Use the simulator for the question it can answer
Evony added General Simulation in Version 5.24.0 on April 24, 2026. The official announcement says players can select any two Generals from Portraits, freely combine Skill Books and view the actual effects of those combinations. Simulated practice does not change existing Generals or Formations.
That makes the tool useful before replacing a Skill Book, opening a new General project or committing scarce books to a pair. It shows whether the proposed combination activates. It does not include the rest of the account, the opponent or the exact battle condition, so it cannot prove final damage, survivability or rally value.
Keep three separate pass or fail tests
| Test | Question | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Compatibility | Do the intended Special Skills and Skill Books remain active together? | General Simulation |
| Role relevance | Does each active line apply while attacking, defending, reinforcing, rallying or fighting monsters in this exact job? | Current skill wording and trigger conditions |
| Battle value | Does the complete march improve against comparable targets? | Several controlled live reports |
A green or active effect passes compatibility. It does not quietly rewrite “when attacking” into “when defending.” Evony has supplied a simulator, not a diplomatic service for incompatible nouns.
Run a one-variable assistant audit
- Name one job. Write ranged city attack, mounted monster lead, ground reinforcement, wall defence or the exact role being built.
- Build the bare pair. Select the intended Main and Assistant Generals without experimental books. Record which original skills remain active.
- Add one book. Add only one proposed Skill Book and check the full pair again. A conflict can disable an assistant skill or book even when the new book itself looks harmless.
- Repeat for every slot. Save the final active set, not only the last book added. If a line disappears, remove the latest change and test an alternative.
- Check the conditions outside the tool. Read attack, defence, reinforcement, monster, rally and companion requirements. Then compare several live reports with the same march job.
Know what the assistant slot contributes
Evony’s assistant rules say the Main General must be at least level 20 and three stars. For the Assistant, the original Special Skill, Skill Books, Specialties and General Skin can apply. Upgrade level, cultivation, enhancement, ascension, equipment attributes and the attributes of a carried Dragon or Spiritual Beast do not apply through the assistant slot.
A required companion can still matter as a key. The official FAQ says an Assistant whose original Special Skill requires a Dragon or Spiritual Beast must still carry one to trigger that skill, even though the creature’s own attributes do not apply. Test the trigger, but do not count the passenger’s printed statistics twice.
Official conflict rules also matter: an Assistant Special Skill can fail when it overlaps the Main General’s Special Skill or equipped Skill Books, and an Assistant Skill Book can fail when it overlaps the Main General’s Special Skill or books. Current wording and the simulator take priority over an old pairing chart.
A worked relevance ledger
Suppose Package A plans six effects. One Assistant book conflicts, leaving five active; one of those five applies only to a different role, leaving four relevant active lines. Package B keeps all six effects active, but one has the wrong condition, leaving five relevant active lines. By count, Package B has 25% more relevant active lines than Package A: five instead of four.
That arithmetic is an audit, not a damage formula. One powerful line may matter more than two small ones, and the simulator does not weigh opponent buffs, troop counts, research, equipment, Blazons or march size. Use the ledger to eliminate dead or irrelevant effects, then let controlled reports compare the packages that survive.
Stop before the irreversible step
Do not install a scarce high-level book merely because a third-party list calls the pair compatible. Theria’s compatibility tool says it focuses on popular contemporary Generals and may omit older ones. The game’s current simulator is the better first check for the exact pair and proposed books.
Stop when the complete simulated package is active, every line matches the named role and the live test has a tolerable cost. If a new version, General or Skill Book changes the pair, repeat the audit before overwriting anything. Skill Books are much calmer when the expensive surprise belongs to an imaginary General.
Conditions and evidence limits
Version 5.24.0 officially confirms the simulator path, two-General selection, free Skill Book combinations and no impact on existing Generals or Formations. Version 4.26.0 and the current official FAQ define assistant requirements, conflict rules and which assistant components can apply. The October 29, 2026 specialist guide supports the zero-impact test-bench method but is not an official damage model. Theria’s December 17, 2024 tool documents known book clashes and its own coverage limit.
Kat’s Quiet Keep did not independently test every General, conditional trigger or current client display. The simulator can confirm displayed activation, not acquisition, development cost, final battle damage or hidden combat order. Current in-game wording, owned resources and repeated comparable reports take priority.
Sources: official Version 5.24.0 General Simulation announcement, April 24, 2026; official Version 4.26.0 Assistant General rules; official assistant-General FAQ, reviewed November 2, 2026; Theria Skill Book compatibility tool, published December 17, 2024; specialist General Simulation guide, published October 29, 2026.
Evidence reviewed 2026-11-02. Official interface and assistant rules, specialist guidance and editorial arithmetic are separated. No universal pairing list, damage formula or independent combat test is claimed.
— 
Kat