How to farm samples - Helldivers 2

Everything you need to know about samples including what they do, how to get them, and the best way to farm them.

Arrowhead Game Studios
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Samples are one of the currencies in Helldivers 2 that you will use to improve your character. These are only found in missions and you’ll need to go out of your way to track them down. But just because you pick them up, doesn’t mean you’ve secured them, as you’ll need to successfully extract in order to bank them.

Before we dive into answering all your questions about samples, here is an important notice: Samples are shared across the entire team. There is no need to kill your ally if they are carrying all the samples. Any samples your ally has, you will also receive upon completing the mission.

What are samples?

The Ship Module screen showing the number of samples
You can check how many samples you have in the Ship Module screen.
Source: Shacknews

Samples are used to purchase the various Ship Modules to upgrade your Stratagems. These appear in-game as the colored shapes below the difficulty selection screen and at the top of the screen when in a mission.

Depending on the mission and environment, the sample will appear as a different object. It might be a flower, a rock, or even a strange spore thing near a bug nest. However, the rarity of the sample will always have the same shape: a common sample will always be highlighted by a circle cut in half regardless of whether it’s a flower or spore.

How to get samples

The mission screen showing the mission type and the available samples
Blitz: Search and Destroy missions are quick and often have a decent supply of samples. Note the available samples listed at the bottom of the screen.
Source: Shacknews

Each mission will have a certain amount of samples. It’s up to you whether you try to find them all or just nab whatever you come across. Sample rarity is also directly tied to mission difficulty:

  • Common samples: Available on all difficulties
  • Rare samples: Available on 4 – Challenging and up
  • Very Rare samples: Available on 7 – Suicide Mission and up

You must successfully extract the samples in order to collect them. Additionally, if the samples are left on the ground, you will not get them. This means that whoever is carrying the samples must get on the evacuation ship.

In the event someone dies while holding samples, the samples will be highlighted on the mini-map by a test tube and it will make a beeping noise as you get closer. This will help you track them down and pick them back up.

A Helldiver gets killed by a Hunter bug and drops their samples
You drop any samples you were carrying when you die. Make sure you or an ally picks them up! Samples left on the ground do not get collected.
Source: Shacknews

As mentioned above, samples are a shared resource. You will get any samples that are extracted, regardless of if you’re holding them or your teammate. There is no need to kill your teammates to pick up their samples.

How to farm samples

One of the best ways to farm samples is on the Blitz: Search and Destroy missions. These are short missions, usually 12 minutes in length, which require you to quickly destroy Terminid nests or Automaton fabricators. Play on a difficulty that makes sense to you and roam around destroying the enemy locations and picking up the samples. You will want to bring some of the best Stratagems with you, including 500KG Bomb.

A large rock with a circle around it
Keep an eye out for these rocks as they usually have very rare samples around them.
Source: Shacknews

This method is much the same for the very rare (pink) samples. Load into as high a difficulty as you can manage and then try to track down the large rocks with a skinny base. You will typically find a few Very Rare samples around these.

Outside of Blitz missions, you can also easily find all of the samples in defend missions. Circle the perimeter of the map and keep an eye out for the sample symbol. You’re going to need more common samples than any other sample in the game, so don’t ignore them if you see them.

Collecting a decent supply of samples will happen naturally as you’re playing Helldivers 2. But it’s always worth farming for a few extra if you’re close to affording a new Ship Module upgrade for your ship. Remember: samples are shared in your team, so don’t team-kill, it’s extremely undemocratic. Take a look over our Helldivers 2 page for more help with spreading liberty and freedom.

Guides Editor

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as a Guides Editor. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler 

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