ADVANCEDMEDIUM
Anno 1800: The Complete Production Layout Guide
Optimize every production chain from farmers to investors. Warehouse placement, road density, and trade union radius explained with exact layouts.
22 min read5,200 words2025-11-30
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This is the complete production chain reference for Anno 1800. Every chain across all 5 population tiers, all 4 regions (Old World, New World, Arctic, Enbesa), with verified optimal ratios, warehouse math, Trade Union item effects, and electricity optimization. All ratios assume 100% productivity unless otherwise noted.
🏭 Old World — Farmers
100% productivity. No electricity available at this tier.
| Good | Input | Processing | Optimal Ratio | Population Supported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fish | Coastline | Fishery (30s) | 1 fishery per 80 houses | 800 farmers |
| Work Clothes | Sheep Farm → Wool (30s) | Framework Knitters (30s) | 2 sheep : 1 knitter | 3,250 farmers |
| Schnapps | Potato Farm (30s) | Schnapps Distillery (30s) | 2 potato : 1 distillery | 3,000 farmers |
🏭 Old World — Workers
| Good | Input Chain | Optimal Ratio | Pop Supported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sausages | Pig Farm (60s) → Artisan Workshop (Sausage, 60s) | 2 pig : 1 workshop | 2,400 workers |
| Bread | Grain Farm (60s) → Flour Mill (30s) → Bakery (60s) | 2 grain : 1 mill : 1 bakery | 2,880 workers |
| Soap | Pig Farm → Rendering Works (Tallow, 30s) → Soap Factory (30s) | 2 pig : 1 rendering : 1 soap | 1,800 workers |
| Beer | Grain (60s) → Malthouse (30s) + Hops Farm (60s) → Brewery (60s) | 2 grain : 1 malt : 2 hops : 1 brewery | 1,920 workers |
| Sails | Sheep Farm (Wool, 30s) → Sailmakers (30s) | 3 sheep : 1 sailmaker | Ship construction |
🏭 Old World — Artisans
| Good | Input Chain | Optimal Ratio | Pop Supported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canned Food | Cattle (Beef, 60s) + Red Pepper Farm (60s) → Cannery (108s). Also consumes 1 Iron per cycle. | 2 cattle : 2 pepper : 1 cannery | 1,080 artisans |
| Fur Coats | Hunting Cabin (Furs, 60s) + Cotton Fabric (New World import) → Fur Dealer (60s) | 1 hunter : 1 fur dealer (base). With TU item: 1 hunter = 2 fur dealers | 850 artisans per chain |
| Sewing Machines | Lumberjack (Wood, 15s) + Iron Mine (15s) → Sewing Machine Factory (45s) | 1 wood : 1 iron : 1 factory | 1,500 artisans |
| Rum | Imported from New World (Sugar Cane → Distillery). Ship on dedicated clipper route. | 8 sugar : 4 distillery (NW) serve ~3,000 Old World artisans | 3,000 artisans |
Artisan Pivot Point
This is the tier where production chains go multi-island. Canned Food requires red pepper fertility AND cattle pastures. Fur Coats bridge Old and New World. Build a second Old World island dedicated to artisan production.
🏭 Old World — Engineers
| Good | Input Chain | Optimal Ratio | Pop Supported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectacles | Copper Mine (30s) + Zinc Mine (60s) → Brass Smelter (60s) + Sand Mine (30s) → Glassmakers (30s) → Spectacle Factory (90s) | 4 copper : 2 zinc : 1 brass smelter : 2 sand : 1 glass : 1 spectacle factory | 1,200 engineers |
| Coffee | Imported from New World (Coffee Plantation, 60s) → Coffee Roaster (30s) | 6 coffee plantations : 3 roasters (NW) → 1 clipper dedicated route | 2,000 engineers |
| Light Bulbs | Glass (from sand) + Coal (Carbon Filament) → Light Bulb Factory (60s) | 2 sand → 1 glass : 1 coal mine : 1 light bulb factory | 1,600 engineers |
| Pocket Watches | Gold Mine (150s) + Glass + Brass → Watch Factory (90s) | 5 gold mines : 1 glass : 1 brass smelter : 1 watch factory | 1,800 engineers |
| Phonographs | Wood (15s) → Cabinet Maker (60s) + Copper (30s) → Gramophone Factory (90s) | 2 wood : 1 cabinet maker : 2 copper : 1 gramophone factory | 960 engineers |
🏭 Old World — Investors
| Good | Input Chain | Optimal Ratio | Pop Supported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champagne | Glass (Sand, 30s) + Sugar Cane (NW) → Champagne Cellar (150s) | 1 glassmakers : 4 sugar (NW) : 1 champagne cellar | 900 investors |
| Cigars | Wood Veneers (Sawmill, 15s) + Tobacco (NW) → Cigar Factory (30s) | 1 sawmill : 4 tobacco (NW) : 1 cigar factory | 2,400 investors |
| Chocolate | Sugar (NW) + Cocoa (NW) → Chocolate Factory (30s) | 4 sugar : 4 cocoa : 1 chocolate factory | 2,000 investors |
| Steam Carriages | Steam Motors (Brass + Iron → Motor Factory, 60s) + Wood (15s) + Caoutchouc (NW) → Carriage Factory (60s) | 1 motor factory : 1 wood : 4 caoutchouc (NW) : 1 carriage factory | 750 investors |
Investor Goods Are Luxury
Investors don't NEED all luxuries to stay happy. Prioritize Cigars + Chocolate (cheapest chains) before Champagne (glass bottleneck) and Steam Carriages (most complex chain in the game).
