Crusader Kings II ran from 2012 to 2020 and went free to play in 2019, which is why it still holds a live player base alongside its sequel. You play a dynasty rather than a country, starting anywhere from 769 with the Charlemagne expansion or 867 with The Old Gods through to 1337, and the game ends the moment no landed member of your dynasty is left to inherit. Everything else, the wars, the marriages, the murders, exists to stop that from happening.
Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Infantry | S | The centre of a retinue, paired with pikemen rather than doubled up. | The anchor of most melee lines and one of the units that came out of the Horse Lords rebalance near the top. |
| Pikemen | A | Any army expecting to meet knights or horse archers on open ground. | The consistent answer to cavalry and the one heavy unit that was reliable across every patch, provided your commanders have the traits that trigger the pike tactics. |
| Light Cavalry | A | Turning a won battle into a destroyed army rather than a retreating one. | Cheap, fast, and devastating in pursuit. |
| Archers | B | One or two skirmisher slots in a mixed retinue, never as the bulk of an army. | Skirmishers that soften the enemy before the melee phase. |
| Retinues | B | Any ruler whose vassals dislike him, which after fifty years is every ruler. | Standing troops maintained from your demesne income that ignore vassal opinion entirely. |
S-Tier: Heavy Infantry
The anchor of most melee lines and one of the units that came out of the Horse Lords rebalance near the top. Expensive per unit, and the reason a small retinue can hold a flank against a much larger levy.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | The centre of a retinue, paired with pikemen rather than doubled up. |
| Key Mechanic | Succession laws and gavelkind |
| Recommended Build | Feudal |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Heavy Infantry: Pairs naturally with Feudal thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Pikemen
The consistent answer to cavalry and the one heavy unit that was reliable across every patch, provided your commanders have the traits that trigger the pike tactics.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Any army expecting to meet knights or horse archers on open ground. |
| Key Mechanic | Levies and retinues |
| Recommended Build | Tribal |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Pikemen: Pairs naturally with Tribal thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Light Cavalry
Cheap, fast, and devastating in pursuit. Light cavalry contributes little to a stand-up fight and enormously to the casualties inflicted after the enemy breaks and runs.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Turning a won battle into a destroyed army rather than a retreating one. |
| Key Mechanic | Plots and factions |
| Recommended Build | Nomadic |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Light Cavalry: Pairs naturally with Nomadic thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Archers
Skirmishers that soften the enemy before the melee phase. They were reduced in effectiveness after Horse Lords, so a modern retinue usually takes fewer of them than older guides suggest.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | One or two skirmisher slots in a mixed retinue, never as the bulk of an army. |
| Key Mechanic | De jure drift and claims |
| Recommended Build | Merchant Republic |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Archers: Pairs naturally with Merchant Republic thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Retinues
Standing troops maintained from your demesne income that ignore vassal opinion entirely. The general rule is two skirmisher types and two melee types, because most tactics buff a pair of unit types and penalise everything else in the stack.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Any ruler whose vassals dislike him, which after fifty years is every ruler. |
| Key Mechanic | Societies and lifestyle focuses |
| Recommended Build | Iqta |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Retinues: Pairs naturally with Iqta thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Duchy of Munster, 1066
- Pikemen → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Light Cavalry → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Heavy Infantry → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Fix succession before anything else. Gavelkind splitting a kingdom between three sons undoes fifty years of work in one death screen, and changing the law requires crown authority you have to raise years in advance.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Crusader Kings II Guides
- Crusader Kings II Crusader Kings II Overview
- Crusader Kings II Best Builds
- Crusader Kings II Tier List
- Crusader Kings II Walkthrough
- Crusader Kings II Beginner's Guide
- Crusader Kings II Tips & Tricks
- Crusader Kings II Combat Guide
- Crusader Kings II Boss Guide
- Crusader Kings II Maps & Locations
- Crusader Kings II Crafting Guide
- Crusader Kings II Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Crusader Kings II, check out these related guides:
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- Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Weapons Guide: strategy game with similar mechanics
- RimWorld Weapons Guide: strategy game with similar mechanics
