Village layout and expansion: pads, gates and the 3×3
Updated September 25, 2026. Figures come from the live game.
The short answer
Your village starts as the 3×3 around the keep: four corner pads and four gatehouses where the roads leave. Three expansions add four pads each (up to 16) and raise the building level cap from 2 to 3 to 5.
The starting island
Pads sit on an 8-unit grid around the keep. The four corners of the 3×3 are building pads; the four middle cells are gatehouses, where the roads leave the keep and where your posted guards stand. Roads run out north, east, south and west, and nothing is ever built on them.
Four roads, four gatehouses, four corner pads.
What each expansion costs
| Expansion | Scrap | Timber | Time | Adds | Building level cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | — | — | — | 4 pads | 2 |
| Level 1 | 400 | 300 | 1 hour | 4 pads | 2 |
| Level 2 | 700 | 520 | 4 hours | 4 pads | 3 |
| Level 3 | 1,400 | 1,050 | 10 hours | 4 pads | 5 |
Expansion uses the single construction slot, is earned with a Ruin Survey two levels harder than your skill, and adds 15 strength per level.
Fortifying the keep
Fortify (450 scrap, 300 timber, 2 hours) adds 400 storage per material, 120 hp to the keep gate, 30 hp to each road gate, 100 protected stock and 20 strength.
Questions players ask
How many buildings can a Voxhorde village hold?
Sixteen pads after all three expansions: four on the starting island and four more per expansion. Barricades sit on the fence and don't count.
Why can't I upgrade past level 2?
The island caps building levels: 2 until your second expansion, 3 after it, and 5 after the third.
How long does expansion take?
One hour for the first, four hours for the second and ten hours for the third, before your mini-game grade cuts the time.