🌴 New World — Complete Production Chains
| Good | Used In | Input → Processing | Optimal Ratio (NW) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton Fabric | Fur Coats (OW) | Cotton Plantation (60s) → Cotton Mill (30s) | 2 cotton plantations : 1 mill |
| Rum | Artisans (OW) | Sugar Cane (30s) → Rum Distillery (30s) | 1 sugar cane : 1 distillery |
| Coffee | Engineers (OW) | Coffee Plantation (60s) → Coffee Roaster (30s) | 2 coffee : 1 roaster |
| Caoutchouc | Steam Carriages, Bicycles (OW) | Caoutchouc Plantation (60s) | Raw good — no processing needed |
| Sugar | Champagne, Chocolate (OW) | Sugar Cane (30s) — same plantation as rum | Split cane output between rum and sugar |
| Tobacco | Cigars (OW) | Tobacco Plantation (120s) | Raw good — 4 plantations per cigar factory |
| Cocoa | Chocolate (OW) | Cocoa Plantation (120s) | Raw good — 4 plantations per chocolate factory |
| Gold Ore | Pocket Watches, Jewelry (OW) | Gold Mine (150s) | 5 mines per watch factory. |
| Fried Plantains | Jornaleros (NW) | Plantain Plantation (60s) → Fried Plantain Kitchen (30s) | 2 plantain : 1 kitchen |
| Ponchos | Obreros (NW) | Alpaca Farm (60s) → Poncho Darner (60s) | 1 alpaca : 1 darner |
| Bowler Hats | Obreros (NW) | Cotton Fabric + Alpaca Wool → Hat Factory (60s) | 1 cotton mill + 1 alpaca : 1 hat factory |
| Tortillas | Jornaleros (NW) | Corn Farm (60s) → Tortilla Bakery (30s) | 2 corn : 1 bakery |
| Coffee (NW) | Obreros Cafeteria (NW) | Same coffee chain — also consumed in NW Cafeteria | Extra capacity needed for local consumption |
❄️ Arctic — Complete Production Chains
| Good | Used In | Input Chain | Optimal Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parkas | Explorers (Arctic) | Caribou Meat (120s) → Parka Factory (60s). Also consumes Whale Oil (Whaling Station, 60s). | 1 whaling station + 1 caribou : 1 parka factory |
| Pemmican | Explorers (Arctic) | Caribou Meat (120s) → Pemmican Processor (60s) | 2 caribou : 1 processor |
| Sleeping Bags | Explorers (Arctic) | Caribou Meat + Goose Feathers (60s) + Bear Fur (120s) → Sleeping Bag Factory (90s) | 2 caribou : 2 goose : 1 bear : 1 factory |
| Oil Lamps | Technicians (Arctic) | Whale Oil (60s) + Brass (OW import) → Lamp Factory (60s) | 1 whaling station + 1 brass smelter (OW) : 1 lamp factory |
| Gas | Investors (OW) + Arctic | Gas Pump (on Crown Falls plateau glacier). Airship transport required. | 2 pumps on Crown Falls. Must use airship (4× faster than clipper). |
Arctic Logistics
The Arctic has no fertility — all food must be imported or hunted. Caribou and Bears are finite resources on each plateau. Build a dedicated Old World supply island to feed your Arctic colonies. Airships carry 4× more than clippers over Arctic routes.
🏜️ Enbesa (Land of Lions) — Key Production Chains
| Good | Requires | Optimal Ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tea | Water + Tea Plants | 2 tea : 1 water pump : 1 tea factory | Water canals must connect. Shepherds demand tea. |
| Tapestries | Water + Indigo + Linen | 2 indigo : 2 linen : 1 tapestry workshop | Elders demand tapestries. High water consumption. |
| Ceramics | Water + Clay | 2 clay pits : 1 ceramics workshop | Enbesan building material. Elders demand as lifestyle need. |
| Illuminated Scripts | Paper (Wood) + Indigo + Ceramics | 1 paper mill : 2 indigo : 1 ceramics : 1 scriptorium | Luxury for Elders. Massive water demand — 3 pumps minimum. |
| Hibiscus Tea | Water + Hibiscus Plantation | 2 hibiscus : 1 tea factory variant | Alternative to regular tea. Higher value. |
Water Is Enbesa's Currency
Every Enbesan chain requires water from irrigation canals. Each water pump supports ~12 tiles of irrigated land. Plan your pump placement BEFORE building farms.Canals can't cross roads without bridges — build roads LAST.
