The Tech Tree in SAND: Raiders of Sophie controls how far you can push your Trampler, the walking mech you live and fight inside. Every node sits under one of three research providers, and each unlock asks for a fixed amount of Crowns plus crafting materials before the recipe becomes available to you.
Quick answer: Pay Crowns and the listed materials to unlock a node under Godlewski’s Expedition (chassis, motors, utility), K.K. Landwehr (armor, weapons, steering), or Kaiser’s Friends (cannons, cargo, decks). Unlocking the node only opens the recipe, so you pay materials a second time when you actually build the part.
How unlocking works and what Crowns buy
Crowns are the main currency, pulled from rare goods and coins you collect on raids. Lower-tier nodes mostly cost Crowns alone or a small material top-up, while higher tiers stack scarce items on top. Tier IV unlocks regularly run 9,000 to 12,000 Crowns each and demand rare materials such as Crystal and Ficus.
Several materials act as recurring gates across the tree. Black Boxes feed many mid and high-tier weapon and armor nodes, and each one also sells for around 500 Crowns. The District Officer’s Portable Safe and valuables like the Crate of 1889 Chardonnay and Canned Sea Deer XL appear in the most expensive Kaiser’s Friends nodes, so it pays to extract those rather than spend them elsewhere.
Note: The Crown and material amounts below only open the blueprint. Producing the part afterward consumes additional materials each time you craft it, so budget for both costs.
Godlewski’s Expedition: chassis, motors, and utility
This branch covers the structural and power side of your Trampler. You build out chassis sizes, Motor-Reactors and engines, crew rooms, corridors, stairs, and utility tools like the Shovel, MedKit, and Smoke Grenade here. Prioritize it if you want a larger, more efficient machine.
| Upgrade | Tier | Unlock cost |
|---|---|---|
| Stairs (multiple) | I | 600 Crowns |
| Crew Room | I | 700 Crowns |
| Small Chassis | I | 900 Crowns |
| Motor-Reactor | I | 1,000 Crowns |
| Framed Stairs | I | 1,250 Crowns, 75 Coral Chunk |
| Energy Rod | I | 1,500 Crowns, 150 Coral Chunk, 15 Weird Coal |
| MedKit | I | 1,500 Crowns, 15 Weird Coral, 400 Mixtures |
| Motor-Reactor (variant) | I | 1,750 Crowns, 200 Mixtures, 15 Weird Coral |
| Wooden Corridor | II | 2,750 Crowns, 75 Coral Chunk |
| Captain’s Cabin | II | 2,800 Crowns, 75 Coral Chunk |
| Middling Chassis | II | 3,200 Crowns, 375 Mixtures |
| Middling Chassis (832U) | II | 3,200 Crowns, 375 Mixtures |
| Motor-Reactor | II | 3,250 Crowns, 4 Raw Aurogen Crystal, 375 Mixtures, 15 Alloy Steel |
| Crew Room | II | 3,500 Crowns, 100 Coral Chunk |
| Motor-Reactor (variant) | II | 4,000 Crowns, 475 Mixtures, 4 Raw Aurogen Crystal, 270 Coral Dust, 15 Alloy Steel |
| Crew Room (variant) | II | 4,300 Crowns, 125 Coral Chunk |
| Small Engine | II | 4,900 Crowns, 550 Mixtures, 5 Raw Aurogen Crystal |
