Solo Player Tips & Tricks
Playing SAND in solo mode is tricky. You pilot the whole Trampler yourself while also running the guns, managing loot and resources, and getting to extraction. It's a lot to juggle. These tips make solo runs far more manageable.
Always Reload Every Weapon
When you drop in, every weapon starts with an empty magazine - your sidearms and the guns you install on your Trampler. Reloading everything immediately should be your first priority.
The same goes after any fight, whether against a player or an Ironclad. It's easy to forget, but an empty weapon hands the next player the drop on you - they'll land several shots while you're stuck reloading. Carry spare ammo for every gun.
Always Be Jumping
You move faster while sprinting and jumping - the jump preserves your sprint momentum, so you cover ground quicker. Whenever you're on foot, keep jumping.
Carrying a box across town? Sprint and jump. Running to the edge of a settlement to loot it? Jump the whole way. In a fight against another player? Run and jump to move faster and be harder to hit. Time is everything in SAND.
Review Your Trampler After a Fight
Your ship might look fine after a few hits, but check every section thoroughly. Try your multi-tool on the pipes and metal panels - if you can interact with and repair a part, it's damaged, even if it isn't sparking or on fire.
It's easy to miss these spots, and every unrepaired panel means you're not at full health. Take a moment after each fight to sweep the walker with your multi-tool.
Bring (or Loot) Repair Kits
A large repair kit takes up a single box slot, which is one less box of loot - but it's a good trade. Repair kits restore destroyed compartments on your Trampler, especially after a nasty fight, and Ironclads have a good chance of dropping them.
Compartments are different from panels and pipes: they're the walls and sections that make up your overall health. You can patch a destroyed compartment's panels, but they'll be weak. A repair kit brings the whole section back to life, giving you a real shot at escaping and surviving the next encounter.
Change Your Weapon Handling Mode
Under the controls menu there's a Weapon Handling Mode option: Smuggler and Outlaw. Smuggler gives you two stances - while idle, your shoot button performs a melee attack, but aiming down sights turns it back into a shot. Outlaw means melee is only ever on the dedicated melee button.
Everyone starts on Smuggler by default. If Outlaw suits you better, switch it in the Control category of your options. It's a small detail that can matter in a close fight when you're both out of ammo.
Consolidate Loot Boxes
Stacking items when you return to your Trampler is always worth it. It's time-consuming, but consolidating boxes frees up space for more loot.
When you bring a box back, try interacting with ones already in storage to see if they stack. Often the box you carried in ends up empty, so you can take it back to town and fill it again. Do the same with boxes already on your walker to open up room.
Make a Plan
Choosing where to go first beats winging it. Review your landing spot and what's nearby, and watch how the circles move each cycle - especially when you're hunting specific loot locations.
A route lets you move quickly, adapt as the sand circle shifts, and react faster if you suddenly need to extract before enemies reach you.
Park Your Trampler
Parking well is the best way to prepare for a surprise fight. This isn't just about stopping - it's about pointing your Trampler where you want to go next, or where you can rotate and move fast if you're attacked.
Position matters: if your walker faces the town you're looting and you have to back out to return fire, you're wasting time. Park it ready to exit fast, with your best guns aimed outward at any threat.
Use Flares
Flares are quick communication between players. Change the color to signal intent - a green flare can say you're friendly and mean to pass by peacefully, a red one can start a fight.
A flare is great for staying friendly with others - or for luring a player into a false sense of security before you ambush them. Both are viable.
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SAND: Raiders of Sophie and its assets belong to their respective developers.