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.
Combat in 9 Kings rewards knowledge over reflexes. Understanding how each mechanic works (and how they interact) is what turns a struggling player into a dominant one. New here? Start with our beginner's guide for the basics.
Core Combat Mechanics
1. Card based building placement
Buildings, units and spells all arrive as cards you place on the grid. Position matters as much as the card itself, because adjacency and coverage decide what your capital can actually defend.
Why it matters: This is the foundation of all combat. Everything else builds on this.
2. Rival king decks
Each of the nine kings owns a distinct starting deck of buildings, troops and spells. Which kings you face determines which cards can enter your run at all.
Why it matters: The most underrated mechanic. Players who master this early have a massive advantage.
3. Gold economy
Gold accumulates between waves and buys mercenaries and expansion. Sitting on an unspent pile through a wave you then lose is the most common newcomer error.
Why it matters: Unlocks a new layer of gameplay depth once understood.
4. Escalating enemy waves
Attacks grow across decades of in game time. Defences that cleared the early waves comfortably stop mattering unless they scale with what is coming.
Why it matters: The tactical edge that separates average players from advanced ones.
5. Declaring war
Choosing to fight a specific king gives access to the tools that king uses. It is the main way to acquire powers your own starting deck cannot offer.
Why it matters: The endgame optimization mechanic. Small improvements here compound into massive gains.
How These Mechanics Combine
Understanding how mechanics interact is where real optimization happens:
Card based building placement + Rival king decks
Buildings, units and spells all arrive as cards you place on the grid. When combined with Rival king decks, each of the nine kings owns a distinct starting deck of buildings, troops and spells. This combination is the core of every effective build.
Gold economy + Escalating enemy waves
Gold accumulates between waves and buys mercenaries and expansion. Paired with Escalating enemy waves, attacks grow across decades of in game time. This is why the tier list favors builds that leverage both.
Declaring war as a Multiplier
Choosing to fight a specific king gives access to the tools that king uses. It is the main way to acquire powers your own starting deck cannot offer. This system amplifies everything else. The better your Declaring war optimization, the more your other mechanics pay off.
Combat by Build
Each build approaches combat differently:
Knight commander (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Knights Primary mechanic: Card based building placement
Knight commander offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Warlock summoner (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Wizards Primary mechanic: Rival king decks
Warlock summoner offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Wizard artillery (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Warlocks Primary mechanic: Gold economy
Wizard artillery offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Imp swarm (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Bombers Primary mechanic: Escalating enemy waves
Imp swarm offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Mercenary buyer (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Mercenaries Primary mechanic: Declaring war
Mercenary buyer offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Advanced Combat Techniques
Damage Optimization
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities
- Exploit Card based building placement for maximum damage windows
- Chain Rival king decks and Gold economy for combo damage
- Use Escalating enemy waves to create openings
Survivability
- Learn enemy patterns before committing to attacks
- 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.
- Position using Card based building placement to control spacing
- Save defensive options for guaranteed survival, not comfort
Boss Combat
Bosses test your understanding of every mechanic. See our boss guide for fight-specific strategies.
- Phase awareness: Most bosses change behavior at health thresholds
- Patience over aggression: One extra hit per opening beats dying to greed
- Build preparation: Swap gear and equipment for specific fights when needed
Common Combat Mistakes
- Button mashing: Committed attacks have recovery frames. Mashing locks you into animations.
- Ignoring Rival king decks: This mechanic exists for a reason. Players who use it take significantly less damage.
- Wrong equipment for the situation: Check our weapons guide for situational picks.
- Not learning from deaths: Every death teaches something. If you don't know why you died, you'll die the same way again.
- Overcommitting: Trading hits works in Your capital but will get you killed in Endless Mode.
More 9 Kings Guides
- 9 Kings 9 Kings Overview
- 9 Kings Best Builds
- 9 Kings Tier List
- 9 Kings Walkthrough
- 9 Kings Beginner's Guide
- 9 Kings Tips & Tricks
- 9 Kings Weapons Guide
- 9 Kings Boss Guide
- 9 Kings Maps & Locations
- 9 Kings Crafting Guide
- 9 Kings Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy 9 Kings, check out these related guides:
- Risk of Rain 2 Combat Guide: roguelike game with similar mechanics
- Hades Combat Guide: roguelike game with similar mechanics
- Darkest Dungeon Combat Guide: roguelike game with similar mechanics
