As you progress through Splatoon Raiders, you’ll earn Skill Points that can be spent on permanent tank upgrades. Investing those points wisely can make a huge difference, allowing you to defeat enemies faster, survive longer, and complete raids more efficiently.

While every upgrade has its uses, some provide a much bigger advantage during the early game than others. Here’s what each tank stat does and the best upgrade order for most players.

How Tank Upgrades Work

Tank upgrades become available as you level up your Mechanic.

Each level rewards Skill Points, which can be spent on four permanent upgrade categories:

Upgrade Effect HP Increases your maximum health. Weapon Damage Boosts the damage of your primary weapon. Gadget Damage Increases the effectiveness of your gadgets. Gadget Part Slots Unlocks additional slots for gadget modifications.

The game limits how many points you can invest in a single stat at once, so you’ll need to spread your upgrades over time.

Best Upgrade Order

For most players, this is the most effective order to prioritize:

  1. Weapon Damage
  2. HP
  3. Gadget Damage
  4. Gadget Part Slots

This setup provides the smoothest progression through the early and mid-game while preparing you for tougher raids later on.

Weapon Damage

Weapon Damage should be your first priority.

Increasing your primary weapon’s damage lets you:

  • Defeat enemies faster.
  • Shorten boss fights.
  • Clear raids more efficiently.
  • Progress through the story more quickly.

Since every tank relies on its main weapon, this upgrade benefits every playstyle.

HP

Once you’ve invested in Weapon Damage, focus on HP.

More health gives you greater survivability by allowing you to:

  • Recover from mistakes.
  • Survive powerful enemy attacks.
  • Stay alive longer during difficult raids.

This is especially valuable for new players who are still learning enemy patterns.

Gadget Damage

After improving your weapon and survivability, start investing in Gadget Damage.

This upgrade increases the effectiveness of your equipped gadgets, making it particularly useful for players who rely on support abilities or utility-focused builds.

It’s especially strong for Tactical Tank users, whose playstyle revolves around gadget usage.

Gadget Part Slots

Gadget Part Slots are the least important early-game upgrade but become much more valuable later.

Additional slots allow you to equip more gadget modifications, opening the door to stronger and more specialized builds once you’ve unlocked better equipment.

Because high-quality gadgets aren’t available immediately, this upgrade is best saved for the mid or late game.

Upgrade Priorities by Playstyle

While the recommended upgrade path works well for most players, your preferred tank can influence which stats deserve extra attention.

Playstyle Recommended Priority Power Tank Weapon Damage → HP → Gadget Damage Speed Tank Weapon Damage → HP → Gadget Damage Tactical Tank Weapon Damage → Gadget Damage → HP

Power Tank and Speed Tank benefit most from increasing their offensive power first, while Tactical Tank users can justify investing in Gadget Damage earlier.

Common Upgrade Mistakes

Avoid these common mistakes when spending Skill Points:

  • Ignoring HP. Focusing entirely on damage can make tougher raids much harder to survive.
  • Unlocking Gadget Part Slots too early. Extra modification slots provide little benefit until you’ve collected stronger gadgets.
  • Spreading points evenly. Concentrating upgrades into your most important stats produces better results than investing a little in everything.
  • Ignoring your tank’s strengths. Choose upgrades that complement your preferred playstyle instead of following a one-size-fits-all approach.

What Are the Best Tank Upgrades?

For the vast majority of players, Weapon Damage is the best upgrade to unlock first in Splatoon Raiders, followed closely by HP. These two stats provide the biggest boost to both damage output and survivability, making raids significantly easier throughout the early game.

Once you’ve established a solid foundation, begin investing in Gadget Damage and eventually Gadget Part Slots to create more specialized builds for endgame content. By prioritizing the right upgrades early, you’ll be better prepared for the game’s toughest encounters and highest-level raids.