Zachary Taylor Evony Guide 2026: Skills, Best Use & Build

Zachary Taylor Evony Guide 2026

Zachary Taylor is a specialist Main City Defense General in Evony: The King's Return.

He is best suited to:

• Main City Defense

• Ranged-heavy defense

• mixed Ranged and Siege defense

• improving Hospital Capacity

• increasing Trap Triggering Chance

• supporting Ground and Mounted survivability through Ascension

• players who already have him developed

• F2P and low-spend players who can obtain him through Relics

His biggest strengths are:

• very high In-City Ranged Attack

• strong Ranged Defense

• strong Ranged HP

• useful Siege Attack support

• Ground and Mounted survivability

• Hospital Capacity

• Trap Triggering Chance

• clear defensive specialization

Zachary Taylor should be used as a Main City Defense General.

He should not be built as an attacking Ranged General.

Is Zachary Taylor Good in Evony?

Yes.

Zachary Taylor remains a strong specialist Ranged Defense General.

His base Special Skill alone provides:

• In-City Ranged Troop Attack +50%

when he is the Main City Defense General.

That gives him a substantial defensive damage bonus immediately.

His Ascension then dramatically improves:

• Ranged Attack

• Ranged Defense

• Ranged HP

• Ground Defense

• Ground HP

• Mounted Defense

• Mounted HP

• Hospital Capacity

His Specialties also support:

• Ranged Attack

• Siege Attack

• Trap Triggering

• Hospital Capacity

Zachary Taylor Best Role

Best Role: Main City Defense General

Best Troop Type: Ranged

Secondary Support:

• Siege Machines

• Ground Troop survivability

• Mounted Troop survivability

• Traps

Avoid Using For:

• attacking Ranged PvP

• Mounted PvP

• Ground PvP

• Siege attack marches

• Monster Hunting

• Subordinate City Mayor

• Duty Officer

Most of Zachary Taylor's strongest effects require him to remain on the Wall.

Zachary Taylor Special Skill

Zachary Taylor's Special Skill is:

Conquering Hero

When Zachary Taylor is the Main City Defense General:

• In-City Ranged Troop Attack +50%

This is a simple but powerful defensive skill.

There is no complicated activation requirement beyond:

• being Main City Defense General

Why Zachary Taylor Is a Ranged Defense General

Ranged Troops are the clear focus of Zachary Taylor's kit.

His developed package can provide:

• very high Ranged Attack

• strong Ranged Defense

• strong Ranged HP

His Specialties also add:

• Ranged Attack

• Siege Attack

• Trap Triggering

This makes him especially suited to cities where Ranged Troops form an important part of the defensive damage output.

Zachary Taylor Ascension

Ascending Zachary Taylor significantly expands his defensive kit.

1 Star

When Zachary Taylor is the Main City Defense General:

• In-City Mounted Troop Defense +15%

• In-City Ground Troop Defense +15%

• In-City Mounted Troop HP +10%

• In-City Ground Troop HP +10%

This adds survivability to the two front-line troop types.

2 Stars

When Zachary Taylor is the Main City Defense General:

• Hospital Capacity +20%

This is an excellent defensive utility bonus.

A larger Hospital can help reduce permanent troop losses during heavy PvP.

3 Stars

When Zachary Taylor is the Main City Defense General:

• In-City Ranged Troop Defense +30%

• In-City Ground Troop HP +20%

• In-City Mounted Troop HP +20%

This improves both his core Ranged defense and front-line survivability.

4 Stars

When Zachary Taylor is the Main City Defense General:

• In-City Ranged Troop HP +30%

• In-City Ground Troop Defense +30%

• In-City Mounted Troop Defense +30%

This is another major survivability upgrade.

5 Stars

When Zachary Taylor is the Main City Defense General:

• In-City Ranged Troop Attack +20%

• In-City Ranged Troop Defense +30%

• In-City Ranged Troop HP +30%

The fifth star is particularly strong.

It gives Zachary Taylor another complete Ranged combat package.

Zachary Taylor Specialties

Zachary Taylor has four Specialties.

Ranged Troop Assault

• Ranged Troop Attack +10%

• Ranged Troop HP +10%

This directly improves his main troop type.

Ambush

When Zachary Taylor is the Main City Defense General:

• Trap Triggering Chance +20%

• In-City Ranged Troop Attack +10%

• In-City Siege Machine Attack +10%

This gives him useful synergy with both:

• Ranged Troops

• Siege Machines

and makes traps more likely to activate.

