GTA 5 Story Mode heists: approaches, setups and crew choices
Compare the major campaign heists and understand how approach selection, setup missions and hired crew affect the job.
Edition covered
The 2013 single-player Story Mode, with unchanged Rockstar screenshots from the PC Legacy listing (2015 PC release). GTA Online businesses, updates and multiplayer heists are outside these guides; Enhanced-specific PC graphics and performance are not covered.
Compare the main campaign jobs
Heists arrive through story progress, with setup tasks between the planning board and finale. The approach table summarizes the five major jobs usually grouped together in heist guides. Blitz Play is a separate required robbery sequence with its own preparations.
| Job | Approach choice | Planning focus |
|---|---|---|
| The Jewel Store Job | Loud / Smart | Driver, hacker and gunman |
| The Merryweather Heist | Freighter / Offshore | Equipment and vehicle handling |
| The Paleto Score | Fixed main route | Gunman and protecting the take |
| The Bureau Raid | Fire Crew / Roof Entry | Entry method and supporting crew |
| The Big Score | Subtle / Obvious | Role assignments and extraction |
Match the preparation to the chosen approach
Selecting an approach changes which equipment the story asks you to obtain. Follow the planning board and current mission messages rather than collecting vehicles for the other route. The examples below show why a missing setup can prevent the finale from appearing.
| Job / route | Setup example | What it supplies |
|---|---|---|
| Jewel Store / Smart | Bugstars Equipment | Pest-control cover |
| Jewel Store / Smart | BZ Gas Grenades | Gas for the store |
| Jewel Store / Loud | Carbine Rifles | Armed entry equipment |
| Merryweather / Offshore | Cargobob | Heavy-lift helicopter |
Consider crew reliability as well as the cut
A low percentage is useful only if the crew can perform the assigned role. The Jewel Store Job makes this especially visible: hacker time, getaway bikes and gunman performance all matter. Crew experience gained from earlier jobs can affect later performance, so there is no single best roster for every save.
Keep a save before committing to a plan
Use a manual save before a planning choice if you want to compare outcomes. Mission replay lets you revisit action and medals but should not be treated as a way to rewrite your ongoing campaign finances. The Merryweather job also has a story-driven outcome rather than an ordinary cash reward.
This page concerns the single-player campaign; GTA Online apartments and arcade planning boards start different heists.
References
| Reference | Website |
|---|---|
| GTA BOOM: story heists | www.gtaboom.com |
| iGrandTheftAuto: Jewel Store Job and setup | www.igrandtheftauto.com |
| Rockstar Games: Grand Theft Auto V Legacy on Steam | store.steampowered.com |