The Economic Foundation

A strong economy wins wars. Without resources, you can’t build units, maintain your military, or expand your empire.

Understanding Resource Flow

Income vs. Consumption

Every turn, you:

• Gain resources from provinces and trade
• Lose resources to unit upkeep and construction
• Net change determines your growth or decline

The Balance Sheet

Monitor your resource balance:

• Positive balance = Growth potential
• Break-even = Stability but no expansion
• Negative balance = Crisis incoming

Optimizing Production

Building Placement

Place buildings strategically:

• Arms industries in protected provinces
• Resource buildings in high-output locations
• Defensive structures at likely attack points

Upgrade Priorities

Focus upgrades on:

1. High-value provinces first
2. Bottleneck resources
3. Defensive infrastructure in border regions

Managing Consumption

Unit Upkeep

Every unit costs resources each day:

• Infantry - Low upkeep, high quantity viable
• Armor - Moderate upkeep, valuable but expensive
• Aircraft - High upkeep, powerful but resource-intensive
• Navy - Very high upkeep, use sparingly

Reducing Waste

• Disband units you don’t need
• Avoid overbuilding expensive units
• Match unit production to supply capacity
• Use efficient unit compositions

Trade and Markets

Trading Resources

The market allows you to:

• Sell excess resources
• Buy scarce resources
• Convert between resource types

Market Strategy

• Buy low, sell high
• Stockpile before major operations
• Don’t rely entirely on markets
• Watch for market manipulation

Crisis Management

When Resources Run Low

If you’re running out of resources:

1. Identify the cause
2. Cut unnecessary expenses
3. Prioritize essential units
4. Seek trade deals
5. Consider strategic retreats

Key Takeaways

• Economic strength enables military success
• Balance income and consumption carefully
• Optimize building placement and upgrades
• Manage unit upkeep efficiently
• Use markets strategically but don’t depend on them