Economy & Money Making

In the vast world of Assassin's Creed III, a healthy purse is essential for upgrading your equipment, purchasing new weapons, and ensuring your homestead thrives. This detailed guide will walk you through the most effective strategies for accumulating wealth, from early game necessities to late-game entrepreneurial ventures.

Early Game Riches: The Basics

Before you can establish a sprawling trading empire, you'll need to master the fundamentals of income generation.

Looting Fallen Enemies: Every encounter can be a small payday. After a skirmish, always take a moment to loot the bodies of defeated Redcoats and other adversaries. While individual amounts are small, they add up quickly, especially during larger battles or after clearing out forts.
Pickpocketing: A classic Assassin's technique, pickpocketing is a reliable source of early game income. Target wealthy-looking civilians in bustling city areas like Boston and New York. Approach them from behind and initiate the pickpocket action. Be mindful of guards, as getting caught will increase your notoriety.
Chests and Collectibles: Keep an eye out for treasure chests scattered throughout the Frontier, Boston, and New York. These often contain significant sums of money, along with other valuable items like crafting recipes or trinkets. Synchronizing viewpoints will reveal chest locations on your map, making them easier to find.

The Homestead: Your Economic Engine

The Homestead is not just a safe haven; it's the cornerstone of your financial success in Assassin's Creed III. Developing your Homestead and its residents is crucial for maximizing your income.

Recruiting Artisans and Crafting

As you progress through the main story and complete Homestead missions, you'll recruit various artisans. Each artisan brings unique skills that are vital for crafting valuable goods.

Woodworkers (e.g., Lance): Produce lumber and wooden items.
Miners (e.g., Norris): Extract ore and minerals.
Farmers (e.g., Warren & Prudence): Grow crops and raise livestock.
Hunters (e.g., Myriam): Provide animal pelts and meat.
Tailors (e.g., Ellen): Create clothing and satchels.
Blacksmiths (e.g., Big Dave): Forge tools and weapons.
Doctors (e.g., Lyle): Craft medicines and tonics.

To craft items, you'll need the appropriate raw materials and the corresponding artisan. Access your crafting menu at the Homestead ledger or any general store.

Trading Convoys: The Path to Wealth

Once you have a steady supply of crafted goods, you can begin trading. Trading convoys are your primary method for selling items for profit.

Craft Valuable Goods: Focus on crafting items that fetch a high price. Early on, focus on items like:
- Medicines: Crafted by Lyle, using ingredients like Ginseng and Bear Fat.
- Tools: Crafted by Big Dave, often requiring Iron Ore and Wood.
- Clothing: Crafted by Ellen, using various animal pelts.
As your artisans level up, they'll unlock more complex and profitable recipes.
Access the Trading Menu: Interact with the Homestead ledger or any general store to access the trading menu.
Select a Convoy: You'll have access to different types of convoys (Land Convoy, Naval Convoy) with varying cargo capacities and risk levels. Naval Convoys generally offer higher profits but are susceptible to attack by privateers.
Fill Your Convoy: Load your crafted goods into the convoy. Pay attention to the market prices in different cities (Boston, New York, Frontier). Selling goods where demand is high will yield greater profits.
Send the Convoy: Once loaded, send your convoy. You'll receive a notification when it reaches its destination and the transaction is complete.
Protect Your Convoys: Periodically, your convoys may be attacked. You'll receive a notification and have the option to defend them. Successfully defending a convoy ensures your goods are delivered and profits are secured. Failing to defend will result in lost goods and potential financial setbacks.

Hunting and Trapping: Wilderness Profits

The Frontier is teeming with wildlife, offering another lucrative avenue for money making.

Hunting for Pelts: Animals like Bears, Wolves, Deer, and Beavers provide valuable pelts. Use your bow and arrow or hidden blade for clean kills to maximize pelt quality and value.
- Bear Pelts: Found in regions like Black Creek and Packanack.
- Wolf Pelts: Common in the northern parts of the Frontier.
- Beaver Pelts: Often found near rivers and lakes.
Sell these pelts directly to general stores or use them in crafting.
Trapping: Place snares and traps in areas with high animal activity. Small animals like Rabbits and Foxes can be caught, providing pelts and meat for crafting or direct sale. Remember to check your traps regularly.
Hunting Challenges: Completing hunting challenges can unlock new recipes for your artisans, further boosting your crafting potential and income.

Naval Missions: High Risk, High Reward

As you progress and gain access to your ship, the Aquila, naval missions become available. While primarily focused on combat, many of these missions offer substantial monetary rewards upon completion, especially the challenging privateer contracts.

Privateer Contracts: Engage enemy ships and complete objectives for significant sums of money. Upgrading the Aquila will make these missions easier and more profitable.
Convoy Escort Missions: Protect friendly merchant convoys from enemy attacks. Successful escorts will reward you with currency.

Additional Tips for Financial Success

Upgrade Your Homestead: Invest in Homestead upgrades as soon as possible. These can increase resource production, unlock new crafting recipes, and improve the efficiency of your artisans.
Monitor Market Prices: Prices for goods fluctuate. Check the trading ledger regularly to identify which cities offer the best prices for your crafted items.
Don't Hoard: While some materials are essential for crafting, don't let excess raw materials sit idle. Convert them into valuable goods and sell them via convoys.
Complete Side Activities: Liberating forts, completing delivery requests, and other side activities often provide monetary rewards or valuable items that can be sold.

By diligently following these strategies, you'll transform Connor from a humble Assassin into a wealthy entrepreneur, capable of funding any endeavor the American Revolution throws his way.