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Economic Victories are one of the most fun ways to run a successful campaign in Civilization 7, but you can’t do so without a healthy Merchant population. Merchants are a civilian unit, and the new version of Traders in previous Civ games, and are essential for collecting resources and building roads between empires.
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But, if you’re new to Civilization, or to the Civilization franchise as a whole, you might be wondering how these civilian units work. This guide has you covered. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of everything you need to know to use Merchants and achieve economic domination in Civilization 7.
How To Get Merchants
As mentioned, Merchants are a civilian unit that you can purchase or develop in your settlements in Civilization 7. However, you can’t start producing these units right from the start.
You’ll have to research the following civics and technologies in various Ages to earn Merchants.
|
Age |
Research Needed |
|---|---|
|
Antiquity |
Code of Laws |
|
Exploration |
Economics |
|
Modern |
Steam Engine |
Once you’ve researched these projects, you can begin developing Merchants. Head to either a city or town in your empire and begin developing Merchants or purchasing them.
How To Use Merchants
Once you’ve got Merchants in your empire, there are still a few steps you’ll need to undertake to use them, depending on which Age you’re playing in.
As a general rule of thumb, you need to either have friendly or neutral relations with another foreign nation, or an Independent Power to begin using Merchants to trade.
How To Use Merchants In The Antiquity Age
In the Antiquity Age, the first Age of the game, using Merchants is pretty simple. You can use them to create roads between settlements, or to trade with other powers.
- Build Road To Settlement – You can use this function to build roads between settlements, cutting down on movement cost for units and connecting your settlements in a uniform trade route.
- Make Trade Route – After moving your Merchant to a foreign city, you can make a trade route, incorporating any resources at the destination into your empire.
Make sure you have Resource Slots available in your empire before wasting time building a trade route.
If you have nowhere to put Resources in your towns or cities, the Merchant won’t do you much good! Check your resources menu in the top left-hand corner of your screen.
How To Use Merchants In The Exploration Age
Merchants work in a largely similar fashion in the Exploration Age, as they can still build roads and make trade routes with other settlements.
Keep in mind, you can also trade with Independent Powers! However, you must be their Suzerain if you wish to do so.
However, if the settlement you’re trying to build to is a coastal one, you must have a Port, and the settlement must be within range.
When you’ve selected the Merchant you want to use for a trade route, a menu will appear showing you which settlements are within range.
How To Use Merchants In The Modern Age
The Modern Age Merchant also functions quite similarly, however, instead of having to physically move your Merchant to the settlement you want to trade with, you can just confirm your destination by selecting the settlement.
Keep in mind that if you’re going for an Economic Victory, the Modern Age requires a lot of Rail Connections and Factory Resources, which you need to gain through Merchants.
This means Merchants in the late-game are all the more important.
What Are Merchants Good For?
As alluded to, Merchants have a lot of practical uses for any campaign in Civilization 7, regardless of the Victory Condition you’re trying to achieve.
|
Merchant Use |
Details |
|---|---|
|
Road Speed |
Roads speed up travel time for units between your settlements and foreign lands. Eventually, these become Railroads in the Modern Age, which allow units to fast-travel. |
|
Resource Bonuses |
Each resource has its own special perks and bonuses that can help with any number of Victory Conditions and Legacy Paths. Be sure to check what resources offer in terms of bonuses so that you can strategically plan trade routes. |
|
Victory Conditions |
Many Legacy Paths, like Silk Roads, require you to have certain resources in order to complete them and have a chance at victory. |
Remember, by default, you can make one trade route with each civilization. To get more trade routes, you’ll need to use your Influence to Improve Trade Relations.