| Shovel | II | 5,000 Crowns, 30 Weird Coral, 2 Raw Aurogen Crystal, 400 Coral Dust |
| Metal Corridor | III | 5,500 Crowns, 360 Leviathan Skin, 150 Coral Chunk |
| Great Chassis | III | 5,700 Crowns, 150 Coral Chunk, 5 Alloy Steel, 360 Leviathan Skin |
| Medium Engine | III | 6,300 Crowns, 750 Mixtures, 40 Weird Coral, 360 Coral Dust, 4 Raw Aurogen Crystal |
| Motor-Reactor | III | 6,500 Crowns, 750 Mixtures, 6 Raw Aurogen Crystal, 30 Alloy Steel, 360 Coral Dust |
| Great Chassis (variant) | III | 6,700 Crowns, 410 Leviathan Skin, 5 Alloy Steel, 100 Optic Lenses, 1,100 Mixtures |
| Great Chassis (variant) | III | 6,700 Crowns, 5 Alloy Steel, 410 Coral Dust, 1,100 Mixtures, 100 Optic Lenses |
| Motor-Reactor (variant) | III | 7,600 Crowns, 30 Alloy Steel, 410 Coral Dust, 185 Coral Chunk, 6 Raw Aurogen Crystal |
| Crafting Materials | III | 8,000 Crowns, 100 Optic Lenses, 40 Weird Coral, 750 Coral Dust, 200 Coral Chunk |
| Smoke Grenade | III | 8,000 Crowns, 3 Raw Aurogen Crystal, 200 Coral Chunk, 750 Leviathan Skin |
| Royal Chassis | IV | 9,000 Crowns, 150 Optic Lenses, 50 Crystal, 5 Raw Aurogen Crystal, 2 Ficus |
| Royal Chassis (variant) | IV | 9,000 Crowns, 50 Crystal, 150 Optic Lenses, 2 Ficus, 5 Raw Aurogen Crystal |
| Smokeless Rod | IV | 12,000 Crowns, 1 Ficus, 750 Coral Dust, 150 Optic Lenses, 3 Raw Aurogen Crystal |
K.K. Landwehr: armor, weapons, and steering
K.K. Landwehr is the combat and defense provider. It holds armor, armor plates, weapons, steering, artillery decks and compartments, plus breaching tools like the Time Bomb, Battering Ram, and Grenade. Many nodes lean on Black Boxes and the District Officer’s Portable Safe, so save those whenever you find them.
| Upgrade | Tier | Unlock cost |
|---|---|---|
| Framed Steering | I | 700 Crowns |
| Small Armament Workshop | I | 700 Crowns |
| Artillery Decks | I | 1,000 Crowns |
| Wooden Vestibule | I | 1,000 Crowns |
| Large Open Steering | I | 1,250 Crowns, 200 Scrap Metal |
| Weapons | I | 1,500 Crowns, 200 Scrapped Ammo |
| Armor | I | 1,500 Crowns, 200 Scrap Metal |
| Framed Artillery Deck | I | 1,750 Crowns, 200 Scrapped Ammo |
| Large Framed Steering | I | 2,000 Crowns, 225 Scrap Metal |
| Large Armament Workshop | II | 2,750 Crowns, 375 Scrap Metal, 375 Scrapped Ammo |
| Steering | II | 3,000 Crowns, 1 District Officer’s Portable Safe, 1 Black Box, 375 Scrap Metal |
| Armored Artillery Compartment | II | 3,250 Crowns, 375 Scrapped Ammo, 2 Black Box |
| Armor Plate | II | 3,500 Crowns, 30 Weird Coral, 475 Scrap Metal |
| Weapons | II | 4,000 Crowns, 1 District Officer’s Portable Safe, 1 Black Box, 450 Weapon Parts |
| Time Bomb | II | 4,000 Crowns, 450 Gunpowder, 1 Black Box, 1 District Officer’s Portable Safe |
| Armored Artillery Decks | II | 4,000 Crowns, 2 Black Box, 475 Scrapped Ammo, 5 Alloy Steel |
| Battering Ram | II | 4,500 Crowns, 360 Weapon Parts, 40 Alloy Steel, 2 District Officer’s Portable Safe |