War God

• All Troops Attack +6%

This provides:

• Ground Attack +6%

• Mounted Attack +6%

• Ranged Attack +6%

• Siege Attack +6%

Battle of Buena Vista

When Zachary Taylor is the Main City Defense General:

• In-City Ranged Troop Attack +25%

• In-City Siege Machine Attack +25%

• Hospital Capacity +10%

This is Zachary Taylor's standout Specialty.

It combines:

• defensive firepower

• Siege support

• Hospital utility

How Much Ranged Attack Can Zachary Taylor Add?

Zachary Taylor gains Ranged Attack from:

• Conquering Hero: +50%

• 5-Star Ascension: +20%

• Ranged Troop Assault: +10%

• Ambush: +10%

• War God: +6%

• Battle of Buena Vista: +25%

That gives:

121% Ranged Troop Attack

from his own fully developed defensive kit.

This is before:

• Skill Books

• equipment

• refines

• Dragons

• Spiritual Beasts

• account-wide buffs

How Much Ranged Defense Can Zachary Taylor Add?

Zachary Taylor gains:

• Ranged Defense +30% at 3-Star

• Ranged Defense +30% at 5-Star

That gives:

60% Ranged Troop Defense

from Ascension.

How Much Ranged HP Can Zachary Taylor Add?

Zachary Taylor gains:

• Ranged HP +30% at 4-Star

• Ranged HP +30% at 5-Star

• Ranged HP +10% from Ranged Troop Assault

That gives:

70% Ranged Troop HP

from his own fully developed kit.

Zachary Taylor Ranged Defense Totals

A fully developed Zachary Taylor can therefore provide approximately:

• Ranged Attack +121%

• Ranged Defense +60%

• Ranged HP +70%

from his own skill, Ascension and Specialties.

This is a strong Ranged-focused defensive package.

Zachary Taylor and Siege Machines

Zachary Taylor also provides useful Siege support.

From Ambush:

• In-City Siege Attack +10%

From War God:

• Siege Attack +6%

From Battle of Buena Vista:

• In-City Siege Attack +25%

That gives:

41% Siege Machine Attack

from his Specialties.

Siege is therefore his most natural secondary troop type.

Zachary Taylor and Ground Troops

Although Zachary Taylor is primarily Ranged-focused, Ascension adds useful Ground survivability.

He can provide:

• Ground Defense +15% at 1-Star

• Ground Defense +30% at 4-Star

• Ground HP +10% at 1-Star

• Ground HP +20% at 3-Star

That gives:

• Ground Defense +45%

• Ground HP +30%

from Ascension.

War God also adds:

• Ground Attack +6%

These bonuses help Ground Troops act as a stronger defensive layer in front of his Ranged formation.

Zachary Taylor and Mounted Troops

Mounted Troops receive the same Ascension survivability support.

He can provide:

• Mounted Defense +15% at 1-Star

• Mounted Defense +30% at 4-Star

• Mounted HP +10% at 1-Star

• Mounted HP +20% at 3-Star

That gives:

• Mounted Defense +45%

• Mounted HP +30%

from Ascension.

War God adds:

• Mounted Attack +6%

This gives his city broader defensive support than his base skill initially suggests.

Zachary Taylor Hospital Capacity

Zachary Taylor gains:

• Hospital Capacity +20% from 2-Star Ascension

• Hospital Capacity +10% from Battle of Buena Vista

That gives:

30% Hospital Capacity

from his own developed kit.

This can be extremely useful during:

• Server War

• Battlefield

• heavy city defense

• repeated incoming attacks

A larger Hospital can reduce the number of troops that become permanently lost once Hospital capacity is exceeded.

Zachary Taylor and Traps

Ambush provides:

• Trap Triggering Chance +20%

This can improve the effectiveness of a city that has invested heavily in traps.

Trap Triggering is not the main reason to use Zachary Taylor, but it adds another useful defensive layer.

Best Skill Books for Zachary Taylor

Because Zachary Taylor is a Wall General, prioritise defensive Skill Books.

A strong Ranged-focused setup can include:

• Lv4 Ranged Troop Attack

• Lv4 Ranged Troop Defense

• Lv4 Ranged Troop HP

This directly strengthens the troop type his kit already supports most heavily.

