Evony: The King's Return Generals Tier List

Picking the right General in Evony: The King's Return can shape how quickly your account grows and how your troops hold up in a fight. The catch is that no single General is the answer for every job.

A General who dominates Ground PvP might fall flat when you send him monster hunting, and a strong Mounted attacker isn't necessarily what you want guarding your city. New Generals keep arriving too, which means an older tier list can go stale fast.

This Evony: The King's Return Generals Tier List has been brought up to date for the 2026 meta, and it splits the top picks by what they're actually good at instead of lumping every General into one big ranking.

So whether you're putting together your first real march, gearing up for PvP, going after monsters, or just trying not to waste resources, this guide should help you figure out where to put your attention.

Evony Generals Tier List: Quick Ranking

Here's a quick snapshot before we get into specifics. Think of these rankings as practical guidance rather than gospel — where a General lands can shift depending on troop type, whether you're playing PvP or PvE, whether you're using them as a main or assistant, and how far along your account is.

S-Tier Generals

Louis II

Louis II sits at the top of the Ground PvP main-General rankings as of the latest August 2026 data, delivering 600% in combined buffs once you factor in his main skill, ascending bonuses, and specialties. If you're building a serious Ground march, he's hard to overlook.

Vercingetorix

Right behind him is Vercingetorix, another elite Ground pick. Current data has him second overall among Ground PvP main Generals and first for Ground attack specifically a great fit for anyone who wants to play aggressively.

Akechi Mitsuhide

Akechi Mitsuhide earns his spot both as a main General and as an assistant. He's up near the top of the Ground PvP main-General list, and his numbers as a Ground assistant are just as impressive, which makes him a good pick for players running more than one Ground march.

Artemis

Artemis is currently one of the best Mounted PvP options around, and she really shines for anyone building a high-end Mounted attack march.

Marcian

Marcian leads the pack among modern Ranged PvP Generals. He sits near the very top of the Ranged main-General rankings, with Ranged attack numbers that are especially strong.

Olaf Skotkonung

Olaf Skotkonung currently ties for the top Siege PvP main-General spot, putting up 655% in total buffs based on the latest August 2026 figures. Anyone leaning into Siege should look at him first.

Presley O'Bannon

Presley O'Bannon matches that same 655% total-buff figure in the current Siege rankings. His offensive Siege numbers stand out in particular, making him a strong pick if Siege PvP is your focus.

A-Tier Generals

A-Tier still means strong and dependable — these Generals just tend to lean more heavily on troop type, setup, or which assistant you pair them with, or on how developed your account is.

• Lafayette: A solid Ground PvP pick that blends good combat output with useful march capacity.
• Francis I of France: A strong modern Ground General, and one worth considering for an assistant role in particular.
• Alexander Hamilton: A capable modern Ground choice with combat buffs that hold up well.
• Niccolo Piccinino: A high-value Ground option for anyone chasing solid modern buffs.
• Charles VI: A strong modern Ranged pick worth weighing against Marcian and Visconti.
• Romulus: Still a genuinely strong Siege General, even after losing his old #1 spot to newer arrivals.
• Francis Drake: A competitive Siege option if you need another solid choice in your rotation.
• Christina, Shapur I, and Daniel Morgan: Reliable Siege picks that still hold up well for developed accounts.

B-Tier Generals

B-Tier Generals can absolutely still pull their weight, especially for mid-game accounts, specialist roles, or anyone who's already sunk a lot of resources into them.

Gao Changgong, Zhang Fei, Suchet, Stephen II, Theobald I, Maurice de Saxe, Gunther, and Melisande are the standouts here.

A lower tier doesn't mean a General is dead weight. If you've already fully ascended and specialized an older General, swapping them out right away probably isn't the best use of your resources.

C-Tier Generals

C-Tier is where the more situational, older, or simply less competitive Generals land. They can still earn their keep in certain roles — PvE, gathering, defense — or on accounts that don't have easy access to premium Generals.

D-Tier Generals

D-Tier is mostly legacy territory: Generals that newer additions have simply passed by for competitive purposes. There might still be niche uses for them, but if you're putting fresh resources into a General, you're generally better off aiming higher.

Best Ground Generals in Evony

Ground troops are all about staying power and grinding out sustained fights, which is exactly why Ground Generals matter so much for players chasing strong PvP marches.

Best Mounted Generals in Evony

Mounted troops matter for both PvP and monster hunting, but which General counts as the true best changes quite a bit depending on which of those two you're actually doing.

S+ Tier: Artemis

Artemis remains the top modern Mounted PvP pick, and she's especially well suited to an attacking Mounted march.

S Tier: Tishtrya

Tishtrya is a strong Mounted General in her own right, but where she really stands out is as an assistant — useful even in setups where someone else leads the march.

A few other solid modern Mounted names worth knowing: Henry IV, Shaybani, and Stephen I of Hungary. Just because an older Mounted General dominated a past guide doesn't mean they still deserve that reputation today.

Best Ranged Generals in Evony

S+ Tier: Marcian

Marcian is the strongest modern Ranged PvP General around right now, topping the current rankings for Ranged attack.

S Tier: Visconti

Visconti really comes into his own in an assistant role. If you already have a powerful Ranged main and want to strengthen the assistant slot, he's a great option.

