Trading in Build a Base and Steal is a complex economy with fluctuating prices, market trends, and opportunities for profit. This FAQ answers the most common questions about trading pets, gear, and materials, and helps you navigate the market effectively.
Pet Trading
Q: How are pet prices determined?
A: Pet prices are determined by rarity, friendship level, and special abilities. Rarity is the primary factor, with mythics being the most expensive and commons being the least. Friendship level is the secondary factor, with high-friendship pets selling for a premium because the friendship investment is preserved. Special abilities are the tertiary factor, with pets that have percentage-based abilities selling for a premium because those abilities are more valuable than flat bonuses.
Q: What is a fair price for a legendary pet?
A: A fair price for a legendary pet varies by the specific legendary and its friendship level. A level 1 legendary with a weak special ability typically sells for 3,000-5,000 cash. A level 10 legendary with a strong percentage-based ability can sell for 7,000-10,000 cash. Mythic pets are significantly more expensive, with level 1 mythics selling for 30,000-50,000 cash and level 10 mythics selling for 100,000+ cash.
Q: Should I sell my high-friendship pets or keep them?
A: Keep high-friendship pets if they are part of your core roster or if they have unique special abilities that synergize with your build. Sell high-friendship pets if they are redundant or if you can obtain a higher-rarity replacement. The friendship investment is preserved in the trade, so selling a high-friendship pet does not waste that investment. The decision depends on whether the pet contributes more to your income than the cash you would receive from selling it.
Gear Trading
Q: How are gear prices determined?
A: Gear prices are determined by rarity, level, durability, and special effects. Rarity and level are the primary factors, with higher-level mythics being the most expensive. Durability is the secondary factor, with gear that has high remaining durability selling for a premium. Special effects are the tertiary factor, with gear that has set bonuses or unique effects selling for a premium.
Q: What is a fair price for a mythic warhammer?
A: A fair price for a mythic warhammer varies by level and server. A level 1 mythic warhammer typically sells for 50,000-70,000 cash. A level 10 mythic warhammer can sell for 150,000-200,000 cash. Legendary gear is significantly cheaper, with level 1 legendaries selling for 5,000-10,000 cash and level 10 legendaries selling for 20,000-30,000 cash.
Q: Should I buy or craft mythic gear?
A: Buy mythic gear if the drop rate is above 2%, because rolling is more efficient than crafting. Craft mythic gear if the drop rate is below 1%, because crafting provides a guaranteed path. The mythic warhammer has a 1% drop rate, so crafting is generally more efficient. The mythic rope has a 2% drop rate, so buying is generally more efficient. The decision also depends on your material stockpile and your risk tolerance.
Material Trading
Q: How are material prices determined?
A: Material prices are determined by the crafting cycle and the boss raiding cycle. Prices rise when many players are crafting and fall when crafting activity is low. Prices also fall when many players are raiding bosses and rise when boss raiding is low. Events can cause temporary price spikes by increasing crafting activity.
Q: What is a fair price for mythic stars?
A: A fair price for mythic stars is 4,000-6,000 cash. Mythic stars are the bottleneck material for mythic crafting, so the price is relatively stable. Prices may spike temporarily during events that increase mythic crafting activity, but the price typically returns to the 4,000-6,000 range after the event ends.
Q: Should I stockpile materials or sell them immediately?
A: Stockpile materials if you plan to craft in the near future, because material prices are stable and predictable. Sell materials immediately if you need cash for other investments or if you do not plan to craft in the near future. The material market does not have the volatility that the pet and gear markets have, so there is no significant advantage to timing the market.
Market Strategies
Q: How do I identify undervalued assets?
A: Identify undervalued assets by comparing the current price to the typical price range for that asset type. If a legendary pet is selling for 3,000 cash when the typical range is 5,000-7,000, that pet is undervalued. Use market knowledge and community price guides to understand typical price ranges, and act quickly when you find undervalued assets before other traders notice.
Q: What is the difference between flipping and holding?
