Arthur Wellesley Evony Guide 2026: Skills, Best Use & Build

Arthur Wellesley Evony Guide 2026

Arthur Wellesley is a strong Ranged Troop General in Evony: The King's Return.

He is best suited to:

• Ranged PvP

• Ranged rallies

• Ranged-heavy reinforcement

• Ranged-focused defensive setups

• limited mixed Ranged and Siege builds

His biggest strength is flexibility.

Arthur Wellesley provides useful Ranged Attack, Defense and HP while also adding some Siege Machine Attack.

That makes him more versatile than a pure attack-only Ranged General.

Is Arthur Wellesley Good in Evony?

Yes.

Arthur Wellesley is a strong Ranged General because his Special Skill provides:

• Ranged Troop Attack +40%

• Siege Machine Attack +40%

• Ranged Troop Defense +25%

• Ranged Troop HP +25%

when he is leading the army.

That gives him a balanced Ranged profile with some secondary Siege utility.

His core buffs are not restricted only to attacking, which also gives him some defensive flexibility.

Arthur Wellesley Best Role

Best Role: Ranged PvP

Also Good For: Ranged Defense and limited mixed Ranged/Siege builds

Avoid Using For: Dedicated Monster Hunting or pure Siege PvP

Arthur Wellesley should primarily be built around Ranged Troops.

His Siege Attack bonus is useful, but the rest of his kit is much more heavily weighted toward Ranged combat.

Arthur Wellesley Special Skill

Arthur Wellesley's Special Skill is:

Marshal in Eight Nations

Increases Ranged Troops' and Siege Machines' Attack by 40% and increases Ranged Troops' Defense and HP by 25% when General is leading the army.

The important advantage is that this skill is always active while he is leading the march.

That means Arthur Wellesley can provide value on both offense and defense.

Arthur Wellesley Ascension

Ascending Arthur Wellesley strengthens his Ranged march further.

1 Star

• Ranged Troop Attack +10%

• Ranged Troop HP +15%

• Siege Machine HP +15%

2 Stars

• Attacking Troop Death into Wounded Rate +8%

3 Stars

• Attacking Ranged Troop Attack +15%

• Attacking Ranged Troop Defense +15%

4 Stars

• Ranged Troop Defense +10%

• Siege Machine Defense +10%

• Ranged Troop HP +20%

5 Stars

• Ranged Troop Attack +30%

• Ranged Troop Defense +30%

• Ranged Troop HP +30%

The fifth Ascension star is especially strong.

It adds another large block of all-round Ranged stats and reinforces Arthur Wellesley's balanced PvP role.

Arthur Wellesley Specialties

Arthur Wellesley has four Ranged-focused Specialties.

Ranged Troop Defense

• Ranged Troop HP +10%

• Ranged Troop Defense +10%

Bash

• Ranged Troop Attack +10%

• Siege Machine Attack +10%

Ranged Troop Ares

• Ranged Troop Attack +10%

• Ranged Troop HP +10%

• Ranged Troop Defense +10%

Battle of Waterloo

• Ranged Troop Attack +30%

• Ranged Troop Defense +30%

• Ranged Troop HP +20%

• Siege Machine HP +20%

Battle of Waterloo is the standout Specialty.

It adds another substantial block of Ranged Attack, Defense and HP while also improving Siege survivability.

Best Skill Books for Arthur Wellesley

For Ranged PvP, a strong setup is:

• Lv4 Ranged Troop Attack

• Lv4 Ranged Troop Range Bonus

• Lv4 March Size

This gives Arthur Wellesley:

• more raw Ranged damage

• better attack range

• more troops per march

Another strong option is:

• Lv4 Ranged Troop Attack

• Lv4 Ranged Troop HP

• Lv4 Ranged Troop Range Bonus

if you want more survivability instead of March Size.

Mixed Ranged and Siege Skill Book Build

Arthur Wellesley's Siege Attack bonus makes a mixed Ranged and Siege setup possible in certain situations.

A potential setup is:

• Lv4 Ranged Troop Attack

• Lv4 Ranged Troop Range Bonus

• Lv4 Siege Machine Range Bonus

This can give a mixed march more effective engagement range.

However, Arthur Wellesley should still be treated as a Ranged General first rather than a dedicated Siege leader.

Best Assistant Generals for Arthur Wellesley

Arthur Wellesley has good compatibility with several modern Ranged Generals.

Current 2026 official pairing material lists him among viable Assistant options for newer premium Ranged Main Generals.

That means he can still provide useful value even if he is no longer your primary Ranged Main.

