Elite equipment consists of two distinct components: Equipment and Extensions. Both function synergistically to enhance player statistics and represent essential city development progression. While players with substantial budgets can accelerate development through monetary expenditure, this guide provides cost-optimization strategies applicable regardless of spending capacity.
Power Ore
Power ore gathering occurs at designated map locations (blue circular mines) containing eight progressive levels. Progression through levels is time-gated; all levels unlock relatively quickly. Players can gather daily (up to four hours per session). Notably, power ore gathering does not consume fleet queue capacity, permitting parallel troop operations during conflict periods. Optimal strategy: gather from the highest accessible level daily.
Equipment
Eight distinct equipment pieces exist:
- Radar
- Computer
- Medic Pod
- Weapon Apparatus
- Reactor
- Stimulator
- Armor
- Retrofit
The endpoint objective is orange quality level 6 (unlocked at city level 35). Two progression pathways exist:
Path 1 (Non-Optimal): Begin all equipment at orange quality and exclusively use orange components for all upgrades. This approach requires substantially more resources and extends progression timelines significantly.
Path 2 (Optimized - “Gambling”): Begin at purple quality level 1, progress to level 4 using purple components. Once at level 4 gather enough materials for the left side to be completely gold and the right side purple. Once you have those pieces, rebuild at level 4 to try and get lucky for a level 4 gold piece. Typically you have a 33% chance of rebuilding a purple level 4 to gold level 4 if the left side materials are gold and the right side purple.
Equipment Leveling Mechanics
Access the Elite Equipment Facility’s Storage to view upgrade component inventory: Circuit Board, Power Pump, Console, Graphite, Sturdy Adhesive, Tungsten Steel, Trititanium Alloy, Insulation Coating, Ceramic Fiber, Conductive Rubber, Super Silver, and EM Shielding Glass. Combined with power ore, these components enable equipment upgrades.
Material Combination Conversion
Components progress through quality tiers via combining lower-tier materials:
| Target Quality | White Materials | Green Materials | Blue Materials | Purple Materials | Gold Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| Green | 5 | 1 | — | — | — |
| Blue | 25 | 5 | 1 | — | — |
| Purple | 125 | 25 | 5 | 1 | — |
| Gold | 625 | 125 | 25 | 5 | 1 |
This table illustrates resource requirements for creating higher-quality materials. For example, creating a single gold-tier component requires 625 white materials OR 125 green materials OR 25 blue materials OR 5 purple materials OR 1 gold material.
Recommended Progression Strategy (Levels 1-3): Merge components to accumulate purple-quality components through level 3. Purple components require fewer total resources than orange equivalents.
Transition to Orange (Levels 4+): At level 4, upgrade attempts begin incorporating orange components. The upgrade interface displays component requirements with availability-based positioning: easier-to-obtain components appear on the left; scarce components appear on the right. Strategic allocation conserves precious components (Circuit Boards, Power Pumps, Consoles) for later progression by maintaining left-side orange allocation and right-side purple allocation.
Orange Piece Preservation: Once an equipment piece achieves orange rarity, cease hybrid strategies. All subsequent upgrades require orange components exclusively to prevent rarity demotion. The investment accumulation (weeks/months of resources) justifies full orange commitment at this stage.
Purple Equipment Viability: Purple-quality equipment provides substantial stat bonuses and represents valid long-term holdings. Premature transition to the non-optimal full-orange path wastes resources unnecessarily.
Extensions
Extensions represent the most resource-intensive elite equipment component. Each equipment piece accommodates three extensions, each progressing to level 6. Extensions require substantially greater resource investment than equipment and provide no hybrid upgrade pathways (gambling equivalent unavailable). Extensions operate through distinct rarity tiers with orange serving as the optimal target quality.
Extension Creation
Extension creation requires 100 blueprint fragments assembled into a single blueprint. Blueprints exist in four rarity tiers: green, blue, purple, and orange. Six slot variants exist for orange-tier extensions, with equipment compatibility varying by slot shape. Risk mitigation strategy: assemble extensions directly within the target equipment interface (e.g., access Radar → extension slot → create) to ensure compatibility.
Extension Upgrades
Extension upgrades utilize a distinct resource: Extension Components (distinct from equipment components). Sources: Infinite Zombie store (100 components for 450 coins) or bulk shop purchases (5000 components for 40,000 gold).
Prioritization Strategy:
Focus initial extensions on primary combat role:
- Long-Range Players: Prioritize Radar
- Mid-Range Players: Prioritize Reactor
Resource Preservation: Avoid spending components on sub-purple rarities (green/blue). Extension component acquisition rates justify long-term accumulation strategies before initiating upgrades.
Equipment Prioritization Framework
Primary Focus
Prioritization depends on combat specialization:
Long-Range Players (Majority): Focus on Radar first. This equipment provides the most impactful Long-Range Attack (LRA) buffs: +60% at orange level 5, +72% at orange level 6. LRA directly determines damage output against opposing forces.
Mid-Range Players: Prioritize Reactor as the equivalent primary stat source.
Secondary Focus
After primary equipment, address melee health through:
- Medic Pod (long-range specialists)
- Stimulator (mid-range specialists)
Alternative Path: Long-range specialists may prioritize Weapon Apparatus (provides additional LRA buffs) over Medic Pod based on individual strategic preferences.