Rise of Kingdoms FAQ zu Kommandanten

Pick one strong legendary that you can actually max and stick with it. Do not spread heads across several commanders.

• Yi Seong-Gye is the most common first pick: he is obtainable without big spending, hits hard with area damage, and stays useful as a secondary for a long time.
• After that, put heads into a meta commander for your main troop type that your kingdom's KvK stage has unlocked.
• Skip weak or easy-to-get legendaries that come free from gold chests over time.

Maxing all four skills to level 5 takes about 690 to 710 sculptures for a legendary, and about 400 for an epic. Expertise unlocks only once every skill is maxed, so you have to fully commit before you see that last bonus. Epics are cheap enough that F2P players often max them first and save legendary heads for one main commander.

On a budget, max the skill that carries the commander first, usually the main active skill, and then the second most useful one. Some skills barely matter for the role you use the commander in, so they can stay at 1 for a long time. Example: on a field commander, a skill that only helps against buildings or in rallies can wait. Full 5-5-5-5 and expertise only make sense for a commander you will run as your main for months.

• Primary: talent tree, equipment, troop capacity (based on their level), and all their skills.
• Secondary: skills only, with no talents and no equipment bonuses.

So put the commander with the best talent tree and gear in front, and the one whose skills you want in the second slot. Level the secondary to 30 or higher so all their skills unlock.

Swap when the other commander's talent tree or gear suits the job better, or when your current primary is a much lower level and caps your troop count. A commander with strong skills but a weak tree often works best as secondary, since that keeps the skills and lets a better tree lead. Also keep in mind that a famous primary draws focus fire in KvK, which is why many players run an AoE nuker like YSG in the second slot.

Mostly no. Most talents and many skills only boost one troop type, so run a mono troop march that matches your primary's tree. The exception is commanders whose kit asks for a mixed march, plus a few leadership style commanders. For those, follow the mix their skill text needs.

At the top end, Scipio Africanus Prime and Liu Che are the strongest infantry leads, followed by William Wallace, Gorgo and Ragnar Lodbrok. Prime Sun Tzu is also highly rated. Common pairings are Scipio Prime with William Wallace and Prime Sun Tzu with Liu Che. If you have none of these, epic Sun Tzu as secondary to a tanky infantry primary still works early.

Alexander Nevsky is rated the strongest cavalry commander in 2026, with Arthur Pendragon, Justinian, Xiang Yu and Huo Qubing close behind. Arthur with Achilles, and Prime Joan of Arc as a support secondary, are common pairings. Budget players often run Minamoto or Cao Cao with Pelagius or Belisarius until they can afford better.

Zhuge Liang and Hermann Prime sit at the top, with Qin Shi Huang, Ashurbanipal and Yi Seong-Gye also strong. Typical pairings: Qin Shi Huang with Zhuge Liang, and Hermann Prime with Boudica Prime. For F2P, YSG as secondary to Boudica Prime or another archer lead you own is a solid long-term setup.

Alexander Nevsky is the top rally leader in current lists, with Justinian, Xiang Yu and Ashurbanipal also rated highly. On newer kingdoms, Yi Seong-Gye is the go-to rally lead, with Richard, Saladin and El Cid as other options. If your rally commanders are weak, join rallies instead of starting them. A weak rally lead wastes everyone's troops.

Infantry defenders do best: Gorgo, Heraclius, Zenobia and Constantine are the usual names, with Dido, Choe Yeong and Hector also rated top garrison picks. Before those are available, Saladin, Artemisia and Wu Zetian were the classic early garrison leads. If you don't have a real garrison commander, let someone in the alliance who does take the lead slot.

Swarming is about speed and skill damage, so use fast cavalry marches with high rage generation. Belisarius is the classic pick for hunting gatherers, since one of his skills is built around hitting farmers, usually paired with Cao Cao or Minamoto. In late KvK, use your strongest field pairs and attack in groups rather than solo.

Area damage commanders shine: Yi Seong-Gye, epic Sun Tzu, Keira and Baibars all chain barbarians well. Peacekeeping tree commanders like Boudica, Cao Cao, Belisarius and Minamoto are good dedicated barb hunters, and Lohar is a barb-only pick. Aethelflaed is generally seen as not worth it for this job.

Join or lead fort rallies with peacekeeping or AoE commanders: Boudica, Cao Cao, Minamoto, Belisarius and Aethelflaed are all listed for forts. Keep the same troop type as the primary's tree, and bring healing so you don't lose your wounded.

• Put the gatherer in the primary slot, because gathering talents only work there. The secondary barely matters.
• Constance (wood) and Cleopatra (stone plus general boosts) are top gatherers. Šárka gathers everything. Seondeok, Gaius Marius and Matilda cover single resources cheaply.
• Don't spend sculptures on them. Put talents in gathering speed and load, then march speed.
• Never send your field pair out to gather.

Yes, a few. Epic Sun Tzu and Joan of Arc are the standouts, Imhotep is great early, and Baibars, Keira, Belisarius and Bjorn are decent. They cost about 400 sculptures to max and are easy to get, so maxing epic Sun Tzu or Joan early is cheap value. Most other epics fall off once you have legendaries.

Level them with XP books and use them while you're new, but don't spend universal gold heads on them. They fill out over time from gold chests and are outclassed by mid KvK. Save universal heads for a commander you'll still be using in late seasons.

Bring at least two tanks, since the last floors hit very hard. Richard, Alexander the Great and Caesar are the usual tanks. Add buffers and AoE: Sun Tzu, Joan of Arc, Aethelflaed and Yi Seong-Gye. For damage, use your strongest owned commanders, since area damage gives you a big edge. Pick blessings that fit your lineup and restart early if they're bad.

Pick the one that fits a commander or pair you already own, ideally your main troop type or the missing half of a pairing. Avoid one you'd only use for a single event or one you'll get for free later. A commander you can finish (max skills or expertise) is worth more than a shiny new one sitting at 1-1-1-1.

Prime versions are at the top of most 2026 lists and are close to required in late, competitive KvK. Still, a low spender is better off maxing one Prime or meta commander than half building several. Until then, a fully built cheaper pair often beats a poorly built expensive one.

Saving is usually smarter if you're close to a new KvK season or a big commander release. Many players sit on 700 or so heads so they can max one commander the moment it's available. Spend right away only to finish a commander you already use daily, for example to unlock their expertise.

Saladin arrives when your kingdom enters the offseason before its second KvK, so the KvK 2 stage. He comes mainly from The Mightiest Governor event.
Equipment (cavalry field):

• Hellish Wasteland Set as the base: Lance of the Hellish Wasteland, Heavy Armor and Boots.
• Gloves: Navar's Control. Legs: Ash of the Dawn. Chest: Shadow Legion's Retribution.
• Once your kingdom is in Season of Conquest: Sacred Dominion (weapon), Pride of the Khan (helmet), and Horn of Fury as an accessory. Those are locked to Season of Conquest.
• Accessory before that: Karuak's War Drums.

Partners:

• Field: Genghis Khan is the top damage pair. Baibars or Cao Cao are budget options.
• Rally: Genghis Khan or Yi Seong-Gye. Hold Fast cuts the target's healing.

5551 is enough to use him.

She has no silence. Her kit is AoE damage, debuffs and slows:

• Arrow of Iron (active, 1000 rage): hits up to 5 targets in a forward fan and lowers their attack, defense and health for 2 seconds.
• Thunderous Force: less counterattack damage taken, and normal attacks have a chance to slow the target.
• Synergy: more damage to barbarians and other neutral units, and more experience for both commanders.
• Fortress of Mercia: more rally capacity when she leads a rally, and extra damage when the march has 3 or more troop types.
• Warrior Queen (expertise): 20% more damage to slowed targets.

Pairings:

• Early: Baibars or Sun Tzu in the field, Boudica for barbarians and forts.
• KvK 1 and KvK 2: a useful debuffing secondary, for example with Saladin.
• Later: mostly for barbarians, forts and backup support.

She is free from the Expedition shop.

Pyrrhus is a legendary infantry commander from gold keys, with Infantry, Versatility and Defense specialties. He is a tanky infantry fighter:

• His active deals direct damage to one target and boosts his troop's normal attack damage for a few seconds.
• His passives add infantry attack, health and march speed, give a chance at a self-shield, reduce skill damage taken, and add damage while his troop is shielded.

Players rate him as decent but not a priority. Max him with gold keys rather than spending universal legendary sculptures on him. His natural partners are Charles Martel and Alexander the Great, because his damage bonus works off shields. Richard I is a fallback partner early on.

