Post by CountryBallEnjoyer on Oct 8, 2023 13:08:40 GMT
Before I start this list, I have to mention that the Siege of Calais is an absolute pain for f2p like me, so I have to exclude some commanders ahead of that.
There are 5 categories that I list the value of the commanders:
Main - These are your Juggernauts who anihilate troops consistently
Secondary - These still can reach 1000 dmg reliably, however are less potent than Mains.
Support - They can do the work, but there mostly here for their skills or assisting Mains and Secondaries.
Fodder - Does exactly what it says on the tin. Their role is mostly garrison and being in the frontline to sponge attacks.
Janky - You can buy them, but it's more of their skills.
As to how I would rank these commanders
Pink = Amazing
Blue = Very good
Green = above average
Yellow = average
Orange = bad
Red = absolutely horrible, but not the worst yet.
Brown = worst of the worst generals in the game.
Active Skills within Bronze (Refer to Ralyks' list, but here's my addendum)
Anyway, ranking them by chapters alphabetically. I'm listing them by the standards of Bronze.
It's worth pointing out that none of the these commanders should be your Main, or your first picks for Secondaries in the midgame. They are, anyone blue and pink, extremely viable as backup Secondaries and Support. Those in the green and above are capable of being decent Support, those in the yellow can do the Fodder. Everyone below that should not be considered, unless you're going for a "Worst commanders" challenge.
There are 5 categories that I list the value of the commanders:
Main - These are your Juggernauts who anihilate troops consistently
Secondary - These still can reach 1000 dmg reliably, however are less potent than Mains.
Support - They can do the work, but there mostly here for their skills or assisting Mains and Secondaries.
Fodder - Does exactly what it says on the tin. Their role is mostly garrison and being in the frontline to sponge attacks.
Janky - You can buy them, but it's more of their skills.
As to how I would rank these commanders
Pink = Amazing
Blue = Very good
Green = above average
Yellow = average
Orange = bad
Red = absolutely horrible, but not the worst yet.
Brown = worst of the worst generals in the game.
Active Skills within Bronze (Refer to Ralyks' list, but here's my addendum)
1. Medical Mastery: Heals units for 25% consistently (I've checked it through conquest). This alone is better than Call For Reinforcement, not to mention that it's level does decrease cooldown.
2. Armor Piercing: Defense Reduction sounds nice, but it has a pretty long cooldown for offensive capabilities, and most of the commanders who do have it, aren't Mains or Secondaries.
3. Disturbance: Morale reduction is nice, but gets increasingly redundant once you can 2-3 hit enemies. Useful in specific missions.
4. Call For Reinforcement: Poor man's Medical Mastery. A level 4 CFR is as good as a level 1 Medical Mastery, except you can't heal other troops and it doesn't cure poison either. And that's not mentioning it's long cooldown.
5. Forced March: Pretty good with the -1 mobility discount movement.
6. Poisoning: Good if you need to destroy high hp units, but gets redundant once you can destroy units round by round.
7. Equipment Destruction: Pretty awful. There aren't any commanders who has a level 3 ED, so you can't even max it. You're better off with Interception.
8. Interception: It's basically a free move against your opponent. Just having it on standby is powerful nullifier to squads.
