How to make money as Wood Elves

Wood Elves's fastest-paying building in Total War: Warhammer III is the Exotic Animal Tamer (Exotic Animals, level 1): 1,000 gold for +100 gold a turn, its cost back in 10 turns once built. The most gold from one building slot is the Exotic Animal Tamer at +100 a turn (1,000 gold to build the chain that far, back in 10 turns). 17 Wood Elves 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).

1Exotic Animal TamerExotic Animals 1 · 1,000 gold → +100 a turn · Region with the resource10turns
2Gem MineGem Mining 1 · 1,000 gold → +100 a turn · Region with the resource10turns
3Gold Mining PitGold Mining 1 · 1,000 gold → +100 a turn · Region with the resource10turns
4Herb Gatherer's CampMedicine Production 1 · 1,000 gold → +100 a turn · Region with the resource10turns
5Elven HavenPort 1 · 2,000 gold → +100 a turn · Port settlement20turns
6Animal StoreTusks 1 · 1,000 gold → +50 a turn · Region with the resource20turns

Most gold per building slot

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

1Exotic Animal TamerExotic Animals 1 · 1,000 gold → +100 a turn · Region with the resource+100a turn
2Gem MineGem Mining 1 · 1,000 gold → +100 a turn · Region with the resource+100a turn
3Gold Mining PitGold Mining 1 · 1,000 gold → +100 a turn · Region with the resource+100a turn
4Herb Gatherer's CampMedicine Production 1 · 1,000 gold → +100 a turn · Region with the resource+100a turn
5Elven HavenPort 1 · 2,000 gold → +100 a turn · Port settlement+100a turn
6Animal StoreTusks 1 · 1,000 gold → +50 a turn · Region with the resource+50a 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 Wood Elves building that makes gold (17)

#
1	Exotic Animal Tamer	Exotic Animals	1	1,000	3	100	10	—	13	Region with the resource
2	Gem Mine	Gem Mining	1	1,000	3	100	10	—	13	Region with the resource
3	Herb Gatherer's Camp	Medicine Production	1	1,000	3	100	10	—	13	Region with the resource
4	Gold Mining Pit	Gold Mining	1	1,000	3	100	10	—	13	Region with the resource
5	Obsidian Quarry	Obsidian Quarry	1	1,000	3	50	20	—	23	Region with the resource
6	Spice Market	Spice Trading	1	1,000	3	50	20	—	23	Region with the resource
7	Animal Store	Tusks	1	1,000	3	50	20	—	23	Region with the resource
8	Elven Haven	Port	1	2,000	1	100	20	—	21	Port settlement
9	Cinnabar Mining Pit	Dye Production	1	1,000	3	50	20	—	23	Region with the resource
10	Hunting Camp	Wild Game	1	1,000	3	50	20	—	23	Region with the resource
11	Iron Mining Pit	Iron Mining	1	1,000	3	50	20	—	23	Region with the resource
12	Stone Cutter	Marble Quarry	1	1,000	3	50	20	—	23	Region with the resource
13	Cattle Pastures	Pastures	1	1,000	3	50	20	—	23	Region with the resource
14	Clay Pit	Pottery Production	1	1,000	3	50	20	—	23	Region with the resource
15	Brine Mining Pit	Saltmaking	1	1,000	3	50	20	—	23	Region with the resource
16	Woodman's Hut	Woodlands	1	1,000	3	50	20	—	23	Region with the resource
17	Orchards	Orchards	1	1,000	3	50	20	—	23	Region with the resource

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	Trapper's Den	Hunting	1	1,000	1	300	—
2	Grape Vines	Grape Vines	1	1,000	1	600	—
3	Craftmen's Tree	Crafting	1	1,500	1	300	—
4	Copse	Provincial Capital	1	1,200	—	300	—
5	Game Lodge	Hunting	2	1,500	2	400	15
6	Vineyard	Grape Vines	2	1,500	2	700	15
7	Sculptor's Cavern	Crafting	2	2,000	2	400	20
8	Glade	Provincial Capital	2	2,500	—	350	50
9	Hunter's Vault	Hunting	3	2,000	3	500	20
10	Winery	Grape Vines	3	2,000	3	800	20
11	Artisan's Nexus	Crafting	3	2,500	3	500	25
12	Hollow	Provincial Capital	3	5,000	—	400	100
13	Wine Nexus	Grape Vines	4	3,000	5	1,000	15
14	Hall	Provincial Capital	4	10,000	—	450	200
15	Great Hall	Provincial Capital	5	20,000	—	500	400

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	Glade	Provincial Capital	2,500	—	1%	—	25,000
2	Hollow	Provincial Capital	5,000	—	2%	—	25,000
3	Hall	Provincial Capital	10,000	—	3%	—	33,333
4	Great Hall	Provincial Capital	20,000	—	4%	—	50,000

Every level's full effects: Wood Elves buildings.