Lohar is an Epic commander. You get him from Lohar Sculptures in the recurring Lohar's Trial event. He is not in Silver or Golden Keys.

• During the event, kill normal barbarians on the map to get Bone Necklaces.
• Opening necklaces gives resources, speedups, gems and Arrows of Resistance. It can also give relics: Lohar's Longbow (summons Junior Lohar, more common) and Lohar's Buckler (summons Dauntless Lohar, rarer).
• Use the relic to summon the army next to your city. It can only be beaten by a rally, so summon it when your alliance is online.
• Defeating it gives a Junior or Dauntless Lohar's Gift, which can contain Lohar Sculptures. Dauntless gives more, and a bigger share of the rally damage improves your rewards.
• Collect 10 sculptures to unlock him. Keep doing the event to star him up.

Yes. Sun Tzu Prime is the legendary infantry Sun Tzu in RokHub's lists, a new-generation commander from early 2026 that a new kingdom can get from KvK 3. He is completely separate from the epic Sun Tzu: no levels, sculptures or talents carry over.

How his kit works:

• Fluid Formation, his active skill, costs 900 Rage and deals smite damage.
• Military Sage turns smite hits into true damage on nearby enemies.
• His other skills give infantry March Speed, Attack, Health and Defense, plus Rage gain.

Building the pair:

• Sun Tzu Prime is primary and Bai Qi secondary. This is the official "Maximum Malice" pairing: Sun Tzu's cheap active skill and extra Rage let Bai Qi fire his skill sooner.
• Talents: Infantry and Smite trees, with most points in Smite. Only the primary's talents apply.
• Formation: Pincer.
• Equipment: the Eternal Empire set, with Horn of Fury for Rage.

Two kinds: specific sculptures (one commander) and universal Legendary Sculptures (any legendary). Main sources:

• Golden Chests in the Tavern (Golden Keys): random specific legendary and epic sculptures.
• The Mightiest Governor: you pick which of the featured legendaries' sculptures you rank for.
• Wheel of Fortune: sculptures of the featured commander, sometimes universals.
• Expedition shop: some specific sculptures, bought with medals from clearing stages.
• Event commanders: Lohar's Trial, King's Trials and similar give their own commander.
• Universals: Ark of Osiris, KvK and season rewards and shops, More Than Gems, recharge events, the Legendary Tavern exchange.
• Gathering of Heroes recruits whole legendaries you do not own.

For a F2P player most gold heads come from events and KvK, not keys. Track which events feature which commanders and plan your universal spend around them.

Sculptures come in four rarities, matching the commander: Legendary (gold), Epic (purple), Elite (blue) and Advanced (green). Each rarity has:

• Specific sculptures: only for one named commander. Used to unlock them (10 sculptures) and to upgrade skills.
• Universal sculptures: usable on any commander of that rarity.

Rules of thumb:

• Never use a universal where a specific one will come for free over time, like gold key legendaries or event commanders.
• Universals are the only way to finish a commander that has few specific sources, so they are the most valuable thing a F2P player owns.
• A legendary needs 690 sculptures after unlocking to reach 5-5-5-5, an epic 440. Count before you start.

Keys open Tavern chests.

• Silver Chests: elite and advanced commanders and sculptures, some epic sculptures, plus resources and speedups. You get free opens every day, and more as the Tavern levels up.
• Golden Chests: epic and legendary commanders and sculptures, from a fixed pool for your kingdom's stage. There is a free Golden Chest on a timer that gets shorter as the Tavern levels up.

Should you buy keys with gems? As F2P, no. The drops are random across the whole pool, so gems spread over keys rarely finish anything. Gems spent on a targeted event (the Wheel of Fortune for a commander you actually want, MGE, or VIP) give far more value. Open every free key and spend key sculptures on the epics and the easy key legendaries they drop.

The old Legendary Tavern event was closed. In its place the Tavern has a third chest, the Legendary Chest, opened with Sovereign Keys or gems. It gives sculptures of stronger legendaries than the Golden Chest, and a kingdom entering Season of Conquest for the first time gets it from day 7 of that season.
Worth it?

• Use every free Sovereign Key from events.
• As F2P do not spend gems on random pulls: random sculptures spread over many commanders are mostly wasted. Gems do more in targeted events for a commander you will actually build.

Several commanders come from specific events, not chests:

• Lohar (epic): Lohar's Trial, from barbarian kills and relic rallies.
• Aethelflaed (legendary): her sculptures are sold in the Expedition shop, so clearing Expedition stages daily slowly unlocks and builds her.
• Wak Chanil Ajaw (epic): Sign-In Spoils, log in on 7 days.
• Arthur Pendragon (King Arthur, legendary): King's Trials, open to kingdoms that finished KvK Season 2.
• Siyaj K'ak' (legendary): King's Trials, with a limited First Strike trial for younger kingdoms.
• Your civilization's starting commander.

These are the cheapest commanders in the game. Finish their free sources before spending universals anywhere near them.

Max a few epics before spreading gold heads. Epics cost 440 sculptures to max against 690 for a legendary, their sculptures drop far more often, and several stay useful as secondaries for a long time.
The usual early core:

• Sun Tzu: infantry partner and early workhorse.
• Baibars: cavalry, strong early with cheap partners.
• Joan of Arc: support and gathering, the best buff epic.
• Lohar: barbarian farming, free from his own event.
• Pelagius, Bjorn Ironside, Eulji Mundeok: cheap early field and tank options.

Rule: pick the 2 or 3 that match your main troop type and your farming needs, then get them to expertise. A maxed epic secondary is worth more than a half built legendary in the early game.

Keep universals away from:

• Gold key legendaries (Cao Cao, Minamoto, Charles Martel early on). Their specific sculptures keep coming from keys and events.
• Free event commanders like Aethelflaed or Arthur Pendragon, who have their own steady sources.
• Gathering and barbarian specialists. They make you resources, not kills, and their gains from skill levels are small.
• Commanders you only use in Sunset Canyon or as a garrison backup.
• Last season's pairs once the next stage's commanders arrive. Check what unlocks next before finishing an old commander.
• A second or third new legendary while your main one is still half built.

Universals go to the primary of your main march, ideally a commander with few specific sources who stays relevant for several seasons.

Ask these in order:

1. Does it fit your main troop type? Investing across three troop types is the classic F2P trap.
2. Will it lead (primary)? Gold heads go to primaries first, since only the primary's talents and equipment count.
3. Does the kit work at the level you can reach? Some commanders are fine at 5-1-1-1, others do nothing until 5-5-5-1.
4. How long will it stay good? Commanders from your kingdom's next stage usually outlast the current ones.
5. Does it have cheap specific sources (keys, events, shops), or will it eat universals?
6. Does it cover more than one job (field, rally, garrison)?
7. Can you move it later? Commander Swap and Rites of Renewal lower the risk, but they cost gems.

If it fails 1 or 2, skip it unless it is free.

A Prime commander is a new legendary version of a commander who already exists in the game, for example Sun Tzu Prime next to the epic Sun Tzu, or Joan of Arc Prime next to the epic Joan of Arc.
Key points:

• A Prime is a completely separate commander: own sculptures (legendary), own talent trees, own level and stars. Nothing from the old version carries over.
• Primes are built for late seasons, with skill damage heavy kits that fit the Season of Conquest meta.
• The old version is still useful in its own role. Epic Joan stays a support and gathering commander, while Joan of Arc Prime is a cavalry field commander.
• Primes arrive with their own launch events and shops, and can show up in the Wheel of Fortune and Gathering of Heroes later.

No. The Prime is a different commander. Your epic version keeps its level, stars, skills and talents, and the Prime starts from zero with its own legendary sculptures.
What to do:

• Keep the epic version for whatever it already does well. Many epics stay good secondaries, gatherers or support.
• Do not reset or stop using the epic just because the Prime exists.
• When the Prime arrives, judge it like any new legendary: does it lead your main march, and can you fund it?
• If you want sculptures back from an old legendary to fund a Prime, look at Rites of Renewal or the Commander Swap, not the epic.

Rites of Renewal is a limited event in Season of Conquest that lets you reset one commander's skills and get the sculptures you spent back, for a gem fee.

• You pick a commander, the skills go back to the start, and the sculptures used on them return to your bag.
• Each returned sculpture costs 100 gems, so fully resetting a 5-5-5-5 legendary (690 sculptures) costs about 69,000 gems. A 5-5-1-1 (190 sculptures) is about 19,000.
• It first ran from 23 January to 6 February 2026, alongside the Sun Tzu Prime launch, with Weathered Insight quests that could unlock Sun Tzu Prime.

