Using Balazar's Dominion for Wargaming | Trench Crusade

My latest obsession is Trench Crusade and like many, I’ve been deep in the lab building warbands and hunting for the right proxies to give each one a unique visual identity. One of the most flexible (and flavourful) warbands to build is the Court of the Seven-Headed Serpent (hereafter simply referred to as the Court of the Seven), and for today’s heretical TED Talk, we’ll focus on the Court of Seven: Lust.

The Court of the Seven’s Lust variant is widely considered one of the most powerful in the game, primarily due to its exceptional Blood Marker generation. And for those in the know understand: more Blood Markers = more Goetic magic.

On top of that, the Lust spell list includes an arguably overpowered ability that makes trap-setting and board control far easier, especially in objective-based scenarios where displacing enemy models is key. More on how I build out my warband (admittedly amateur) list-building later.

Now, entirely coincidentally (definitely not by design), Bestiarum’s August 2025 release – The Cabal of Languor – has a near-perfect aesthetic match for many units in this warband.

Before we dive in, here’s how I judged potential proxies:

1. Aesthetic Fit – Does it look right for the role?
   
   

2. Lustful Vibes – Does it scream demonic lust?
   
   

3. Size/Base Compatibility – Are we good on scale? (Resin printing makes this flexible.)
   
   

This guide doesn’t consider specific equipment loadouts, just visuals and lore alignment.

So… strap in. I have such sights to show you.

The Praetor

The demon commander. An arch-devil in regal ruin. The model must exude monstrous royalty. So, who/what would I choose;

Bekhetur, the Demon Princeling

Angelic wings, bone arms, twisted horns - this model oozes power and corrupted divinity. Honestly, across Bestiarum’s entire range, this is the Praetor proxy for me!

Selthara, Mistress of Obsession

No wings, but her commanding presence and infernal elegance make her a fantastic female alternative. Looks like she rules hell, not just survives in it. Exactly what you want your Praetor to scream.

The Sorcerer

Floating, self-mutilating goetic magic-wielders, fallen angels turned arcane abominations.

Weaver of Binding
Seated on a platform, this multi-armed figure with half of her head missing exudes twisted nobility. As a bonus, she comes with optional acolytes, which can double as Wretched (more on that later).

Vorukhan, Master of Liberation
Chest cavity ripped open, holding his own organs in one hand and a sword in another. Not floating, but he's suspended by his tentacle(s) (you read that right, good enough).

Hunter of the Left Hand Path

Agile assassins wielding organic horror weapons, think speed, elegance, and terror.

Cabal Assassin
Skin mask, skin cloak, balancing on a twisted weapon. Just perfect comparison against the TC lore. The weapon itself is pretty open for interpretation so it could proxy as a greatbow or melee build depending on your tastes.

Honourable mentions:

• Lamashtu, Scion of Suffering, Melee-focused, great flesh horror aesthetic.
• General Atraxes, Twisted, dripping flesh with a commanding pose.
• Voice of Lords, No weapons, but the skin cloaks and haunting presence work beautifully.

Hell Knights

Infernal champions encased in infernal armour, loyal only to hell’s nobility.

Exalted Warriors

Hulking, armour cladded beasts with sword, shield and axes options. The STL version of these beauties come modular allowing you to build the exact look you want based on the lists you have built.

Yoke Fiends

Horned, bestial demons with hooves and fury - your cannon fodder, your frontliners beating your wretched to create that goetic goodness.

Demonettes

Ten unique abominations with body horror bases. They scream demonic but their aesthetic plays into Lust perfectly. Ideal for massing terrifying foot troops in a Lust-themed warband.

Honourable mentions for a Smaller model count;

• Gladiator Ravager – Dual wielding, skinless, twisted beauty.

• Gladiator Sentinel – More armoured, but keeps that body horror edge.

These work great as duo Yoke Fiends or solo variants, depends on what you are aiming for.

The Wretched

Frail prisoners of the Court. Punching bags and bullet sponges who play a vital role in the battlefield.

Shattered Vessels

Packs of three: small, twisted, and utterly tragic. These fellas fit the aesthetic and scream they are held captive because of their sinful lust. You can play into the narrative really well with them.

If you are looking for some more variety;

• The Lesson – Better fit physically and visually.

• Bouffon, the Hunchback Jester – A storytelling gem; imagine a Wretched who entertains between battles. Has a face puppet. How can you not include this guy?

Editor's note: Those looking for other models outside of the Balazar collection may also consider our "Husks" models as an excellent, thematically fitting alternative for this unit.