Strong Assistant selection should prioritise:

• Ranged Attack

• Ranged HP

• Ranged Defense

• March Size

• Skill Book compatibility

• non-conflicting Special Skills

Always test the exact pair in-game before committing expensive resources.

Arthur Wellesley with Modern Ranged Generals

Arthur Wellesley remains relevant partly because newer Ranged Generals can still pair with him.

For example, current official 2026 Evony pairing guidance lists Arthur Wellesley as an alternative compatible Assistant for Huitzilopochtli.

That gives older accounts another way to continue extracting value from investment already made into Arthur Wellesley.

Equipment and Refines

For Ranged PvP, prioritise percentage-based Ranged refines.

A standard setup is:

Bow

• Ranged Troop Attack % x4

Ring

• Ranged Troop Attack % x4

Armor

• Ranged Troop Defense % x4

Boots

• Ranged Troop Defense % x4

Helmet

• Ranged Troop HP % x4

Leg Armor

• Ranged Troop HP % x4

For high-tier Ranged marches, percentage refines are generally preferred over flat refines.

Arthur Wellesley for Ranged PvP

Ranged PvP is Arthur Wellesley's strongest role.

His kit provides:

• good Ranged Attack

• strong Ranged survivability

• useful Siege Attack as secondary utility

• strong Specialty scaling

• defensive flexibility

This gives him a balanced Ranged profile.

Ranged Troops are especially effective against Mounted-heavy enemy formations.

However, they remain vulnerable to strong Ground marches.

Scout first and use the right matchup.

Arthur Wellesley on Defense

Arthur Wellesley can also work in Ranged-heavy defensive setups because his Special Skill is active whenever he is leading the army.

That means his:

• Ranged Attack

• Ranged Defense

• Ranged HP

can contribute outside offensive PvP.

However, he should not automatically replace a purpose-built Wall General.

His strongest role remains leading a Ranged march.

Arthur Wellesley and Siege Machines

Arthur Wellesley provides some useful Siege Machine buffs.

Most notably:

• Siege Machine Attack through his Special Skill

• Siege HP through Ascension and Battle of Waterloo

• Siege Defense through Ascension

That makes mixed Ranged and Siege builds possible.

However, he is not a true Siege specialist.

A dedicated modern Siege General will normally provide much stronger Siege performance.

Is Arthur Wellesley Still Relevant in 2026?

Yes, but context matters.

Evony has released stronger premium Ranged Generals since Arthur Wellesley first arrived.

Current official 2026 comparison material highlights newer Ranged Main Generals with much higher maximum buff ceilings.

However, Arthur Wellesley still has value because:

• his core skill remains balanced

• his buffs are not attack-only

• he can still work as an Assistant

• invested Ascension and Specialties do not suddenly become worthless

That makes him a good example of an older premium General who can still remain useful even if he is no longer at the absolute top of the meta.

Is Arthur Wellesley Worth Ascending?

Yes, if he remains an important part of your Ranged setup.

His Ascension adds:

• more Ranged Attack

• more Ranged Defense

• more Ranged HP

• some Siege survivability

• better attacking performance

The fifth star is particularly valuable.

However, if you already own a significantly stronger modern Ranged General, you should compare the cost of finishing Arthur Wellesley against investing in the newer option.

Is Arthur Wellesley Worth Investing In?

Arthur Wellesley is worth investing in if:

• Ranged PvP is one of your main combat styles

• you already own and have partially developed him

• you value flexible always-active buffs

• you want a Main or Assistant Ranged General

• you can realistically Ascend him

He is less attractive if:

• you are starting from zero and already own a newer premium Ranged General

• you cannot Ascend him meaningfully

• your account has more urgent General projects

• you want a dedicated Siege march rather than a Ranged march

How to Obtain Arthur Wellesley

Arthur Wellesley was introduced as part of Evony's General Hall III update.

He is associated with premium General acquisition rather than ordinary Tavern recruitment.

Availability can rotate through events and premium General items.

Check the current event and General acquisition screens before committing resources.

TEBA Verdict

Arthur Wellesley is a strong and flexible Ranged PvP General.

His base Special Skill provides useful Ranged Attack, Defense and HP immediately, with Siege Attack as an additional bonus.

His Ascension and Battle of Waterloo Specialty strengthen the same balanced Ranged profile.

He is no longer the obvious top-end Ranged choice in the 2026 premium meta, but that does not make him obsolete.

For players who already developed him, Arthur Wellesley can still work effectively as:

• a Ranged Main

• a Ranged Assistant

• a secondary Ranged march option

For new investment, compare him carefully against newer premium Ranged Generals before committing rare fragments and Runestones.