Only use it on a commander you have truly stopped using, and only if you have a target ready that the returned sculptures can actually finish.

Use it only when all three are true:

1. The commander has no job left on your account (not even garrison, secondary or Ark of Osiris).
2. You have a specific new target, and the returned sculptures plus what you have reach a useful level on it.
3. The gems would not do more elsewhere (VIP, MGE, a Wheel for your main).

Good candidates: an old-stage legendary you pushed early and replaced. Bad candidates: anything you still pair, a commander about to get a buff, or one you only half built (the gem cost per sculpture is the same, and the return is small).
If you want to move a whole maxed commander onto another legendary in one go, the Commander Swap is often cheaper.

In the Legendary Commander Swap event you pick two legendary commanders you own and trade their progress.

• What moves: skill levels, level (EXP) and star level. A 5-5-5-5 Richard swapped with a 1-1-1-1 commander leaves that commander at 5-5-5-5 and Richard at 1-1-1-1.
• What stays: talents and equipment.
• Limits: each commander can be swapped once per event, and you get a set number of swaps per event (two in recent runs). One swap can be reversed for a big gem fee.
• Some commanders are excluded, mostly gathering and special ones such as Cleopatra VII, Hannibal Barca and Cyrus the Great.
• Your kingdom must have reached the end of KvK Season 2, and you cannot migrate during the event.

It usually runs together with Gathering of Heroes.

Swaps are paid with Legendary Swap Tickets, and the price grows with the gap in skill levels between the two commanders.

• A small gap (for example 5-5-5-1 to 5-5-5-5) costs only a couple of tickets.
• A full 5-5-5-5 onto a 1-1-1-1 costs the maximum, 120 tickets.
• Tickets cost 100 gems each, up to 120 tickets from gems per event (12,000 gems), plus more from a daily bundle.

So a full maxed swap is about 12,000 gems for a F2P player, much cheaper than earning 690 gold heads. Best use: move a maxed commander you no longer lead with onto a meta legendary you just recruited in Gathering of Heroes at 1-1-1-1.

Gathering of Heroes lets you recruit legendary commanders you do not own yet.

• Earn tokens from daily and one-time event quests, and by spending speedups and gems during the event.
• Spend tokens to recruit commanders, who are grouped into tiers. Spending enough in one tier opens the next, and higher tiers cost more.
• You can only pick commanders you do not already have.
• It opens alongside the Commander Swap, the first time just before KvK 2 ends.

Plan it with the Swap: recruit the meta legendary your main march is missing, then swap a maxed old commander onto it. Do not spend tokens on commanders you might try someday.

Prefer the Commander Swap when it is running and both commanders are eligible legendaries.

• Swap moves everything (skills, level, stars) in one go, and a full max swap is about 12,000 gems.
• Rites of Renewal refunds sculptures at 100 gems each, so a full legendary is about 69,000 gems. Its advantage is flexibility: you can split the returned sculptures across several commanders.

Use Rites of Renewal only when the target is not swap eligible, when you want to split the sculptures, or when no Swap is coming soon.
If neither is open, keep using the old commander as a secondary, garrison or Ark of Osiris pick, and save new heads for the target.

Stars set a commander's level cap and unlock skills.

• Level cap: 10 at 1 star, then +10 per star, up to level 60 at 6 stars. EXP earned at the cap is stored and applied when you raise the next star, so nothing is lost.
• Skills: higher stars unlock more skill slots, so a commander needs enough stars before all four skills are usable.
• To promote, the commander must be at its level cap. Then feed it Starlight Sculptures of the same rarity to fill the star bar. They have a Lucky Chance to give double star EXP.

Commander sculptures can also give star EXP, but only one tenth of what Starlight Sculptures give, so keep them for skills.

Each rarity has three kinds of Starlight Sculpture:

• Standard: 100 star EXP, +10% luck
• Blessed: 400 star EXP, +20% luck
• Bundled: 800 star EXP, +5% luck

You can load up to 6 per attempt. Luck is the chance of a critical, which doubles the EXP of that attempt, and luck caps at 100%.
How to use them:

• Six standards give 60% luck but little EXP. Six blessed give 100% luck, a guaranteed critical.
• For the most EXP per attempt, mix bundled and blessed. Around 4 bundled plus 2 blessed is the best expected value.
• Save your blessed and bundled items for the big 4 to 5 and 5 to 6 star steps on the commanders you will actually lead with.

Star EXP needed from 1 to 6 stars:

• Legendary: 98,000 (500, 1,000, 6,500, 25,000, then 65,000 for 5 to 6 stars)
• Epic: 72,000 (the last step is 48,000)
• Elite: 48,500
• Advanced: 36,500

In standard Starlight Sculptures that is roughly 600 for a legendary if you average about 60% luck. The last star alone is two thirds of the total, so most commanders sit at 5 stars (level 50) for a long time. Only take a commander to 6 stars if it leads a main march, since the level 51 to 60 EXP is also huge.

Expertise is the special fifth skill that legendary and epic commanders have. It unlocks automatically once all four normal skills are at level 5 (5-5-5-5), so it needs no extra sculptures.

• It usually upgrades one of the commander's existing skills, often the active skill, or adds a strong extra effect.
• For some commanders expertise is a big jump and is the reason to max them, for others it is small. Read it before you commit the last 310 legendary sculptures.
• A commander's expertise works whether it is primary or secondary, like the rest of its skills.

Elite and advanced commanders have no expertise.

The cost does not depend on which skill gets the point, only on how many upgrades the commander already has. A legendary's 1st and 2nd upgrades cost 10 each, the 15th and 16th cost 80 each, whatever skill you pick.
Cumulative legendary cost:

• 5-1-1-1: 50 sculptures
• 5-5-1-1: 190
• 5-5-5-1: 380
• 5-5-5-5: 690

So the order only decides what you get early. Standard rule: put the first 4 upgrades into the active skill (skill 1) for almost every damage or tank commander, then the passive that adds the most to your march. Commanders whose value is a passive (some secondaries and support) are the exception, so check the skill text.

For a legendary, 5-5-5-1 costs 380 sculptures and the last 4 upgrades to 5-5-5-5 cost another 310. For an epic it is 270, then 170 more.
Go to expertise when:

• The commander is the primary of your main march and you will run it for more than one season.
• The expertise boosts the active skill or is the core of the kit.
• The fourth skill is strong in its own right.

Stop at 5-5-5-1 when:

• The commander is a secondary whose value is in the first three skills.
• The next stage's commanders are coming and this one will be replaced.
• You still have a main march that is below 5-5-1-1.

Epics are cheap enough that maxing your key epic secondaries is almost always worth it.

Only for the commanders that lead your main marches. EXP for a legendary:

• Level 1 to 40: about 5.4 million
• Level 1 to 50: about 22.5 million
• Level 50 to 60: another 28.2 million, more than everything before it

An epic needs about 42.2 million in total.
Levels matter mostly for the primary: troop capacity, base stats and talent points come from the leading commander's level. A secondary only needs enough level and stars for its skills to be unlocked.
Cheap ways to level: barbarian farming, tomes of knowledge from events, and Lohar's Trial. Keep big tomes for your primaries rather than levelling commanders you might swap out.

Enough to unlock all four skills, and no further until your primaries are done. A secondary's skills (and expertise) work in the march, but its talents, equipment and level do not add troops or stats.
Practical rule:

• Push the secondary to the star level that unlocks its fourth skill, so whatever skill levels you bought actually work.
• Skip spending blessed Starlight Sculptures and big tomes on it while a primary is below 5 stars.
• Many commanders swap between primary and secondary depending on the march. If one will lead sometimes, level it like a primary.

Mostly no. Barbarian farming needs a commander who keeps the march alive and kills quickly, not a maxed one.

• Lohar is free from Lohar's Trial and is the standard barbarian farmer. Max him with his own sculptures.
• Legendary peacekeepers like Aethelflaed have their own steady sources, so build them with specific sculptures, not universals.
• What really speeds up farming is the Peacekeeping talent tree, healing, and chaining attacks so you keep the action point discount.

The exception: if a barbarian commander also has a real use in your fights (Aethelflaed as a damage pair in the early game), it can be worth more. Otherwise keep universals for your main field march.

Only their own sculptures, never universals. Gathering commanders raise gathering speed and load, which pays off slowly and mostly for players who gather a lot or run farm accounts.

