Unlock Order and Requirements
Unlock planner
Pick a missing upgrade. Enter the workers, tiers and prestige unlocks you already have to see what is still needed.
Checks 17 common unlocks. Purchase costs still apply. Your entries stay in this tab; save the plan as a link to keep or share it. Unlock guide · Prestige catalogue
If an upgrade is missing, the answer is usually one of three things: a prestige upgrade, enough workers in the right building, or a prerequisite tier in another upgrade chain.
How to Unlock the Bulldozer
Section titled “How to Unlock the Bulldozer”- Spend 45 PP in total on prestige upgrades to open prestige Tier 3, then buy the Manufactorum prestige upgrade.
- In a run, build the Grand Laboratory or Ballistics Workshop from Khazad Greathold.
- Build The Great Forge (700 gold).
- Build the Manufactorum from Khazad Greathold (1,000 gold).
- Buy the Bulldozer in the Manufactorum. The first costs 700 gold, 4 mithril and 2 dwarves; each further Bulldozer costs more.
High-Confusion Unlocks
Section titled “High-Confusion Unlocks”| Unlock | Requirements | What It Opens |
|---|---|---|
| Manufactorum | Manufactorum prestige and The Great Forge acquired. It is then bought from Khazad Greathold. | Bulldozers, Gyrocopters, machine hauling, machine defense, and anti-rock support. |
| Bulldozer | Manufactorum placed. First Bulldozer costs 700 gold, 4 mithril, and 2 dwarves before scaling. | Heavy ore collection, runner protection, and later machine upgrades. |
| Cyberdwarf | Cyberdwarf prestige and more than 9 Scientists. | Gorilla Arms, Rhino Legs, and the Cyberdwarf chain that leads into C.L.U.S.T.E.R.P.I.C.K. |
| C.L.U.S.T.E.R.P.I.C.K. | C.L.U.S.T.E.R.P.I.C.K. prestige plus Cyberdwarf tier 2. | Thrown pickaxes can split into 2-4 smaller half-damage pickaxes, with the chance increasing by Cyberdwarf tier. |
| Alchemy | Alchemy prestige and more than 7 Scientists. | Philosopher's Stone path and Alchemy Research scaling. |
| Ritual Power | Ritual Power prestige and more than 2 Runesmiths. Tiers cost 666/3333/6666 gold and 1/2/3 souls. | Unlocks ritual/enchant options and boosts specific rituals. |
| Flamelord's Wrath | Flamelords prestige plus at least 6 Flamers and 5 Runesmiths. | Late upgrade for fire builds. |
Unlock Checklist
Section titled “Unlock Checklist”| Symptom | Check |
|---|---|
| The upgrade is not visible at all. | Buy the related prestige upgrade first, then restart the run if the game only refreshes requirements after a prestige. |
| The upgrade is visible but blocked. | Count the workers named by the icon requirement. Many advanced upgrades need Scientists or Runesmiths, not only the main unit. |
| The building is missing from Khazad Greathold. | Check whether it is a prestige-gated building. Manufactorum is the common example. |
| The cost looks absurd or the button never becomes practical. | Treat it as a chain that is not ready in your run. Put the gold into the current carry: Miner/Demodwarf damage if mountains are slow, Runners/Maw if ore is piling up, or Spelunker/Forge if mithril and artifacts are blocking you. |
| The unlock depends on another upgrade tier. | Open the linked building page and follow the tier chain, especially Cyberdwarf, Mithril Forging, and Ritual Power. |
Practical Order
Section titled “Practical Order”| Phase | Unlock Target |
|---|---|
| First stable runs | Runners, Demodwarves, dens, and early PP. |
| Mithril starts blocking | Spelunker's Guild, The Great Forge, Mithril Divining, and Rune of Fortune. |
| Mid-game utility | Grand Laboratory, Scientists, Manufactorum prestige, and machine hauling. |
| Late-game chains | Cyberdwarf, C.L.U.S.T.E.R.P.I.C.K., Alchemy, Ritual Power, and special artifact gates. |
Related Guides
Section titled “Related Guides”By Max Yaport (Editor, WikiTactics) Edition published