Alternative Mixed Defense Skill Books

Depending on your city composition, other options can include:

• Siege Machine Attack

• Ground Troop HP

• Mounted Troop HP

However, avoid spreading the build too thin.

If your defense is fundamentally Ranged-focused, reinforce that strength first.

Best Equipment for Zachary Taylor

As a Main City Defense General, Zachary Taylor should use defensive equipment that supports your overall Wall strategy.

Prioritise effects such as:

• In-City Ranged Attack

• Ranged Defense

• Ranged HP

• Siege Attack

• enemy debuffs

• broad In-City troop survivability

The exact equipment set should complement:

• your Assistant General

• troop composition

• Dragons

• Spiritual Beasts

• existing debuffs

Best Refines for Zachary Taylor

For a Ranged-heavy defensive setup, prioritise:

Weapon

• Ranged Troop Attack %

Ring

• Ranged Troop Attack %

Armor

• Ranged Troop Defense %

Boots

• Ranged Troop Defense %

Helmet

• Ranged Troop HP %

Leg Armor

• Ranged Troop HP %

If you run a more mixed defense, some refinements may need to support:

• Siege

• Ground

• Mounted

depending on your troop layers.

Zachary Taylor for T1 Defense

Zachary Taylor can contribute to a T1-style defensive account, but he is not specifically designed as a T1 Mounted specialist.

His Ascension does provide:

• Mounted Defense

• Mounted HP

• Ground Defense

• Ground HP

which can help defensive layers.

However, dedicated T1 defense strategies depend heavily on:

• flat refines

• troop volume

• Wall General combinations

• debuffing

• research

• Hospital capacity

Do not select Zachary Taylor purely because you run T1 defense.

His defining strength remains:

• Ranged defense

Zachary Taylor for Ranged-Heavy Defense

This is where Zachary Taylor performs best.

His personal developed package can provide:

• Ranged Attack +121%

• Ranged Defense +60%

• Ranged HP +70%

plus:

• Siege Attack +41%

• Hospital Capacity +30%

• Trap Triggering Chance +20%

before Skill Books, equipment and other account systems.

That gives him a clear identity as a Ranged-focused Wall General.

Should Zachary Taylor Be Used for Attacking PvP?

No.

His base Special Skill requires him to be:

• Main City Defense General

Many of his Ascension and Specialty effects also rely on city defense.

Using him in an attacking march wastes most of his strongest bonuses.

Use a dedicated attacking Ranged General instead.

Zachary Taylor as an Assistant Defense General

Zachary Taylor can also potentially work as an Assistant Defense General if his Special Skill is compatible with your Main Defense General.

This may allow you to combine his:

• Ranged Attack

• Siege support

• Hospital Capacity

• Trap Triggering

with another Wall General's broader defensive package.

Always test Main and Assistant compatibility in-game before investing heavily.

Choosing a Main and Assistant Wall General

Wall combinations should be built around your actual troop composition.

For a Ranged-heavy defense, look for an Assistant that adds:

• Ranged Attack

• Ranged Defense

• Ranged HP

• Siege support

• broad troop survivability

• enemy debuffs

Avoid combinations where one General's Special Skill becomes inactive.

Is Zachary Taylor Still Relevant in 2026?

Yes, particularly as an accessible Ranged-focused Defense General.

His core defensive package still provides:

• very high Ranged Attack

• strong Ranged Defense

• strong Ranged HP

• Siege support

• Ground/Mounted survivability

• Hospital Capacity

• Trap Triggering

However, newer premium Wall Generals now offer:

• larger total buffs

• stronger all-troop coverage

• Covenants

• Skins

• stronger enemy debuffs

• more advanced defensive mechanics

That means Zachary Taylor should no longer automatically be considered the best Wall General for every account.

Is Zachary Taylor F2P Friendly?

Potentially, yes.

Current specialist sources report that Zachary Taylor can be obtained through:

• Relics

This makes him significantly more accessible than many premium-only Defense Generals and gives players a repeatable route toward fragments.

However, acquisition databases currently conflict regarding Tavern availability.

Some databases show:

• 60,000,000 Gold

• Tavern-style metadata

while another current specialist source explicitly states that he is not available from the Tavern.

For that reason, do not rely on the Gold value alone.