• Epic Joan of Arc is the cheapest strong gatherer and support commander, so maxing her with epic sculptures is a solid early move.
• Legendary gatherers are a luxury. They help in gathering stages of MGE and season events, but they will not win a fight.
• Most gathering legendaries are also excluded from the Commander Swap, so heads put in them are stuck there.

If you are F2P, a few skill levels on a gatherer you get for free is fine. Heavy investment only makes sense once your fighting marches are done.

No. Build for KvK and let Sunset Canyon use what you already have. Canyon rewards are modest and the AI fights are swung by skills and positioning more than raw investment.
Tips for using what you have:

• Commanders with area damage and maxed active skills shine, so a well built epic can beat a half built legendary.
• Put your tankiest commanders in front and damage dealers behind.
• Your defense is visible to attackers, so a lineup that wins today gets countered tomorrow.
• Level and skills matter here, so your main KvK commanders are usually your best Canyon team anyway.

Never spend universals or blessed items on a commander only for the Canyon.

Before KvK 1 cheap commanders win, so keep it simple:

• Max your core epics first: Sun Tzu, Joan of Arc and Lohar, plus Baibars or another for your second troop type.
• Build one infantry pair before anything else, usually Charles Martel or Richard I with Sun Tzu, to at least 5-1-1-1.
• Collect free legendaries: Aethelflaed from the Expedition shop, gold key legendaries like Cao Cao and Minamoto from your keys.
• Spend gems on the Wheel of Fortune for Richard I when he arrives rather than on random wheels or keys.
• Save universal gold heads. Commanders arriving in KvK 1 and 2 will want them more than early ones.

KvK 1:

• The legendary pool is still the old launch roster. Gear is thin and there is no crystal tech, so tanky infantry and cheap area damage carry.
• Finish one pair before adding another. Yi Seong-Gye from the Wheel of Fortune is the classic universal sculpture target here, because he stays useful as a nuker and secondary for several seasons.

KvK 2:

• Formations and armaments switch on, and a wave of new legendaries arrives (Alexander the Great, Saladin, Genghis Khan, Constantine I, Tomyris, Edward of Woodstock, Charlemagne).
• Commit your gold heads to one of the new leaders that will last (Alexander or Saladin are the usual picks), not three at once.
• Toward the end of KvK 2, Gathering of Heroes and the Commander Swap open. Plan for them by keeping a maxed commander you are willing to swap away.

KvK 3:

• From Season 3 the Mightiest Governor and Wheel of Fortune include every commander, so the full current meta is reachable. Stop pushing KvK 2 picks you will drop and move heads into the pairs you will keep.
• Spend Gathering of Heroes points and your swap on the main march's missing legendary.
• Garrisons matter more because lost buildings cannot be repaired, so keep one garrison captain built.

Season of Conquest:

• Every Prime and late legendary is in play, and fights are skill damage heavy.
• Bastion commanders give support skills (two per march) once you reach favor level 6, which adds damage without sculptures.
• Rites of Renewal and later Swaps let you recycle outdated commanders.
• Spend season shop coins on sculptures for pairs you already run. Do not start a new legendary halfway through a season.

Commanders are released to each kingdom in waves based on its age and season, not all at once.

• Younger kingdoms have a smaller Golden Chest pool and limited MGE and Wheel of Fortune rotations.
• Big waves arrive with each KvK stage: for example Alexander the Great, Saladin and Genghis Khan come with KvK 2, and from KvK 3 the Mightiest Governor and Wheel can feature every commander.
• Some commanders are locked to events with their own entry rules, like King's Trials needing KvK 2 completed for Arthur Pendragon.
• In Ark of Osiris you can only use commanders available in your kingdom's current season.

So check what your next stage brings before spending universals on a commander that is about to be outclassed.

Level 37 is the early target, because of the talent milestones:

• Level 18: 30% gathering speed for all four resources.
• Level 27: 6% extra resources.
• Level 37: Superior Tools at 5/5 for 25% gathering speed.

As a secondary, a gatherer's talents do nothing, so level 10 (second skill unlocked) is enough there.
Skills: most gathering bonus is on the second skill, so 5-5-1-1 is plenty early. Never put universal legendary sculptures into gathering legendaries; their sculptures come from events such as Strategic Reserve. Specific-resource gatherers (Cyrus the Great for Wood, Cleopatra VII for Food) do not boost Gold, so pair them with an all-resource one like Sarka. Matilda of Flanders' expertise adds 10% resources per finished gather.

Your primary commander needs 3 stars before it can take a secondary. If it already has 3 stars, check:

1. The commander you want as secondary is not already in another march or formation.
2. The game mode allows two commanders; some events and instances do not.
3. The march is not locked (in combat, retreating and so on).
4. Any lock icon or restriction notice on screen.

A secondary only adds its unlocked skills; its talents, level and equipment do nothing. The secondary's skill slots open with stars, and the official guide says a level 30, 4-star secondary performs as well as a level 60, 6-star one.

Yes, but it is a bad trade. Commander Sculptures can feed star EXP, but they give only one tenth of what Starlight Sculptures give, so keep sculptures for skills.
How starring works: level the commander to its current level cap, tap the yellow arrow next to the stars, and feed Starlight Sculptures of the matching rarity. Starlight Sculptures have a Lucky Chance to crit for double star EXP. Going from 5 to 6 stars, feed in small batches because excess star EXP is wasted.
Stars raise the level cap and unlock skill slots; they do not level skills or fill the new levels for you.

Events usually give EXP items (Tomes of Knowledge), not EXP. Items sit in your inventory until you use them on a commander yourself. Direct EXP comes from killing barbarians and Holy Site guardians and goes straight to the march's commanders.
If a commander still will not level:

• It may be at its star cap: star up first, then feed EXP. Tome EXP past the cap is lost, so use tomes in small batches near the cap.
• Starring up raises the cap but does not fill the new levels.

In a new kingdom, tomes mostly come from barbarians, daily events and Expedition. Level barbarian and gathering commanders by fighting, and spend tomes on the commanders you fight with.

Added in version 1.1.09 (June 2026). During the event you can raise Pelagius from Epic to Legendary rarity.
Availability: the first run only reached kingdoms whose server had been open at least 5 days. After that it became a regular event that starts on day 5 for new kingdoms. Lilith also said Legendary Pelagius will appear in other events in later versions.
The patch notes do not list the cost or what carries over from your Epic Pelagius, so check the event page before you spend.

Since version 1.1.01 (November 2025):

• Achilles and Hector were added to the Legendary Tavern event.
• Pepin III and Casimir III, and their sculptures, were added to Golden Chests and Commander Sculpture Chests.

Golden Chest odds for any one legendary are low, so treat Pepin III and Casimir III from chests as a bonus rather than a plan.

Since version 1.1.03 (January 2026) their relics can be bought in the Museum during Season 3. Before that change they unlocked later.

Prime Ragnar Lodbrok came with the King of All Britain story in late 2024.

• First Strike lets you try him fully expertised for a limited time before the story.
• An exclusive event after that unlocked him for free on its first day.
• He is not in Wheel of Fortune or MGE, and not in the VIP 19 chest.
• He was later added to Daily Special Offer bundles in Season of Conquest kingdoms.
• His sculptures work like any commander's, so universal sculptures can upgrade him.

He can only be used in the Season of Conquest. His artifact Megingjörð, earned from a Lost Kingdom Chronicles milestone in King of All Britain, makes all his skills apply to every unit type, but only inside that story.

Both are Legendary commanders launched with the Song of Troy story (October 2025).

• Hector: open chests in the Trojan Treasures event.
• Achilles: buy bundles in the Son of Peleus event.
• A Will to Skill runs alongside, trading universal sculptures for certain commanders' sculptures for extra rewards.

These events open at the start of a Song of Troy Lost Kingdom, in kingdoms at least 21 days old. Before that, the First Strike teaser lets you borrow a new Legendary for a limited time.
In the story, Chronicles progress unlocks an exclusive artifact for each: equipped, their skills apply to all unit types.

King Arthur comes from the King's Trials event: complete its quests to claim him. It is only available in kingdoms that have completed Season 2 of the Lost Kingdom. Kingdoms in Season 3 or later also got a First Strike event to try him for a limited time.
If your kingdom has not finished Season 2 yet, you have to wait for the event to reach you.

Both came with the Maya civilization in January 2025:

• Siyaj K'ak' (Legendary): complete the quests in the Maya King's Trials event. A First Strike trial was offered to kingdoms not yet in Season 3.
• Wak Chanil Ajaw (Epic): log in for a total of 7 days during the Maya Sign-In Spoils event.

