Understanding the Stratagem System
To unlock every stratagem in Helldivers 2, you need to progress through two primary systems: your Player Level and the Warbonds (the game’s progression tracks). Unlike some games where you find or purchase individual abilities, stratagems are earned systematically as you rank up and spend your hard-earned Requisition Slips. There is no secret mission or hidden challenge; it’s a straightforward, if lengthy, grind of completing missions and accruing experience points (XP) and currency. The total count of stratagems is substantial, and achieving 100% completion requires reaching the maximum Player Level and fully completing the free and premium Warbonds.
The Role of Player Level
Your Player Level is the backbone of stratagem acquisition. You level up by gaining XP from successfully completing operations and individual missions. The amount of XP earned scales with the mission’s difficulty and your performance. As you climb the ranks, new stratagems are automatically unlocked and added to your arsenal at specific level thresholds. You don’t need to do anything other than reach that level. Here’s a breakdown of the key level milestones and the stratagems they unlock:
| Player Level | Stratagem Unlocked | Brief Description |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Machine Gun | A reliable, sustained-fire support weapon. |
| 5 | Orbital Gatling Barrage | A rapid, wide-area orbital strike. |
| 10 | Eagle Strafing Run | A precise aerial attack from an Eagle fighter. |
| 15 | Recoilless Rifle | A single-shot, reloadable anti-tank weapon. |
| 20 | Orbital Precision Strike | A powerful, focused orbital explosion. |
This pattern continues all the way up to the maximum level. The most powerful stratagems, like the Orbital 380mm HE Barrage or the Eagle 500kg Bomb, are reserved for the highest echelons of player dedication. The level cap is 50, and reaching it is non-negotiable for claiming every last stratagem available through this path.
Mastering the Warbond Progression Tracks
While your Player Level handles a significant portion of unlocks, the Warbond system is where you’ll find a massive cache of additional stratagems, weapons, and cosmetics. Think of Warbonds as a military-issue battle pass, but without a time limit. There are two main types:
Free Warbond (Helldivers Mobilize): This is available to all players from the start. You progress through its pages by spending Requisition Slips (the common in-game currency earned in every mission). Each page contains several items, including vital stratagems. For example, the “Guard Dog” Rover, a autonomous laser drone that follows you, is a key stratagem found early in the free Warbond.
Premium Warbond (Steeled Veterans, etc.): These are optional Warbonds that can be purchased with Super Credits, which are found during missions or bought with real money. The “Steeled Veterans” Warbond, for instance, introduces a new set of stratagems focused on defensive and heavy weaponry. Unlocking everything in a premium Warbond also requires a hefty sum of Requisition Slips.
The key detail here is that you must actively spend your Requisition Slips to unlock these pages. Simply earning the currency isn’t enough; you need to go into the Warbond menu and purchase each item individually. This means resource management becomes crucial. Do you spend your slips on a new weapon in the premium Warbond, or do you save to unlock a crucial stratagem like the Anti-Materiel Rifle in the free track? The choice is yours, but to unlock all stratagems, you’ll need to fully complete every available Warbond.
The Grind: Time and Resource Investment
Let’s talk numbers. Unlocking all stratagems is a significant time investment. Here’s a realistic breakdown of what’s required:
- Player Level 50: Reaching the maximum level requires approximately 150-200 hours of gameplay, depending on mission efficiency and the difficulty level you consistently play on. Higher difficulties (Suicide Mission and above) yield significantly more XP.
- Requisition Slips: Fully unlocking both the free and premium Warbonds demands a vast amount of Requisition Slips. A conservative estimate is well over 100,000 slips. A successful 40-minute mission on a medium difficulty might net you around 1,000 slips, so you can do the math on the number of missions needed.
- Super Credits: For the premium Warbonds, you’ll need to acquire Super Credits. While you can find these in missions (typically 10-20 per super sample container), earning enough to purchase a Warbond purely through gameplay is a slow process. Many players choose to supplement this with a real-money purchase to access the content faster.
The most efficient way to grind is to squad up with a communicative team and tackle the highest difficulty missions you can reliably complete. This maximizes your XP and currency gains per hour. Focus on completing all mission objectives and extracting successfully to get the full reward payout.
Strategic Loadout Considerations
As you unlock more stratagems, your tactical options explode. It’s not just about having them; it’s about knowing when to use them. The stratagems are broadly categorized, and a balanced loadout is often the key to survival. Here’s how a veteran might think about building their loadout for a high-difficulty mission:
| Stratagem Category | Example Stratagems | Strategic Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive (Orbital/Eagle) | 120mm/380mm Barrage, 500kg Bomb | Area denial, wiping out large enemy clusters and heavy targets. |
| Defensive | Machine Gun Sentry, Shield Generator Relay | Holding a position, protecting objectives during defense phases. |
| Support | Resupply Pack, Jump Pack | Sustaining the squad, enhancing mobility across rough terrain. |
| Anti-Tank | Recoilless Rifle, EAT-17 | Mandatory for dealing with armored enemy units like Chargers and Bile Titans. |
You’ll notice that some of the best stratagems for dealing with specific high-level threats are locked behind higher player levels and deeper Warbond progression. This design ensures that as the challenges increase, your toolkit expands to meet them, but only if you’ve put in the work. There’s a clear power progression that directly correlates with your time invested in the game.
Common Misconceptions and Final Tips
A lot of players get tripped up thinking there’s a shortcut. Let’s clear the air: there are no cheat codes, and stratagems are not rewarded for completing specific side objectives or finding hidden collectibles. The path is linear and transparent—level up and spend your currency. One common pitfall is neglecting the Warbonds. It’s easy to focus solely on your level, but some of the most versatile stratagems are buried in the Warbond menus. Make it a habit to check your Requisition Slip balance and unlock a new page after every few missions.
Another pro tip: don’t just hoard your Super Credits for cosmetics. If your goal is purely to unlock all stratagems, prioritize spending Super Credits on the premium Warbonds first, as they contain unique stratagems unavailable anywhere else. The defensive tools in the “Steeled Veterans” pack, for example, can be game-changers on higher difficulties. Remember, the grind is real, but every mission brings you closer to that ultimate goal of having the entire democratic arsenal at your fingertips. Now get out there and spread some managed democracy, soldier.
