The Importance of Building a Cranny

 

A cranny is a building where you can hide some of your resources from attackers. On the village layout, it looks like a pile of stones next to a tree.

When you're a new player, you're protected from attacks for a short period, which could be anywhere from three days to a week depending on how long the game has been going on. One of the best things you can during this time is build a cranny and upgrade it all the way to level 10. Two crannies are better if you're playing a Roman or a Teuton. Gauls can hide twice as many resources in their crannies.

How many resources can you hide?
That depends on the level of the cranny. A level 1 cranny will only hide 100 units of each resource (100 wood, 100 clay, 100 iron, 100 wheat). A level 10 cranny will conceal 1,000 units of each resource. The Travian Wiki has a cranny chart you can look at.

However, Teutons have a bonus that allows them to raid 1/3 of your crannied resources. This is assuming your cranny is filled to the max. If your cranny is only 2/3rds full, the Teutons can't touch it.

How big should the cranny be?
As big as possible! But in all seriousness, it depends on how often you're being attacked, who's attacking you, and how often you'll be able to spend your resources.

If you're only being attacked by Romans or Gauls, your cranny should protect the same amount of resources you can store in your warehouse. If you're being attacked by Teutons, your crannies should hold the maximum amount of resources your warehouse can hold, plus an extra 50%.

Travian Terminology

Travian has a whole bunch of new words you'll want to get acquainted with, especially if you plan on being active in the forums. Here's a list of the more common ones:

• Bashing: Crushing the small, the weak, and the unprepared until they are writhing under your foot! In other words, attacking someone all the time so that they never really grow.
• Catas: Short for "catapult." Most Travian users seem to refer to catapults as "catas." Catapults are nasty weapons that can destroy random buildings and troops in your village.
• Cranny: This is a structure you can build in your village to hide some of your resources from raiders. Very important! You'll want to build one of these babies right away.
• Farms: This refers to a village that someone else attacks and "farms" for resources. You don't want your village to be a farm! Usually the inactive villages are the most vulnerable to farming. Some players will repeatedly farm the same villages, sucking them dry.
• IGM: In Game Message. That's right, you can contact other players. Which is often a good idea, so long as you can write politely and intelligently. Some guys have been known to ruthlessly farm people just for saying "lol," "u," and "ur.

Travian Tribes: Romans, Gauls, and Teutons

The Romans are the best choice for beginners, since they're well-rounded and are masters at building. They are good for offense and defense, although getting the troops trained is costly and time-consuming.

They can build strong city walls, have a legendary infantry, and can improve resource fields and construct buildings simultaneously.

If you want to play the Romans effectively, there is an excellent Roman guide on the Travian forum.


The Gauls are for players who prefer to play defensively. They are more peace-loving than the other tribes on Travian, and they have speed and protection bonuses. It's possible to use Gauls to attack and raid other villages, but they are ideal for defending yourself against the other players.

Gauls get bonuses such as extra protection for their resources, speed bonus, cheap settlers, and modest defense for palisades.

To get the most from playing the Gauls, read this Gaul guide posted on the Travian forums.



The Teutons are best for offensive play. They're weak on defense, but they are ideal for launching raids on other villages. The Teutons are feared by everyone because of their berserker tendencies: They seem not to fear death at all.

Unfortunately, they aren't as strong or fast as the other tribes. However, they do get pillaging bonuses and the ability to carry large loads. They also produce troops quickly and cheaply.

Since the Teutons are probably the most challenging to play, it seems appropriate that there are two Teuton guides posted on the Travian forum. Here's the quick & dirty version, and the more detailed guide.