Anno 1404 Venice Guide -
Good luck, Governor! The seas are rough, but the profits are high.
The Anno 1404: Venice expansion transforms the base city-builder into a high-stakes game of political intrigue and economic sabotage. This guide covers the essential new mechanics, from mastering the espionage system to executing a bloodless hostile takeover via the City Council. 1. Mastering the Venetian Espionage System
Espionage allows you to weaken rivals without declaring formal war. To begin, you must build a Base of Operations within your city limits.
Infiltration: You can send spies to any enemy house at the Citizen/Nomad level or higher. It costs 800 gold per infiltration and has a 5-minute cooldown.
Sabotage Actions: Once a spy is settled (after a 1-minute setup), they can perform various acts of sabotage based on the class of the house they occupy: Arson: Sets fire to parts of the settlement. Poison: Spreads plague among the population.
Riot/Rebellion: Causes the population to revolt, further damaging the enemy's economy. Theft: Steals roughly 1,800 gold coins from the rival.
False Prophet: Causes Envoys to stop paying taxes temporarily.
Defensive Tip: To protect your own city, ensure your Base of Operations covers your entire settlement; this increases the chance of spotting enemy spies. You can also perform manual house searches using the "Detect enemy Henchmen" action. 2. Hostile Takeovers: The City Council
The City Council feature, available once you reach the Patrician level, provides a way to seize control of enemy islands purely through gold.
The Council Board: Every city has a council board with 5 seats.
Buying Seats: You must purchase the "Hostile Takeover" attainment (found in the F10 menu) to buy seats in other players' cities.
City Keys: Owning three out of five seats allows you to buy the "Key to the City," which gives you full control over the settlement. Purchasing additional seats (the 4th or 5th) reduces the final price of the key.
Cooldowns: There is a waiting period of several minutes between buying individual council seats across any settlement. 3. New Venetian Content & Features
The Venice expansion introduces more than just new mechanics; it adds depth to the trade and exploration loops.
Venetian Ships: You gain access to the Small and Large Tradesman Cogs, which are sturdy Venetian trading vessels.
New NPC: Giacomo Garibaldi serves as a new trading partner and dignitary, offering unique quests and items.
Volcanic Islands: New island types with volcanic soil offer high fertility but carry the risk of natural disasters.
Multiplayer: Venice introduced both cooperative and competitive online multiplayer, allowing up to 8 players to build together or against each other. 4. General Strategy for Venice Scenarios
The 15 new scenarios in Venice often serve as tutorials for its unique mechanics.
Economic Priorities: Early in the game, focus on reaching 16 Citizen houses to unlock tool production immediately, making you independent of expensive NPC purchases.
Beggars for Gold: If you are in dire need of cash, you can deny beggars entry to your city for a one-time gold payment (starting at 5,000 gold), though this increases the risk of them attacking later.
Island Selection: Look for large, flat occidental islands with Cider and Hemp fertilities, and at least two deposits of Iron and Stone each. City Council | Anno 1404 Wiki | Fandom
The Ultimate Anno 1404 Venice Guide: Master the Seas and the Shadows
Released as the definitive expansion to the beloved city-builder, Anno 1404: Venice (also known as Dawn of Discovery: Venice) elevates the base game’s intricate mechanics by introducing the merchant-driven, intrigue-heavy culture of the Venetian Republic. Anno 1404 Venice Guide
Whether you are a seasoned Patrician or a newcomer to the 15th-century seas, this guide will help you navigate the new mechanics, from the murky waters of espionage to the complexity of the Venetian Council. 1. Embracing the Venetian Culture
Unlike the Occident and Orient cultures in the base game, you don’t "build" a Venetian civilization from scratch. Instead, Venice acts as a powerful neutral faction represented by Giacomo Garibaldi.
The Harbor Island: Garibaldi’s island serves as a massive trade hub. You can buy specialized Venetian ships and powerful items here that aren't available anywhere else.
New Item Sets: Pay close attention to the Venetian ship items. They often provide massive boosts to cargo capacity and speed, essential for late-game logistics. 2. Mastering the Art of Espionage
The biggest gameplay shift in the Venice expansion is the Espionage system. You no longer need a massive army to take down an opponent; you can ruin them from within.
The Base of Operations: Build a Secret Envoy lodge to begin.
Infiltration: Send spies into enemy cities. Once inside, they can hide in various residential buildings. The Sabotage Menu: Arson: Start fires to cripple production. Plague: Spread disease to reduce population and tax income.
False Prophet: Cause riots that stop production and damage buildings.
