Cao Cao – Conqueror of Chaos
Cao Cao, courtesy name Mengde, was a Chinese warlord and the penultimate Chancellor of the Eastern Han dynasty. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously honored as “Emperor Wu of Wei”. He is often portrayed as a cruel and merciless tyrant in subsequent literature; however, he has also been praised as a brilliant ruler and military genius who treated his subordinates like his family. Cao Cao had much success as the Haan chancellor, but his handling of the Han emperor Liu Xie was heavily criticized and resulted in a continued and then escalated the civil war.
Overview
Cao Cao is probably the fastest commander in Rise of Kingdoms, thanks to his skills and talents. He is an excellent commander when it comes to hunting Barbarians as his skill Lofty Ambition helps him survive longer and The Qingzhou Army skill deals bonus damage to Barbarians. He can be used to lead Barbarian Fort rallies as well. His mobility allows him to go in and out of fights quite easily making him an ideal commander during Kill Events to kill gatherers. Unfortunately, Cao Cao’s time was short-lived when it comes to actual fights, new generation commanders replaced him completely.
Skills
![]() Dragon Rider Active Skill | Rage Requirement: 1000 Deals direct damage to the target, and decreases target’s attack and march speed for 3 seconds. Upgrade Preview: Direct Damage Factor: 600 / 800 / 1000 / 1200 / 1400 Attack Reduction: 20% / 25% / 30% / 35% / 40% March Speed Reduction: 5% / 6% / 7% / 8% / 10% |
![]() The Qingzhou Army Passive Skill | Increases the damage to Barbarians. Upgrade Preview: Bonus Damage To Barbarians: 10% / 20% / 30% / 40% / 50% |
![]() Tiger Knight Passive Skill | Increases cavalry units’ march speed and attack. Upgrade Preview: Cavalry March Speed Bonus: 3% / 4.5% / 6% / 8% / 10% Cavalry Attack Bonus: 10% / 15% / 20% / 25% / 30% |
![]() Lofty Ambition Passive Skill | Troops’ normal attacks have a 10% chance to heal a portion of the slightly wounded units, restores rage, and increases troops’ march speed by 20% for 3 seconds. This effect can only trigger once every 2 seconds. Upgrade Preview: Healing Factor Bonus: 500 / 600 / 700 / 800 / 1000 Rage Restored: 50 / 60 / 70 / 80 / 100 |
![]() Emperor Wu of Wei Expertise: Passive Skill | Increases cavalry attack by 25%, decreases troop defense by 10% |
Talents
Talents generated using “RoK Talents“.
Peacekeeping

In this Peacekeeping build, we focus primarily on sustain and march speed. With his Lofty Ambition skill and Curing Chant talent, you will never have to go back to your city.
Mobility

This build is ideal for hunting gatherers during Kill Event. Hasty Departure makes it easy for you to run away when things looks bad. Even though it doesn’t have Curing Chant or other talents that provide bonus damage to Barbarians, this build can still be used to hunt Barbarians albeit not as good.
Pairings
Coming Soon