Soap in Anno 1800 is one of the earliest and most profitable chains. To begin with, pigs are transformed into tallow. Next, the tallow is refined in Soap Factories to create finished soap. As a result, soap quickly becomes essential, since it fulfils your citizens’ basic needs. Moreover, it provides steady income, especially in the early stages of city growth. Finally, prioritizing soap production ensures citizen satisfaction and long-term economic stability.
What is produced
When you reach Worker status in Anno 1800, one of the very first buildings to construct is the Soap production chain. As a result, if you fail to provide it, your citizens will become dissatisfied and your city’s growth will stall. To begin with, Soap is a key item required for unlocking Worker status. Next, it quickly becomes essential for your growing population. In fact, Soap in Anno 1800 is considered a basic need for both Workers and Artisans.
Furthermore, Soap is a strong early-game opportunity because it can be traded with Eli at the prison. As a result, you generate steady income while still meeting your citizens’ needs. In addition, this trade prevents waste by turning surplus soap into valuable credits. Therefore, prioritizing Soap production early secures city stability and creates a reliable profit source for future expansion.
Buildings in this chain
To produce Soap in Anno 1800, you need three main buildings: Pig Farm → Rendering Works → Soap Factory. Ultimately, this process meets the basic needs of your population while also driving economic growth. To begin with, the Pig Farm supplies pigs as the raw material. Next, the Rendering Works takes those pigs and processes them into tallow. Then, the Soap Factory uses the tallow and transforms it into finished soap. As a result, each building plays a crucial role in the chain, ensuring that pigs become tallow and tallow becomes soap.
| Building | No. needed | Cost per building | Total cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pig Farm | 2 | $500 credits, 4 timber, -40 maintenance, 30 farmers, -3 attractiveness, | $1000 credits, 8 timber, -80 maintenance, 60 farmers, -6 attractiveness |
| Rendering works | 2 | $500 credits, 4 timber, 5 bricks, 3 steel beams, -40 maintenance, 40 workers, -5 attractiveness | $1000 credits, 8 timber, 10 bricks, 6 steel beams, -80 maintenance, 80 workers, -10 attractiveness |
| Soap Factory | 1 | $500 credits, 4 timber, 5 bricks, 4 steel beams, -50 maintenance, 50 workers, -5 attractiveness | $500 credits, 4 timber, 5 bricks, 4 steel beams, -50 maintenance, 50 workers, -5 attractiveness |
| Warehouse | 1 | $500 credits, 10 timber, -20 maintenance | $500 credits, 10 timber, -20 maintenance |
| Total | $3000 credits, 30 timber, -230 maintenance, 60 Farmers, 130 workers, -21 attractiveness |
Pig farm
The Pig farm in Anno 1800 kicks in to play at the Worker stage. For your Workers and Artisans to flourish it is imperative that they have a good supply of Soap. To begin this build you will have to build the Pig farm. The Pig farm has a layout that will incorporate the farm itself along with 5 fields that the pigs will live in. The pig farm will produce one ton of pigs every minute.
To build a Pig farm, you will need the following:
- $500 credits
- 4 timber
- 3×4 tile space plus five 2×3 tile spaces for the pig farms
In addition to the construction costs you will also have the following ongoing costs:
- 30 farmers
- $40 credits per minute maintenance
- -3 attractiveness penalty
Once built and staffed, the Pig Farm starts operating. Then, it produces one ton of pigs every minute, keeping output steady. As a result, your production chains remain efficient and avoid bottlenecks in soap or sausage production.
To begin with, one layout shows how a single farm can be arranged with its fields. Next, when building two farms, place them side by side so their layouts lock together. As a result, roads and pathways are easier to build. In addition, this setup makes it simple to position the Rendering works, the Soap factory and Warehouses nearby, keeping the chain efficient. This also makes the build easy to copy once your population increases.
- Function – produces pigs that can be sent to the Slaughterhouse or to the Rendering works to produce Soap in Anno 1800.
- Placement –Pig farms can be placed anywhere. Ensure that you have room for the five pig styes that are required.
- Production rate – the Pig farm will produce one ton of pigs every minute.
- Efficiency tips – place all the styes down and place next to a Rendering works for efficiency.
Rendering works
The Rendering Works in Anno 1800 is a production building that converts pigs into tallow, forming a crucial step in the soap production chain.
To build the Rendering works, you will need the following:
- $500 credits
- 4 timber
- 5 bricks
- 3 steel beams
- 3×3 tile space for the building
In addition to the construction costs above, you will also have the following ongoing costs:
- 40 workers
- 40 credits per minute for maintenance
- -5 attractiveness penalty
Once these conditions are met, the rendering works will start producing 1 ton of tallow per minute. This means there will be a steady supply of tallow for this production chain.
- Function – produces tallow for the Soap factory.
- Placement – can be placed anywhere.
- Production rate – the Rendering works produces one ton of tallow every minute.
- Regions – Old World and Cape Trelawney.
- Unlocks – unlocks at 300 workers.
