9 Kings is a roguelike city builder where you place buildings, troops and spells on a grid and defend your capital against eight rival kings. Each king starts with a different deck, and you take their cards by declaring war on them, so a run gradually becomes a collage of everything you have conquered.
Picking the right build determines how your experience plays out. These builds are ranked by overall effectiveness, factoring in damage, survivability, gear requirements, and how well they scale into endgame. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Rankings
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Core Gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knight commander | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Warlock summoner | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Wizard artillery | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Imp swarm | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Mercenary buyer | A | Balanced | Best available |
For detailed meta rankings, see our 9 Kings tier list.
A-Tier: Knight commander
Knight commander is a top-performing option in 9 Kings.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Knights | Sturdy front line troops that hold a lane long enough for ranged units behind them to work. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Card based building placement | Buildings, units and spells all arrive as cards you place on the grid. |
How to Play Knight commander
Knight commander focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Knights does the damage and Card based building placement keeps it running, which is why this sits at the top of the list. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Highest overall performance
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Popular pick, resources may be contested
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Warlock summoner
Warlock summoner is a strong option in 9 Kings.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Wizards | Glass cannon casters with heavy output and almost no survivability, so they need a line in front of them. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Rival king decks | Each of the nine kings owns a distinct starting deck of buildings, troops and spells. |
How to Play Warlock summoner
Warlock summoner focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Pair Wizards with Rival king decks and the build stops depending on a good start, so it holds up across most content. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Most versatile option
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Lower peak damage than S-tier
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Wizard artillery
Wizard artillery is a strong option in 9 Kings.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Warlocks | Summoners that generate additional bodies over time rather than dealing damage directly. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Gold economy | Gold accumulates between waves and buys mercenaries and expansion. |
How to Play Wizard artillery
Wizard artillery focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Gold economy covers the gap Warlocks leaves open, so the build stays usable even when a fight goes badly. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Best survivability
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Slower clear speeds
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Imp swarm
Imp swarm is a specialized option in 9 Kings.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Bombers | Area damage specialists that clear grouped enemies far more efficiently than single target units. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Escalating enemy waves | Attacks grow across decades of in game time. |
How to Play Imp swarm
Imp swarm focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: This one leans on Escalating enemy waves rather than raw numbers, and Bombers is what makes that trade pay off. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Strong in group/team content
- Straightforward gearing path
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- Weaker solo performance
- Requires deep game knowledge
A-Tier: Mercenary buyer
Mercenary buyer is a specialized option in 9 Kings.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Mercenaries | Bought with stockpiled gold rather than drafted, turning a healthy economy into immediate defenders. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Declaring war | Choosing to fight a specific king gives access to the tools that king uses. |
How to Play Mercenary buyer
Mercenary buyer focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Mercenaries and Declaring war pull in the same direction here, which separates this from the safer picks above. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Unique, rewarding playstyle
- Straightforward gearing path
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- High skill floor, punishing when misplayed
- Requires deep game knowledge
Build Progression Path
- Start with Warlock summoner: the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Knight commander once you understand core mechanics and have access to Knights
- Keep a Wizard artillery setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Mercenary buyer for a fresh experience once you've mastered the basics
Follow our walkthrough for the optimal progression path through each area.
Gearing Tips
- Invest in your primary equipment first, since it gives the biggest power spike. See our weapons guide for rankings.
- Placement decides more runs than card quality does. A mediocre building covering the lane enemies actually use outperforms a strong one sitting where nothing walks, so read the approach before you commit a card.
- Convert gold into defence before each wave rather than after it. Mercenaries bought at the last moment still fight; gold in the treasury when your capital falls does nothing at all.
- Don't spread upgrade resources across multiple builds until endgame
More 9 Kings Guides
- 9 Kings 9 Kings Overview
- 9 Kings Tier List
- 9 Kings Walkthrough
- 9 Kings Beginner's Guide
- 9 Kings Tips & Tricks
- 9 Kings Weapons Guide
- 9 Kings Combat Guide
- 9 Kings Boss Guide
- 9 Kings Maps & Locations
- 9 Kings Crafting Guide
- 9 Kings Classes & Characters
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