S3 Studio and Thermite Games put you in charge of a fallen clan in an ancient China setting, starting from a crumbling estate on 14 May 2025 in Early Access. You marry family members off, push them through imperial exams, build income properties and outlast roughly 30 rival noble houses across generations. Characters are defined by eight attributes and die of old age, so the clan matters more than any single person in it.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smithy | S | The core of any economy, scaled to 24 or more buildings once the capital allows | The workhorse income building. |
| Exchange | A | Resource arbitrage and for cheaply supplying materials to strengthen fief troops | A costly mid to late game building that opens buying and selling of every resource type at local prices. |
| General Store | A | The first decade of a run, and for raising province prosperity alongside public shops and market stalls | The cheap early option that keeps the lights on before Smithies are affordable. |
| Military Camp | B | Defending fiefs, quelling insurgencies, and supporting a Might-focused heir's career | Built inside a fief to recruit and hold your personal army. |
| Farm | B | Food supply and stabilising a fief's population growth | A land asset that feeds the clan and contributes to the estate's basic upkeep. |
S-Tier: Smithy
The workhorse income building. Placed in a high prosperity province with employees hired at the minimum wage of roughly 400 coins, one Smithy can clear six figures of coins a month.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | The core of any economy, scaled to 24 or more buildings once the capital allows |
| Key Mechanic | Eight character attributes |
| Recommended Build | Writing |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Smithy: Pairs naturally with Writing thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Exchange
A costly mid to late game building that opens buying and selling of every resource type at local prices. The value is not the building itself but the price gap between provinces it lets you exploit.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Resource arbitrage and for cheaply supplying materials to strengthen fief troops |
| Key Mechanic | Generational family succession |
| Recommended Build | Might |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Exchange: Pairs naturally with Might thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: General Store
The cheap early option that keeps the lights on before Smithies are affordable. Returns are modest, but they are far better than housing, which pays poorly for what it costs.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | The first decade of a run, and for raising province prosperity alongside public shops and market stalls |
| Key Mechanic | Imperial exams and officialdom |
| Recommended Build | Business |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using General Store: Pairs naturally with Business thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Military Camp
Built inside a fief to recruit and hold your personal army. Upkeep pushes discontent upward, so the camp is only worth running when there is a campaign or a rebellion risk to answer.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Defending fiefs, quelling insurgencies, and supporting a Might-focused heir's career |
| Key Mechanic | Coins and gold ingots |
| Recommended Build | Arts |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Military Camp: Pairs naturally with Arts thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Farm
A land asset that feeds the clan and contributes to the estate's basic upkeep. It is one of the asset types you inherit and manage across generations rather than a profit centre in its own right.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Food supply and stabilising a fief's population growth |
| Key Mechanic | Fief taxes and discontent |
| Recommended Build | Cunning |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Farm: Pairs naturally with Cunning 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 Family Estate
- Exchange → Your first real upgrade, available early
- General Store → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Smithy → 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.
- Build General Stores first and switch to Smithies the moment the treasury allows. Housing looks appealing because it is cheap, but its returns are the worst of the major building types.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More House of Legacy Guides
- House of Legacy House of Legacy Overview
- House of Legacy Best Builds
- House of Legacy Tier List
- House of Legacy Walkthrough
- House of Legacy Beginner's Guide
- House of Legacy Tips & Tricks
- House of Legacy Combat Guide
- House of Legacy Boss Guide
- House of Legacy Maps & Locations
- House of Legacy Crafting Guide
- House of Legacy Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy House of Legacy, check out these related guides:
- Sid Meier's Civilization V Weapons Guide: strategy game with similar mechanics
- Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Weapons Guide: strategy game with similar mechanics
- RimWorld Weapons Guide: strategy game with similar mechanics
