How to make money as Warriors of Chaos

Warriors of Chaos's fastest-paying building in Total War: Warhammer III is the Raid Trophies (Worship, level 1): 2,000 gold for +400 gold a turn, its cost back in 5 turns once built. The most gold from one building slot is the Treasure House at +1,000 a turn (20,000 gold to build the chain that far, back in 20 turns). 4 Warriors of Chaos 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).

1Raid TrophiesWorship 1 · 2,000 gold → +400 a turn · Any settlement5turns

Most gold per building slot

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

1Treasure HouseWorship 4 · 8,000 gold → +1,000 a turn · Any settlement+1,000a 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 Warriors of Chaos building that makes gold (4)

#
1	Raid Trophies	Worship	1	2,000	1	400	5	—	6	Any settlement
2	Spoils of War	Worship	2	4,000	2	600	6.70	20	8.70	Any settlement
3	Loot Heap	Worship	3	6,000	3	800	7.50	30	10.50	Any settlement
4	Treasure House	Worship	4	8,000	4	1,000	8	40	12	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	Chaos Keep	Dark Fortress	1	1,200	—	200	—
2	Soul Keep	Chaos Fortress	1	800	—	30	—
3	Chaos Fort	Dark Fortress	2	2,500	1	400	12.50
4	Dark Bastion	Chaos Fortress	2	1,600	1	45	106.70
5	Dark Redoubt	Dark Fortress	3	5,000	2	600	25
6	Infernal Citadel	Chaos Fortress	3	3,200	2	60	213.30
7	Dark Fortress	Dark Fortress	4	10,000	4	800	50
8	Daemonic Fortress	Chaos Fortress	4	4,800	4	75	320
9	Exalted Dark Fortress	Dark Fortress	5	20,000	5	1,000	100
10	Chaos Dreadhold	Chaos Fortress	5	7,200	5	90	480

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	Chaos Shrine	Sorcery	2,500	—	—	30%	833
2	Shaman's Temple	Sorcery	7,500	—	—	40%	1,875
3	Profane Sanctum	Sorcery	10,000	—	—	50%	2,000
4	Chaos Stables	Knights	10,000	—	—	25%	4,000
5	Giant's Hollow	Large Monsters	10,000	—	—	25%	4,000
6	Horse Barn	Knights	5,000	—	—	10%	5,000
7	Ruinous Stalls	Knights	7,500	—	—	15%	5,000
8	Manticore Den	Large Monsters	5,000	—	—	10%	5,000
9	Dark Cavern	Large Monsters	7,500	—	—	15%	5,000
10	Cultist Camp (Pottery)	Pottery Production	3,000	—	5%	—	6,000

Conditional income

Spawn Cave (Monsters 1): +100 a turn — When technology "Builder of Glory" is researched
Monstrous Lair (Monsters 2): +100 a turn — When technology "Builder of Glory" is researched
Horse Barn (Knights 1): +100 a turn — When technology "Builder of Glory" is researched
Ruinous Stalls (Knights 2): +100 a turn — When technology "Builder of Glory" is researched
Chaos Stables (Knights 3): +100 a turn — When technology "Builder of Glory" is researched
Manticore Den (Large Monsters 1): +100 a turn — When technology "Builder of Glory" is researched
Dark Cavern (Large Monsters 2): +100 a turn — When technology "Builder of Glory" is researched
Giant's Hollow (Large Monsters 3): +100 a turn — When technology "Builder of Glory" is researched
Fighters' Lodge (Fighters' Lodge 1): +100 a turn — When technology "Builder of Glory" is researched
Guards' Barracks (Fighters' Lodge 2): +100 a turn — When technology "Builder of Glory" is researched
Warriors' Hall (Fighters' Lodge 3): +100 a turn — When technology "Builder of Glory" is researched

Every level's full effects: Warriors of Chaos buildings.