Rise of Kingdoms puts your city on a single shared map with other players, and your first sessions come down to three decisions: which civilization you start with, which commander gets your EXP and sculptures (the items that upgrade a commander's skills), and whether your queues keep running while you're offline. This Rise of Kingdoms beginner guide covers what to do first, based on the guides the official account posted on Lilith's forum in October 2026.
Pick a Rise of Kingdoms Civilization for the Bonus, Not the Flag
Your first civilization pick isn't permanent, so choose for the stage you're in. A guide posted by the official account on Lilith's forum in October 2026, the Civilization Selection Guide, says main accounts usually start with China, because its building speed bonus directly supports your development. The civilization screen in that guide lists China's Art of War bonuses as 3% troop Defense, 5% action point recovery, and 5% building speed, and names Sun Tzu as its starting commander. Faster action point recovery means more barbarian attacks per day.
Another guide posted by the official account on Lilith's forum in October 2026, the first-day guide, says the Civilization system unlocks at level 4 and that the game mails you a Civilization Change item at level 10; the Selection Guide adds that the item is also stocked in the Alliance Shop. Change items are limited, so decide what you need one for before you use it.
Switch when your account moves from building to fighting. The Civilization Selection Guide says to change once you enter the warfare stage, based on your main troop type and combat style, and not to switch repeatedly for a single bonus. Its comparison tables, which it says list key bonuses instead of every attribute, give the Arabian civilization +5% Cavalry Attack and +5% Rally Troop Damage, and the Byzantine and Korean civilizations +15% Hospital Capacity.
Hospital space matters: a guide posted by the official account on Lilith's forum in October 2026 on wounded troops says that once the Hospital reaches capacity, additional Severe Wounds count as dead troops. If you only join rallies, you don't need to switch, because the Selection Guide says rally bonuses depend on the rally leader's civilization.
Get Your First Commander Pairing Right
Your civilization gives you a starting commander, such as Sun Tzu for China. The first-day guide recommends developing one main commander first: Belisarius for cavalry, Sun Tzu for infantry, or Kusunoki Masashige for archers, all available as starting choices.
When you're ready to build past that first commander, our Rise of Kingdoms commander guide covers which commanders to build next and what a Legendary costs in sculptures. Put an Epic ahead of any Legendary: a guide posted by the official account on Lilith's forum in October 2026, the Beginner Development Guide, tells beginners to prioritize practical Epic commanders and not to use Legendary sculptures as soon as they get a Legendary commander.
Each march can use two commanders, and for a first pair the first-day guide suggests Minamoto no Yoshitsune with Belisarius, Charles Martel with Sun Tzu, and Thutmose III with Kusunoki Masashige. A pairing guide posted by the official account on Lilith's forum in October 2026 puts Kusunoki behind Hermann for archers early in the season. For archers, the two guides pair Kusunoki with different commanders, so pick one pair and build it instead of splitting your sculptures.
One Main Commander or Several Primaries
Don't spread resources across several commanders at once. The first-day guide warns that spreading commander-development resources too thin can leave every commander too weak for current tasks and even block main-quest progress, so put your EXP items and sculptures into your main commander first.
The pairing guide frames it differently. According to that guide, a primary commander can take a secondary once it reaches level 20 and 3 stars, and its core rule is that the secondary's skills take effect while its talents, Unit Capacity, and equipment effects don't. Its table lists the primary first, and it places Belisarius, Sun Tzu, and Kusunoki Masashige behind Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Charles Martel, and Hermann.
It also recommends gradually building toward five level-60 primary commanders in the early game, without investing in all five at once. The two guides don't use the same plan: the first-day guide starts you on one main commander, while the pairing guide spreads primaries across several marches.
Protect Your City Before You Log Off
Before you log off, activate a Peace Shield, the buff that protects your city: open Items, then Buffs, then Peace Shield, then Use. The path comes from a guide posted by the official account on Lilith's forum in October 2026, the Beginner Survival and Battle Report Guide, which shows an 8-hour Peace Shield as its example; pick a duration that covers your time away.
Check for War Frenzy first: attacking or scouting can trigger it, and the confirmation prompt in that guide says troop attack rises 3% but you can't activate a Peace Shield for the next 15 minutes. The daily checklist, another guide posted by the official account on Lilith's forum in October 2026, adds that alliance territory doesn't protect your city the way a Peace Shield does.
Don't upgrade buildings at random. The Beginner Development Guide says to pick your next City Hall upgrade target, then complete its prerequisite buildings, because City Hall level sets the maximum level of your other buildings and, at key levels, adds march queues.
A guide posted by the official account on Lilith's forum in October 2026 on main quests adds that almost every feature unlock is tied to City Hall level and that building, research, and training are separate queues you should keep active: a building queue left idle for 3 hours a day adds up to 90 hours over 30 days.
