How to get Units in MCOC in 2025 (its like 2024 but with fewer typos)

DNA3000

Note: this is a repost of my original units guide from (https://forums.playcontestofchampions.com/en/discussion/381330/faq-how-to-get-units-in-mcoc) but with a small error corrected plus updated calculations factoring in that correction. The error was a typo in Proven exploration total units, which also affects the total calculated monthly units and total minimum grind unit values.

FAQ: How to get Units in MCOC

One of the most commonly asked questions, at least periodically, is where can you earn Units in MCOC and how much can you earn. I decided to look for all the units in the game, where they are, and how much you can earn. I've broken it down into four sections: Minimal Grind, Moderate Grind, Non-repeatable sources (you can only earn them once) and Spending required. Where appropriate, I try to calculate both how much units are available, and how much you could earn in a year using those sources, to give an idea of the overall rate at which you could tap those sources of units with sufficient play.

Note: These numbers are as of January 1, 2025.

Minimal Grind Unit Sources

Monthly Calendar: 100 units/month, 1200 units/year
Requirement: sign in every day

Monthly Event Quest
Contender exploration total: 150
Proven exploration total: 171 (finally not a typo)
Conqueror exploration total: 150
Uncollected exploration total: 150
Requirement: fully explore each difficulty tier (less for completion)
621 units/month, 7452 units/year

Total minimal grind unit sources: 8652 units/year

[Note: for sufficiently strong rosters, the difficulty tiers with units can be completed with autofight and thus are classified here as minimal grind; for lower players this may require more moderate to high amounts of grinding content]

Moderate Grind Unit Sources

Arena milestones
Basic: 135/cycle
Featured: 135/cycle
Summoner Trials: 270/cycle
Catalyst Clash (basic, class, alpha): 30/cycle
Requirement: complete all milestones for each arena
Basic/Featured/Trials: 56160 units/year (2 cycles per week, 52 weeks)
Catalyst Clash: 3650/year (30 units per cycle, 3 day cycle)

Total arena milestone units: 59810 units/year

[Note: grind time is roster dependent: for sufficiently strong rosters Basic and Featured arenas require low amounts of effort while the trials requires moderate levels of grind. For smaller roster players this can take much more time to complete]

Super Daily Event: 30 units/day, 10950 units/year
Requirement: sufficient activity to reach milestone every day
(Note: the Daily Super Event replaces the 25 units in the 22hr event as of November 22, 2024)

Total Moderate Grind unit sources: 70760 units/year

Non-repeatable Unit Sources

Back Issues
Back Issue 1 (Classic/Variant): 225 units/360 units
Back Issue 2 (Classic/Variant): 225 units/360 units
Back Issue 3 (Classic/Variant): 150 units/270 units
Back Issue 4 (Classic/Variant): 150 units/270 units
Back Issue 5 (Classic/Variant): 150 units/360 units
Back Issue 6 (Classic/Variant): 150 units/360 units
Back Issue 7 (Classic/Variant): 150 units/360 units
Back Issue 8 (Classic/Variant): 150 units/360 units
Back Issue 9 (Classic/Variant): 150 units/360 units
Total Units in Back Issues: 4560 units
Requirements: exploration (completion grants partial units)

Act content
Book 1 Act 1: 445 units
Book 1 Act 2: 610 units
Book 1 Act 3: 1520 units
Book 1 Act 4: 1080 units
Book 1 Act 5: 1840 units
Book 1 Act 6: 2160 units
Book 1 total units: 7655 units
Requirements: exploration (completion grants ~ 1/3 of the total)

Book 2 Act 7: 2160 units
Book 2 Act 8: 2160 units
Book 2 Act 9.1: 540 units
Book 2 total units to date: 4860 units
Requirements: units are in specific path rewards on each quest. From 7.1 to 8.2 units each quest map has two paths with 45 units each, from 8.3 onward there is a single path per quest map with 90 units.
Note: this will increase over time as more Act content is released.

Road to Labyrinth: 360 units
Requirements: Exploration. Every quest has a single path with units in the rewards.

Total non-repeatable unit sources: 17435 units

Spending required

Test of X event milestones: 75 units/week, 3900 units/year
Requires: Sigil subscription, completing all event milestones weekly

$5 USD Unit card: 735 units/30 days, ~ 8820 units/year
Requires: buying unit card, claiming units daily (note: this is the most efficient unit purchase that normally exists)

Most efficient no-limit purchase of units normally available
- In-app purchase: All Father Odin's Vault: 3100 units/$100 USD
- Webstore: Namor's Sunken Riches: 7040 units/$200 USD

Other Unit Sources

Daily crystals have 1% chance to drop small amounts of units (progression-dependent, 10-50 units)
[Note: webstore gives free daily crystal, so it is possible to earn two daily crystals per day with daily logins and daily checks of the webstore]
(currently unknown what the exact return rate is, but it is very small)
- Estimated units per year with double daily crystals for Valiant progression players: ~300 units per year

Quest crystals have rare chance for units
(currently unknown what the exact return rate is, but it is very very small)

Random Fights have a very rare chance to drop units
(currently unknown what the exact return rate is, but it is vewy vewy vewy small)

Double-track events: Variable
These events generally have a free track and a separate paid track that award units periodically. Requires minimal to moderate activity during the event to collect all units. Typically approximately 1000 units for the free track, additional 1000 units for the paid track.

Arena crystals have 15% chance to drop units.
When purchased with Battlechips, the average drop rate per one million BC worth of arena crystals is 1875 units regardless of which crystal is bought. More expensive crystals drop larger amounts of units in direct proportion to cost.