Counter-Espionage: Don't forget to protect yourself! Placing your own spies in your city acts as a "police force" to intercept enemy agents. 3. The City Council: Conquest Without Cannons
Venice introduces a political win condition: The City Council. Every island has a council with five seats.
Buying Seats: You can spend large amounts of Gold and Honor to buy seats in an opponent’s council.
The Takeover: Once you control 3 out of 5 seats, you can purchase the "City Key." This allows you to take over the entire island instantly without firing a single shot.
Pro Tip: This is incredibly expensive. Focus on stabilizing your economy with high-tier goods like Glasses and Brocade Robes before attempting a political takeover. 4. New Ships: The Small and Large Tradesman
Venice adds two iconic ship types that change the naval meta:
Small Venetian Tradesman: Fast and agile, perfect for short-distance "shuttle" routes for luxury goods.
Large Venetian Tradesman: A floating fortress of commerce. It has more hit points than a standard Large Trading Ship and massive cargo slots, making it the king of long-distance Orient-to-Occident routes. 5. Efficient City Layouts for Venice
With the addition of new ornaments and the Palace system, city planning becomes even more vital.
The Multi-Market Strategy: To prevent sabotage like the "False Prophet" from spreading, keep your residential blocks somewhat modular. If a riot starts in one sector, it won't necessarily paralyze your entire capital.
Bailiwick: Use the Bailiwick building to reduce maintenance costs across your island. In the high-cost Venetian economy, every gold coin saved on maintenance is a coin spent on a Council seat. Summary Checklist for Success
Establish Trade with Garibaldi early to access Venetian ship blueprints.
Build a Secret Envoy lodge as soon as you reach the Patrician level to defend against AI sabotage.
Hoard Honor. You’ll need it to buy the powerful items and council seats that define the Venice expansion.
Use the new Scenarios. If the sandbox feels overwhelming, play the new "Venice Scenarios" to learn specific mechanics like racing or extreme sabotage. Good luck, Governor
Venice shifts the focus toward "soft power" through espionage and financial takeovers.
The City Council & Shares: You can now take control of enemy islands without firing a shot. By purchasing five seats in a city's council, you can eventually buy out the island's key.
Espionage System: Build the Bailiwick to manage spies. You can infiltrate opponents to sabotage their economy (e.g., arson or riots) or protect your own cities from enemy agents.
New Trader - Giacomo Garibaldi: A new neutral power located at the Venetian port. He offers unique quests, items, and the new Venetian Trade Cogs (Small and Big), which are fast and hold significant cargo.
Volcanic Islands: These rare islands feature mountain sites where any mine can be placed, provided you have the correct specialist items found at Garibaldi’s. Essential Production Layouts
Efficient space management is vital for maintaining a positive balance.
Early Game (T1 Occident): Place a Market House and surround it with up to 4 Lumberjack Huts. Ensure they have enough tree space to operate at 100%.
Cider & Hemp: A standard efficient layout uses 1 Market Building to support 4 Cider Farms or 4 Hemp Plantations.
Tools Loop: To start self-sufficient tool production, you need approximately 16 Citizen houses. A standard loop consists of:
1 Ore Mine + 1 Charcoal Burner's Hut + 1 Iron Smelter + 2 Toolmaker's Workshops. Strategic Tips for Success
Island Selection: Look for a "perfect" starting island that is large, flat, and has Cider and Hemp fertilities with at least two deposits each of Stone and Iron Ore.
Managing Ascension: It is often smarter to Deny Ascension Rights in the early game. This prevents you from being overwhelmed by the complex needs of higher social classes before your economy is ready.
Passive Income: Use the Warehouse interface to set up automatic trades. Sell surplus materials (like excess wood or cider) to neutral powers to maintain a steady gold flow.
Defensive Espionage: In Venice, enemy sabotage can cripple you. Build Bases of Operation to cover your entire settlement to detect and stop henchmen before they cause riots.
