I have heard a few opinions on this but would like to hear a few more before I make up my mind. Right now I am leaning towards aslaran but any advice will be appreciated!

Aslaran is a good, solid all around choice. The only downside is, you'll be slightly squishy as far as knights go, but not unbearably so by any means. I find orclach to be pretty good for the job, as the racial toughness compensates a fair bit, however, mana kills are not your friend, and you'll never be a great influencer.

Really, if you're not certain, I'd go with Aslaran or even human. Taurian are also underappreciated- they have a solid mixture of statistics and benefits, without anything more serious than a lvl 1 magic penality.

Your might can be a factor... if your might is low, then you won't be fighting people with mana kills to begin with, in which case Orclach is probably the winner. The buff to speed bonuses makes me not 100% sure though; did Orclach get any buffs in the last round?

I loved aslaran for extra speed to make sure you got that tendon/slitthroat lock, never had any to get any runes thanks to the racial bonus.