How to make money as Vampire Counts

Vampire Counts's fastest-paying building in Total War: Warhammer III is the Cursed Gemstone Mineshaft (Gem Mining, level 1): 500 gold for +300 gold a turn, its cost back in 1.7 turns once built. The most gold from one building slot is the Scaffold at +800 a turn (6,000 gold to build the chain that far, back in 7.5 turns). 51 Vampire Counts 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).

1Cursed Gemstone MineshaftGem Mining 1 · 500 gold → +300 a turn · Region with the resource1.7turns
2Tarnished Gold ShaftGold Mining 1 · 500 gold → +300 a turn · Region with the resource1.7turns
3GibbetRepression 1 · 1,000 gold → +400 a turn · Any settlement2.5turns
4Animal StoreTusks 1 · 500 gold → +100 a turn · Region with the resource5turns
5Brackish PondSaltmaking 1 · 500 gold → +100 a turn · Region with the resource5turns
6Brimstone Cutter's WorkshopMarble Quarry 1 · 500 gold → +100 a turn · Region with the resource5turns

Most gold per building slot

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

1ScaffoldRepression 3 · 3,000 gold → +800 a turn · Any settlement+800a turn
2Haunted Gemstone MineGem Mining 3 · 2,000 gold → +600 a turn · Region with the resource+600a turn
3Balefire Gold SmelteryGold Mining 3 · 2,000 gold → +500 a turn · Region with the resource+500a turn
4Dark PortPort 3 · 6,000 gold → +500 a turn · Port settlement+500a turn
5Abandoned Wood ShedsWoodlands 3 · 2,000 gold → +200 a turn · Region with the resource+200a turn
6Alchemy WorkshopMedicine Production 3 · 2,000 gold → +200 a turn · Region with the resource+200a 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 Vampire Counts building that makes gold (51)