9. Garrison Swap: If you need to swap units for some mission or tactical position, sure. But otherwise, meh.
10. Fatal Blow: 5 turns for sure, but you can dish out a good hit here.
11. Espionage: I mean, it's terrible, but not Shackle terrible.
12. Shackle: Tell me, what other active skills is worse than Shackle?
13. Rage: It's a blow-to-blow tradeoff. Very favorable against weak troops.
14. Engineering: In conquest, just put Justinian. Elsewhere, extremely situational.
15. Formation: Too long of a cooldown that doesn't really help with the defense, but does punish attackers.
16. Outburst: Guaranteed charge, 10% reduction in damage. What more do you need?
17. Tunneling: Situational, and takes pretty long.
18. Headhunting: Max damage and 10% increase damage. Not bad.
19. Euphoria: Pretty great to start the round.
20. Loot: Very, very situational. Otherwise, completely useless.
21. Concentrated Defense: Great if you need to protect a unit.
22. Detain: A vampiric skill surely isn't bad. Too bad it's 5 turns.
23. Pathfinder: You can max this out and get a free attack every 2 turns. Else, pretty good.
24. Calmness: Good if you really need someone else's ability, which makes it pretty situational in a good way.
25. Master Arsonist: Set the tile on fire, deals free damage to the unit and building they're on. Very good siege skill.
26. Plunder: Same as loot.
27. Tactics Master: An alright skill with multiple functions. But you're better off taking the extra damage.
2. Armor Piercing: Defense Reduction sounds nice, but it has a pretty long cooldown for offensive capabilities, and most of the commanders who do have it, aren't Mains or Secondaries.
3. Disturbance: Morale reduction is nice, but gets increasingly redundant once you can 2-3 hit enemies. Useful in specific missions.
4. Call For Reinforcement: Poor man's Medical Mastery. A level 4 CFR is as good as a level 1 Medical Mastery, except you can't heal other troops and it doesn't cure poison either. And that's not mentioning it's long cooldown.
5. Forced March: Pretty good with the -1 mobility discount movement.
6. Poisoning: Good if you need to destroy high hp units, but gets redundant once you can destroy units round by round.
7. Equipment Destruction: Pretty awful. There aren't any commanders who has a level 3 ED, so you can't even max it. You're better off with Interception.
8. Interception: It's basically a free move against your opponent. Just having it on standby is powerful nullifier to squads.
9. Garrison Swap: If you need to swap units for some mission or tactical position, sure. But otherwise, meh.
10. Fatal Blow: 5 turns for sure, but you can dish out a good hit here.
11. Espionage: I mean, it's terrible, but not Shackle terrible.
12. Shackle: Tell me, what other active skills is worse than Shackle?
13. Rage: It's a blow-to-blow tradeoff. Very favorable against weak troops.
14. Engineering: In conquest, just put Justinian. Elsewhere, extremely situational.
15. Formation: Too long of a cooldown that doesn't really help with the defense, but does punish attackers.
16. Outburst: Guaranteed charge, 10% reduction in damage. What more do you need?
17. Tunneling: Situational, and takes pretty long.
18. Headhunting: Max damage and 10% increase damage. Not bad.
19. Euphoria: Pretty great to start the round.
20. Loot: Very, very situational. Otherwise, completely useless.
21. Concentrated Defense: Great if you need to protect a unit.
22. Detain: A vampiric skill surely isn't bad. Too bad it's 5 turns.
23. Pathfinder: You can max this out and get a free attack every 2 turns. Else, pretty good.
24. Calmness: Good if you really need someone else's ability, which makes it pretty situational in a good way.
25. Master Arsonist: Set the tile on fire, deals free damage to the unit and building they're on. Very good siege skill.
26. Plunder: Same as loot.
27. Tactics Master: An alright skill with multiple functions. But you're better off taking the extra damage.
Anyway, ranking them by chapters alphabetically. I'm listing them by the standards of Bronze.
Chapter 1: Last of the Romans
Adil I - Highest starting leveled Medical Mastery possible and his Master Learner is good for early equipment in conquest. Not bad for a starter Secondary and can still be relevant Support with his Medical Mastery and decent passive skills.
Fausta - If you're buying her for administration task, then maybe you can get your return. But otherwise, it's a no no.
Gunderic - Poisoning skill and a good melee infantry skills.
Hermeric - Terrible ability, meh skills and meh stats. At least he's free.
Lupicinus - First free commander. An ok Fodder to use, but not much else.
Stilicho - It is a better Lupicinus, but not much else to expand.
Theodoric I - I mean, he can march and you can swap his role from cavalry to defense infantry without too much disruption, but he's definitely in the Janky side of utility.
