How do I get more gold?

Conqora FAQ · updated 2026-10-16

Every source of gold

Land

Every tile you own pays a little gold every second. It's the base of your economy and it never stops, which is why expansion comes first.

Trade ships

Each Port sends trade ships to other players' ports around the map. A ship that arrives pays 100,000 gold plus 100 per tile travelled, multiplied by a bonus that grows with the number of ports you own (up to three times). Allies' ports trade more with each other. In a normal game trade is the biggest income.

Trains

A Factory links to your cities and ports by rail and runs trains between stations. A train to an ally's station pays the most, a train to another player's station less, a train to your own station least. Higher factory levels run trains more often and make them longer. In the classic economy the benefit counts in full up to level 8 and then grows more slowly, so build several solid factories rather than one giant one. The fast economy keeps a more generous curve.

Captured trade ships

A Warship that catches an enemy trade ship takes its cargo. Two warships at a strait next to a rival's port are an income source in themselves.

Gold mines

In hotspots mode a gold mine pays its holder 7,500 gold every five seconds, about one and a half times a player's base land income.

The order that works

1. City as soon as you can (troop cap).
2. Port on the coast.
3. Second port before the second city on coastal maps.
4. Factory once you have two or three stations.
5. Upgrade ports and factories (middle click) instead of building endless new ones; prices double with each building of a kind until a cap.

Protecting your income

• Warships near your ports keep raiders off your trade routes.
• Embargoes cut trade with one rival for five minutes; expect the same from them.
• SAMs in front of your industrial heartland: one hydrogen bomb on your ports can halve your income.

Spending it

Gold in the bank does nothing. Turn it into cities (more troops), defense posts on hot borders, a silo and SAMs before the mid-game, and nukes when they break a stalemate. Full numbers: economy guide.

Worked examples with real numbers

One trade ship

Your Port sends a trade ship to a port 300 tiles away. When it arrives it pays 100,000 + (100 × 300) = 130,000 gold, before the port-count bonus. As you own more ports that bonus grows, up to three times, so the same voyage can be worth up to 390,000. That's why the second and third port are among the best buys in the mid-game.

Trains

The economy guide gives the payouts: a train to one of your own stations earns 10,000, to another player's station 25,000, and to an ally's station 50,000. One train to an ally is worth five trips around your own network, so build factories with rail toward your allies.

A gold mine

In hotspots mode a gold mine pays 7,500 every five seconds: 90,000 a minute, or 900,000 over ten minutes. That's almost a Missile Silo (1M) from one tile. Two mines early double your economy.

What gold buys

Price traps

Cities, ports and factories start at 125K and double for each one you own, capped at 1M. Ports and factories count each other: if you own two ports, your first factory is priced as the third building of that group, at 500K. Four cities cost 125K + 250K + 500K + 1M = 1.875M in total. Once a kind of building hits the 1M cap, consider upgrading existing ones with a middle click instead: a level-3 port counts as three ports for the trade bonus and for carriers.

Mistakes that cost you gold

1. Banking gold. Gold in the bank earns nothing, just like troops at the cap. Early on, every 125K should become a building within seconds.
2. A silo before the second port. The port pays for the silo; the silo pays for nothing.
3. Unprotected trade. Trade ships are unarmed. A rival's warship parked at your strait takes their cargo.
4. One giant factory. In the classic economy factory levels count in full up to 8, then with diminishing returns.
5. Fighting your best trade partner. An embargo or a war with the neighbour whose ports you trade with costs you both.

Tips by skill level

Beginner

City, Port, second Port. Spend every 125K the moment you have it, and keep expanding: every tile pays gold every second.

Intermediate

Ally a neighbour with ports; allied ports trade more and their stations pay the most for trains. Add a Warship (key 7) to guard the route your trade ships use.

Advanced

Park two warships at a strait near a rival's port to capture their cargo while protecting yours. Time an embargo against a rival who relies on trading with you. Keep a reserve equal to one Hydrogen Bomb (5M) when someone approaches the win line.

Modifiers that change your income

• 2x and 3x gold: everything arrives faster; the build order stays the same.
• Fast economy: gold comes quicker and factories scale more generously; the silo cooldown drops to 45 seconds.
• Starting gold (1M, 5M, 25M): you start rich, but territories don't get it. With 1M you can buy two cities, two ports and two defense posts in your first seconds.
• No ports: no ports, warships or carriers, so land, factories and trains between your cities carry your economy.
• Hotspots: gold mines become the first thing to fight over.

Map-specific advice

• Island maps (Britannia, Oceania): build the second Port before the second City.
• Black Sea: every port trades across the same water; whoever controls it with warships controls the income.
• Europe: lots of neighbours means lots of potential allies, and trains to allies pay the most.
• World: long voyages pay more per tile, so ports on open ocean coasts earn well.

See the economy guide, the hotspots guide and what to build first.

More questions

Do allies make me richer?

Yes. Allied ports trade more with each other, and a train to an ally's station pays 50,000, the most of any train. A long alliance with a coastal neighbour is one of the best investments in the game.

Can I give gold to an ally?

When donations are allowed, you can send troops or gold to an ally, which is a strong way to help a partner fund a SAM or a bomb at the right moment.

Does the store sell gold?

No. Qora buys cosmetics only; gold is earned in the match.

Related questions

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More answers in the Conqora FAQ and the guides. Updated 2026-10-16.