Homeworld Deserts of Kharak Coalition Tech Tree Guide

I decided to map out a summary of the tech tree and it's related costs and times. I figured I could help out the community by giving a clear idea of what techs are available. Since learning the tech tree improved my gameplay experience and allowed me to play more competitively with the AI, I felt it might help other players as well.

If you prefer, you can watch the YouTube video where I describe and go over all the techs, how they interact and which I found to be most useful. If you prefer the pure data dump, then please feel free to check out the numbers below. I'm just hopeful that this helps other players.

Introduction

When I started playing Homeworld Deserts of Kharak, I noticed that I had trouble understanding what research unlocked what other researches and what the high level techs were. I decided to map out a summary of the tech tree and it's related costs and times. Since the press embargo is over and all these techs are available to be seen during gameplay videos, I figured I could help out the community by giving a clear idea of what techs are available. Since learning the tech tree improved my gameplay experience and allowed me to play more competitively with the AI, I felt it might help other players as well.

If you prefer, you can watch the YouTube video where I describe and go over all the techs, how they interact and which I found to be most useful. If you prefer the pure data dump, then please feel free to check out the numbers below. I'm just hopeful that this helps other players.

Youtube Video Guide

Please let me know if you have any feedback. I'm sure, as the game is patched going forward, that values will change, so please let me know if you notice anything is out of date or incorrect.

Level 1

Tech Light Assault Vehicle Fabrication
Level 1
Desc Opens LAV
Type Engineering
CU 300
RU 0
Time 35
Unlocks Fighter and Gunship, Railgun, AAV, LAV Assault Pack, LAV Armor Level 1

Tech Power Reserve 1
Level 1
Desc Gives 5 more power to Carrier
Type Upgrades
CU 700
RU 400
Time 45
Unlocks Power Reserve 2

Tech Support Cruiser Anti-Air
Level 1
Desc Gives Support Cruiser Anti Air Capabiilties
Type Upgrades
CU 500
RU 320
Time 75
Unlocks None

Level 2

Tech Fighter and Gunship Fabrication
Level 2
Desc Opens Fighters
Type Engineering
CU 500
RU 200
Time 70
Unlocks Tactical Bomber Fabrication

Tech Railgun Fabrication
Level 2
Desc Opens Railguns
Type Engineering
CU 400
RU 135
Time 50
Unlocks Railgun Mag Accelerator Upgrade

Tech AAV Fabrication
Level 2
Desc Opens Armored Tank
Type Engineering
CU 350
RU 85
Time 50
Unlocks Missile Battery, Battle Cruiser, Assault Cruiser, Upgrade Carrier Production, Heavy Vehicles Armor Level 1

Tech LAV Assault Pack
Level 2
Desc Unlocks boost ability only
Type Upgrades
CU 200
RU 125
Time 50
Unlocks Vehicle Damage Level 1

Tech LAV Armor Level 1
Level 2
Desc Adds 2 armor to LAV
Type Upgrades
CU 400
RU 75
Time 30
Unlocks LAV Armor Level 2

Tech Power Reserve 2
Level 2
Desc Gives 5 more power to Carrier
Type Upgrades
CU 900
RU 500
Time 55
Unlocks Power Reserve 3

Level 3

Tech Tactical Bomber Fabrication
Level 3
Desc Gives Access to Bombers
Type Engineering
CU 550
RU 250
Time 75
Unlocks None

Tech Railgun Mag Accelerator Upgrade
Level 3
Desc Railgun damage increased by 60
Type Upgrades
CU 215
RU 85
Time 50
Unlocks None

Tech Missile Battery Fabrication
Level 3
Desc Gives Access to Missile Battery
Type Engineering
CU 200
RU 125
Time 40
Unlocks None

Tech Battle Cruiser Fabrication
Level 3
Desc Gives Access to Battle Cruiser
Type Engineering
CU 700
RU 450
Time 130
Unlocks None

Tech Assault Cruiser Fabrication
Level 3
Desc Gives Acccess to Assault Cruiser
Type Engineering
CU 600
RU 350
Time 110
Unlocks Artillery Cruiser, Assault Cruiser Anti Air Capabilities

Tech Upgrade Carrier Production
Level 3
Desc Gives additional production queue
Type Upgrades
CU 450
RU 0
Time 30
Unlocks Upgrade Carrier Production

Tech Heavy Vehicles Armor Level 1
Level 3
Desc Adds 2 armor to AAV, Railgun, Missile Battery
Type Upgrades
CU 100
RU 100
Time 20
Unlocks Heavy Vehicles Armor Level 2

