How to Install Mech Upgrades

Finding the upgrade menu is not the hard part in Lightyear Frontier; the real challenge is knowing which mods to craft, where to equip them, and which resources are worth gathering first. If you are searching for Lightyear Frontier how to install upgrades, the answer is a repeatable loop: build an Upgrade Depot, craft the mod, then open your mech customization screen and equip it in an open slot. This Lightyear Frontier how to install upgrades guide turns that loop into a practical early-game plan so you do not waste Aluminium Parts, plant oil, or travel time.

Lightyear Frontier How to Install Upgrades: The Short Answer

The actual Lightyear Frontier how to install upgrades action happens at the mech, not in a generic inventory menu. First, build an Upgrade Depot at your base. The depot lets you exit the cockpit and open your mech’s customization and upgrade screen. After that, craft the mod you want, select an open slot, and equip it. If the slot is missing, craft underframe arms, engines, or parts that add upgrade slots, then install the mod.

Farm decorations are a separate system. Beds, posters, flags, and similar builds raise coziness when placed from the build menu; they are not installed through the mech upgrade screen. Keep mech mods and farm coziness in separate mental tabs so you do not waste a trip looking for the wrong menu.

The upgrade screen is also where your choices become permanent enough to matter. A mech with more inventory space, a stronger Spike Saw, and a faster sprint will clear early milestones far more smoothly than a mech with random cosmetic parts.

Best Early Mech Upgrades to Install First

Any Lightyear Frontier how to install upgrades plan should start with upgrades that remove friction. The best early mods are not always the flashiest ones; they are the ones that let you carry more, break more, and spend less time walking home.

Install Inventory Capacity I before long resource trips. An over-encumbered mech loses sprint and is forced into a slow walk, which turns a short copper run into a long escort mission. If you plan to stack inventory mods, each small capacity increase adds up quickly.

Install Spike Saw Power I before hunting Red Crystals. The starting Spike Saw is not enough for every node, and Red Crystals sit behind that upgrade gate. The upgraded saw also lets you break boulders that block waterspouts, flooding nearby ground and creating a new pond for your irrigation hose.

Do not install Sprint Speed I and then overload the mech. Sprint Speed I only helps while you are under the carry limit. Pair it with inventory capacity upgrades, not instead of them. For a tighter early-game route, pair mech upgrades with farm expansion so resource trips serve both goals.

How to Install Upgrades Step by Step

The practical Lightyear Frontier how to install upgrades routine has five parts: unlock the depot, gather components, craft the mod, equip it, and test the result. Skipping the component step is the most common reason a player stands at the mech with nothing to install.

The order matters because components are crafted outside the mod menu. For example, Aluminium Parts can be produced in the Assembler from Aluminium Rods and Polyberry Oil. If you queue the mod but lack Aluminium Parts, you still cannot install it.

When a good upgrade has nowhere to go, do not sell it or forget it. Craft underframe arms, engines, or parts that add upgrade slots, then return to customization and equip the mod. More slots make later tool upgrades much easier to combine.

Resource Checklist for Upgrade Installation

A sensible Lightyear Frontier how to install upgrades checklist starts with crop oils and basic crafted parts. Many early mods are gated by farm output, not by combat or exploration.

Build a Grinder early if you want Thruster Booster I. Noxious Pods become Noxious Spores in the Grinder, and those spores are needed for the Power Core. Without that chain, the booster stays locked even if you have the rabbage oil.

Dedicate fields to single crops instead of mixing everything. Polyberries feed water tank upgrades, caroots feed sprint upgrades, and rabbages feed thruster and hose upgrades. Clean crop lanes also make it easier to see what you can harvest for the next mod.

Do not chase Red Crystal Dust before Spike Saw Power I. Red Crystals require the upgraded saw, so the hose power upgrade sits behind a tool upgrade. Install the saw upgrade first, then plan a northern trip.

Advanced Upgrades and Slot Management

The next stage of Lightyear Frontier how to install upgrades is the bronze-tech tier. Mark II tools require bronze parts, bronze electronics, and Red Crystals. Both the Spike Saw Mark II and Seed Shooter Mark II need 5 Red Crystals, so plan one focused gathering trip rather than several small ones.

The bronze chain is the real bottleneck. Use the Grinder on rocks to make sand, use sand in the Assembler to make clay, and complete a Furnace. Then combine tin and copper in the Furnace to make bronze. Tin is found up the hill from the farm, while copper is available closer to base. Craft bronze parts and bronze electronics before you leave for Red Crystals.

Red Crystals are far to the north near the metallic archway. Go prepared with inventory capacity mods, grab tin on the way, and use the upgraded Spike Saw to mine the red nodes. If you are still using the starter saw, turn around and finish Spike Saw Power I first.

Slot management matters more as you enter the bronze tier. Mark II tools open stronger options, but they still need space. If you want the Seed Shooter Lock-On, Seed Shooter Mark II, and extra water capacity active together, craft the underframe parts that add slots. Otherwise, you will be swapping mods at the depot instead of farming.

FAQ

What is the first step in Lightyear Frontier how to install upgrades?

The first step in Lightyear Frontier how to install upgrades is building an Upgrade Depot at your base. The depot lets you exit the cockpit and open the mech customization screen where mods are equipped.

Which upgrades should I install first?

Install Inventory Capacity I and Spike Saw Power I first. Inventory capacity prevents slow, over-encumbered return trips, while Spike Saw Power I unlocks tougher nodes and Red Crystals. After those, add Sprint Speed I or Water Tank Capacity I depending on whether travel or farming is slowing you down.

Do I need bronze for Mark II upgrades?

Yes. Mark II tool projects such as Spike Saw Mark II and Seed Shooter Mark II require bronze parts, bronze electronics, and Red Crystals. Build the Grinder, Assembler, and Furnace chain before committing to a Mark II upgrade.

Where do I find Red Crystals for upgrades?

Red Crystals are in the northern snowfield near the metallic archway. You need Spike Saw Power I to mine them, so install that upgrade before making the trip. Bring inventory capacity mods so the journey back is worth the time.