To unlock item shop cannons in SAND: Raiders of Sophie, open the Tech Tree, go to Kaiser’s Friends, research the cannon shop upgrades, then return to the Item Shop to buy the newly unlocked cannons and matching ammo.
If the Item Shop is only selling one cannon and its ammo, the missing cannons are not waiting on a shop refresh. They are tied to Tech Tree research, and the cannon shop upgrades sit in Kaiser’s Friends.
Once you research those nodes, the shop expands with the newly available Trampler cannon kits and their matching ammunition. The unlock is only the first part: you still need to buy the kit, bring it with your Trampler, install it in a cannon slot, and load the right ammo.
Where item shop cannons are unlocked
The cannon shop upgrades are in the Kaiser’s Friends branch of the Tech Tree. Open the Tech Tree from the upper navigation bar, switch to that branch, and look for the first cannon shop upgrades near the early part of the path.
KEY!These cannons are research unlocks, not random Item Shop stock. Waiting for the shop to rotate will not add the Shotgun Cannon, 14 mm Auto Cannon, or later variants unless you have paid the matching Tech Tree cost first.
Some item-shop weapon notes point players toward Land Veer, but for cannon shop upgrades, use Kaiser’s Friends. That is the branch with the named cannon nodes and the early costs listed below.
How to unlock Item Shop cannons in SAND: Raiders of Sophie
Use this route to turn the first locked cannon shop upgrades into purchasable Item Shop gear.
STEP 1/6
Open the Tech Tree
Use the upper navigation bar to open the Tech Tree.
STEP 2/6
Select Kaiser’s Friends
Enter the Kaiser’s Friends branch, where the first cannon shop upgrades appear.
STEP 3/6
Find the first cannon upgrades
Look for the early cannon shop upgrades for the Shotgun Cannon and 14 mm Auto Cannon.
STEP 4/6
Research the Shotgun Cannon
Spend 1,500 crowns and 150 Thread to research the Shotgun Cannon shop upgrade.
STEP 5/6
Research the 14 mm Auto Cannon
Spend 1,500 crowns and 150 Fabric Scraps to research the 14 mm Auto Cannon upgrade.
STEP 6/6
Return to the Item Shop
After research, the unlocked cannons and their matching ammunition become available for purchase in the Item Shop.
Video help
Early cannon costs in Kaiser’s Friends
| Unlock | Research cost |
|---|---|
| Shotgun Cannon | 1,500 crowns + 150 Thread |
| 14 mm Auto Cannon | 1,500 crowns + 150 Fabric Scraps |
The first two useful cannon shop unlocks are the Shotgun Cannon and the 14 mm Auto Cannon. These numbers are Tech Tree research costs, not the final crown prices you pay later when buying the actual cannon kits from the Item Shop.
The Auto Cannon material name may appear as Fabric Scraps or Fabric Straps depending on the game list you are reading, but the unlock path is the same: research the node in Kaiser’s Friends, then check the Item Shop.
Research the cannon node before stocking ammo, because matching ammunition becomes useful only once the corresponding cannon is available to buy and mount.
Later cannon tiers in Kaiser’s Friends
| Tier | Cannons |
|---|---|
| Tier I | Shotgun Cannon, Auto Cannon |
| Tier II | Cannon, Shotgun Cannon, Autocannon |
| Tier III | Cannon, Autocannon |
| Tier IV | Cannon, Shotgun Cannon, Autocannon |
Deeper in Kaiser’s Friends, the branch adds stronger cannon variants with better durability, performance, and firepower. These later nodes ask for more crowns and rarer materials, so expect the branch to become a resource sink after the first 1,500-crown unlocks.
Later research costs can include materials such as Alloy Steel, Gunpowder, Leviathan Skin, Black Box, Reinforced Leather Strips, Weird Coral, Ficus, and Crystal. You do not need to farm all of those for the first unlocks, but they matter once you start pushing beyond Tier I.
After cannon research is done
Researching a cannon shop upgrade only makes the cannon and its matching ammo purchasable. It does not automatically place the cannon on your Trampler, and it does not give you a free kit.
After the unlock, return to the Item Shop, buy the cannon kit and the correct ammunition, then load them onto your Trampler before an expedition. Once deployed, install the kit into an available cannon slot and bring enough matching ammo to keep it combat-ready.
Common cannon shop mistakes
The most common mistake is expecting more cannons to appear just by checking the Item Shop again. The shop expands after Tech Tree research, so if the extra cannons are missing, go back to Kaiser’s Friends and check whether the cannon node is actually researched.
Another easy mix-up is treating personal weapons and Trampler cannons as the same unlock category. Cannon kits are mounted equipment for your Trampler, so you need the cannon shop upgrade, the kit purchase, a slot to install it, and the right ammo.
Do not over-invest in shells before the matching cannon is available. Ammo such as 70mm Shotgun Cannon Shell, 80mm Cannon Shell, and 40mm Autocannon Shell only helps when you have the matching mounted weapon ready to use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Item Shop cannons unlock through shop refreshes?
No. Item Shop cannons unlock through Tech Tree research, not random shop refreshes. Research the cannon shop upgrade first, then return to the shop.
Which Tech Tree branch unlocks Item Shop cannons?
Use the Kaiser’s Friends branch. That is where the early cannon shop upgrades for the Shotgun Cannon and 14 mm Auto Cannon appear.
Do cannon upgrades also unlock ammo in the Item Shop?
Yes. Once the cannon shop upgrade is researched, the cannon and its corresponding ammunition become available for purchase in the Item Shop.
Are the crown and material costs shop prices or research costs?
The listed costs, such as 1,500 crowns + 150 Thread for the Shotgun Cannon, are Tech Tree research costs. The exact post-unlock Item Shop purchase prices for cannon kits are separate.
Why are cannons still missing after unlocking a node?
Make sure you researched the correct cannon shop upgrade in Kaiser’s Friends, then reopen the Item Shop. If you bought the kit already, remember that it still has to be loaded onto the Trampler and installed in a cannon slot before use.
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