New to the Rise of Kingdoms? But not sure where to start at, like which is the best civilization, and which commanders to play with? If you are new to this popular real-time strategy mobile app game, there’s so much to learn.
For starters, I recommend reading my top 10 early mistakes to avoid and a comprehensive top 50 tips to be aware when playing the game. Ultimately, the best way to master this game is to be patient and actively play it on a daily basis.
I have been playing Rise of Kingdoms for around a year and participated in a KvK battle. Got my Tier 5 troops several weeks after grinding resources, tokens and items for it. But now I can breathe with relief that I have maxed out my buildings, churning out T5 troops and being active.
So, if you are a beginner just starting off in Rise of Kingdoms, I have included several helpful guides to help you get started. But first, let’s talk about the basics of Rise of Kingdoms and what you need to know.
Is Rise of Kingdoms a P2W Game?

Short Answer: Yes.
Long Answer: Yes, Rise of Kingdoms is a Pay-to-Win game just like every other mobile game on Google Play Store & App Store. There’s several whales who spend a lot of their money in Rise of Kingdoms. And, obviously they will have big advantages over you.
However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t play Rise of Kingdoms. Here’s a story when this mobile game was released. There’s no game features like KvK or Arc of Osiris. All kingdoms are in a hot mess and some alliances would get zeroed overnight by a few big spenders.
This is no longer the case when KvK was added to the game. Alliances are now able to work together to destroy other kingdoms in KVK. Best of all, everyone is friendly, nice and easy going that makes it possible for you to grow and farm.
Though, your kingdom will have a few big spenders. Not to put it into negative light, big spenders in your kingdom will do their duty to help and protect Free-to-Play players. Which means they will buy gold chests, alliance chests, and more. However, you as a Free-to-Play player need to do your part.
Because these big spenders can’t win KvK alone. So, you need to help them out as well as small spenders.
As you can see, Rise of Kingdoms is a community-based game and that is what makes them unique compared to other mobile games. In fact Rise of Kingdoms is one of the fewest games that strikes a perfect balance between P2W and F2P. I guarantee you will not regret a bit at all.
Best Kingdom Server to Join in Rise of Kingdoms
For new players, I recommend starting on a brand new kingdom server. Which means you will be on the same level as every other player. All news kingdoms have a special event called Rise of Kingdoms which is only available to new kingdom servers.
Which will really help you a lot with getting more resources, speedups, tokens and more. You also can create a jumper account by reaching your city hall to level 7 then jump to a brand new kingdom to gain headstart advantage.
Also, if you do not like the kingdom you are currently in or simply want to move to a different server. You can migrate to a different server which will require you to use passport pages.
Best Civilizations for New Players

Before we talk about the best civilizations to choose for new players, I want to point out that these civilizations don’t play that much of an impact. Though, if you do want to maximize your gameplay strategy then it’s a good idea to take these traits into account.
But for this part while you are a new player, let’s simply focus on the best civilizations to play right now:
Playing as France will give you Joan of Arc as your starting commander. She is good at gathering resources and an essential commander to have for running mini farming accounts.
Playing as Germany will give you Hermann as your starting commander. He is great at defending your city and can silence enemy commanders. Which will put off nukers like Mehmed II and Genghis Khan at slight disadvantage.
Playing as Arabia will give you Baibars as your starting commander. He excels at pure Cavalry rushes and can do damage upwards to 5 targets. His skills involve a lot of movement impairments which makes him an ideal choice for PvP & Field battles.
And lastly, playing as Spain will give you Pelagius as your starting commander. He is great at cavalry and can do a moderate amount of damage. One of main advantages he brings to the table is added defense value to cavalry, which delivers a tanky formation when using horsemen.
Best Commanders for New Players

Commanders are always changing, depending on your gameplay, strategy and game patches. Though, the best commanders for starters are:
- Scipio Africanus (Easiest)
- Baibars (AoE)
- Osman I (Single)
- Joan of Arc (Gathering)
- Boudica (Barbarians)
- Sun Tzu (Defender)
Also, you can get Aethelflaed which is a legendary commander via Expedition Mode. She is really easy to get and only requires you to buy sculptures using the Medal of Conquest which you earn by doing the missions.
Tips for New Players in Rise of Kingdoms
In order to max out your buildings, troops and researches, you need to invest time and patience. But you can make it a lot faster and easier by following these guides:
- Use speedups.
- Don’t fight early.
- Chain-farm barbarians.
- Get to VIP Level 6.
- Avoid mistakes.
- Scout villages for economic techs.
- Make a farming account.
- Focus on your castle.
- Leveling up your commanders.
Lastly, check out my guide on how to rush your troops to Tier 4. Hope you found this guide helpful on starting your journey in Rise of Kingdoms 2021. Good luck, Governor!