The Ultimate Guide to Merchant Leveling in Brighter Shores

By Ryan • Last Updated: November 27th, 2024

Merchanting in Brighter Shores is one of the fastest skills to level and a fantastic source of knowledge points. However, optimizing your time and efforts requires strategy and some key unlocks. This guide covers everything you need to level the Merchant profession efficiently, from useful unlocks to prioritizing routes and bounties.

Essential Unlocks and Preparations

Detective Skill

While not mandatory, having Detective skill at level 83 is highly recommended. Here's why:

Crime Den Raids: These raids unlock permanent shortcuts on the map, improving travel efficiency for Merchanting routes.
Progression: Start with the level 4 raids and work your way up. Once you clear one, the shortcut remains unlocked, even if you stop training Detective.
Efficiency: Training Detective through raids yields both Detective and Watchperson experience, which you'll need for clearing paths later in the game.

Fortune Hold Path Unlock

At Merchant level 55, you can unlock the Fortune Hold path by starting the "The Battle of Fortunehold" quest. This shortcut connects several critical stalls, making your routes faster and more efficient.

The Battle of Fortunehold Quest

Combat Readiness

As you progress, stronger mobs may block key routes. Ensure your Watchperson level is high enough to handle these challenges or bypass them safely.

General Tips

Knowledge Points: Do not spend knowledge points on Merchanting itself. Use these points to boost slower skills like Carpentry or Foraging.
AFK-Friendly: If you enjoy multitasking, Merchanting can still be leveled passively, but active gameplay is far more rewarding in terms of XP and profits.

Tier List: Prioritizing Bounties

Efficient leveling depends on focusing on high-priority bounties and minimizing travel time. Below is a bounty tier list to guide your decisions.

S-Tier: Always Take These bounties are central to efficient routes and provide high XP and knowledge points:	Bananas: Buy from the Fruit Stall, turn in at the Clockwork Stall.	Pumpkins: Purchased at the Pumpkin Stall, turned in alongside other high-priority items.	Arganian Wine: Bought from Tommy's Wines, turned in at nearby stalls.
A-Tier: Recommended While not as central as S-Tier, these bounties are convenient and provide solid XP:	Pizzas: Purchased from the Pizza Stall, turned in near key routes.	Carriage Clocks: Buy at the Clockwork Stall, turn in at Penny's Clockworks.	Vases: Easily acquired and turned in along frequently traveled paths.
B-Tier: Situational Pick these up if they complement other bounties or align with your planned route:	Textile Cloth: Available at the Textile Stall, useful for supporting other turn-ins.	Watches: Convenient if you're already visiting stalls nearby.	Soap: Sometimes worth taking if your route brings you near the Soap Stall.
C-Tier: Rarely Take These bounties are often out of the way and only worth considering if there's a duplicate:	Cheese: Requires passing through combat-heavy areas.	Cyclops Antiques: Too far removed from efficient routes.
Never Avoid these bounties entirely due to time inefficiency or combat risks:	Anything requiring trips to the Unicorn Farm or Cyclops Store.

Optimizing Your Routes

Central Alley Focus: Most efficient routes revolve around the Central Alley connecting the Fruit Stall, Clockwork Stall, Penny's Clockworks, and adjacent turn-in points.
Juggling Resources: Leave extras from S- and A-Tier bounties along your main routes. For example, drop extra Carriage Clocks near Penny's Clockworks for quick turn-ins later.

Advanced Techniques

Duplicate Prioritization

Duplicate bounties (the same task appearing twice or more) are worth prioritizing as they maximize efficiency.

Resource Juggling

While juggling items was more viable at lower levels, it's still useful for high-priority items like Bananas or Wine. Keep extras in common areas to save time when duplicates appear.

Time-Saving Teleports

Save seconds by clicking toward your next destination before the teleport animation completes. Over time, these small efficiencies add up significantly.

Tools and Resources

Route Finder Tool

For beginners, tools like the RouteFinder can help map out efficient paths based on your current bounties. While manual routing becomes more intuitive over time, these tools are excellent for learning the ropes.

Community Maps and Wikis

Leverage our complete Brighter Shores map that details where items are bought and turned in. This can save significant time as you familiarize yourself with Merchant locations.

Conclusion

Merchanting is a rewarding and efficient profession in Brighter Shores when approached with the right strategies. By focusing on S- and A-Tier bounties, utilizing key unlocks like Detective raids, and continually optimizing your routes, you'll maximize both your XP and profits.

Whether you're aiming for level 200+ or just enjoying the process, Merchant remains one of the game's most versatile and engaging professions.

More Brighter Shores Guides

• A Beginner's Guide To Faction-Specific Weapon Crafting Professions
• Complete World Map for Brighter Shores — Episodes: 1, 2, 3 & 4
• How to Unlock More Bank Space in Brighter Shores
• How to Unlock Ventures for Effortless XP Gains
• Reaching Level 32 Carpenter Quickly For The Spider's Nest Quest
• The Best Route to Level Forager Fast in Brighter Shores

Recent News