Evony Refines for Dummies: Flats vs. Percentages Explained (2025 Guide)
- Favian the Wise Man
- Jul 9
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 10
Welcome back to Empire Build Academy! I’m Favian, and today we’re diving into a topic that’s confused me for ages: flat vs. percentage refines in Evony: The King’s Return. I’m calling this Refines for Dummies because, honestly, I’ve struggled to wrap my head around this, and I know I’m not alone. If you’ve ever felt lost choosing between flat and percentage buffs for your generals, this beginner-friendly guide is for you. We’ll break down how buffs work, compare flats and percentages with simple math, and help you decide what’s best for your T1 trap, T1 defense, or PvP march. Let’s make this crystal clear and help thousands of players like us master refining in 2025!
Understanding Buffs in Evony: The BasicsBefore we tackle refines, let’s understand buffs in Evony. Every troop type—ground, mounted, ranged, and siege—has base stats for attack, defense, and HP. These are universal numbers that all players start with, forming the foundation for your army’s strength.
For example:
T1 Mounted: 220 attack, 150 defense, 400 HP.
T14 Mounted: 4,400 defense (much higher!).
When you check your troops in the barracks (e.g., T14 mounted), you’ll see green numbers for attack, defense, HP, and load. These are nominal stats, which combine:
Base Stats: Fixed values for each troop tier (T1 to T16).
Buffs: Boosts from your Monarch, Senate, seals, or gear. For instance, my keep has a 214.1% ground troop attack buff from the Monarch’s military section, plus flat boosts like single ground troop attack.
Green numbers mean the stat is variable (you can boost it). White numbers (e.g., range, speed) are fixed, though speed might be adjustable with specific books (we’ll skip that for now to keep things simple).
Flats vs. Percentages: What’s the Difference?
When refining gear (like Civilization or Parthian gear) for your generals, you choose between:
Flat Refines: Add a fixed number to a stat, like +724 to mounted defense. This stays the same across all troop tiers (T1 to T16).
Percentage Refines: Multiply the base stat by a percentage, like 30% (though 25% is more realistic). These scale with the troop’s base stat, so they’re bigger for higher tiers.
Key Difference:
Flats shine for lower-tier troops (T1-T10) because their base stats are small, so a flat boost has a big impact.
Percentages are better for higher-tier troops (T11-T16) because their larger base stats get a massive boost from percentages.
Let’s use mounted defense as an example to compare flats and percentages for T1 and T14 troops, using my Queen Boudica’s Coro Boots as a reference.
Example: T1 vs. T14 Mounted DefenseHere’s the math, simplified for clarity:T1 Mounted Defense (Base Stat: 150)
Flat Refine: Max is 724. Add to base:
150 + 724 = 874.
With four slots (max refines): 4 × 724 = 2,896 extra defense.
Percentage Refine: Max is 30%. Calculate 30% of 150:
150 × 0.3 = 45. Add to base: 150 + 45 = 195.
With four slots: 4 × 45 = 180 extra defense.
Result: Flats give 2,896 vs. percentages’ 180—flats are 16 times more effective for T1s!T14 Mounted Defense (Base Stat: 4,400)
Flat Refine: Add 724:
4,400 + 724 = 5,124.
With four slots: 4 × 724 = 2,896 extra defense.
Percentage Refine: 30% of 4,400:
4,400 × 0.3 = 1,320. Add to base: 4,400 + 1,320 = 5,720.
With four slots: 4 × 1,320 = 5,280 extra defense.
Result: Percentages give 5,280 vs. flats’ 2,896—percentages are better for T14s.Quick Tip: If the percentage boost (e.g., 1,320 for T14) is higher than the flat refine (724), percentages are better without needing to add to the base stat.
