9 Kings Guide: How to Choose and Play All 9 Monarchs

In 9 Kings, your primary action at the start of every run is selecting which of the nine playable monarchs will lead your settlement. Rather than relying on baseline unit stats, select your ruler based on how their signature passive bonus enhances your planned base architecture and resource production on the starting map.

Choosing Your Monarch at Run Start

Each ruler in 9 Kings operates as a specialized engine for your base, offering continuous buffs that dictate how efficiently your settlement expands and defends itself. Because map layouts are randomized, cycling through monarchs across runs allows you to adapt to varied terrain and resource placements.

• Economic Rulers: Best for early expansion. Lower construction costs and elevated resource output allow you to establish perimeter walls and gather key materials before early enemy waves reach your borders.
• Military Rulers: Tailored for sustained survival. Buffs to structural durability or defensive ranged turrets help stabilize front lines against elite enemy types during later progression waves.

Tailoring Build Orders to Ruler Traits

To get the full value out of a monarch's passive ability, adapt your technology research and construction sequence to match their multiplier.

1. Evaluate Passive Modifiers: Review your chosen King's trait at the start of the match to identify which structures or gatherers receive active multipliers.
2. Align Initial Construction: Build and upgrade the specific infrastructure boosted by your King. For instance, if your ruler boosts ranged fortification damage, prioritize ranged turrets over melee barricades.
3. Adjust Worker Allocation: Rebalance gathering nodes to support your King's primary focus. If your ruler grants bonus gold output but no timber bonus, shift labor to keep wood incoming without stalling gold production.

Adapting across the 9 Stages

As you advance through the game's nine distinct stages, enemy strength and compositions scale significantly. A monarch whose passive dominated early waves may struggle if their traits do not match late-stage threats.

• Pivot Upgrades Early: If your current defenses falter against advanced enemy waves, inspect your ruler's secondary traits or shift structural investments from pure offense to survival buffs.
• Account for Map Terrain: Map generation directly impacts ruler performance. If you select a monarch reliant on forest-based resource bonuses but spawn on a desert or mountain map, adjust your build order immediately to compensate for missing efficiency.