Plunder

Plunder is an amount of resources given, when destroying or razing a building, capturing a city, or slaying specific enemy units.

Destroying or razing a building or a wonder always yields a fixed amount of a particular resource, which usually matches the type of structure (e.g., destroying/razing a Farm or Granary always yields some Food). When an enemy building is destroyed while it's being constructed, a share of plunder based on the level of completion is given. When a building is destroyed while it's being razed, the plunder in turn goes to the enemy. Knowledge is the only resource which cannot be acquired this way - except when destroying the Super Collider wonder, which gives a large amount of Knowledge.

Here is a complete list of plunder values of all buildings and wonders below.

Cities are plundered when they are captured. Capturing a nation's capital yields 500 of every resource currently available to the nation (except for Knowledge).

A few units can be plundered as well:

General or Patriot +100 Wealth (Known as Ransom)
Caravan +50 Wealth
Supply Wagon +50 Wealth

Plunder values generally do not change or increase through the ages, nor can be increased through research or in any other way. An exception to this are military fortifications (Lookouts, Towers and Forts) - plunder values of these increase with every upgrade. When Stables upgrade to Auto Plants in the Industrial Age, the plundered resource changes from Food to Metal.

Aztecs, Russians, and Despotism[]

Much of the Aztecs' power and strategy revolves around plundering the enemy: When destroying enemy buildings, they receive the double amount of plunder. In addition to this they also receive some resources when slaying enemy units: +15 per age, up to a maximum of 60 (this limit is reached in the Gunpowder Age). Slaying units always adds to the resource the nation currently has the least of, Knowledge not taken into account.

In turn, the Russians are somewhat immune to plunder: When one of their buildings is destroyed, the plunder goes to their own treasury instead of the enemy's. Prior to patch version 03.02.07.0701, this also included the city and capital plunder when they captured one of their cities.

Adopting Despotism at a Senate gives The Despot Patriot, who provides a plunder bonus similar to the Aztecs' one: Destroying buildings within his radius yields double plunder and slaying enemy units gives +15 of the resource the nation currently has the least of, except for Knowledge. Plunder from units does not increase with ages, however, and the Patriot power is gone when adopting a new government.