The Maya event series also had Cycle of the Haab' (Obsidian Blades into Ritual Carvings for rewards).

In 1.0.94 (May 2025) they moved to Season 2 together with Takeda Shingen and Cyrus the Great, and were reworked:

• Cheok Jun-gyeong: talents changed to Infantry/Versatility/Smite. Active Courageous deals smite damage (factor 1500) to up to 3 targets and silences targets under 30% units. His kit adds infantry-only march speed and attack, damage reduction against skill, smite and combo damage, and debuff cleansing.
• Bertrand du Guesclin: talents changed to Cavalry/Versatility/Combo. Battle Hungry launches 2 combo attacks on up to 3 targets and drains rage. His kit raises enemy rage requirements on combo hits.

All four can no longer be swapped in Legendary Commander Swap, were added to the Season 2 Wheel of Fortune, Daily Special Offer and Commander Trial, and got a higher Legendary Tavern rate.

Yes. Since update 1.0.85 (August 2024), commanders who have already unlocked their expertise can use the Skill Reset item. Before that, expertised commanders were locked out of it.

Commanders introduced in the official 2024 to 2025 updates:

• William Wallace (infantry, launched with the new Smite talent tree), mid 2024.
• Choe Yeong, an archer garrison commander, September 2024.
• Prime Ragnar Lodbrok with King of All Britain, October 2024.
• King Arthur, plus Maya commanders Siyaj K'ak' and Wak Chanil Ajaw, January 2025.
• Qin Shi Huang and Shapur I, archer Legendaries, mid 2025 (Qin Shi Huang's third and expertise skills were adjusted in June 2025).
• Casimir III and Pepin III, announced September 2025 for future events.
• Achilles and Hector with Song of Troy, October 2025.

More have likely been added since late 2025.

Some commanders walk around your city and you can talk to them. Talking to them and gifting them Golden Apples raises their Trust. Higher Trust unlocks chapters of their biography, new voiced dialogue and, at certain levels, their animated emojis. Each conversation also gives rewards, and you can skip a conversation you have already seen and still claim them.
It is cosmetic and story content, it does not make the commander stronger in battle. Do the daily talks for the rewards and do not spend real resources on it.

Both came with the Greece civilization:

• Pericles (epic): Silver Chests, Golden Chests and the Expedition Shop.
• Pyrrhus (legendary): Golden Chests, the Expedition Shop, Daily Special Offers and Card King. Daily Special Offers and Card King only carry him from day 43 of your kingdom's Preparation Season.

In Season of Conquest stories with auxiliary commanders, both can also be used as auxiliary commanders.

The Museum gives older commanders extra bonuses through relics, so they stay usable when newer generations arrive. Each exhibit belongs to one commander, and its relic adds buffs to that commander. Relics can be upgraded to raise those bonuses.
Lilith keeps adding older generations to the Museum over time, so a commander you already maxed can get stronger later without new sculptures.

It is not wasted. When a commander is at the highest level its current stars allow, any EXP it keeps earning is stored. The stored EXP is applied automatically as soon as you raise the commander to the next star level.
So you can keep using a capped commander on barbarians or feed it tomes without losing anything, and you do not have to star up first just to protect XP. Starring up still matters for real power, because the level cap only lifts with stars.

The Legendary Chest is a third chest in the Tavern, opened with Sovereign Keys or directly with gems. It gives sculptures of stronger legendary commanders than the Golden Chest pool.

• It replaced the old Legendary Tavern event, which was closed.
• A kingdom entering Season of Conquest for the first time gets the Legendary Chest from day 7 of that season.

As F2P, treat it like the Golden Chest: use free Sovereign Keys from events, but do not spend gems on random pulls. Gems do more in targeted events for a commander you will actually build.

Heart's Desire lets you pick 5 preferred commanders from a list. You then get special chests built around your picks, opened with Sovereign Keys, so the rewards lean toward commanders you chose instead of a random pool.
It only starts once your kingdom has access to the legendary chests, so newer kingdoms will not see it. Choose commanders you are already building or will build next, since spreading picks across commanders you will never max wastes the keys.

They unlock by kingdom stage, not by a day count:

• Yi Seong-Gye: when your kingdom enters the offseason before its first KvK (Season 1).
• Saladin, Genghis Khan, Edward of Woodstock and Tomyris: when your kingdom enters the offseason before its second KvK (Season 2).

This replaced the older rule of 140 days after kingdom launch. So if your kingdom is slow to reach KvK, they come later, and a kingdom that reaches its KvK 2 offseason early gets them early. Plan universal sculptures around that, not around a date.

Yes, once your kingdom is far enough along. After a kingdom finishes its third KvK season (the Light and Darkness stage), The Mightiest Governor and Wheel of Fortune unlock Commander of Choice: each event cycle offers a set of commanders and you pick whose sculptures you play for, instead of one fixed commander.
Before that stage the featured commander is fixed by the rotation. This is why late kingdoms see almost every commander in MGE while young kingdoms wait for theirs.

Centurion is an advanced (blue) commander you get from the start and from Silver Keys and blue sculptures. He is a filler for gathering marches before you own better gatherers. Do not spend any universal sculptures on him; level skill 3 first only if blue heads pile up. Replace him as soon as you have an elite or epic gathering commander.

City Keeper is an advanced (blue) infantry commander from the start, Silver Keys and blue sculptures. Early on he can sit in your city as a garrison filler, but any epic garrison commander replaces him quickly. Never put universal sculptures into him. If you have spare blue heads, level skill 1 first.

Dragon Lancer is an advanced (blue) cavalry commander from the start and Silver Keys. He is only a placeholder for a cavalry march in the first days. Do not invest beyond spare blue heads, and swap him out as soon as you have Baibars, Pelagius or any legendary cavalry. Skill 2 first if you level him.

Markswoman is an advanced (blue) archer commander from the start and Silver Keys. Early players use her to farm low barbarians before Lohar is ready. She is not worth any real investment; spare blue heads only, skill 2 first, and drop her once Lohar or a better peacekeeping commander is leveled.

Constance is an elite commander from Silver Keys and elite sculptures. She is a gathering commander, useful for farm accounts and players who gather a lot early. Only spend elite sculptures you have no other use for; never universal epic or legendary heads. Level skill 3 first for the gathering bonus.

Gaius Marius is an elite commander from Silver Keys and elite sculptures. RokHub lists him as a gathering commander. He is fine as a free filler on a farm or early account, but not worth more than spare elite heads. Skill 2 first if you level him.

Lancelot is an elite cavalry commander from Silver Keys and elite sculptures. He is an early filler for a cavalry march and can hit gatherers in the first weeks, but epic cavalry like Baibars or Pelagius replace him fast. Spend only spare elite sculptures; skill 2 first.

Šárka is an elite commander from Silver Keys and elite sculptures. RokHub lists her for gathering. Use her as a free gatherer if you have nothing better, but never put universal heads into her. Skill 2 first.

Tomoe Gozen is an elite archer commander from Silver Keys and elite sculptures. She is a stopgap archer for the first days of a new account. Do not invest beyond spare elite heads; Kusunoki, Hermann or any legendary archer replaces her. Skill 2 first.

Baibars is an epic cavalry commander, the starter for Arabia, otherwise from Silver and Golden Keys and epic sculptures. He is one of the best epic cavalry secondaries early: march speed and burst for hitting gatherers and weak marches. Good to take to 5-5-1-5 as a F2P player before KvK 1, then he falls off. Skill order 1, 2, 4, 3.

This is the old epic Belisarius; in-game the plain name Belisarius is now the Prime legendary. The epic one is the Byzantium starter, also from keys, epic sculptures and the Expedition shop. He gives speed and evasion, good for barbarians and for chasing gatherers early. Worth maxing as a F2P epic since epics are cheap. Skill order 1, 2, 3, 4.

Björn Ironside is an epic commander, the Vikings starter, and comes from keys and epic sculptures. He is a beginner open field pair with Sun Tzu and a decent barbarian hitter early. Take him to 5-1-1-5 only if you are short on options; Charles Martel or Richard replace him. Skill order 1, 4, 2, 3.

This is the old epic Boudica; the plain name Boudica in RokHub is the Prime legendary. The epic version is the Britain starter and comes from keys and epic sculptures. She is a solid peacekeeping and early field secondary that helps rage. Cheap to max, so fine for F2P early, but she will not carry KvK. Skill order 1, 3, 4, 2.

Diaochan is an epic commander from keys and epic sculptures. She is mostly a barbarian and peacekeeping secondary with burst damage. Fine to max with spare epic heads, but she is not a long-term field pick. Skill order 2, 1, 3, 4.

