Saros: Best Armor Matrix Upgrades To Grab First

As players dive into Saros and get used to the various systems, they’ll learn it’s essential to visit Primary after each run and grab as many Armor Matrix upgrades as possible, especially in the early stages of the game. Armor Matrix upgrades can be purchased using Lucenite collected from enemies throughout each run, as well as Halcyon, which is usually acquired as item drops from chests.

At first, Armor Matrix upgrade options will be relatively limited, but as players progress through the first few biomes after defeating The Prophet and other main bosses, more useful nodes become available that can come in extremely useful if you find yourself underpowered.

Best Early Game Armor Matrix Upgrades In Saros

Tier 1

When you’re first starting off, there’s really only a few main options in terms of Armor Matrix upgrades: Drive, Resilience, and Command. These nodes impact your main attributes in Saros, and should be acquired in this priority order in the first upgrade tier:

1. Drive: Affects Lucenite gain and Proficiency upgrade speed and will enable more Armor Matrix upgrades faster.
2. Resilience: Related to your HP and overall health and survivability, and will be essential as you learn dodge/dash timing early on.
3. Command: Increases shield capacity, enables additional Power Weapon uses, and becomes more necessary as you get farther into Carcosa.

Armor Matrix upgrade priorities in the early game should be grabbing as much Drive and Resilience nodes as possible, and crucially, making a beeline for the Second Chance node. Second Chance is an essential mechanic in Saros considering death is a certainty, and the sooner you can get it the better.

Tier 2

After defeating The Prophet and progressing to the second tier of available Armor Matrix upgrades, there will be fewer Drive upgrades than Resilience and Command, but there will be more expensive nodes that upgrade all three attributes at once. Resources should be focused on unlocking the Proficiency Enhancements first, saving nodes like the Additional Acolyte’s Wager for later. Further, the Additional Artifact Slots also come in handy if you find your inventory full too often.

Tier 3+

Once you hit Tier 3 and beyond, you’ll likely be maxing out each tier in order to have the best shot at defeating the next stage boss. It’s important to note that each specific attribute has an impact on your weapon scaling as well, so keep this in mind as you select new weapons during a run. Further, death is absolutely inevitible in Saros, and also somewhat necessary if you want to progress at all.

That said, there are some powerful nodes across the upper tiers that are worth grabbing before others, such as the Hostile Extraction Halcyon nodes starting at the beginning of Tier 3, which increase Lucenite drops from enemies.

Importantly, every player will have a slightly different preference when it comes to playstyle, and those who use Shield more often may find Command more suitable as a priority choice in the early game. Saros offers players a dynamic range of upgrade options with the Armor Matrix, and if you really want the best shot at victory, aim to grab every upgrade possible in each tier.

Saros

8/10

Released

April 30, 2026

ESRB

Teen / Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence

Developer(s)

Housemarque

Publisher(s)

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Engine

Proprietary