Other Strong Ranged Choices

Charles VI is another high-end Ranged General worth considering. And if you're free-to-play, there's no need to rush into replacing a well-developed older Ranged General if the newer one isn't something you can fully ascend or specialize anyway.

Best Siege Generals in Evony

Siege is probably where the 2026 meta has shifted the most compared to older tier lists.

Irene d'Arneau

Irene d'Arneau is one of the best modern Siege options out there. Current numbers put her third for overall main-General buffs and first for boosting Siege march size.

Kiso Yoshinaka

Kiso Yoshinakaserves as a specialized lead commander for siege attacks with high march size and attack boosts.

Hersilia

Hersilia is one of the most flexible siege commanders around. She holds her own whether you're using her as your primary General or pairing her in as an assistant, making her a solid choice in a lot of different setups.

Romulus

Romulus has slipped from the #1 spot he held in older LootBar Siege rankings, but don't count him out — he's still one of the leading Siege main Generals according to the latest data.

Best Generals for PvP

If your priority is SvS, battlefield fights, rallies, or going after other players, the smarter approach is to rank Generals by troop type rather than searching for one all-purpose "best General."

•Ground PvP: Louis II, Vercingetorix, Akechi Mitsuhide, Lafayette.

•Mounted PvP: Artemis, with Tishtrya as another solid pick, particularly in the assistant role.

•Ranged PvP: Marcian, Visconti, Charles VI.

•Siege PvP: Olaf Skotkonung, Presley O'Bannon, Irene d'Arneau.

Best Generals for Monster Hunting

PvE plays by different rules than PvP. If monster hunting is your goal, don't automatically pour resources into whoever tops the PvP charts. Monster hunting rewards a different mix of bonuses, and Mounted troops usually end up at the core of an efficient hunting march.

The original LootBar article pointed to Huo Qubing as a solid monster-hunting General. That's still fine advice if you've already invested in him, but if you're starting fresh, it's worth comparing today's monster-specific bonuses before committing serious resources.

The real test for a good monster General is how well their bonuses match the monster and march you're actually running — not where they sit on a generic PvP tier list.

Best Generals for Beginners and F2P Players

Not everyone needs a maxed-out premium General right out of the gate. If you're new to Evony, you'll usually get further by building a handful of dependable marches than by spreading yourself thin across dozens of Generals.

1. Focus on One Main Troop Type

Decide which troop type you want to develop first. Say you go with Ground — then put your EXP, skill books, ascension materials, and gear toward your main Ground General instead of splitting them up.

2. Don't Chase Every New General

Evony keeps adding Generals to the roster. Just because a new one lands in a high tier doesn't mean it's time to drop a General you've already put real work into.

3. Use Accessible Generals Efficiently

If you're free-to-play, keep an eye on Tavern and event availability. A General you can actually get your hands on and build up will often serve your account better than a premium General you'll never fully develop.

4. Save Resources for Long-Term Investments

Before you ascend a General, ask yourself:

•Does this General fit my main troop type?

•Can I realistically get enough copies to ascend them?

•Do their skills mesh with my intended assistant?

•Do the bonuses actually help my PvP, PvE, or both?

•Will I still be using this General months from now?

Main General vs. Assistant General: What Should You Choose?

One of the more common mistakes newer players make is assuming that whoever tops the tier list belongs in the main-General slot by default.

That's not necessarily the case. A General can be phenomenal as an assistant thanks to the buffs they hand out, without being your strongest choice to actually lead the march.

Akechi Mitsuhide is a perfect illustration: he's a top-tier Ground main General, but he's also exceptional in the Ground assistant slot. You'll see the same thing elsewhere — Tishtrya shines as a Mounted assistant, and Visconti is especially valuable in a Ranged assistant setup.

When you're picking an assistant, pay attention to:

1.Skills that actually work in the assistant role

2.Attack, Defense, and HP bonuses

3.March-size bonuses

4.Whether their skill clashes with your main General's

5.Your real troop type and the battle scenario you're planning for

Don't pair two Generals together just because they both happen to sit in a high tier.

How to Choose the Right Evony General

For PvP

Focus on combat buffs for your chosen troop type — Attack, Defense, HP, and march capacity should top your list.

For Monster Hunting

Look for monster-specific bonuses and march efficiency instead of leaning on a PvP ranking.

For Gathering

A combat-focused General might not do much for you here. Gathering speed, troop load, and resource-specific bonuses will usually matter far more.

For City Defense

Judge defensive Generals against the troop types and defensive mechanics you're actually relying on.

For Duty Positions

Some Generals earn their place by boosting a specific city position, not by leading a march at all.

Conclusion

The right General for your account comes down to your troop composition, whether you're focused on PvP or PvE, whether they're playing the main or assistant role, and how much you can realistically invest in them.

Most importantly, don't ditch a well-developed General just because a newer tier list ranks them lower. If that General is already ascended, specialized, geared up, and paired with a good assistant, replacing them might cost you more than it's worth.

The Evony meta will keep shifting, but the fundamentals stay the same: build around your troop type, pick Generals for the role you actually need filled, and go deep on your investments from discounted Evony Top Up instead of spreading them too thin.