How to make money as Skaven

Skaven's fastest-paying building in Total War: Warhammer III is the Gold Mining Pit (Gold Mining, level 1): 250 gold for +300 gold a turn, its cost back in 0.8 turns once built. The most gold from one building slot is the Gold Smelter at +600 a turn (1,750 gold to build the chain that far, back in 2.9 turns). 84 Skaven building levels make flat income, patch 9.0.4.

Fastest payback

Turns of income to earn the building's cost back (each chain's fastest level).

1Gold Mining PitGold Mining 1 · 250 gold → +300 a turn · Region with the resource0.8turns
2Gem MineGem Mining 2 · 500 gold → +200 a turn · Region with the resource2.5turns
3Animal StoreTusks 1 · 250 gold → +80 a turn · Region with the resource3.1turns
4Brine Mining PansSaltmaking 1 · 250 gold → +80 a turn · Region with the resource3.1turns
5Cinnabar Mining PitDye Production 1 · 250 gold → +80 a turn · Region with the resource3.1turns
6Clay PitPottery Production 1 · 250 gold → +80 a turn · Region with the resource3.1turns

Most gold per building slot

Income of each chain's top level; the line shows that level's own cost.

1Gold SmelterGold Mining 3 · 1,000 gold → +600 a turn · Region with the resource+600a turn
2Gemcutter's WorkshopGem Mining 3 · 1,000 gold → +300 a turn · Region with the resource+300a turn
3Nest-PortPort 3 · 2,000 gold → +300 a turn · Port settlement+300a turn
4Breeding PitBreeding 3 · 1,000 gold → +160 a turn · Any settlement+160a turn
5Scrap HeapSalvage 3 · 1,000 gold → +160 a turn · Any settlement+160a turn
6Temple of the Horned RatOrder 4 · 3,000 gold → +120 a turn · Any settlement+120a turn

COMPUTEDIncome = the level's flat gold per turn (the game's “Income generated” effects on the building itself, table building_effects_junction) minus its upkeep (building_levels.upkeep_cost). Payback = cost (create_cost) ÷ income. Upgrade payback = the level's cost ÷ the income it adds over the level below. “Gold back by turn” = build turns (create_time) + payback, counted from the order. Chain total = every level's cost up to this one, and its payback = that total ÷ income. Patch 9.0.4.

ASSUMPTIONS

Base values: technologies, lord skills, commandments, campaign difficulty and faction effects that change income or building costs are not counted.
Percentage boosts (“+4% income from all buildings in the province”, “+20% (local region)”) are not in the payback: they depend on the buildings they boost. They are listed below with the income those buildings need to make.
Conditional income (“When Control is 75 or more”, “When enemy Lord is present”…) is not counted; listed below in the game's words.
Resource buildings need a region with that resource; ports need a port settlement. A slot can hold one building, so late in a campaign gold per slot matters more than payback.

Every Skaven building that makes gold (84)

