is another question entirely.
Efreet Flamecaster, C-Tier
The Efreet Flamecasters are the ranged version of the Court of Fire's Medium Brutes. Since the Chios update, however, they have suffered some significant setbacks: Homing Winds and Lamellar Flow can no longer be cast on them, and they only gain Rapid Volley when they themselves are Inflamed. At the same time, they can no longer set enemy Regiments on fire with their ranged attacks.
As a result, they usually score only 5 to 6 hits without Aiming, or around 8 with Rapid Volley. Considering their range of only 14", this is simply not enough for 170 points. These factors severely limit both their damage potential and their role in the activation sequence. On top of that, only one Fiery Dominion is available per round, the Ritual that sets the army on fire and heals it.
While you can still occasionally see one or two Regiments of them, they are increasingly disappearing from competitive lists. Without further adjustments, there are currently very few reasons to take them.
Efreet Sword Dancer, A-Tier
The Sword Dancers are the Court of Fire's Medium melee Regiment and one of the best value-for-points units in the army book. They have the potential to generate more hits than almost any other Regiment and remain effective even against Dread Regiments or in Hindering Terrain thanks to Relentless Blows.
With the fire Ritual Fiery Dominion, they can heal themselves and go from moderately durable units to genuinely tough Regiments. Molten Blades provides additional damage and Inflamed. The fact that Inflamed activates the Juggernaut rule, allowing them to charge 11" automatically, rounds out the package nicely.
The only downside is that there is really no way to get them onto the battlefield any faster. Your opponent therefore always knows exactly how far they can advance in a given round.
Ghols, B-Tier
The Ghols are the only and therefore often essential Light option available to the Sorcerer Kings, while also being the cheapest Regiment in the faction. They are usually used as cannon fodder or as a living screen, but they can also carry Characters, which is particularly useful in the Court of Fire.
With Movement 5 and Vanguard 4, they get onto the table early and protect important troops while simultaneously generating Ritual Tokens. Buffs from the Court of Fire, such as Molten Blades or Fiery Dominion, significantly increase their damage output and make them dangerous against almost any Regiment. Adding a Raj to the unit increases the threat even further.
Despite this offensive potential, they remain fragile, as Defense 2 and Resolve 2 make them vulnerable to practically everything, including ranged attacks.
Typically, two units are played, while mono-Fire armies can field up to four in order to make effective use of their Characters and get the most out of the unit.
Mahabharati Initiates, S-Tier with Fire, A-Tier in the Other Courts
The Mahabharati Initiates are an inexpensive Medium Infantry Regiment that excels primarily in direct engagements against units above their own price range. Cleave and Linebreaker give them enough punch to reliably threaten durable melee units such as Knights or Praetorians.
Since the update, they also have Tenacious 1, giving them an additional point of durability and ensuring that they do not simply collapse at the first sign of contact. Once you have two or more units, the 35 points for Recorder of all Deeds are always worth spending and should also be purchased by the Warlord.
They always count as belonging to the Court of their respective Warlord and receive buffs based on the Court they belong to. Fire granting them Juggernaut is particularly absurdly good.
An important point, because many people play this incorrectly: Earth's Regeneration is a Draw Event, just like Elemental Conduit, and therefore cannot be used in the same round as Elemental Conduit. Regeneration also happens before Bravery, meaning it cannot be used to heal Broken Regiments.
Another advantage of the Mahabharati is that enemy Spells have a harder time affecting them, while their own Spells automatically succeed.
Mahut, C-Tier without Rider, A-Tier with Rider
For me, the Mahut is one of the least appealing models in the faction. It is slow, deals comparatively little damage, and is also a Heavy, which further limits its applications.
As a Medium Monster, it would probably be considerably more interesting, as it fundamentally provides something the faction otherwise lacks: durability. However, the combination of melee and ranged options feels somewhat incoherent.
What makes the Mahut playable nonetheless, and the reason I brought one to a tournament again after the latest update, is the Mastery Favored of Hormus, which allows a Maharajah, or theoretically even a Sorcerer, to ride the Mahut.
In this configuration, the Mahut loses its Barrage value, which was rarely useful anyway, but gains Terrifying 1 and effectively becomes Untouchable. The Mage has to belong to the Court of Earth, but the situational support Spells of the Earth Path have so far always been solid and consistently useful.
Marid Apsara, A-Tier
The spellcasting variant of our two new Water Monsters is an expensive, mobile buff bot with solid damage potential. All Court of Water Regiments receive bonuses while standing in water. But what if there is no water on the table? No problem. Within 8", friendly Regiments with the Water Elemental Rule count as being in water, allowing them to trigger all Rituals and special effects.
On top of that, she is Wizard 7 with Aqueous Branding, which improves the Spells of other Wizards. She also has access to Untouchable herself. Combined with her ability to make enemies count as being in water when performing Clash Actions, this can make her surprisingly durable.
In addition, all Water Regiments can choose a unit-specific ability each round. The Apsara has the choice between a free Spell and additional range on her Spells.
