The Borderline Justice Warbond in Helldivers 2 holds more than just cowboy-themed gear. It also has Sample Extricator, a unique booster meant to help players who are having trouble getting samples for Super Destroyer upgrades. What this booster does is simple, yet it begs the question: is it worth using over all other available options?
Collecting samples is mandatory if you want to progress your account, but the harder the difficulty in Helldivers 2, the riskier sample collection becomes, and if you don't want to farm easy missions just to get samples, then you'll want to make use of every advantage you have. In this guide, we'll be looking at how Sample Extricator works to see if it's worth your time.
Helldivers 2: How to Farm Weapon XP
Here's a quick tip on how you can level up your weapons in Helldivers 2 as quickly as possible.
Helldivers 2: Is Sample Extricator Worth Using?
Sample Extricator's usefulness is situational. Its effect is fairly simple: when equipped by a member of the squad, all large enemies in the mission will have a small chance to drop a Common Sample. The exact drop rate is unclear, but up to 10 Common Samples can be obtained via this booster, and with it, players can exceed the maximum number of Common Samples in the mission.
From a practical standpoint, Sample Extricator could be worth using if players need a lot of Common Samples for Super Destroyer upgrades. If you're the type who doesn't enjoy scouring the entire map for samples, then this booster should help you get a few more just by fighting big enemies like Bile Titans and Factory Striders. However, on higher difficulties, Sample Extricator is next to useless for a few reasons.
First, given how many enemies tend to spawn on Difficulty 7 and above, gathering samples that fall from dead heavy units is often risky. Non-melee heavies (especially in Automaton missions) are likely to die in positions that are overrun by smaller enemies, or they are too far away for players to reach.
Second, players are expected to keep moving on higher difficulties. Staying in one location for too long is an easy way to get overwhelmed, and when you're expected to run away, you'll just end up missing out on the samples that do drop from enemies.
Third, other boosters are simply better. In the face of overwhelming odds, it's usually better to have passive boosters that provide more tangible benefits, such as extra stamina and health or Resupply pods armed with rifle turrets.
Lastly, even if players are capable of collecting samples, extracting them is an entirely different story. Exiting a D10 mission with samples is by no means impossible, but there will be times when players will be forced to abandon samples, so keep that in mind.
Despite all that, if you want to casually farm Common Samples in Difficulty 6 and below, Sample Extricator is a decent booster to have. It won't help you in a fight, but considering how the lower half of Helldivers 2's difficulty spectrum is much easier, none of the things listed above should pose a problem.
Helldivers 2
- Released
- February 8, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Arrowhead Game Studios, Nixxes
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation Publishing
- Engine
- bitsquid
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms
- Franchise
- Helldivers
- Number of Players
- 1-4 players (online)
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Extraction Shooter, Action, Science Fiction
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
