Defense: Building a Resilient Keep on Evony

Defense Building a Resilient Keep on Evony

Defense: Building a Resilient Keep on Evony

The T1 Mounted trap keep is a proven defense—even an 800 million power keep can repel attacks from 5–10 billion power foes if built right. Here’s how to grow into one:

Troop Limits: Cap Mounted troops above T4 at 5,000 per tier. For Siege, build enough to aid defense (e.g., 20,000 per tier, more for lower tiers, less for higher) without drawing attacks—over half a million Siege invites targeting. Siege softens enemy assaults by striking first, but keep it modest to avoid Siege counters.

Core Troops: Focus on T1 Mounted, Ranged, and minimal Ground. Enemies’ Mounted or Ground troops engage your T1 Mounted “wall” without reaching your Ranged, due to range and movement dynamics. Enemy Ranged target your Mounted until they’re gone, sparing your Ranged unless Siege or counterattacks intervene (e.g., your Ranged firing back at enemy archers). Build layers: 50,000 Ranged, 5,000 Ground, and 10 million T1 Mounted per layer, repeating until you hit 500,000 Ranged, 50,000 Ground, and 100 million T1 Mounted. Then add 150 million T1 Mounted, 25 million T2, 10 million T3, and 5 million T4 Mounted. Boost your top two Ranged tiers for offense.

Gear and Refines: Gear trumps all, but refines are king. Avoid Koryo gear—opt for Conquest Civ gear like Augustus Leg Armor (top pick) and Bourbon Bracers, emphasizing Ranged Attack debuffs and Mounted HP/Defense/Attack buffs. Refine with flat numbers, not percentages, on Mounted stats. For example, T1 Mounted base HP is 1,000. Max percentage refines (30% across 8 slots) yield 3,400 HP per troop; flat refines (2,000 per slot) reach 17,000 HP—a 13,600 HP gap per troop, ballooning to trillions with millions of troops.

Defense Building a Resilient Keep on Evony

Subcities and Generals: Prioritize Russian subcities for attack debuffs. Use accessible subcity Generals like Baldwin, Hojo, Mark Antony, and Andy Jackson (in that order) for Ranged/Siege debuffs; Cimon shines if you invest. Gear is irrelevant unless it’s their specific Staff/Robe—focus on stars, specialties, and Archer gear (e.g., Parth sets) with Ranged attack debuff rings.

Wall Generals: Queen Boudica (Main) is ideal—accessible and easy to max at 10 stars. Equip her with Civ and Parth Archer gear. Your Assistant should be a top Mounted General with a 50% buff active anytime (not just “while attacking”). Gear doesn’t count, but Covenants and specialties do.

Buffs and Misconceptions: Buffs and debuffs (18 sources total) are critical—boost Mounted stats and debuff enemy Ranged attack. Some claim percentages don’t matter for T1 trap keeps; they’re wrong. Flats dominate, but a 700% HP boost (achievable) adds 7,000 HP per troop, stacking with flats for even more resilience.

Defence Building a Resilient Keep on Evony - Transcript

Evony Tavern Recruitment Update: New Generals to Boost Your Empire

Welcome back to the Empire Build Academy! I’m Favian, and today we’re diving into the latest Evony: The King’s Return Tavern Recruitment Update, introducing a host of new generals to enhance your gameplay. This update brings exciting opportunities to recruit powerful generals through the Tavern, each with unique buffs tailored to different troop types and strategies. In this blog post, we’ll break down the 13 new generals added, their stats, and how to strategically use them to strengthen your main city and battle performance. Let’s get started!

Overview of the Tavern Recruitment Update

The Tavern in Evony is a key feature for recruiting generals, and this update expands the roster with 13 new generals, available by refreshing the Tavern using gems. Each general offers specialized buffs, from boosting resource production to enhancing troop attack, defense, and HP. Recruiting can be gem-intensive, so plan carefully, especially if you’re a free-to-play (F2P) player. Below, we’ll explore each general’s abilities and strategic applications, with insights from my Empire Build Academy website, where I’ve detailed the update for easy reference.

New Generals and Their Buffs

Here’s a comprehensive look at the 13 generals added to the Tavern, organized by their primary roles and regions. These generals can be recruited by repeatedly refreshing the Tavern until they appear, so keep an eye on your gem reserves!

Shajar al-Durr (Arabia, Main City Defense)

Buffs: Increases main city resource production speed by 100% and food protected from troop upkeep by 200% when set as the Main City Defense General.

Strategy: Shajar is best used as an assistant general rather than the main defense general. For example, I’ve paired her with my main defense general, Isaac Brock. During peaceful times, Shajar maximizes resource production, but swap her out for a combat-focused general (like Isaac) during events like Server War, Battle of Constantinople (BoC), or Battle of Gaugamela (BoG) to bolster defenses.

Tip: Her resource buffs make her ideal for early-game players focusing on city development.

George Dewey (America, Main City Defense)

Buffs: Specific stats vary, but he enhances main city defense capabilities.

Strategy: Review his stats in the Tavern’s Portraits menu (under America) to determine if he fits your defensive strategy. He’s a solid option for players needing a reliable defense general.

Napoleon (Europe, Siege)

Buffs: Increases troop attack by 10% and siege machine attack by 20% when leading an army to attack.

Strategy: Note that this is the standard Napoleon, not Napoleon Prime. He’s best used as a siege general for offensive pushes, particularly in PvP or monster battles. Ensure he’s leading the army to activate his buffs.

Alfred the Great (Europe, Ranged)

Buffs: Increases ranged troop attack by 30% and siege machine attack by 20% when leading an army to attack.