Chapter 2: The Rise of Byzantium
Antonina: A weaker Sophronius, if you decide to ignore her consul abilities, which is redundant compared to Justinian. Can act as a backup Support from her Rapid March and Medical Mastery and do well with the administration task.
Gelimer: He does have Pathfinder, but that isn't compensating his stats.
John the Armenian: Good skills and is the second best of the free commanders.
Sophronius: In the short term, he has Medical Mastery and Master Learner, which is already good. What makes him the best of the Bronze is his Rapid March skill. Even when you have a pretty good team, Sophronius can act as a very strong Support.
Sittas: You have better alternatives than this Shackle man.
Sunicas: Has interception and a good melee cav officer. What more is to be said... except having the lowest title as knight. Very good Support though.
Theodora: You only buy her for the Justinian Bond. Otherwise, she would be useless without her Calmness skill.
Totila: Outburst level 3 for Bronze. There isn't much else to say. Not even the Silver Tier has that kind of bargain. And since some Melee do have a small charge chance, it does merit his Infantry Tactician.
Trithyrius: An M-Inf/M-Cav hybrid, but his skills are so barebone, that you can just buy Adil I for a better value.
Chapter 3 - Establishment of the Kingdom
Athelfrith: The best free commander. Master Arsonist and Irritability. Not too shabby.
Catigern: Rapid March, Leadership, Rage. Yeah, this one has insanely good skills for 3 skill slots. Other commanders don't have his luck.
Dihya: With Concentrated Defense and Infantry Tactician, she's actually become the best defensive commander in the Bronze-Silver Tiers.
Khawlah: Having the second lowest title as Baronet, one of the worst active skill of the game and pretty meh passive skills. This might actually be the worst of them all.
Leo III: AKA the guy who destroyed the Umayyad army in the siege of Constantinople by mind-gaming the enemy commander into burning his entire food stock, which explains his active skill. If you really need a Defense Infantry Fodder with Master Learner, then sure, but there are better alternatives than him.
Suleiman Baltoghlu: The first dedicated naval commander. Not much else to use him.
Zubayr: I mean, you can mix Swordmen and Charge Cavalry for the 10 mobility, but his other skills sucks so much.
Chapter 4 - Border Crisis
Michael the Stammerer: Well, we have Theodoric I. And Defense Infantry aren't known for their damage.
Leo VI the Wise: Master Arsonist, Charge Cavalry and Melee Cavalry. I mean, you can use him as either an M-Inf/C-Cav hybrid, or pick one of them. Either way, he still can compete with Athelfrith
Shurahbil: You're only buying his Euphoria. There isn't any better use for him.
Thomas Stanley: Tactics Master and Master Learner seems like a good combo, but then you see he has plunder. His passive skills are more useful than his active skill. John the Armenian is still a better option since Tactics Master is still level 2.
Vortigern: One the one hand, he has M-Inf level 2. On the other hand, he has shackle. Even Leo VI is a better option.
Chapter 5 - Viking Invasion
Athelred: Do you ever want a Caradja in European War 7? This is your man. Though, because the competition of awfulness is so competitive, he's not the worst of all.
Cadafael: Pretty decent Defense Infantry commander.
Edmund: Despite having a 5 skills slot for a Bronze commander, they're pretty meh, with only Disturbance and Leadership being decent.
Gytha: Pathfinder at level 1. Otherwise, awful
Jasper Tudor: Has Detain level 3, which is already broken for a Bronze commander. But he has Infantry Tactician and Isolated Force. Certainly capable of being a Secondary.
Robert Curthose: Infantry Tactician, Ranged Tactician, Pole-Arm Mastery and Outburst. He certainly has options of what type of commander he can be.
Vortimer: Defensive Infantry commander with Euphoria? Well, he certainly can take 2nd place for best defensive commander of the Bronze.
Chapter 6 - Macedonian Dynasty
Tostig: A Melee Infantry commander that can scan the navy in.
Chapter 7 - House of Normandy
Emma: Has Poisoning. And that's pretty much it. Quite Janky.