When to Use Flats vs. PercentagesWall Defense: T1 Trap vs. T1 Defense
T1 Trap Keeps: If you’re running a T1 trap (e.g., 300M+ T1 mounted with thin upper-tier layers), use flat refines. T1s have tiny base stats (150 defense), so flats like 724 make a huge difference. T1 traps rely on massive troop counts (200-300M) to leverage these flat buffs. For example, my keep has 290M T1 mounted but lacks enough to be a true trap, so flats would still work here.
T1 Defense (Layered): If your keep has significant T12-T15 troops (e.g., millions of T14s), use percentage refines. These boost higher-tier troops (e.g., T14s with 4,400 defense) more effectively. My Queen Boudica (boosts in-city ground/mounted HP by 15%, mounted attack by 30%) is better for layered defenses with higher tiers, but I don’t have enough T14s (only 370K) to maximize her, so I’m planning to switch generals.
PvP Marches
Upper-Tier Marches: For PvP marches (e.g., my Marcus Agrippa archer march with T12-T15), percentage refines are best. Higher-tier troops (T12+) have large base stats (e.g., 4,444 for T14 archers), and percentages scale better. My Marcus Agrippa has some flat refines (oops!), which I need to swap for percentages to boost my T12-T15 layers.
Exception: Small Siege Marches: For T11 siege marches, flats can be better. For T11 siege attack (base 1,940):
Flat: 1,940 + 513 = 2,453.
Percentage: 1,940 × 0.3 = 582 + 1,940 = 2,522.
Percentages are slightly better, but flats can’t be debuffed, making them safer for T11 siege attack.My Mistakes and How to Avoid ThemI’ve been messing up my refines! My Marcus Agrippa has flat refines (e.g., 1,096 attack) when it should be all percentages for my T12-T15 archer march. My percentages are also low (e.g., 18.2% instead of 30%), costing me precious buffs. For Queen Boudica, I’m stuck between a T1 trap and T1 defense—I have 290M T1 mounted but only 370K T14s, making her percentage-based buffs less effective. I’m saving tokens to switch to a new general better suited for my T1-heavy keep.Lessons Learned:
Check Your Troop Composition: Flats for T1 traps (300M+ T1s); percentages for layered defenses or PvP with T12+.
Maximize Percentages: Aim for 25-30% on percentage refines to boost higher tiers effectively.
Fix Bad Refines: Use
Practical Tips for Refining
Know Your Base Stats: Check sites like Evony Guides Wiki or Evony Mickey for base stats (e.g., T1 mounted: 150 defense; T14 mounted: 4,400 defense). Spreadsheets are great, but I struggle with them—use online guides if you’re like me!
Do the Math: Compare flat refine values (e.g., 724 for mounted defense) to percentage boosts (e.g., 30% of base stat). If the percentage boost exceeds the flat value, go percentages.
Consider Gear Type: Civilization gear has higher flat refines (e.g., 724 for mounted defense) than Parthian gear. Check max refines for your gear.
Account for Buff Sources: Green numbers include buffs from Senate, seals, and Monarch, but not gear. Universal buffs (e.g., +4% in-city ranged/siege HP) are reflected in green stats.
Fix Mistakes: If you have flats on a PvP march (like me!), swap them out. For example, my food gathering speed refine on Queen Boudica’s gear is useless—I need to replace it with mounted defense.
Final Thoughts
Choosing between flat and percentage refines comes down to your keep’s setup:
T1 Trap: Use flats for T1-heavy keeps (300M+ T1s) to maximize low base stats (e.g., 2,896 defense for T1 mounted).
T1 Defense or PvP Marches: Use percentages for T12+ troops to boost high base stats (e.g., 5,280 defense for T14 mounted).
Siege Exception: Consider flats for T11 siege attack due to debuff resistance, but percentages for T15 or HP/defense.
Check Your Setup: If you’re like me (stuck between T1 trap and defense), assess your troop counts and switch generals or refines accordingly.
This video helped me finally understand refines, and I hope it does the same for you! If I got anything wrong or you have a better way to explain it, drop a comment—your tips could help me and thousands of others. Let’s learn together!
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