How to Obtain Zachary Taylor

Current specialist sources most clearly support:

• Relics

• Premium Packages

Some databases also display:

• 60,000,000 Gold

• Tavern metadata

but current sources disagree on whether he is actually available from normal Tavern recruitment.

Check the live Tavern before spending Gold specifically looking for him.

Relic acquisition is especially important because repeated fragments can make Ascension much more realistic.

Zachary Taylor and the General Hall

Zachary Taylor is required for:

• Mighty Emperor

in General Hall II.

This gives him additional collection value even if he is eventually replaced as your active Wall General.

Is Zachary Taylor Worth Ascending?

Yes, if he is your long-term Main City Defense General.

His Ascension adds:

• Ranged Attack +20%

• Ranged Defense +60%

• Ranged HP +60%

• Ground Defense +45%

• Ground HP +30%

• Mounted Defense +45%

• Mounted HP +30%

• Hospital Capacity +20%

This transforms him from a relatively simple Ranged Attack General into a much more complete defensive General.

The 3-Star, 4-Star and 5-Star levels are particularly important.

Is Zachary Taylor Worth Specialties?

Yes, if you use him permanently on the Wall.

His Specialties add:

• Ranged Attack

• Ranged HP

• Siege Attack

• Trap Triggering

• All Troop Attack

• Hospital Capacity

Battle of Buena Vista is especially useful because it gives:

• In-City Ranged Attack +25%

• In-City Siege Attack +25%

• Hospital Capacity +10%

However, Runestones are expensive.

Compare Zachary Taylor against any newer Defense Generals you already own before maxing him from zero.

Is Zachary Taylor Worth Investing In?

Zachary Taylor is worth investing in if:

• your defense is Ranged-heavy

• you can obtain fragments through Relics

• you already have Ascension progress

• you need a strong accessible Wall General

• Siege forms an important secondary defensive layer

• Hospital Capacity is important to your defense

• you plan to keep him on the Wall long term

He is less attractive if:

• you already have a stronger modern Wall General

• your defense is primarily built around another troop type

• you are starting an expensive Wall build completely from zero

• Runestones are limited

• Blood of Ares is limited

TEBA 2026 Reality Check

Zachary Taylor is an older Defense General, but unlike many old field Generals, his role has aged reasonably well.

A fully developed Zachary Taylor can provide approximately:

• Ranged Attack +121%

• Ranged Defense +60%

• Ranged HP +70%

• Siege Attack +41%

• Ground Defense +45%

• Ground HP +30%

• Mounted Defense +45%

• Mounted HP +30%

• Hospital Capacity +30%

• Trap Triggering Chance +20%

from his own developed kit before Skill Books and equipment.

That is still a meaningful defensive package.

His greatest advantage in 2026 is that Relic availability can make him much easier to develop than many premium Wall Generals.

His biggest limitation is that modern premium Defense Generals now provide broader and substantially larger total packages.

TEBA Verdict

Zachary Taylor is an older but still capable Ranged-focused Main City Defense General.

His base Special Skill provides:

• In-City Ranged Attack +50%

while he is the Main City Defense General.

His Ascension then adds:

• Ranged Attack

• Ranged Defense

• Ranged HP

• Ground Defense

• Ground HP

• Mounted Defense

• Mounted HP

• Hospital Capacity

while his Specialties add:

• more Ranged Attack

• Ranged HP

• Siege Attack

• Trap Triggering Chance

• All Troop Attack

• additional Hospital Capacity

His fully developed personal defensive package can reach approximately:

• Ranged Attack +121%

• Ranged Defense +60%

• Ranged HP +70%

• Siege Attack +41%

• Ground Defense +45%

• Ground HP +30%

• Mounted Defense +45%

• Mounted HP +30%

• Hospital Capacity +30%

• Trap Triggering Chance +20%

before Skill Books and equipment.

His biggest strengths are:

• powerful Ranged defensive damage

• strong Ranged survivability

• useful Siege support

• Ground and Mounted survivability

• Hospital Capacity

• Trap support

• potentially accessible Relic fragments

His biggest weaknesses are:

• highly specialized toward Ranged defense

• little offensive march value

• modern premium Wall Generals offer higher ceilings

• current Tavern availability information is inconsistent

For players who can obtain and Ascend him through Relics, Zachary Taylor remains a very practical Ranged Main City Defense General in 2026.

For high-end accounts starting a completely new Wall build, newer Defense Generals should be compared before committing large amounts of Blood of Ares and Runestones.