Strategy: A strong choice for ranged-focused players, Alfred boosts your archers significantly. Check his requirements to ensure his buffs activate, as some generals need specific conditions met.

Thutmose III (Others, Ranged)

Buffs: Increases ranged troop attack by 30% and ground troop HP by 25% when leading an army to attack.

Strategy: Thutmose offers a balanced boost for ranged and ground troops, making him versatile for mixed armies. Evaluate his fit based on your troop composition.

Henry V (Europe, Ranged)

Buffs: Enhances ranged troop stats (specifics viewable in-game).

Strategy: Another ranged specialist, Henry V is worth considering if you’re building an archer-heavy army. Compare his buffs to Thutmose III to decide which suits your playstyle.

Saladin (Arabia, Ground)

Buffs: Increases ground troop attack by 35%, defense by 15%, and HP by 15% when leading an army to attack.

Strategy: Saladin is a “decent little ground general” for players lacking strong ground troop leaders. His balanced buffs make him a reliable choice for ground-focused attacks.

George A. Custer (America, Mounted)

Buffs: Enhances mounted troop stats (view in-game for details).

Strategy: Custer is a solid pick for cavalry players. Check his stats in the Tavern’s Portraits menu to assess his value for your army.

Murad IV (Others, Mounted)

Buffs: Increases mounted troop attack by 40% and ground/mounted troop defense by 30% when leading an army to attack.

Strategy: While not top-tier, Murad’s high attack and defense buffs make him a strong choice for cavalry-heavy players. Pair him with complementary generals for maximum impact.

Edward III (Europe, Ranged)

Buffs: Increases ranged troop and siege machine attack by 25% and ranged troop defense by 15%.

Strategy: Edward III is a versatile ranged general, boosting both attack and defense. He’s a good fit for players balancing ranged and siege units.

Zucca (Others, Siege)

Buffs: Increases siege machine attack by 40% and ranged/siege machine HP by 35%.

Strategy: Zucca’s impressive buffs make him a top-tier siege general, ideal for players focusing on siege-heavy strategies. His HP boost enhances army survivability.

Tamar (Europe, Ground)

Buffs: Increases ground troop attack by 35% and ground/mounted troop defense by 35%.

Strategy: Tamar’s strong defensive buffs make her a great choice for ground-focused players looking to withstand enemy assaults.

Charles (Europe, Ranged)

Buffs: Increases ranged troop attack by 40%, march size by 10%, and ranged/siege machine defense by 10%.

Strategy: Charles offers a robust package, boosting attack, march size, and defense. He’s a top pick for ranged players aiming to scale up their armies.

John Churchill (America, Siege)

Buffs: Increases siege machine attack by 30% and rally capacity by 12% when leading an army in Alliance War.

Strategy: John Churchill is particularly valuable for me, as he pairs with Isaac Brock in a Covenant, unlocking additional buffs. His rally capacity boost is ideal for alliance-based PvP events like Server War. Be mindful of his specific condition (leading in Alliance War) to activate all buffs.

Polyxena (Others, Mounted)

Buffs: Increases ground/mounted troop attack by 40% and troop defense/HP by 25%.

Strategy: Polyxena is a “very decent” cavalry general, offering strong offensive and defensive buffs. She’s a great addition for mounted-focused players.

Aethelflaed (Europe, Ground)

Buffs: Enhances ground troop stats (view in-game for details).

Strategy: Aethelflaed rounds out the update as a solid ground general. Check her stats to determine if she fits your ground troop strategy.

Strategic Tips for Tavern Recruitment

Recruiting these generals requires refreshing the Tavern’s Portraits menu (under Recruit > Portraits) using gems until your desired general appears. Here are some tips to optimize your recruitment:

Gem Management: Refreshing can be costly, so F2P players should save gems for high-value generals like John Churchill (for Covenants) or Zucca (for siege buffs). I recently recruited John of Portugal as an Archer Camp Officer to ascend him to five stars, showing how targeted recruitment can pay off.

General Roles: Pay attention to each general’s conditions (e.g., “when leading the army to attack” or “in Alliance War”). For example, Shajar al-Durr excels as an assistant for resource production but should be swapped out during combat events.

Covenants: Pair generals like John Churchill with existing ones (e.g., Isaac Brock) to unlock Covenant bonuses, significantly boosting your main city defense or attack capabilities.

Tavern Navigation: Use the Tavern’s filters (e.g., Arabia, Europe, America, Others) to locate specific generals. For instance, Shajar is under Arabia, while Napoleon is in Europe.

Community Feedback and Your Goals

This update offers something for every playstyle, whether you’re a F2P player grinding for generals or a spender aiming to complete Covenants. I’m personally focused on recruiting John Churchill to enhance my Isaac Brock Covenant, but I’d love to hear from you! In the comments, let me know:

Which generals are you targeting?

Are you F2P, or are you investing in Tavern refreshes?

Are you building Covenants or focusing on standalone generals?

Your feedback helps shape future Empire Build Academy content, so share your thoughts!

What’s Next?

This Tavern Recruitment Update opens new strategic possibilities in Evony. Stay tuned for more guides on general builds, event strategies, and advanced gameplay tips. The Empire Build Academy is your go-to resource for mastering Evony and other strategy games, so subscribe for the latest updates. Check out my website for a detailed breakdown of these generals and their stats, and let’s keep building your empire together!

Sources:

Evony: The King’s Return in-game Tavern Recruitment Update

Empire Build Academy website for detailed general breakdowns

Which general are you most excited to recruit? Drop your thoughts in the comments, and we’ll see you in the next video!