Rare Resources

Merchants are used to gather land resources.

Rare resources 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 lowering a certain research time or giving 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 resouces currently available.

Most rare resource are visible from the beginning ( 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, while Coal and Aluminum become visible in Industrial Age. As long as they are not visible to a nation, they appear as a patch of rocks (as with 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, a small orange bar above the health bar shows the progress). 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 and Knowledge bonuses from rare resources, a nation must first enter 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
Aluminum	+20 +20	Aircraft costs reduced by 15% and speed increased by 25%.
Amber	+10 +10	Market sell prices +10 and buy prices -10.
Bison	+20	Granary research costs reduced by 33%.
Citrus	+10 +10	Ships at sea heal automatically.
Coal	+15 +15	Reduces all Timber costs by 15%.
Copper	+20	Factory and Dock units receive +20% hit points.
Cotton	+20	Barracks, Stable, and Dock production times reduced by 25%.
Diamonds	+20	Raises Commerce limit by +10%.
Dye	+10 +10	Cost of Civic research reduced by 25%.
Fish	+10 +10	-
Furs	+10 +10	Cost of Military research reduced by 25%.
Gems	+10 +10	National Borders +2.
Horses	+10 +10	Cost of Stable units reduced by 15%.
Marble	+10 +10	Cost to build Wonders reduced by 10%.
Obsidian	+10 +10	Archers, Towers, Forts, and Cities gain +1 attack.
Papyrus	+10 +10	Cost of Science research reduced by 25%.
Peacocks	+10 +10	+10% to population limit.
Relics	+20	Reduces research and upgrade times by 33%.
Rubber	+20 +20	Cost of Auto Plant units reduced by 15%.
Salt	+10 +10	Cost of Barracks troops reduced by 10%.
Silk	+10 +10	Cost of Commerce research reduced by 25%.
Silver	+10 +10	Age advancement cost reduced by 15%.
Spice	+10 +10	Caravan income increased by 20%.
Sugar	+10 +10	Reduces all Food costs by 10%.
Sulphur	+15 +15	Cost of Siege and Artillery units reduced by 20%.
Titanium	+20 +20	Attrition in enemy territory reduced by 50%.
Tobacco	+10 +10	Citizens construct buildings and Wonders 10% faster.
Uranium	+20 +20	Nuclear missiles 10% faster and 5% cheaper.
Whales	+10 +10	Increases sailing ship speed by 20%.
Wine	+10 +10	Cost of unit upgrades reduced by 20%.
Wool	+10 +10	Citizens produced 33% faster and 15% cheaper.

Campaign-only (Thrones and Patriots)

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