Conan Exiles Enhanced: The Definitive Guide to Picking Your Religion and Race

Picking your god and your background is the first real choice you make before the sandstorms and cannibals start trying to put you six feet under.

The launch of Conan Exiles Enhanced has done more than just sharpen the textures and fix the lighting. With the Exiled Lands and Isle of Siptah finally merged into one seamless world, your choice of origin and faith carries more weight than ever for your overall roleplay. You might be tempted to just slam the "randomize" button so you can get to the crafting, but your initial selections define your early game utility and your endgame power.

I've spent plenty of time testing these builds across both regions. While you can eventually learn every religion by finding trainers or spending 50 Knowledge Points, that first pick is your lifeline. If you're playing on the Isle of Siptah, remember that trainers don't exist. You have to hunt down specific relics to expand your pantheon. Before you decide to become a snake-worshipping sorcerer or a cannibalistic warrior, you should probably make sure you're on the right server by reading my guide on Conan Exiles Enhanced server types.

Swearing Fealty: The Best Religions for Every Playstyle

Religions in this game are a massive part of your defensive and offensive strategy. They aren't just for show. Each god allows you to craft unique altars, weapons, and armor. More importantly, they allow you to summon an Avatar. These are massive, controllable deities that can level a rival player's base in seconds.

Before you get too excited about being a giant bronze man or a massive spider, keep in mind that summoning an Avatar is a massive risk. You become a beacon of light on the map, and your character is completely defenseless while you're controlling the god. If an enemy finds your physical body while you're busy stomping on their front door, they'll send you back to the lobby and end your summoning instantly.

Ranking the Pantheon by Utility and Difficulty

I've put together a breakdown of every god available in the Enhanced edition. If you want a smooth start, I suggest sticking to the beginner-friendly options like Set or Yog. If you want to play the game on hard mode or you just really like the aesthetic of a frozen wasteland, Ymir or Jhebbal Sag are waiting for you.

God	Avatar & Favor Method	Recommended For
Set	Giant Serpent. Use a Setite Ritual Knife to harvest Human Hearts.	Beginners. Best utility for arrows and poison resistance.
Yog	Eldritch Horror. Use a Yog Cleaver to harvest Unblemished Human Meat.	Survivalists. Focuses on cannibalism and high-tier food buffs.
Zath	Giant Spider. Use a Zathite Ritual Dagger to harvest Venom-purified Blood.	Combatants. Great defensive structures, but avoid if you have arachnophobia.
Mitra	Bronze Colossus. Use a Mitraen Ankh to harvest Lingering Essence.	Intermediate. Excellent for healing and purified water.
Derketo	Skeletal Giantess. Use Derketo's Kiss to harvest Sliver of the Unfulfilled.	Collectors. High-tier jewelry and specialized potions.
Ymir	Frost Giant. Use a Hoar-Frost Hatchet to harvest Ice Shards.	Roleplayers. Best for cold-weather survival and frost weapons.
Jhebbal Sag	Manticore. Use a Blood Letter to harvest Sacred Blood.	Experts. High damage, but difficult to unlock and maintain favor.
Crom	None. He ignores his followers entirely.	Minimalists. No perks, no avatars. Just you and your own strength.

Choosing Between Favor and Freedom

If you're new to the Exiled Lands, I strongly suggest starting with Set. The poison-curing potions and snake-tipped arrows are incredibly helpful in the early stages when everything is trying to kill you. If you choose Crom, you're effectively playing without a major mechanic. I appreciate the lore accuracy of a god who ignores you, but you're just making the grind harder for yourself.

Finding Your Heritage: Every Race Explained

When you're designing the character you'll be staring at for the next hundred hours, your choice of race is purely a roleplay decision. There are zero stat differences between the races in Conan Exiles Enhanced. A Nordheimer doesn't start with more strength, and a Zamorian isn't naturally faster.

However, your race defines your place in the world's lore and can help guide your roleplay journey. Each race has a distinct history and a recommended "Compatible God" that fits their culture. Aligning your faith with your heritage is a great way to make the survival experience feel more authentic.

The Global Heritage Breakdown

Race	Lore & Appearance	Lore-Friendly God
Cimmerian	Descentants of Atlanteans. Warlike and fierce. Conan's own race. Dark hair and watery eyes.	Crom
Stygian	Ruled by priests and sorcerers. Great for magic-focused roleplay. Dark hair and eyes.	Set, Derketo
Nordheimer	Blond (Aesir) or Red (Vanir) hair. Rulers of the north with powerful builds.	Ymir, Crom
Hyborian	Descendants of Bori worshipers. Diverse appearance with gold/brown hair.	Mitra, Derketo
Darfari	Cannibals who file their teeth to points. Dark hair and large builds.	Yog
Khitan	Secretive sorcerers from the east. Long dark hair and whimsical makeup.	Crom
Zamorian	Infamous city of thieves. Any appearance is possible.	Zath
Pict	Endless warriors who worship dark gods. Dark hair and sharp features.	Jhebbal Sag, Crom

Strategic Pairings for the Exiled Lands

If you're stuck on what to pick, I have a few suggestions that work beautifully with the new UE5 visuals. If you want a classic "Conan" vibe, go with a Cimmerian and swear fealty to Crom. It's the most authentic way to play, even if you lose out on the shiny avatars. If you want to lean into the magical improvements of the Enhanced edition, a Khitan or Stygian character with a focus on sorcery is the way to go.

Regardless of your race, I strongly suggest you find the religion trainers as soon as possible. Even if you start as a follower of Mitra, you can eventually learn the ways of Set or Yog to expand your crafting options. Just make sure you're prepared for the trek to find them. The world is a lot bigger and more dangerous now that the maps are unified.