Tech Vehicle Damage Level 1
Level 3
Desc Adds 2 Damage to LAV
Type Upgrades
CU 500
RU 75
Time 30
Unlocks Vehicle Damage Level 2

Tech LAV Armor Level 2
Level 3
Desc Adds 2 armor to LAV
Type Upgrades
CU 400
RU 150
Time 60
Unlocks None

Tech Power Reserve 3
Level 3
Desc Gives 5 more power to Carrier
Type Upgrades
CU 1100
RU 600
Time 65
Unlocks Power Reserve 4

Level 4

Tech Artillery Cruiser Fabrication
Level 4
Desc Gives Access to Artillery Cruiser
Type Engineering
CU 500
RU 300
Time 100
Unlocks None

Tech Assault Cruiser Anti-Air
Level 4
Desc Gives anti air capabilities to Assault Cruiser
Type Upgrades
CU 500
RU 340
Time 65
Unlocks None

Tech Upgrade Carrier Production
Level 4
Desc Gives additional production queue
Type Upgrades
CU 450
RU 0
Time 30
Unlocks None

Tech Heavy Vehicles Armor Level 2
Level 4
Desc Adds 2 Armor to AAV, Railgun, Missile Battery
Type Upgrades
CU 200
RU 200
Time 40
Unlocks Heavy Vehicles Armor Level 3

Tech Vehicle Damage Level 2
Level 4
Desc Adds 2 Damage to LAV
Type Upgrades
CU 500
RU 150
Time 65
Unlocks None

Tech Power Reserve 4
Level 4
Desc Gives 5 more power to Carrier
Type Upgrades
CU 1300
RU 700
Time 75
Unlocks Power Reserve 5

Level 5

Tech Heavy Vehicles Armor Level 3
Level 5
Desc Adds 2 Armor to AAV, Railgun, Missile Battery
Type Upgrades
CU 300
RU 300
Time 80
Unlocks None

Tech Power Reserve 5
Level 5
Desc Gives 5 more power to Carrier
Type Upgrades
CU 1500
RU 800
Time 85
Unlocks Carrier - Cruise Missile Silo

Level NUKES!

Tech Carrier - Cruise Missile Silo
Level 6
Desc Nuclear launch detected! (takes half a carrier's health, 2 minute cooldown, FRIENDLY FIRE)
Type Upgrades
CU 700
RU 450
Time 20
Unlocks None

[CNiper]

Hi Jalindo! This is a great guide you've got.

I'm working with Gearbox and I was wondering if we'd be able to share this across Homeworld channels. We'd fully credit you with any call-out details you'd like.

I've sent you a friend request over Steam if you want to talk more about it :) Thank you!

[Nate10]

@Unit-287 it is bc the launch of the carrier was accelerated(by two years if i remember correctly) so there was no time to finish those systems, also this guide is about multiplayer/skirmish mode

[Knugen]

nukes is my favorite tier

[Unit-287]

I think you should have all the tech when you start the game... mainly bc that HUGe base you start in woulden't spend all of those recources and then give the the basic units you start out with with a very low power selection

[penguinman98]

@harmlesshamster

In the Homeworld franchise, the sacrifice for teching up has always been dedicating resources to the research. Resources that could be used to build more ships to replace the ones you will probably keep losing because you didn't research the tech. Either make the call that you don't need it and save the resources and make more ships, or make the upgrade and try to make your ships last longer.

[Masque of the Red Death]

Carrier power techs don't increase by 5 each level. Instead, they give you 1 x n (where n is the power level) extra power. There are also 7 power levels.

[harmlesshamster]

At any rate, I found fast attack craft to be next to useless unless they plant a railgun tank with a retarded pilot outside your carrier. Aircraft are stupidly effective against ANY ground unit(s) and gunships are a literal waste of resources.

[harmlesshamster]

Tech Trees should be a tree. To make a decision important a game needs to give one advantage at the expense of another potential advantage. This is the essense of strategy.
Do you see Blizzard giving you full and complete accesss to all units in MP at the beginning of the game?

[jmsmistral]

@Rinzler - An infographic would be really helpful! If you do it, post it here ;)

[Jalindo]

Yes, the RU and CU costs are flipped. Thank you for posting this.

I would be ecstatic if you made an infographic of it. It's not something I ever learned how to do, but I probably should come to think of it...

At any rate, I'll go ahead and flip those RU and CU values around.