Table of Contents
Trade routes are the backbone of your empire’s growth. Because every island produces only one luxury resource, moving goods between your own cities and trading with other players is essential for acquiring what you cannot produce yourself . This guide covers everything from setting up basic routes to advanced trading strategies.
Core Infrastructure for Trade
Trading Port
The Trading Port is your primary trade building. It must be constructed before you can purchase Cargo Ships . Upgrading the Port’s level does not affect the price of Cargo Ships, so early investment in ships is more important than upgrading the port itself .
Cargo Ships
Cargo Ships are your trade vessels. You can purchase them as soon as you have a Level 1 Trading Port . The general rule is to buy as many as you can afford, as often as possible. A conservative approach is to ensure you have enough gold left to cover expenses after each purchase . The full complement is 160 Cargo Ships, which is a key mid-to-late game goal .
Trading Post
The Trading Post is your marketplace for buying and selling resources with other players . A Level 5 Trading Post is sufficient in the early game. Upgrading it further increases your search radius for better deals and allows you to list larger quantities of goods . A Level 15 Trading Post lets you see far enough to spot bargains for resale .
Warehouse
Warehouse capacity is critical. Goods listed in your Trading Post still count against your Warehouse storage . Be careful not to purchase more than your capacity to hold, or the excess is lost .
Setting Up Internal Trade Routes
Trading between your own cities is essential, especially for supplying new colonies .
Manual Shipments
To send resources from one of your cities to another:
- Go to the Trading Port of the city shipping the resources
- Under “Send out trade ship,” click the destination town from the list of your cities
- Set the quantity of each resource to send
- The screen shows how many ships are needed and the travel time
Automated Trade Routes (Ikariam Plus Feature)
Automated trade routes allow you to set up recurring shipments between your own cities . This is a premium feature available through Ikariam Plus .
Important limitations:
- Trade routes do not work if the hometown or target town is occupied
- Routes are paused during occupation and resume once the occupation ends
Smuggler Contingent
If a city’s port or town is occupied, you cannot use the Trading Post there. However, the Smuggler Contingent allows you to send up to 8,000 goods per day out of an occupied city and still buy goods via the Trading Post. This resets daily at 5:20 am server time .
Trading With Other Players
Using the Trading Post
The Trading Post has two main functions :
“I am looking for” – Shows players selling a resource. These are the prices you must compete with when selling your own goods. If priced too high, your goods may sit unsold, tying up resources you could otherwise use .
“I offer” – Shows players with buy orders. These prices are typically much lower, as buyers expect sellers to deliver using their own Cargo Ships. If you need gold quickly, filling buy orders is a fast way to sell .
Pricing Strategies
For beginners – Trade resources 1:1. This is easy to manage and helps build relationships with other players .
Selling fast – If you need gold urgently and your goods aren’t selling, list them cheaply. For example, if you have surplus Sulphur and no one is buying, selling at 1 gold each can generate the gold you need to purchase the Marble you require .
Passive selling – List goods at a price you are happy with and wait for a buyer. Your listing will appear in other players’ “Looking for” sections .
Premium Trader
For 5 Ambrosia, you can instantly convert Wood to luxury goods (2:1) or one luxury good to another (1:1) . This is useful for splitting resources when you urgently need something specific.
Direct Trading
You can also trade directly with other players without using the Trading Post, often through informal agreements or to support alliance members .
Advanced Trading Concepts
Trade Treaties
Cultural Treaties provide diplomatic benefits and happiness boosts. Signing them with neighbours makes them less likely to attack you .
Market Manipulation
Some players attempt to influence local market prices by listing massive quantities of a resource at very high prices. The goal is to raise the market price over time .
Critical Warning: This tactic is extremely risky. Many players have been banned for attempting it as it often violates the “pushing” rule:
“It is not allowed for any account to obtain unfair profit out of a lower ranked account in a matter of resources”
“Trades that mean an unfair profit to the higher ranked player by make use of range of ratios which are far off the world-specific ones”
If resources around you sell for 10 gold each and you sell to a lower-ranked player for 99 gold each, you risk being banned for pushing .
Confirming Trades
If you are concerned about violating the pushing rule when trading with a lower-ranked player, open a ticket with the game administration to confirm the trade in advance .
Summary Checklist
| Action | Priority |
|---|---|
| Build Trading Port | Essential |
| Buy Cargo Ships regularly | Essential |
| Build Trading Post to Level 5 | Early Game |
| Set up internal trade routes | Early Game |
| Upgrade Trading Post to Level 15+ | Mid Game |
| Acquire 160 Cargo Ships | Late Game |
| Use Smuggler Contingent during occupation | Situational |
| Confirm trades with support if concerned | Cautious |
Effective trade routes are the engine of your empire’s growth. Whether you are shipping marble to a new colony, selling surplus wine for gold, or manipulating the local market (with extreme caution), mastering trade is essential to long-term success in Ikariam.
