The Age of Oil is one of the biggest progression changes in Last War: Survival. It introduces Oil, Oil Wells, a new Tech Center research branch, a third Tech Center, and the progression path that eventually allows your Headquarters and other buildings to move beyond level 30.
However, Oil income is deliberately slow compared with normal resources. Efficient players should unlock Oil production immediately, increase passive output early, and avoid wasting Oil on lower-priority projects before reaching Base Expansion.
What Is the Age of Oil in Last War?
The Last War Age of Oil is a late-game progression phase introduced after Season 2. It adds Oil as a new resource and opens a dedicated research tree inside the Tech Center.
The tree expands several earlier Development and Economy technologies while also adding entirely new systems. Its major unlocks include:
- Oil Wells
- Oil Output research
- Fast Builder V
- Research Enhancement V
- A third Tech Center
- Additional Oil Well capacity
- Training and healing improvements
- Parts Workshop
- Base Expansion
If you are still developing the earlier construction and Economy branches, use the Last War Development & Economy Research Guide before committing heavily to late-game research.
When Does the Age of Oil Unlock?
Your server must first progress through Season 2 and reach the Season 2 Celebration/off-season period where the Age of Oil becomes available.
The current access requirements are:
- Tech Center level 30
- At least 40% completion of Special Forces research
- Your warzone must have reached the Age of Oil phase
The 40% Special Forces requirement is important because some older information still lists an 80% requirement.
If Special Forces is still behind, check the Last War Special Forces Research Guide for the research path and Valor Badge spending priorities.
How to Get Oil in Last War
Unlike Food, Iron, and Coin, Oil does not become part of your normal economy during the early game. Its main sources appear alongside the Age of Oil system.
| Oil Source | Type | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil Well | Permanent passive income | Very High | Your main reliable source after unlocking Age of Oil research. |
| Oil Output I–III | Production multiplier | Very High | Improves the value of your Oil Well production. |
| More Oil Wells | Additional production | Very High | Adds another Oil Well and significantly improves long-term passive income. |
| Age of Oil Reward Chest Goals | Event reward | High | Provides additional Oil while Celebration missions are active. |
| Base Expansion Clearing Rewards | One-time reward | Collect when available | Some newly opened base areas contain Oil rewards. |
| Later Events and Offers | Variable | Situational | Availability depends on your current server stage and active events. |
Because passive production is predictable, your Oil Wells and Oil Output technologies should form the foundation of your Oil economy. Event rewards are valuable additions, but they should not replace permanent production upgrades.
Unlock and Upgrade the Oil Well First
The first technology in the Age of Oil tree is Unlock Oil Well. Research it as soon as the branch becomes available.
Once constructed, upgrade the Oil Well aggressively. Levels through 30 use the normal base resources rather than consuming the Oil you are trying to accumulate, making early Oil Well levels one of the easiest ways to improve long-term Oil income.
Production rises steadily as the building levels:
| Oil Well Level | Base Oil per Hour | Maximum Production Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 | 8h 08m |
| 10 | 600 | 9h 20m |
| 20 | 1,200 | 10h 40m |
| 25 | 1,500 | 11h 20m |
| 30 | 1,800 | 12h |
A level 30 Oil Well therefore produces a base 43,200 Oil over 24 hours if production is collected before reaching its storage limit.
Collect Oil Regularly
Production stops providing full value once the Oil Well reaches its storage limit. At level 30, the maximum production period is 12 hours, so collecting at least twice per day is a simple way to avoid unnecessary lost production.
This becomes even more important after you increase Oil production through research.
Last War Age of Oil Research Order
The Age of Oil tree follows a fixed progression structure. The current research sequence contains the following major stages:
| Stage | Research | Main Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unlock Oil Well | Starts permanent Oil production. |
| 2 | Food Output V / Iron Output V / Coin Output V | Extends your earlier Economy research. |
| 3 | Oil Output I | Improves Oil production. |
| 4 | Fast Builder V / Research Enhancement V | Improves construction and research speed. |
| 5 | 3rd Tech Center | Adds another research queue. |
| 6 | Focused Training V / Rapid Field Dressing V | Improves troop training and healing progression. |
| 7 | Oil Output II | Further increases Oil production. |
| 8 | Infirmary Expansion V / Emergency Capacity I | Expands casualty capacity. |
| 9 | More Oil Wells | Adds additional passive Oil production. |
| 10 | Training Cost I / Healing Cost II | Reduces troop-related resource pressure. |
| 11 | Parts Workshop | Unlocks another source of Drone Parts. |
| 12 | Oil Output III | Final major Oil production research in the branch. |
| 13 | Base Expansion | Opens progression beyond HQ 30. |
Most multi-level nodes contain up to ten research levels. However, you should not automatically max every available node before continuing. Follow the prerequisite levels required to advance toward the major unlocks first.