Eustace III: Melee Cavalry commander with Garrison Swap. I have nothing more to say.
William Iron Arm: Surprisingly a good naval commander and Melee Infantry commander with the skills.
Chapter 8 - Komnenos Dynasty
Aiham: An upgrade to the Chapter I free commanders.
Chapter 9 - Burning Crusade
Baldwin III: If you need a Melee Infantry commander on the fly, with discounted units, to besiege, then sure. But you have a ton of better options, even in the Bronze Tier.
Guy of Lusignan: Melee Cavalry commander with Garrison Swap. I have nothing more to say than he's better than Eustace III.
Leopold V: A Melee Axe Infantry commander with Call for Reinforcement. I mean, you have Adil I for a start, and his active skill is way too underleveled to be reliable.
Chapter 10 - Angevin Dynasty
None
Chapter 11 - Reconstruction of Byzantium
None
Chapter 12 - Ottoman Invasion
Andronikos II: Melee Infantry commander with Formation? It's not bad, but there are better options.
Andronikos III: Standard Charge Cavalry commander with Outburst.
Chapter 13 - Hundred Year's War I
Edward of Norwich: A M-Inf/M-Cav hybrid with a decent active skill.
Gaston IV: Defensive Infantry, followed with Melee Cavalry, and then you have Loot? I don't even know what he's even for.
John Chandos: Force march with good Melee Infantry capabilities.
Roger: Terrible skillset. Roger roger.
Adil I - Highest starting leveled Medical Mastery possible and his Master Learner is good for early equipment in conquest. Not bad for a starter Secondary and can still be relevant Support with his Medical Mastery and decent passive skills.
Fausta - If you're buying her for administration task, then maybe you can get your return. But otherwise, it's a no no.
Gunderic - Poisoning skill and a good melee infantry skills.
Hermeric - Terrible ability, meh skills and meh stats. At least he's free.
Lupicinus - First free commander. An ok Fodder to use, but not much else.
Stilicho - It is a better Lupicinus, but not much else to expand.
Theodoric I - I mean, he can march and you can swap his role from cavalry to defense infantry without too much disruption, but he's definitely in the Janky side of utility.
Chapter 2: The Rise of Byzantium
Antonina: A weaker Sophronius, if you decide to ignore her consul abilities, which is redundant compared to Justinian. Can act as a backup Support from her Rapid March and Medical Mastery and do well with the administration task.
Gelimer: He does have Pathfinder, but that isn't compensating his stats.
John the Armenian: Good skills and is the second best of the free commanders.
Sophronius: In the short term, he has Medical Mastery and Master Learner, which is already good. What makes him the best of the Bronze is his Rapid March skill. Even when you have a pretty good team, Sophronius can act as a very strong Support.
Sittas: You have better alternatives than this Shackle man.
Sunicas: Has interception and a good melee cav officer. What more is to be said... except having the lowest title as knight. Very good Support though.
Theodora: You only buy her for the Justinian Bond. Otherwise, she would be useless without her Calmness skill.
Totila: Outburst level 3 for Bronze. There isn't much else to say. Not even the Silver Tier has that kind of bargain. And since some Melee do have a small charge chance, it does merit his Infantry Tactician.
Trithyrius: An M-Inf/M-Cav hybrid, but his skills are so barebone, that you can just buy Adil I for a better value.
Chapter 3 - Establishment of the Kingdom
Athelfrith: The best free commander. Master Arsonist and Irritability. Not too shabby.
Catigern: Rapid March, Leadership, Rage. Yeah, this one has insanely good skills for 3 skill slots. Other commanders don't have his luck.
Dihya: With Concentrated Defense and Infantry Tactician, she's actually become the best defensive commander in the Bronze-Silver Tiers.
Khawlah: Having the second lowest title as Baronet, one of the worst active skill of the game and pretty meh passive skills. This might actually be the worst of them all.
