| Resource Overview | History |
Metal is one of the six basic resources in Rise of Nations. Metal is a primary resource and is used from the 
Classical Age onwards, before which it cannot be gathered.
Metal is used in the production of Heavy Infantry, Heavy Cavalry, artillery, Heavy Ships, Bombardment Ships, some late-game units such as Tanks and Heavy Bombardment Ships, as well as Generals and Spies. It is also used in the creation of some structures and is needed for technology upgrades.
Gathering Metal[]
Mines are the main source of Metal.
Metal is mainly gathered by building Mines and having Citizens harvest the resource. Some rare resources also add to Metal production when they have a Merchant harvesting the resource.
When a Mine is built, players are grated a small bonus of Metal - 5 units per every miner's slot in this mine, in addition to what they harvest. A Mine may only be placed on a mountain or cliff, and their size, as well as whether there's another Mine on it, determines the amount of workers it can hold. Up to two Mines may occupy a given mountain or cliff.
Obtaining Metal can be more difficult than other resources as there are limited numbers of mountains or cliffs in a map, in some more than others. Due to its role as a primarily military resource, Metal may seem abundant in times of peace, but building up an army will usually increase the demand for the resource greatly.
In the Market, metal is a highly valuable resource as it sells for (and costs) a lot of 
Wealth.
Rare resources[]
Metal is also produced by a number of rare resources, which can be gathered by sending a Merchant from the Market to the resource location:
Aluminum: +20 - Coal: +15
- Copper: +20
- Furs: +10
- Horses: +10
- Marble: +10
- Obsidian: +10
- Peacocks: +10
- Salt: +10
- Silver: +10
- Sulphur: +15
- Whales: +10
The gather rate of rare resources in friendly (i.e. own and allied) territory can be increased by researching the Taxation line at the Temple (+20%, +50%, +100%, +200%) and by building the Porcelain Tower (+200%).
Nation powers[]
- The American Power of Innovation: Receive +2 Metal for every non-Scout Barracks unit currently not garrisoned.
- The Dutch Power of Commerce: Receive +1 to their Metal gather rate for every 20 Metal beyond the starting amount, up to a total of +50 beyond the Commerce Limit.
- The German Power of Industry: Cities each receive a 5 Metal (as well as 5 Food and 5 Timber) bonus to the gather rate, and their Mines give a completion bonus of 7,5 Metal instead of 5 Metal per every miner slot in the Mine. The Germans can build Smelters from the start of the game, and the Smelter production upgrades are 50% cheaper and available one age earlier.
Wonders[]
- The Angkor Wat increases the base gather rate of Metal by 50% and the Commerce Limit for Metal by +100.
- The Kremlin increases the Commerce Limit for Metal by +200.
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