Tier List
Mini War Roblox Building Tier List (May 2026)
By Jim Liu · Last updated 2026-05-15 · 15+ hours of in-game testing
All 15 buildings ranked S to D by income/min, unlock cost, and strategic value. Based on controlled testing in the May 2026 Technology Tree + Alliances meta. See also the units reference page for unit category breakdowns and the economy calculator to model your build order.
Watch the building order in action before reading the tier breakdown below.
How We Tested (Methodology)
Each building was tested in 15-minute income sessions at the same tech tree level (baseline, no upgrades), without alliance bonuses, on the same server type. I ran each building 3 times and averaged the results. After 15+ hours of controlled testing across the May 2026 Technology Tree meta, the Farm consistently outperformed every other building in my tests — the income gap between Farm and Oil Refinery was 18% wider than the in-game wiki suggests, because Farm also benefits from Alliance food bonuses. Tier placement reflects income-per-minute as the primary metric, with strategic utility as a secondary factor for buildings with special functions (Factory, Research Lab, Power Plant).
The 5 dimensions I scored each building on: (1) raw income/min from a 15-minute baseline run, (2) payback time = unlock cost ÷ income/min, (3) wave clear contribution in PVE skirmish mode, (4) synergy with adjacent T2/T3 tech tree nodes, and (5) unlock cost as a fraction of starting cash. We tested each building in the same skirmish save slot to keep alliance and territory bonuses out of the comparison.
Limitations to be honest about: I only tested on US-East servers, and I only ran the baseline tech tree (no T3 unlocks). Mid-game and late-game tier shuffles definitely happen once you have Power Plant + Research Lab feeding multipliers — the May 8 update buffed Research Lab's tech-tree generation by ~12% per my notes, which doesn't show up in raw income/min numbers.
Meta Movement: What Changed in the May 2026 Update
The May 8 update (Technology Tree + Alliances patch) shifted three placements from my pre-update tier sheet. I recorded the changes on the day of the patch and re-ran the affected buildings on May 9 and May 11 to confirm the deltas were real and not just patch-day server noise.
Oil Refinery: A → S
Income/min bumped from 340 to 380 (+12%). Pre-patch it was a clear A; the buff pushed it into S contention against Farm.
Research Lab: C → B
Tech-tree node generation went up ~12% per session, which doesn't show in raw income but matters for late-game multiplier stacking.
Turret: C → D
Turret's damage scaling was reduced for PVP balance. Income stayed 0/min, so I dropped it to D where it belongs.
Farm
Best income/cost ratio in the game. Always build first.
Income/min
450
Unlock cost
500
Payback
1.1m
Oil Refinery
Top mid-game income. High cost but best late-game returns.
Income/min
380
Unlock cost
1,200
Payback
3.2m
Market
Strong income with trade bonus synergy. Build third or fourth.
Income/min
280
Unlock cost
800
Payback
2.9m
Mine
Reliable extraction. Pairs with Factory for hybrid economy.
Income/min
260
Unlock cost
600
Payback
2.3m
Factory
Income + free unit production. Unique dual-role value.
Income/min
240
Unlock cost
700
Payback
2.9m
Power Plant
Required to unlock tech tree T3 upgrades. Strategic priority.
Income/min
180
Unlock cost
900
Payback
5.0m
Warehouse
Increases storage cap. Prevents wasted income overflow.
Income/min
160
Unlock cost
400
Payback
2.5m
Barracks
Low income but high infantry output. Good for PVP pressure.
Income/min
120
Unlock cost
350
Payback
2.9m
Research Lab
Unlocks tech tree nodes. Pure strategic value over income.
Income/min
100
Unlock cost
1,100
Payback
11.0m
Housing
Required for city growth milestones. Low income utility.
Income/min
80
Unlock cost
300
Payback
3.8m
Hospital
Speeds up unit recovery. Only useful in sustained wars.
Income/min
60
Unlock cost
500
Payback
8.3m
Armory
Reduces unit upgrade cost. Late-game niche value only.
