Myth of Empires is an ancient Chinese-themed open-world survival MMO focused on building an empire through territorial conquest, NPC army management, and siege warfare. Unlike typical survival games, you recruit and command AI soldiers who defend your territory, patrol borders, and fight in organized formations during sieges. The horse breeding system produces progressively better mounts across generations, and PvP revolves around scheduled territory wars where clans attack each other's fortified positions with siege equipment. The setting spans diverse biomes from bamboo forests to snow mountains.
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.
Quick Rankings
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Core Gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warlord | S | Lead NPC formations in sieges, personally fight on the front line, coordinate territory assaults. | Iron Halberd, Heavy Armor, NPC Command upgrades, War Banner |
| Horse Archer | S | Ride at full speed, fire arrows at pursuers, kite infantry formations, raid undefended territories. | Composite Bow, Light Cavalry Armor, Bred Warhorse, Quiver (120 arrows) |
| Siege Engineer | A | Build siege equipment before assaults, operate trebuchets during territory wars, design defensible fortifications. | Trebuchet blueprints, Siege Ram, Engineering tools, Medium Armor |
| Diplomat Trader | B | Establish trade routes between territories, negotiate alliances, fund clan military operations through commerce. | Trading Wagon, NPC Guards, Merchant skill tree, Pack Animals |
| Castle Builder | A | Design multi-layered defenses, build walls with overlapping tower coverage, place traps and chokepoints. | Building tools, Stone/Iron materials, Architecture blueprints, Defensive traps |
S-Tier: Warlord
Combat-focused build leading NPC armies in territory wars. Invests in leadership skills that increase NPC squad size and morale. The halberd mastery tree provides the best melee damage and reach for personal combat.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Halberd | Long-reach polearm dealing 85 damage per swing with a wide cleave arc. |
| Core Gear | Iron Halberd, Heavy Armor, NPC Command upgrades, War Banner | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Leadership, Melee Damage, Army Size | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | territory control | Clans place Clan Banners to claim territory hexes. |
How to Play Warlord
Lead NPC formations in sieges, personally fight on the front line, coordinate territory assaults.
Combat-focused build leading NPC armies in territory wars. Invests in leadership skills that increase NPC squad size and morale. The halberd mastery tree provides the best melee damage and reach for personal combat.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Halberd and territory control creates a gameplay loop that outperforms other options. Core gear like Iron Halberd, Heavy Armor, NPC Command upgrades, War Banner amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Highest overall performance
- Clear stat priority (Leadership, Melee Damage, Army Size) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Popular pick, resources may be contested
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
S-Tier: Horse Archer
Mounted ranged combat build that excels in open-field PvP. A bred warhorse + composite bow lets you kite infantry endlessly. Hit-and-run tactics make you nearly uncatchable. The most feared PvP build in open territory.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Composite Bow | The best ranged weapon with 110 damage per arrow and 80m effective range. |
| Core Gear | Composite Bow, Light Cavalry Armor, Bred Warhorse, Quiver (120 arrows) | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Riding Skill, Ranged Damage, Horse Speed | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | NPC army management | Recruit NPC soldiers from taverns and assign them to squads with formations. |
How to Play Horse Archer
Ride at full speed, fire arrows at pursuers, kite infantry formations, raid undefended territories.
Mounted ranged combat build that excels in open-field PvP. A bred warhorse + composite bow lets you kite infantry endlessly. Hit-and-run tactics make you nearly uncatchable. The most feared PvP build in open territory.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Composite Bow and NPC army management creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Composite Bow, Light Cavalry Armor, Bred Warhorse, Quiver (120 arrows) amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Most versatile option
- Clear stat priority (Riding Skill, Ranged Damage, Horse Speed) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Lower peak damage than S-tier
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Siege Engineer
Specializes in building and operating siege equipment. Trebuchets deal massive structure damage from safe range. A skilled siege engineer determines whether a territory assault succeeds or fails.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Repeating Crossbow | Rapid-fire crossbow that shoots 5 bolts in quick succession. |
| Core Gear | Trebuchet blueprints, Siege Ram, Engineering tools, Medium Armor | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Engineering Skill, Structure Damage, Crafting Speed | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | horse breeding | Capture wild horses and breed them at stables. |
How to Play Siege Engineer
Build siege equipment before assaults, operate trebuchets during territory wars, design defensible fortifications.
Specializes in building and operating siege equipment. Trebuchets deal massive structure damage from safe range. A skilled siege engineer determines whether a territory assault succeeds or fails.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Repeating Crossbow and horse breeding creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Trebuchet blueprints, Siege Ram, Engineering tools, Medium Armor amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Best survivability
- Clear stat priority (Engineering Skill, Structure Damage, Crafting Speed) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Slower clear speeds
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
B-Tier: Diplomat Trader
Social and economy-focused build that generates wealth through trading between territories. Trading caravans with NPC guards transport goods between player markets. Wealth funds clan armies and siege equipment.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Siege Ram | Operated by 4+ players/NPCs, the ram deals 500 damage per hit to gates and walls. |
| Core Gear | Trading Wagon, NPC Guards, Merchant skill tree, Pack Animals | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Trading Profit, Caravan Protection, Social Skills | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | siege warfare | Territory attacks involve siege equipment — battering rams, trebuchets, and siege towers. |
How to Play Diplomat Trader
Establish trade routes between territories, negotiate alliances, fund clan military operations through commerce.
Social and economy-focused build that generates wealth through trading between territories. Trading caravans with NPC guards transport goods between player markets. Wealth funds clan armies and siege equipment.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Siege Ram and siege warfare creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Trading Wagon, NPC Guards, Merchant skill tree, Pack Animals amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Strong in group/team content
- Clear stat priority (Trading Profit, Caravan Protection, Social Skills) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- Weaker solo performance
- Requires deep game knowledge
A-Tier: Castle Builder
Architecture-focused build that designs and constructs clan fortifications. Defensive architecture with overlapping tower coverage and kill zones determines siege outcomes. The unsung hero of territory defense.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Cavalry Lance | Mounted charge weapon dealing 200+ damage on a full-speed impact. |
| Core Gear | Building tools, Stone/Iron materials, Architecture blueprints, Defensive traps | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Building Speed, Structural Knowledge, Resource Efficiency | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | skill-based progression | Character progression uses a skill point system across combat, crafting, building, and social trees. |
How to Play Castle Builder
Design multi-layered defenses, build walls with overlapping tower coverage, place traps and chokepoints.
Architecture-focused build that designs and constructs clan fortifications. Defensive architecture with overlapping tower coverage and kill zones determines siege outcomes. The unsung hero of territory defense.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Cavalry Lance and skill-based progression creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Building tools, Stone/Iron materials, Architecture blueprints, Defensive traps amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Unique, rewarding playstyle
- Clear stat priority (Building Speed, Structural Knowledge, Resource Efficiency) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- High skill floor, punishing when misplayed
- Requires deep game knowledge
Build Progression Path
- Start with Horse Archer — the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Warlord once you understand core mechanics and have access to Halberd
- Keep a Siege Engineer setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Castle Builder for a fresh experience once you've mastered the basics
Gearing Tips
- Invest in your primary equipment first — it gives the biggest power spike
- Recruit 10 NPC soldiers before building your first permanent base. Undefended bases get raided within hours on PvP servers.
- Horse breeding follows genetics: breed your two fastest horses together for offspring with 10-20% speed improvement. Track stats across generations.
- Don't spread upgrade resources across multiple builds until endgame
See our tier list for current meta rankings, or the beginner's guide if you're just getting started.
