Best Trade Routes

Detailed trade route atlas for CONTRABAND: Edge of the Fold. Routes organized by chapter availability, with specific goods, margins, and considerations for each.

Route fundamentals

Trade in CONTRABAND is not a random-price simulator. Each system has fixed baseline prices for its major goods, with small daily fluctuation. Rewinding does not change prices. The key to profitable trading is knowing which systems buy what at a premium and which systems produce what cheap.

Cargo capacity matters enormously. A Scout MK-I's 15 slots restricts you to low-value high-margin items; a Freight Hauler's 60 slots lets you profit on bulk goods. Plan routes around your current ship, not against it.

Chapter 1 routes (Verge-Keros only)

Three reliable Chapter 1 routes:

Route 1: The Ore Loop (Standard)

• Start: Keros-3 (refined ore producer)
• Buy: Refined ore @ 450cr/unit (up to cargo limit)
• Jump to: Verge-2 (agricultural moon, needs ore for tools)
• Sell: Refined ore @ 630cr/unit (40% margin)
• Return cargo: Luxury rations @ 280cr/unit
• Sell at Keros-3: @ 360cr/unit (29% return margin)
• Round-trip profit (full Courier cargo): ~6,800cr per loop

Route 2: Manifest Paper (Low-volume, high-margin)

• Start: Verge Station
• Buy: Certified manifest paper @ 200cr/unit (low-weight, small quantity)
• Jump to: Keros-7
• Sell: @ 1,400cr/unit (600% margin)
• Catch: Keros-7 only buys small quantities per visit (max 10 units). Supplement with Route 1 for bulk.

Route 3: Fuel Arbitrage (Low-risk, consistent)

• Buy fuel cells cheap at Verge Station (500cr/unit)
• Sell fuel cells at Keros-7 or Keros-4 abandoned array (800cr/unit)
• Margin: 60% but small per unit. Scales with cargo capacity.

Chapter 2 routes (Weaver-aligned)

Once Chapter 2 unlocks Weaver space and you have access to Weaver merchants, margins improve significantly:

Route 4: Weaver Data (High-margin, reputation-gated)

• Source: Ash Ring asteroid field (part of Missing Pilot side quest path)
• Item: Fold-touched data
• Sell to: Weaver sanctum at +40 reputation or higher
• Margin: +120% over base market
• Requires: Salvage capability (drop from Fold Echoes or Ash Ring terminals)

Route 5: Certified Tech Smuggling

• Buy: Core Worlds certified tech at Verge Station (market rate)
• Sell at: Scourge Reach border stations (2× markup because the seal has value)
• Risk: Scourge patrols in the Reach. Travel with combat-capable ship.

Chapter 3 routes (all regions)

Chapter 3 opens every region including the Silent Fold (with Resonator drive):

Route 6: Silent Fold Supply

• Buy: Luxury rations at Verge-2 (280cr/unit)
• Sell at: Silent Fold mining colonies (364cr/unit, 30% margin)
• Note: Mining colonies only exist in certain Fold systems; locations shift slightly over time.

Route 7: Scourge Salvage

• Source: Defeat Scourge ships for component drops
• Sell to: Hooded Buyer at 3× market rate
• Warning: Repeated sales apply Scourge Mark progression. Limit to occasional use if avoiding the mark.

Route economics by ship

Choosing the right ship for your route matters:

• Scout MK-I (15 cargo) — Only viable for Route 2 (manifest paper) due to capacity.
• Courier (25 cargo) — Works for all Chapter 1 routes. Standard early-game trader.
• Corvette (30 cargo) — Slightly better than Courier for bulk + combat capability for Chapter 2 routes.
• Freight Hauler (60 cargo) — Optimal for bulk routes. Quadruples Courier profit per loop.
• Capital Warship (80 cargo) — Highest capacity but overkill for most routes. Only efficient if pursuing multiple stops per trip.

Reputation considerations

Some routes carry reputation consequences:

• Route 5 (Certified Tech Smuggling) — No reputation impact. Clean legal smuggling.
• Route 7 (Scourge Salvage) — Gradual Scourge Mark progression. Track it.
• Route 4 (Weaver Data) — Requires and generates Weaver reputation. Synergistic if pursuing the Weaver path.

When to stop trading

After you hit 75,000-100,000cr and own a Rare-tier ship, credits become less scarce than time. Continuing to grind cargo routes at that point is a diminishing-returns activity. Shift to mission chains and story content.