Part of the Commanders Series:

Quick Answer

Charlemagne is a legendary PvP commander built for attacking enemy cities and garrisons. Unusually, he performs well with mixed troops rather than demanding one type, which makes him flexible in a roster that is still coming together. His recommended talents run through Heraldic Shield, Burning Blood, Tactical Mastery, All for One and Rejuvenate, with Hidden Wrath from the Leadership tree. He is also a strong secondary.

What He Is For

Charlemagne is a city-and-garrison breaker. If your alliance is pushing structures or hitting defended cities during a KvK season, that is the job he does.

The mixed-troop tolerance is the interesting part. Most commanders punish you for bringing the wrong composition — see troop types and counters — and Charlemagne largely does not. For an account that has not committed hard to one line yet, that flexibility is worth real value.

Talent Build

The commonly recommended path:

  • Heraldic Shield
  • Burning Blood
  • Tactical Mastery
  • All for One
  • Rejuvenate — rage generation, as always
  • Hidden Wrath from the Leadership tree

Buckler Shield deserves a specific mention: it reduces counterattack damage by around 9%. That sounds small until you remember what Charlemagne does for a living — attacking garrisons and cities, where counterattack damage is exactly what kills your march. Against defended targets it is one of his more valuable nodes.

See the talent trees guide for how to spend points generally.

Best Pairings

  • Julius Caesar — durability plus extra troop capacity, which is exactly what a rally wants.
  • Guan Yu — a strong combination, but Guan Yu should lead. His active skill deals more damage, and Charlemagne's kit raises troop defence and overall damage from the secondary slot. Run it with infantry only for the cleanest result.

That second point is the general lesson: Charlemagne is often better as the secondary. Remember that only the primary's talents apply to a march, so lead with whoever has the tree the march needs — see best commander pairs.

How to Play Him

  • Lead rallies against cities and strongholds, which is what his kit is designed around.
  • Match your troop type to your secondary, not to Charlemagne. Since he tolerates mixed troops, the secondary decides the composition.
  • Expect to take counterattack damage and build to reduce it.

Is Charlemagne Worth Building?

Yes, if you attack structures and defended cities. He is flexible, useful in both slots, and does not demand that your whole account be built around one troop type — which makes him unusually forgiving for a legendary.

He is not a top-tier open-field duellist in the current meta. If pure field fighting is what you want, check the tier list first.

FAQ

Is Charlemagne good in Rise of Kingdoms?

Yes, for PvP against cities and garrisons, and as a flexible secondary. He is not a top open-field pick in the current meta.

What troops should Charlemagne use?

He works with mixed troops, which is rare. Match the composition to whoever you pair him with rather than to him.

What is the best Charlemagne talent build?

Heraldic Shield, Burning Blood, Tactical Mastery, All for One and Rejuvenate, plus Hidden Wrath from Leadership. Buckler Shield is valuable for cutting counterattack damage.

Who is the best pairing for Charlemagne?

Julius Caesar for durability and troop capacity. Guan Yu also works well, with Guan Yu leading.

Should Charlemagne be primary or secondary?

Either. He is genuinely strong as a secondary, so lead with whichever commander's talent tree the march needs.

Key Takeaways

  • Legendary PvP commander for attacking cities and garrisons.
  • Works with mixed troops — unusually flexible.
  • Buckler Shield's counterattack reduction matters for his actual job.
  • Julius Caesar and Guan Yu are the standard partners; let Guan Yu lead.
  • Strong in the secondary slot, which many guides undersell.