Anno 1404: Venice expansion is widely regarded as a "role model" for strategy add-ons, primarily for introducing the long-awaited multiplayer mode
and a suite of "cloak-and-dagger" mechanics that allow for non-military conquest Metacritic Core Expansion Features The Venetian Culture
: While you cannot build your own Venetian-style water cities, you gain access to two new ships—the small and big tradesman cogs
—and unique decorative buildings like Saint Mark's pillar. Giacomo Garibaldi
: A new neutral power and trading partner who provides access to Venice-specific features and items. Espionage & Sabotage : By building a Secret Cabinet
, you can send spies to rival islands to commit acts of sabotage, such as poisoning wells, setting fires, or inciting uprisings to stall an opponent's economy. City Council & "Key to the City"
: You can now conquer islands without firing a single shot by purchasing council seats
. Once you hold the majority, you can buy the "Key to the City" to take total control. Expanded Content : Includes 15 new scenarios , over 300 additional quests, and new volcanic islands with unique resource layouts. Gameplay Improvements Multiplayer Integration : Supports up to eight players
in competitive or co-op play. In co-op, team members share resources, money, and prestige to build a single empire together. Scenario Enhancements | Ship | Best for | |------|----------| |
: The expansion allows you to play the original six base-game scenarios with the new Venice mechanics (espionage, council) active, which can actually make some of the harder original missions more manageable. Quality of Life : Features like drag-and-drop house placement
(available in the History Edition) significantly reduce the micromanagement of building residential blocks. Review Perspectives : Critics from
praise the expansion for adding significant depth to the endgame and providing a peaceful alternative to warfare. : The primary disappointment for many is the lack of a new single-player campaign
; the expansion focuses strictly on standalone scenarios and continuous play. Additionally, the inability to build Venetian-style canals in free-play mode was a missed opportunity for "beauty builders". Metacritic specific production chain layouts for the new Venetian goods or tips for winning the
| Ship | Best for | |------|----------| | Small ship | Exploration, early trade | | Caravel | Trade route, light defense | | Cog | Heavy cargo, slow | | Large warship | Direct combat | | Oriental battle cruiser | Fast, good vs corsairs |
Venice adds the Corsairs—aggressive Pirates who attack your trade routes constantly.
To summarize this guide into actionable rules:
Anno 1404: Venice is a game of patience and flowcharts. Look at your production screen (Press F1). If a good has a red bar, fix it immediately. If a good has a green bar, you are safe. Keep balancing, keep spying, and your empire will last a thousand years.
Now set sail for the Orient, Governor. The Doge is waiting.
Mastering the expansion for transforms the game from a pure economic simulator into a high-stakes arena of political maneuvering and covert operations. While the core gameplay still revolves around balancing production chains and satisfying the needs of your Population
, the Venice expansion introduces layers that allow you to conquer rivals without firing a single cannon. Anno 1404 Wiki The Art of Political Conquest: City Councils The most significant addition in Venice is the City Council
system. Every island now has five council seats that can be purchased by any player. Economic Takeover
: If you manage to buy all five seats and then purchase the "Key to the City," you gain full control of the island. This is an expensive but bloodless alternative to military invasion. Defensive Strategy
: To prevent your own islands from being snatched away, you must prioritize buying your own council seats early. This locks out competitors and forces them to spend massive amounts of gold to outbid you. Anno 1404 Wiki Subversion and Shadows: The Espionage System The expansion introduces the Base of Operations , which allows you to train spies for
. Instead of traditional warfare, you can destabilize an opponent's economy from within: Anno 1404 Wiki Infiltration
: Once a spy is settled in an enemy house, they can perform various acts of , such as arson, spreading the plague, or inciting riots. Intelligence
: Spies also provide vital data on your rival’s resource stocks and production efficiency, helping you identify exactly where their economy is most vulnerable. Anno 1404 Wiki Expanding Your Reach: New Vessels and Prestige
To support these new mechanics, Venice adds specific tools and ships: The Venetian Cog
: These ships are smaller and more agile than traditional trading vessels, making them perfect for navigating tight coastal waters or performing quick supply runs. Prestige and Diplomacy : Advancing your standing with Grand Vizier Al Zahir remains crucial. By delivering scrolls—purchased with —you can increase your Diplomatic Status
, unlocking advanced Oriental buildings and unique Venetian items. Anno 1404 Wiki Strategic Summary Success in Anno 1404 Venice requires a hybrid approach. You must maintain the rigorous Population
management of the base game—upgrading Peasants to Citizens and beyond—while simultaneously monitoring the City Council
of every major island. Whether you choose to be a benevolent merchant or a master of shadows, the key is to ensure your gold reserves are always high enough to both fuel your and protect your political interests. Anno 1404 Wiki production chains required to maintain a Venetian-style metropolis? Combat | Anno 1404 Wiki | Fandom
Venice introduced multiplayer to the series.
The most profitable early-mid game chain is Carpets:
The Trick: Do not give Carpets to your Occidental people yet. Sell them to the Vizier. He pays 88 gold per ton, whereas your citizens pay 0 taxes on them until Patrician level.