Best gathering commanders in Rise of Kingdoms: who to send to farm
THE ESSENTIALS
- Cleopatra VII is the reference gathering commander: her talent tree is built around gathering speed, and she leads most late-game farming teams.
- Gaius Marius is the entry point for accounts without Cleopatra yet — cheaper to obtain and level up, focused on load and speed.
- The second commander in the pair usually covers extra load and march protection, not speed — that is where names like Joan of Arc, Constance and Sarka come in.
IN THIS GUIDE
Why the gathering commander matters
Every gathering march in Rise of Kingdoms needs a commander, and that commander decides three things: how much resource the march brings back, how fast it reaches the tile, and how well it defends itself if someone tries to hit the march on the way.
Since most of any account's playtime goes into gathering, picking the right commander — and the right talents, not just the right level — directly changes how much resource comes back per hour, which feeds into everything else: building queue, troop upgrades, research.
Cleopatra VII: the default pick
Cleopatra VII is the commander most associated with gathering in the game. Her talent tree is built almost entirely around gathering speed and efficiency, which makes her the first pick for practically every player who already has access to legendary commanders.
She is also versatile enough to help on other fronts when she is not out gathering, which offsets the resources and time it takes to level her up — unlike a purely niche commander that only does one thing.
Gaius Marius: the accessible gatherer
Not every account has Cleopatra early on, and that is where Gaius Marius fits in. He is much easier to obtain and level up during the early and mid stages of an account, with talents built around resource load and march speed.
He does not replace Cleopatra on advanced accounts, but he is the most common recommendation for whoever is putting together their first gathering pair and does not want to stall progress waiting on a rarer commander.
The second commander: Joan of Arc, Constance and Sarka
- Joan of Arc: shows up often as a second gathering commander because of talents tied to march resistance, useful in kingdoms where a gathering march is at real risk of being attacked.
- Constance: another common pick for the second slot, with talents focused on extra resource load — helps bring back more per trip without relying solely on the first commander.
- Sarka: a more situational option depending on what the account already has; worth checking her talent tree against what your pair is missing before investing.
- The choice among the three depends more on what you already have leveled up than on which one is 'the best' in isolation — duplicating the first commander's role usually pays off less than complementing it.
- In calm kingdoms, extra load brings back more resource overall; in kingdoms where march attacks are a real risk, resistance keeps a well-placed hit from wiping out the whole gather.
How to prioritize talents without chasing exact numbers
The exact bonus each talent gives changes from patch to patch, so it is not worth memorizing a percentage from an old guide — the game itself shows the current value of every talent right on the commander's upgrade screen, and that is the number that matters.
The practical order is: speed and load talents in the main gathering tree first, then march resistance talents. Only after that does it usually pay off to spread points into generic talents that help both gathering and other roles.
Common mistakes
- Leveling a PvP commander assuming they will also gather well — gathering talents and combat talents live in separate trees.
- Pairing two commanders with the same specialty on the same march, doubling up on speed bonuses while leaving load uncovered.
- Skipping accessible commanders like Gaius Marius just because they are not the most talked-about name, and stalling gathering while waiting for a rare one.
- Trusting a number from an old video or guide instead of checking the talent's current value directly in the game.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Cleopatra VII to gather well?
Not early on. Gaius Marius carries gathering well through the early and mid stages; Cleopatra pays off more once the account has the structure to level a legendary commander all the way.
Is it worth leveling a gathering commander before a PvP one?
For a new account, usually yes: faster gathering speeds up everything else — building, research, troops — because it unlocks resources sooner. A PvP commander pays off more once the account already has a base to fight from.
Can I use any PvP commander to gather instead?
You can send them, but the output is well below a commander whose talent tree is built for gathering — the march carries less resource and takes longer to justify the time invested.