Merchants

[Myth]

Cut off access to the province. Have assassins roaming around. Also, I've found that killing the Ai is the most effective method of stopping its agents.

[easytarget]

Ok, cut off and assassins, that's the ticket then, been doing plenty of the latter already.

Not sure I follow on the killing off of the AI, every nation is doing this, so while I suppose killing them off is indeed the solution, but that's the same solution for preventing them from doing just about anything, haha

[Myth]

Ok, cut off and assassins, that's the ticket then, been doing plenty of the latter already.

Not sure I follow on the killing off of the AI, every nation is doing this, so while I suppose killing them off is indeed the solution, but that's the same solution for preventing them from doing just about anything, haha

Hehe, that was a joke. Also, try to recruit them all from a city with a Mercahnt's Guild. The stronger they are when recruited the lower the chance of them losing to an AI merchant.

[Gregoshi]

Last night one of my merchants actually fought off a buy-out attempt. In fact, he did so well, he put the attacking merchant out of business. Not that I really did anything to assist this miracle, I was just surprised as it seems like the attacker has the advantage in buy-outs.

[easytarget]

Yep, I've had my guys win a few as well, always surprised by it as most of the time they disappear. Shortly thereafter an assassin catches up with the offending foreign merchant and they pay for their greed with their lives.

[TeHpWNaG3]

Last night one of my merchants actually fought off a buy-out attempt. In fact, he did so well, he put the attacking merchant out of business. Not that I really did anything to assist this miracle, I was just surprised as it seems like the attacker has the advantage in buy-outs.

Merchants are underrated, IMO. When properly developed, they can each earn several hundred per turn. I usually spam merchant guilds, especially in port provinces, in the hopes for the HQ offer. To your point, attacking merchants have a much greater advantage over the resource squatter. Time and again, I've seen very small success rates being overcome by this exchange, but within reason; a level two will not take out a level eight and if he does, you're either VERY lucky or very unlucky. Two "free-range" merchants that meet seem to follow the success percentage more closely, with the attacker again having a slight edge. The takeaway is to always be the attacker. I make it a point to produce merchants ASAP and have them take out the rival neophyte merchants before letting them retire on a gold mine for the last 15 or so turns of their life span. Once the AI has a dominant foothold with their merchants, it is very difficult to establish a great trade game. It sucks to send a merchant across the map only to be taken out as soon as you find a good resource to sit on. Cripple everyone's capacity to establish trade via merchants and it will pay off big time in the long run. Unlike blocking a port, there is no transgression for taking over a merchant. Assassins work fine for this, but you don't get the doubling effect of stopping their trade whilst generating your own. I will only use a high-level assassin to take out a high-level merchant when that merchant is dominating a very rich area. Silk near Bagdad comes to mind. There are usually heavy hitters out there.

IME, rival merchants seek out your merchants only when you roost on a resource. If you don't have the movement points or clout to take out an approaching merchant, pull your merchant off the resource for a turn. Virtually every time, they will go in a new direction or sit on the resource you were on, even if they have the muscle to eliminate your merchant. On the next turn, you have a much better chance taking them out (again, within reason). I like to click on a rival merchant to check his remaining movement points to determine if I should pull my merchant off of a resource or let him sit until the next turn. The tight-knit trade area in northern Italy is awesome for this strat.

Without trade rights with another faction, their merchants typically won't step foot in your provinces and you'll earn less sitting on a resource within their borders. If you really want merchants to come to you (for easy hostile takeovers), establish trade rights. They should send plenty of freshly-minted noobs your way. For the most part, merchants can only be trained-up by sitting on resources (a slow process) or buying out other merchants (the fast way). Guilds, of course, get them more worthy right out-of-the-gate.

If every florin is important to you, hop from resource to resource until you get to your final destination. You may not get there as fast, but you'll earn some money every turn and experience points, too.

My last tip is the resource "pairings". Most resources on the map are laid out in pairs. I've noticed that having two merchants "dominating" both will generate more revenue. And, of course, the further the resource is from your Capital, the more valuable it becomes. This becomes clear when sending a dozen merchants to the New World to sit on gold mines without any worry of being taken over.

[easytarget]

Assassins and spies don't cost me much so I just send them with the merchant, I coddle my merchants, they get an escort service, haha.