Building Order in Xterium — What to Build and in What Order

It’s best not to build structures at the base haphazardly, but rather in a logical order: first, the ones that fuel the economy and remove restrictions, then everything else. Below is the building order for new players. Which buildings unlock after which, and what their requirements are, has been verified against the game code; the general pace of development is based on advice from the community.

Before you start, you should choose the universe, and if this is your very first time playing, start with the guide How to Get Started as a Newbie. Then come back here for the building order.

Where did this guide come from? The building names, requirements, and unlock order are taken directly from the Xterium War of Alliances game code. Recommendations on progression (“what’s best to level up first”) were compiled by the player community—on the player wiki and in the forum thread (authors include players Storm22073, Shataev, Kara, and others). For exact level and price figures, see the encyclopedia.

Step 1. Mines and the Power Plant—The Foundation

The entire economy relies on resource extraction, and extraction relies on energy. Therefore, prioritize the following:

• Metal Mine and Crystal Mine — the main resources for everything;
• [](/knowledge/encyclopedia/buildings/sintezator-deyteriya) deuterium synthesizer — fuel for the fleet, and later for the mines;
• [](/knowledge/encyclopedia/buildings/elektrostantsiya) Power Plant — alongside the mines.]

Keep your mines at roughly the same level (you’ll need a little more metal). The main rule: energy must not go into the negative—if there is a shortage of energy, mining output in the mines drops. How energy balance is calculated is explained in the mechanics section Resource Mining and Energy.

Step 2. The Lab — Launches Research

The Laboratory provides science and is required to even start research. Without it, the tech tree remains stagnant, and technologies unlock a new fleet, defenses, and permanent bonuses. Upgrade the laboratory early—which research to prioritize is outlined in a separate guide which research to unlock.

Step 3. Storage — so resources don't go to waste

When production increases, the warehouse becomes full, and excess resources stop accumulating. That's when you need storage facilities:

• [](/knowledge/encyclopedia/buildings/hranilische-metalla) Metal Storage — unlocks when the metal mine reaches level 5;
• [](/knowledge/encyclopedia/buildings/hranilische-kristalla) Crystal Vault — requires a Level 5 crystal mine;
• [](/knowledge/encyclopedia/buildings/hranilische-deyteriya) — requires a Level 5 deuterium synthesizer.]

Don't build storage facilities "just in case"; build them only when production actually starts to hit the warehouse's capacity limit.

Step 4. Robot Factory and Shipyard — Speed up construction and provide a fleet

The robot factory speeds up construction—the higher its level, the faster everything is built. This building pays for itself, so it's built early on.

[](/knowledge/encyclopedia/buildings/verf)'s shipyard is needed to build ships and defenses: almost the entire fleet and all defensive structures require a shipyard of a certain level. Without a shipyard, you can't even set up basic defenses.

Step 5. Advanced Buildings — As You Progress

Next, buildings with research requirements become available. They are built when you have the resources and the necessary technologies become available:

• [](/knowledge/encyclopedia/buildings/termoelektrostantsiya) Thermal Power Plant — an alternative energy source; unlocked upon completing the Level 3 Energy] research (runs on deuterium);
• [](/knowledge/encyclopedia/buildings/fond-proizvodstva) Production Fund — unlocked upon completing the Level 1 [](/knowledge/encyclopedia/research/dobycha-resursov) Resource Extraction research;
• [](/knowledge/encyclopedia/buildings/terraformer) — adds plots for construction; requires Level 5 Energy;
• Nanite Factory — further speeds up construction; requires a Level 10 Robot Factory and the Level 5 Microprocessors research;
• [](/knowledge/encyclopedia/buildings/orbitalnaya-stantsiya) Space Station — unlocked upon completing the Level 1 quest [](/knowledge/encyclopedia/research/svyaz-alyansa) Alliance Communication];
• CosmoPort, Technopolis, and others—as needed.

A complete list of buildings and their profiles can be found in the Buildings section of the encyclopedia.

Why this particular order?

• First, mining and energy—without resources and energy, everything else is pointless. That’s the foundation of the foundation.
• Then there's the lab—it "unlocks" technologies, and those technologies unlock the fleet and defense.
• There's no need to build storage facilities in advance—only when production reaches capacity.
• The robot factory is a good early investment—it speeds up all construction, so it pays for itself.
• A shipyard—when you need a fleet and a defense—you can't build ships or defenses without one.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should you build first in Xterium? A metal mine and a crystal mine, and at the same time, a power plant to ensure there’s enough energy for mining. A little later, connect the deuterium synthesizer. This is the foundation on which everything else rests.

When should storage facilities be built? When production begins to reach the warehouse capacity limit and excess resources stop accumulating. The metal storage facility unlocks at Level 5 of the metal mine; the crystal storage facility unlocks at Level 5 of the crystal mine; and the deuterium storage facility unlocks at Level 5 of the deuterium synthesizer.

Why do we need a robot factory? It speeds up the construction of all buildings—the higher the level, the faster construction proceeds. That's why it's upgraded early: it saves time on everything else.

When should the shipyard be built? As soon as you need ships or defenses. Almost the entire fleet and all defensive structures require a shipyard of a certain level; without one, you can't even set up basic defenses.

Do we need to build everything at once? No. Develop your base in a balanced way: mining, energy, and the lab are the foundation; focus on the rest as you grow and as the necessary research becomes available. Focusing too much on a single branch slows down your progress.

What to Read Next

Once your base is up and running, figure out which research to unlock and how to build defenses. The following mechanics are also helpful: construction time and cost, temperature and deuterium, as well as a glossary of terms.