Mission Improbable

As I've said before in previous posts, the best way to earn money and rank up in GTA:Online is to complete missions, preferably with a group. But what exactly do these missions entail?
Basically they follow two either of two basic objectives, kill the target(s) and capture the object. This makes them sound a bit repetitive, in fact Rockstar have done a great job here in making the variation of missions enough to keep the challenge exciting and to keep you interest, with the open world you can complete the same mission in multiple ways. Take one mission where you are tasked with killing a group of Bikers who are doing a deal at the cemetery. You could either work as a team clearing them row by row, or go in guns blazing with a Combat MG, snipe them from afar or, if you have access, rain down death from the sky in your Buzzard Attack Helicopter.

Sometimes though, you may find yourselves in the game without any friends, what to do then? Well you could either try and jump into a lobby with some randoms, however in my experience chaos normally ensues (as does teamkilling/griefing) or you could complete some missions solo. You don't earn as much, but you can take it at your own pace and learn the setup. Many of the missions are launchable as party of one. However some that say they can be completed without a team are actually impossible without some major skill/luck. Enough of the chat, let's actually have a look at some of my personal favourite missions.
 

Death Metal

This is one of the earliest missions unlocked for you to launch in GTA:Online (you can be invited to join any mission by another player but you can only launch them once you have reached the required level)

In Death Metal you are tasked by Gerald to head to Roger's Scrapyard and to steal a package from the Ballas. As expected a nice simple mission to ease you in early on. Once you get to the scrapyard the enemies tend to split their forces, half take up cover around the scrapyard whilst the other half try to rush out. My advice, stay in cover against the outer wall and kill the Ballas as they come past it in a nice single file. If there's more than one of you split your forces, at least one on either side of the entrance and if possible one and the far side of the road. Once the rushers are down move in and stick to cover. Do not be tempted to destroy the cars as you run the risk of destroying the package. Once all are dead grab the package and make your way to Geralds apartment to drop off and collect your hard earned cash.

Difficulty rating - 4/10
Few enemies and a short distance to the drop off make this a very easy beginners mission. Easily soloable.
1-4 Players

A Titan of a Job

One of the missions I most enjoy in GTA:Online. You are tasked by Lester to head to Los Santos International Airport and steal a Titan cargo plane from Merryweather Security, a private military company (mercenaries). This missions has many challenges, first and foremost getting onto the airport as none of the gates will open for you! Either fly in using a helicopter or try and find and unconventional route in with your car. Once at the hanger you'll need to eliminate the guards, unlike in Death Metal where most of the goons just carried pistols and they were lightly armored, in this mission they're armored and carry rifles so go slow. To take them out again multiple options are available to you. Either go slow and steady on the ground and use sniper rifles to their full, or work together in a Buzzard and get door gunners to help. Beware if you want to use the Buzzards rockets that you don't inadvertently destroy the Titan. Once all goons are defeated you'll need to first move the lorry parked up at the front, at least one player will then need to get to the Titan and take off and head for Sandy Shores Airfield out in the desert, all you need to do then is land the plane and it's mission complete.

Difficulty rating - 6/10
Solid enemies in good cover.
1-6 Players

Extradition

This mission is intense, multiple objectives and multiple ways of going about them. Firstly the brief. Martin Madrazo needs you to silence a witness that the government is trying to get out the country. Is he departing from LS International? No. Sandy Shores maybe? No. Fort Zancudo... That's right we start this mission by breaking into the military base! Once in there's hostiles everywhere! It's a military base what else were you expecting??? Once you get near the cargo plane, if you don't get it quick it will take off and follow the coast north and you'll need to get a Fighter Jet to chase it down. Once you've brought the plane down you'd of thought that was the end of the mission right? Wrong! You get a message from Martin saying the witness has given evidence to an attorney who, guess what, you now have to kill! You'll have to chase him down the freeway and get him before he gets to City Hall or it's Mission Failed. Once he's dead lose the cops and head to Martin's house to hand in the mission.

There is another way of completing this mission that I discovered by accident, but that would be telling ;-)

Difficulty rating - 8/10
You've got to raid the military base for crying out loud!.
1-6 Players

High Priority Case

Another Lester mission, this time he asks you to recover some security system plans from downtown LS. Sounds straightforward enough until you learn the exchange is on top of one of the skyscrapers! This is a mission where up to 4 players can participate so I'll describe as though you've got a full lobby. Firstly one of you party calls in a Buzzard (if owned), all four of you then hop in, he'll firstly airlift the person in the front passsenger seat to the top of the nearby, taller, tower from where they will snipe at the targets. The pilot will then use his rockets to assist in killing targets whilst trying to provide a good angle for his two door gunners who hopefully both have MG's. Once a landing zone is secure the pilot will bring it in and drop off the two door gunners. Whilst the engine is kept warm the gunners take out the remaining hostiles and collect the plans and return to the chopper for a speedy exit. At this point the sniper can switch try to take out the enemy helicopter which is making a run at the rest of the crew. Get the plans to Lesters warehouse and it's money in the bank!

Difficulty rating - 6/10
Hostiles in tight cover and hard to spot, good distance to travel if the helicopter's lost.
1-4 Players

The Los Santos Connection

One the greatest missions in GTA:Online, multiple locations and multiple objectives you really have to work as a team to pull off, what is quite possibly the longest and most difficult mission in the game. I won't say too much here as I'll double the length of this post!But it is a mission that's well worth a look if you feel up to the challenge!

Difficulty rating - 10/10
Are we there yet!
1-6 Players

Well i can't possibly finish off this post without mentioning the PC trailer released on Friday that looks glorious! One more week to go folks!

Grand Theft Auto V - PC Trailer