Vladimir the Great Evony Guide 2026: Skills, Best Use & Build

Vladimir the Great Evony Guide 2026

Vladimir the Great is an older Ranged PvP General in Evony: The King's Return with useful Subordinate City debuff value.

He is best suited to:

• Ranged PvP

• secondary Ranged marches

• Subordinate City debuff support

• F2P and low-spend accounts

• players who want an accessible dual-purpose General

His biggest strengths are:

• Ranged Troop Attack

• broad Enemy Troop Attack reduction

• useful Ground and Mounted HP debuffs through Specialties

• March Size

• Tavern accessibility

• simple build requirements

Vladimir the Great should primarily be built around Ranged Troops if you use him as a combat General.

Is Vladimir the Great Good in Evony?

Yes, although he is now better viewed as an older accessible option than a top-end modern Ranged General.

His Special Skill provides:

• Ranged Troop Attack +20%

• Enemy Troop Attack -10%

whenever he is leading the army.

That gives him both:

• direct Ranged damage

• universal enemy Attack reduction

This dual-purpose profile is why Vladimir can work either as a Ranged Main or as a Sub City debuff General.

Vladimir the Great Best Role

Best Role: Ranged PvP

Secondary Role: Subordinate City Debuff Support

Avoid Using For:

• Monster Hunting

• Main City Defense

• Gathering

• serious endgame Siege PvP

If you already have stronger modern Ranged Generals, Vladimir becomes more attractive as a Sub City option.

Vladimir the Great Special Skill

Vladimir the Great's Special Skill is:

Dignity of Grand Prince

When Vladimir the Great is leading the army:

• Enemy Troop Attack -10%

• Ranged Troop Attack +20%

The important point is that both effects are active whenever he leads.

There is no attack-only condition and no Dragon requirement.

Vladimir the Great Ascension

Ascending Vladimir improves both his Ranged combat value and general utility.

1 Star

• Enemy Troop Attack -5%

This strengthens his broad debuffing.

2 Stars

When Vladimir is leading the army to attack:

• Troop Death into Wounded Rate +8%

This helps reduce permanent troop losses during offensive PvP.

3 Stars

• March Size Capacity +10%

This is one of his most useful upgrades.

A larger march improves the total damage and survivability of his Ranged army.

4 Stars

• Ranged Troop Attack +5%

• Ranged Troop Defense +10%

• Ranged Troop HP +10%

This gives Vladimir a more balanced Ranged profile.

5 Stars

• Ranged Troop Attack +10%

• Ranged Troop Defense +10%

• Ranged Troop HP +10%

The fifth star adds another useful all-round Ranged increase.

Vladimir the Great Specialties

Vladimir the Great has four Specialties.

Ranged Troop Assault

• Ranged Troop Attack +10%

• Ranged Troop HP +10%

Siege

• March Size Capacity +6%

• Attacking Siege Machine Attack +10%

• Attacking Ranged Troop Attack +10%

The Siege component is secondary.

The March Size and Ranged Attack bonuses are the more important parts of this Specialty.

Ranged Troop Ares

• Ranged Troop Attack +10%

• Ranged Troop HP +10%

• Ranged Troop Defense +10%

This gives another strong balanced Ranged increase.

Grand Duke of Kievan Rus

• Enemy Troop Attack -10%

• Enemy Ground Troop HP -10%

• Enemy Mounted Troop HP -10%

Grand Duke of Kievan Rus is Vladimir's standout Specialty for hybrid Ranged/Sub City value.

How Much Ranged Attack Does Vladimir the Great Get?

Vladimir can gain Ranged Attack from:

• Dignity of Grand Prince: +20%

• 4-Star Ascension: +5%

• 5-Star Ascension: +10%

• Ranged Troop Assault: +10%

• Siege: +10% when attacking

• Ranged Troop Ares: +10%

That gives him a respectable Ranged Attack package when fully developed.

However, modern premium Ranged Generals now provide much larger total buff packages.

How Much Native March Size Does Vladimir the Great Get?

Vladimir gains:

• March Size +10% from 3-Star Ascension

• March Size +6% from Siege

That gives:

16% native March Size

when fully developed.

