The Diamond Casino Heist/Preparations

Diamond Casino Heist Preparations are freemode missions that are needed to progress the planning stage of The Diamond Casino Heist. They can be viewed and started from the basement of Arcades.

There are two types of preparation missions – required and optional. The former must be completed in order to carry out the heist, while the latter type of missions can be done to significantly lower the difficulty of the heist, but can be skipped if the heist leader wishes to do so. There are three planning boards inside the basement.

First Planning Board
The first allows the player to view access point that they have photographed during the Setup: Casino Scoping mission. On this board, the player can also start the previously mentioned mission, as well as Heist Prep: Vault Contents. The player does not have to scope out the Casino for every heist, but can do it as many times as they wish. However, the Vault Contents mission must be completed with every heist.

After the vault contents are identified, the player gains the option of choosing one of the three possible approaches for the heist – Silent & Sneaky, The Big Con, or Aggressive. The same approach cannot be chosen twice in a row, so the player must alternate between them. If the same approach is chosen after only one other approach, the Casino will have better security, but there will be better rewards.

After the approach is chosen, the player can move onto the second planning board.

Second Planning Board
On the second board are listed all the main prep work missions the player can start. On the top left, the player must first choose the gunman, driver, and hacker they wish to employ for the heist. The higher their skill, the higher cut of the total money they take. A better gunman can provide the player with better weapons, a better driver can provide them with better vehicles, and the better the hacker, the more time the players will have inside the vault before they are detected. Only after the player chooses a gunman and driver can they access other missions.

Once the player chooses a gunman, they can start the Heist Prep: Unmarked Weapons mission, in which they need to source weapons to use for the heist. When a driver is chosen, the Heist Prep: Getaway Vehicles mission can be started, where the player needs to obtain vehicles to use after robbing the Casino. Once a hacker is chosen, Heist Prep: Hacking Device can be started, in which they need to steal the hacking technology from either the FIB Building in Pillbox Hill or the server farm at NOOSE Headquarters.

General Prep Work
Most of these missions are listed at the bottom of the board. These are the same for every approach, and most are optional. These are:
 * Vault Keycards – The only mandatory general prep work mission. Two keycards must be acquired, which will be used to access the mantrap leading in and out of the vault.
 * Guard Patrol Routes – The player must photograph the guards' staff roster at a Duggan security meeting. This will show the positions of all security guards at the Casino during the heist.
 * Duggan Shipments – The player must destroy weapons and equipment that are intended for Duggan's Casino security team. There are ten targets around the map and the more that are destroyed, the weaker the security will be during the heist.
 * Security Intel – The player must go to the Rockford Plaza shopping centre, where they meet Vincent. After retrieving a stolen Gauntlet Hellfire, Vincent gives the player a USB flash drive with security information. Completing this prep mission will make all security cameras and their cones of vision visible during the heist. This mission can only be started if the heist leader has previously completed all Casino Missions as host. The mission also does not need to be completed with every heist, but it can if the player wishes to replay it.
 * Power Drills – Two power drills must be acquired at a construction site. This will allow players to drill into the safety deposit boxes in the vault for extra money.
 * Masks – The heist leader can acquire custom masks from Vespucci Movie Masks to use during the heist.
 * Security Pass – The player can obtain either level 1 or 2 security passes for the heist. Alternatively, penthouse owners can steal level 1 passes from the cleaning trolley in their penthouse if the maid is present.

Approach Specific Prep Work
For this approach, at least one type of the following disguises must be obtained, the others then being optional if the leader desires to have multiple choices when choosing an entry tactic.
 * Silent & Sneaky
 * Nano Drones – The player must destroy and then salvage the parts of LSPD drones so Lester can prepare drones for use inside the Casino during the heist. This mission is mandatory.
 * Vault Lasers – Two lasers must be stolen from either the Military or Cliffford Mercenaries, which will be used during the heist to quietly drill through the vault door. This mission is mandatory.
 * EMP Device – An EMP Device must be stolen from the University of San Andreas, Los Santos, using a Cargobob. This mission is optional and will allow the heist leader to use it to shut off the Casino's electricity for some time, disabling security cameras and greatly hinder visibility for guards.
 * Infiltration Suits – The player can steal a set of infiltration suits that can provide night vision and the ability to rappel down the elevator shaft, if the leader chooses the appropriate entry approach. This mission is optional.
 * The Big Con
 * Gruppe Sechs Gear Part 1 – A damaged Stockade must be stolen from an auto repair shop so it can be used for the heist.
 * Gruppe Sechs Gear Part 2 – The player must infiltrate a security meeting and send an image of a Stockade's licence plate to Lester, as well as steal Gruppe Sechs outfits for use during the heist.
 * Bugstar Gear Part 1 – The player must steal a Bugstars Burrito which also contains the required equipment and outfits to be used during the heist.
 * Bugstars Gear Part 2 – A Trashmaster full of insects must be stolen so that the team has pests to use for the Bugstars approach.
 * Maintenance Gear Part 1 – Two bags of equipment and outfits must be stolen from a maintenance crew for use during the heist.
 * Maintenance Gear Part 2 – An LSDWP van must be stolen and then taken to the Casino. Once there, the player must pour chemicals into a broken ventilation unit atop the building. After this, the van needs to be delivered to the Arcade.

If the heist leader triggered the cutscene introducing Yung Ancestor during the "Setup: Casino Scoping" mission, they have an additional option for an entry approach which can be chosen after two mission are completed for Yung:
 * Dead Weight – Yung orders the player to dispose of a dead body inside the boot of a Fugitive.
 * After Party – The player must take out teams of paparazzi and destroy their cameras to prevent photos of Yung Ancestor from being released.

The player also must complete the mandatory Heist Prep: Vault Drills mission, in which two vault drills must be stolen so the heist crew can access the vault during the heist.

The heist leader can also choose to obtain two exit disguises for use after robbing the Casino by completing the optional Heist Prep: Firefighter Gear and Heist Prep: NOOSE Gear missions.


 * Aggressive
 * Thermal Charges – The player must obtain thermal charger for use during the heist; these will replace the hacking done in the vault during the other two approaches. This mission is mandatory.
 * Vault Explosives – Plastic explosives must be stolen for use. These will replace the drilling done on the vault door during the other two approaches. This mission is mandatory.
 * Reinforced Armor – The player must steal reinforced armor in order to be better protected during the heist. This mission is optional.
 * Tunnel Boring Machine – If the player sent an image of the sewer tunnel entrance to Lester during "Setup: Casino Scoping", they can use it as the entrance, using the boring machine obtained from this mission to drill to the vault. This mission is optional.