How to make money in Jagged Alliance 3

How to make money in Jagged Alliance 3
Finlay Cattanach Updated on by

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Knowing how to make money in Jagged Alliance 3 is vital if you’re hoping to ever save the President and liberate Grand Chein. Like previous entries, Haemimont Games’ third entry to the trilogy drops you into strategic and tactical combat with the help of a roster of armed mercenaries – mercenaries who need to be paid.

We’ll go over how to make money in Jagged Alliance 3, what it’s used for, and the best tips for handling it to make the most of your cash. If you’re finding it a bit too challenging to avoid bankruptcy though, you can always turn on Jagged Alliance 3 Forgiving Mode to boost your income.

There are a few different ways to make money in Jagged Alliance 3. These are:

  • Controlling diamond mines.
  • Hacking hardware.
  • Selling diamonds and relics.

Let’s go over each in a bit more detail.

Selling diamonds and relics

As you battle around Grand Chein and take down members of the Legion, you’ll be able to find rare instances of valuable items when looting. In a few places, you’ll find interactable sites that require a certain skill check to unlock – usually dexterity or strength. These are most common in enemy encampments and mines, but not exclusive to them. Succeeding will allow you to loot that site. A classic example of this is an ancient tomb, a couple of which you’ll find at the diamond mine in H7 on the mainland in Satellite map view. Looting the tombs, you’ll find valuable relics which you can sell for a modest amount of cash.

money in Jagged Alliance 3: Steroid opens an ancient tomb with a relic inside it.

Diamonds are a little more common than relics, and are usually indicated by a small white diamond sigil against a red background on a lootable body. You can run into these by chance, but most commonly you’ll find them on enemies in diamond mines. The only guaranteed source of these diamond stashes are Legion diamond shipments, which you can track on the strategic map and the scrolling calendar at the bottom.

money in Jagged Alliance 3: The mercs surround the body of an enemy, with a diamond loot symbol above it.

Looting diamond stashes off individuals tends to provide slightly better rewards, though only if the gems are significant. You can use tiny diamonds to unlock loot boxes from Lalee Leywaaylender if you don’t want to sell them. Diamond shipments, however, always guarantee a larger stash. Selling a box of diamonds if you intercept a shipment grants a good amount of cash compared to smaller stashes – usually around $12,500. To sell relics or diamonds, you just need to hover over the item and right click, then select “cash in”.

Hacking hardware

Mercs skilled in hacking will come in handy for this next one. When you interact with hackable electronic gadgets and devices like phones and computers in-game, you’ll get one of two results. Either, you’ll gain valuable intel about the surrounding area and operations, or you’ll get gain cash. The more experienced the hacker, the better your chances of earning more. Keep in mind though that this method doesn’t generate much income at all, usually several hundred to a few thousand dollars.

Controlling diamond mines

This method is by far the most profitable and efficient means of making money in-game, and should be one of your top priorities in a new playthrough. Diamond mines are scattered across Grand Chein. They are owned by Adonis, but occupied by the Legion. Each time you liberate a diamond mine, Adonis will send a fraction of the income to you. This results in a base profit of $3000 per day, per mine.

money in Jagged Alliance 3: Slave Master Graff surrenders.

You can increase this even further. Liberating nearby settlements and completing side missions for the residents there will boost the loyalty of citizens in those areas. High loyalty will increase the money you earn from the diamond mines.

Be wary though, liberated mines can and will come under attack from Legion forces, so its important you make use of the Train Militia operation to keep the mines defended when your mercenaries aren’t there.

What is money used for in Jagged Alliance 3?

Money is absolutely vital in Jagged Alliance 3. You’ll need it in order to buy supplies, weapons, and ammunition from vendors at populated settlements across the map. You’ll also need money to perform various different operations, like Training Militia or R&R. Most importantly of all though, you’ll need money to pay your mercenaries.

Each mercenary can be hired on a contract for a certain number of days. After that contract runs out, you’ll need money to re-hire them. Some mercenaries will also negotiate for higher pay if they level up or perform well during the initial contract, or if you ask them to work with another merc who they don’t like. Without money, you won’t be able to keep your mercenaries on, and you’re not going to get very far with no mercenaries.

That covers all the ways to make money in Jagged Alliance 3. This game is designed to be a challenge, so be sure to keep yourself well prepared. If you need to brush up on all Jagged Alliance 3 perks and skills to make sure you pick the right mercs for your playthrough, we’ve got you covered.

What is the best way to make money in Jagged Alliance 3?

The best way to make money in Jagged Alliance 3 is to control diamond mines. Mines with nearby loyal settlements will produce higher income.

How do I find diamond shipments in Jagged Alliance 3?

The time and location of departure for diamond shipments will be marked on the rolling calendar at the bottom of the strategic view screen. You can also view the route of the shipment on the strategic view screen.