Pilot Operations Manual Volume 3. Basileios
Quick Glance
Signature Card: Prescient Biograft
Mobility: Low
Scrapping Power: Low
Purchase Power: High
Upgrade Speed: Fast
Flagship Survivability: High
"I would rather die having spoken in my manner, than speak in your manner and live"
Basileios is the resident gun-runner of the Strike Force. Not only does he ramp up his Energy count quickly making him an ideal candidate for Flagship tanking and scrapping large ships during engagments, but being a War-Spectre gives him access to some nice buffs for allies and debuffs for enemies. This is a quick building ship with some great utility options and buying power, making Basileios a well rounded asset for any team.
Primary Mission Objectives:
Your primary mission objective will revolve around gaining as much energy as quickly as you can to tank Opp boots and possibly the Flagship when it comes out.
Secondary objectives include making the most of Synergistic Relay and Tendril-Held Ionizer for buffing/debuffing. Elaborate Munitions allows you to regain install bonuses on certain techs (like Tendril Atomizer or Ionizer)
Station Cards and Manipulation Options:
Just like Grey Hammer, Basileios is going to focus 90% of his attention, especially early-mid game, on nothing but Tech cards. The problem with buying Boosts lays within Prescient Biograft. The more boosts in your deck, the less effective Prescient Biograft becomes. Not only do you decrease the chance of drawing 2 extra techs to install, but the boosts you did buy go right back to the bottom of your deck, sitting there and causing deck bloat and slowing you down. Figuring out how to put your deck in the best position to use Biograft is the key to a well played Basileios
Energy Techs: Standard affair stuff. Any Energy granting tech is going to be beneficial for Basileios, especially ones with install bonuses like the Fine-tuned Target HUD or Energized Ordinance. As much as Basileios loves these cards and has the means to buy them, keep in mind that you have more than a few ways to gain energy outside of these techs where some of your team members may not. Teamwork and cooperation are important when buying in the same sector as others.
Non-Energy Techs: Basileios has a big advantage here, as he has no problem at all with buying non-energy techs that other ships just have very little reason to clog their deck with. Even things like Cloak Drive or OSC Waypoint that Basileios will not activly use often can always be scrapped and turned into Energy through Kathusian Reclaimator, so any installed tech can be utilized.
Boosts: Boots, as I mentioned above, should be avoided early-mid game if you can help it. Sometimes you are just going to have to buy that Harassing Assault thats just sitting on top of the first station deck so it won't flip, but just keep in mind where it is so Biograft doesn't pull them and recycle it further down. Boarding Party can always be helpful, but you might find it more helpful when allowed to flip. Once you get into the End-Game, start buying up things like Strike Force Tactics to pick off an extra ship, or Desperate Measures once your energy pool substansial enough, as they will all help with scrapping outside of your engagment.
Manipulation: Without extra movment options from bought Techs and Boosts, you will normally be limited to buying in the sector you travel to during the travel phase. Basileios has a very healthy wallet to buy those more expensive techs that can flip into nasty things. Bad Reputation is kinda your trump card when it comes to station manipulation. After you buy everything you want, Bad Reputation can instantly get rid of any really nasty cards that will flip in the Aftermath and net you a free card in your deck. Your focus will be more on Tech you want rather than manipulating the bad stuff away, but keep it in mind as you choose when or if to use Bad Reputation.
Opposition Intel:
The Syndicate: Command Vessels suck. Not only do they make it very hard to purchase as many Techs as possible, but high weaponry makes it hard for others to engage it unscathed. You should have very little trouble being the Primary for the Cryoshade. Once you have enough weaponry to start eating away at 10+ shields, force it out and start wailing on it.
Nyotan: Technovore Servants have tastey targets since the bounty allow him more techs. Harbingers should die as soon as possible. Nyotan himself has some very high weaponry values. You will want a good mix of shields and weaponry if you are planning on being the primary engager for it, so make sure you only clear a sector when you are good and ready.
Singularity: You will need to build as fast as humanly possible, because like you, Singularity can build at a soul crushing speed once deployed. Focus less on Ionizer debuffs and more on Atomizer buffs for this reason (unless you are using it to help scrap Primes). You have the build speed to keep pace with Singularity which is a huge asset so keep that as your focus.
Technovores: Especially when playing Elite Mode, Technovores will be annoying as they eat away at all the techs you bought and installed. Basileios has a bunch of ways to add energy to his ship panel rather than having it all concentrated on his techs which is very helpful. Keep your install pace up and you should have no trouble taking down Hive-Master when it appears.
UFGD: Basileos can't scrap ships outside of engagments without help, and with the rate that the UFGD deploys ships, Basileos will be at a slight disadvantage early game. You will have to stave off total overrun long enough until you are able to make a pass at the Flagship and hope your teamates can help keep them contained.
Strike Force Team-ups:
Flagship Support: Basileios makes for a great Flagship engager because of how quick he can build up energy and debuff weaponry. Bringing other kinds of support will be really great as you start chiping away. BjarlSpire and Conclave make excellent teamates to back up Basileios when making passes at the Flagship.
Station Manipulation Support: Basileios does not provide consistent station manipulation because of his particular aversion to Boosts and low movement. Your best station manipulators are Wrath and Marots Folly, who both possess the movement and purchasing power to be incredibly effective at dictating exactly whats going to flip in the Aftermath. Conclave and Vigilance lack extra movement but all boast significant bankrolls to effect the sector they are in. Claw has the movement to manipulate hard to reach sectors but will rarely have the bankroll to buy anything on a whim.
Scrap Support: Basileios lacks the ability to scrap ships outside of engagment, so anyone who can bring that utility is awesome. The Claw, Tharendim, and Grey Hammer are you're best teamates to up the scrap rate. Claw can reposition Opposition ships and outright scrap others regardless of its total energy. Tharendim just needs shields to be low enough and can scrap normal Opp ships regardless of total energy as well. Hammer just bashes on anything it sees fit with its bombs. Warbeast is not very far behind and can even exceed Hammer in total energy damage done, but Warbeast likes to spread that damage out to multiple ships in crowded sectors where as Grey Hammer prefers to hammer down single ships at a time.