Eulji Mundeok is an epic infantry commander, the Korea starter, also from keys and epic sculptures. He is a cheap garrison and infantry secondary that stays useful into KvK 1 for defending your city. Worth maxing as a F2P epic. Skill order 1, 2, 4, 3.

This is the old epic Hermann; the plain name Hermann is the Prime legendary. The epic is the Germany starter and comes from keys and epic sculptures. He is a strong early archer garrison secondary and helps archer field marches. Good epic to max for F2P before KvK. Skill order 1, 2, 3, 4.

This is the old epic Joan; the plain name Joan of Arc is the Prime legendary. The epic is the France starter, from keys and epic sculptures. She buffs the whole march and adds gathering, so she is the classic support secondary and a gatherer early. Very worth maxing for F2P. Skill order 1, 2, 4, 3.

Kusunoki is an epic archer commander, the Japan starter, also from keys and epic sculptures. He is an early archer and garrison filler, decent with Hermann. Cheap to max, but replace him with legendary archers. Skill order 1, 2, 3, 4.

Lohar is a free epic you get from the Lohar's Trial event and epic sculptures. He is the go-to peacekeeping commander early: chaining barbarians for commander XP and resources. Absolutely worth his sculptures since they cost you nothing extra; keep him until you have a better barbarian farmer. Skill order 1, 2, 3, 4.

Matilda of Flanders is an epic commander from keys and epic sculptures. She is a gathering commander. Worth maxing only on a farm or if you gather heavily; skip universal heads otherwise. Skill order 2, 3, 4, 1.

Osman I is an epic commander, the Ottoman starter, also from keys and epic sculptures. He has strong damage against cities, so early he is a rally and field secondary. Worth maxing for F2P before KvK 1. Skill order 1, 3, 4, 2.

This is the old epic Pelagius; the plain name Pelagius is the Prime legendary. The epic is the Spain starter, from keys and epic sculptures. He gives healing and speed, great early cavalry secondary and a garrison helper. Worth maxing for F2P. Skill order 1, 2, 3, 4.

Queen Tamar of Georgia is an epic gathering commander from keys, epic sculptures and events. She is good for farm accounts and heavy gatherers. Worth maxing only if gathering matters to you. Skill order 2, 3, 4, 1.

This is the old epic Scipio; the plain name Scipio Africanus is the Prime legendary. The epic is the Rome starter, from keys and epic sculptures. He is a cheap tanky field secondary early. Max with spare epic heads. Skill order 1, 2, 3, 4.

This is the old epic Sun Tzu; the plain name Sun Tzu is the Prime legendary. The epic is the China starter, also from keys and epic sculptures. He is the best early infantry secondary and a top peacekeeping and garrison pick. Absolutely worth maxing for every F2P player. Skill order 1, 2, 3, 4.

Wak Chanil Ajaw is an epic gathering commander you can get free from events, plus keys and epic sculptures. Great for farms and gatherers; worth maxing because it costs nothing. Skill order 2, 4, 3, 1.

Alexander the Great is a legendary infantry commander available from KvK 2. Sculptures come from Golden Keys, MGE or Wheel of Fortune. He was a top infantry primary in KvK 2 and still works for F2P in field fights, but newer infantry outclass him later. Skill order 1, 2, 4, 3.

Amanitore is a legendary archer commander available from KvK 3. Sculptures come from Golden Keys, Wheel of Fortune or MGE. She is a strong archer for garrison and open field, worth it for players committed to archers. Skill order 1, 3, 4, 2.

Artemisia I is a legendary archer commander available from KvK 3. Sculptures come from Golden Keys, Wheel of Fortune or MGE. She is strong in field and garrison for archer players. Worth sculptures if you run archers. Skill order 1, 2, 3, 4.

Attila is a legendary cavalry commander available from KvK 3. Sculptures come from Golden Keys, Wheel of Fortune or MGE. He is one of the strongest cavalry rally leaders, so he is worth it for rally leaders and spenders. F2P should not chase him. Prioritize skill 1 first.

Æthelflæd is a legendary leadership commander available from the start. The Expedition shop sells her sculptures, three a day, so she is free if you clear stages. She is a strong early field and peacekeeping commander. Worth every free sculpture. Skill order 1, 2, 4, 3.

In RokHub, Belisarius is the Prime legendary; the old one is Belisarius (Epic). The Prime is available from KvK 3 through Golden Keys, Wheel of Fortune or MGE. He is a strong cavalry primary for field and swarming. Worth it for cavalry players. Skill order 1, 2, 3, 4.

Bertrand du Guesclin is a legendary cavalry commander available from KvK 2. Sculptures come from Golden Keys, Wheel of Fortune or MGE. He is a solid field cavalry for F2P in KvK 2. Skill order 1, 2, 4, 3.

Cao Cao is in Golden Chests from day one, so most players collect his sculptures just by opening Golden Keys.

• Use: early cavalry field march, barbarians and fast map moves before KvK. He falls off once Season commanders arrive.
• Worth it? Level him with the sculptures you get for free. Do not put universal gold heads into him, they are worth far more on a later commander.
• Skill order: Dragon Rider (1) first, then 3, 4, 2. He already works at 5-1-1-1, which is the realistic target.
• He can be picked in a Commander Swap later if you overinvested.

Casimir III is a gathering commander. He comes through event rotations and chests rather than anything you farm daily.

• Use: gathering only. He has no real combat role.
• Worth it? Only if you gather a lot and get his sculptures free. Never spend universal gold heads on him, and he is not a Commander Swap option, so the heads stay locked in.
• Skill order: Treaty of Kalisz (2) first, then 3, 4 and the active Wislica Statutes (1) last. The passives are the gathering value, so 1-5-5-5 is the useful shape.

Chandragupta reaches your kingdom with KvK 3, through MGE, Wheel of Fortune and similar rotations. In Gathering of Heroes he sits in tier 1, and he can be picked in a Commander Swap.

• Use: cavalry skill damage in open field, and he also works in rallies.
• Worth it? He needs to be fully maxed to perform, so only commit if you can finish him. A F2P cavalry player in KvK 3 can use him, but newer cavalry commanders outclass him in Season of Conquest. Spenders should skip to current cavalry.
• Skill order: Hidden Moon (1) first, then 4, 2, 3.

Charlemagne becomes available with KvK 1 through event rotations like MGE and the Wheel of Fortune.

• Use: leadership rally leader in KvK 1 and KvK 2, hitting passes, altars and holy sites.
• Worth it? Only for players who actually lead rallies. Once Season of Conquest arrives better rally leaders take over. F2P players who join rallies rather than lead them can skip him.
• Skill order: Eagle of Jupiter (1) first, then 2, 4, 3. He becomes useful around 5-5-1-5.
• He can be picked in a Commander Swap.

Charles Martel is in Golden Chests from day one and is one of the first MGE commanders a new kingdom sees.

• Use: infantry garrison tank and early open field tank, very strong before KvK and in KvK 1.
• Worth it? Yes for every new player, F2P included: take him in early MGE if you can, he carries your infantry march until Season commanders arrive. Stop investing once you have later infantry.
• Skill order: active first, then 2, 4, 3. He is usable at 5-1-1-1 for garrison and better at 5-5-1-5.
• He can be picked in a Commander Swap later.

Cheok Jun-gyeong arrives with KvK 2 through event rotations. He is not a Commander Swap option and not in Gathering of Heroes, so heads you put in stay there.

• Use: infantry open field damage.
• Worth it? A solid infantry field choice for KvK 2 and KvK 3 if you are an infantry player. F2P should be sure they will keep using infantry before spending universals, because Season of Conquest infantry outclass him.
• Skill order: Courageous (1) first, then 4, 2, 3. He works from 5-5-1-5.

Choe Yeong comes with KvK 3 through MGE and Wheel of Fortune rotations, and sits in Gathering of Heroes tier 3. He can be picked in a Commander Swap.

• Use: archer garrison, defending flags, forts and your city.
• Worth it? Good for archer players who are expected to hold structures in KvK. If your alliance has enough garrison leads, open field commanders give a F2P player more value.
• Skill order: Ever Faithful (1) first, then 2, 4, 3. He is useful from 5-5-1-1.

Cleopatra VII drops from Golden Chests and shows up in early event chests, so most accounts collect her slowly.

