Elphi'sAcademy
Generals 101: Quality, Skills, Cultivation, and Investment
How to judge a general as a complete long-term project instead of falling in love with one shiny skill line.
Learning Objectives
- Evaluate a general by role, accessibility, and full development path.
- Separate replaceable investments from permanent ones.
- Build a functioning pair rather than a trophy portrait.
Why This Matters
Evony releases generals faster than any reasonable account can fully develop them. The question is not “Is this general good?” The useful question is “Is this general good for my account, in this role, with the fragments and resources I can realistically obtain?”
A general becomes expensive in layers. Skill books are relatively replaceable. Cultivation costs gold and gems. Specialties consume runestones. Ascension consumes fragments and Blood of Ares. Civilization gear and dragons create additional long-term commitments.
How Evony Actually Works
The main general contributes equipment, cultivation, ascension, specialties, skill books, and applicable covenant or skin benefits. Assistants contribute only the effects the game allows from their skills and specialties.
Accessibility matters. A slightly weaker general that can be awakened may outperform a premium release that remains permanently underdeveloped.
Step-by-Step Walkthrough
- Define the exact role: ranged attack, ground attack, mounted bossing, siege, wall, reinforcement, duty, sub city, gathering, or another specialty.
- Read the main skill and note every condition: attacking, marching, in rally, reinforcing, defending, monster-only, or duty-only.
- Check assistant compatibility before spending rare resources.
- Review specialties, covenant partners, ascension bonuses, and skin effects.
- Confirm how fragments are obtained and whether the general can realistically reach the development level you need.
- Use basic cultivation and skill books only after the role is confirmed. Delay runestones, Blood of Ares, and premium equipment until the plan is stable.
Optimization by Spending Style
Free-to-Play
Prioritize tavern, event, relic, and repeatable-fragment generals that can actually be awakened.
Low Coiner
Choose a small number of premium projects and finish them. Five half-funded generals are not a roster.
Heavy Coiner
Compare the complete awakened and specialty package, not only the release headline. New does not automatically mean better for your existing march.
Common Mistakes
- Investing before checking compatibility.
- Using runestones on a temporary assistant.
- Assuming gold quality means the general is worth developing.
- Ignoring fragment availability.
- Building four PvP mains before one march is actually complete.
Elphi's Recommendations
Role first, general second.
Accessibility is a combat statistic.
Permanent resources wait until the pairing and march are proven.
Quick Reference Checklist
- Role defined
- Compatibility tested
- Fragments available
- Specialties reviewed
- Ascension reviewed
- Permanent resources delayed until confirmed