Introduction

Choosing the right civilization in Rise of Kingdoms (RoK) significantly impacts your development and battle strategy. In 2025, the game introduced the Maya civilization, alongside major meta updates, making it necessary for players to reassess the best civilization choices.

This guide will help you determine the strongest civilization based on different playstyles: for beginners, resource farming, PvP battles, Rally/Garrison, and endgame strategies.

🏛 Best Civilization for New Players

If you are a new player, selecting the right civilization will help you progress faster in the early game.

1️⃣ China – Fastest Growth & Development

✔ Starting Commander: Sun Tzu – One of the best Epic commanders with powerful AOE skills.
✔ +5% Building Speed – Helps you upgrade structures faster, essential in the early game.
✔ +5% Action Point Recovery (AP Recovery) – Supports barbarian farming and event participation.
✔ Ideal for players who want to develop quickly and reach high city levels faster.

2️⃣ France – Best for Healing & Resource Farming

✔ Starting Commander: Jeanne d'Arc – One of the best support commanders, providing resource buffs and army boosts.
✔ +10% Wood Gathering Speed – Helps in upgrading buildings efficiently.
✔ +20% Hospital Healing Speed – Reduces time and resources needed for troop recovery.
✔ Perfect for players focusing on farming and sustaining large armies.

📌 Note: If you want a rapid build-up, choose China. If you prefer a strong economy for long-term gameplay, choose France.

⚔️ Best Civilization for PvP (KvK Battles)

If you enjoy PvP and want to dominate the battlefield in KvK, these civilizations are the best choices:

1️⃣ Ottoman Empire – Best for Archers & Skill Damage

✔ +5% Skill Damage – Significantly boosts commanders like Zhuge Liang, Herman Prime, Nebu, YSG.
✔ +5% Marching Speed – Provides superior mobility on the battlefield.
✔ Special Unit: Janissary (Archers) – Higher HP than other archer units.

📌 Ideal for: Players focusing on archer armies, especially in Open Field battles with high skill damage commanders.

2️⃣ Rome – Best for Infantry & Marching Speed

✔ +5% Infantry Defense – Increases durability in prolonged fights.
✔ +5% Marching Speed – Helps infantry move faster, overcoming their biggest weakness.
✔ Special Unit: Legionary (Infantry) – One of the highest defensive infantry units in the game.

📌 Ideal for: Infantry-focused players, especially those using commanders like CPO Prime, Ragnar Prime, Alexander the Great.

3️⃣ Arabia – Best for Rally & Cavalry

✔ +5% Rally Damage – Perfect for leading Rally attacks in KvK.
✔ +5% Cavalry Attack – Boosts cavalry strength for Huo, Nevsky, King Arthur.
✔ Special Unit: Mamluk (Cavalry) – High HP for increased survivability.

📌 Ideal for: Players specializing in cavalry units and leading Rally attacks in KvK.

🏗️ Best Civilization for Farming & Economy

If you want to focus on resource collection and economic development, these civilizations are the best choices:

1️⃣ Maya – Fastest Gold Farming

✔ +10% Gold Gathering Speed – Extremely valuable for mid and late-game development.
✔ +3% Normal Attack Damage – Helps protect troops against barbarians.

2️⃣ Spain – Best for Resource Production

✔ +20% Resource Production – Great for boosting economy and resource stockpiling.
✔ +10% Cavalry Attack – Useful if transitioning into a cavalry-focused strategy later in the game.

📌 Ideal for: Players with multiple farm accounts who want to maximize resource production.

🎯 Conclusion – Which Civilization Should You Choose?