THE MACHINE · HOW IT'S BUILT

How to build a Trampler

A Trampler is your walking base, storage and fortress in one. This guide explains the five required compartments without which a build won't run, how to balance weight and energy, and which class is for whom — then put your build together in our interactive builder.

⚠ Capacity and energy are law — an overloaded or underpowered Trampler won't move. Always build to the chassis grid and capacity.
⌗ Build yours in the browser →

What a Trampler is and what it's for

BASICS

A Trampler is a huge walking diesel machine — a mobile base on legs. It's your storage (loot rides on the cargo racks), your transport across the wastes of Sophie, your fortress with mounted cannons, and your respawn point inside a raid. Without a Trampler you can't extract large amounts of loot — on foot you only carry what fits in your personal inventory.

You build it in the editor: place the chassis (grid) first, then attach compartments to it. The grid decides what fits, the reactor decides whether the machine runs at all, and the cannons decide who survives an encounter. The game doesn't spell every system out — so we cover the five compartments that are mandatory first, then balance, then classes.

⌗ Open the Trampler Builder →

The five required compartments

ESSENTIALS · NO BUILD WITHOUT THEM

Every valid Trampler must have these five parts. In the editor you'll find them in the Essentials tab (the chassis has its own tab since it's placed first). If one is missing, the build can't be deployed.

FOUNDATION01

Chassis

The walking foundation — placed first, everything attaches to it. It carries the legs and defines the grid (how many parts fit) and the weight capacity (how many kilograms the machine can haul).

17 chassis in the database →
POWER02

Motor-reactor

Powers the engine and every mounted system. The most vulnerable part — if an enemy destroys it, the whole Trampler goes down. Its Rated Power is your energy budget: everything you add must fit under it.

Reactors (7) →
PILOTING03

Steering (Fly Bridge)

The steering deck / fly bridge is where you pilot the Trampler. Without a steering compartment the machine stands still — no matter how much power it has.

Steering (9) →
ACCESS04

Entrance with ladders

The entrance area with ladders is the only way for your crew to climb aboard — a clear path from the ground to the interior. Forget it, and the crew can't board.

Structure (41) →
COMMAND05

Captain's cabin

Holds the main console and a bed — this is where you respawn if you're eliminated during a raid. Without it you lose your return point into the machine after dying.

Crew (9) →
BEYOND+

Everything above this = choice

Cargo compartments, turret decks, armor, workshops and extra crew are optional — add them for the machine's role. The five above are the minimum; the rest is your build.

⌗ Assemble in the builder →
Trampler — a walking machine on legs with a reactor smokestack
Trampler — reactor smokestack up top, legs carry the chassis

How to read the machine: a smoking stack = the reactor is running (and it's visible from afar — the black smoke is a target). The legged chassis is the foundation; compartments sit around it; cannons ride on turret decks. Remember: the reactor is both the heart and the weak spot — tuck it into the interior and behind armor when you can.

🛈 Stream tip: a running engine burns fuel even while parked, and the black smoke gives your position away. When you stop to loot — switch the engine off. You save fuel and stop lighting up half the map.

Balance — weight, energy, cost

THE THREE LEVERS OF EVERY BUILD

A good build isn't the "biggest" one — it's the one in balance. Three levers you have to keep:

WEIGHT vs CAPACITYEvery part has a Weight; the chassis has a Weight Capacity. The sum of all part weights + loot must stay below the chassis capacity. Go over — and the machine is slow or won't move. Fix it with lighter parts, a stronger chassis, or a maneuver engine (Weight Compensation) that offsets part of the weight to keep the Trampler mobile.
ENERGYThe reactor provides Rated Power (output: 75 on a basic deck reactor, 100 on an armored one). Every active part draws energy: chassis 3–10, steering 2–7, crew 2–7, workshops 5–10, and maneuver engines a lot (20–35). Total draw must fit under the reactor's output — otherwise the machine has no power to run. Structure and cargo decks draw no energy.
BUILD COSTParts are paid in resources. Mechanical Parts are the base currency (almost every T1 part). Pneumatic Parts are needed for workshops (T2). Computing Module is needed only for the most advanced Captain's Compartment (T4). Crowns (the coin) go with every higher tier. Higher tier = stronger, but pricier and harder to rebuild.
You pay withWhat it isFor which parts
Mechanical PartsBasic mechanical parts (T1 resource)almost everything — the base of any build
Pneumatic PartsPneumatic parts (T2 resource)larger workshops (Armaments Workshop)
Computing ModuleComputing module (T3 resource, rare)advanced Captain's Compartment (T4)
CrownsCoin / currencyall parts T2 and up

