GTA V Heist Guide (No Spoilers!)

Now I didn't want to put this in the GTA Thread because this isn't exactly a discussion thread. It's more of me guiding all of you fellow Viners through the different heists and what I believe to be the best way to complete them. Since this game revolves around different Heists and they are gonna be your major source of income in the game, I feel that what I've learned in my Playthrough so far, should be shared with you guys.

Now I just finished my first heist. And I replayed that mission multiple times just to explore several different ways of completing it. And after analyzing all the different paths, choices and actions, this is what I've deduced to be the best way to complete the first Heist...or at least the most profitable.

1. Choose your Path wisely

Now every heist begins first with a planning section with you/Michael planning out the heist with the other major mastermind of the game. I'm not gonna reveal his name for the sake of Spoilers but if you've played the game you'll know who I'm talking about.

Now generally, there will be two different ways to complete a particular heist; playing it smart and going all stealthy or go in guns blazin'. While both choices are viable, I feel that the smarter/stealthier approach is much better, at least from a monetary point-of-view. Going stealthy allows for less casualties which leads to less heat and more time to complete the objective.

The stealthy approach always has more rewards so I would definitely go for the stealthy approach to all the different heists in the game.

2. Choose your Crew wisely

You have the choice to select your crew before going about the various heists. Now, it is mentioned in the game that more experienced crew members will ask for a bigger cut while less experienced crew members will ask for a much smaller cut. So you must be thinking that "Hey! I want a bigger share of the profit so I don't need experienced crew members. I will be doing most of the work anyway". Do not, I repeat...Do not fall into this trap.

The more experienced the crew members, the better they will perform in the field. Sure, they will ask for a bigger share but they will also be successful in hauling a large amount of money, escaping from the cops and making sure the heist goes smoothly even when the poop hits the fan. On the other hand, less experienced crew members will fail to deliver and sometimes get killed so you end up making far less money. So in reality, the better the crew members, the more overall money you will make and the more smoothly the heist will progress.

The game also tells you that by using the same crew in different heists, you can upgrade their stats/skills. So, you may be thinking that you would start off with less experienced crew members and they would become better gradually. Instead of that, think about it like this. If you start of with the best crew members, they would gradually become even better and at the same time their cut will remain the same. So, as you partake in bigger and bigger heists, your income increases significantly. Remember, you have to spend money to earn money.

That brings me to my last tip for today, use the same crew throughout the game. They will become better and better with each heist and you would rather want to work with the same people throughout than with strangers you know nothing about. And like I've said, your crew members get upgraded with each heist so they will be better than any new people anyway.

I will be updating this guide as I progress through the game. Enjoy!

@darkazrael999:

Did you do the heist already?

d?_?b

I replayed it 3 times trying to find out the best possible way to do it.

I just finished it about 2 hrs back

:)

@darkazrael999:

The first heist, right?

d?_?b

@superstay: Yup, my good man. Gonna meet Trevor soon now. Right now, imma exploring the desert. :D

@darkazrael999:

Yeah, so how did you do in the heist?

I chose 'Smart' and I picked all of the best crew members, except for the gunmen.....

d^_^b

Yeah, and he died...right? Try replaying it but by following the tips I mentioned. I can guarantee that you will do a lot better. I tried it multiple times...loud and dumb, taking good members and taking terrible members. At the end of the day, what I mentioned in the OP is what I feel to have worked best for me. :)

@darkazrael999:

I am so far past that part, and I don't have an idea how to free replay through missions.

I'll probably replay them in the end (If I can).....but, I'm okay with the dude dying. In my play through, the other dude got the gunman's bag...

I know, if you take the best team in the loud approach, everyone wins.

EDIT: Also, from what I've heard. The first playthrough is canon, replays are not.

d^_^b

Yeah but I noticed that the smart approach gives you a better window to finish the objective. Both are viable though. :)

@darkazrael999:

Yeah, I liked the smart approach, as well. I'll probably pick the best gunman on the next heist.

d^_^b

@darkazrael999: Very well done guide! Especially regarding the money since it's best to use it wisely. Who have you been playing as? =O I'm probably gonna use Trevor first, then Franklin and Michael. I like Franklin for Chop! =D

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I like the idea of this guide, but most of the stuff is incorrect.

