Epaminondas Evony Guide 2026: Skills, Best Use & Build

Epaminondas Evony Guide 2026

Epaminondas is a Ground Troop General in Evony: The King's Return.

He is best suited to:

• Ground PvP

• reinforcing

• secondary Ground defense

• large Ground marches

• established accounts that already have him developed

His biggest strengths are:

• solid Ground Troop Attack

• excellent Ground Troop HP

• useful Ground Defense through Ascension

• strong March Size

• always-active core buffs while leading

• straightforward Ground survivability build

Epaminondas should primarily be built around Ground Troops.

Is Epaminondas Good in Evony?

Yes.

Epaminondas remains a useful Ground General because his Special Skill provides:

• Ground Troop Attack +30%

• Ground Troop HP +15%

• Mounted Troop HP +15%

when he is leading the army.

Unlike many attack-only Generals, these core buffs are not restricted to offensive marches.

That gives Epaminondas more flexibility in:

• Ground PvP

• reinforcement

• defensive march situations

Epaminondas Best Role

Best Role: Ground PvP

Also Good For: Reinforcing and Ground-heavy Defense

Avoid Using For: Monster Hunting or Mounted-focused combat

Epaminondas should primarily be built around Ground Troops.

His Mounted buffs are useful secondary support but do not make him a true Mounted General.

Epaminondas Special Skill

Epaminondas' Special Skill is:

Military Leader

When Epaminondas is leading the army:

• Ground Troop Attack +30%

• Ground Troop HP +15%

• Mounted Troop HP +15%

The important advantage is that the skill is not restricted to attacking.

That makes him more flexible than many older Ground PvP Generals.

Epaminondas Ascension

Ascending Epaminondas improves his Ground performance, march capacity and secondary Mounted support.

1 Star

• Ground Troop Attack +5%

• Mounted Troop Attack +5%

• Ground Troop Defense +10%

• Mounted Troop Defense +10%

This gives a useful all-round boost to both troop types.

2 Stars

• Enemy In-City Troop Wounded into Death Rate +10%

This adds extra offensive pressure when attacking enemy cities.

3 Stars

• March Size Capacity +14%

This is one of Epaminondas' strongest Ascension upgrades.

A 14% March Size increase significantly improves the total number of troops in his march.

4 Stars

• Ground Troop Attack +5%

• Mounted Troop Attack +5%

• Ground Troop HP +10%

• Mounted Troop HP +10%

This adds more damage and survivability.

5 Stars

• Ground Troop Attack +10%

• Mounted Troop Attack +10%

• Ground Troop Defense +20%

The fifth star gives another useful Ground survivability boost.

Epaminondas Specialties

Epaminondas has four Ground-focused Specialties.

Ground Troop Assault

• Ground Troop Attack +10%

• Ground Troop HP +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 Mantinea

• Ground Troop HP +30%

• Mounted Troop HP +20%

Battle of Mantinea is the standout Specialty.

It gives Epaminondas a very large increase in Ground survivability and reinforces the HP-heavy identity of his kit.

Best Skill Books for Epaminondas

Epaminondas cannot use the standard Ground Troop Attack Skill Book.

That means his best Ground PvP setup is:

• Lv4 Ground Troop Defense

• Lv4 Ground Troop HP

• Lv4 Ground Troop Speed

This provides:

• more Ground durability

• more Ground HP

• faster engagement against enemy Ranged Troops

This is also the same core build used in TEBA's existing Epaminondas guide.

Why Epaminondas Cannot Use Ground Troop Attack

Epaminondas' Special Skill already provides a large Ground Troop Attack buff.

Because of the way Evony handles overlapping General skills, the Ground Troop Attack Skill Book cannot be applied to him.

That means his Skill Book slots are better used on:

• Ground Defense

• Ground HP

• Ground Speed

Best Assistant Generals for Epaminondas

Current TEBA pairing data includes:

• Narcissus

• Miltiades

• Suchet

These are strong Ground-focused options where compatibility remains active.

The ideal Assistant should add:

• Ground Attack

• Ground HP

• Ground Defense

• March Size

• useful PvP buffs

without disabling Military Leader.

Always test the exact Main and Assistant combination in-game before committing expensive resources.

Epaminondas + Narcissus

Narcissus is the headline TEBA pairing.

He adds strong Ground combat stats and can give Epaminondas a much higher modern offensive ceiling.

Epaminondas + Miltiades

Miltiades is a flexible Ground partner.

He can add useful Ground Attack, Defense and HP while keeping the march well balanced.

