Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 guide - Top 10 tips for the campaign and Operations mode

As Lieutenant Titus of the Ultramarines, it’s your duty to safeguard planets under the protection of the Imperium of Man. Our Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 guide will help you do just that, giving you vital tips to take the fight to the voracious Tyranid monstrosities and the foul worshipers of Chaos.

Below, you'll find tips that will help in both the Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 campaign and the tense Operations mode, including combat mechanics, class pointers, and ways to improve your survivability when the odds are against you—which, at least in Space Marine, is always.

 

Mortal Wounds and taking care of your teammates

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 has three game modes. Both the campaign and Operations can be played solo with bot teammates or with a squad of up to three players, while Eternal War is a team-based player-versus-player (PvP) activity.

When playing the campaign and Operations, you should always be ready to assist your teammates. A teammate that’s incapacitated by enemy forces can be revived within the allotted timeframe to get them back in the fight.

But in Operations mode, there's a catch. For each Operation, you have a limited number of lives depending on the difficulty selected. For minimal and average difficulty, you can be incapacitated twice before receiving a Mortal Wound. For substantial and ruthless threat, you'll receive that Mortal Wound the first time you're incapacitated.

Once mortally wounded, the next time you’re downed leads to death. If you have co-op partners, they can respawn you at the next checkpoint. If you’re playing solo, however, then this results in a mission failure.

 

Medicae Stimms and Guardian Relics will help you survive

Keeping your character in tip-top condition is imperative for your survival. To that end, you can make use of Medicae Stimms, consumable items that can partially restore lost health. Just keep in mind that you can only carry up to two Medicae Stimms with you at any given time.

In addition to the above, each mission also has Guardian Relics that you can collect. These can be used when you’re incapacitated, allowing for self-revival with ease.

 

Time your dodges and parries to unleash a critical Gun Strike

Many of the enemies you face in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, whether Tyranid or Chaos-aligned, telegraph attacks that you need to avoid. If you see a flashing red icon, be sure to press the Spacebar to dodge the blow.

Conversely, if you see a flashing blue icon, that means the attack can be parried. Quickly press the “C” key to deflect the blow. If you time it right, your character will perform an action that either instantly kills a weaker foe or staggers a tougher one.

Staggering an opponent or performing heavy melee attacks can trigger a Gun Strike. Upon seeing a red crosshair on an enemy’s head, press the left mouse button to shoot the target point-blank. This critical hit deals tremendous damage, often opening up your opponent for an execution.

 

Executions restore your armor

Another key mechanic to take note of is that you’ll only take health damage if your armor meter is fully depleted. As such, having just a sliver of armor remaining helps with overall survival. This is where executions come into play.

Enemies that take severe damage begin to flash red, which means they’re primed for an execution. If you approach them and press the “E” key, your character will perform a brutal finishing move. This action partially restores armor, and you might even slay nearby hostiles that are smaller or weaker.

Master each melee weapon’s combos

There are several melee weapons that you can use, from a Combat Knife that allows for quick slashes to a Power Fist that’s slower but deals tremendous damage. Each melee weapon also has its own unique combo chain and heavy attack. For instance, the Thunder Hammer has a charge-up animation, which is then followed by a ground smash that hits all nearby hostiles. Weapon combos can be viewed by pressing the Escape key to open the pause menu.

 

Change your loadout when necessary

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 offers numerous firearms that any dutiful servant of the Emperor would be glad to have on-hand. From standard issue Bolt Pistols to Las Fusil rifles and Plasma Incinerators, the hardest part can be choosing the right armament for every situation.

Bear in mind that the available weapon loadouts tend to differ depending on the mode that you’re playing.

In the campaign, you unlock more weapons as you progress. You may also change Titus’s loadout before the start of each mission—or during, whenever you come across weapon pods.

In Operations mode, loadouts are restricted based on your chosen class. However, you can still change your default setup in the Armoring Hall area and when interacting with weapon pods. Additionally, the weapons that you use in Operations gain XP. This lets you unlock higher mastery levels and perks.

 

Choose the right class when playing Operations mode

Operations in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 are replayable missions with their own set objectives. This mode allows you to choose from six unique classes: Tactical, Assault, Vanguard, Bulwark, Sniper, and Heavy.

Each class has its own unique ultimate ability, unlockable perks, and weapon loadout. For instance, the Sniper class can equip the Stalker Bolt Rifle, Bolt Sniper Rifle, and Las Fusil, but it’s limited to just the Combat Knife as a melee option. Frontline classes, such as the Assault and Bulwark, can wield devastating melee weapons like the Power Fist and Thunder Hammer, but they’re unable to equip primary firearms.

Choosing the right class depends on your preferred playstyle, but remember that each squad can only contain one of any given class. Moreover, solo players won’t be able to pick the classes of their AI teammates.

 

Activate your ultimate ability to turn the tide of battle

In the campaign, Lieutenant Titus has a powerful ability known as Righteous Fury. When activated, it temporarily grants increased attack and durability, and regenerates health every time you hit foes with melee strikes.

In Operations, ultimate abilities are class-dependent. For example, the aforementioned Sniper can use Camo Cloak to stay undetected until their next attack. The Vanguard, meanwhile, has a Grapnel Launcher that lets them propel to an enemy to perform a diving kick. When choosing your class, remember what their ultimate abilities bring to the squad, and make sure to activate them when necessary.

 

Beware of enemies that can call in reinforcements

Operations missions feature objectives that will be familiar to those who’ve played through the campaign. These include holding a defensive position against a rampaging horde, planting and detonating explosives, and chasing down monstrosities like Hive Tyrants.

In between these objectives are countless enemies that can ruin your day. The most dangerous of these are ones that can call on reinforcements. If you see enemies with circular icons above their heads, quickly take them out. If you’re unable to, more packs of hostiles will spawn and you’ll have to eliminate them as well.

 

Spend Requisition on class perks, weapon perks, and armor cosmetics

As you complete more Operations missions, you’ll amass a pile of Requisition currency. This is used to unlock perks for your classes and weapons, which become available as you level them up.

Requisition is also used to purchase armor cosmetics, which can be found in the Edit Armor -> Heraldry screen. From loyalists like the Iron Hands and Space Wolves to successors like the Brazen Consuls and even the traitorous World Eaters and Night Lords, you can show off your allegiance to your favorite Adeptus Astartes chapters.

That does it for our Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 guide. We hope our tips help as you begin your inexorable march against the forces of Chaos and the Tyranids.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is available on the Epic Games Store. Pick up the Gold Edition or Ultra Edition to play four days early, starting September 5. Otherwise, those who pick up the Standard Edition can play at release on September 9.