Stephen II Evony Guide 2026: Skills, Best Use & Build

Stephen II Evony Guide 2026

Stephen II is a powerful Siege Machine PvP General in Evony: The King's Return.

He is best suited to:

• Siege PvP

• Siege rallies

• offensive Siege marches

• high-damage late-game Siege builds

His biggest strength is the balance of his base Special Skill.

Stephen II immediately provides large Siege Attack, Defense and HP buffs before Ascension or Specialties are added.

Is Stephen II Good in Evony?

Yes.

Stephen II is a strong Siege PvP General because his Special Skill provides:

• Siege Machine Attack +50%

• Siege Machine Defense +40%

• Siege Machine HP +40%

when he is leading the army.

That gives him strong damage and survivability straight away.

His later Ascension and Specialties add even more Siege strength and March Size.

Stephen II Best Role

Best Role: Siege PvP

Also Good For: Siege Rallies

Avoid Using For: Monster Hunting or ordinary Ground, Mounted or Ranged marches

Stephen II should primarily be built around Siege Machines.

Although some of his Specialties provide Ranged bonuses, his core role is clearly Siege.

Stephen II Special Skill

Stephen II's Special Skill is:

Iron-Fisted Commander

Increases Siege Machines' Attack by 50% and increases their Defense and HP by 40% when General is leading the army.

This is always active while Stephen II is leading the relevant march.

That gives him a very straightforward and reliable Siege profile.

Stephen II Ascension

Ascending Stephen II strengthens his Siege march further.

1 Star

• Siege Machine Attack +15%

• Siege Machine Defense +15%

2 Stars

• Attacking Troop Death into Wounded Rate +8%

3 Stars

• Siege Machine Attack +25%

• March Size Capacity +8%

4 Stars

• Siege Machine Defense +15%

• Siege Machine HP +15%

5 Stars

• Siege Machine Attack +35%

• Siege Machine Defense +25%

• Siege Machine HP +25%

The third star is especially useful because it adds March Size.

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

Stephen II Specialties

Stephen II has four Siege-focused Specialties.

Siege Machine Assault

• Siege Machine Attack +10%

• Siege Machine HP +10%

Bash

• Ranged Troop Attack +10%

• Siege Machine Attack +10%

Siege Machine Ares

• Siege Machine Attack +10%

• Siege Machine HP +10%

• Siege Machine Defense +10%

Peacekeeper

• Siege Machine Attack +45%

• Ranged Troop Defense +30%

• Ranged Troop HP +30%

• Siege Machine Defense +30%

• Siege Machine HP +30%

Peacekeeper is the standout Specialty.

It adds a major amount of extra Siege Attack, Defense and HP while also providing some secondary Ranged survivability.

Best Skill Books for Stephen II

Stephen II has one important restriction:

he cannot equip the standard Siege Machine Attack Skill Book.

That means you should build around other high-value Siege options.

A strong Siege PvP setup is:

• Lv4 Siege Machine HP

• Lv4 Siege Machine Range Bonus

• Lv4 March Size

This provides:

• more survivability

• better attack range

• more troops per march

Another viable option is replacing HP with:

• Lv4 Siege Machine Defense

depending on the rest of your build.

Best Assistant Generals for Stephen II

Current TEBA pairing data includes:

• Christina

• Theobald I

• Gunther

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

Other compatible Siege Generals may also work depending on your roster.

Always test the pairing in-game before committing expensive resources.

Stephen II + Christina

Christina is a strong modern Siege option and can complement Stephen II with additional Siege Attack, Defense and HP.

This creates a very balanced Siege PvP pairing.

Stephen II + Theobald I

Theobald I is another natural Siege partner.

His own Siege-focused buffs can stack well with Stephen II where compatibility remains active.

Stephen II + Gunther

Gunther can also be used as a strong Siege-focused assistant.

The best choice depends on which General is more developed on your account.

Equipment and Refines

For Siege PvP, prioritise percentage-based Siege refines.

A standard setup is:

Axe

• Siege Machine Attack % x4

Ring

• Siege Machine Attack % x4

Armor

• Siege Machine Defense % x4

Boots

• Siege Machine Defense % x4

Helmet

• Siege Machine HP % x4

Leg Armor

• Siege Machine HP % x4

For a high-tier Siege march, percentage refines are generally preferred over flat refines.

Stephen II for Siege PvP

Siege PvP is Stephen II's strongest role.

His kit provides:

• high Siege Attack

• strong Siege Defense

• strong Siege HP

• March Size through Ascension

• strong late-game scaling through Specialties

That makes him a very solid option for serious Siege marches.

Siege combat depends heavily on:

• attack range

• troop tier

• layering

• buffs

• debuffs

• equipment

• march size

Stephen II should therefore be supported by a properly developed Siege account.

Stephen II for Siege Rallies

Stephen II can also work very well as a Siege rally leader.

His large all-round Siege buffs and additional March Size fit rally leadership naturally.

However, rally performance still depends heavily on:

• Rally Capacity

• participant troop quality

• Research

• equipment

• refines

• debuffs

• buffs from other city systems

A strong General cannot compensate for weak Siege infrastructure.

Stephen II and Ranged Troops

Stephen II gains some Ranged buffs through his Specialties.

That can tempt players to build him as a mixed Ranged and Siege General.

In most cases, that is not the best approach.

His base Special Skill, Ascension and overall identity are much more heavily weighted toward Siege Machines.

Treat the Ranged buffs as secondary support.

Stephen II on Defense

Stephen II's base Special Skill is active whenever he is leading the army, rather than being restricted only to attacking.

That gives him some flexibility.

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

His strongest long-term value remains as a Siege march General.

Is Stephen II Worth Ascending?

Yes, if Siege PvP is a major part of your account.

His Ascension adds:

• more Siege Attack

• more Siege Defense

• more Siege HP

• March Size

• better overall march performance

The third and fifth stars are especially valuable.

The key question is whether you can obtain enough copies or fragments to develop him properly.

Is Stephen II Worth Investing In?

Stephen II is worth investing in if:

• Siege PvP is one of your main combat styles

• you can obtain enough copies to Ascend him

• you have a strong compatible assistant

• you can support him with proper Siege equipment and refines

• your Siege Research is already developed

He is less attractive if:

• you rarely use Siege

• you already have a more developed premium Siege pair

• you cannot Ascend him meaningfully

• your Siege Research and equipment are still weak

TEBA Verdict

Stephen II is a strong and well-rounded Siege PvP General.

His base Special Skill gives large Siege Attack, Defense and HP buffs immediately, and his Ascension and Peacekeeper Specialty push those stats even higher.

His main limitation is the Siege Machine Attack Skill Book restriction, but he compensates with strong native buffs and useful March Size.

For players committed to Siege PvP, Stephen II remains a very solid option.

For F2P and low-spend players, accessibility is still the deciding factor.

A completed Siege General you can fully develop will usually provide more real-world value than a stronger theoretical option that remains unfinished.