Pit Locusts

Horse-sized hellbeasts - unrelenting, multi-attacking horrors.

Sanctified Ones

Not literal insects, but they sell the "demonic guard dog" look. If that guard dog was a former prisoner, slung into some corrupted armour which acts more bestial.

Multi-limbed and tentacled, their presence translates beautifully into the world of Trench Crusade (if you play around with narrative).

Desecrated Saint

The apex. A fallen saint, tortured and twisted into the warband’s unholy big gun.

Jericho, the Sonic Giant

Carries a trumpet, reimagined as a mockery of heaven’s call. Think: ex-voice of God turned heretical mouthpiece, echoing damnation across the field.

Visage of Many Griefs

Multiple arms, multiple faces, a symbolic rejection of divine truth. A terrifying centrepiece that screams both power and sin.

Quick disclosure, I’ve run this variation of the Court of the Seven three times so far. And… not to brag, but I’m yet to lose a game. Just saying. It is what it is… Now, onto the list.

As mentioned earlier, the goal with this warband is to keep those Blood Markers flowing. Why you ask? Because they power your Goetic spells, which in turn;

• Clear paths to objectives

• Remove or disengage enemy elites (Lust is particularly good at this!)

The weapons and equipment I’ve selected, especially the Crown of Hellfire, are designed to generate additional Blood Markers and punish those melee focused enemies, ensuring you’ve always got resources to fuel your spells.

This list is built using the standard 750 Ducat limit:

Praetor

• Goetic Powers:

  • Slave Master

  • Call of Flesh

• Weapons:

  • Ophidian Rifle

  • Headtaker

• Armour:

  • Reinforced

• Equipment:

  • Crown of Hellfire

Your frontline commander and big gun. Slave Master give you that extra turn with your Yoke fiends, while Call of Flesh gives you more board control.

Crown of Hellfire gives you that extra blood marker generator if you come into contact with a melee enemy.

Sorcerer

• Goetic Powers:

  • Call of Flesh

  • Burning Inferno

• Weapons:

  • Sword

• Armour:

  • Reinforced

• Equipment:

  • Crown of Hellfire

A mobile cannon to keep your units safe from a distance. Burning Inferno gives you crowd control, while Call of Flesh lets you set those traps and make your enemy move where you want them to.

As always… another Crown of Hellfire for punishment.

Hunter of the Left-Hand Path

• Weapons:

  • Bow of Lethe

  • Headtaker

• Armour:

  • Reinforced

• Equipment:

  • Crown of Hellfire

Speed, precision, and lethality. Bow of Lethe allows you to threaten key targets, while Headtaker ensures close combat options. The hunter is your jump in, jump out killer. You use him to control objectives and keep those areas out of range in order. And again, get your Crowns out…

Yoke Fiend

• Weapons:

  • Shotgun

  • Trench Shield

• Armour:

  • Standard

• Equipment:

  • Restraining Muzzle

Tough, disruptive, and a great objective holder. The shotgun + shield combo gives him utility and survivability. The Muzzle tops up its range which is optional if you want a more aggressive Yoke fiend on the board.

 2x Wretched

• Weapons:

  • Trench Club

Your sacrificial lambs. Use them to generate those blood markers for your elites. I tend to treat these as blood banks, they are my back up mechanism if ive used up all the blood markers from the enemy models. Cheap and useful, exactly what you want from your Wretched.

All in all you’ve got self-sustained economy of blood marker production going on with minimal effort, balanced out with a healthy balance of ranged aggression. A small warband with a heavy impact on the board.

The Court of the Seven is by no means a beginner-friendly warband, but once you’ve got a solid grasp of the Trench Crusade rules, it becomes a fantastic choice for both campaign play and one-off skirmishes.

As both a hobbyist and a gamer, I’ve had a blast building this warband and gradually discovering the right proxies to bring my Lust variation to life.

My advice? Start out with a more straightforward warband to learn the ropes, then step into the dark, delicious complexity of the Court and its many twisted variations.

And when you're ready…and you will be… Lust is the one. You already know.

For that build, Bestiarum’s Balazar's Dominion is an absolute goldmine. The aesthetic, the scale, the grotesque creativity - it’s all there. Perfect for anyone wanting to bring some forbidden flair to their Trench Crusade table.

Trust me, walk into game night with a few of these horrors on your board, and no one’s forgetting it anytime soon.

By Necreator

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This post was written by one of the lovely members of our community. If there's an article, guide or other feature you'd like to share, reach out to us at contact@bestiarumgames.com!

Editing by Sam Franquet