Planets

Selecting a planet is the means by which Helldiver players choose the difficulty of their next mission/s. Players must first use the Galactic Campaign map to decide which enemy to fight (either Bugs, Cyborgs or the Illuminate), they will then be presented with 12 different planets for their chosen enemy, ranging in difficulty from the easiest - 1: A Dive in the Park; through various easy, challenging and hard levels; to the most difficult - 12: Helldive.

Originally, players could choose from planets with three possible environments: Snow, Desert or Forest. The free expansion pack 'Turning Up The Heat' (released 12th May 2015) added a fourth environment: Volcanic.

Each terrain type presents its own distinct difficulties or hazards that impact gameplay, for example deep snow hinders player movement while volcanic eruptions can incinerate Helldiver forces.

Missions


Every planet consists of between one and three different missions, each carried out on a procedurally generated map populated with enemy scouts (such as the Bug Vanguard, Illuminate Observer or Cyborg IFV) that will call for reinforcements after spotting Helldiver troops - there is no limit to the number of reinforcements that can spawn during the course of a mission.

Every mission features several objectives (randomly selected from the following list) which can be undertaken in any order but must be completed before Helldiver troops are allowed to leave enemy territory. Players should be aware that some of these objectives can be failed while still allowing the mission to be completed.

Escort Survivors *; Capture Area; Activate SAM Site; Activate and Defend Launchpad *; Assassinate; Escort Resource Convoy *; Activate Oil Extractors (Bug and Cyborg missions only); Exterminate 'x number of' Enemies; Destroy Illuminate Beacons/ Cyborg AA Guns/ Bug Nests; Retrieve Black Box/ Illuminate Power Core *; Activate Truth Transmitter (Cyborg missions only); Disarm Unexploded Ordnance; Repair and Fire Artillery; Perform Geological Survey *

&#42; Objective can be failed.

The mission is deemed successful when all objectives have been accomplished and at least one Helldiver boards the extraction shuttle. If no Helldiver manages to board the shuttle then it will leave after a short time, however, it can then be called down again as normal by any surviving Helldivers.

In-depth information about each objective type can be found here.

Rewards


XP is awarded to every player that participates in a mission (whether successful or not), with the more difficult missions providing more experience points. However, the following factors will all reduce the amount of XP - failing objectives; failing to get a Helldiver aboard the extraction shuttle; any Helldiver deaths.

All XP contributes towards the players' experience, eventually allowing them to increase in Rank.

Once every mission on the selected planet has been completed the planet is deemed 'Conquered' and players are presented with their reward - An XP boost (the exact amount is dependent on the mission difficulty) or a Stratagem unlock - the specific reward can be seen on the planet selection menu.

All successfully conquered planets also contribute Influence to the ongoing Galactic Campaign - this Influence is dependent on the number of stars awarded to the team at each Mission Completed screen. Helldiver teams must meet different criteria to be awarded each star and its associated Influence:
 * The first star requires that all mission objectives are completed successfully;
 * The second star requires all Helldivers to board the extraction shuttle;
 * The third star requires that the total number of team deaths does not exceed the mission's difficulty level - for example, a maximum of 10 deaths are allowed during a Suicide Mission (difficulty level 10).