Splatoon Raiders Hideout Ship Upgrade Guide

To upgrade the hideout ship in Splatoon Raiders, you need to collect upgrade materials from missions and spend them at the ship’s upgrade terminal. This guide explains exactly how the upgrade system works, what each upgrade does, and the best order to prioritize your upgrades.

How the Upgrade System Works

In Splatoon Raiders, the hideout ship serves as your base of operations between missions. The upgrade terminal is located near the ship’s helm, marked by a wrench icon. You earn upgrade materials—primarily scrap metal, ink cells, and rare tech chips—by completing missions, side quests, and boss battles. Each upgrade has a material cost and may require a certain ship level before it becomes available. The ship’s overall level increases as you purchase upgrades; each purchase grants experience points that raise the ship level, unlocking more advanced upgrades in the process.

Where to Find Upgrade Materials

Materials are the currency for upgrades, and you’ll need to farm them efficiently. Here are the main sources:

• Main missions: Completing story missions for the first time grants a fixed amount of scrap metal and sometimes ink cells.
• Side quests: Optional quests from NPCs often reward rarer materials like tech chips.
• Boss battles: Defeating bosses gives a large chunk of scrap metal and a chance for tech chips.
• Replay missions: Replaying completed missions on higher difficulty yields bonus materials, especially if you meet the optional speed or accuracy goals.
• Exploration: Some materials are hidden in breakable crates or inkable surfaces within levels—use your ink to reveal them.

If you’re short on a specific material, check the mission select screen; it shows which rewards each mission offers, so you can target the one that drops what you need.

List of Ship Upgrades

The hideout ship has several upgrade categories, each improving a different aspect of your gameplay. Here are the main ones:

• Ink Tank Capacity: Increases your maximum ink supply, letting you stay in combat longer before needing to refill.
• Movement Speed: Boosts your swim and run speed, making you harder to hit and faster to flank enemies.
• Weapon Damage: Increases the damage of all your weapons by a percentage—this is a direct damage boost.
• Special Gauge Rate: Makes your special weapon charge faster, so you can use it more often.
• Defense: Reduces the damage you take from enemy attacks, essentially increasing your effective health.
• Sub Weapon Efficiency: Lowers the ink cost of sub weapons (bombs, etc.), allowing more frequent use.

Each upgrade can be leveled up multiple times, with each level costing more than the last. The maximum level varies per upgrade; for example, Ink Tank Capacity might cap at level 5, while Weapon Damage might go to level 10.

How to Choose What to Upgrade First

Your upgrade priority should match your playstyle and the challenges you’re facing. Here’s a general recommendation:

1. Early game (Levels 1-10): Focus on Ink Tank Capacity and Movement Speed. These provide the most quality-of-life improvements and help you survive longer in missions.
2. Mid game (Levels 11-20): Start investing in Weapon Damage and Special Gauge Rate. By now, enemies have more health, and you’ll need the extra damage to keep missions efficient.
3. Late game (Levels 21+): Max out Defense and Sub Weapon Efficiency. These upgrades make the hardest missions and boss fights manageable.

If you’re stuck on a specific boss, consider upgrading Defense to reduce damage taken, or Special Gauge Rate to use your special more often during the fight.

Common Problems and Mistakes

Many players waste materials early on upgrades that don’t help them progress. Here are common pitfalls:

• Ignoring the ship level requirement: Some upgrades require the ship to be a certain level before they unlock. If you can’t see an upgrade, you may need to buy other cheaper upgrades first to raise your ship level.
• Hoarding materials: It’s tempting to save everything for a big upgrade, but spending early on cheap upgrades raises your ship level faster, unlocking better options sooner.
• Not replaying missions: If you’re stuck, replaying an earlier mission with a difficulty modifier can give you the exact material you need.
• Upgrading everything evenly: Spreading materials thin across all upgrades makes you mediocre at everything. Focus on a few key upgrades that match your playstyle.

Comparing Upgrade Paths

There are two main strategies: balanced and focused. A balanced approach involves upgrading all categories to about the same level, which gives you a versatile character. A focused approach involves maxing out a few categories (like Damage and Speed) and ignoring others. The focused approach is generally stronger for specialized builds, but the balanced approach is more forgiving for players who like to switch weapons often. For example, if you use a heavy weapon like a Splatling, prioritize Ink Tank Capacity and Movement Speed to compensate for its slow fire rate. If you use a fast weapon like a Dualie, prioritize Weapon Damage and Special Gauge Rate.

Costs and Material Requirements

Each upgrade level has a specific cost in materials. While exact numbers vary, the pattern is consistent: the cost increases with each level, and higher-tier upgrades require rarer materials. For instance, level 1 of Ink Tank Capacity might cost 50 scrap metal, level 2 costs 100 scrap, level 3 costs 200 scrap and 1 ink cell. Tech chips are only used for the final levels of the most powerful upgrades, so don’t spend them early. To plan your spending, check the upgrade terminal to see the full cost for the next level. Always have a small reserve of scrap metal for emergency upgrades if you’re about to face a tough boss.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I reset my upgrades and get materials back?

No, there is no reset option in Splatoon Raiders. Once you spend materials, they’re gone. This makes it important to choose upgrades carefully. If you regret a purchase, you’ll need to earn more materials to compensate.

What is the maximum ship level?

The maximum ship level is 30. You reach it by purchasing enough upgrades to accumulate the required experience. At level 30, all upgrade categories are unlocked, but you may not have enough materials to max everything out.

Do upgrades carry over to New Game Plus?

Yes, if you start a New Game Plus after beating the main story, your ship upgrades carry over. This makes the early game much easier and lets you focus on higher-difficulty missions from the start.

Why can’t I find tech chips?

Tech chips are rare and only drop from boss battles, especially on higher difficulties. They also appear in hidden chests in some late-game missions. If you’re struggling to find them, replay the final boss on hard difficulty—it has the highest drop rate.

Is there a way to earn materials faster?

Yes, the fastest method is to replay missions with the “Hard” modifier, which increases the material reward by 50%. Also, complete the daily side quests, which often offer bonus materials.

What happens if I ignore ship upgrades?

You can still beat the main story without many upgrades, but later missions and bosses will become extremely difficult. Upgrades are essential for post-game content and higher difficulty modes.

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