#
1	Cursed Gemstone Mineshaft	Gem Mining	1	500	2	300	1.70	—	3.70	Region with the resource
2	Tarnished Gold Shaft	Gold Mining	1	500	2	300	1.70	—	3.70	Region with the resource
3	Hexed Gemstone Pit	Gem Mining	2	1,000	3	450	2.20	6.70	5.20	Region with the resource
4	Gibbet	Repression	1	1,000	1	400	2.50	—	3.50	Any settlement
5	Tarnished Gold Mine	Gold Mining	2	1,000	3	400	2.50	10	5.50	Region with the resource
6	Haunted Gemstone Mine	Gem Mining	3	2,000	4	600	3.30	13.30	7.30	Region with the resource
7	Gallows	Repression	2	2,000	2	600	3.30	10	5.30	Any settlement
8	Scaffold	Repression	3	3,000	3	800	3.80	15	6.80	Any settlement
9	Balefire Gold Smeltery	Gold Mining	3	2,000	4	500	4	20	8	Region with the resource
10	Exotic Animal Tamer	Exotic Animals	1	500	1	100	5	—	6	Region with the resource
11	Herb Gatherer's Camp	Medicine Production	1	500	1	100	5	—	6	Region with the resource
12	Obsidian Quarry	Obsidian Quarry	1	500	1	100	5	—	6	Region with the resource
13	Spice Market	Spice Trading	1	500	1	100	5	—	6	Region with the resource
14	Animal Store	Tusks	1	500	1	100	5	—	6	Region with the resource
15	Red Pit	Dye Production	1	500	1	100	5	—	6	Region with the resource
16	Hunting Grounds	Wild Game	1	500	1	100	5	—	6	Region with the resource
17	Dark Iron Pit	Iron Mining	1	500	2	100	5	—	7	Region with the resource
18	Brimstone Cutter's Workshop	Marble Quarry	1	500	1	100	5	—	6	Region with the resource
19	Cursed Fields	Pastures	1	500	1	100	5	—	6	Region with the resource
20	Flooded Clay Pit	Pottery Production	1	500	1	100	5	—	6	Region with the resource
21	Brackish Pond	Saltmaking	1	500	1	100	5	—	6	Region with the resource
22	Forester's Shack	Woodlands	1	500	1	100	5	—	6	Region with the resource
23	Exotic Animal Pen	Exotic Animals	2	1,000	2	150	6.70	20	8.70	Region with the resource
24	Exotic Hothouse	Medicine Production	2	1,000	2	150	6.70	20	8.70	Region with the resource
25	Obsidian Trinket Maker	Obsidian Quarry	2	1,000	2	150	6.70	20	8.70	Region with the resource
26	Spice Trading Post	Spice Trading	2	1,000	2	150	6.70	20	8.70	Region with the resource
27	Tusk Market	Tusks	2	1,000	2	150	6.70	20	8.70	Region with the resource
28	Blood Mines	Dye Production	2	1,000	2	150	6.70	20	8.70	Region with the resource
29	Poaching Camp	Wild Game	2	1,000	2	150	6.70	20	8.70	Region with the resource
30	Zombie-Infested Iron Mine	Iron Mining	2	1,000	3	150	6.70	20	9.70	Region with the resource
31	Tombstone Maker's Atelier	Marble Quarry	2	1,000	2	150	6.70	20	8.70	Region with the resource
32	Wretched Farmstead	Pastures	2	1,000	2	150	6.70	20	8.70	Region with the resource
33	Urn Maker's Pottery	Pottery Production	2	1,000	2	150	6.70	20	8.70	Region with the resource
34	Salt Marsh	Saltmaking	2	1,000	2	150	6.70	20	8.70	Region with the resource
35	Ruined Sawmill	Woodlands	2	1,000	2	150	6.70	20	8.70	Region with the resource
36	Exotic Animal Market	Exotic Animals	3	2,000	3	200	10	40	13	Region with the resource
37	Alchemy Workshop	Medicine Production	3	2,000	3	200	10	40	13	Region with the resource
38	Obsidian Amulet Carver	Obsidian Quarry	3	2,000	3	200	10	40	13	Region with the resource
39	Eastern Bazaar	Spice Trading	3	2,000	3	200	10	40	13	Region with the resource
40	Tusk Compound	Tusks	3	2,000	3	200	10	40	13	Region with the resource
41	Murky Harbour	Port	2	3,000	4	300	10	15	14	Port settlement
42	Pigment Grinder's Shop	Dye Production	3	2,000	3	200	10	40	13	Region with the resource
43	Flayer's Lair	Wild Game	3	2,000	3	200	10	40	13	Region with the resource
44	Scoured Iron Mine	Iron Mining	3	2,000	4	200	10	40	14	Region with the resource
45	Gargoyle Sculptor's Garret	Marble Quarry	3	2,000	3	200	10	40	13	Region with the resource
46	Haunted Mill	Pastures	3	2,000	3	200	10	40	13	Region with the resource
47	Screeching Kilns	Pottery Production	3	2,000	3	200	10	40	13	Region with the resource
48	Desolate Salt Pans	Saltmaking	3	2,000	3	200	10	40	13	Region with the resource
49	Abandoned Wood Sheds	Woodlands	3	2,000	3	200	10	40	13	Region with the resource
50	Dark Port	Port	3	6,000	6	500	12	30	18	Port settlement
51	Crumbling Wharf	Port	1	1,500	2	100	15	—	17	Port 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	Crumbling Hamlet	Provincial Capital	1	1,000	—	100	—
2	Crumbling Hamlet	Minor Settlement	1	1,000	—	100	—
3	Corrupted Village	Provincial Capital	2	2,000	1	150	40
4	Corrupted Village	Minor Settlement	2	2,000	1	150	40
5	Shady Township	Provincial Capital	3	4,000	2	200	80
6	Shady Township	Minor Settlement	3	4,000	2	200	80
7	Accursed City	Provincial Capital	4	8,000	4	300	80
8	Dark Castle	Provincial Capital	5	16,000	5	400	160

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	Tarnished Gold Shaft	Gold Mining	500	4%	—	—	1,250
2	Tarnished Gold Mine	Gold Mining	1,000	7%	—	—	1,429
3	Balefire Gold Smeltery	Gold Mining	2,000	10%	—	—	2,000

Every level's full effects: Vampire Counts buildings.