The Tech Tree in SAND: Raiders of Sophie is the spine of your long-term progression. It unlocks new building blocks, cannons, chassis, storage, and utility parts for your Trampler, the giant walking machine you pilot across the dunes of Sophie. Nodes are split across three research providers, each with its own focus, and every upgrade sits in one of four tiers that climb in price as you push toward the strongest gear.
Quick answer: Spend Crowns plus crafting materials to unlock nodes under Godlewski’s Expedition (chassis, motors, and utility), K.K. Landwehr (armor, weapons, and steering), and Kaiser’s Friends (cannons, cargo, and decks). Unlocking a node is separate from crafting the item, which costs additional materials each time you build it.
How the Tech Tree and currency work
Meta progression runs through research nodes that you pay for with Crowns, the main currency you pull from rare goods and coins on raids. Higher-tier nodes also demand specific crafting materials such as Coral Chunk, Mixtures, Scrap Metal, Alloy Steel, and the rarer Raw Aurogen Crystal, Crystal, and Ficus. Black Boxes are a recurring gate as well, since they feed several mid and high-tier weapon and armor unlocks while also selling for around 500 Crowns each.
Note: Unlocking a node only opens the recipe. Producing the part costs materials again, so budget for both the research price below and the build cost when you actually craft it.
The tree is organized into four tiers that move from basic to advanced. Tier I nodes are cheap and mostly cost Crowns alone or a small material top-up. Tier IV nodes hit the hardest, often pulling 9,000 to 12,000 Crowns plus scarce materials like Crystal and Ficus.
Godlewski’s Expedition upgrades and costs
This branch covers the structural backbone of your Trampler. You’ll find chassis sizes, Motor-Reactors and engines, crew rooms, corridors, stairs, and utility tools like the Shovel, MedKit, and Smoke Grenade here.
| Upgrade | Tier | Unlock cost |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Rod | I | 1500 Crowns, 150 Coral Chunk, 15 Weird Coal |
| Crew Room | I | 700 Crowns |
| Stairs (multiple) | I | 600 Crowns |
| Motor-Reactor | I | 1000 Crowns |
| Small Chassis | I | 900 Crowns |
| MedKit | I | 1500 Crowns, 15 Weird Coral, 400 Mixtures |
| Framed Stairs | I | 1250 Crowns, 75 Coral Chunk |
| Motor-Reactor | I | 1750 Crowns, 200 Mixtures, 15 Weird Coral |
| Shovel | II | 5000 Crowns, 30 Weird Coral, 2 Raw Aurogen Crystal, 400 Coral Dust |
| Captain’s Cabin | II | 2800 Crowns, 75 Coral Chunk |
| Wooden Corridor | II | 2750 Crowns, 75 Coral Chunk |
| Motor-Reactor | II | 3250 Crowns, 4 Raw Aurogen Crystal, 375 Mixtures, 15 Alloy Steel |
| Middling Chassis | II | 3200 Crowns, 375 Mixtures |
| Middling Chassis (832U) | II | 3200 Crowns, 375 Mixtures |
| Crew Room | II | 3500 Crowns, 100 Coral Chunk |
| Motor-Reactor | II | 4000 Crowns, 475 Mixtures, 4 Raw Aurogen Crystal, 270 Coral Dust, 15 Alloy Steel |
| Crew Room | II | 4300 Crowns, 125 Coral Chunk |
| Crew Room | II | 4300 Crowns, 125 Coral Chunk |
| Small Engine | II | 4900 Crowns, 550 Mixtures, 5 Raw Aurogen Crystal |
| Crafting Materials | III | 8000 Crowns, 100 Optic Lenses, 40 Weird Coral, 750 Coral Dust, 200 Coral Chunk |
| Metal Corridor | III | 5500 Crowns, 360 Leviathan Skin, 150 Coral Chunk |
| Motor-Reactor | III | 6500 Crowns, 750 Mixtures, 6 Raw Aurogen Crystal, 30 Alloy Steel, 360 Coral Dust |
| Medium Engine | III | 6300 Crowns, 750 Mixtures, 40 Weird Coral, 360 Coral Dust, 4 Raw Aurogen Crystal |
| Great Chassis | III | 5700 Crowns, 150 Coral Chunk, 5 Alloy Steel, 360 Leviathan Skin |
| Smoke Grenade | III | 8000 Crowns, 3 Raw Aurogen Crystal, 200 Coral Chunk, 750 Leviathan Skin |
| Motor-Reactor | III | 7600 Crowns, 30 Alloy Steel, 410 Coral Dust, 185 Coral Chunk, 6 Raw Aurogen Crystal |
| Great Chassis | III | 6700 Crowns, 410 Leviathan Skin, 5 Alloy Steel, 100 Optic Lenses, 1100 Mixtures |
| Great Chassis | III | 6700 Crowns, 5 Alloy Steel, 410 Coral Dust, 1100 Mixtures, 100 Optic Lenses |
| Smokeless Rod | IV | 12000 Crowns, 1 Ficus, 750 Coral Dust, 150 Optic Lenses, 3 Raw Aurogen Crystal |
| Royal Chassis | IV | 9000 Crowns, 150 Optic Lenses, 50 Crystal, 5 Raw Aurogen Crystal, 2 Ficus |
| Royal Chassis | IV | 9000 Crowns, 50 Crystal, 150 Optic Lenses, 2 Ficus, 5 Raw Aurogen Crystal |
K.K. Landwehr upgrades and costs
K.K. Landwehr is the combat and defense provider. It holds armor, armor plates, weapons, steering, artillery decks and compartments, plus offensive tools like the Time Bomb, Battering Ram, and Grenade. Several nodes lean on Black Boxes and the District Officer’s Portable Safe, so hoard those when you find them.
