Minecraft Prison Guide: Tips and Tricks to Rank Up Faster (2026)

Short answer: The fastest way to rank up in Minecraft Prison is to keep mining, sell everything you mine, and put your earnings straight back into your pickaxe. On Complex Prison (hub.mc-complex.com), that means upgrading Lucky Mining first so you earn tokens, following the recommended upgrade path in /upgrade, getting Auto Sell on your pickaxe, and investing in your backpack. Vote every day for free money, tokens and crate keys. Complex Prison is a slower-paced server, so expect a few weeks of grinding to reach the top ranks.

How Minecraft Prison works​

In Prison, you mine blocks, sell them for money, and spend that money to rank up through the mines. On Complex Prison there are 38 mines: 26 rank mines from A to Z and 12 prestige mines. Every rank unlocks a mine with better blocks, so you make more money the higher you go. Once you reach rank Z, you can prestige. New to the game mode? Start with What Is a Minecraft Prison Server?

Your first hour: how to make money fast​

1. Claim your free rewards: type /vote and vote on all 8 sites. Each one gives you $1,000, 5 tokens and a vote crate key. Then grab your /dailies and check vote parties with /vp.
2. Upgrade Lucky Mining first: Lucky Mining is the pickaxe enchant that gives you tokens while you mine. Tokens pay for every other upgrade, so the sooner you get it, the faster everything else comes.
3. Follow the built-in upgrade path: hold your pickaxe and type /upgrade. The starter path recommends the next best money-making enchant from wherever you are. Hover over the pickaxe logo at the top of the menu to see it, and max each upgrade before moving to the next.
4. Sell everything: type /sell all to sell your inventory. Once you can, upgrade the Auto Sell enchant on your pickaxe so it sells your inventory for you, faster with every level.

Tips to rank up faster​

• Never stop mining: mining is where your money and tokens come from. Time spent not mining is the biggest thing that slows new players down.
• Upgrade your backpack: your backpack holds extra blocks once your inventory is full, starting at 500. Upgrade it with Golden Shards so you can mine longer between sells. See the Backpack Guide.
• Use money boosters while you mine: boosters from crates and milestones raise your sell price.
• Turn on hot streaks: in /upgrade, you can enable up to 3 hot streaks. When one triggers, it boosts that upgrade until your Mana runs out.
• Try Momentum: this upgrade rewards precise mining with a Fortune bonus, a Sell bonus and Haste the longer you keep your streak going.
• Join Flash Mine events: the top three players or gangs with the most blocks mined win keys.
• Sell what you don't need: vote keys and tokens sell well to other players on the auction house (/ah) and at chest shops on player plots.

Prestige: what resets and what you keep​

Once you reach rank Z and can afford it, type /prestige. Here's what happens when you prestige:

Mid and late game money makers​

• Skull Island: the Prison PvE zone and one of the best places to earn tokens, Golden Shards and experience. Entry costs 5,000 tokens at /warp skullisland. Rune your armor and get Mending first, and leave through an exit beacon to keep what you earned.
• Gangs: team up with up to 6 members online and 10 on your roster. Share a gang bank and vault, complete gang missions, claim ponds on Skull Island for bonus drops, and compete for monthly gang top rewards.
• Nukes and dynamite: won from crates. Throw them in a mine for a big burst of money.
• The Warzone: a dedicated PvP area with an outpost, envoys and other events.
• Plots and chest shops: set up a shop on your plot to buy and sell while you mine. See the Chest Shop Guide.
• Weekly leaderboards: place in the top 10 of 23 categories to earn points. The top 12 players each week win rewards.

Beginner mistakes to avoid​

• Not mining enough: the players who rank up fastest are the ones who mine the most.
• Skipping the backpack: a small backpack means constant trips to sell. Invest in it early.
• Upgrading randomly: Lucky Mining first, then follow the starter path in /upgrade.
• Using someone else's pickaxe: its upgrades drop to half their level for you.
• Going to Skull Island unprepared: it's hard. Without runes and Mending, your armor won't last.
• Expecting to max out in a day: Complex Prison is a slower-paced server, and reaching the top ranks takes a few weeks of grinding. That's what makes ranking up worth it.

Prison commands cheat sheet​

Play Prison on Java or Bedrock​

Java and Bedrock players share the same Prison with full crossplay.
Everything you need to know about our server is in the Complex Gaming Prison Server Guide.

Minecraft Prison Tips FAQ​

What is the fastest way to rank up in Minecraft Prison?​

How do you make money fast in Minecraft Prison?​

What should I upgrade first on my pickaxe?​

Does prestiging reset everything?​

How long does it take to rank up on Complex Prison?​

How many players can be in a Prison gang?​

Do you lose your items when you die in Prison?​

Can you play Minecraft Prison on Bedrock?​

Is Complex Prison free to play?​

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