Managing taxes in Dune: Spice Wars is crucial for maintaining economic stability, political influence, and military strength. This guide will cover how taxes work, what happens if you don’t pay them, and strategies to avoid penalties.

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1. Understanding Taxes in Dune: Spice Wars

Taxes are paid with Spice and must be managed effectively to ensure a stable economy and prevent severe penalties.

• Paying Taxes: The default tax cycle requires you to allocate a portion of your harvested Spice to the Imperial Bribe.
• Spice Control: The exchange rate bar (top right UI) lets you balance between selling Spice for Solari and reserving it for tax payments.

Why Pay Taxes?

• Avoid severe economic and political penalties.
• Maintain a strong exchange rate for Spice-to-Solari conversions.
• Prevent the spawning of powerful Sardaukar rebels, which can wipe out villages and armies.

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2. Tax Penalties: What Happens When You Don’t Pay?

Failing to pay taxes has stacking penalties that become more severe over time.

Number of Missed Payments	Penalty
1st	-2 Influence, -10% Exchange Rate
3rd	Sardaukar Rebels Spawn
5th+	-10 Influence, -50% Exchange Rate

Bribe Default Stacking Effect

• Each missed payment increases the penalty multiplier.
• Influence loss cripples political effectiveness in Landsraad voting.
• Reduced exchange rates cut Solari earnings, leading to economic collapse.
• By the third missed payment, Sardaukar Rebels spawn, severely threatening your villages and army.

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3. Sardaukar Rebels: The Tax Enforcers

What Are Sardaukar Rebels?

Sardaukar Rebels are elite AI-controlled units that spawn when you miss three tax payments in a row (exclusive to Smugglers).

Stats	Values
Strength	21
Health	600
Armor	6
Supply	100
Special Ability	Executes enemies below 20% HP

Why Are They Dangerous?

• Stronger than any early-game unit.
• Twice the health of regular rebels.
• Automatically target villages, reducing territorial control.
• Wipe out armies, leading to high Solari costs for rebuilding.

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4. Avoiding Tax Penalties and Defense Strategies

Paying Your Taxes On Time

• Keep an eye on the Spice Exchange rate and adjust it to store enough for taxes.
• Monitor the tax multiplier to ensure you don’t stack penalties.
• Use economic buildings to increase Solari generation if struggling to meet payments.

Combat Strategies Against Sardaukar Rebels

• Defensive Units & Missile Batteries: Fortify key villages with defensive militia.
• Use Operations:
  • Ceasefire – Stops enemy attacks temporarily.
  • Poison the Reserves – Cuts Sardaukar supply, preventing healing.
• Engage with multiple units to reduce their numbers before they take over key villages.

Exploit: AI Weakness to Ceasefire + Poison Reserves

A sneaky trick to immobilize Sardaukar Rebels:

1. Use Ceasefire to stop them from attacking.
2. Apply Poison Reserves to deplete their supply.
3. Once supply reaches 0, they can no longer heal and will perish over time.

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Final Thoughts: Pay or Perish

Not paying taxes in Dune: Spice Wars can have devastating long-term consequences, from crippled economies to elite rebel uprisings. While there are strategies to mitigate the damage, the safest path is always to pay your taxes on time. However, if you plan to rebel against the system, prepare for the wrath of the Sardaukar.

Let the Spice flow—but don’t forget the taxman!