If you also use a Lv4 March Size Skill Book:

• March Size +12%

his personal contribution becomes:

28% March Size

before account-wide bonuses.

How Much Broad Enemy Attack Debuff Can Vladimir the Great Add?

Vladimir gains:

• Enemy Troop Attack -10% from Dignity of Grand Prince

• Enemy Troop Attack -5% from 1-Star Ascension

• Enemy Troop Attack -10% from Grand Duke of Kievan Rus

That gives:

25% broad Enemy Troop Attack reduction

before equipment.

This applies to:

• Ground

• Mounted

• Ranged

• Siege

That is why Vladimir remains useful as a Sub City option.

Best Skill Books for Vladimir the Great

For Ranged PvP, a strong setup is:

• Lv4 Ranged Troop Attack

• Lv4 Ranged Troop Range Bonus

• Lv4 March Size

This provides:

• more Ranged damage

• better engagement range

• more troops per march

This is the cleanest standard Ranged build.

Alternative Ranged Build

If you want more survivability, you can replace March Size with:

• Lv4 Ranged Troop HP

A durability-focused setup would therefore be:

• Lv4 Ranged Troop Attack

• Lv4 Ranged Troop Range Bonus

• Lv4 Ranged Troop HP

However, March Size is usually the stronger all-round offensive option.

Why Ranged Range Bonus Matters

Ranged Troops rely heavily on attacking from distance.

Ranged Troop Range Bonus allows them to begin dealing damage earlier.

This is especially useful against Mounted-heavy enemy formations.

Best Assistant Generals for Vladimir the Great

Vladimir does not need one specific Assistant.

The ideal Ranged Assistant should add:

• Ranged Troop Attack

• Ranged Troop HP

• Ranged Troop Defense

• March Size

• useful attacking buffs

without disabling Dignity of Grand Prince.

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

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

This gives Vladimir a balanced Ranged build.

Vladimir the Great for Ranged PvP

Ranged PvP is Vladimir's strongest direct combat role.

His developed kit provides:

• Ranged Attack

• Ranged Defense

• Ranged HP

• March Size

• broad Enemy Attack reduction

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

However, they can struggle against strong Ground marches.

Scout first and use the correct matchup.

Vladimir the Great as a Subordinate City General

Vladimir also has real Sub City value.

His kit can reduce:

• Enemy Troop Attack

• Ground HP

• Mounted HP

That makes him a useful hybrid debuff General.

If you already have a stronger Ranged Main, moving Vladimir into a Sub City can be a sensible way to keep getting value from him.

Vladimir the Great Against Ground Troops

Ground Troops receive:

• broad Enemy Attack reduction

• Ground HP -10% from Grand Duke of Kievan Rus

That gives Vladimir useful anti-Ground support.

Vladimir the Great Against Mounted Troops

Mounted Troops receive:

• broad Enemy Attack reduction

• Mounted HP -10% from Grand Duke of Kievan Rus

This fits naturally with Ranged PvP because Ranged Troops are commonly used against Mounted-heavy formations.

Vladimir the Great Against Ranged Troops

Ranged Troops are affected by:

• Enemy Troop Attack -10% from his base skill

• another -5% at 1-Star

• another -10% from Grand Duke of Kievan Rus

He does not have Ranged-specific HP or Defense debuffs, but the universal Attack reduction still helps.

Vladimir the Great Against Siege Machines

Siege Machines receive the same broad Attack reduction.

However, Vladimir does not provide heavy Siege-specific debuffs.

He is not a specialist anti-Siege Sub City General.

Does Vladimir the Great Need Skill Books as a Sub City General?

No.

If you use Vladimir as a Sub City Mayor, Skill Books do not improve the debuffs that matter most.

In that role, prioritise:

• debuff equipment

• Ascension

• Specialties

rather than trying to turn the Sub City's troops into a miniature PvP march.

Does Vladimir the Great Need Debuff Equipment?

Yes, if you use him in a Sub City.

Debuff-focused equipment can significantly improve his value.

Prioritise equipment that reduces:

• Enemy Troop Attack

• Enemy Troop Defense

• Enemy Troop HP

Achaemenidae and similar debuff-focused equipment are useful.

