Rise of Nations Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Merchant Deploying

Merchants are used to gather land resources.

Rare resources (colloquially rares) are a type of resource in Rise of Nations. They are limited in number and are usually gathered by Merchants built at the Market. Each rare resource increases the gather rate of one or two basic resources and offers a special benefit, such as an economic or military boost.

Finding and gathering[]

Rare resources appear as bright blue spots on the minimap after being discovered by a friendly unit. If a Merchant unit or a Market is selected, resource locations which are currently not exploited by the nation appear as blinking spots on the minimap. The Spanish start with a revealed map also showing the locations of all rare resources currently available.

Most rare resource are visible from the beginning (Ancient Age Ancient Age). However, a few of them are only revealed to a nation when it enters a certain age, e.g., Sulphur becomes visible when entering Gunpowder Age Gunpowder Age, while Coal and Aluminum become visible in Industrial Age Industrial Age. As long as they are not visible to a nation, they appear as a patch of rocks (as with Oil Oil), preventing nations from overbuilding them.

The benefits of a resource are given once a Merchant is fully deployed at the resource location (deploying takes around 10 seconds, with progress shown as a small orange bar above the health bar). If the Merchant starts to pack itself again, the benefits are lost immediately. Connected resources appear in an icon list on the left side of the game screen. Resources in enemy territory may be exploited as well, but since Merchants are subject to attrition damage, they need to be protected by a nearby Supply Wagon or else will be quickly destroyed.

To gather Metal Metal and Knowledge Knowledge bonuses from rare resources, a nation must first enter Classical Age Classical Age. The Greeks may gather Knowledge from the beginning, making the early exploitation of resources like Relics, Papyrus and Obsidian more useful.

Increasing gather rate[]

Researching the Taxation technologies at the Temple increases the gather rate of merchants as well as the non-food production of fishing boats: with Taxation +20%, with Vassalage +50%, with Social Contract +100% and with Income Tax +200%. The Porcelain Tower wonder increases the gather rate by 200% and also gives the special benefits of unconnected rare resources within friendly borders. The Nubians receive an innate bonus of 50% on the gather rate and can see rare resources within their borders.

Bonuses to the gather rate are always added to the base rate and are only applied if the resource is within friendly borders (i.e., own or allied territory). Rare resources in neutral or enemy territory will always give the base rate (the location of the resource matters, not the location of the Merchant hut).

The special benefits of rare resources (like cost reduction) cannot be increased in any way.

Fish and Whales[]

Fish and Whales are special rare resources - they are only found in ocean and there is usually more than one source of them. They appear as green spots on the minimap. Fish also don't provide a special benefit and thus won't appear in the connected resource list on the left. Both sea resources require a fishing boat (built at a Dock) to be gathered. Multiple nations may exploit a particular Fish or Whales resource, like with rare resources on land.

List of rare resources[]

Resource Gather rate Bonus
IconAluminum
Industrial Age Aluminum
+20 Oil
+20 Metal
Aircraft costs reduced by 15% and speed increased by 25%.
IconAmber
Amber
+10 Timber
+10 Wealth
Market sell prices +10 and buy prices -10.
IconBison
Bison
+20 Food Granary research costs reduced by 33%.
IconCitrus
Citrus
+10 Food
+10 Timber
Ships at sea heal automatically.
IconCoal
Industrial Age Coal
+15 Knowledge
+15 Metal
Reduces all Timber Timber costs by 25%.
IconCopper
Copper
+20 Metal Factory and Dock units receive +20% hit points.
IconCotton
Cotton
+20 Timber Barracks, Stable, and Dock production times reduced by 25%.
IconDiamonds
Diamonds
+20 Wealth Raises Commerce Limit Commerce limit by +10%.
IconDye
Dye
+10 Wealth
+10 Knowledge
Cost of Civic Civic research reduced by 25%.
IconFish
Fish
+10 Food
+10 Wealth
-
IconFurs
Furs
+10 Food
+10 Metal
Cost of Military Military research reduced by 25%.
IconGems
Gems
+10 Wealth
+10 Knowledge
National Borders +2.
IconHorses
Horses
+10 Food
+10 Metal
Cost of Stable units reduced by 15%.
IconMarble
Marble
+10 Timber
+10 Metal
Cost to build Wonders reduced by 10%.
IconObsidian
Obsidian
+10 Knowledge
+10 Metal
Archers, Towers, Forts, and Cities gain +1 attack.
IconPapyrus
Papyrus
+10 Timber
+10 Knowledge
Cost of Science Science research reduced by 25%.
IconPeacocks
Peacocks
+10 Wealth
+10 Metal
+10% to Population Limit population limit.
IconRelics
Relics
+20 Knowledge Reduces research and upgrade times by 33%.
IconRubber
Industrial Age Rubber
+20 Timber
+20 Oil
Cost of Auto Plant units reduced by 15%.
IconSalt
Salt
+10 Timber
+10 Metal
Cost of Barracks troops reduced by 10%.
IconSilk
Silk
+10 Timber
+10 Wealth
Cost of Commerce Commerce research reduced by 25%.
Silver
Silver
+10 Wealth
+10 Metal
Age Age advancement cost reduced by 15%.
IconSpice
Spice
+10 Food
+10 Knowledge
Caravan income increased by 20%.
IconSugar
Sugar
+10 Food
+10 Timber
Reduces all Food Food costs by 10%.
IconSulphur
Gunpowder Age Sulphur
+15 Wealth
+15 Metal
Cost of Siege and Artillery units reduced by 20%.
IconTitanium
Industrial Age Titanium
+20 Food
+20 Oil
Attritio Attrition in enemy territory reduced by 50%.
Tobacco
Tobacco
+10 Wealth
+10 Knowledge
Citizens construct buildings and Wonders 10% faster.
IconUranium
Industrial Age Uranium
+20 Knowledge
+20 Oil
Nuclear missiles 10% faster and 5% cheaper.
IconWhales
Whales
+10 Food
+10 Metal
Increases sailing ship speed by 20%.
IconWine
Wine
+10 Food
+10 Knowledge
Cost of unit upgrades reduced by 20%.
IconWool
Wool
+10 Timber
+10 Knowledge
Citizens produced 33% faster and 15% cheaper.

Campaign-only (Thrones and Patriots)[]

Resource Gather rate Bonus
Bananas
Bananas
+10 Food
+10 Timber
All unit hit points increased by 10%.
Beaver Pelts
Beaver Pelts
+10 Food
+10 Timber
Free Scouts and Merchants.
Cattle
Cattle
+20 Food Citizen armor increased by 1.
Coffee
Coffee
+10 Food
+10 Knowledge
Resource income raised by 10%.
Icon Gold
Gold
+30 Wealth Reduces all Wealth Wealth costs by 10%.
IconGypsum
Gypsum
+20 Metal Reduces all costs by 10%.
IconHuskies
Huskies
+10 Food Scout vision increased by 3.
Incense
Incense
+10 Knowledge
+10 Wealth
Cost of Temple research reduced by 25%.
Icon Iron Ore
Iron Ore
+30 Metal All Metal Metal costs reduced by 10%.
IconSpice
Maize
+30 Food Cost to ramp up units reduced by 50%.
Olive Oil
Olive Oil
+20 Food Allows one extra Farm per City.
IconRum
Rum
+10 Food
+10 Wealth
Ship combat ranges increased by 1.
IconSalmon
Salmon
+30 Food Cost of naval units reduced by 20%.
Advertisement