Overview
Commander Name: Shapur
Rarity: Legendary
Civilization: Persia
Primary Role: Open Field / Rally Damage Dealer
Best Troop Type: Cavalry
Best For: Low Spender / Whale
Shapur is a high-impact legendary cavalry commander designed for aggressive players who enjoy decisive engagements and burst damage. His kit focuses on skill damage amplification, march pressure, and sustained combat value, making him especially dangerous in open-field battles. In organized rallies, Shapur shines when paired with skill-focused commanders that can fully capitalize on his debuff and damage mechanics. While not beginner-friendly, he scales extremely well into the late game.
Commander Rating
| Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Open Field | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Rally | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Garrison | ⭐⭐ |
| PvE | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Overall | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Commander Background
Shapur draws inspiration from the Sasanian emperors of ancient Persia, known for their dominance in cavalry warfare and strategic battlefield control. His design reflects Persia’s historical emphasis on decisive charges and disciplined mounted forces. In Rise of Kingdoms, this translates into a commander who excels at dictating combat tempo and punishing mispositioned enemies.
Commander Skills Breakdown
- Skill 1 – King of Kings: Deals heavy direct skill damage to the target and nearby enemies, with a secondary effect that increases damage taken by affected targets, making follow-up attacks significantly stronger.
- Skill 2 – Persian Discipline: Increases cavalry attack and march speed, improving both chase potential and repositioning in open-field fights.
- Skill 3 – Imperial Authority: Reduces enemy defense when engaging in combat, allowing Shapur’s march to break through tanky targets more efficiently.
- Skill 4 – Battle-Hardened Conqueror: Grants bonus skill damage and rage generation, ensuring frequent skill rotations during prolonged engagements.
- Expertise – Shadow of Persia: Enhances all skill effects and adds a powerful damage-over-time component, turning Shapur into a sustained DPS monster in large-scale battles.
Talent Tree Build
The optimal talent setup for Shapur is a Cavalry + Skill build. This maximizes his burst damage while maintaining mobility and rage efficiency. Prioritize skill damage talents first, followed by cavalry attack and march speed nodes.
- Primary Tree: Cavalry
- Secondary Tree: Skill
- Key Talents: Rejuvenate, Feral Nature, Clarity, Charge
- Alternative Build: Full Skill tree for rally-focused gameplay
Best Equipment
Early Game: Windswept Set, Cavalry Helm, basic attack-focused gear.
Mid Game: Silent Trial, Seth’s Brutality, upgraded cavalry accessories.
Late / End Game: Legendary cavalry set pieces focusing on skill damage and attack.
Key Features
- Extremely high burst skill damage
- Strong debuff application
- Excellent mobility and chase potential
- Scales exceptionally well with expertise
- Top-tier open-field presence
- Synergizes well with meta cavalry commanders
Best Pairings
Best Primary Pairings: Nevsky, Joan Prime, Xiang Yu
Best Secondary Pairings: Saladin, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, William I
Best Troop Composition
Recommended Troop Type: Full Cavalry. This maximizes all of Shapur’s passive and active bonuses.
| Troop | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Cavalry | Highly Recommended |
| Infantry | Avoid |
| Archers | Avoid |
How to Use This Commander
- Open Field: Hit-and-run tactics, focus on isolated targets.
- Rally: Secondary damage dealer behind tankier primaries.
- PvE: Usable but not optimal compared to dedicated PvE commanders.
Strengths and Weaknesses
- Strengths: Massive skill damage, excellent debuffs, strong late-game scaling.
- Weaknesses: Requires high investment, weak garrison utility, vulnerable when focused.
Is This Commander Worth Investing In?
F2P Verdict: Not recommended due to high expertise dependency.
Low Spender Verdict: Viable with careful investment and strong pairings.
Whale Verdict: Must-have cavalry commander for competitive play.
Final Verdict
Shapur is best utilized as a high-damage cavalry commander in open-field and rally scenarios. He demands heavy investment but rewards it with exceptional battlefield impact. If you are a late-game player seeking dominance in cavalry combat, Shapur is absolutely worth building.