#
1	Gold Mining Pit	Gold Mining	1	250	2	300	0.80	—	2.80	Region with the resource
2	Gold Mine	Gold Mining	2	500	3	450	1.10	3.30	4.10	Region with the resource
3	Gold Smelter	Gold Mining	3	1,000	4	600	1.70	6.70	5.70	Region with the resource
4	Gem Mineshaft	Gem Mining	1	250	2	100	2.50	—	4.50	Region with the resource
5	Gem Mine	Gem Mining	2	500	3	200	2.50	5	5.50	Region with the resource
6	Ratling Warrens	Breeding	1	250	1	80	3.10	—	4.10	Any settlement
7	Rubbish Pit	Salvage	1	250	1	80	3.10	—	4.10	Any settlement
8	Exotic Animal Tamer	Exotic Animals	1	250	1	80	3.10	—	4.10	Region with the resource
9	Cinnabar Mining Pit	Dye Production	1	250	1	80	3.10	—	4.10	Region with the resource
10	Hunting Camp	Wild Game	1	250	1	80	3.10	—	4.10	Region with the resource
11	Iron Mining Pit	Iron Mining	1	250	2	80	3.10	—	5.10	Region with the resource
12	Sawyer	Marble Quarry	1	250	1	80	3.10	—	4.10	Region with the resource
13	Herb Gatherer's Camp	Medicine Production	1	250	1	80	3.10	—	4.10	Region with the resource
14	Obsidian Quarry	Obsidian Quarry	1	250	1	80	3.10	—	4.10	Region with the resource
15	Clay Pit	Pottery Production	1	250	1	80	3.10	—	4.10	Region with the resource
16	Brine Mining Pans	Saltmaking	1	250	1	80	3.10	—	4.10	Region with the resource
17	Spice Market	Spice Trading	1	250	1	80	3.10	—	4.10	Region with the resource
18	Fruit Draft Compressors	Orchards	1	250	1	80	3.10	—	4.10	Region with the resource
19	Woodman's Hut	Woodlands	1	250	1	80	3.10	—	4.10	Region with the resource
20	Animal Store	Tusks	1	250	1	80	3.10	—	4.10	Region with the resource
21	Gemcutter's Workshop	Gem Mining	3	1,000	4	300	3.30	10	7.30	Region with the resource
22	Nest-Nursery	Breeding	2	500	2	120	4.20	12.50	6.20	Any settlement
23	Scavenge Pile	Salvage	2	500	2	120	4.20	12.50	6.20	Any settlement
24	Exotic Animal Pen	Exotic Animals	2	500	2	90	5.60	50	7.60	Region with the resource
25	Cinnabar Mine	Dye Production	2	500	2	90	5.60	50	7.60	Region with the resource
26	Hunting Lair	Wild Game	2	500	2	90	5.60	50	7.60	Region with the resource
27	Iron Mines	Iron Mining	2	500	3	90	5.60	50	8.60	Region with the resource
28	Marble Quarry	Marble Quarry	2	500	2	90	5.60	50	7.60	Region with the resource
29	Exotic Hothouse	Medicine Production	2	500	2	90	5.60	50	7.60	Region with the resource
30	Obsidian Trinket Maker	Obsidian Quarry	2	500	2	90	5.60	50	7.60	Region with the resource
31	Pottery Maker	Pottery Production	2	500	2	90	5.60	50	7.60	Region with the resource
32	Brine Mining Basin	Saltmaking	2	500	2	90	5.60	50	7.60	Region with the resource
33	Spice Trading Post	Spice Trading	2	500	2	90	5.60	50	7.60	Region with the resource
34	Fruit Draft Storage	Orchards	2	500	2	90	5.60	50	7.60	Region with the resource
35	Timber Mill	Woodlands	2	500	2	90	5.60	50	7.60	Region with the resource
36	Tusk Market	Tusks	2	500	2	90	5.60	50	7.60	Region with the resource
37	Breeding Pit	Breeding	3	1,000	3	160	6.30	25	9.30	Any settlement
38	Scrap Heap	Salvage	3	1,000	3	160	6.30	25	9.30	Any settlement
39	Slave-Wharf	Port	1	500	1	75	6.70	—	7.70	Port settlement
40	Under-Docks	Port	2	1,000	3	150	6.70	13.30	9.70	Port settlement
41	Nest-Port	Port	3	2,000	5	300	6.70	13.30	11.70	Port settlement
42	Clan Pit	Clan Warriors	1	500	1	60	8.30	—	9.30	Any settlement
43	Exotic Animal Market	Exotic Animals	3	1,000	3	100	10	100	13	Region with the resource
44	Dyemaker	Dye Production	3	1,000	3	100	10	100	13	Region with the resource
45	Tannery	Wild Game	3	1,000	3	100	10	100	13	Region with the resource
46	Iron Smelter	Iron Mining	3	1,000	4	100	10	100	14	Region with the resource
47	Stone Mason's Workshop	Marble Quarry	3	1,000	3	100	10	100	13	Region with the resource
48	Alchemy Workshop	Medicine Production	3	1,000	3	100	10	100	13	Region with the resource
