Ivan IV in Rise of Kingdoms: why the commander disappointed after the KVK
Ivan IV, added to Rise of Kingdoms with patch 1.1.11 for the game's eighth anniversary, was positioned as one of the main cavalry releases of the year. The legendary commander with the mechanics “Royal Decree” and “Power of the Tsar” was supposed to strengthen the combo attack meta. However, the first large-scale checks under the conditions of the KVK showed results below expectations.
What the statistics showed
An analysis of battle reports from RoK Battles for September revealed a disappointing picture. The median damage of pairs with Ivan IV turned out to be noticeably lower than that of proven pairs like Alexander Nevsky and Joan of Arc Prime. At the same time, the spread of results turned out to be one of the highest among top commanders: for some players Ivan showed acceptable numbers, for others - catastrophically weak.
The problem lies in the mechanics of Horror itself. The debuff, which reduces the enemy's attack and march speed, requires a stable chain of combo attacks. On paper this looks powerful, but in practice, in the context of a massive clash of marches, the Ivan IV combo loses a significant part of its potential due to the random distribution of targets.
Why commander is not for everyone
- Dependence on the bundle. Ivan IV is revealed only next to Arthur Pendragon or Achilles. Without a ready partner, his combat potential drops by 30–40%.
- Requirements for equipment. For consistent combo damage, you need a set of cavalry equipment with crystal technologies from the Season of Conquest.
- Low efficiency in rally. Unlike William Marshal, Ivan IV does not perform well when attacking cities - his skills are tailored exclusively to the open field.
Who should invest
Despite the disappointing statistics, Ivan IV remains an interesting choice for players who already have a developed cavalry and ready-made partners. His ceiling in ideal conditions is high - the question is whether you can consistently create these conditions on the battlefield.
For F2P players and those just entering the Season of Conquest, investing universal sculpts in Ivan IV looks risky. Proven connections with Nevsky or Chan remain a more reliable choice.
Source: riseof.ru , topuplive.com