Zhuge Liang Talent Tree Build – Pairings, Equipment & Skills

Have you recently acquired Zhuge Liang in Rise of Kingdoms and are wondering how to build him? This guide outlines the best talent trees, pairings, equipment and skill levelling to make the most out of the best archer commander in the game.

Zhuge Liang Skill & Open Field Talent Tree Build

The best talent tree build for Zhuge Liang starts with the Skill tree, with any remaining points invested in the Archer tree. This build is all about maximising rage generation to trigger his active skill as often as possible.

Focus on reaching Feral Nature in the Skill tree first, then move into the Archer branch to pick up Venomous Sting, Full Quiver and Razor Sharp.

It doesn’t make sense to invest in the versatility tree for this open field build as this branch has a wide range of gathering, rally and garrison talents.

Zhuge Liang Archer & Rally Talent Tree Build

If you’re leading a rally with Zhuge Liang it is best to use the build in the image below. It prioritises archer-focused talents, with remaining points put into skill damage talents.

This build is not ideal for the average player, but is more suited to medium-high spenders who have the top legendary equipment. You will want to prioritise this build first towards Whistling Arrows in the archer branch for the damage increase bonus.

Invest the remaining talent points in the skill branch and get Rejuvenate and Clarity for better rage regeneration and skill damage.

Best Zhuge Liang Pairings

Zhuge Liang can be paired with most of the archer commanders in the game, however, we have provided the best pairings that have the best cohesion.

Hermann Prime (Best Pairing)

Zhuge Liang and Hermann Prime is currently the best archer pairing in the game, especially for open field. Zhuge Liang is best used as the primary commander.

Both skill setups offer a well-rounded boost to attack, defence, march speed, rage regeneration, and more. Hermann Prime deals the bulk of his damage through stacking poison, and when paired with an expertised Zhuge Liang, whose expertise skill boosts rage by 30%, those poison stacks build up much faster. Combined with a rage-focused talent build, this pairing becomes a deadly combo.

Boudica Prime

Boudica Prime is an excellent choice to pair with Zhuge Liang for greater survivability on the battlefield. She becomes available much earlier than most other archer commanders and brings powerful healing and debuff abilities, perfect for longer fights.

In this pairing, Boudica Prime is usually used as the primary commander, though it’s not a major concern which role she takes, as both commanders share the same skill trees.

Yi Seong Gye

Yi Seong-Gye is another solid commander to pair with Zhuge Liang, though he shouldn’t be prioritised over Boudica or Hermann.

He’s a reliable option, especially since he’s available from Season 1, giving you plenty of time to max out his skills. He can also serve as a strong placeholder for an archer march while you develop other commanders.

Known for his powerful AOE skill and high skill damage, Yi Seong-Gye pairs well with Zhuge Liang when it comes to raw damage output. While the combo isn’t the tankiest, it excels in offensive capabilities and can be highly effective in the right situations.

Zhuge Liang Skill Levelling

With all commanders, leveling up their first active skill should always be a top priority. Zhuge Liang’s active skill, Burning of Xinye, deals up to 2,000 direct damage at level 5 and provides an additional 15% damage reduction, making it incredibly powerful in both offense and defense.

Once this skill is maxed, it’s highly recommended to continue investing in Zhuge Liang all the way to expertize, as he currently stands as one of the best archer commanders in the game.

Best Equipment For Zhuge Liang

Here are the recommended archer equipment selections for Zhuge Liang, organized by different stages of the game. The ultimate goal is to build toward late-game gear, so prioritize crafting those pieces as soon as you obtain the blueprints. Doing so will significantly enhance Zhuge Liang’s performance and effectiveness in battle as you progress through the game.

Beginner Equipment

• Helm of The Pheonix (Helms)
• Commander’s Heavy Armor (Chest)
• Staff of The Lost (Weapons)
• Greaves of The Exile (Legs)
• Saint’s Song (Gloves)
• Edged Boots (Boots)

Mid-Late Game Equipment

• Revival Helm (Helms)
• Revival Plate (Chest)
• Golden Age (Weapons)
• Revival Greaves (Legs)
• Revival Gauntlets (Gloves)
• Flame Treads (Boots)

Late-Game Equipment

• Ancestral Mask of Night/Dragon’s Breath Helm (Helms)
• The Milky Way/Dragon’s Breath Plate (Chest)
• The Hydra’s Blast/Dragon’s Breath Bow (Weapons)
• Tassets of the War God/Dragon’s Breath Tassets (Legs)
• Ian’s Choice/Dragon’s Breath Vambraces (Gloves)
• Commander’s Boots/Dragon’s Breath Boots (Boots)

Accessories

• Ring of Doom
• Horn of Fury
• Concealed Dagger
• Moras Web

Zhuge Liang Best Formation

The recommended formation for Zhuge Liang is the wedge formation, providing a 5% increase in skill damage.

You will want to aim for armaments which improve archer attack, defense and health. Look for inscriptions which provide skill damage boosts such as Brawler.

How Do I Obtain Hermann Prime?

Notably, Hermann Prime can be obtained from the archer Wheel of Fortune in the Season of Conquest. Ten Hermann Prime sculptures are required from the wheel to unlock him. Following this, universal legendary sculptures can be used to level up his skills going forward.

Summary: Is Zhuge Liang Worth Investing In?

Right now, Zhuge Liang is definitely worth the investment and should be a top priority for any archer march. When paired with Hermann Prime, they form the strongest archer march in the game. If you’ve already invested in Boudica Prime, I’d recommend working towards an expertized Zhuge Liang and using that pairing until you’re able to unlock Hermann Prime.