Mercantilism (Civ5)

Mercantilism is a social policy in Civilization V. It is part of the Commerce tree and requires . In Brave New World it requires Mercenary Army.
The introduction of mercantile practices in a nation adds a protective layer of taxes and bureaucratic procedures for goods imports and foreign traders which aims at promoting national trade, instead of depending on foreign merchants. The result is a very satisfied national merchant class, and they return the favor by providing additional financing for local governments when they wish to finish quickly some projects. Another beneficial effect is observed in the nation's financial institutions, such as banks and stock exchanges, in which young economists dig into the scientific basis of trading and produce some amazing research results. If not additional wealth...
== Game Info ==
* Purchasing items in Cities requires 25% less .
* +1 from every Mint, Market, Bank, and Stock Exchange ( and only).
== Strategy ==
Mercantilism is the most useful policy in the Commerce tree, hands down. It boosts both the output of every economic building and reduces the cost of purchases in all cities, allowing you to use all the you earn from the other policies in the tree even more effectively. Instead of wasting turns to produce important buildings in your cities, you can buy them outright! This is especially useful in new cities, where capabilities are initially low.
As Mercantilism is a second-tier policy, you can easily rush it by adopting Mercenary Army first. If your scientific progress is fast enough and Commerce is your second tree, you should do just that. This way, you will be able to use the Landsknechts, while at the same time gaining a significant boost to your midgame output. Don't hesitate to start buying Universities right away - the tech progress boost is well worth the cost, which Mercantilism reduces.
And of course, to make the most of this policy, make sure you have as many economic buildings as possible (refer to the description above).
== Civilopedia entry ==
== See also ==
* Mercantilism in other games
Category:Social policies (Civ5)