Charles V Evony Guide 2026: Skills, Best Use & Build

Charles V Evony Guide 2026

Charles V is a powerful attacking Ground Troop General in Evony: The King's Return.

He is best suited to:

• Ground PvP

• Ground rallies

• offensive Ground marches

• high-damage Ground-focused builds

His biggest strength is the size of his immediate Ground buffs.

Charles V provides strong Ground Attack and Defense from his base Special Skill, with additional HP to help the march survive Ranged pressure.

Is Charles V Good in Evony?

Yes.

Charles V is a strong Ground PvP General because his Special Skill provides:

• Ground Troop Attack +50%

• Ground Troop Defense +50%

• Ground Troop HP +35%

He also gives:

• Mounted Troop HP +35%

when he is leading the army to attack.

That gives him a strong mix of damage and survivability for offensive Ground marches.

Charles V Best Role

Best Role: Ground PvP

Also Good For: Ground Rallies

Avoid Using For: Dedicated Monster Hunting or passive Main City Defense

Charles V should primarily be built as an attacking Ground General.

Most of his important base buffs require him to be leading the army to attack.

That makes him less flexible defensively than some always-active Ground Generals.

Charles V Special Skill

Charles V's Special Skill is:

Duke of Burgundy

Increases Ground Troops' Attack and Defense by 50% and increases Ground Troops' and Mounted Troops' HP by 35% when General is leading the army to attack.

The important condition is:

when leading the army to attack.

That means Charles V is clearly designed as an offensive General.

Charles V Ascension

Ascending Charles V further strengthens his Ground march.

1 Star

• Attacking Ground and Mounted Troop Defense +10%

• Attacking Ground and Mounted Troop HP +10%

2 Star

• Attacking Troop Death into Wounded Rate +8%

3 Star

• Attacking Ground and Mounted Troop Attack +25%

• Ground Troop Defense +10%

• Ground Troop HP +10%

4 Star

• Ground Troop Attack +15%

• March Size Capacity +10%

5 Star

• Attacking Ground Troop Attack +30%

• Attacking Ground Troop Defense +30%

• Attacking Ground Troop HP +30%

The fourth star is particularly useful because it adds March Size Capacity.

The fifth star then adds another large block of Ground Attack, Defense and HP.

Charles V Specialties

Charles V has four Ground-focused Specialties.

Ground Troop Formation

• Ground Troop Attack +10%

• Ground Troop Defense +10%

Formation

• Ground Troop Attack +10%

• Mounted Troop Attack +10%

Ground Troop Ares

• Ground Troop Attack +10%

• Ground Troop HP +10%

• Ground Troop Defense +10%

Battle of Pavia

• Attacking Ground Troop Attack +40%

• Attacking Ground Troop Defense +35%

• Attacking Ground Troop HP +35%

Battle of Pavia is the standout Specialty.

It strongly reinforces Charles V's role as an attacking Ground General by adding a large amount of extra Attack, Defense and HP.

Best Skill Books for Charles V

Charles V has no major restriction on the standard Ground Skill Books.

A strong Ground PvP setup is:

• Lv4 Ground Troop Attack

• Lv4 Ground Troop HP

• Lv4 Ground Troop Speed

Ground Troop Speed is especially useful because Ground Troops need to close the distance quickly against enemy Ranged Troops.

Another viable option is replacing Speed with:

• Lv4 Ground Troop Defense

if your build already has enough march-speed support.

Best Assistant Generals for Charles V

Current TEBA pairing data includes:

• Narcissus

• Zhang Fei

• Lucilla

These are strong Ground-focused options where their Special Skills remain compatible.

Always test the pairing in-game before committing:

• Skill Books

• Runestones

• premium fragments

The best assistant depends on which buffs you are missing and how developed each General already is.

Charles V + Narcissus

Narcissus can add further Ground strength and works naturally with Charles V's offensive profile.

This can create a strong dedicated Ground PvP march.

[H3] Charles V + Zhang Fei

Zhang Fei adds excellent Ground HP and Attack.

This can create a very balanced pairing with strong damage and survivability.

Charles V + Lucilla

Lucilla is another strong Ground option and can complement Charles V well where compatibility remains active.

This pairing is especially attractive for players with a well-developed Lucilla already available.

Equipment and Refines

For Ground PvP, prioritise percentage-based Ground refines.

A standard setup is:

Sword

• Ground Troop Attack % x4

Ring

• Ground Troop Attack % x4

Armor

• Ground Troop Defense % x4

Boots

• Ground Troop Defense % x4

Helmet

• Ground Troop HP % x4

Leg Armor

• Ground Troop HP % x4

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

Charles V for Ground PvP

Ground PvP is Charles V's strongest role.

His kit provides:

• very high Ground Attack

• very high Ground Defense

• useful Ground HP

• extra March Size through Ascension

• no major Skill Book restriction

This gives him a strong offensive Ground profile.

Ground Troops are particularly effective against Ranged-heavy formations.

However, they can struggle against strong Mounted-heavy compositions.

Scout first and use the right matchup.

Charles V on Defense

Charles V is not an ideal passive Main City Defense General.

The reason is simple:

his core Special Skill requires him to be leading the army to attack.

That means much of his value disappears when he is used purely defensively.

If you want a Ground-heavy Wall setup, an always-active or dedicated defense General is usually a better fit.

Charles V and Mounted Troops

Charles V does provide Mounted HP.

But he should not be treated as a Mounted General.

His main offensive strength, Specialties and Ascension are clearly Ground-focused.

Treat the Mounted HP as secondary utility rather than a reason to build a hybrid march.

Is Charles V Worth Ascending?

Yes, if Ground PvP is one of your main troop types.

His Ascension adds:

• more Ground Attack

• more Ground Defense

• more Ground HP

• March Size

• improved attacking performance

The fifth star is particularly strong.

The main question is whether you can realistically obtain enough fragments to reach those higher levels.

Is Charles V Worth Investing In?

Charles V is worth investing in if:

• Ground PvP is one of your main combat types

• you can obtain enough copies to Ascend him

• you want a pure attacking Ground General

• you have a strong compatible assistant

• you can support him with proper Ground equipment and refines

He is less attractive if:

• you already have a more developed premium Ground pair

• you cannot Ascend him meaningfully

• you need a General who works equally well on defense

• Ground troops are not central to your account strategy

TEBA Verdict

Charles V is a strong attacking Ground PvP General.

His base Special Skill immediately gives large Ground Attack and Defense buffs, and his Ascension and Battle of Pavia Specialty add even more offensive strength.

His biggest limitation is that his main buffs are attack-restricted.

That makes him excellent for an offensive Ground march, but less flexible than Ground Generals whose buffs remain active in defense.

For players committed to Ground PvP, Charles V is a serious option.

For F2P and low-spend players, accessibility still matters most.

A General you can fully develop will usually outperform a theoretically stronger option that remains unfinished.