9 Kings is a roguelike city builder where you place buildings, troops and spells on a grid and defend your capital against eight rival kings. Each king starts with a different deck, and you take their cards by declaring war on them, so a run gradually becomes a collage of everything you have conquered.
Resource management and crafting determine how quickly your power scales. This guide covers what to prioritize, where to farm, and how to avoid wasting resources on the wrong upgrades.
Crafting Priority List
The order you should invest resources:
| Priority | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Primary equipment | Biggest damage increase per resource spent |
| 2 | Core build gear | Enables your build's key combinations |
| 3 | Defensive upgrades | Survivability for boss fights |
| 4 | Secondary equipment | Situational options for specific content |
| 5 | Consumables | Temporary boosts for hard content |
Resource Farming by Area
Your capital
Key resources: Unit recruitment, power growth Farming efficiency: Low value per run, but safe and consistent
Focus on gathering materials for Wizards upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
The grid perimeter
Key resources: Defensive positioning Farming efficiency: Good early-game farming spot
Focus on gathering materials for Wizards upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Rival kingdoms
Key resources: New buildings, troops and spells Farming efficiency: Best mid-game farming, worth revisiting
Focus on gathering materials for Wizards upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Quest Mode
Key resources: Crowns, unlocks Farming efficiency: High-value materials for late-game upgrades
This is where you farm materials for Knights max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Endless Mode
Key resources: Score, build validation Farming efficiency: Best resources in the game, requires strong build
This is where you farm materials for Knights max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Upgrade Path
Early Game (Your capital to The grid perimeter)
- Upgrade your starting equipment to functional level
- Craft basic defensive gear
- Save specialty materials, since you'll need them later
- Focus on Wizards once accessible
Mid Game (Rival kingdoms)
- Push Wizards to mid-level upgrades
- Start collecting materials for Knights
- Craft situational consumables for boss fights
- Upgrade build-specific gear pieces
Late Game (Quest Mode to Endless Mode)
Crafting Mistakes to Avoid
- Spreading upgrades across multiple equipment: Focus one weapon to max before diversifying.
- Hoarding materials: Use them. The game provides enough if you farm efficiently.
- Upgrading the wrong gear: Check our builds guide before investing.
- Ignoring Rival kingdoms farming: This area has the best resource-to-time ratio in mid-game.
- Crafting consumables too early: Save specialty materials for late-game recipes.
Resource Efficiency Tips
- Placement decides more runs than card quality does. A mediocre building covering the lane enemies actually use outperforms a strong one sitting where nothing walks, so read the approach before you commit a card.
- Farm Rival kingdoms during mid-game for the best return on time
- Check the walkthrough to know when each resource becomes available
- Match your farming route to your build. Some classes farm faster in certain areas
More 9 Kings Guides
- 9 Kings 9 Kings Overview
- 9 Kings Best Builds
- 9 Kings Tier List
- 9 Kings Walkthrough
- 9 Kings Beginner's Guide
- 9 Kings Tips & Tricks
- 9 Kings Weapons Guide
- 9 Kings Combat Guide
- 9 Kings Boss Guide
- 9 Kings Maps & Locations
- 9 Kings Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy 9 Kings, check out these related guides:
- Risk of Rain 2 Crafting Guide: roguelike game with similar mechanics
- Hades Crafting Guide: roguelike game with similar mechanics
- Darkest Dungeon Crafting Guide: roguelike game with similar mechanics
