Ivan IV Information (Ivan the Terrible)
Talent Trees: Cavalry | Versatility | ComboIconic Quote: "I only want to win."
In Rise of Kingdoms, Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible) is a Legendary Cavalry commander. He possesses the Cavalry, Versatility, and Combo talent trees.
Ivan IV Review & Rating
Ivan IV is a absolute monster of a Cavalry commander on the Open Field battlefield with an all-new "Combo" mechanics. His baseline stats are incredibly overtuned, providing Cavalry with up to 50% Defense, 30% Health (HP), 10% Attack, and 15% March Speed, alongside a 10% reduction in severely wounded units. This ensures your Cavalry march is no longer fragile, granting it survivability comparable to the tankiest Infantry march.
What truly sets Ivan IV apart is his playstyle built around Combo Damage and the Tsar's Decree buff system. During combat, Ivan IV continuously builds Tsar's Authority stacks to boost his active skill damage (reaching up to a 1,400 x2 AoE combo hit factor) while gaining anywhere from 2 to 6 random long-lasting buffs. These buffs not only increase damage, rage generation, and damage reduction, but also trigger frequent secondary combo attacks. Furthermore, Ivan IV applies a potent Terror crowd control effect, reducing enemy Attack by 30% and March Speed by 20%.
If you specialize in Cavalry or are searching for an Open Field powerhouse that deals massive damage while standing strong in crowded battles, Ivan IV is a MUST-HAVE commander. He unlocks versatile and dominant pairing options—investing in Ivan IV is a decision you won't regret!
Ivan IV Skills
Ivory Throne
Active SkillTarget Type: Fan-shaped AoERage Requirement: 1000
Consumes all stacks of Tsar's Authority and randomly gains 2–6 buff effects from Tsar's Decree for 5s. For each stack of Tsar's Authority consumed, the duration of these buff effects is extended by 1s (max additional duration: 5s).
Mechanics Explanation:
① Combo Attack: Combo attack damage is affected by normal attack damage bonuses and can trigger effects caused by normal attacks (e.g., "when this commander's troop deals/suffers normal attack damage"). They do not trigger counterattacks.
② Tsar's Decree includes the following buff effects:
Rampage: Deals 3% additional normal attack damage.
Furious Heart: Increases Rage requirement reduction / Rage engine speed by 5%.
Prescient: Reduces skill damage taken by 5%.
Toughness: Reduces damage taken by 3%.
Conquest: Has a 25% chance to gain 1 additional stack of Tsar's Authority whenever Tsar's Authority is gained (Cooldown: 3s).
Verdict: Launches 1 extra combo attack whenever dealing a normal attack (Damage Factor 200) (Cooldown: 5s).
Upgrade Preview:
Combo Attack Damage Factor: 900 / 1,000 / 1,100 / 1,200 / 1,400
Gilded Saddle
Passive SkillCavalry units gain 10% Attack, 50% Defense, and 15% March Speed.
If the troop contains only Cavalry units, severely wounded units are reduced by 10%.
Upgrade Preview:
Cavalry Attack Bonus: 5% / 6% / 7% / 8% / 10%
Cavalry Defense Bonus: 25% / 30% / 35% / 40% / 50%
Cavalry March Speed Bonus: 5% / 7% / 9% / 12% / 15%
Severely Wounded Reduction: 5% / 6% / 7% / 8% / 10%
Triumph at Molodi
Passive SkillIf the troop deals multiple normal attacks to the current target in a single turn, each additional normal attack after the first grants 15 Rage and 1 stack of Tsar's Authority.
For each stack of Tsar's Authority possessed, Ivory Throne deals 5% additional damage (max bonus: 15%).
Upgrade Preview:
Rage Restored: 5 / 7 / 9 / 12 / 15
Active Skill Damage Bonus: 1% / 2% / 3% / 4% / 5%
Max Active Skill Damage Bonus: 3% / 6% / 9% / 12% / 15%
Oprichniki Campaign
Passive SkillCavalry units gain 30% Health (HP).
When entering battle, immediately gains 2–6 random buff effects from Tsar's Decree. 10s after exiting a structure, this effect can trigger again once every 60s.
When dealing combo attack damage, the troop has a 30% chance to inflict Terror on the target for 4s. Targets suffering from Terror have their Attack reduced by 30% and March Speed reduced by 20%.
Upgrade Preview:
Cavalry Health (HP) Bonus: 10% / 15% / 20% / 25% / 30%
Enemy Attack Reduction: 10% / 15% / 20% / 25% / 30%
Enemy March Speed Reduction: 10% / 12% / 14% / 16% / 20%
First Tsar
Expertise SkillIf more than 3 stacks of Tsar's Authority are consumed while casting Ivory Throne, each additional stack consumed grants 1 extra buff effect.
Best Commander Pairings for Ivan IV
Best Formation
Wedge Formation