The first-day guide also names an early technology worth maxing: a maxed Masonry gives a 15% building speed bonus, compared with 5% from China's civilization bonus, and you can max it at Academy level 9. Building, research, and training continue after you log off, so start long tasks before a break; the daily checklist suggests an upgrade of around eight hours or more overnight.
Farm Barbarians Instead of Sitting in Your City
The Beginner Development Guide says action points can be exchanged for commander EXP, resources, and speedups, and tells you to send marches against barbarians instead of letting points pile up.
A guide posted by the official account on Lilith's forum in October 2026 on action points explains why: regeneration stops once you reach the cap, and you can't claim the free 500 action points available daily while you're at it. It lists 40 action points per barbarian attack and warns that costs vary, so check the cost shown in the game.
For leveling, a guide posted by the official account on Lilith's forum in October 2026, the Beginner Commander Development Guide, names Lohar as a barbarian hunter that also helps other commanders gain EXP, and recommends maxing the Peacekeeping talents first. The pairing guide adds that a secondary commander gains the same battle EXP as the primary. When your action points run out, send idle marches to gather resources instead.
Gather Stone and Gold Before Food and Wood
The Beginner Development Guide recommends gathering Stone first, then Gold, then Food and Wood equally, since barbarians also bring in Food and Wood. For your gathering commander, a guide posted by the official account on Lilith's forum in October 2026 on building marches names Constance as an example and says to take your gathering primary commander to level 37 and max the Superior Tools talent, which gives 25% gathering speed at 5/5.
Before you log off, send your idle marches to gather, as the first-day guide advises, and favor resource nodes near your alliance's flags and forts, as the survival guide suggests. A guide posted by the official account on Lilith's forum in October 2026 on alliance territory adds that resources gathered inside the territory also count toward your alliance, while gathering outside it doesn't.
Join an Alliance as Soon as It Unlocks
The first-day guide says the Alliance system unlocks at level 4 and that joining one saves time through the Help feature. A guide posted by the official account on Lilith's forum in October 2026, the Beginner's Alliance Guide, spells out how: when members upgrade buildings, research technologies, or heal troops, they can request Alliance Help, and responding promptly reduces the waiting time, so find Quick Help in Settings and turn it on.
The same guide defines a rally as a group attack against an enemy or a Barbarian Fort, and the action point guide lists Barbarian Fort rallies as one source of Action Point potions.
Upgrade your Alliance Center too, because it raises how many times you can receive help. The first-day guide suggests free-to-play players take it to level 15 before moving on to their next goal. A guide posted by the official account on Lilith's forum in October 2026 on the first things to do after joining an alliance says that at level 25 you can receive help up to 30 times, cutting the time by 30%, and that you should claim Alliance Gifts before they expire, usually after 24 hours.
Before you commit, check the member count and total power first, then the alliance gift level and announcement requirements, as the Beginner's Alliance Guide suggests.
Set a VIP Target Before You Spend Gems
You don't have to pay to climb VIP, the game's long-term privilege system. According to a guide posted by the official account on Lilith's forum in October 2026, the Beginner Spending Guide, VIP points come from certain bundles, daily login rewards, and other methods, so you can accumulate them gradually without spending. The VIP page shows the stat bonuses for your current VIP level next to its Daily Chests section.
The Beginner Spending Guide says to set a VIP target before you spend gems instead of scattering them across minor resources, speedups, and random spins. Two official guides name two targets for two goals: the spending guide's low-budget example aims for VIP 13 on a new-server budget of about 20 USD, while a guide posted by the official account on Lilith's forum in October 2026 on combat power calls VIP 14 the key milestone because it grants 3 Legendary Commander Sculptures a day. Pick the goal first, then the number.
Patches move these numbers. Lilith's patch notes for version 1.0.87, October 2024, say VIP buffs and chests were updated, and the action point guide warns against relying on fixed numbers from older guides, so check the game before you plan around any figure here.
FAQ
What is the best civilization for beginners in Rise of Kingdoms?
Main accounts usually start with China, says the Civilization Selection Guide, posted by the official account on Lilith's forum in October 2026. Its Art of War bonuses are 3% troop Defense, 5% action point recovery, and 5% building speed, and Sun Tzu is its starting commander.
Can you change your civilization in Rise of Kingdoms?
Yes, but change items are limited. Guides posted by the official account on Lilith's forum in October 2026 say the Civilization system unlocks at level 4, the game mails a Civilization Change item at level 10, and the Alliance Shop stocks it too. Switch when entering the warfare stage.
How do you get VIP points without paying in Rise of Kingdoms?
You can earn VIP points without paying. The Beginner Spending Guide, posted by the official account on Lilith's forum in October 2026, says points come from certain bundles, daily login rewards, and other methods, so you can accumulate them gradually. Set a VIP target before you spend gems.