The marketplace is a type of building in Heroes of Might and Magic series.
The marketplace provides the trading function. The player can exchange one type of resource for another, and can also transfer resources to another player. The ratios change in the player's benefit the more the kingdom has marketplaces in towns. It costs 5 wood and 500 gold. The marketplace is needed to be built for artifact merchants.
The adventure map object that functions as a marketplace, but with better ratios, is the trading post.
Heroes II[]
In Heroes II and III, the trading rate (i.e. how much is gained for selling one unit of a certain resource type) is determined by two factors: the resource type sold (and bought), and the total number of marketplaces in the player's towns.
The first factor refers to the relative value of the resources (i.e. how much an unit of a resource of a certain type is worth). For example, crystal is worth more than wood. On the other hand, mercury is as valuable as crystal. As a consequence, if aiming to buy a certain quantity of crystal, the player must offer more wood than mercury. Gold is the least valuable resource, wood and ore are equally valuable, and the other four resources (gems, mercury, sulfur and crystal) are equally valuable and are the most valuable.
The second factor that affects the trading rates is the number of marketplaces built in the towns they own. At least one marketplace to be able to trade at all. Once the first marketplace is built, each subsequent marketplace obtained makes the trading rates better, up to nine marketplaces.
Additional marketplaces can be acquired not only by building them, but also by capturing neutral or enemy towns that have a marketplace already built. Trading posts can also be found on the adventure map. Visiting heroes can trade resources here, the rates being calculated as if the player has five more marketplaces that they have in reality. The bonus is offered only in this specific trade, although the trading post can be visited again an unlimited number of times. If the owner already has nine marketplaces, the Trading Post has no effect. The trading rates are calculated below. The yellow cells shows the number of Marketplaces for which the calculations were done.
The cells with bold text show the resource types. The intersection between rows and columns show the number of units received of the type written at the beginning of the row, considering one unit of the type written at the beginning of the column was sold.
| Resource | Gold | Ore, wood | Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal |
|---|---|---|---|
| One marketplace | |||
| Gold | - | 1/2500 | 1/5000 |
| Ore, wood | 25 | 1/10 | 1/20 |
| Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal | 50 | 1/5 | 1/10 |
| Two | |||
| Gold | - | 1/1667 | 1/3333 |
| Ore, wood | 37 | 1/7 | 1/13 |
| Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal | 75 | 1/3 | 1/7 |
| Three | |||
| Gold | - | 1/1250 | 1/2500 |
| Ore, wood | 50 | 1/5 | 1/10 |
| Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal | 100 | 1/3 | 1/5 |
| Four | |||
| Gold | - | 1/1000 | 1/2000 |
| Ore, wood | 62 | 1/4 | 1/8 |
| Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal | 125 | 1/2 | 1/4 |
| Five | |||
| Gold | - | 1/833 | 1/1667 |
| Ore, wood | 75 | 1/3 | 1/7 |
| Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal | 150 | 1/2 | 1/3 |
| Six | |||
| Gold | - | 1/714 | 1/1429 |
| Ore, wood | 88 | 1/3 | 1/6 |
| Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal | 175 | 1 | 1/3 |
| Seven | |||
| Gold | - | 1/625 | 1/1250 |
| Ore, wood | 100 | 1/3 | 1/5 |
| Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal | 200 | 1 | 1/3 |
| Eight | |||
| Gold | - | 1/556 | 1/1111 |
| Ore, wood | 112 | 1/2 | 1/4 |
| Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal | 225 | 1 | 1/2 |
| Nine or more | |||
| Gold | - | 1/500 | 1/1000 |
| Ore, wood | 125 | 1/2 | 1/4 |
| Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal | 250 | 1 | 1/2 |
The marketplace retains the same function in Heroes II as it did in the previous installment.
Heroes III[]
The marketplace retains the same function in Heroes III as it did in the previous installment. In addition, the resource silo can be built after the marketplace has been constructed.
Heroes IV[]
In Heroes IV, the marketplace does not exist as a physical building. However, the player can access the marketplace at any time. However, the trading post still exists, with better ratios.
The trading rates are calculated below, for making trades in the global marketplace and for making trades in a trading post.
| Resource | Gold | Ore, wood | Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global marketplace | |||
| Gold | - | 1/375 | 1/750 |
| Ore, wood | 41 | 1/3 | 1/6 |
| Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal | 83 | 2/3 | 1/3 |
| Trading post | |||
| Gold | - | 1/250 | 1/500 |
| Ore, wood | 62 | 1/2 | 1/4 |
| Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal | 125 | 1 | 1/2 |
Generally, the trading system in-game is more convenient than the one used in the rest of the games. From the beginning of the game (the stage in which trading might be needed most), the trading rates allow them to get the missing units of resources without spending a fortune. Encountering a trading post is always a good thing.
Heroes V[]
The marketplace retains the same function in Heroes V it had in the first three installments.
In this installment, the trading post provides transaction ratios equivalent to three marketplaces, even if the player possesses more than three.
Exchange rates are similar to Heroes III, but with some slight differences (probably because fractions are rounded up instead of down somewhere):
| Resource | Gold | Ore, wood | Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal |
|---|---|---|---|
| One marketplace | |||
| Gold | - | 1/2500 | 1/5000 |
| Ore, wood | 25 | 1/10 | 1/20 |
| Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal | 50 | 1/5 | 1/10 |
| Two | |||
| Gold | - | 1/1667 | 1/3333 |
| Ore, wood | 37 | 1/7 | 1/14 |
| Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal | 75 | 1/4 | 1/7 |
| Three | |||
| Gold | - | 1/1250 | 1/2500 |
| Ore, wood | 50 | 1/5 | 1/10 |
| Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal | 100 | 1/3 | 1/5 |
| Four | |||
| Gold | - | 1/1000 | 1/2000 |
| Ore, wood | 62 | 1/5 | 1/9 |
| Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal | 125 | 1/2 | 1/4 |
| Five | |||
| Gold | - | 1/834 | 1/1667 |
| Ore, wood | 75 | 1/4 | 1/7 |
| Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal | 150 | 1/2 | 1/4 |
| Six | |||
| Gold | - | ? | ? |
| Ore, wood | ? | ? | ? |
| Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal | ? | ? | ? |
| Seven | |||
| Gold | - | ? | ? |
| Ore, wood | ? | ? | ? |
| Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal | ? | ? | ? |
| Eight | |||
| Gold | - | ? | ? |
| Ore, wood | ? | ? | ? |
| Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal | ? | ? | ? |
| Nine or more | |||
| Gold | - | 1/500 | 1/1000 |
| Ore, wood | 120 | 1/2 | 1/4 |
| Gems, mercury, sulfur, crystal | 250 | 1 | 1/2 |
Heroes VI[]
The marketplace retains the same function in Heroes VI as it did in the previous installment. However, it costs 2 wood, 2 ore and 2500 gold, and can only trade with wood, ore, gold and crystal - the four in-game resources available.
The exception to this is Inferno, whose marketplace is named as chaos crucible, which also provides 500 gold per day.
Heroes VII[]
The village hall retains the same function in Heroes VII as it did in the previous installment. However, it costs 500 gold, and can deal with wood, ore, gold, starsilver, dragoncrystal, dragonsteel and shadowsteel - the four in-game resources available.
