Trading is a source of income of its own in ArcheAge Chronicles: you pack a trade good at a trading post, haul it to another post and collect a payout there – in gold or in items, depending on the good and the route. In Early Access there are 270 routes for 54 trade goods between the 6 trading posts. Here is how the system works, which goods earn the most gold and which runs you can skip.
How trading works
Trade goods are made at the Trade Goods Workbench and sold in other regions by wagon and cart. According to XLGAMES, dangerous routes are faster but have pillagers, and some goods lose value the longer you are on the road. More on our world & systems page.
- Packing: Most goods need materials, a Blank Trade Certificate and a gold fee – 80 gold for most food crates, 200 gold for the Starch Sack and 1,000 gold for the pricey chests such as Michelan’s Gourmet Seasoning Box.
- Starting post: Every good names a Trademark Region. That is where you get it, and it can only be dispatched from there. You can only sell it at another post outside its home.
- Payout: At the destination the good pays a share of its base value. For gold goods that ranges from just under 97 % to more than 800 %.
- Items instead of gold: Only 45 of the 270 routes pay gold. All others give materials, seedlings or components.
- Trade permits: Early Access adds a daily limit. Each day you get 3 permits for the Peace Channel (Peace Trade Permit) and 3 for the Conflict Channel (Conflict Trade Permit). Once they are used up, you cannot load any more trade goods that day.
The Blank Trade Certificate is sold by 12 vendors for 20 gold each, such as Avon in Seaglass Harbor or Morgan in Jubilant Village. Some of them cap it at 100 per week.
The 6 trading posts and their companies
All six trading posts sit in the three Early Access regions: Seaglass Harbor and Watcher’s in Diamond Shores, Jubilant Village and Waterdrift in Gylden Ruins, Stargazer and Shadowpath Temple in Astron Plains. Trade goods belong to three of the five trading companies. Each one runs two posts:
| Trading post | Company | Best gold start |
|---|---|---|
| Seaglass Harbor | Bluesalt Brotherhood | Michelan’s Gourmet Seasoning Box |
| Watcher’s | Bluesalt Brotherhood | items only |
| Jubilant Village | Shadowhawk Syndicate | Grain Spirits Crate |
| Waterdrift | Shadowhawk Syndicate | Golden Pickled Vegetable Crate |
| Stargazer | Antiquary Society | Starch Sack |
| Shadowpath Temple | Antiquary Society | Rainbow Fruit Jam Crate |
The Bluesalt Brotherhood hails from Diamond Shores and deals in Farm Produce, Forestry Products, Lumber and Herbs, the Shadowhawk Syndicate from Vatic Shores in Minerals, Leather, Meat and Bones, and the Antiquary Society from Heartland in Alchemy, Machining, Relics and Gems. The Antiquary Society carries 20 trade goods, the other two 17 each.
From rank 2, working with a company requires a license (Pioneer’s Permit), issued and extended by the Settlers’ Council. The Bluesalt Brotherhood made it much more expensive in Early Access: 1,500 gold for rank 2, 10,000 for rank 3, 50,000 for rank 4 and 150,000 for rank 5, while rank 6 costs 20,000 gold. The Shadowhawk Syndicate and the Antiquary Society still charge 10, 100, 500, 12,000 and 20,000 gold.
The best gold routes
Nine goods pay out in gold. Here is the best run for each, sorted by payout:
| Good | From → To | Payout | Rate | Packing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michelan’s Gourmet Seasoning Box | Seaglass Harbor → Shadowpath Temple | 249,912 gold | 833.0 % | 1,000 gold |
| Rainbow Fruit Jam Crate | Shadowpath Temple → Seaglass Harbor | 49,140 gold | 491.4 % | 80 gold |
| Grain Spirits Crate | Jubilant Village → Shadowpath Temple | 47,385 gold | 473.9 % | 80 gold |
| Starch Sack | Stargazer → Seaglass Harbor | 44,753 gold | 447.5 % | 200 gold |
| Golden Pickled Vegetable Crate | Waterdrift → Seaglass Harbor | 38,084 gold | 380.8 % | 80 gold |
| Refined Barley Sack | Seaglass Harbor → Shadowpath Temple | 14,040 gold | 140.4 % | 80 gold |
| Antiquary Society Trade Goods | Stargazer → Seaglass Harbor | 3,000 gold | 150 % | – |
| Bluesalt Brotherhood Trade Goods | Seaglass Harbor → Shadowpath Temple | 2,880 gold | 160 % | – |
| Shadowhawk Syndicate Trade Goods | Jubilant Village → Shadowpath Temple | 1,800 gold | 150 % | – |
One pattern stands out: two destinations pay best. Goods from Seaglass Harbor and Jubilant Village earn the most in Shadowpath Temple, while goods from Shadowpath Temple, Stargazer and Waterdrift earn the most in Seaglass Harbor. For goods from Seaglass Harbor and Jubilant Village, Watcher’s Trading Post is the weakest destination – Michelan’s Gourmet Seasoning Box only fetches 171,816 instead of 249,912 gold there. Every pairing is in the best gold payout from → to table.
