Guide to Use & Pair Evony Ranged General Franz Joseph I

Evony’s new ranged troop general, Franz Joseph I, has a good buff on ranged troop defense and march size. This guide details his relevant information and how to obtain him and compares him with the recent archer generals. At the end of the article, I give my insights on how to use this general, choose his paired generals, and add skill books.

The Background of Franz Joseph I

Acceding to the throne amidst the turmoil of the 1848 European Revolutions, the young Franz Joseph I found himself at the heart of history’s storm. Faced with internal rebellions and the looming threat of foreign powers, he resolutely took up the mantle of uniting and defending his nation.

Under his rule, Franz Joseph not only quelled domestic unrest but skillfully navigated the complexities of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, culminating in the 1867 creation of the Dual Monarchy. This monumental decision granted Hungary unprecedented autonomy while strengthening Habsburg control over vast and diverse territories.

In 1878, after the Berlin Conference, Franz Joseph exploited the rifts between European powers to annex Bosnia and Herzegovina, securing the Empire’s strategic dominance in the Balkans. This victory earned him the admiration of his people, cementing his legacy as both a hero and a savior. Franz Joseph I’s reign, shaped by wisdom and courage, left an indelible mark on European history.

The Special Skill of Franz Joseph I

Imperial Authority: Increases ranged troops’ attack by 50% and increases ranged troops and siege machines’ defense and HP by 40% when he is leading the army.

Ascend the general to unlock the buffs below.

1st star – Ranged troop attack +10% and defense +20%
2nd star – Attacking troop death into wounded rate +8%
3rd star – March size capacity +8%; ranged troop attack +10%
4th star – Ranged troop defense and HP +15%
5th star – Ranged troop attack +20%, defense and HP +15%

Franz Joseph I’s Max-level Specialty

Ranged Troop Formation: ranged troop attack and defense +10%
Siege: march size capacity +6%; attacking siege machine and ranged troop attack +10%
Ranged Troop Ares: ranged troop attack, HP, and defense +10%
Austro-Hungarian Compromise: ranged troop attack +40%, defense and HP +30%

Covenanted Generals & Covenant buffs

Franz Joseph I’s covenanted generals include Arminius, Prince Eugene, and Raimondo.

War: ranged troop attack +5%
Cooperation: march speed +10%
Peace: in-rally ranged troop defense +10%
Faith: reinforcing ranged troop HP +10% and attack +5%
Honor: ranged troop defense +10%
Civilization: march size capacity +8%; ranged troop HP +10%

How to Obtain General Franz Joseph I

Epic Historic General (Premium), Epic Historic General, & Epic General

Open these general tokens, you have a chance to receive general Franz Joseph I. Among them, the probability of obtaining this general through Epic Historic General (Premium) is the highest.

You can obtain them in many ways, such as:

Covenant stone sale package
Imperial optional package
Decoration collection package
Limited offer monthly package & scores rewards
Alliance competition monarch scores rewards
Auction House (Sometimes it is in the rare goods list)

Historic General Summoning Event

You may get this general by using Epic Historic General (Glory) to summon generals at the event. During the event, you can get the Epic Historic General (Glory) from the 5th-tier event packages.

During the 2024 New Year Celebration event, the probability of obtaining this general is the highest, and there are 6 guaranteed chances, that is, if you do not obtain this general in 5 summons, you will definitely obtain it in the next one.

According to past experience, you can still obtain this general through the Historic General Summoning event at the next festival event after the New Year Celebration. Although the probability will be slightly reduced, it is still high compared to other ways.

Get Franz Joseph I from Historic General Summoning Event

Compare with Recent Ranged Generals

To sum up, as a main general, Franz Joseph I’s attack buff is not as good as Algernon Sidney and Ragnar’s. Although his defense buff is higher, I think it is not as important as the attack buff, not to mention that Ragnar’s defense buff is not much less than his.

As an assistant general, Franz Joseph I has the same buffs as Sigurd in ranged troop attack and defense. The HP bonus is slightly lower than Sigurd’s, but the march size bonus is higher than his. It seems that they are comparable.

However, Franz Joseph I’s special skill conflicts with the ranged troop attack skill book. If the main general he is paired with uses such a skill book, Franz Joseph I’s special skill as an assistant general will not work. If the assistant general he is paired with uses such a skill book, the skill book will not work.

Taking into account the buff effect of the skill book, Franz Joseph I’s benefits as an assistant general are not as good as Sigurd’s. But, he is still better than Tachibana Ginchiyo and Godfrey of Bouillon, two commonly used assistant generals.

My suggestion is:

If you have Algernon Sidney and Ragnar, you can use Franz Joseph I as a reinforcement general, because his defense and HP are good, and he has certain reinforcing buffs in the covenant.
If you don’t have those two generals, you can use him as the main general of one of the PVP archer units, because it is relatively easy to obtain this general in the game now.

General		Ranged Attack	Ranged Defense	Ranged HP	March Size	Ranged Attack Skill Book
Main General	Algernon Sidney	210	100	120	24	√
	Ragnar	200	135	120	14	√
	Franz Joseph I	165	150	120	22	×
Assistant General	Sigurd	125	100	105	8	√
	Tachibana Ginchiyo	105	95	95	0	×
	Godfrey of Bouillon	95	45	70	0	√
	Franz Joseph I	125	100	90	14	×