EU5:Checklist/Money-and-trade

Master Late-game Money and Trade

Step-by-Step

1. Consolidate your markets by centralizing around your capital and major trade hubs.
2. Upgrade all towns, ports, and market centers for maximum trade capacity and efficiency.
3. Expand protected harbors and docks; establish 100% maritime presence in all coastal sea tiles.
4. Build warehouses and entrepôts to boost market attraction and siphon trade from neighbors.
5. Maximize RGOs and manufacturing output in profitable provinces.
6. Automate trade and tax settings unless pursuing a detailed minmax strategy.
7. Monitor market flows, supply/demand, and adjust production for highest profits.
8. Use naval power to clear pirates/privateers and secure trade lanes.

Money: How to Get, Manage, and Grow It

Major Sources of Income

• Taxes from provinces, towns, and estates (as set up via automation).
• Trade profits (market capacity and control).
• Diplomatic income: vassals, tributaries, war reparations.
• RGOs (Resource Gathering Operations): raw materials sold on the market.
• Production and manufacturing: processed goods create additional profit.
• Looting during war and events.

Managing Money: Key Tips

1. Automate taxes unless minmaxing (see Automate taxes and maximize court costs).
2. Maximize court costs for stability and cohesion.
3. Build up towns and cities for higher tax base and efficient production.
4. Expand RGOs in rural areas for quick profit.
5. Use granaries and settlements to boost population growth for future economies.
6. Always check building profitability before upgrading—only build what can be supplied locally.

Advanced Practices

• Build sawmills, windmills, and rural smelters to boost local output and profits. (

do note provincial cap. Eg. It only shares resources within the province, else will need to get from trade

)

• Balance population versus building-cap; avoid overbuilding in low-population areas.
• Check market access and proximity: maximize market efficiency to keep more profits local.
• Expand harbor and maritime presence for control across coastal settlements.

Trade: Passive Income and Economic Snowball

How Trade Works

• Marketplaces and ports generate “trade capacity” and “trade advantage.”
• RGOs and manufacturing output are sold via your trade node (market center).
• Market access is calculated from your capital (or custom market center): move or create market centers in optimal locations!
• Trade flows from rural and town production to market centers, then is exported/imported as needed.

Improving Trade

1. Build marketplaces, warehouses, and entrepôts in towns and cities.
2. Construct docks and protected harbors at all port settlements.
3. Increase market attraction with advanced buildings to draw neighboring province/country resources.
4. Maximize naval presence and control of sea tiles for efficient shipping and trade.
5. Strategic market management: delete or move markets for best collection and trade flow.

Trade Snowballing Strategy

• Late-game: centralize your market/province around your capital, coastal cities, and natural harbors for maximum profit.
• Use naval presence to claim sea lanes and dominate trade flow.
• Attract resources from foreign markets by building up market attraction and trade capacity.
• Pay attention to supply and demand: oversupply can lower profits, but ensures cheaper inputs for manufacturing.

Example: The Final Snowball

Phase	Action	Video Timestamp
Building economy	Max out all profitable RGOs/town industries	3:31:00–4:08:05	Trade optimization	Move market center; max coastal trade presence	4:27:02–4:34:06	Maritime dominance	Build navy, max naval presence, project trade	4:43:04–5:05:16	Economy snowball	Expand, annex, maximize profits & integrate	5:13:38–5:24:10

Advanced Trade Mechanics

• Build entrepôts to increase market attraction and siphon resources from neighbors.
• Ensure 100% maritime presence in sea zones for maximum market collection.
• Overbuild navy if necessary to clear privateers or pirates inhibiting trade.
• Use trade projection mechanics to capture neighboring trade goods.

Practical Tips

• Automate trade settings unless you have a specific plan.
• Let the AI manage imports and exports, but build up local markets for maximum profits.
• Regularly review market node map mode for trade flow optimization.
• Consider economic snowball as the main late-game win condition.

Why This Matters

• Money and trade drive late-game economic snowball, funding armies, tech upgrades, and further expansion.
• Efficient market and trade management lets you outpace rivals and dominate regional/global commerce.
• High income means more flexibility for wars, diplomacy, buildings, and events.

Late-game Expansion Synergy

• Integrate your industry, economy, and trade snowball to build a global empire.
• Use excess funds to annex vassals, invade wealthy provinces, and fuel rapid technological progress.
• Dominate trade nodes and build market monopolies for unmatched prosperity.

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Guide to Uniting Ireland and Building an Economy in EU5

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