The gear progression path in Build a Base and Steal is a journey from the starter pickaxe to mythic warhammers, and the order in which you upgrade your gear determines how quickly you advance. This guide maps out the optimal progression path, from the first hours of the game to the endgame, and shows you exactly which gear to upgrade, when to upgrade it, and why.
Early Game: Starter Gear to Rare Gear
Phase 1: Starter Gear (Account Level 1-5)
The starter gear consists of a basic pickaxe, a basic rope, and a basic medkit. This gear is functional but weak, and it is sufficient for raiding the weakest bases in the game. The priority in this phase is to upgrade the starter pickaxe to level 5 before investing in any other gear. The pickaxe is your primary tool for breaking walls, and a level 5 pickaxe breaks walls roughly 50% faster than a level 1 pickaxe.
The early game also includes basic training missions that teach you how to use each type of gear. Complete these missions before attempting serious raids, because they provide bonus experience and help you understand the mechanics of each item. The training missions also award small amounts of cash, which you can use to upgrade your starter gear.
Phase 2: Uncommon Gear (Account Level 5-10)
Once your account level reaches 5, you can start obtaining uncommon gear through raids and the gear shop. The priority in this phase is to upgrade your pickaxe to uncommon rarity and level it to 5, then upgrade your rope to uncommon rarity and level it to 3. The medkit can remain at the starter rarity, because healing is less critical in the early game than wall-breaking and traversal.
The uncommon pickaxe deals 150 damage per hit, which is 50% more than the starter pickaxe. The uncommon rope has 50% more durability than the starter rope. These upgrades make a significant difference in raiding speed, and they should be prioritized over other investments.
Phase 3: Rare Gear (Account Level 10-20)
Rare gear is the first major milestone in Build a Base and Steal. Rare gear drops from mid-level raids at a rate of roughly 20%, and it also appears in the gear shop regularly. The priority in this phase is to upgrade your pickaxe to rare rarity and level it to 10, then upgrade your rope to rare rarity and level it to 5, and finally upgrade your medkit to rare rarity and level it to 3.
The rare pickaxe deals 300 damage per hit, which is 2x the damage of the uncommon pickaxe. The rare rope has 2x the durability of the uncommon rope. The rare medkit heals 100 health, which is 2x the healing of the starter medkit. These upgrades make rare gear the sweet spot for mid-game progression, and most players will spend the majority of their time in this tier.
Mid Game: Rare Gear to Epic Gear
Phase 4: Epic Gear (Account Level 20-40)
Epic gear is the bridge between the mid game and the late game. Epic gear drops from high-level raids at a rate of roughly 10%, and it also appears in the gear shop occasionally. The priority in this phase is to upgrade your pickaxe to epic rarity and level it to 10, then upgrade your hammer to epic rarity and level it to 10, then upgrade your rope to epic rarity and level it to 5, and finally upgrade your medkit to epic rarity and level it to 5.
The epic pickaxe deals 400 damage per hit, which is 33% more than the rare pickaxe. The epic hammer deals 500 damage per hit, which makes it significantly faster than the pickaxe for breaking walls. The epic rope has 2x the durability of the rare rope. The epic medkit heals 200 health, which is 2x the healing of the rare medkit.
The Gear Score Threshold
The gear score is a numeric value that represents the overall power of your gear. Each item contributes to the gear score based on its rarity and level. A level 10 rare pickaxe contributes roughly 500 points to the gear score. A level 10 epic pickaxe contributes roughly 700 points. The gear score determines which bases you can raid successfully: bases with a higher gear score than yours are extremely difficult to raid, while bases with a lower gear score than yours are relatively easy.
The optimal gear score progression is to reach 500 by account level 20, 1000 by account level 30, and 1500 by account level 40. Reaching these thresholds ensures that you can raid the majority of bases in the game, and it also maximizes your drop rates for higher-rarity gear.
Late Game: Epic Gear to Legendary Gear
Phase 5: Legendary Gear (Account Level 40-60)
Legendary gear is the penultimate tier, and it represents a major leap in power over epic gear. Legendary gear drops from tier 3-4 boss encounters at a rate of roughly 5%, and it also has a 2-3% drop rate from raids on bases with a gear score above 1500. The priority in this phase is to upgrade your hammer to legendary rarity and level it to 10, then upgrade your pickaxe to legendary rarity and level it to 10, then upgrade your rope to legendary rarity and level it to 5, and finally upgrade your medkit to legendary rarity and level it to 5.
The legendary hammer deals 1000 damage per hit, which is 2x the damage of the epic hammer. The legendary pickaxe deals 800 damage per hit, which is 2x the damage of the epic pickaxe. The legendary rope has infinite durability, which means it never breaks. The legendary medkit heals 400 health, which is 2x the healing of the epic medkit.
The Tier 3 Boss Gateway
Tier 3 boss encounters are the gateway to legendary gear. The bosses drop legendary items at a rate of 5%, and they also drop crafting materials for legendary gear at a rate of 10%. The bosses are significantly harder than normal bases, but the rewards are worth the effort. The optimal strategy is to grind tier 3 boss encounters until you have obtained a full set of legendary gear, then move on to tier 4 and tier 5 bosses.
