Star Fox Switch 2: How to Earn All 16 Medals
Medals in Star Fox on Switch 2 are the game's core mastery challenge. Every stage has a hit score target you need to reach, and every single one of your three wingmates must survive to the end of the mission. Miss either condition and the medal disappears. Get all 15 Normal difficulty medals and you unlock Expert mode. Clear all 16 (including Venom 2) on Expert and you unlock an alternate title screen, an additional multiplayer mode, and a full 100% completion achievement.
Medal earned on stage clear
What are the medal requirements in Star Fox Switch 2?
The hit score targets are identical on Normal and Expert difficulties. The only thing that changes is how hard it is to survive while hitting those numbers. Medals are not available on Easy difficulty at all, and you cannot earn them in Challenge Mode, only through Campaign Mode runs.
Here is every stage and its required hit score:
How do medals work?
Two conditions must both be satisfied when a stage ends. First, your hit score has to meet or exceed the stage target. Second, none of your three allies (Falco, Peppy, and Slippy) can have been downed during the mission. A single teammate withdrawal voids the medal regardless of your score.
Hit scores come from destroying enemies. Charged shots that take out multiple enemies simultaneously award bonus points beyond what rapid fire would earn. Bomb kills do not generate those same bonuses, so bombs are best saved for situations where enemies will escape the screen before you can laser them down.
Max your laser early
Stage-by-stage strategies
Corneria (150 hits)
Fly under the arches in the second water section to trigger extra enemy spawns. Targeting large mechs and tight clusters gets you to 70 hits by the checkpoint, which puts the medal well within reach. Aim for around 70 at the midpoint and you are in good shape.
Meteo (200 hits)
The second half of the stage is where the hit count really opens up. The warp rings lead into a dense enemy area that alone can push you close to the target. Aim for roughly 90 hits at the checkpoint.
Sector Y (150 hits)
Take the upper path at the fork. Use bombs on large ship formations and destroy every vessel crossing the screen. Around 50 hits at the checkpoint is the right pace.
Fichina (50 hits)
This is the lowest target in the game. Aim for 30 hits before Star Wolf appears. Each Star Wolf member you take down quickly adds up to 10 hits, so fast takedowns on all four members can close the gap alone.
Katina (150 hits)
Your allies are aggressive here and will steal kills if you let them. Intercept enemies before your teammates reach them. The full 150 hits is reachable before Saucerer's one-minute countdown begins if you stay ahead of your squad.
Aquas (150 hits)
Spam torpedoes and lasers on everything. Destroy cracked pillars and target boss weak points. Checkpoint pace is around 90 hits.
Solar (100 hits)
The target is low but enemy density is thin. Destroy every rock and enemy without exception. Checkpoint pace is around 40 hits.
Sector X (150 hits)
Take the right path at the fork for higher enemy density. Defeat Spyborg quickly to prevent Slippy from being sent to Titania. Aim for 80 hits at the checkpoint.
Zoness (250 hits)
This is the toughest medal outside of Area 6. Hit the searchlights throughout the stage, but intentionally miss one near a gate after Rob's supply offer to spawn extra enemies. Charged shots on tight clusters are essential. Checkpoint pace is around 140 hits.
Titania (150 hits)
Destroy all enemies, especially the large four-legged units. Use bombs on them if needed. Checkpoint pace is around 70 hits.
Macbeth (150 hits)
Shoot train cars, rocks, and all enemies throughout the run. Around 100 hits is a reasonable checkpoint pace. Shooting all 8 switches and the switcher at the end derails the train for a bonus, but your hit count from the run itself should already be on track by then.
Sector Z (100 hits)
This stage is accessed via the Sector X warp. Enemy count is very low, so extract every possible hit. Track your pace against missile waves: aim for 25 hits before the first missile, 40 before the pair, and 70 before the final wave.
Bolse (150 hits)
Destroy energy towers and core pieces. Aim for 40 to 70 hits by the time the core is exposed. The core itself yields around 80 hits if cleared fast. If Star Wolf appears, quick takedowns add up to 40 more hits.
Area 6 (300 hits)
The hardest medal in the game. Enter with full bombs and never stop firing. Target spinning stations, small ships, and warships from the very start. Around 175 hits at the checkpoint is the target pace. This stage rewards players who have memorized the spawn timing cold.
Venom (200 hits)
Arrive via Area 6 to trigger a full Star Wolf encounter before Andross, giving you extra hits. Aim for 180 hits at the checkpoint. Note that Andross himself does not grant hits, so you need to reach near the full target before entering the final tunnel. The Golemech yields 10 hits if cleared quickly.
Venom 2 (200 hits)
You need at least 3 of the 4 Star Wolf fast-takedown bonuses, which are worth 50 hits each. Missing the fourth still nets around 30 hits, landing you near 180. The remaining hits come from Andross's True Form: each eye taken down quickly yields 6 hits, and defeating his true form adds 11 more.
Star Wolf hits count toward your score
General tips for earning medals faster
Upgrade your laser first
A maxed laser makes every stage easier. Prioritize the green H-shaped laser upgrades in early missions and avoid taking wing damage so the upgrades carry forward. A downgraded laser makes reaching hit targets in later stages significantly harder.
Steal ally kills
Kills by Falco, Peppy, and Slippy do not count toward your hit score. Watch what enemies your teammates are pursuing and take them out first. This is especially relevant on Katina, where your allies are particularly aggressive.
Use the checkpoint restart trick
Each stage has a checkpoint that splits enemy availability roughly in half. If you are short of the expected pace at the checkpoint, restart the level rather than grinding through a doomed second half. If you are nearly done and the medal looks out of reach, restart from the checkpoint instead.
Replenish bombs by dying intentionally
If you start a hard stage without bombs, dying immediately at the beginning respawns you with 3 bombs. This trade is worth it on stages like Venom 1 where bombs are genuinely necessary for the hit target. Be careful on Expert, where losing all lives ends the run entirely.
Keep your allies alive
When a teammate calls for help, drop what you are doing and clear the enemies on their tail immediately. One downed ally voids the medal no matter how high your hit score is. Also watch your own laser fire: friendly fire damage to allies is easy to miss when you are spraying shots.
Respond to mayday calls fast
What do you unlock by collecting all medals?
Collecting all 15 medals on Normal difficulty unlocks Expert difficulty. Expert mode brings harder enemies with faster reactions, more aggressive behavior, increased damage from shots and collisions, immediate wing destruction on any collision, and a hard game over if you exhaust your lives. Your teammates also take more damage and retreat faster if you do not rescue them quickly.
Clearing all 16 medals on Expert (including Venom 2) rewards an alternate title screen, an additional multiplayer mode, and full 100% completion recognition.
If you want a broader look at how the game's strategy games pacing works across all routes and missions, knowing the medal targets for each path helps you plan which stages to prioritize on your first full run through the campaign.
For more on the fundamentals before you start grinding medals, the Star Fox: Holosim beginner strategies and core mechanics guide covers the building blocks that apply across the game. You can also find the full Star Atlas: Holosim game page for related content. For everything else related to the Star Fox Switch 2 campaign, the complete Star Fox Switch 2 strategy guides collection has you covered.