Soap factory
The Soap factory is the final building in the chain to create soap. The Soap factory will turn your tallow in to Soap. Soap is a basic need of both workers and artisans. Keeping a good supply of Soap will ensure that your Workers and Artisans remain happy.
To build the Soap factory, you will need the following:
- $500 credits
- 4 timber
- 5 bricks
- 4 steel beams
- 3×3 tile space for the building
In addition to the above, you will also need the following on going costs:
- 50 workers
- $50 credits per minute for maintenance
- -5 attractiveness penalty
Once these conditions are met the Soap factory will produce two tons of soap per minute. This means you will need at least two pig farms and two rendering works to keep up.
- Function – produces Soap in Anno 1800.
- Placement – can be placed anywhere but best by the Rendering works.
- Production rate – produces one ton every 30 seconds.
- Regions – Old World and Cape Trelawney.
- Unlocks – unlocks at 300 Workers.
Technology tree
This is the technology tree for making soap. To make soap you will first need a Pig farm. The |Pig farm will supply pigs to the Rendering works that will in turn supply tallow to the Soap factory.
Layout
This is the basic layout for the production of Soap in Anno 1800. For this layout you will need to place down two Pig farms along with two Rendering works. This is the start of the production chain and will produce two tons of tallow every minute. The next section is to place a Soap factory, this will convert the tallow into two tons of Soap every minute. This design has an easy access to two Warehouses for shorter faster delivery.
Improving the productivity
On achieving Workers you will find that you can now build a Trade union. Trade unions can be used for numerous things in Anno 1800. They boost productivity, buildings within the unions radius do not need roads to receive the benefit. As a building can only be affected by one trade union at a time it is essential that you do not overlap in your design stage.
For this build, the Trade union will be able to apply to all of the buildings in the layout. Please ensure that you follow the illustration carefully so that this happens.
Here we can see that we have placed a trade union in the centre of our layout.
Trade union items for the Pig farm
This is a list of some of the best items for the Pig farm.
| Item name | Effect | Rarity/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Water Distiller | +25% productivity, +20% workforce needed | Uncommon |
| Fine Feed Yard | + 70% productivity, +35% maintenance | Rare |
| Livestock Farmer | +30 % productivity, -60% workforce needed | Rare Expedition bonus – +30 hunting +10 medicine |
| Veterinary Antibiotics | +30% productivity | Rare Expedition bonus – +25 medicine |
| A Remedy | +40% productivity | Epic Expedition bonus – +40 medicine |
| Angelic Anthrax Vaccine | +40% productivity | Epic Expedition bonus – +35 medicine |
| Fabulous Feed Yard | +70% productivity, +20% maintenance costs | Epic |
| Rodrigo the Rancher | -80% maintenance | Epic Expedition bonus – +40 hunting +20 navigation |
Trade union items for the Rendering works
This is a list of some of the best items for the Rendering works.
| Item name | Effect | Rarity/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mercury Thermometer | +25% productivity | Uncommon |
| Slurry Tank | -25% attractiveness, +30% maintenance | Uncommon |
| Slurry Pit | -50% attractiveness, +20% maintenance | Rare |
| Sophisticated Slurry Lagoon | -75% attractiveness, +10% maintenance | Epic |
| Thielemanns Tube | +50% productivity | Epic |
Trade union items for the Soap factory
This is a list of some of the best items for the Soap factory.
| Item name | Effect | Rarity/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Soap Maker | +20% productivity | Uncommon Expedition bonus – +20 crafting |
| Herbal Hygienist | +30% productivity, -60% maintenance | Rare Expedition bonus – +30 crafting +10 medicine |
| Melting Point Apparatus | +35% productivity | Rare |
| Perfumier Prunella | -100% attractiveness, Produces soap from wood instead of tallow | Epic Expedition bonus – +40 crafting +20 medicine |
| Herve’ Savonne, Suppressor of Grime | +50% productivity, -50% workforce needed, Occasionally produces dynamite | Legendary Expedition bonus – +50 crafting +30 medicine |
Using electricity
Pig farm
The Pig farm does not receive any benefit from obtaining electricity.
Rendering works
First, connect the Rendering Works to an electricity supply. Next, once powered, the building’s efficiency increases right away. As a result, production doubles, turning pigs into tallow twice as fast. Finally, this boost strengthens the supply chain and keeps Soap Factories working at full capacity.
Soap factory
Once electricity reaches the building, the Soap Factory’s efficiency immediately improves. Then, it works at twice its normal speed, producing two tons of soap every 30 seconds. As a result, your production chain becomes much stronger, since the same number of Rendering Works can now support more Soap Factories. Moreover, electricity reduces strain on your workforce. Because output doubles, you need fewer factories to achieve the same production, saving on both maintenance costs and Worker requirements.
In addition, this boost creates surplus soap that can be traded or exported, generating a steady stream of income while still meeting your citizens’ needs. Ultimately, connecting Soap Factories to electricity is one of the most effective upgrades in the mid-game. It transforms Soap in Anno 1800, from a basic necessity into a major profit engine, stabilizing your economy and freeing resources for expansion.