Build income that can survive
Human players receive a documented base income of 100 Gold per tick. Bots receive 50 per tick, and the lobby's Gold multiplier applies to those amounts.
Conquering players, Bots, and Nations is another documented way to obtain Gold.
Trade ships pay Gold when they arrive at Ports. Longer routes can pay more through their distance calculation, but the extra exposure is worthwhile only when the ships survive.
In single-player and private lobbies, a Factory, Cities, and railway connections can form a land trade network.
Before the long-route visit penalty, a train visit pays 35,000 Gold at an allied City, 25,000 at a teammate City, or 10,000 at your own City.
Spend by bottleneck: stabilize a dangerous border, raise troop capacity when needed, and then buy an income route suited to the lobby and map instead of treating the entire balance as attack money.
Gold spending decisions
- When should my first major purchase be a City?
- Choose the City when troop capacity is the limiting problem. The first City costs 125,000, adds 250,000 troop capacity per level, and should be placed where a sudden push cannot capture it.
- Should I choose a Port or a Factory first?
- Choose a Port when the coast is safe and promising sea routes exist. Choose a Factory when trains are available and your protected land core is more dependable than the sea.
- When should I expand an existing trade network?
- First watch where ships travel or where railway connections must pass. Protect the vulnerable part of the route before immediately buying another income node.
- What should I check before buying nuclear structures?
- If nukes are enabled, inspect rival infrastructure and the density of your own core. A Missile Silo costs 1,000,000, while the first SAM costs 1,500,000.
- When can defensive spending protect a larger Gold plan?
- Buying a Defense Post can protect a larger stockpile plan when that purchase prevents your core from being captured.