Port & Ships

The Port

The Port connects your town with the rest of the island world. Without a Port you can neither trade resources nor send troops. Each upgrade level unlocks additional trade ships and increases the cargo capacity per transport.

In the early phase, the Port is one of the first buildings to reach level 2 to 3. At this level you have enough trade ships for regular resource transport and active marketplace trading.

Trade Ships

Trade ships transport resources between towns and to trade partners. They are not built but automatically provided through Port upgrades. Transport speed depends on distance and Cartography research. Each ship has a fixed cargo capacity — for large transports you need many ships.

Trade ships are shared: multiple simultaneous transports divide the available ships. Schedule larger transports at staggered times, especially with few ships. Incoming trade offers occupy your ships for the return transport.

Warships and the Shipyard

Through the Shipyard you can build warships. These protect trade routes and enable naval blockades. The most important types: Ram Ships for melee combat at sea, Ballista Ships for ranged fire and Fire Ships for maximum area damage.

Warships cost resources to produce and incur ongoing upkeep costs. Build them only during active naval warfare or for protection against blockades. For purely defensive players, 10 to 20 Ram Ships are sufficient.

Seafaring Research

The Seafaring branch unlocks ship types and port improvements. Cartography increases transport speed. Prioritise Preservation and Cartography in the first week. Military seafaring research is mid-game content.

Naval Blockades

A powerful tactic: send warships to the enemy port to prevent trade and troop transport. Naval blockades combined with a land attack are devastating — without supplies any defence falls. Make sure, however, that your fleet outnumbers the enemy, otherwise you will lose your ships.