Build an Ant Empire: Full Item Cost & Effect List

This article lists every item in Build an Ant Empire with its exact cost and effect, so you can plan your colony upgrades without wasting honeydew. You enter the item name and your current level, and the calculator below tells you the total cost and the stat boost you will get.

Formula

The cost formula is Cost = 50 × level × (level + 1) / 2, where level is the current level of the item you are upgrading (1 to 10). The effect formula is Effect = 10 × level, giving a percentage boost to the relevant stat (e.g., worker speed, queen fertility, soldier attack).

• Cost – total honeydew needed to reach that level (cumulative from level 1).
• Effect – percentage bonus applied to the item’s associated stat at that level.

Worked Example

Using the default values (item = Queen, level = 1):

1. Cost = 50 × 1 × (1 + 1) / 2 = 50 × 1 × 2 / 2 = 50 honeydew.
2. Effect = 10 × 1 = 10% boost.

So upgrading the Queen from level 1 costs 50 honeydew and gives a 10% boost to her fertility. This matches the calculator output.

Item List and Effects

Build an Ant Empire (the Roblox game) has a fixed set of upgradeable items in the colony. Each item affects a different aspect of your ant colony’s performance. Below is the full list with base costs and what each upgrade does.

• Queen – Increases egg-laying speed. Each level reduces the time between eggs by 10% (multiplicative). Base cost: 50 honeydew.
• Worker Speed – Makes worker ants move and gather food faster. Each level gives +10% movement speed. Base cost: 50 honeydew.
• Soldier Attack – Boosts soldier ant damage against enemies. Each level adds +10% attack power. Base cost: 50 honeydew.
• Storage – Increases the maximum amount of food and honeydew the colony can hold. Each level adds +100 capacity. Base cost: 50 honeydew.
• Nest Size – Allows more ants to be in the colony at once. Each level adds +5 max ants. Base cost: 50 honeydew.

All items follow the same cost progression: 50, 150, 300, 500, 750, 1050, 1400, 1800, 2250, 2750 honeydew for levels 1 through 10. The effect is always a linear percentage boost or a flat addition, as shown in the table below.

Cost Table (Levels 1-10)

Here is the exact cumulative cost for each level, assuming you start at level 0 (no upgrade). The cost to go from level N-1 to level N is 50 × N.

Level	Cost to reach this level	Effect (example: Worker Speed)
1	50	+10% speed
2	150	+20% speed
3	300	+30% speed
4	500	+40% speed
5	750	+50% speed
6	1050	+60% speed
7	1400	+70% speed
8	1800	+80% speed
9	2250	+90% speed
10	2750	+100% speed

Note: The effect for Storage and Nest Size is flat (e.g., +100 capacity per level, +5 ants per level) rather than a percentage, but the cost formula is identical.

How to Choose Which Item to Upgrade

Your choice depends on your current bottleneck. Early game, you often lack food, so Worker Speed and Storage give the fastest return. Mid game, when enemies appear, Soldier Attack becomes critical. The Queen upgrade is always useful but has a longer payback period because egg-laying speed only matters if you have enough food to feed the new ants.

• If you are constantly waiting for food, upgrade Worker Speed first.
• If your colony hits the food cap quickly, upgrade Storage.
• If raids kill your ants, upgrade Soldier Attack.
• If you have a food surplus and want more ants, upgrade Queen and Nest Size together.

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions

A frequent mistake is assuming all items have the same effect type. While the cost formula is universal, the effect is not always a percentage. For example, Storage gives a flat +100 capacity, not +10% of your current capacity. Another misconception is that upgrading the Queen directly gives you more ants; it only speeds up egg production. You still need Nest Size to raise the population cap.

Also, the cost table shows cumulative cost, not the cost per upgrade. Many players think level 10 costs 2750 honeydew in total, which is correct, but the final upgrade from level 9 to 10 costs 500 honeydew (50 × 10), not 2750. The cumulative cost is the sum of all individual upgrade costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the total cost to max out all items?

Each item costs 2750 honeydew to go from level 0 to level 10. With 5 items, the total is 13,750 honeydew. This does not include any other in-game purchases or boosts.

Does the Queen upgrade affect soldier production?

No, the Queen upgrade only affects egg-laying speed. Soldier production depends on how many eggs you choose to turn into soldiers, which is separate. You still need Soldier Attack upgrades to make them stronger.

Is there a way to reset upgrades?

In the base game, there is no reset or refund option. Once you spend honeydew on an upgrade, it is permanent. Some game modes or updates might add this, but as of now, plan carefully.

How does the cost formula work for level 0?

At level 0, the cost is 0 because you have not upgraded. The first upgrade (to level 1) costs 50 honeydew. The formula gives 50 × 0 × 1 / 2 = 0, which is correct for the current level, not the cost to reach the next level.

Can I use this calculator for other Roblox games?

No, this calculator is specific to Build an Ant Empire. Other games have different cost curves and effect scaling. You would need a different formula for each game.

Limits of the Formula

The formula assumes a linear cost progression and a linear effect progression. This matches the standard version of Build an Ant Empire, but game updates can change values. Also, the calculator does not account for in-game boosts, events, or premium items that might reduce costs or increase effects. Always check the current game version for the most accurate numbers.

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in item | Item name | - | Queen | 0 | 0
in level | Current level | - | 1 | 1 | 10
out cost | Total honeydew cost | honeydew | 50 * level * (level + 1) / 2 | 0
out effect | Stat boost | % | 10 * level | 0