Attempting a Successful Acquistion of Another Merchant's Assets

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Unless you need the reward, it might be more viable to assassinate the merchant, providing you have a good assassin on standby.

[ReiseReise]

Assassins success is also based on the targets skill so it might not be any easier. It depends whether you have been levelling up merchants or assassins I suppose.

[Yoyoma1910]

Acquire, acquire, acquire.

1) The more merchants resources you acquire, the more savvy your merchants will be.

2) It's not considered a hostile move, unlike spying and assassinations.

3) It adds a chunk of change.

4) It hurts you opponents economies.

5) Everyone's doing it. You enemies and allies are going to do it to you and each other. It's the name of the game.

6) It causes your opponents to have to build new and inexperienced merchants, which will be easier to take out the next time.


Build up your own merchants by having two of them sit on similar goods in the same province, such as those two silver up around Austria or those two blankets around Milan. Sit them there until they get to Monopolist (acquiring passing merchants as they come) . France has a good set up for this with two dual wine provinces, or also around Constantinople is le pousse-pousse.

Trading in foreign lands can add virtues as well.

If you lose a merchant don't cry about it, just build another and start over. You'll be giving your gov merchant experience, and attracting merchant guilds.

If you're concerned about keeping your money men about, save before you attempt your little financial maneuvering. Your get a different percent on the second take if you fail the first. If the second doesn't work, change some things about, such as moving other agents or military men, and try-try again. Eventually, because of the laws of numbers you will win, even with small chances.