Leo III: AKA the guy who destroyed the Umayyad army in the siege of Constantinople by mind-gaming the enemy commander into burning his entire food stock, which explains his active skill. If you really need a Defense Infantry Fodder with Master Learner, then sure, but there are better alternatives than him.
Suleiman Baltoghlu: The first dedicated naval commander. Not much else to use him.
Zubayr: I mean, you can mix Swordmen and Charge Cavalry for the 10 mobility, but his other skills sucks so much.
Chapter 4 - Border Crisis
Michael the Stammerer: Well, we have Theodoric I. And Defense Infantry aren't known for their damage.
Leo VI the Wise: Master Arsonist, Charge Cavalry and Melee Cavalry. I mean, you can use him as either an M-Inf/C-Cav hybrid, or pick one of them. Either way, he still can compete with Athelfrith
Shurahbil: You're only buying his Euphoria. There isn't any better use for him.
Thomas Stanley: Tactics Master and Master Learner seems like a good combo, but then you see he has plunder. His passive skills are more useful than his active skill. John the Armenian is still a better option since Tactics Master is still level 2.
Vortigern: One the one hand, he has M-Inf level 2. On the other hand, he has shackle. Even Leo VI is a better option.
Chapter 5 - Viking Invasion
Athelred: Do you ever want a Caradja in European War 7? This is your man. Though, because the competition of awfulness is so competitive, he's not the worst of all.
Cadafael: Pretty decent Defense Infantry commander.
Edmund: Despite having a 5 skills slot for a Bronze commander, they're pretty meh, with only Disturbance and Leadership being decent.
Gytha: Pathfinder at level 1. Otherwise, awful
Jasper Tudor: Has Detain level 3, which is already broken for a Bronze commander. But he has Infantry Tactician and Isolated Force. Certainly capable of being a Secondary.
Robert Curthose: Infantry Tactician, Ranged Tactician, Pole-Arm Mastery and Outburst. He certainly has options of what type of commander he can be.
Vortimer: Defensive Infantry commander with Euphoria? Well, he certainly can take 2nd place for best defensive commander of the Bronze.
Chapter 6 - Macedonian Dynasty
Tostig: A Melee Infantry commander that can scan the navy in.
Chapter 7 - House of Normandy
Emma: Has Poisoning. And that's pretty much it. Quite Janky.
Eustace III: Melee Cavalry commander with Garrison Swap. I have nothing more to say.
William Iron Arm: Surprisingly a good naval commander and Melee Infantry commander with the skills.
Chapter 8 - Komnenos Dynasty
Aiham: An upgrade to the Chapter I free commanders.
Chapter 9 - Burning Crusade
Baldwin III: If you need a Melee Infantry commander on the fly, with discounted units, to besiege, then sure. But you have a ton of better options, even in the Bronze Tier.
Guy of Lusignan: Melee Cavalry commander with Garrison Swap. I have nothing more to say than he's better than Eustace III.
Leopold V: A Melee Axe Infantry commander with Call for Reinforcement. I mean, you have Adil I for a start, and his active skill is way too underleveled to be reliable.
Chapter 10 - Angevin Dynasty
None
Chapter 11 - Reconstruction of Byzantium
None
Chapter 12 - Ottoman Invasion
Andronikos II: Melee Infantry commander with Formation? It's not bad, but there are better options.
Andronikos III: Standard Charge Cavalry commander with Outburst.
Chapter 13 - Hundred Year's War I
Edward of Norwich: A M-Inf/M-Cav hybrid with a decent active skill.
Gaston IV: Defensive Infantry, followed with Melee Cavalry, and then you have Loot? I don't even know what he's even for.
John Chandos: Force march with good Melee Infantry capabilities.
Roger: Terrible skillset. Roger roger.
It's worth pointing out that none of the these commanders should be your Main, or your first picks for Secondaries in the midgame. They are, anyone blue and pink, extremely viable as backup Secondaries and Support. Those in the green and above are capable of being decent Support, those in the yellow can do the Fodder. Everyone below that should not be considered, unless you're going for a "Worst commanders" challenge.