Best Age of Oil Upgrade Priority
1. Unlock Oil Well Immediately
Every hour before the Oil Well is running is Oil production you cannot recover later. Complete Unlock Oil Well as your first Age of Oil research and begin upgrading the building.
2. Push the Oil Well Toward Level 30
A level 30 Oil Well produces 1,800 base Oil per hour compared with only 60 at level 1. Therefore, getting the building upgraded early dramatically improves how quickly later research can be funded.
Do not treat the Oil Well like an ordinary low-priority resource building. Oil is a progression bottleneck, so this particular production building deserves much more attention than an early-game Food or Iron producer.
3. Prioritize Oil Output I
Oil Output I increases the value of the Oil Well you have already upgraded. This creates a compounding effect: the earlier you improve production, the more Oil you generate while progressing through the rest of the tree.
4. Take Fast Builder V and Research Enhancement V
Both are extensions of the Development research technologies you used before Age of Oil.
Fast Builder V becomes especially valuable because HQ 31–35 construction timers are extremely long. Research Enhancement V has similar long-term value because late research also becomes increasingly expensive and time-consuming.
If your main objective is an HQ rush, prioritize Fast Builder V aggressively while still satisfying the prerequisites needed to continue through the research tree.
5. Unlock the 3rd Tech Center
The third Tech Center is one of the highest-value permanent unlocks in the entire Age of Oil branch because it adds another research queue.
Instead of deciding which of two major technologies must wait, you gain another slot that can continue progressing research permanently.
For more information about Tech Center progression itself, see the Last War Tech Center Guide.
6. Continue Toward Oil Output II
After the third Tech Center, continue progressing the required training and healing technologies toward Oil Output II.
Again, Oil production has high priority because the resource will continue limiting research and advanced building progression.
7. Unlock More Oil Wells
More Oil Wells is another major economic milestone. It increases your number of passive Oil-producing buildings, which means the earlier investment continues paying back throughout HQ 31–35 progression and later systems.
Once another Oil Well becomes available, bring it up efficiently instead of leaving it at a low level while your first Well handles nearly all production.
8. Decide How Urgently You Need Parts Workshop
The Parts Workshop is a useful permanent unlock because it supports Drone Part income. However, its priority depends on your immediate objective.
If Drone Parts are your main bottleneck, unlocking the workshop has obvious long-term value. If your only objective is reaching HQ 31 as quickly as possible, avoid diverting unnecessary resources beyond what is required to keep moving toward Base Expansion.
9. Push Oil Output III
Oil Output III is the final Oil production line before Base Expansion. At this point, Oil generation becomes especially important because advanced Headquarters and supporting-building upgrades place continuing pressure on your reserves.
10. Complete Base Expansion
Base Expansion is the key progression gate at the end of the Age of Oil research path. Completing it opens the route toward Headquarters levels 31–35.
This article does not repeat the required buildings, resources, and construction sequence for each Headquarters level. Those prerequisites belong in the Last War Headquarters Upgrade Guide.
Should You Max Every Age of Oil Research?
Not before reaching your primary progression goals.
The tree contains several useful ten-level technologies, but completing every level immediately can delay the larger permanent unlocks. Your first objective should usually be progressing through the required prerequisite levels toward:
- Oil production
- Fast Builder V and Research Enhancement V
- 3rd Tech Center
- More Oil Wells
- Oil Output III
- Base Expansion
After those milestones are secure, returning to unfinished training, healing, resource-output, and capacity technologies becomes much easier to justify.
What Should You Spend Oil On First?
Oil should primarily support the research path that increases your Oil economy and unlocks Base Expansion.
Avoid treating Oil like Food or Iron simply because you have accumulated a visible reserve. Its income is much more restricted, and later research plus advanced buildings can consume it rapidly.