49	Obsidian Amulet Carver	Obsidian Quarry	3	1,000	3	100	10	100	13	Region with the resource
50	Kilns	Pottery Production	3	1,000	3	100	10	100	13	Region with the resource
51	Saltworks	Saltmaking	3	1,000	3	100	10	100	13	Region with the resource
52	Eastern Bazaar	Spice Trading	3	1,000	3	100	10	100	13	Region with the resource
53	Fruit Libation Factor	Orchards	3	1,000	3	100	10	100	13	Region with the resource
54	Lumberyard	Woodlands	3	1,000	3	100	10	100	13	Region with the resource
55	Tusk Compound	Tusks	3	1,000	3	100	10	100	13	Region with the resource
56	Taskmaster's Platform	Order	1	1,000	2	90	11.10	—	13.10	Any settlement
57	Clan Barracks	Clan Warriors	2	1,000	2	70	14.30	100	16.30	Any settlement
58	Overseer's Lookout	Order	2	1,500	3	100	15	150	18	Any settlement
59	Hidden Lair	Assassins	1	1,000	2	60	16.70	—	18.70	Any settlement
60	Weapons Dump	Weapons Teams	1	1,000	2	60	16.70	—	18.70	Any settlement
61	Bell Foundry	Order	3	2,000	4	110	18.20	200	22.20	Any settlement
62	Covert Chokepoints	Walls	1	2,000	4	100	20	—	24	Any settlement
63	Breeding Stock	Monsters	1	1,500	2	70	21.40	—	23.40	Any settlement
64	Alarmed Tunnel	Garrison	1	2,000	3	90	22.20	—	25.20	Any settlement
65	Clan Armoury	Clan Warriors	3	2,000	3	80	25	200	28	Any settlement
66	Temple of the Horned Rat	Order	4	3,000	5	120	25	300	30	Any settlement
67	Assassin's Hideout	Assassins	2	2,000	3	70	28.60	200	31.60	Any settlement
68	Weapon Burrow	Weapons Teams	2	2,000	3	70	28.60	200	31.60	Any settlement
69	Construction Cavern	Engineering	1	2,500	3	80	31.30	—	34.30	Any settlement
70	Pits of the Packmasters	Monsters	2	2,500	3	80	31.30	250	34.30	Any settlement
71	Pox Cauldron	Plagues	1	2,500	3	80	31.30	—	34.30	Any settlement
72	Back-Tunnels	Walls	2	4,000	5	110	36.40	400	41.40	Any settlement
73	Den of Secrets	Assassins	3	3,000	4	80	37.50	300	41.50	Any settlement
74	Arsenal	Weapons Teams	3	3,000	4	80	37.50	300	41.50	Any settlement
75	Fortified Entries	Garrison	2	4,000	4	100	40	400	44	Any settlement
76	Warp-Forge	Engineering	2	4,000	4	90	44.40	400	48.40	Any settlement
77	Force-Feeding Chambers	Monsters	3	4,000	4	90	44.40	400	48.40	Any settlement
78	Pestilent Nave	Plagues	2	4,000	4	90	44.40	400	48.40	Any settlement
79	Brain-Breeding Facilities	Stormfiend Recruitment	1	4,000	4	90	44.40	—	48.40	Any settlement
80	Chained Sentry Beasts	Walls	3	6,000	6	120	50	600	56	Any settlement
81	Warp-Turbine Plant	Engineering	3	8,000	5	100	80	800	85	Any settlement
82	Laboratory	Monsters	4	8,000	5	100	80	800	85	Any settlement
83	Plague Abbey	Plagues	3	8,000	5	100	80	800	85	Any settlement
84	Equipment Warpforge	Stormfiend Recruitment	2	8,000	5	100	80	800	85	Any settlement

Main building levels

Settlement upgrades make gold too, but they also cost growth (population surplus) and open building slots, so payback alone undersells them. Province capitals and minor settlements are separate chains.

#
1	Nest	Province Capital	1	750	—	80	—
2	Nest	Minor Settlement	1	750	—	80	—
3	Nest-Lair	Province Capital	2	1,500	1	90	150
4	Nest-Lair	Minor Settlement	2	1,500	1	90	150
5	Warren	Province Capital	3	3,000	2	100	300
6	Warren	Minor Settlement	3	3,000	2	100	300
7	Grand Warren	Province Capital	4	6,000	4	110	600
8	Skaven Stronghold	Province Capital	5	12,000	5	120	1,200

Percentage income boosts

These add a share to other buildings' income: the province's, every region's you own, or the local region's (the region the building stands in). One pays back in 10 turns when the buildings it boosts make cost ÷ (10 × share) gold a turn — the last column.

#
1	Arcane Generators	Energy	1,500	30%	—	—	500
2	Warplightning Capacitors	Energy	2,000	40%	—	—	500
3	Warpstone Reactor	Energy	3,000	50%	—	—	600

Every level's full effects: Skaven buildings.