Generals listed for F2P players assume that you will only rune the first three specialty skills and may not unlock the 4th (due to the amount of time that it would require to unlock without buying packs).
PVP Generals
In general, you should acquire and develop your PVP generals in this order: range, ground, mounted.
For players who are mostly F2P (Free to play – don’t buy lots of packs):
- PVP Ranged Generals
- Elektra (packs, relics)
- Minamoto no Yoshitsune (Tavern, chest)
- PVP Ground Generals
- Trajan (Tavern)
- PVP Mounted General
- Roland (Tavern, relic)
- Hannibal (Tavern, relic, packs)
- Martinus (Tavern, chest)
For Players who spend money to buy packs:
- PVP Ranged Generals
- Simeon the Great (packs)
- Alfred (packs)
- Elektra (packs, relics)
- PVP Ground Generals
- Scipio (packs)
- Elise (packs)
- PVP Mounted General
- Hannibal (Tavern, relic, packs)
- Martinus (Tavern, chest)
Although there are other generals you may obtain that are in the top 5, we recommend waiting until you get one of the generals on this list. Once you’ve invested runes into a general, you aren’t likely to change, but you may regret your decision if you make it too quickly.
Wall Generals
There are a number of specialized wall generals, but we recommend starting with a Ranged or Ranged+Siege wall general.
Follow that with a ground specialized wall general.
For players who are largely F2P (Free to play – don’t buy lots of packs)
- Wall Ranged or Ranged+Siege Generals
- George Dewey (Tavern, chest)
- Zachary Taylor (chest, packs)
- Minamoto no Yoshitsune (Tavern, chest)
- Siege Generals
- Tran Hung Dao (Tavern)
- Wall Ground Generals
- Trajan (Tavern)
For Players who spend money to buy packs
- Wall Ranged or Ranged+Siege Generals
- Leo III (packs)
- George Dewey (Tavern, chest)
- Zachary Taylor (chest, packs)
- Wall Ground Generals
- Leonidas I (packs)
Duty Generals
Duty Generals can be set on different buildings within your keep once you have upgraded them to the necessary levels. Although you can set any general with high enough stats, there are some that will provide an additional buff when set at the correct location.
Once you have specific duty officers, do not use skill books on them and do not build gear for them. Only level them up and cultivate them to meet the duty officer requirements.
A trick to get them up to a higher level is to put gear on them, and then remove it after they are in the duty spot. They will not be removed when the gear is removed and you will retain the higher duty officer bonus.
Some duty officers may have specialty skills (unlocked with runes) that apply when the duty officer is in place. These specialty skills will include the phrase “Applied to (xxxxx) Officer”. These should be ignored until you have fully runed your PVP generals, defense generals, and applicable subordinate city generals.
If you do not have these generals, plan on moving your PVP generals or monster hunting generals in between your buildings as duty officers depending on the activity you are doing. Remember that the duty officer only has to be in place when you start an activity to get the extra buffs. Once you have started the activity you can remove or move that duty officer and you will not lose the buffs.
- Keep
- Menshikov – When the General is the Keep Officer, the construction speed in the city will increase by 20%.
- Zhuge Liang – When the General is the Keep Officer, the construction speed in the city will increase by 20%.
- Ashoka – Increases ranged troops’ attack by 20% and reduces enemy ground troops’ HP by 15% when General is the Keep Officer.
- Wall
- Shajar al-Durr – Increases the resource production speed in the Main City by 100% and the Food protected from troop upkeep by 200% when General is the Main City Defense General.
- Academy
- Eulji Mundeok – Increases research speed by 20% when General is the Academy Officer.
- Rally Spot
- Toyotomi Hideyoshi – Increases March Size by 5% and attacking troops’ attack and HP by 5% when General is the Rally Spot Officer.
- Archer Tower
- Ban Chao – Reduces enemy mounted troops’ attack by 20% and increases your in city ranged troops’ attack by 20% when General is the Archer Tower Officer.
- Archer Camp
- John I of Portugal – Increases ranged troops’ attack, defense and HP by 5%, and ranged troops’ training speed by 20% when General is the Archer Camp Officer.
- Barracks
- Abd al-Rahman I – Increases ground troops’ attack, defense and HP by 5%, and ground troops’ training speed by 20% when General is the Barracks Officer.
- Stables
- Oleg of Novgorod – Increases Mounted Troop Attack, Defense and HP by 5% when General is the Stables Officer, and also increases Mounted Troop Training speed by 20%.
- Stilicho – Increases mounted troops’ attack by 15% and mounted troops’ defense and HP by 10% when General is the Stables Officer.
- Workshop
- Gwon Ryul – Increases siege machines’ attack, defense and HP by 5% and siege machines’ training speed by 20% when General is the Workshop Officer.
- Trap Factory
- Askia Muhammad I – Reduces the Gem and resource cost of siege machines repairing by 15% and increases in-city siege machines’ attack by 25% when General is the Trap Factory Officer.
- Otto the Great – Increases in-city siege machines’ attack by 30% and reduces enemy ranged troops’ attack by 15% when General is the Trap Factory Officer.
- Hospital
- Skanderbeg – Increases hospital capacity by 25% when General is the hospital officer.
Subordinate City Generals
The best sub city generals are Debuff generals. They will debuff or weaken the enemy when attacking or defending.
For players who are largely F2P (Free to play – don’t buy lots of packs)
- Empress Dowager Cixi (tavern, packs)
- Ground defense -15% / All types defense -15%
- Arminius (Tavern, packs)
- Archer & Siege attack -15% / Ground & Cav HP -10%
- Andrew Jackson (tavern)
- Arch attack -20% / Cav HP -20%
- Nero (tavern, packs)
- All type HP -15%
- Margaret I
- All type attack -10% / Cav attack -20%
- Mansa Musa
- All type Attack -10% / Sub-City Troops’ Death to Survival rate +10%
For Players who spend money to buy packs
- Darius I (packs)
- Ground Attack -35% / Ground & Mounted HP -20%
- Cnut the Great (packs)
- Arch attack -25% / Ground & Cav HP -15%
- Nordic Barbarian King (packs)
- Arch attack -30% / All type defense -10%
- Harald (packs)
- All type Attack & HP-10%
- Baldwin (packs)
- Arch attack -30% / Siege attack -20%
- David Farragut (packs)
- Arch & Siege attack -10% / Ground & Cav Def -20%