• Use: gathering, especially gold. She has no combat role.
• Worth it? Only as a gatherer with free sculptures. Never put universal gold heads into her, and she is not a Commander Swap option.
• Skill order: End of Ptolemy (2) first, then 3, then the active Queen of Kings (1), then 4. Her gathering value is in the passives, so 1-5-5-1 is the useful shape.

Constantine I arrives with KvK 2 through event rotations and can be picked in a Commander Swap.

• Use: infantry garrison and tanky open field, a classic defender for flags and forts.
• Worth it? A good F2P infantry investment in KvK 2 and KvK 3, especially if your alliance needs garrison players. Big spenders move on to newer garrison commanders in Season of Conquest.
• Skill order: Edict of Milan (1) first, then 2, 4, 3. He is already useful at 5-5-1-1.

Edward of Woodstock arrives with KvK 2 through event rotations and can be picked in a Commander Swap.

• Use: archer open field and archer rallies.
• Worth it? A strong archer for KvK 2 and early KvK 3, but he needs to be fully maxed. Good for a F2P archer main at that stage; in Season of Conquest newer archers take over.
• Skill order: Archer's Honor (1) first, then 2, 3, 4.

El Cid is in the launch legendary pool, so his sculptures come from Golden Chests and early events.

• Use: archer open field before KvK and in KvK 1, plus some rally use.
• Worth it? Only with free sculptures. He needs to be fully maxed and is outclassed by KvK 2 archers, so skip universal gold heads on him.
• Skill order: Famous Warrior (1) first, then 2, 3, 4.
• He can be picked in a Commander Swap later.

Eleanor of Aquitaine comes with KvK 3 through event rotations and sits in Gathering of Heroes tier 3. She can be picked in a Commander Swap.

• Use: cavalry garrison.
• Worth it? Only if you are a cavalry player your alliance relies on for holding structures, and you can max her, since she needs all four skills. Open field commanders give a F2P player more use.
• Skill order: Lily of the Wilds (1) first, then 2, 3, 4.

Flavius Aetius comes with KvK 3 through event rotations and sits in Gathering of Heroes tier 2. He can be picked in a Commander Swap.

• Use: infantry garrison and open field.
• Worth it? A useful infantry option for KvK 3 if you are an infantry main, but he needs to be fully maxed. F2P players should be sure they can finish him.
• Skill order: Spear of the Empire (1) first, then 2, 3, 4.

Genghis Khan arrives through event rotations like MGE and the Wheel of Fortune. He is not in Gathering of Heroes, but can be picked in a Commander Swap.

• Use: cavalry skill damage in open field.
• Worth it? A strong cavalry field commander for KvK 1 to KvK 3. He needs 5-5-5-1 to work, so he is a big commitment for F2P. In Season of Conquest newer cavalry pass him.
• Skill order: Chosen One (1) first, then 2, 3, 4.

Guan Yu arrives with KvK 3 through event rotations and sits in Gathering of Heroes tier 1. He can be picked in a Commander Swap.

• Use: infantry open field and rallies.
• Worth it? A solid infantry pick that already works at 5-5-1-1, which makes him one of the friendlier KvK 3 legendaries for F2P infantry players.
• Skill order: Saint of War (1) first, then 2, 4, 3.

Hannibal Barca comes from paid VIP chests rather than keys or free events. He is not a Commander Swap option.

• Use: leadership rallies and open field.
• Worth it? Decent in a young kingdom, but he is a paid commander and older kingdoms have better options. Do not buy chests or spend universals on him late in the game.
• Skill order: War Elephants (1) first, then 2, 4, 3. He works from 5-5-1-5.

Harald Sigurdsson arrives with KvK 3 through event rotations and sits in Gathering of Heroes tier 1. He can be picked in a Commander Swap.

• Use: infantry open field and rallies.
• Worth it? A good infantry choice once his passives are up. His useful shape is 5-1-5-5 rather than the usual active-first build, so plan for that.
• Skill order: Berserker (1) first, then 4, 3, 2.

Huo Qubing arrives with KvK 3 through event rotations and sits in Gathering of Heroes tier 2. He can be picked in a Commander Swap.

• Use: cavalry open field nuker. He must lead the march as primary to get his full first skill.
• Worth it? Guides agree he is worth maxing for F2P and spenders who run cavalry, because he does not depend on rallies or structures.
• Skill order: max the active skill first, then the passives.

Ishida Mitsunari drops from Golden Chests and event chests, so you can max him slowly with free sculptures.

• Use: gathering. He has no real combat role.
• Worth it? Only as a gatherer from free sources. Never put universal gold heads into him, and he is not a Commander Swap option.
• Skill order: Go-Bugyo (2) first, then 3, the active Battle of Sekigahara (1), then 4. The gathering value is in the passives.

Julius Caesar is in Golden Chests from day one.

• Use: leadership rallies against cities and structures, and some open field early.
• Worth it? Only with free sculptures from keys. He is outclassed once Season rally leaders arrive, so no universal gold heads.
• Skill order: Indomitable Army (1) first, then 2, 4, 3. He works from 5-5-1-5.
• He can be picked in a Commander Swap later.

Lu Bu came from a crossover event, sold in limited bundles, and can otherwise be built with universal gold heads.

• Use: leadership rallies against cities and structures, plus some open field.
• Worth it? Not worth universals for most F2P players, since he is built for attacking objectives. He gives value early at 5-1-1-1.
• Skill order: Sky Piercer (1) first, then 2, 3, 4.
• He can be picked in a Commander Swap.

Margaret I is an engineering legendary, so she only does anything leading siege units. A new kingdom sees her from KvK 3, when the Mightiest Governor and Wheel of Fortune can feature her; Gathering of Heroes and universal sculptures are the other routes.

• Worth it: only if you actually run a siege march for your alliance. F2P players should not put universal gold heads into her before their main field pair is done.
• Use: ranged siege against cities and buildings, not general field fighting.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4. She starts doing her job around 5-5-1-1.

Matthias I is a leadership legendary built for your own city. He appears from KvK 3 in the Mightiest Governor and Wheel of Fortune, or via universal sculptures and Gathering of Heroes.

• Worth it: for players who get rallied a lot (big accounts, alliance leaders) and spenders. A F2P player gets more from a field commander first.
• Use: city garrison and mixed troop rallies. He is weak away from home.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4, and plan to max him; partial skills give little.

Mehmed II is an early-kingdom leadership rally commander. He is in the launch legendary pool, so he drops from Golden Chests (gold keys), and shows up in early events.

• Worth it: only if you are the one leading rallies on barbarian forts, cities and passes in the first season. Once Saladin and later rally leads arrive in KvK 2, he is outclassed, so do not spend universal sculptures on him.
• Use: city and building rallies (conquering damage).
• Skill order: 1 > 4 > 2 > 3. Level him only from heads that drop for free.

Minamoto is the cheapest cavalry legendary to finish. Sources: Golden Chests from day one, Special Privilege chests at VIP 5, 6 and 8, and early Mightiest Governor rounds.

• Worth it: yes for F2P and low spenders in the first seasons, as a cavalry nuker and to hit gatherers. He carries cavalry until better cavalry arrives, but by Season of Conquest he cannot keep up with Prime skill damage, so do not spend universal heads on him late.
• Use: early field nuking, barbarians and forts, swarming.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4, useful at 5-5-1-1.

Moctezuma I is a leadership legendary for PvE. A new kingdom can get him from KvK 3 through the Mightiest Governor, Wheel of Fortune or universal sculptures.

• Worth it: only for players who farm a lot of barbarians and barbarian forts and already have their fighting marches done. Never a F2P universal-head target.
• Use: barbarians and forts (peacekeeping). No real PvP value.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4, usable at 5-5-1-1.

Nebuchadnezzar II is an archer legendary from KvK 3, through the Mightiest Governor, Wheel of Fortune and universal sculptures.

• Worth it: for archer accounts who lead rallies on cities and objectives. He is weaker in open field, so a F2P archer player should finish a field archer first.
• Use: rallies on cities, flags and buildings, some open field in archer marches.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4, usable at 5-5-1-1.

Philip II is a leadership legendary from KvK 3, via the Mightiest Governor, Wheel of Fortune, Gathering of Heroes and universal sculptures.

• Worth it: strong pick for players who run mixed troop marches and for spenders building a leadership field march. F2P players should only commit if he will be their main march, since he needs full skills.
• Use: open field with mixed troops; he is close to rage cap already, so he spams his active.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4, plan to max.

Pyrrhus is an infantry legendary in the gold key pool from the start, so he drops from Golden Chests.

