Overview
This guide video introduces advanced tips for Anno 1800, focusing on effective early-game use of trade unions, town halls, harbor masters, and key specialists. Emphasis is placed on optimizing influence and resources during the artisan phase for smoother progression into mid- and late-game.
Trade Unions, Town Halls, and Harbor Masters
- Trade unions and town halls become available during the artisan phase; harbor masters are also introduced.
- The first building of each type is free from influence cost; subsequent ones require influence.
- Influence is scarce early game and is mainly gained through population growth.
- Over-investing in multiple trade unions early can hinder expansion, shipbuilding, and defense.
- Use multi-functional trade unions to maximize benefits within influence and space constraints.
- These buildings operate by a radius, affecting only buildings within their circular range.
Best Practices for Early Game Optimization
- Do not try to min-max everything with limited early influence—prioritize expansion and progression.
- Place trade unions where multiple relevant industries can benefit from a single radius.
- Connect trade unions to roads only if using the Seat of Power DLC for palace bonuses.
- Avoid specializing trade unions too narrowly; group buildings that can share item effects.
Acquiring and Using Specialists
- Early on, few specialist items are available; Eli's harbor is the best source for trade union specialists.
- Legendary specialists cannot be purchased directly and require alternative acquisition methods.
- Use the re-roll feature at trader harbors sparingly, as each re-roll increases in cost.
- Specialists are also obtained from quests, population rewards, and neutral traders.
Recommended Early Game Specialists
- Baker: Replaces flour with grain for bakeries—easy to obtain and highly useful.
- Costume Designer: Replaces cotton fabric with wool for fur coats, reducing reliance on New World resources; also shifts workforce requirements to workers.
- General Foreman: Reduces workforce for brick/concrete factories and provides steel beams as a byproduct.
- Coal Permit: Increases productivity of ironworks and foundries; be aware it increases negative attractiveness.
- Actor: Supplies rum and canned food to residents near a theater and town hall, removing production needs.
- Captains of Industry Books: Boost workforce and income, with minor downsides like illness risk or reduced happiness.
- Ferrous Al-Sarami & Extremely Loud Bell: Stack to reduce or eliminate workforce needed for production buildings.
- Sir Lewis Brindley: Doubles output of schnapps distilleries and provides rum every third cycle.
Tips for Purchasing and Using Specialists
- Do not overspend on specialists or re-rolls, especially when income is low.
- Focus on productivity, replaced input, and workforce reduction specialists for the artisan phase.
- Use available specialists immediately to optimize industry output and resource use.
- Consider turning off over-producing farms or factories to save workforce and maintenance costs.
Further Resources and Next Steps
- For late-game specialist combinations and layouts, refer to resources like anno-layouts.de.
- The next video in the series will cover specialized trade union setups for advanced industries and New World production bypasses.