Basically it is almost always better to choose the cheapest crew members. If you use Ricky (cheapest hacker) for the first mission, the only downside is that you have less time to grab the jewels, but it's still very easy to grab them all and he takes a very small cut. If you choose Norm (cheapest gunman) he dies, but you can pick up his cut and this unlocks an even cheaper gunman (Daryl) to use later.

Best Crew Choices:

Heist 1 - Option B - Rickie, Norm (dies, pick up his cut), Karim

Heist 2 - doesn't matter

Heist 3 - Daryl (dies, pick up his cut)

Heist 4 - Option A Packie, Replacement Gunman 3 (dies, costs you around $38K)

Final Heist - Option B - Taliana, Karim, Packie, Replacement Gunman 4

Althought I have heard that someone unlocked Daryl with Norm still alive. If you can do that before heist 3, then it's best to use Norm/Daryl on heist 3 (dies, you pick up his dropped cash, gets you replacement 3) and then the other one on Heist 4 Option A (dies, gets you replacement 4). That lets you use replacements 3 & 4 (the two cheapest gunmen) on the Final Heist Option B, netting you much more money than if you had to use Packie/Gus in one of those slots. Gunmen can't fail the final heist.

Aww, I have actually came to really like Trevor. I didn't at first (because he looks like a hillbilly). But, somewhere around the torture scene and him slicing the Mexican mobster's ear off, I find his character awesome.

However, it's probably his psychopathic insanity that draws me to him. Although, I like my psychopaths with a little bit of a sociopathic treat.....

d^_^b

Hahaha! xD I like Trevor as well even though he can be a bit straight forward. 0.0 Wouldn't want to be near him at all in real life since I'd be afraid but as far as a video game character goes, he's very entertaining. Though I couldn't watch the torture scene all the way through. 0.0 Had to stop when the teeth got pulled out. Is awesome how Rockstar handled it though since it does happen in real life even though it may be disturbing. Overall though, Trevor certainly is a fun character.

Ah! You see bud, I haven't finished the game yet cause I'm trying to explore as much as possible and find out as much about the world as possible. I'm about to do the second heist now. I never complete Story Missions before finishing side-stuff first.

I know that it's possible for you to pick up his cut but I've seen people failing to do so. So, this guide is meant for everyone regardless of their driving skills.

And I'll be updating this guide as I go along, so this isn't final.

@darkazrael999: Got online to read this. Don't regret it. Awesome job, bro! =)

Thanks man! This may not be 100 % correct for the whole game as I'll be updating it constantly, as I progress. Feel free to check for updates.

@darkazrael999: If I have time, you can be sure that I will. =)

@darkazrael999: Yeah, it can be tricky. I actually picked up the bag without knowing.

@samimista: Was the sense really that hard to watch? I didn't feel any bit disturbed by it....

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@superstay: For me it was since I tend to easily get grossed out with gore. xD

:D

@samimista:

Makes since, I think I am a little (lot of) numb to that sort of thing...

d^_^b

Hehe! I always gotta look away whenever my parents watch House. 0.0 No red syrup splattering everywhere! D=

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@darkazrael999:

No problem man, I agree that it will definitely be easier with the better crew members. My post was more about maximizing the amount of money that you end up with after the finale (phrased poorly on my part I'm sure).

Word of warning about doing all of the side missions before the story: If you want to be able to afford the golf club property at the end, don't do any of Lester's Assassination missions (other than the 1st one that's required to progress) until after you've finished the game.

Last night I did Bureau Raid (after having killed Norm on Jewel Store Job) so I got to see Gunman 3 for the first time. His take is 7% (same as Norm, 1% more than Daryl). I also used the option that got a gunman killed so I'll be able to see what Gunman 4's take is on the finale. If it's more than 6%, then Daryl is the best in the game so we need to pick Option B for Heist 4 (more money than Option A, don't need anyone to die because we already have Daryl + Hughs for finale).

The basic gist of it is: the amounts that you get from the previous heists are less important than having the gunmen with the smallest take availalble for the finale. Even a 1% difference in their take on the finale will net you more money than you lose from "casualty expenses" throughout all of the other heists combined.

Its probably a better idea to choose the right crew for the right situation, sometimes I picked a shitty crew member just to have him killed - then pick up his money bag and cash in. This way I dont loose any money at all AND have 1 less person to share it with. But in the end money dont matter much in this game so id recommend just play the way you want and have fun rather then follow a guide.