• Worth it: not as an early universal-head target, Charles Martel and Richard I do his job better before KvK. Later he has a niche as a shield-stacking flag and field tank. Level him from heads that drop for free.
• Use: infantry field and holding flags with shields.
• Skill order: 1 > 3 > 2 > 4, useful at 5-5-5-1.

Qin Shi Huang is an archer legendary from KvK 3, through the Mightiest Governor, Wheel of Fortune and Gathering of Heroes (the Season 3 pool has every commander).

• Worth it: yes for archer accounts and spenders, he is part of the current skill damage meta. A F2P archer can make him a long-term target, but only with heads saved for him; half-skilled he underperforms.
• Use: open field archer skill damage.
• Skill order: active (1) first, then 2 > 3 > 4.

This is the original leadership Ragnar from the Golden Chest pool, available from the start. Do not confuse him with the infantry Ragnar Prime.

• Worth it: no. He is a low value leadership commander that no strong pairing needs. Level him only with heads that drop from keys, never universals.
• Use: early mixed troop field or rallies while you have nothing better.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4 if you level him.

Ramesses II is an archer legendary from KvK 3, via the Mightiest Governor, Wheel of Fortune and universal sculptures.

• Worth it: for pure archer accounts. His talents and stats need a full archer march, so mixed-troop players get little. F2P archers usually have better long-term options.
• Use: archer open field.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 4 > 3, usable at 5-5-1-5.

Richard I is usually the first named legendary on the Wheel of Fortune, around kingdom day 38, and later appears in the Mightiest Governor.

• Worth it: yes early. He is the best tank you can get before KvK and anchors infantry and garrison through the first two seasons. By KvK 2 newer infantry outclass him, so only finish him if he is close, and by Season of Conquest he is a city garrison filler only.
• Use: early field tank, garrison, healing.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4, useful at 5-5-5-1.

Saladin is a cavalry legendary that arrives in KvK 2, through the Mightiest Governor, Wheel of Fortune and universal sculptures.

• Worth it: yes for cavalry players, he is one of the best investments of KvK 2 and holds up later. Good value even at 5-5-5-1.
• Use: open field cavalry, rallies, and breaking garrisons on a budget.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4.

Sargon the Great is an infantry legendary from KvK 3, through the Mightiest Governor, Wheel of Fortune and universal sculptures.

• Worth it: for infantry accounts who want a field primary with a fast, short-cooldown active. Spenders get the most; F2P should only commit if infantry is their main troop.
• Use: infantry open field.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4, usable at 5-5-1-1.

Seondeok is a gathering legendary from the start, from Golden Chests.

• Worth it: only for gathering. She is fine as a farmer, especially in Season of Conquest when resources feed crystal work, but never put universal sculptures into her while combat marches are unfinished.
• Use: gathering only.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4, usable at 5-5-1-1.

Siyaj K'ak' is one of the new-kingdom gold key legendaries, so he drops from Golden Chests from day one.

• Worth it: only if you will lead rallies for your alliance in the first season. He is built for new kingdoms and fades after that, so do not spend universal sculptures on him.
• Use: early city and fort rallies, some archer field.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4, useful at 5-5-1-1.

Stephen III is an engineering legendary from KvK 3 that leads ranged siege marches. Sources are the Mightiest Governor, Wheel of Fortune and universal sculptures.

• Worth it: only for players who run a siege march. F2P players should keep heads for field commanders.
• Use: ranged siege on cities and structures.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4, usable at 5-5-1-1.

Suleiman I is a leadership legendary from KvK 3, through the Mightiest Governor, Wheel of Fortune and universal sculptures.

• Worth it: mainly for spenders. He works with only his first skill maxed, which makes him a decent mixed troop option, but most guides see him as a pay-to-win pick for rallies.
• Use: mixed troop rallies and field.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4, usable at 5-1-1-1.

Takeda Shingen is a cavalry legendary from KvK 2, through the Mightiest Governor, Wheel of Fortune and universal sculptures.

• Worth it: for cavalry players who want a sustained normal attack primary. Usable at 5-5-5-1, so less expensive than full-max commanders.
• Use: cavalry open field.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4.

Tariq ibn Ziyad is an infantry legendary from KvK 3, through the Mightiest Governor, Wheel of Fortune and universal sculptures.

• Worth it: limited. He is a fast glass cannon, and guides rate other infantry well above him, so F2P players should not put universals here.
• Use: infantry field and quick rallies.
• Skill order: 1 > 3 > 2 > 4, usable at 5-1-5-1.

Theodora is a leadership legendary from KvK 3, via the Mightiest Governor, Wheel of Fortune and universal sculptures.

• Worth it: for city holders and players who defend alliance buildings. Not a F2P field priority.
• Use: city garrison, soaking rally skill damage.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4, usable at 5-5-1-1.

Thutmose III is a new-kingdom gold key legendary, so he drops from Golden Chests from day one.

• Worth it: as an early archer from free key heads. He is the best archer option before Yi Seong-Gye and his anti-heal hurts healing tanks. Do not spend universal sculptures on him; save those for Yi Seong-Gye.
• Use: early archer open field.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4, useful at 5-5-1-1.

Tokugawa Ieyasu is an infantry legendary from KvK 3, through the Mightiest Governor, Wheel of Fortune and universal sculptures.

• Worth it: for players who hold cities and buildings. He is a garrison specialist that wants full skills.
• Use: city garrison with shields and smite damage.
• Skill order: 1 > 3 > 4 > 2, plan to max.

Tomyris is an archer legendary from KvK 2, via the Mightiest Governor, Wheel of Fortune and universal sculptures.

• Worth it: for archer accounts. She is a secondary whose damage ignores part of the defence and stays in archer lineups for a while. Usable at 5-1-1-5, so she is cheaper than most.
• Use: archer field secondary, archer rallies.
• Skill order: 1 > 4 > 2 > 3.

Trajan is a leadership legendary from KvK 3, through the Mightiest Governor, Wheel of Fortune and universal sculptures.

• Worth it: good for spenders and players who like a support role. His active buff often makes him more valuable as an enabler for the rest of the army than as the damage dealer.
• Use: mixed troop open field, support.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4, usable at 5-5-1-1.

Vercingetorix is a leadership legendary from KvK 3, via the Mightiest Governor, Wheel of Fortune and universal sculptures.

• Worth it: for spenders and leadership field players who will max him. His kit is built around slowing enemies.
• Use: open field.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4, plan to max.

William I is a cavalry legendary from KvK 3, through the Mightiest Governor, Wheel of Fortune and universal sculptures.

• Worth it: for cavalry players who want a nuker. He depends on rage, so he needs talents and support that feed it.
• Use: cavalry open field nuking.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4, usable at 5-5-1-1.

William Marshal is a cavalry legendary from KvK 3, via the Mightiest Governor, Wheel of Fortune and universal sculptures.

• Worth it: for cavalry accounts that lead rallies or want chained skill hits in the field.
• Use: cavalry rallies on cities and structures, open field.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4, usable at 5-5-1-1.

Wu Zetian is a leadership legendary from KvK 2, through the Mightiest Governor, Wheel of Fortune and universal sculptures.

• Worth it: she does one job, defending buildings and cities, so mainly for spenders and dedicated garrison players.
• Use: garrison only.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4, usable at 5-5-1-1.

Xiang Yu is a cavalry legendary from KvK 3, via the Mightiest Governor, Wheel of Fortune and universal sculptures.

• Worth it: for cavalry players who want AoE damage in the field and on structures.
• Use: cavalry open field, rallies.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 4 > 3, usable at 5-5-1-1.

Yi Seong-Gye arrives through the Wheel of Fortune around kingdom day 90 to 100, and later in the Mightiest Governor.

• Worth it: yes, the best long-term legendary for F2P. Spend Wheel gems and universal sculptures on him; he stays a strong archer and secondary into Season of Conquest.
• Use: archer open field AoE, rallies, garrison secondary.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 4 > 3, useful at 5-5-1-5.

Yi Sun-sin is a leadership legendary from KvK 3, via the Wheel of Fortune, Mightiest Governor and universal sculptures; he is restricted to older kingdoms.

• Worth it: for city holders. He is a garrison specialist that cuts normal and counterattack damage from rallies.
• Use: city garrison.
• Skill order: 1 > 4 > 2 > 3, usable at 5-5-1-5.

Zenobia is an infantry legendary from KvK 3, through the Mightiest Governor, Wheel of Fortune and universal sculptures.

• Worth it: for players who hold cities and alliance flags. She is a tanky defender rather than a damage dealer.
• Use: garrison, flag holding.
• Skill order: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4, usable at 5-5-1-1.