📦 Warehouse Placement: The Complete Reference
| Warehouse Level | Carts | Loading Ramps | Max Range | Buildings Supported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 2 | 2 | 17 tiles (road distance) | 4-6 production buildings |
| Level 2 | 3 | 3 | 17 tiles | 8-10 production buildings |
| Level 3 | 4 | 4 | 17 tiles | 12-15 production buildings |
The 17-Tile Rule
Carts travel at full speed for exactly 17 tiles of road distance from warehouse. Beyond 17 tiles, cart speed drops to walking speed — a 72% throughput loss. Paved roads add 0% range but increase cart speed by 50%. Always cluster production within 17 tiles of its warehouse.
Multi-Warehouse Strategy
For production clusters larger than 15 buildings, build a <b>second warehouse</b> in the center of the overflow cluster. Warehouses don't share cart pools — each has its own fleet.
Loading Ramp Math
A Level 3 warehouse has 4 ramps. Each ramp processes 1 cart at a time. If your queue consistently exceeds <b>100 tons</b>, add a second warehouse — the ramps are your throughput bottleneck, not the carts.
🔧 Trade Union: Best Items by Industry
| Industry | Best Specialist | Source | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sewing Machines | Dario the Mechanical Engineer | Eli Bleakworth (prison) | All sewing factories +50% productivity, replaces cotton input with iron |
| Bakeries | Mrs. Mayson, Baking Pioneer | Expeditions (New World) | Bakeries +60% productivity, grain input replaced with wood |
| Canned Food | Chef Michel | Eli Bleakworth (prison) | Canneries +50% productivity, replaces goulash with pigs |
| Spectacles | Professor Razzaq | Isabel Sarmento (NW) | Spectacle factories +40%, replaces brass with wood |
| Light Bulbs | Seraphim Papadikas | Research Institute | Light bulb factories +50%, replaces glass filament with wood |
| Champagne | Brother Hilarius | Expeditions (Arctic) | Champagne cellars +50% productivity |
| All Heavy Industry | Feras Alsarami, the Pyrphorian | Grand Gallery (Expeditions) | +30% productivity for ALL heavy industry in radius when electrified |
| All Agriculture | Dr. Ali Al-Zahir, the Botanist | Grand Gallery (Expeditions) | All crop farms +30% productivity, -50% workforce needed |
Stacking Multiplier Example
Dario + Printing Press + Feras Alsarami: Dario makes input iron instead of cotton. Printing Press (+25%). Feras (+30% when electrified). Total: +105% sewing machine output with zero cotton cost and reduced workforce. This single TU setup can supply sewing machines for 4,500+ artisans from 1 factory.
⚡ Electricity Optimization
| Power Plant Type | Radius | Fuel | Productivity Bonus | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil Power Plant | 45 tiles | Oil (from Oil Refinery or NW import) | +100% | Engineers and above. Double all production in radius. |
| Gas Power Plant | 40 tiles | Gas (Arctic import) | +100% | Arctic colonies. Cleaner than oil but requires Arctic gas supply. |
Electricity Math
A building under electricity produces at 200% (base 100% + 100% electricity bonus). This means a chain that required 4 buildings now requires 2. Electricity effectively doubles your island's production capacity. Always electrify your highest-value chains first: Spectacles, Light Bulbs, and Steam Motors.
Power Plant Placement
Place the power plant at the centerof your industrial district. The 45-tile radius covers roughly the entire buildable area of a medium island. Overlap from multiple plants does NOT stack — don't build two plants near each other. Use the oil from your first refinery in the New World.
FAQ
What's the most efficient farmer setup?+
4 fisheries + 2 framework knitters + 2 potato farms + 1 schnapps distillery. This feeds ~3,200 farmers. Add a second warehouse at 2,500+ farmers.
How do I know if I'm overproducing?+
Open Ctrl+Q (Production Stats). Green bar = production exceeds consumption. Blue bar = balanced (±10%). Red bar = shortage. Aim for blue on all goods. Green above 30% means you're wasting maintenance.
Best Trade Union specialist for beginners?+
Dario the Mechanical Engineer (Eli Bleakworth's prison). Eliminates cotton from sewing machines — saves 2+ cotton plantations, a shipping route, and a cotton mill. Best single-item ROI in the game.
When should I go to the New World?+
The moment the expedition unlocks (~2 hours). Delaying means your artisans stall on canned food and rum. Bring 50 timber, 50 steel beams, and 50 bricks on your first ship to build a colony immediately.