All of this is nice, but does not necessarily justify her Heavy classification. However, she has the option to bring another Water Regiment onto the battlefield with Tidal Summons, allowing you to reliably have two Heavies on the table by Round 3.
Marid Lancer, B-Tier
I am generally not a fan of Impact Cavalry in the game, and the Sorcerer Kings' version is no exception. They also have a special Tidal rule, allowing them to choose at the start of their activation between +2 Impacts or Brutal Impact +1. The latter is only better in a few exceptional situations.
At least they have Vanguard, allowing them to actively contest zones, and they also gain Juggernaut if they begin their Charge in water. This creates a great synergy with the Apsara. However, the best thing about them is that they give the Sorcerer Kings something they previously lacked: they can deliver melee hits through a unit that otherwise has no Reach, which is often interesting enough to make them worth considering.
Marid Sahar, B-Tier
Relatively expensive, but blessed with plenty of synergies thanks to the new Water Regiments and made even more interesting by Aqueous Branding. Their very short range of 12" for both their ranged attacks and Spell is initially a disadvantage. In return, they gain either +2 Wizard or +2 Barrage each round, which also makes them useful in matchups with a lot of Interference.
However, you should get rid of the idea that this Regiment can do enough on its own. Without support, even their defensive profiles run out of steam very quickly.
Marid Shaytan, A-Tier
In theory, it should always be more efficient to play two Apsaras, but the Shaytan has 15 Attacks, Cleave 2, and Terrifying 2 and that is just fun. Lots of fun.
With Movement 8, she gets into zones immediately, enemies count as being in water for Clash Actions, and her Aura grants Water Regiments Terrifying +1, bringing herself up to Terrifying 2.
Together with the Apsara, the Shaytan can also become very durable and reliably make it onto the battlefield. If she ever has no worthwhile Charge and cannot Clash, she still has the option to double her Impact value instead of gaining additional Attacks and then crash into the enemy with 12 Impacts. She will usually survive the Echo, but the opponent will not survive the Clash that follows.
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Rajakur, C-Tier
The Rajakur are solid Medium Infantry units that are well protected against light ranged attacks and occasional attacks thanks to their Shield and Hardened 1. This would normally make them a good choice for holding zones or safely bringing Characters onto the battlefield.
Unfortunately, they only have Movement 5, which is usually not enough to reach zones even with Vanguard from Recorder of All Deeds. On top of that, they do not generate Ritual Tokens, and Wizards can now be assigned to other Regiments. As a result, they are almost exclusively used as a larger block with a Mage who has Elemental Feedback as their Mastery, allowing the unit to be healed.
With a Maharajah Warlord from the Court of Air or Fire, you can additionally cast Molten Blades and Air Step on them, making them genuinely threatening. The problem remains, however, that the respective Courts usually have better options that also generate Ritual Tokens.
Rakshasa Bakasura, C-Tier
One of the two large Court of Fire Monsters. Unfortunately, he is a Heavy with only Movement 7, meaning he cannot reach zones directly.
His special rules do allow him to reliably threaten Regiments with Characters at 11", or even 15" while Inflamed. He needs this increased threat range, because his actual damage output is not remotely proportional to his high points cost.
However, the significantly greater threat range compared to the other melee units of the Court of Fire allows him to apply somewhat more pressure. This is why he has started appearing in the occasional Sorcerer Kings list again.
Rakshasa Ravanar, C-Tier
For me, currently the stronger of the two Court of Fire Monsters, but he suffers even more from Movement 7, as his additional Charge bonus only works against Monsters.
On paper, Fiend Hunter looks excellent, but in reality, many Monsters in Para Bellum currently have Evasion 2, Fearless, or similar defensive effects that make them almost immune to the profile that should naturally be their counter.
As a result, the Ravanar tends to prefer Brutes in practice. He handles them reasonably well as long as he gets the first strike. Even so, he feels roughly 10% too expensive to be truly efficient, as Hubris will presumably never allow him to also gain +3 to Charge against Brutes.
Steelheart Djinn, B-Tier
The Steelhearts are the obligatory Medium Brute melee Regiment of the Court of Air. With five Attacks, Cleave 2, and three Impacts, they offer a good balance of offensive power and quality while remaining points-efficient.
Their Movement 7 makes them fairly mobile, but it is often not enough to reach zones directly. They also have no rules that make their Charges more reliable, such as Unstoppable. As a result, they often rely on good positioning or the Air Spell Air Step, which increases their Charge range somewhat. This dependence on Spells limits their independence to some extent. Both On Soaring Winds and the Air Elemental special rule are too situational and awkwardly worded to have a decisive impact very often.
RAW, one could argue that Soaring Winds actually consists of two separate Actions, while the Evasion bonus from Air Elemental is only triggered by Move Actions and not by Reform or Charge Actions.
Nevertheless, seeing two to four Regiments in mono-Air armies is quite common.
