Summary at a glance
Goal: Build profitable trade networks by understanding dynamic markets, capacity, and access.
Do this first:
- Focus on one primary market
- Build marketplaces in hubs
- Staff jobs before expansion
Pitfall to avoid: Spreading capacity across multiple markets before establishing one working market.
What Changed from EU4
EU5 uses dynamic markets rather than static trade nodes. Locations join markets based on proximity, power, and attraction. Supply, demand, and access determine what goods are actually available locally. This means trade routes are more flexible, but you must actively manage market capacity and access to succeed.
Core Building Blocks
Goods
Goods come in two types: raw materials (RGOs) and finished goods. Jobs in buildings convert inputs to outputs. Location type caps extraction and affects productivity. For example, agricultural locations produce food, while urban locations are better for manufacturing.
Market Access
Proximity and infrastructure determine who buys first. High access beats low access for scarce goods. Coasts without docks penalize control and access. This means you need roads and ports to maximize your market participation.
Trade Capacity
Per-market budget that imports and exports use. Capacity is split by market—each market has its own capacity pool. Marketplaces and infrastructure raise capacity and advantage. More capacity means more profitable trade routes.
Think of capacity as a budget: every import and export consumes capacity. If your market has 100 capacity, you can only support routes that use 100 capacity total. Build marketplaces to increase this budget.
Trade Advantage & Priority
Higher advantage fills orders first. Low advantage risks unfulfilled trades when markets run dry. Advantage comes from buildings, proximity, and market share. If you have high advantage, you get first pick of scarce goods, which means better prices and more profitable trades.
One‑market Rule for 20 Years
Operate a single primary market until capacity > 0 with 20–30% headroom. Create or join a second market only after staffing is near full and routes are protected.
Common misconceptions about price and inputs:
- Cheap inputs without access don't exist for you. If you can't access a good through your market, its low price elsewhere doesn't help you.
- Building without inputs creates 'phantom' capacity. Structures that lack required inputs won't produce, even if they have capacity.
- Long routes inflate costs faster than they add margins. Maintenance costs scale with distance. Short, protected routes are more profitable.
Early-Game Playbook
Follow these steps to establish profitable trade early:
- Focus on one primary market: Don't spread yourself thin. Pick your capital market or a nearby hub and develop it first.
- Build marketplaces in hubs: Marketplaces are the foundation of trade capacity. Build them in your primary trade hub first.
- Staff jobs before expansion: Unstaffed buildings drain maintenance without producing. Fill jobs first, then expand.
- Pick 1–2 high-margin routes: Start with one or two profitable routes. Don't try to trade everything at once.
- Avoid spanning multiple markets early: Each market requires its own infrastructure and capacity. Focus on one market first, then expand.
- Use roads/ports to raise access and control: Infrastructure is crucial. Build roads to improve proximity and ports to enable overseas trade.
- Consider market creation only when you can staff, protect, and attract locations: Creating a new market is expensive. Only do it when you have the resources to staff buildings, protect trade routes, and attract locations to join.
Common Pitfalls
Avoid these mistakes that stall trade growth:
- Zero capacity in the target market: You can't trade if your market has no capacity. Build marketplaces first.
- Overbuilding unstaffed production: Buildings cost maintenance even when empty. Staff them before building more.
- Thinly spreading across multiple markets: Each market needs infrastructure. Focus on one market first.
- Long routes with high maintenance costs: Long routes are expensive to maintain and vulnerable to disruption. Start with short, protected routes.
Early Trade Checklist
Complete these steps before expanding into complex trade networks:
- 1 marketplace in capital hub: Build your first marketplace in your capital or primary trade hub.
- 2 staffed profit buildings: Staff two profitable buildings (manufactories or trade buildings) to generate income.
- 1 short export: Establish one short export route to a nearby market with good prices.
- 1 defensive ally: Secure one defensive alliance to protect your trade routes and deter aggression.
- First war after budget buffer established: Don't start wars until you have a stable economy and cash reserves.