Medals are one of the most valuable resources in Helldivers 2. They open the door to weapons, stratagems, upgrades, and cosmetics that shape your entire loadout. Because of their importance, players are always looking for the fastest and most reliable ways to farm them. Yet in the rush to earn more medals, it’s easy to fall into mistakes that slow progress or waste effort.
Below are twelve common errors you’ll want to avoid if you’re serious about medal farming.
1. Ignoring Difficulty Scaling
A lot of players assume that jumping straight into the highest difficulty is the fastest way to farm medals. On paper, harder missions offer bigger payouts, but the catch is consistency. If your squad wipes early or fails to complete objectives, you’ll walk away with little to nothing. That wasted time could have been spent earning steady rewards on a lower difficulty.
Think of difficulty as a balancing act. You want the highest challenge you can reliably finish, not the one that looks most impressive in the lobby. Even mid-tier missions often provide a better medal-per-hour rate because you actually complete them successfully.
At the end of the day, avoiding these common mistakes isn’t just about farming faster—it’s about farming smarter. Whether you’re grinding missions with friends or running solo, consistency will always outshine risky shortcuts. And if you ever want to speed things up outside the grind, you can also buy Helldivers 2 medals to give your loadout a quick boost while still enjoying the core gameplay loop.
2. Solo Farming Too Often
Farming medals alone sounds appealing—no one slows you down, and you control the pace. However, Helldivers 2 is built around cooperation. Squads gain extra efficiency thanks to role coverage, overlapping stratagems, and the ability to revive each other. Going solo increases the chance of mission failure, which means wasted runs and fewer medals overall.
Solo farming has its place if you’re practicing or aiming for specific objectives, but if your goal is raw medal gain, bring allies. Even one reliable teammate doubles your survival chances and halves the load.
3. Overlooking Side Objectives
It’s common to see squads rush straight for the primary mission goal and call in extraction as soon as it’s done. While that clears missions quickly, it also leaves medals on the table. Side objectives—like destroying nests, collecting intel, or activating secondary stations—often reward bonus medals or requisition.
The time spent on side objectives usually pays back more than it costs. A well-organized squad can knock out side tasks in minutes, and those extra medals add up across multiple missions. Skipping them might feel faster, but long-term farming efficiency suffers.
4. Poor Loadout Balance
Squads that don’t coordinate loadouts often end up with glaring weaknesses. Four assault rifles might look fine until you meet a wave of heavily armored bugs or bots. Suddenly, the lack of anti-armor weapons stalls the mission, burns through ammo, and increases the risk of failure.
A balanced team covers all angles: at least one heavy anti-armor weapon, a crowd-control option like a flamethrower or mortar, and a support tool such as supply packs or shield generators. When everyone brings something unique to the fight, the squad handles missions more smoothly—and medals flow in faster.
5. Not Using Stratagems Wisely
Stratagems are one of the most powerful tools in Helldivers 2, but many players throw them down without much thought. Dropping an auto turret in the middle of a wide-open field, for example, can lead to accidental friendly fire or wasted potential. Similarly, using supply packs at the wrong time means your squad may run dry during the next major firefight.
A smarter approach is to think of stratagems as puzzle pieces. Place turrets at choke points where enemies are funneled, use shield relays when preparing to defend objectives, and drop supply packs just before big waves hit. Proper timing and placement can mean the difference between completing a mission cleanly or losing medals to chaos.
6. Forgetting to Extract on Time
Even if you’ve cleared objectives and earned medals, none of it matters if you miss extraction. A common mistake is getting greedy—players linger to farm a few extra kills, only to be overrun or caught outside the extraction zone. Losing the mission at the last moment is one of the most frustrating ways to waste an hour of gameplay.
Extraction should always be treated as part of the mission, not just the end. Communicate with your squad, call in the shuttle at the right moment, and clear the landing zone efficiently. Remember: medals only count if you make it back to the ship.
7. Wasting Revives
Reviving teammates is vital, but doing it recklessly can backfire. Many players rush to revive as soon as someone falls, often in the middle of heavy enemy fire. This usually leads to both players going down, costing the squad even more time and resources.
A better strategy is to secure the area first. Use smoke, grenades, or turrets to create breathing room before reviving. Sometimes it’s smarter to wait a few seconds rather than charging in blindly. Protecting lives—and your medal haul—requires patience as well as speed.
8. Farming in the Wrong Biomes
Not all mission areas are created equal when it comes to farming. Some biomes have tougher enemy spawn rates or more time-consuming objectives, which slow down your medal gains. Players who don’t pay attention to these differences often waste time farming in zones that aren’t worth the effort.
To maximize efficiency, focus on biomes where objectives are clear, side tasks are accessible, and enemies can be managed without endless attrition. Over time, you’ll learn which mission types and environments give the best medal-per-hour return. Knowing where to farm is just as important as knowing how.
9. Underestimating Enemy Armor
One of the fastest ways to stall a mission is to face armored enemies without the right gear. Players who pack only standard rifles or shotguns quickly discover that bullets barely scratch heavy bugs or mechanized bots. This not only wastes ammo but also drags out fights, leaving less time for objectives and increasing the risk of failure.
The fix is simple: always bring at least one anti-armor weapon per squad. Recoilless rifles, railguns, and explosive stratagems ensure you’re never caught unprepared. A single well-placed shot can save minutes of frustration and keep your medal run efficient.
10. Not Tracking Weekly Orders
Every week, Super Earth issues major orders that reward players with extra medals if completed. Many players ignore these missions, either because they’re focused on farming quick-play or because they don’t realize how lucrative the bonuses can be.
By aligning your farming with weekly orders, you multiply your medal intake without extra grind. Even casual runs contribute to progress, and completing the order often grants a significant payout. Treat these objectives as free boosts—they’re one of the easiest medal sources in the game.
11. Overloading the Squad with New Players
There’s nothing wrong with helping rookies learn the ropes, but stacking a squad entirely with inexperienced players often backfires during farming sessions. Missions fail more often, mistakes compound, and medal gains slow to a crawl. Farming is about efficiency, and efficiency requires experience.
A better balance is to mix veterans and newcomers. Experienced players guide the squad through objectives, while rookies learn without dragging everyone down. This way, medal farming remains smooth, and the community benefits from stronger, better-prepared allies in the long run.
12. Forgetting the Long Game
The final mistake is thinking of medal farming as a sprint instead of a marathon. Grinding nonstop for hours often leads to sloppy play, burnout, and avoidable mission failures. Players who pace themselves tend to perform better, keep their focus sharp, and ultimately earn more medals over time.
Remember, Helldivers 2 is designed for long-term progression. Stockpile medals gradually, enjoy the missions, and avoid treating farming as a chore. A steady, consistent approach will carry you farther than any rushed grind.