A practical priority is:
| Oil Spending Goal | Priority | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Required Age of Oil research | Highest | Moves you toward permanent unlocks and Base Expansion. |
| Oil production research | Very High | Improves future Oil income. |
| Base Expansion path | Very High | Required for post-HQ-30 progression. |
| HQ 31–35 prerequisites | High after Base Expansion | Advanced buildings begin competing heavily for Oil. |
| Optional late research | Later | Complete once important progression gates are secured. |
How Long Does Age of Oil Progression Take?
Age of Oil progression is intentionally paced by Oil production. Even players with plenty of Food, Iron, Coin, research speedups, and construction speedups can still find themselves waiting for enough Oil.
Community progression testing has shown that a free-to-play account pushing efficiently can take roughly several weeks to reach the final Oil Output stages and around six weeks to become ready to begin HQ 31, although actual results vary significantly by activity, event rewards, bonuses, and stored resources.
Therefore, the best way to shorten the process is not simply spending more research speedups. Improve Oil income as early as possible so the resource itself does not become a larger bottleneck than the timer.
Should You Upgrade Oil Wells Above Level 30?
Oil Wells can eventually progress beyond level 30 after Base Expansion becomes available. However, those upgrades should be weighed against your Headquarters prerequisites.
The base Oil output rises only gradually above level 30—from 1,800 per hour at level 30 to 2,100 per hour at level 35—while the construction costs and timers become much larger.
Therefore, players rushing HQ progression should usually avoid allowing an optional Oil Well upgrade to block a required Tech Center, troop building, Wall, Hospital, or other HQ prerequisite.
Once your required construction queues and resources are under control, higher Oil Well levels provide additional permanent income.
Common Age of Oil Mistakes
Entering the Off-Season Below 40% Special Forces
If the requirement is not ready when Age of Oil opens, valuable early Oil production can be delayed. Prepare the required Special Forces progress in advance.
Leaving the Oil Well at a Low Level
Oil is a major bottleneck, so the Oil Well should not be treated like a low-priority early-game resource building. Push its production aggressively.
Letting the Oil Well Reach Its Storage Limit
At level 30, the building stores up to 12 hours of production. Regular collection prevents lost passive income.
Maxing Every Side Node Immediately
Useful training, healing, and resource technologies can still delay the permanent unlocks if you overinvest before progressing through their required path.
Ignoring the 3rd Tech Center
An additional research queue creates permanent value. Delaying it for optional research slows multiple future technology branches.
Spending Oil Without Checking the Next Gate
Before beginning optional research or advanced construction, check what Oil is needed for your next major milestone. A small side upgrade can become an unnecessary waiting period if it empties your reserve before Base Expansion or an HQ prerequisite.
FAQ
When does Age of Oil start in Last War?
The Age of Oil arrives after Season 2 during the Season 2 Celebration/off-season progression phase.
What do you need to unlock Age of Oil research?
You currently need a level 30 Tech Center, at least 40% Special Forces research, and a warzone that has reached the Age of Oil phase.
How do you get Oil in Last War?
Your main repeatable source is the Oil Well. Age of Oil event reward chests, some base-expansion rewards, additional Oil Wells, and later event rewards can provide more Oil.
What should I research first in Age of Oil?
Start with Unlock Oil Well, improve Oil production, then prioritize Fast Builder V, Research Enhancement V, and the 3rd Tech Center while progressing through the required tree toward More Oil Wells and Base Expansion.
What does Base Expansion unlock?
Base Expansion is the key Age of Oil research gate that opens progression beyond Headquarters level 30. Check the dedicated HQ guide for the buildings and resources needed afterward.
Should I upgrade my Oil Well to level 30?
Yes. Oil is a major late-game bottleneck, and a level 30 Oil Well produces 1,800 base Oil per hour. Raising production early helps fund the rest of the Age of Oil tree.
Conclusion
The Last War Age of Oil is fundamentally an Oil-management race. Unlock and upgrade your Oil Well immediately, prioritize production improvements, secure Fast Builder V and the third Tech Center, and continue through More Oil Wells and Oil Output III toward Base Expansion.
Avoid spending Oil simply because it is available. Check your next research or HQ progression gate first and keep permanent Oil production growing. For more season, research, building, and progression strategies, browse the Heaven Guardian Last War Survival guides.
