SAND Raiders of Sophie Loot Priority Tier List
When the hold is close to full, the safest keeps are the pieces that feed the next Trampler or weapon craft. Big valuables still pay, but they are easier to replace than a stalled build.
Most SAND runs break on three choices: which hand weapon wins the raid, which mounted gun keeps the Trampler alive, and which loot stays in the hold when space runs out.
When the hold is close to full, the safest keeps are the pieces that feed the next Trampler or weapon craft. Big valuables still pay, but they are easier to replace than a stalled build.
Experimental 80 mm Railgun and Experimental 2x80 mm Cannon lead vehicle fights, but smaller crews get more from guns they can keep firing while driving and repairing.
The 866/9 rifle is the safest first carry, while shotguns, launchers, and anti-vehicle rifles move up when the next fight is indoors or against a Trampler.
Hand weapons and mounted guns solve different problems. Rifles, shotguns, and explosives decide ladders, rooms, and exposed decks; 80 mm cannons, autocannons, railguns, and shotgun cannons decide whether another Trampler reaches boarding range. The first choice is the fight type, not the weapon name.
The hand-weapon page is for ladders, decks, and room clears. The turret page is for long sand lanes, armor pressure, and keeping boarders away from the hull. A strong boarding shotgun does not replace a cannon, and a strong cannon does not clear cabins for you.
When the hold is tight, Black Boxes, Mechanical Parts, coral, and advanced build materials stay ahead of large valuables. Safe payouts matter, but they come after the pieces that would slow the next build if they were left behind.
Weapons first for boarding fights, then Trampler turrets if the crew is getting chased in open sand. Loot priority matters once extractions start failing because the hold fills with the wrong items.
No. Hand weapons win boarding fights and on-foot raids; Trampler turrets win vehicle trades. A rifle that clears a ladder does not replace an 80 mm cannon across open sand.
Loot priority answers the full-hold problem. It tells the crew which materials should survive the cut when one more Black Box, coral piece, or large valuable competes for the last slot.