Endgame: Legendary Gear to Mythic Gear
Phase 6: Mythic Gear (Account Level 60+)
Mythic gear is the ultimate goal in Build a Base and Steal. Mythic gear drops from tier 5 boss encounters at a rate of roughly 3%, and it also has a 1% drop rate from raids on bases with a gear score above 2000. The priority in this phase is to upgrade your hammer to mythic rarity and level it to 10, then upgrade your pickaxe to mythic rarity and level it to 10, then upgrade your rope to mythic rarity and level it to 5, and finally upgrade your medkit to mythic rarity and level it to 5.
The mythic hammer deals 2000 damage per hit, which is 2x the damage of the legendary hammer. The mythic pickaxe deals 1000 damage per hit, which is 1.25x the damage of the legendary pickaxe. The mythic rope has infinite durability and allows you to climb any surface. The mythic medkit heals 500 health and provides resurrection.
The Crafting Path
The crafting path allows you to upgrade a legendary item to mythic without ever rolling a mythic. The crafting path is expensive in terms of materials, but it is guaranteed. The optimal crafting strategy is to craft the mythic items that have the lowest drop rates, and to roll for the mythic items that have the highest drop rates.
Upgrade Priority Within Each Tier
Within each gear tier, the upgrade priority is consistent across all phases. The first priority is the pickaxe, because the pickaxe is the primary tool for breaking walls and progressing through bases. The second priority is the hammer, because the hammer is the fastest wall-breaker and is essential for speed-running raids. The third priority is the rope, because the rope is essential for traversing multi-floor bases. The fourth priority is the medkit, because healing is less critical than breaking walls or traversing floors.
The upgrade priority also depends on your playstyle. If you prefer melee raiding, prioritize the hammer over the pickaxe. If you prefer ranged raiding, prioritize the crossbow over the hammer. If you prefer traversal-heavy raids, prioritize the rope over all other items.
Common Progression Mistakes
The most common progression mistake is upgrading gear unevenly. A player upgrades their pickaxe to legendary but leaves their hammer at epic, which creates a bottleneck because the hammer is faster than the pickaxe for breaking walls. The fix is to upgrade your entire loadout evenly, so that no single item is lagging behind the others.
The second most common mistake is skipping tiers. A player saves up resources and jumps directly from rare gear to legendary gear, skipping the epic tier entirely. This is inefficient, because epic gear is significantly cheaper than legendary gear and provides a meaningful power boost. The fix is to upgrade through each tier in order, even if it feels slower, because the cumulative cost of upgrading through all tiers is lower than the cost of jumping directly to the final tier.
The third most common mistake is ignoring the gear score. A player focuses on obtaining high-rarity gear without paying attention to their gear score, and then wonders why they are unable to raid high-level bases. The fix is to track your gear score and ensure that you are hitting the recommended thresholds at each account level.
The Optimal Progression Timeline
The optimal progression timeline for Build a Base and Steal is as follows:
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Account Level 1-5: Starter gear, focus on training missions.
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Account Level 5-10: Uncommon gear, focus on upgrading the pickaxe.
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Account Level 10-20: Rare gear, focus on reaching gear score 500.
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Account Level 20-30: Epic gear, focus on reaching gear score 1000.
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Account Level 30-40: Epic gear, focus on reaching gear score 1500.
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Account Level 40-50: Legendary gear, focus on grinding tier 3 bosses.
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Account Level 50-60: Legendary gear, focus on grinding tier 4 bosses.
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Account Level 60+: Mythic gear, focus on grinding tier 5 bosses.
Following this timeline ensures that you are always raiding appropriate bases and that you are maximizing your drop rates for higher-rarity gear. Deviating from this timeline is possible, but it will likely slow your progression.
Gear progression is the backbone of Build a Base and Steal. Follow the optimal path, upgrade evenly, and you will reach the mythic endgame in months rather than years.
See Also
Quick Stats Reference
| Element | Typical Value | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| Cash per minute | 50 - 500 | Track in your daily log |
| Rolls per hour | 20 - 80 | Budget for events |
| Walls per layer | 4 - 8 | Defensive core design |
| Pets per base | 12 - 25 | Income + defense mix |
| Raid attempts/day | 3 - 10 | Energy and target rotation |
FAQ
What is the best time of day to focus on gear progression path?
Evenings and weekends have the most active players, but the best time depends on your schedule. Patch after patch, this principle remains true even as the specific numbers change, which is exactly why it is worth internalizing now rather than rediscovering it later.
How much cash should I budget for gear progression path per session?
Plan to spend roughly a quarter of daily cash on gear progression path activities. Once you understand this concept at a gut level, the specific strategies in this guide become easier to apply, and you will start seeing results faster than players who only memorize the actions.
What is the most important gear progression path concept for new players?
The key principle is that gear progression path compounds: small, consistent actions beat occasional large ones. Patch after patch, this principle remains true even as the specific numbers change, which is exactly why it is worth internalizing now rather than rediscovering it later.
How long does it take to see results from this strategy?
The first 5 days show small wins, and the second 5 days show compounding wins in gear progression path. Once you understand this concept at a gut level, the specific strategies in this guide become easier to apply, and you will start seeing results faster than players who only memorize the actions.
Does this strategy work for both solo players and teams?
Both solo players and teams benefit equally from this approach. Internalizing this principle is what separates players who plateau from players who keep climbing, and the difference is visible in the leaderboard positions after just a few weeks.