Trading, indeed, is an essential aspect of any successful civilization in Civilization 7, as through these trading you can exchange all your resources, strengthen your economy, and develop friendly relations with other leaders. So, let’s take you through the acquiring process of your first Merchant unit, leading up to the intricacies of managing trade routes. Learn how to unlock Merchants, strategically position them for maximum impact, and protect your vital trade networks from the dangers of the world.
How to Trade in Civilization 7
To trade with other civilizations in Civilization 7, you’ll need to establish trade routes. First, you’ll need a Merchant unit. You can train one in your city once you’ve researched the necessary Technology or Civic. Alternatively, if you have enough gold, you can buy a Merchant in either a city or a town.
How to Get Merchants
In Civilization 7, you’ll need to do some research to unlock the ability to create Trader units (called Merchants). You’ll need to advance your civilization to the point where you’ve discovered the “Code of Laws” Civic in the Ancient Era, and the “Economics” Civic in the Exploration Era. “Code of Laws” comes fairly early, but “Economics” is a mid-game Civic, so it might take a while to get there even if you’re focusing on Culture.
Once you’ve researched these Civics, you can start producing or buying Merchants in your cities and towns. They’ll be listed with the other units in the city menu. Keep in mind that some civilizations have unique Merchants, like the Mandarin Merchant for the Ming. These special Merchants become available at the same time as the regular ones. Don’t just buy a Merchant anywhere. It’s best to purchase them in settlements that are near other civilizations. This will help you establish trade routes more quickly.
How to Get Trade Routes
Setting up trade routes in Civ 7 involves a bit of legwork. You can’t just click a button; you actually have to move your Merchant unit. First, move your Merchant into the territory of another civilization that has a city or town you want to trade with. When you select your Merchant, you’ll see a list of potential trading partners and the resources they offer. You have to physically move your Merchant to the target settlement – sometimes this takes a few turns.
Once your Merchant arrives, select it and look for the “Create Trade Route” button in the unit’s menu. Click that, and boom – you’ve got a trade route! You’ll immediately start receiving the resources from that settlement.
Important things to remember: You can’t trade with your own cities. Also, trade routes are represented by Caravans (for land routes) or Trade Ships (for sea routes). These can be attacked and pillaged by enemies or hostile barbarians, so keep that in mind. If you manage to keep them safe, they’ll continuously provide you with resources and the other civilization with gold. And, if another civilization sets up a trade route with your city, you’ll earn gold per turn for each resource they’re taking.
