Helldivers 2 is a game about coordination, resource management, and overwhelming firepower. Based on how squads actually operate, here are clear answers to some frequent questions from newer divers.
What Should I Spend My Requisition Slips and Medals On First?
Your early Requisition Slips (the common currency) are best spent unlocking essential stratagems in the Acquisitions menu. Most players prioritize a reliable Anti-Tank option, like the Recoilless Rifle or Expendable Anti-Tank, and a good defensive tool such as the Orbital Gatling Barrage or Eagle Cluster Bomb. Medals, used in the Warbonds (battle passes), should be focused on one page at a time to unlock weapons and armor. The first free Warbond, "Helldivers Mobilize," has solid early-game gear. There is no fast track for medals through regular play; progression is based on completing missions and objectives. While some third-party sites might advertise cheap helldivers 2 medals, most players avoid these as they violate the game's terms of service and can result in a ban.
How Do Samples Work and How Do I Get More?
Samples are rare ground pickups (Common, Rare, Super Rare) used to upgrade your ship modules. The entire squad shares any Samples collected, and they are only kept if the squad extracts successfully. To farm them efficiently, most squads will run lower-difficulty missions (like Challenging or Hard) and explicitly split up to search the map thoroughly before completing main objectives. Using a "Light" armor with the Scout passive perk makes this much easier, as it increases your detection range for items.
What's the Best Way to Handle Higher Difficulties?
Success on Hard and above is less about raw shooting skill and more about preparation and movement. In general, you should almost never stand and fight a prolonged battle against endless enemy spawns. The core loop is to complete objectives while moving constantly, only engaging enemies that are directly blocking your path. Communication is key: call in stratagems ahead of your movement, share resupplies, and designate one player to handle heavy armored targets. Bringing a balanced team loadout (e.g., one person for crowd control, one for anti-armor, one for supply) is a common strategy.
How Does Armor and Passives Actually Function?
Armor rating is not a straightforward damage reduction. Heavier armor provides more protection, but the exact mechanics are complex. In practice, wearing heavy armor will let you survive a few more hits from smaller enemies, but you will still die quickly under focused fire. The passive perks on armor are often more impactful. The "Scout" perk (reduced enemy aggro range) is invaluable for stealthier play. The "Engineering Kit" perk (extra grenades and stims) is excellent for sustained fights. Choose armor based on the perk that best complements your role and playstyle.
What Are Some Common Etiquette Mistakes to Avoid?
A few simple habits make missions smoother for everyone. First, be mindful of your stratagem calls; dropping an Eagle Strike on your team is a classic, but avoidable, error. Second, don't immediately call in your own backup stratagem if someone else is already placing one—this can lead to dangerous overlap and wasted cooldowns. Third, if you're the last one alive, your priority is to survive and revive teammates, not to heroically complete an objective alone. Finally, always try to extract together; leaving allies behind wastes any Samples they were carrying.
Is Teamplay Really That Important?
Absolutely. Helldivers 2 is designed around a four-person squad. Stratagems complement each other, and revives are frequent. A coordinated team that shares resources, covers angles, and communicates targets will succeed on difficulties that are nearly impossible for a group of solo players. Using your microphone, or at least the in-game ping system, is highly recommended. Even simple pings to mark an enemy patrol, a sample location, or a strategic fallback point make a significant difference.
How Do Ship Modules Work and Which to Upgrade First?
Ship modules, upgraded with Samples in the Manage Ship menu, permanently improve your stratagems. There is no single best path, but most veterans suggest focusing on your most-used tools first. Popular first upgrades include reducing the cooldown for your Orbital Walking Barrage or Eagle Airstrike, increasing the number of Sentry Gun turrets you can deploy, or boosting the damage of your Gatling Barrage. These early upgrades provide a noticeable power spike that helps tackle harder content.
What's the Deal with the Warbonds?
Are the Paid Ones Necessary?The free "Helldivers Mobilize" Warbond provides plenty of gear to complete all content. The premium Warbonds (like "Steeled Veterans" or "Polar Patriots") offer alternate weapons, armor sets, and cosmetics. They are not pay-to-win; their weapons are typically side-grades with different feel and niche uses, not outright better ones. Most players consider them optional purchases for variety once they've unlocked the core items from the free track. You cannot buy progression in them with real money, only with Medals earned in-game.