| Upgrade | Tier | Unlock cost |
|---|---|---|
| Weapons | I | 1500 Crowns, 200 Scrapped Ammo |
| Artillery Decks | I | 1000 Crowns |
| Framed Steering | I | 700 Crowns |
| Small Armament Workshop | I | 700 Crowns |
| Wooden Vestibule | I | 1000 Crowns |
| Armor | I | 1500 Crowns, 200 Scrap Metal |
| Framed Artillery Deck | I | 1750 Crowns, 200 Scrapped Ammo |
| Large Open Steering | I | 1250 Crowns, 200 Scrap Metal |
| Large Framed Steering | I | 2000 Crowns, 225 Scrap Metal |
| Weapons | II | 4000 Crowns, 1 District Officer’s Portable Safe, 1 Black Box, 450 Weapon Parts |
| Armored Artillery Compartment | II | 3250 Crowns, 375 Scrapped Ammo, 2 Black Box |
| Steering | II | 3000 Crowns, 1 District Officer’s Portable Safe, 1 Black Box, 375 Scrap Metal |
| Large Armament Workshop | II | 2750 Crowns, 375 Scrap Metal, 375 Scrapped Ammo |
| Time Bomb | II | 4000 Crowns, 450 Gunpowder, 1 Black Box, 1 District Officer’s Portable Safe |
| Armored Artillery Decks | II | 4000 Crowns, 2 Black Box, 475 Scrapped Ammo, 5 Alloy Steel |
| Armor Plate | II | 3500 Crowns, 30 Weird Coral, 475 Scrap Metal |
| Battering Ram | II | 4500 Crowns, 360 Weapon Parts, 40 Alloy Steel, 2 District Officer’s Portable Safe |
| Armor | III | 6000 Crowns, 750 Scrapped Ammo, 2 Black Box, 2 District Officer’s Portable Safe, 750 Scrap Metal |
| Framed Armored Artillery Deck | III | 6500 Crowns, 750 Scrapped Ammo, 10 Alloy Steel, 360 Weapon Parts, 3 Black Box |
| Armor Plate | III | 5500 Crowns, 240 Weapon Parts, 500 Scrap Metal |
| Steering | III | 6000 Crowns, 410 Gunpowder, 750 Scrap Metal, 3 District Officer’s Portable Safe, 10 Alloy Steel |
| Armored Vestibule | III | 6000 Crowns, 1 District Officer’s Portable Safe, 1 Black Box, 410 Gunpowder |
| Grenade | III | 7500 Crowns, 400 Gunpowder, 3 Black Box, 350 High-Grade Gunpowder |
| Embrasure | III | 6000 Crowns, 270 Gunpowder, 270 Weapon Parts, 500 Scrapped Ammo |
| Steering | III | 6000 Crowns, 750 Scrap Metal, 3 Black Box, 410 Gunpowder, 40 Weird Coral |
| Improved Ammo | IV | 9000 Crowns, 70 Weird Coral, 350 High-Grade Gunpowder, 1000 Scrapped Ammo, 600 Gunpowder |
| Enclosed Artillery Compartment | IV | 9000 Crowns, 350 High-Grade Gunpowder, 5 Black Box, 2 Ficus, 50 Crystal |
| Weapons | IV | 12000 Crowns, 750 Weapon Parts, 3 Black Box, 15 Crystal, 1 Ficus |
Kaiser’s Friends upgrades and costs
Kaiser’s Friends rounds out your firepower and storage. It covers Cannons, Shotgun Cannons, and Autocannons alongside cargo decks, holds, and bays, plus 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 burning them.