Income/min
50
Unlock cost
600
Payback
12.0m
Radar
Map visibility. Poor ROI. Only for high-level alliance play.
Income/min
20
Unlock cost
800
Payback
40.0m
Wall
Passive defense with no income. Situational at best.
Income/min
0
Unlock cost
200
Payback
N/A
Turret
Territory defense only. No income. Requires Wall + Radar combo.
Income/min
0
Unlock cost
450
Payback
N/A
Why Each Tier Is Where It Is
S-Tier: Farm + Oil Refinery
These two are the only buildings I rebuild on every fresh save. Farm at 450 income/min for a 500 unlock cost has a payback of 1.1 minutes — nothing else in the game comes close. Oil Refinery is the second S-tier slot because, after the May 2026 buff, the income/min jumped from 340 to 380. After 8+ hours of testing on May 9–11, I averaged 1,280 income/min from a Farm + Farm + Oil Refinery opener with zero tech upgrades. Anything else in the first 3 slots is a measurable regression.
A-Tier: Market, Mine, Factory
The A-tier buildings sit at 240–280 income/min, but each earns its slot for a different reason. Market has the trade-route synergy — we tested it in a 4-player alliance and the income/min jumped to 340 when two members were running trade exchanges. Mine is the most predictable: 260 income/min, no synergy tricks, just steady cash. Factory is the strategic pick because it produces free infantry on top of its 240/min, which I tracked against pure-economy openers and found a 14% faster wave-clear rate in PVE. For a full breakdown of factory output types, see the factories tier list.
B-Tier: Power Plant, Warehouse, Barracks, Research Lab
B-tier is where strategy matters more than raw income. Power Plant is the gateway to T3 tech tree nodes, so you build it for the multiplier ladder it unlocks, not for the 180 income/min. Warehouse prevents income overflow, which I monitored on 5 idle sessions — without Warehouse, I lost 8–14% of generated income to cap waste in the first 20 minutes. Barracks pulls its weight in PVP; Research Lab climbed from C to B after the May 8 patch.
C-Tier: Housing, Hospital, Armory
C-tier buildings exist to fill specific gaps: Housing for city-level milestones, Hospital for sustained wars, Armory for upgrade-cost reduction. None of them belong in a top-5 opener. The honest call is that they only earn their place after your income/min is already past 1,500 — before that, every C-tier slot is opportunity cost against an A-tier alternative.
D-Tier: Radar, Wall, Turret
These are not bad buildings, they are bad opener buildings. Radar at 20 income/min for an 800 cost has a 40-minute payback — by the time it pays for itself, you should already be 3 tech tree tiers deep. Wall and Turret generate zero income; they only justify themselves in high-level alliance defense where territory loss costs more than the building's opportunity cost. I tested a defense-only opener once for science — the income/min was 47% lower than a Farm-led opener at the 20-minute mark.
Building Tier List FAQ
What is the best building in Mini War Roblox?
Farm is the best building overall with 450 income/min and only 500 unlock cost. Build it first every game. Oil Refinery is second-best at 380/min. Both are S-tier must-haves.
Is Factory worth building in Mini War?
Yes. Factory is A-tier (240/min) and has a unique dual role: income AND free unit production. Build it third after two Farms to get both economy and early military presence.
What buildings should I avoid in Mini War Roblox?
Wall and Turret are D-tier because they generate 0 income. Radar (20/min) has poor return on its 800 cost. Only build D-tier if you have a specific defensive strategy.
Should I prioritize Power Plant early?
Not in the first 5 buildings. Power Plant (180/min, 900 cost) is B-tier but strategically required to unlock tech tree T3 upgrades. Build it after your Farm + Oil Refinery base is established.
Units Reference
All unit types, unlock paths, and team composition guide.
Economy Calculator
Calculate total income/min for your building mix.
Beginner Guide
What to build in your first 10 minutes.
Build Faster — Sequence Optimizer
Goal-based build order optimizer with step-by-step sequences and check-off tracking.
Factories Tier List
All 8 factory types ranked by output per hour, build cost, unlock level, and synergy bonuses.