Three Trampler classes

SPEED vs ARMOR vs CAPACITY

Chassis fall into three practical classes. A bigger class = more grid and capacity, but also more draw, a higher tier and a pricier rebuild. Pick by the machine's role, not by size.

CLASS I · LIGHT

Light Trampler

Capacity 20,000 kg · energy 3 · T1 · 25–45 Mech. Parts

  • Fast and cheap — lowest draw, easiest to rebuild
  • Small grid (2x4 / 3x3) — little cargo room
  • Thin armor, few cannons
  • For whom: beginners, quick scavenger runs, learn risk-free
CLASS II · MEDIUM

Medium Trampler

Capacity 25–35,000 kg · energy 5 · T2 · +Crowns

  • Balanced — enough grid for cargo + a couple of cannons
  • Grid 4x3 / 3x4 — solid room
  • Moderate armor, moderate cost
  • For whom: everyday raids, solo and duo, first serious machine
CLASS III · HEAVY

Heavy Trampler

Capacity 40–65,000 kg · energy 8–10 · T3–T4 · expensive

  • A fortress — most grid, armor and cannons
  • Grid up to 5x5 / 4x6 (Great and Royal chassis)
  • Slow, energy-hungry, expensive to rebuild
  • For whom: endgame, team runs, Storm Dive and hunting the Dreadnaught
📋 Full tables for all 17 chassis (grid, capacity, energy, tier, cost) and all 120 parts with stats are on the main Trampler page — the logic is here, the numbers are there.

Defense and combat

FROM EXPERIENCE · THE ESSENCE OF A FIGHT
WHAT YOU PROTECTThree things keep a Trampler alive: the motor-reactor, the captain's cabin, and the steering (fly bridge). Tuck them away and armor them — if they go down, the machine stalls, you lose control, or the whole build is gone.
HOW YOU ATTACKThe same works in reverse: shoot the enemy's steering and legs — you disable their control and movement, and the machine starts spinning in place. That's roughly the essence of a fight — break their movement first, then finish them.

Common mistakes

WHAT SINKS BUILDS
OVERLOADINGThe most common mistake — you pile on heavy cargo and armor until the weight exceeds the chassis capacity, and the machine drags or stalls. Track the weight sum and leave a reserve for loot you haven't picked up yet.
TOO LITTLE ENERGYYou add a maneuver engine (draws 20–35) and a couple of workshops onto a weak reactor — draw exceeds Rated Power and the machine has no power. Use a stronger reactor or fewer draws.
EXPOSED REACTORThe reactor is the weak spot — sitting exposed on an edge, one hit drops the whole Trampler. Tuck it into the interior behind an armored approach.
NO ENTRANCEWithout an entrance area / ladders the crew can't board. Always check there's a clear path from the ground to the interior.
TOO MUCH AT ONCEAn expensive heavy build you lose in the first firefight = a lot of wasted resources. Scale the machine to what you can afford to lose without tears.

First-build recommendation

CHEAP · T1 · EASY TO REBUILD

"First Trampler" — the light scavenger

The goal of a first build isn't to be strong — it's to be cheap and mobile, so you can rebuild it without regret when you lose it. All T1, minimal Crowns, the five required compartments plus a couple of cargo decks for loot.

⌗ Assemble it in the builder →

New to the game? Read SAND for beginners first — the core loop and first steps.

Keep going

⌗ Trampler Builder All chassis, parts and cannons → Keys to the Dreadnaught (experimental cannons) → Recipes — reactor + fuel rod → Items — what to keep for building → SAND for beginners →
🤝 We build together — builds get tested live on stream, and on Discord experienced raiders help with your build. Jump in and ask.