Ground Factory

Ground Factory is a unit-producing building used to fabricate ground units. It functions like other unit-producing blocks in the game: it consumes the required item(s) for a chosen unit and spawns that unit when the cost is met. The block was introduced in Version 6.0 and its research cost has been adjusted since release; at one point the research requirements were reduced to Copper: 700, Lead: 2000, and Silicon: 1300 (previously Copper 1500, Lead 4100, Silicon 2600).

As with every unit-producing building, the Ground Factory will internally hold up to twice the item cost of the currently selected unit. This effectively lets the factory queue or buffer enough resources to produce multiple copies of the same unit without immediate resupply. Because the block produces active units rather than storing passive items, its throughput and placement should be planned around how you intend to use the units on the front lines.

Practical usage and strategy:

• Keep a stable supply of the factory’s input materials so it can continuously spawn units; the doubled internal buffer helps survive brief supply interruptions but is not a substitute for a steady conveyor or payload flow.
• Position production behind layered defenses so spawned units can sortie without exposing the factory to direct enemy fire. Walls and rear turrets protect the building from indirect damage while you deploy forces.
• Use factories in concert with turrets and walls: factories supply reinforcements while static defenses hold chokepoints. Build several factories or arrange fast conveyors if you need high unit throughput.
• Prioritize researching the Ground Factory early when its research cost is available, since producing units can substitute for expensive defensive structures in early-to-mid game stages.
• Monitor which unit is selected and its item cost; switching unit types changes what the factory stores and how much of each resource you need to feed it.

Trivia: the Ground Factory follows the same buffering rule as other unit-producing blocks, holding up to twice the item cost of the active unit.