| “ | Acts as a Toll Outpost that comes with Defensive Javelin Emplacement technology researched. Unlocks Javelin Emplacement for Outposts. All Traders and Trade Ships taxed will generate Food equal to the taxed Gold at this Landmark. All other Toll Outposts will generate 50% of taxed Gold as Food. | ” |
| —Age of Empires IV description | ||
The Saharan Trade Network is a defensive landmark available to the Malians in Age of Empires IV in the Dark Age. It acts as an improved Toll Outpost with improved garrison space and with the Javelin Emplacement* already researched, while also improving all other Toll Outposts and granting them the Javelin Emplacement to replace Arrowslits. Like other Dark Age defensive landmarks, it cannot be built within 8 tiles of an enemy landmark Town Center.
Special ability[]
Taxation Aura (Passive): Passing Traders and Trade Ships within a 10 tile radius are taxed, generating up to 8% of their carried gold immediately as bonus gold and food (and wood for Trade Ships). Each Trader or Trade Ship can only be taxed 5 times on each trip and the amount of tax collected depends on the distance of the tax collection point from the previous one. Although the tooltip states that Toll Outposts placed within the range of another one do not generate tax, this is not true; they still generate a smaller amount of tax. Although the exact formula is unknown, it appears that to consistently generate the maximum amount of possible tax, the auras of two Toll Outposts should not overlap at all. The time between taxations is irrelevant, and it is possible to still generate the maximum tax from two Toll Outposts in short succession if their Auras don't overlap and the trade unit passes through the periphery of their auras one after the other.
- Note: Whether intended or not, the home Market and target Trade Post or Market affect the tax amount from the initial Toll Outpost, so its aura should also not overlap with the Market or Trade Post.
- All other Toll Outposts generate 50% of their bonus gold as food
- Javelin Emplacements replace Arrowslits on all Toll Outposts
Available technologies[]
Generic emplacements[]
Further statistics[]
| Technologies | |
|---|---|
 Hit points
|
 Court Architects (+30%)
|
| Attack |  Steeled Arrow (+1) Balanced Projectiles (+1) Platecutter Point (+1)
|
| Additional projectiles | One of: |
Changelog[]
- Originally, taxation aura collected 10% gold of trade income. With an unknown patch, it was reduced to 8%.
- Originally, the taxation aura had a cooldown of 7.5 seconds and generated the maximum amount of tax every time. With an unknown patch, the functionality was switched to its current form.
- With update 7.0.5861, the Saharan Trade Network cannot be built within 8 tiles of an enemy capitol Town Center.
- With update 12.0.1974 the Saharan Trade Network now unlocks Javelin Emplacements, which replace Arrowslits, on all Toll Outposts. It also comes with a built-in Javelin Emplacement instead of Arrowslits.
Trivia[]
- Its real life counterpart is the Trans-Saharan trade.
- The Saharan Trade Network is the only standard Landmark that is not 4 x 4 tiles (the House of Wisdom is 5 x 5).
Gallery[]
The Saharan Trade Network