Note: grinding arena has open-ended rewards: even when all milestones are exhausted you still earn Battlechips for arena rounds won, and because these can be exchanged for arena crystals that randomly award units this is the unlimited unit grind option for free to play players.

Toproller89

Thanks for the breakdown, although you might want to check the part where you say that we can still get two daily crystals per day, as far as I am aware, the super daily event is the new normal and we can only obtain one daily crystal from webstore per day.

peixemacaco

Great info

After get 10 SBC gifting Accolades, I was with 0 units.

In 2 days Arenas, I collected 300 units and could get 1 more SBC

So, we may get 500/600 in a week, not in weekend arenas tho...

And with everyday SDE ,150+ units

So, 750 total

IAmGrO_ot78

I do 24-25 mill + 6-7 mill + 450k in arena every round, that gives me the 1-5% rewards and about 1500-2000 units per week.

kvirr

IAmGrO_ot78 said:

I do 24-25 mill + 6-7 mill + 450k in arena every round, that gives me the 1-5% rewards and about 1500-2000 units per week.

Do you know what color grass is

IAmGrO_ot78

kvirr said:

IAmGrO_ot78 said:

I do 24-25 mill + 6-7 mill + 450k in arena every round, that gives me the 1-5% rewards and about 1500-2000 units per week.

Do you know what color grass is

DNA3000

Toproller89 said:

Thanks for the breakdown, although you might want to check the part where you say that we can still get two daily crystals per day, as far as I am aware, the super daily event is the new normal and we can only obtain one daily crystal from webstore per day.

Yeah, I mention the fact the in-game crystal is replaced by the Super Daily, but then forgot to factor that into that last section. Oh well, something to correct for 2026 I guess.

magnus_xix

Always wondered which arena has the best total rounds to units milestone ratio?

Friendly001

IAmGrO_ot78 said:

I do 24-25 mill + 6-7 mill + 450k in arena every round, that gives me the 1-5% rewards and about 1500-2000 units per week.

Why push so far in the 6-7 star arenas? Just get more units in the 4 star one.

Toproller89

magnus_xix said:

Always wondered which arena has the best total rounds to units milestone ratio?

Basic 6* I do it in about 30 rounds for 135 units.

DNA3000

Toproller89 said:

magnus_xix said:

Always wondered which arena has the best total rounds to units milestone ratio?

Basic 6* I do it in about 30 rounds for 135 units.

If your roster is big enough, yeah its the basic.

However, also worth noting is the points per milestone grows larger as you go up, so while the 4* arena is the most grindy, the first few milestones are actually just as easy to get on average as either of the 7* arenas are. It is the higher ones that take increasingly more effort to get. So it is always worth getting at least the first few of those as well.

IAmGrO_ot78

Friendly001 said:

IAmGrO_ot78 said:

I do 24-25 mill + 6-7 mill + 450k in arena every round, that gives me the 1-5% rewards and about 1500-2000 units per week.

Why push so far in the 6-7 star arenas? Just get more units in the 4 star one.

Free champs that gives iso, and easy to get DSE done. I used to do the 4.4 mill in 4* arena, but that is a recipe for 🔥 out 😉

Ended up with a 1 year break, so when I came back I decided no more ally bs, and play less arena 😅

DNA3000

Friendly001 said:

IAmGrO_ot78 said:

I do 24-25 mill + 6-7 mill + 450k in arena every round, that gives me the 1-5% rewards and about 1500-2000 units per week.

Why push so far in the 6-7 star arenas? Just get more units in the 4 star one.

24 million gives you about a 50/50 chance of snagging the 5* rarity of featured champ. It takes an extra 30-40 rounds, which in the 4* arena would be something like 60-70ish units more. So you're kinda buying a 5* featured champ for 70 units. Which is not a terrible trade.

Friendly001

DNA3000 said:

Friendly001 said:

IAmGrO_ot78 said:

I do 24-25 mill + 6-7 mill + 450k in arena every round, that gives me the 1-5% rewards and about 1500-2000 units per week.

Why push so far in the 6-7 star arenas? Just get more units in the 4 star one.

24 million gives you about a 50/50 chance of snagging the 5* rarity of featured champ. It takes an extra 30-40 rounds, which in the 4* arena would be something like 60-70ish units more. So you're kinda buying a 5* featured champ for 70 units. Which is not a terrible trade.

Id rather have 10 units than some more sigs, unless I was really tight on iso which is virtually impossible for a late game player.

DNA3000

Friendly001 said:

DNA3000 said:

Friendly001 said:

IAmGrO_ot78 said:

I do 24-25 mill + 6-7 mill + 450k in arena every round, that gives me the 1-5% rewards and about 1500-2000 units per week.

Why push so far in the 6-7 star arenas? Just get more units in the 4 star one.

24 million gives you about a 50/50 chance of snagging the 5* rarity of featured champ. It takes an extra 30-40 rounds, which in the 4* arena would be something like 60-70ish units more. So you're kinda buying a 5* featured champ for 70 units. Which is not a terrible trade.

Id rather have 10 units than some more sigs, unless I was really tight on iso which is virtually impossible for a late game player.

Then you should probably stop at 12 million and move on to the Summoner Trials arena.

I don't know about that ISO one though. Everyone has a bottleneck, from the most casual Cav to the whaleiest end gamer. The only question is what it is. When you spend everything, something is always left over, and something else runs out first. It might be catalysts, it might be ISO. If you are a catalyst machine and you're constantly overflowing on all the cats, then the thing you're going to run out of is ISO. Because its much less likely these days to be gold.

It is more likely to be one catalyst or another. But everyone is different.