A: Flipping is buying an undervalued asset and immediately selling it at a higher price. Holding is buying an undervalued asset and waiting for the price to rise significantly before selling. Flipping generates small, consistent profits with low risk. Holding generates large, infrequent profits with higher risk. Both strategies are valid, and many traders use a combination of both.
Q: How do I profit from cross-server arbitrage?
A: Cross-server arbitrage involves buying assets in a low-price server and selling them in a high-price server. Monitor prices across multiple servers and identify assets with large price discrepancies. Buy the asset in the low-price server, transport it to the high-price server, and sell it for a profit. The profit margin must exceed the transportation cost for arbitrage to be profitable.
Technical Questions
Q: How do trading fees work?
A: Trading fees are 5% of the transaction value, deducted from both the buyer and the seller. A buyer pays 5% more than the listed price, and a seller receives 5% less than the listed price. The fee discourages excessive trading and provides a gold sink for the economy. Factor the fee into your profit calculations when evaluating trades.
Q: Are there any trading restrictions?
A: Trading is restricted for new players with account level below 10. New players can only buy items, not sell items. This restriction prevents scammers from exploiting new players. Once you reach account level 10, full trading is unlocked. There are no other trading restrictions.
Q: How do I avoid trading scams?
A: Avoid trading scams by dealing only with reputable traders, by verifying the item details before completing the trade, and by using the official trading interface. Never agree to trades outside of the official interface, as these are almost always scams. Report scammers to the moderators to protect other players.
Market Timing
Q: When is the best time to sell pets?
A: The best time to sell pets is during events that increase pet demand, such as rolling events or rebirth events. During these events, many players are looking for specific pets, and prices rise accordingly. The best time to sell gear is during events that increase raiding activity, such as boss raid events. The best time to sell materials is during events that increase crafting activity, such as evolution events.
Q: How do I predict market trends?
A: Predict market trends by monitoring the event calendar and understanding the mechanics of each event. Rolling events increase pet demand and prices. Raiding events increase gear demand and prices. Crafting events increase material demand and prices. Plan your trading around these predictable patterns to maximize profit.
Q: Should I trade during server resets?
A: Server resets can create temporary market dislocations as players adjust to the new server environment. Prices may be temporarily low immediately after a reset, as players liquidate assets to rebuild. This can be a good opportunity to buy undervalued assets. However, prices also may be unpredictable during resets, so exercise caution.
Trading is a complex but rewarding playstyle. Master the market, and you can generate massive wealth without ever raiding or rolling.
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 |
Additional Strategic Context
What follows is an expansion on the practical considerations that experienced players apply when using the strategies outlined above for the trading faq area of faq. The content here is drawn from community testing, observed high-level play patterns, and the documented interactions between faq mechanics and other game systems. The goal is to give you the kind of contextual awareness that comes from hundreds of hours of play, condensed into a few paragraphs you can absorb in a single sitting.
Before diving into the specifics of trading faq, take a moment to understand the meta-game that surrounds the visible game. The visible game is the rolling, building, and raiding loop. The meta-game is the patch cycle, the community discourse, the trading economy, and the long-term progression arc. The visible game is what you do for 30 minutes in a session. The meta-game is what you optimize for over weeks and months. The most successful players treat both games with equal seriousness, and they understand that the meta-game is where the truly large gains come from.
The relationship between faq and trading is often overlooked by newer players. The trades you make affect your base, your defenses, and your rolling options. A pet that is best in your base might be worth more as a trade asset. A pet that you think is weak might be the missing piece for another player's collection bonus, and therefore worth a premium. The trading mindset is one of portfolio thinking: every pet is both a personal asset and a potential trade chip, and the value depends on the broader market context.
Finally, faq rewards consistency over intensity. The player who logs in for 30 minutes every day and follows a deliberate plan will out-progress the player who logs in for 5 hours once a week and does whatever catches their attention. The reason is the same as for any compounding system: small, regular actions compound into large gains over time, while sporadic large actions produce sporadic large results with no compounding.