The route is a sequence, not a shopping list
The official Upgrades page is the authority for upgrade levels, cards, and route structure. Read it first, then connect each choice to the weapon's job in the current run. An upgrade route is successful when the weapon keeps answering the pressure it was selected for; it is not successful merely because every card has a large-looking effect.
Start by naming the job: screen coverage, sustained uptime, concentrated target pressure, or a support interaction. When the next card appears, ask whether it strengthens that job, covers a new failure, or pulls the weapon into a different plan. This makes a route understandable when the offered cards are imperfect.
Three passes through an upgrade choice
First, read the literal wording and check whether it is a weapon-specific effect. Second, compare it with the pressure you are experiencing. Third, note the dependency it creates: does the choice need a later card, a particular teammate, or a position on the map? A route that only works if several uncertain offers appear should be described as conditional.
The Steam Community Hub can help identify post-1.0 updates and discussion context. Player suggestions remain suggestions. If a discussion contradicts the Wiki, keep the conflict visible and do not silently choose the more convenient sentence.
- Confirm the card and level on the current Wiki page.
- Write the run problem before choosing the upgrade.
- Track whether the route improves uptime, coverage, or target pressure.
- Mark community advice as a player route and include its version context.
Route notes for the Weapons pages
Rocket Launcher and Minigun need a role comparison because their observed behavior has been discussed separately. Attack speed and cooldown need a mechanics comparison because their labels answer different timing questions. Weapon Upgrade Route is the page for the shared decision process. The three pages therefore link in both directions: readers can move from a specific weapon question to the stat or route question without pretending they are one intent.
What not to publish as fact
Do not take a single player DPS sample, an old screenshot, or an unexplained tier statement and turn it into a current official route. If a value matters, cite the current source and record the version. If the source is not sufficient, provide the test method and label the result pending verification.