War Thunder Modifications: What to Buy First

Every vehicle in War Thunder has a modification tree, and every modification costs Silver Lions and Research Points. New players tend to buy everything in order, which drains the wallet on upgrades that barely change how the vehicle performs. The fix is a priority rule, not a list — because the right list depends on the vehicle and your play.

The three-question test

For any modification, ask:

1. Does it change survivability? Things that let you take a hit, or repair faster, directly extend how long you earn in a match.
2. Does it change mobility? Engine, transmission, and suspension upgrades decide whether you can reach a position or escape a trade.
3. Does it change lethality? Ammunition, gun handling, and reload upgrades decide whether your shots count.

If a modification fails all three, it is a comfort upgrade. Buy comfort upgrades last, or never.

Priority by vehicle role

The same modification is urgent on one vehicle and wasteful on another:

Role	Buy first	Buy last
Heavy tank	Survivability and gun handling	Cosmetic and comfort items
Medium tank	Mobility and gun handling	Niche utility
Tank destroyer	Gun performance and positioning tools	Anything that does not help the firing solution
Light tank / scout	Mobility and optics	Armor that will not matter
Aircraft	Engine and weapon performance	Cosmetic and minor items

This is a framework, not a shopping list. Modification names and costs vary by vehicle and patch, which is why the framework below is ordered by effect rather than by price.

The budget rule

Modifications are a one-off cost per vehicle, which makes them easy to justify individually and expensive in aggregate. Two habits keep the total sane:

• Only modify keepers. Do not fully upgrade a vehicle you will replace in two ranks. Buy the two or three modifications that fix its worst weakness, play it, move on.
• Finish one vehicle before starting the next’s tree. Splitting points across three half-upgraded vehicles leaves you with three mediocre performers instead of one good one.

How this interacts with the rest of the economy

Modification spending competes with everything else your Silver Lions do. The balance you are protecting is the same one that pays repair bills — see Silver Lions income and spending — and the crew training queue covered in crew skill priorities draws from the same wallet. When money is tight, the order is: repair costs first, then crew skills on your active lineup, then modifications on keepers.

If you are in your first hours, the first 10 hours plan applies this rule in its strictest form: almost no modifications until the lineup is stable.