Quick answer
What to do
Upgrade mining power when breaking ore dominates the cycle, cargo when drones cap out early, and speed when travel or return time dominates. Change one variable and retest cash per minute.
Mine a Planet Fleet Upgrade Guide
Choose between mining power, cargo, and speed by identifying the slowest part of your drone cycle.
Checked July 15, 2026BETA 7
How it works
Use the mechanic, not a guessed formula
Mining power reduces work at the planet
Choose mining power when drones spend most of a timed cycle actively breaking ore and the cargo is not already full. The useful evidence is a shorter fill time or more ore mined during the same interval.
Cargo prevents wasted production
Choose cargo when drones reach capacity well before they can complete the route or when stronger mining fills the load almost immediately. More cargo is less helpful if travel remains the dominant delay.
Speed shortens travel and return
Choose speed when drones spend a large share of the cycle moving instead of mining. Measure the complete return, because looking only at the laser phase hides the travel bottleneck.
Step-by-step
Follow this route in game
1. Time the full cycle
Start when mining begins and stop after the fleet completes its return.
2. Name the bottleneck
Decide whether the longest delay is mining, full cargo, or travel.
3. Buy one relevant upgrade
Avoid spreading cash across all three stats before you can measure the effect.
4. Retest cash per minute
Use the same planet, ore, and visible boost conditions for the comparison.
Avoid this
Common mistakes
Upgrading evenly
Equal spending can leave the real bottleneck untouched.
Measuring only one phase
Mining speed alone does not capture cargo and travel delays.
Mixing boost conditions
A temporary multiplier can make an upgrade look stronger than it is.
FAQ
Quick answers
What should I upgrade first?
The stat tied to the longest or most wasteful part of your current cycle.
When is cargo best?
When drones fill early or mining power creates unused ore because the load is capped.
When is speed best?
When travel and return consume more time than mining.
Are the exact upgrade formulas known?
A complete public official formula and cost curve were not found.
Income calculator
Compare the before-and-after cycle.
Evolution
Compare spending cash on the next world.
Drone strategy
Match drone roles to the bottleneck.