| Upgrade | Tier | Unlock cost |
|---|---|---|
| Shotgun Cannon | I | 1500 Crowns, 150 Threads |
| Wooden Decks (multiple) | I | 600 Crowns |
| Cargo Deck | I | 1400 Crowns |
| Auto Cannon | I | 1500 Crowns, 150 Fabric Straps |
| Small Chassis | I | 1700 Crowns, 200 Fabric Scraps |
| Balconies (multiple) | I | 1300 Crowns, 200 Threads |
| Cannon | II | 5000 Crowns, 2 Crate of 1889 Chardonnay, 300 Metal Rods, 10 Alloy Steel, 300 Fabric |
| Armored Balconies (multiple) | II | 2500 Crowns, 375 Threads |
| Cargo Hold | II | 3500 Crowns, 15 Weird Coral, 1 Canned Sea Deer XL, 475 Threads, 1 Crate of 1889 Chardonnay |
| Shotgun Cannon | II | 5000 Crowns, 10 Alloy Steel, 300 Leviathan Skin, 300 Gunpowder, 2 Canned Sea Deer XL |
| Middling Chassis | II | 3000 Crowns, 375 Fabric Scraps |
| Middling Chassis | II | 3000 Crowns, 375 Fabric Scraps |
| Cargo Hold | II | 3500 Crowns, 15 Weird Coral, 1 Canned Sea Deer XL, 475 Threads, 1 Crate of 1889 Chardonnay |
| Autocannon | II | 5000 Crowns, 2 District Officer’s Portable Safe, 300 Gunpowder, 300 Metal Rods, 10 Alloy Steel |
| Cargo Bay | II | 6000 Crowns, 300 Leviathan Skin, 1 Canned Sea Deer XL, 500 Fabric Scraps |
| Cargo Bay | II | 6000 Crowns, 300 Metal Rods, 500 Threads, 1 Crate of 1889 Chardonnay |
| Cargo Bay | II | 6000 Crowns, 300 Fabric, 100 Reinforced Leather Strips, 500 Threads |
| Resources | III | 7000 Crowns, 15 Alloy Steel, 410 Leviathan Skin, 410 Gunpowder, 1100 Fabric Scraps |
| Armored Deck | III | 6000 Crowns, 750 Threads, 360 Metal Rods |
| Cargo Hold | III | 6000 Crowns, 2 Crate of 1889 Chardonnay, 360 Metal Rods, 30 Weird Coral, 2 Canned Sea Deer XL |
| Cannon | III | 9000 Crowns, 1100 Fabric Scraps, 2 Black Box, 500 Gunpowder, 20 Alloy Steel |
| Great Chassis | III | 6000 Crowns, 360 Fabric, 750 Fabric Scraps |
| Cargo Hold | III | 7000 Crowns, 2 Crate of 1889 Chardonnay, 30 Weird Coral, 410 Leviathan Meat, 2 Canned Sea Deer XL |
| Shotgun Cannon | III | 9000 Crowns, 40 Weird Coral, 2 Black Box, 500 Metal Rods, 1100 Threads |
| Great Chassis | III | 7000 Crowns, 410 Fabric, 1100 Fabric Scraps |
| Great Chassis | III | 7000 Crowns, 1100 Threads, 410 Metal Rods |
| Autocannon | III | 9000 Crowns, 2 Black Box, 500 Leviathan Skin, 150 Reinforced Leather Strips, 70 Weird Coral |
| Resources | IV | 9000 Crowns, 200 Reinforced Leather Strips, 2 Canned Sea Deer XL, 2 Crate of 1889 Chardonnay |
| Royal Chassis | IV | 9000 Crowns, 2 Ficus, 1200 Fabric Scraps, 450 Metal Rods, 150 Reinforced Leather Strips |
| Royal Chassis | IV | 9000 Crowns, 50 Crystal, 1100 Threads, 510 Leviathan Meat, 150 Reinforced Leather Strips |
| Cargo Bay | IV | 9000 Crowns, 450 Metal Rods, 15 Crystal, 2 Crate of 1889 Chardonnay, 2 Canned Sea Deer XL |
| Cargo Bay | IV | 9000 Crowns, 15 Crystal, 450 Leviathan Meat, 2 Canned Sea Deer XL, 2 Crate of 1889 Chardonnay |
| Cargo Bay | IV | 9000 Crowns, 150 Reinforced Leather Strips, 15 Crystal, 2 Crate of 1889 Chardonnay, 2 Canned Sea Deer XL |
| Cannon | IV | 12000 Crowns, 150 Reinforced Leather Strips, 5 Black Box, 2 Ficus, 30 Crystal |
| Shotgun Cannon | IV | 12000 Crowns, 5 Black Box, 150 Reinforced Leather Strips, 80 Weird Coral, 2 Ficus |
| Autocannon | IV | 12000 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, especially a chassis, a Motor-Reactor, and a starter cannon so you can field a self-sufficient Trampler. From there, the smart play is to hover over the exact node you want before a raid so you know which materials to hoard. Black Boxes, the District Officer’s Portable Safe, and valuables like the Crate of 1889 Chardonnay are the real bottlenecks for mid and high-tier unlocks, so secure them whenever they drop.
To confirm an unlock went through, the node switches from locked to available in the editor and the part appears in your build menu. If a node still shows as locked after you pay, you are missing one of the listed materials or short on Crowns, since the tree checks the full cost before completing the research.