| Armor Plate | III | 5,500 Crowns, 240 Weapon Parts, 500 Scrap Metal |
| Armor | III | 6,000 Crowns, 750 Scrapped Ammo, 2 Black Box, 2 District Officer’s Portable Safe, 750 Scrap Metal |
| Steering | III | 6,000 Crowns, 410 Gunpowder, 750 Scrap Metal, 3 District Officer’s Portable Safe, 10 Alloy Steel |
| Armored Vestibule | III | 6,000 Crowns, 1 District Officer’s Portable Safe, 1 Black Box, 410 Gunpowder |
| Embrasure | III | 6,000 Crowns, 270 Gunpowder, 270 Weapon Parts, 500 Scrapped Ammo |
| Steering (variant) | III | 6,000 Crowns, 750 Scrap Metal, 3 Black Box, 410 Gunpowder, 40 Weird Coral |
| Framed Armored Artillery Deck | III | 6,500 Crowns, 750 Scrapped Ammo, 10 Alloy Steel, 360 Weapon Parts, 3 Black Box |
| Grenade | III | 7,500 Crowns, 400 Gunpowder, 3 Black Box, 350 High-Grade Gunpowder |
| Improved Ammo | IV | 9,000 Crowns, 70 Weird Coral, 350 High-Grade Gunpowder, 1,000 Scrapped Ammo, 600 Gunpowder |
| Enclosed Artillery Compartment | IV | 9,000 Crowns, 350 High-Grade Gunpowder, 5 Black Box, 2 Ficus, 50 Crystal |
| Weapons | IV | 12,000 Crowns, 750 Weapon Parts, 3 Black Box, 15 Crystal, 1 Ficus |
Kaiser’s Friends: cannons, cargo, and decks
Kaiser’s Friends rounds out firepower and storage. It covers Cannons, Shotgun Cannons, and Autocannons alongside cargo decks, holds, and bays, plus standard decks and balconies. The pricier nodes ask for valuables like the Crate of 1889 Chardonnay and Canned Sea Deer XL, so plan to extract those rather than burn them.
| Upgrade | Tier | Unlock cost |
|---|---|---|
| Wooden Decks (multiple) | I | 600 Crowns |
| Balconies (multiple) | I | 1,300 Crowns, 200 Threads |
| Cargo Deck | I | 1,400 Crowns |
| Shotgun Cannon | I | 1,500 Crowns, 150 Threads |
| Auto Cannon | I | 1,500 Crowns, 150 Fabric Straps |
| Small Chassis | I | 1,700 Crowns, 200 Fabric Scraps |
| Armored Balconies (multiple) | II | 2,500 Crowns, 375 Threads |
| Middling Chassis | II | 3,000 Crowns, 375 Fabric Scraps |
| Middling Chassis (variant) | II | 3,000 Crowns, 375 Fabric Scraps |
| Cargo Hold | II | 3,500 Crowns, 15 Weird Coral, 1 Canned Sea Deer XL, 475 Threads, 1 Crate of 1889 Chardonnay |
| Cargo Hold (variant) | II | 3,500 Crowns, 15 Weird Coral, 1 Canned Sea Deer XL, 475 Threads, 1 Crate of 1889 Chardonnay |
| Cannon | II | 5,000 Crowns, 2 Crate of 1889 Chardonnay, 300 Metal Rods, 10 Alloy Steel, 300 Fabric |
| Shotgun Cannon | II | 5,000 Crowns, 10 Alloy Steel, 300 Leviathan Skin, 300 Gunpowder, 2 Canned Sea Deer XL |
| Autocannon | II | 5,000 Crowns, 2 District Officer’s Portable Safe, 300 Gunpowder, 300 Metal Rods, 10 Alloy Steel |
| Cargo Bay | II | 6,000 Crowns, 300 Leviathan Skin, 1 Canned Sea Deer XL, 500 Fabric Scraps |
| Cargo Bay (variant) | II | 6,000 Crowns, 300 Metal Rods, 500 Threads, 1 Crate of 1889 Chardonnay |
| Cargo Bay (variant) | II | 6,000 Crowns, 300 Fabric, 100 Reinforced Leather Strips, 500 Threads |
