Merchant question

**Darthvegeta800** · October 21, 2008, 04:39 AM

Do i need to keep a merchant next to each resource or can i move on and the traderoute remains established?
How to best use merchants actually? How worthwhile are they?

**Tantive** · October 21, 2008, 04:56 AM

You need to keep them on them. Any other details, others may fill in

**Darthvegeta800** · October 21, 2008, 05:02 AM

Aaah thanks.
I come from Rome Total War so i'm not that knowledgeable on the new special units since i bough MTWII and it's addon cheaply it came without a manual in the story.

**MedievalDragoon** · October 21, 2008, 07:58 AM

I think if you put a fort on the resource you can have multiple merchants in the fort and there for on the resource geting you lots of money

**Silent Assassin** · October 21, 2008, 08:05 AM

Originally Posted by MedievalDragoon

I think if you put a fort on the resource you can have multiple merchants in the fort and there for on the resource geting you lots of money

You are right my friend this also protects your merchants from other merchants that would like to seize your trades

**Darthvegeta800** · October 21, 2008, 10:50 AM

Hmmm interesting. I think i'll try that once i have quite a few merchants.

**Sodbuster** · October 21, 2008, 06:08 PM

The last patch got rid of that fort thing I think. Merchants are best if you send them to a resource far away, and rare. Some good places to start are: Timbuktu, Constantinople, Baghdad, Novgorod, southern Egypt, and Northwestern France. Resources like gold, ivory, silks, jade, incense, spices amber, slaves, and some wines, are really great for your economy. Just make sure that you send some merchants who can hold their own, since the A.I. are going to be going after those spots too. Park a merchant on a resource that nets them 100 or more and he'll pay for himself in no time.

Also, if you can manage to seize an enemy merchant's assets, your merchant will get better and you'll get a bunch of money! They're definitely worth the effort.

**Silent Assassin** · October 22, 2008, 07:12 AM

Originally Posted by Sodbuster

The last patch got rid of that fort thing I think. Merchants are best if you send them to a resource far away, and rare. Some good places to start are: Timbuktu, Constantinople, Baghdad, Novgorod, southern Egypt, and Northwestern France. Resources like gold, ivory, silks, jade, incense, spices amber, slaves, and some wines, are really great for your economy. Just make sure that you send some merchants who can hold their own, since the A.I. are going to be going after those spots too. Park a merchant on a resource that nets them 100 or more and he'll pay for himself in no time.

Also, if you can manage to seize an enemy merchant's assets, your merchant will get better and you'll get a bunch of money! They're definitely worth the effort.

Hey dude nice answer but you forgot the best place to have merchants.... I know it's not after late periode but still you can make like 3000 florin per turn with a merchant with Gold, Tobbacco and chocolate all of this in the new world.

**Sodbuster** · October 22, 2008, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by Rebel6666

Hey dude nice answer but you forgot the best place to have merchants.... I know it's not after late periode but still you can make like 3000 florin per turn with a merchant with Gold, Tobbacco and chocolate all of this in the new world.

Yeah, Chocolate and Tobacco are where it's at! Tons of money from those if you can get a couple ships full of merchants overseas. The only problem is that it takes the whole game before you can do it. By the time I could make it to the new world I'd already conquered the old one.

**russ555** · October 22, 2008, 07:18 AM

Originally Posted by Sodbuster

The last patch got rid of that fort thing I think. Merchants are best if you send them to a resource far away, and rare. Some good places to start are: Timbuktu, Constantinople, Baghdad, Novgorod, southern Egypt, and Northwestern France. Resources like gold, ivory, silks, jade, incense, spices amber, slaves, and some wines, are really great for your economy. Just make sure that you send some merchants who can hold their own, since the A.I. are going to be going after those spots too. Park a merchant on a resource that nets them 100 or more and he'll pay for himself in no time.

Also, if you can manage to seize an enemy merchant's assets, your merchant will get better and you'll get a bunch of money! They're definitely worth the effort.

Nope that has not been removed, not in 1.3 anyway

**Vae victis** · October 22, 2008, 12:52 PM

You can also place a cheap unit like peasents on a valuable trade resource. Merchants can then join the peasent unit and make money from the resource. This protects your merchants from other merchants and alows you to have more than one on the same resource. Just make sure that your peasent unit doesnt rebel or get attacked.

Merchants can also make more money on foriegn resources if you have trade rights with that nation.

**Spartan90** · October 23, 2008, 01:52 AM

Originally Posted by Vae victis

You can also place a cheap unit like peasents on a valuable trade resource. Merchants can then join the peasent unit and make money from the resource. This protects your merchants from other merchants and alows you to have more than one on the same resource. Just make sure that your peasent unit doesnt rebel or get attacked.

Merchants can also make more money on foriegn resources if you have trade rights with that nation.

Why would you lose your merchants if your soldiers die / rebel? Wouldn't the merchants just disperse from the army?

For example, if you have spy in a city and it gets taken over, doesn't the character just step outside the city?

Also, if all the merchants do die along with the soldiers, do the deaths of the merchants result in a penalty to the Merchants Guild like when their assets get seized??

Can someone that uses this strategy please confirm?