Try to complement the other Sub City Generals in your lineup.

Is Vladimir the Great Still Relevant in 2026?

Yes, but mainly because he is flexible and accessible.

He still offers:

• Ranged Attack

• Ranged survivability

• 16% native March Size

• broad Enemy Attack debuffing

• Ground and Mounted HP debuffs

• Tavern accessibility

Newer Ranged Generals now have much higher combat ceilings.

That means Vladimir is best suited to:

• F2P players

• low-spend players

• secondary Ranged marches

• hybrid Sub City use

Is Vladimir the Great F2P Friendly?

Yes.

Current sources list Vladimir the Great as available from the Tavern for:

• 60,000,000 Gold

That gives F2P and low-spend players a repeatable way to obtain him.

This matters because duplicate copies are useful for Ascension.

How to Obtain Vladimir the Great

Current sources list Vladimir the Great as available from the Tavern for:

• 60,000,000 Gold

Some older or conflicting sources also mention premium packages.

Because Evony acquisition pools can change, always check the live Tavern and current General event pools before spending specifically for him.

Is Vladimir the Great Worth Ascending?

Yes, if you still use him regularly.

His Ascension adds:

• more Enemy Troop Attack reduction

• March Size +10%

• Ranged Attack

• Ranged Defense

• Ranged HP

• Troop Death into Wounded support

The 3-Star, 4-Star and 5-Star upgrades are the most useful.

However, Blood of Ares is valuable.

If you already have a stronger modern Ranged General that you can realistically Ascend, compare the long-term return first.

Is Vladimir the Great Worth Specialties?

Yes, if he remains part of your main or secondary Ranged setup.

His Specialties add:

• Ranged Attack

• Ranged HP

• Ranged Defense

• March Size

• Enemy Troop Attack reduction

• Ground HP debuff

• Mounted HP debuff

Grand Duke of Kievan Rus is especially useful because it supports both:

• Ranged combat

• Sub City debuffing

However, Runestones are expensive.

Do not automatically max Vladimir if you already have stronger modern Generals.

Is Vladimir the Great Worth Investing In?

Vladimir is worth investing in if:

• you are F2P or low-spend

• you need an accessible Ranged General

• you already have him partly developed

• you want a hybrid Ranged/Sub City option

• you need another Ranged march

• you value broad Enemy Attack debuffs

He is less attractive if:

• you already own a fully developed modern Ranged pair

• you want a specialist anti-Siege debuffer

• your Blood of Ares is limited

• your Runestones are limited

• you are building a brand-new endgame Ranged march from zero

TEBA 2026 Reality Check

Vladimir the Great sits between two roles.

He is not purely a Ranged General.

He is not purely a Sub City General.

His base skill gives:

• Ranged Attack +20%

• Enemy Troop Attack -10%

while Grand Duke of Kievan Rus adds:

• another Enemy Troop Attack -10%

• Ground HP -10%

• Mounted HP -10%

That means his best use depends on your account.

If you need a Ranged Main:

• use him for Ranged PvP

If you already have stronger Ranged Generals:

• move him into a Sub City and keep using the debuffs

That flexibility is his real 2026 value.

TEBA Verdict

Vladimir the Great is an accessible hybrid Ranged PvP and Subordinate City General.

His base Special Skill provides:

• Ranged Troop Attack +20%

• Enemy Troop Attack -10%

His Ascension then adds:

• more Enemy Attack reduction

• March Size +10%

• Ranged Attack

• Ranged Defense

• Ranged HP

• Troop Death into Wounded support

while his Specialties add:

• more Ranged Attack

• more Ranged HP and Defense

• March Size +6%

• Enemy Troop Attack -10%

• Ground HP -10%

• Mounted HP -10%

His biggest strengths are:

• useful Ranged combat value

• broad enemy Attack debuffing

• hybrid role flexibility

• Tavern accessibility

• easy transition into Sub City use later

His biggest weakness is age.

Modern premium Ranged Generals now offer much higher combat ceilings.

For F2P and low-spend players, Vladimir remains a practical Ranged option in 2026.

For established accounts, his best long-term value may be as a Subordinate City debuffer once stronger Ranged Generals take over the main march.