| Armored Deck | III | 6,000 Crowns, 750 Threads, 360 Metal Rods |
| Cargo Hold | III | 6,000 Crowns, 2 Crate of 1889 Chardonnay, 360 Metal Rods, 30 Weird Coral, 2 Canned Sea Deer XL |
| Great Chassis | III | 6,000 Crowns, 360 Fabric, 750 Fabric Scraps |
| Resources | III | 7,000 Crowns, 15 Alloy Steel, 410 Leviathan Skin, 410 Gunpowder, 1,100 Fabric Scraps |
| Cargo Hold (variant) | III | 7,000 Crowns, 2 Crate of 1889 Chardonnay, 30 Weird Coral, 410 Leviathan Meat, 2 Canned Sea Deer XL |
| Great Chassis (variant) | III | 7,000 Crowns, 410 Fabric, 1,100 Fabric Scraps |
| Great Chassis (variant) | III | 7,000 Crowns, 1,100 Threads, 410 Metal Rods |
| Cannon | III | 9,000 Crowns, 1,100 Fabric Scraps, 2 Black Box, 500 Gunpowder, 20 Alloy Steel |
| Shotgun Cannon | III | 9,000 Crowns, 40 Weird Coral, 2 Black Box, 500 Metal Rods, 1,100 Threads |
| Autocannon | III | 9,000 Crowns, 2 Black Box, 500 Leviathan Skin, 150 Reinforced Leather Strips, 70 Weird Coral |
| Resources | IV | 9,000 Crowns, 200 Reinforced Leather Strips, 2 Canned Sea Deer XL, 2 Crate of 1889 Chardonnay |
| Royal Chassis | IV | 9,000 Crowns, 2 Ficus, 1,200 Fabric Scraps, 450 Metal Rods, 150 Reinforced Leather Strips |
| Royal Chassis (variant) | IV | 9,000 Crowns, 50 Crystal, 1,100 Threads, 510 Leviathan Meat, 150 Reinforced Leather Strips |
| Cargo Bay | IV | 9,000 Crowns, 450 Metal Rods, 15 Crystal, 2 Crate of 1889 Chardonnay, 2 Canned Sea Deer XL |
| Cargo Bay (variant) | IV | 9,000 Crowns, 15 Crystal, 450 Leviathan Meat, 2 Canned Sea Deer XL, 2 Crate of 1889 Chardonnay |
| Cargo Bay (variant) | IV | 9,000 Crowns, 150 Reinforced Leather Strips, 15 Crystal, 2 Crate of 1889 Chardonnay, 2 Canned Sea Deer XL |
| Cannon | IV | 12,000 Crowns, 150 Reinforced Leather Strips, 5 Black Box, 2 Ficus, 30 Crystal |
| Shotgun Cannon | IV | 12,000 Crowns, 5 Black Box, 150 Reinforced Leather Strips, 80 Weird Coral, 2 Ficus |
| Autocannon | IV | 12,000 Crowns, 150 Reinforced Leather Strips, 5 Black Box, 2 Ficus, 75 Alloy Steel |
What to unlock first
Tier I nodes give the most value per Crown early on. A starter chassis, a Motor-Reactor, and one cannon are enough to field a self-sufficient Trampler that can move, fight, and survive. Godlewski’s Expedition is the smart first priority because its cheap Motor-Reactor and Small Chassis keep your engine running.
Before each raid, hover over the exact node you want so you know which materials to hoard. Black Boxes, the District Officer’s Portable Safe, and valuables like the Crate of 1889 Chardonnay and Canned Sea Deer XL are the hardest gates, so secure and extract them rather than spending them on lower-value crafts.
SAND: Raiders of Sophie is in active Early Access development, so Crown prices, materials, and node layouts can shift with major patches. Treat the costs above as the current baseline and re-check a node’s tooltip in the build menu if a recent update has changed your tree.
