Drill Speed & Drill Yield

Speed compounds with drone count/slots and with pets that burst mining speed (Gorilla, Bull, Wolf, Horse). Yield compounds with coatings, Furnace +50%, and pets that multiply crate value. Neither upgrade is a substitute for Ore Regen Speed, which fills empty pedestals in the first place.

Speed synergies that are actually documented

Drill Speed is the board upgrade. Drones are the workers. Pets that add a percentage or burst to drone mining speed in the current table: Lizard 5% faster, Hamster 10%, Ostrich 18%, Horse 30%, Wolf +40% for 20s every 150s, Bull +75% for 20s every 150s, Gorilla +100% for 20s every 150s. Those pet numbers do not replace buying Drill Speed; they stack in unknown official order, so we do not print a combined formula.

Yield synergies that are actually documented

Drill Yield is “more value per crate.” Related documented effects: Cat +5% Ore Yield, Frog +8%, Crab +12%, Bear +30%; Chicken 4% chance of 2x yield; Tiger 8% chance of 2x; Golden Retriever next ore 2x every 180s; Zebra next two ores 1.5x every 150s; Crocodile next three 1.75x every 210s; Spinosaurus next five 2x every 240s. Coatings and Furnace multiply listed value, which is adjacent to yield but not the same named upgrade. Again: no combined official formula.

Link this page from AFK and money tabs

AFK cares about Speed because idle drones on full pedestals still need to crate. Money cares about Yield only after crates exist. Both still lose to empty boards, which is Regen Speed on the parent upgrades page. Keep all three open if you are rebuilding a base.

Early-game decision

Early-game decision

If crates are backing up because ores finish growing faster than drones mine, you wanted more Drill Speed (or more drones/slots). If drones sit idle on empty pedestals, you wanted Regen Speed, not Yield. If crates are flowing and cash still feels low on known high-tier ores, then Yield, coatings and Furnace become the conversation. That decision tree is strategy language, labeled as such.

This page does not publish an unverified Level 1–10 cost table. If you need the rest of the board, use the upgrade hub. For AFK, Speed keeps drones busy while you are away; Yield only matters if crates are actually being produced. See AFK & offline and money-making.