What is really worth it: payout vs cost
The six crates and sacks are packed from 3 ingredients each, which you make with the Food profession at a Kitchen. Since Early Access began that is only half as many as before, and the goods still pay more: Michelan’s Gourmet Seasoning Box a good two and a half times as much, the Grain Spirits Crate and Golden Pickled Vegetable Crate more than double. Every recipe costs gold of its own. Adding up crafting and packing gives this picture:
| Good | Gold for 3 ingredients + packing | Raw materials per good | Best payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michelan’s Gourmet Seasoning Box | 3,000 + 1,000 | 3× Michelan’s Seasoning Essence: 20 Crab, 20 Clam, 30 Watermelon, 15 Carrot, 1 Aged Meat each | 249,912 gold |
| Rainbow Fruit Jam Crate | 900 + 80 | 3× Rainbow Fruit Jam: 25 Pumpkin, 15 Watermelon, 60 Melon each | 49,140 gold |
| Grain Spirits Crate | 900 + 80 | 3× Grain Liquor: 100 Corn, 50 Barley, 15 Wheat each | 47,385 gold |
| Starch Sack | 900 + 200 | 3× Starch: 25 Sweet Potato, 25 Potato, 60 Wheat each | 44,753 gold |
| Golden Pickled Vegetable Crate | 900 + 80 | 3× Golden Pickled Vegetables: 25 Pumpkin, 100 Cabbage, 15 Carrot each | 38,084 gold |
| Refined Barley Sack | 300 + 80 | 3× Refined Barley: 50 Barley each | 14,040 gold |
That puts Michelan’s Gourmet Seasoning Box clearly ahead: 4,000 gold in fees for up to 249,912 gold – roughly five times as much as any other good. In return it asks for three Aged Meat and a lot of seafood (60 Crab and 60 Clam). If you only grow crops, the Rainbow Fruit Jam Crate and the Grain Spirits Crate are your best picks: 980 gold in fees each for up to 49,140 and 47,385 gold. The Refined Barley Sack now only pays below its base value of 10,000 gold at Watcher’s (96.5 %) and 114.1 to 140.4 % on every other route.
Tip: Watermelon goes into both of the top goods. Grow melons, pumpkins and watermelons early and you already have the ingredients for Rainbow Fruit Jam and part of those for Michelan’s Seasoning Essence in storage. With only three trade permits per channel and day, it pays to make every run with one of the valuable goods.
Routes that pay in items
225 routes pay no gold but items. That is not a drawback: many goods swap one region’s materials for another’s. A few examples:
- Diamond Shores Herb Box from Watcher’s pays in seedlings: 12× Corn Seedling in Jubilant Village, 12× Cabbage Seedling in Waterdrift or 6× Watermelon Seedling in Seaglass Harbor.
- Standard Archeum Trade Goods from Shadowpath Temple turn into 9× Standard Lumber, Standard Additive, Standard Ingot, Standard Leather or Standard Textile.
- Howling Sandstorm Case from Waterdrift pays a rare component, such as 1× Old Gladiator’s Legacy in Seaglass Harbor or 1× Vanguard Armor in Watcher’s.
- Constellation Horn Case from Jubilant Village is new in Early Access. It packs a Constellation Horn and pays Howling Sandstorm in Waterdrift or Foundations of Elven Meditation in Stargazer, among others.
Keep this in mind when planning: no route starting at Watcher’s Trading Post pays gold. All 35 runs from there give items. As a destination, though, Watcher’s does buy gold goods. What each post buys is listed on the trade routes page for every post.
Tips for your trade runs
- Plan your run on the world map with trading posts and roads, which shows the roads linking the posts.
- Check the shelf life before packing: every trade good lasts 1,440 minutes, one day.
- Dangerous fast roads save time but bring pillagers. With a pricey Michelan’s chest, the safe road is usually the better bet.
- According to the game, the three companies’ own Trade Goods are bought with gold at the trading post, no packing materials needed. They pay at most 150 % (Antiquary Society, Shadowhawk Syndicate) or 160 % (Bluesalt Brotherhood) of their base value.
All 54 trade goods with base value and best payout are in our trade goods list. During Early Access XLGAMES can adjust payouts and recipes at any time – we keep the numbers up to date.
Frequently asked questions
Which trade good earns the most gold in ArcheAge Chronicles?
Michelan’s Gourmet Seasoning Box from Seaglass Harbor to Shadowpath Temple at 249,912 gold. Without seafood and Aged Meat, the Rainbow Fruit Jam Crate (Shadowpath Temple → Seaglass Harbor, 49,140 gold) and the Grain Spirits Crate (Jubilant Village → Shadowpath Temple, 47,385 gold) are the best goods.
What do I need to pack a trade good?
Usually the right ingredients – three for the food goods –, a Blank Trade Certificate for 20 gold and a fee of 80 to 1,000 gold at the trading post.
How many trade runs can I make per day?
Each day you get 3 trade permits for the Peace Channel and 3 for the Conflict Channel. Once they are used up, you cannot load any more trade goods that day.
Why does my route only pay items?
Only 45 of 270 routes pay gold. The rest swap the good for materials, seedlings or components. Every route from Watcher’s Trading Post is like that.
How many trading posts are there?
Six: Seaglass Harbor, Watcher’s, Jubilant Village, Waterdrift, Stargazer and Shadowpath Temple – two each in Diamond Shores, Gylden Ruins and Astron Plains.
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