Epaminondas + Suchet

Suchet is another Ground-focused option.

He can add useful Ground performance where compatibility remains active.

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.

Epaminondas for Ground PvP

Ground PvP is Epaminondas' main role.

His kit provides:

• solid Ground Attack

• excellent Ground HP

• useful Ground Defense

• strong March Size

• straightforward Skill Book development

• flexible always-active core buffs

Ground Troops are especially effective against Ranged-heavy formations.

However, they can struggle against strong Mounted marches.

Scout first and use the correct matchup.

Epaminondas for Reinforcing

Epaminondas can also work well in reinforcement situations.

His core Special Skill is not attack-only.

That means he retains:

• Ground Troop Attack

• Ground Troop HP

while leading in non-attacking situations.

This gives him more reinforcement flexibility than many older Ground Generals.

Epaminondas on Defense

Epaminondas can provide useful defensive value because his base Special Skill remains active whenever he is leading.

His Ground HP is particularly strong once Battle of Mantinea is developed.

However, he should not automatically replace a dedicated modern Main City Defense General.

He is better viewed as:

a flexible Ground General that can defend,

rather than a specialist Wall General.

Epaminondas and Mounted Troops

Epaminondas provides secondary Mounted support through:

• base Mounted HP

• 1-Star Ascension

• 4-Star Ascension

• 5-Star Ascension

• Formation

• Battle of Mantinea

However, he should not be treated as a Mounted Main General.

His strongest combat package remains Ground-focused.

How Much March Size Does Epaminondas Get?

Epaminondas gains:

• March Size +14% from 3-Star Ascension

That is one of the strongest features of his developed kit.

A larger Ground march allows more troops to benefit from his Attack, HP and Defense buffs.

Is Epaminondas Still Relevant in 2026?

Yes, but mainly as a strong established Ground option rather than a top modern premium General.

Epaminondas still offers:

• solid Ground Attack

• excellent Ground HP

• useful Ground Defense

• 14% native March Size

• flexible always-active buffs

• good pairing potential

However, newer Ground Generals now have much larger overall buff packages.

That means Epaminondas is most attractive for players who already own and have developed him.

Is Epaminondas Worth Ascending?

Yes, if he remains part of your Ground setup.

His Ascension adds:

• more Ground Attack

• more Ground Defense

• more Ground HP

• March Size +14%

• additional Mounted support

• Enemy In-City Wounded-to-Death pressure

The third and fifth stars are especially useful.

The 3-Star March Size increase is arguably the biggest single upgrade.

Is Epaminondas Worth Specialties?

Yes, if he is one of your main Ground Generals.

Battle of Mantinea adds:

• Ground Troop HP +30%

• Mounted Troop HP +20%

That is a significant survivability increase.

However, the fourth Specialty requires substantial Runestone and Gem investment.

For newer or lower-spend accounts, higher-priority modern Generals may deserve those resources first.

Is Epaminondas Worth Investing In?

Epaminondas is worth investing in if:

• you already own or have partly developed him

• Ground PvP is one of your main combat styles

• you value high Ground HP

• you want 14% native March Size

• you have a compatible Ground Assistant

• you can Ascend him without delaying stronger modern Generals

He is less attractive if:

• you are starting from zero

• you already have stronger modern Ground Generals

• you cannot Ascend him meaningfully

• your Blood of Ares and Runestones are limited

How to Obtain Epaminondas

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

Some General databases display a 60,000,000 Gold metadata value while also listing premium packages as the practical acquisition route.

Because availability can change over time, always check the current in-game General pools before spending specifically for him.

TEBA Verdict

Epaminondas is a solid Ground PvP General built around Attack, HP and flexibility.

His base Special Skill provides:

• Ground Attack +30%

• Ground HP +15%

• Mounted HP +15%

whenever he is leading the army.

His Ascension then adds:

• more Ground Attack

• Ground Defense

• Ground HP

• March Size +14%

• secondary Mounted support

while Battle of Mantinea adds:

• Ground HP +30%

• Mounted HP +20%

His biggest strengths are:

• excellent Ground survivability

• useful March Size

• flexible always-active core buffs

• straightforward Ground build

His biggest weaknesses are:

• he cannot use the Ground Troop Attack Skill Book

• newer Ground Generals now offer much higher overall ceilings

For players who already have Epaminondas developed, he remains a useful Ground Main, Assistant or secondary march General in 2026.

For players starting from zero, newer Ground Generals generally provide better long-term value.