by Dom's Roundtable
Brothers, don your power armor, raise your chainswords, and let your faith in the Emperor be your shield! In Space Marine 2, the battle against the Tyranid swarm and the forces of Chaos is brutal, relentless, and utterly glorious. Whether you're diving into the campaign or testing your mettle in co-op operations, these 20 essential tips will help you dominate the battlefield on even the toughest difficulties.
So without further ado, let’s charge into battle and rain down the Emperor’s wrath upon our enemies!
The Hive Mind Trick - Kill the Big Ones First
Tyranids aren’t just mindless beasts. They are linked to the Hive Mind, which plays a major role in their actual gameplay mechanics.
Killing Majoris or Extremis enemies automatically kills all Minoris enemies linked to them. If you’re getting overwhelmed, focus on the bigger targets instead of hacking away at hordes of smaller ones. This means taking down key enemies can instantly clear out large waves, making fights significantly easier.
Levelling Weapons - Equip Wisely
When levelling up your weapons, XP is split between the ones you’ve used and equipped. Even if you don’t use a weapon, keeping it equipped ensures it still gains XP.
For example, if you want to level up your Plasma Pistol, equip it, even if you mainly use melee or another gun. This is especially important when grinding for Relic-tier weapons, as XP distribution directly affects how quickly you unlock them.
Angel of Death Difficulty - Patience is Key
On the hardest difficulty, enemies hit like a Kraken-sized freight train. However, there’s a crucial trick:
Unlike in operations, enemy waves do not spawn faster if you take your time.
Wait in safe areas between fights to let your abilities recharge before pushing forward.
This is especially important for Titus’s ability, which:
Knocks back enemies
Boosts your damage
Heals you over time
If you feel overwhelmed, pause, recharge, then strike back with the Emperor’s fury.
Replay the Campaign with All Weapons Unlocked
Once you complete the campaign, you unlock all weapons from the start when replaying missions. This means you can blast through early levels with your favourite powerful weapons, making harder difficulty runs way more manageable.
Smash Equipment Caches for Extra Supplies
Throughout your missions, you’ll find stacks of equipment boxes. Break them all. These caches contain ammo, medkits, grenades, and armour plate boosters, all of which are essential for harder difficulties.
Don’t just loot the obvious chests, destroy everything that looks smashable for hidden supplies.
You will need every advantage when the swarm comes for you!
Executions: The Ultimate Survival Tool
Executing enemies in Space Marine 2 isn’t just for style points, it’s an absolute necessity. While executing, you are INVINCIBLE! Time it right to avoid deadly enemy attacks. The bigger the enemy, the more armour is restored; for example, Extremis enemies restore TWO bars of armour.
Executions also fully heal the white portion of your health bar (just like Bloodborne’s rally system) and release a shockwave, pushing back surrounding enemies.
💡Bonus Tip: If you’re cornered and low on health, executing an enemy can be your best chance of survival.
Friendly Fire Isn’t a Thing But Positioning Matters
You can’t damage allies, but you can block their shots. Be aware of snipers or heavy weapon teammates charging up shots. If you step in front of them, they waste ammo and time. Grenades don’t deal damage to teammates, but they can knock them over, disrupting the flow of battle.
💡Bonus Tip: If you want reliable teammates, join my Discord, we have loads of Space Marine 2 squads ready to dominate together.
XP Is Only Awarded to the Best in Each Category
One of the strangest mechanics in Space Marine 2 is that you only earn bonus XP if you are the best in a specific category (e.g., most kills, most damage).
This means players are incentivized to be selfish, which is why team coordination is key. Play with friends who prioritize teamwork rather than just farming XP for themselves.
Loot Isn’t Shared - Be Smart About Who Picks It Up
Unlike some co-op games, loot in Space Marine 2 is NOT shared. If you pick up ammo, health, or armour, your teammates cannot pick it up, too. Prioritize loot for those who need it most. Ping important pickups so your team knows what’s available. Avoid loot goblin behaviour, or your squad will suffer.
Gene Seeds Are the Most Valuable Pickup in Operations
From a lore perspective, Gene Seeds are what make Space Marines superhuman, and in the game, they are crucial for fast levelling.
Gene Seeds dramatically boost XP but are lost if the carrier dies. Give it to your tankiest teammate so they can safely carry it.
These are rare but powerful and if you find one, make sure your team protects the carrier.
Plasma Weapons - Charge Them Up for Maximum Damage
Plasma weapons are some of the strongest in the game, but only if you charge them up. A fully charged Plasma Incinerator shot deals massive damage and instantly executes Majoris enemies.
Press the interact button (Square on PlayStation, F or E on PC) to manually cool down plasma weapons faster.
Some Waves Can Be Skipped Entirely
If a huge enemy wave is spawning, ask yourself: Do I really need to fight this?
In some cases, enemies will de-spawn if you leave the area. If you’re low on health and resources, sometimes the best strategy is just to run. Not every fight needs to be fought, so quickly advancing to the next area can save you a lot of trouble.
Ammo Caches Are Infinite - Remember Their Locations
Ammo caches never run out. Before engaging in a big fight, note the nearest ammo cache so you can fall back and resupply when needed.
This is especially important in operations, where ammo can be scarce.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it, the 20 essential tips for Space Marine 2 to help you crush the Tyranid swarms and Chaos forces!