Trinavarta Chandavat, B-Tier
As a Medium Monster, he is fast enough to reach most zones directly from Reinforcements. With 16 Wounds, Defense 3, Evasion 2, or 3 after moving, and Resolve 4, he is already reasonably durable. Thanks to Tenacious 1, he is particularly resilient against ranged attacks when in Cover, forcing the opponent to engage him in melee. And that is exactly where he is just as dangerous as he is at 12" range.
Each round, he can throw up to 18 dice at enemy Regiments. He can also generate additional hits when those Regiments are in contact with a Wind Regiment, such as the Chandavat itself. Unfortunately, he requires support from the Wind Rituals, which are no longer quite as impressive as they once were. However, two well-played Chandavats can single-handedly dominate an entire flank against the right opponent.
Trinavarta Sabhagrih, C-Tier
The Trinavarta Sabhagrih is the second Medium Monster of the Court of Air and closely resembles the Chandavat in both profile and appearance. However, he carries two swords, cannot cast Spells or make ranged attacks, and is 20 points cheaper.
In the current meta, I consider the Sabhagrih only situationally useful. While he is one of the few Regiments in the faction that can reach a zone directly from Reinforcements, the damage he can potentially deal is simply too low for his points cost.
With Elemental Tether, however, he has a valuable ability that allows a Court of Air Spellcaster to cast buffs on friendly Regiments within 8" of the Sabhagrih. These do not necessarily have to be Court of Air Spells. This allows the Sorcerer Kings' powerful buffs to be brought to flanks where no Mage is present or where you do not want to commit one.
His main problem, however, is that he has no Cleave option and for 220 points achieves “only” 12 normal hits in the Clash. Therefore, the Chandavat is generally preferable to the Sabhagrih for only 20 additional points.
Windborne Djinn, C-Tier
The Windborne Djinn are the Medium ranged Regiment of the Court of Air. For 170 points, they only provide three shots per Stand, making their cost-to-performance ratio look significantly worse than it should.
Even with 18" range, Volley 3, and Armor Piercing 1, their damage potential is simply too low for their points cost. They are reasonably durable for a ranged Regiment, but desperately need buffs to contribute effectively. The main source of support for this is the Court of Air Raj's Supremacy ability, which grants Opportunist to all Court of Air Regiments.
With these supporting buffs, the Windborne Djinn become a more interesting ranged Regiment, although they remain too expensive for what they ultimately bring to the table.
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How to get started with the Sorcerer Kings
The currently best entry point into the Sorcerer Kings is the Supercharged Starter Box 2025. It offers outstanding value for money, as even the Ravanar or Bakasura multi-kit combined with the Sorcerer costs almost as much as the entire box. In addition, the box includes three other regiments that cover different roles and meaningfully complement the core of the army. Depending on the build, you get around 750 points, and the set costs roughly 128 euros at Kutami, for example. A second box can be worthwhile, but playing two Heavies at the same time is not ideal for every playstyle. Both large monsters can be built in either variant, allowing flexibility. Many players prefer the Bakasura, but ultimately it comes down to personal preference.
After the starter box, the army should be expanded strategically. Almost always, a second character is needed. Raj or Maharajah are especially recommended, as both are strong mages and valuable support for any list. In general, all three wizard characters of the Sorcerer Kings are very solid.
Ghols are also indispensable. One to two boxes should be planned for. They serve as protection for important units, generate ritual tokens, and benefit greatly from Molten Blades, allowing them to deal far more damage than their point cost would suggest.
Next comes the expansion with Medium Brutes. Around five boxes is a good benchmark. Whether you take only Efreets or two boxes of Steelheart Djinn largely depends on personal preference, as both options work well. For additional selections, it is currently recommended to play at most one regiment of Flamecasters and ideally avoid Windborne Djinn, as they fall noticeably behind the other options in the faction.
With this combination of the starter box, an additional character, Ghols, and Brutes, you get a strong, versatile, and competitive entry into the world of Sorcerer Kings, whether you want to play a mixed Wind and Fire list or prefer a more fire-focused approach.
Sorcerer Kings [2000/2000]
== Sorcerer [110]: Dancing Scimitar, Court of Fire
* Ghols (3)
[110]: Court of Fire
* Rakshasa
Bakasura (1) [250]:
* Efreet
Flamecasters (3) [170]:
== (Warlord) Maharajah [130]: Shu'laat, Court of
Fire, Court of Air
* Ghols (3)
[110]: Court of Fire
*
Steelheart Djinn (3) [170]:
*
Steelheart Djinn (3) [170]:
* Dhanur
Disciples (3) [140]:
== Raj [130]: Prijm Khanjar, Court of Fire, Bound
to the Elements
* Efreet
Sword Dancers (3) [170]:
* Efreet
Sword Dancers (3) [170]:
* Efreet
Sword Dancers (3) [170]:
At Kutami, this comes to roughly 440 euros for 2000 points. Of course, you can get it cheaper during a sale or with some substitutions.
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