Engineering Commander Skills Revealed!

The new engineering commanders have been officially revealed! All five of you engineering players, rejoice!

Gonzalo de Cordoba

Ranged Damage Powerhouse

First, let’s meet Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, a legendary Spanish general and statesman renowned for his prowess in military strategy and leadership. Born on September 1, 1453, he left an indelible mark on history with his triumphs in the Conquest of Granada and the Italian Wars.

Known by the moniker "El Gran Capitán" ("The Great Captain"), Fernández de Córdoba's military genius and widespread admiration stemmed from his series of victorious campaigns and his pivotal role in negotiating the surrender of Granada. Following his military triumphs, he assumed the prestigious position of Viceroy of Naples.

Fernández de Córdoba's innovative tactics revolutionized European warfare. He was among the pioneers in the effective use of firearms on the battlefield and revolutionized infantry formations by integrating pikes and firearms into both defensive and offensive strategies.

Gonzalo’s skills are listed below, and he boasts an impressive amount of damage for a siege commander.

A few things that stand about Gonzalo’s skills:

• A 2400 damage AoE active skill. While the damage is reduced by 50% when doing ranged damage, hitting three targets for 1200 damage from afar is something we haven’t seen yet in Rise of Kingdoms. Will players be setting Gonzalo up on the outskirts of fights and sniping low health marches?

• A disarm ability on his third skill looks particularly effective at dealing with normal attack damage commanders from range. Will players attack opposing rallies that use smite damage with Gonzalo to try and mitigate a large portion of their damage?

• Gonzalo has huge bonuses for ranged damage all over his kit. His second skill provides 10% additional ranged smite damage, his fourth skill provides a 40% bonus to ranged normal damage for 3 seconds, and his expertise skill provides a 20% bonus to ranged smite damage when he is not in melee range of his target.

Gonzalo seems to be the “glass cannon” engineering commander of the pair. He does a ton of damage, but if marches get to close, he doesn’t have much defense to stay alive. If only there was a tank-style engineering commander, maybe one that healed troops, to help him out…

Gajah Mada

Ranged Tank/Healer

Now, let’s take a look into the history of Gajah Mada. Also known as Jirnnodhara, he was a formidable military leader and mahapatih of the Javanese empire of Majapahit during the 14th century. Renowned for his prowess, he is celebrated in Old Javanese manuscripts and inscriptions as the architect of Majapahit's peak of glory.

Gajah Mada's legacy is defined by his solemn oath, the Sumpah Palapa, wherein he pledged relentless conquest of the Southeast Asian archipelago of Nusantara for Majapahit. Under his reign, the Hindu epics, notably the Rāmāyana and the Mahābhārata, permeated Javanese culture through the captivating wayang kulit performances. Revered as a national hero in modern Indonesia, Gajah Mada symbolizes patriotism and national unity, his life chronicled in historical accounts such as the Pararaton ("The Book of Kings"), the Nagarakretagama, and mid-14th-century inscriptions.

Below you’ll find Gajah Mada’s skills. The picture doesn’t lie, he’s a beefy boy in-game as well!

Gajah Mada has some amazing abilities, he’s incredibly tanky and has great damage as well:

• His active skill can deal up to 2500 ranged smite damage to a target, but this is reduced by 50% if he is not in melee range. Sticking on a target for 5 seconds after casting your active skill is difficult to do, but in ranged mode, it may be more feasible. Dealing the full 1250 ranged smite damage should be possible most of the time, if you position correctly.

• Gajah Mada has a 40% health buff on his second skill. This is an absolutely massive buff that we don’t see often, which will make his march incredibly tanky.

• His fourth skill provides a 15% march speed debuff for 3 seconds, which is similar to Margaret’s third ability, Iron Hand, Velvet Glove. Pairing these two commanders together could be a great way to provide CC from afar on the battlefield.

• His expertise ability buffs his third skill, providing a 10% chance for a “Mighty Heal” with 600 healing factor whenever his march launces a ranged basic attack, as well as dealing 200 Damage Factor of additional Ranged Smite damage. This should help keep his march alive for quite a while on the battlefield.

Gajah Mada is a ranged healer and tank, something we haven’t seen yet in Rise of Kingdoms. Pair him with Gonzalo, and you’ll have the damage to kill enemy marches from afar, and the staying power to fight it out in melee range even if you get ambushed.

Will Gonzalo and Gajah Mada become meta commanders after they are released? Will anyone even bother to max them and see if they’re good? After all, you’ll need to make a set of siege gear and get some siege armaments in place if you want to use these new commanders to their full potential, and most players are still trying to get their gear and armaments sorted out for their cavalry, infantry, and archer marches.

It will most likely be about a month before these commanders make their way into the game, and we’re still not sure which one will be on the Wheel of Fortune and which will be the Mightiest Governor unlock. We also have the new Leadership commander to look forward to. Will they be another legendary? Possibly an epic? As soon as we know, we’ll post and let you know.

Until then, good luck theory-crafting possible pairings for Gonzalo and Gajah Mada!