Helldivers 2 – Ultimate Guide Before Beginners

Welcome to the definitive guide for Helldivers 2! Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a fresh recruit, this guide aims to equip you with the knowledge and tactics necessary to excel in your missions across the galaxy. From selecting the right stratagems to mastering combat techniques, we’ll cover everything you need to know to emerge victorious against the alien threats.

Vrijwaring: This guide reflects the author’s personal experiences and opinions. While it strives for accuracy, discrepancies may arise due to individual playstyles and updates to the game. Reader discretion is advised.

Your Destroyer

If you’ve tried out the first Helldivers game, you’ll already grasp the main gist of how things work. But just to be sure everyone’s on the same page, let’s break down the basics of your destroyer.

The Galaxy Map

On your destroyer, the hub of everything is the galaxy map. It’s like the control center of the whole shebang. Right smack in the middle sits Super Earth, surrounded by sectors housing various planets. Some planets might be off-limits because Super Earth already sorted them out, but others will be in a bind, with either Terminids or Automatons causing trouble (orange or red, respectievelijk). That’s where us Helldivers swoop in to save the day. Before diving into any sector, you can scope out how many Helldivers are in action (unless it’s turned off to ease up on the servers), and each sector and planet will show the Helldiver count too.

Gebruikelijk, there’s a big Super Earth directive honing in on a particular sector or planet. It’s like a big neon sign saying, “Hoi, focus here!” Maar hé, no one’s stopping you from checking out other planets that catch your eye and battling it out there. Flexibility is key, tenslotte.

Requisition Terminal

Also on your ship, there’s this nifty terminal on the left-hand side. It’s like your one-stop shop for all things stratagem-related. Hier, you can snag all sorts of goodies like airstrikes from Eagle, orbital strikes from your destroyer, sentries, and emplacements, plus support weapons. Nu, to get your hands on these toys, you’ll need requisition, which you earn by completing objectives. It’s like your reward for a job well done.

But wait, there’s more! This terminal isn’t just about buying stratagems; it’s also where you can pimp out your destroyer with upgrades. These upgrades are like passive boosts that make you even more of a force to be reckoned with. You’ll need different colored samples (Common/Green, Rare/Orange, and Super/Pink) to nab these upgrades, and you’ll find them as you’re out there getting things done planetside. Some upgrades might be a bit trickier to access, depending on the difficulty level.

Nu, these destroyer upgrades are split into six categories: Patriotic Administration Center (boosts for support weapons/packs), Orbital Cannons (upgrades for your orbital game), Hangar (upgrades for Eagle), Bridge (a mix of orbital, UAV, and hellpod boosts), Engineering Bay (upgrades for sentries and emplacements), and Robotics Workshop (more sentry upgrades). Each upgrade has its own flavor, so depending on your playstyle, you might dig certain ones more than others. But generally, these upgrades help you sling stratagems left and right with style and efficiency.

The Armory
Further down the left-hand side, close to the galaxy map, you’ll find the armory. This place is where you suit up your Helldiver with all the gear you’ve unlocked. From weapons and armor to grenades, it’s all here. But that’s not all—you can also customize various aspects of your Helldiver’s appearance and vibe. Want a different cape? Klaar. Wanna switch up the voice? Gemakkelijk peasy. You can even tweak their build, emote, and victory dance. It’s like your one-stop shop for personalizing your Helldiver to be exactly how you want ‘em.

The Dive

Mission Selection

When you pick a planet, you can choose your challenge level before landing. In eerste instantie, you’ll only access the Trivial difficulty. After completing an entire operation at a difficulty level, you unlock the next one.

Difficulties

• Triviaal, Eenvoudig, Medium
  This is the first bracket of difficulties. Only common samples are available here, but you have a lower concentration of enemies to worry about, only light and medium armor enemies show up, you only have one mission in an operation, and objectives are easier in general. A small amount of optional objectives are present.
• Uitdagend, Moeilijk, Extreem
  The second bracket of difficulties. Common and rare samples are available, and common shows up in greater amounts. Enemy concentration is higher, there are more scouting parties, heavy armor enemies start showing up, and operation modifiers start showing up. A larger amount of optional objectives are present.
• Zelfmoordmissie, Onmogelijk, Volmaakt
  The final bracket of difficulties. Gewoon, zeldzaam, and super samples are available, and common and rare show up in greater amounts. Enemy concentration is highest here, there are even more scouting parties, heavy armor enemies show up in greater quantities, and operation modifiers are present in every one of these difficulties. Several optional objectives are present.

Operation Modifiers

• Complex Stratagem Plotting
  Call-in time for stratagems is increased by 100%. For airstrikes specifically, which come in pretty quickly after being called, more planning is required. Kiting enemies into damage requires more planning, and calling in panic strikes isn’t really a thing when this is active. Plan accordingly, and be aware of this being active before you’re overwhelmed.
• Orbitale fluctuaties
  Stratagem cooldowns are increased by 50%. Spreekt voor zich, but this also requires you to plan your loadout around not having access to stratagems as readily.
• Atmospheric Spores (Terminid Only)
  When selecting your drop point, the map is almost completely obscured by a miasma of spores. Insgelijks, when you check your map while in mission, your map will also be obscured. Completing the Radar Tower sub-objective will still mark things on your map for you.
• Elektronische tegenmaatregelen (Automaton Only)
  Your stratagem call-in codes are scrambled. This doesn’t mean that the codes themselves change, but it does mean that even if you punch in the code correctly for a stratagem, it may prime another one that is available. Always pay attention to which one it primes on the left hand side so you don’t airstrike yourself and your team when trying to call down a support weapon.
• AA -verdediging (Automaton Only)
  Your stratagem slots are reduced by one. This is incredibly rough to deal with, as having an aggregate of four less stratagems total in a full squad makes things significantly more challenging. Strategize with your fireteam to figure out who’s bringing what and what is missing, and plan accordingly.
• Environmental Modifiers
  These are dependent on the planet you drop into. Some may be severely hot, some may be severely cold, some may have sandstorms, some may have torrential rain, some may have snowstorms. Pay attention to these conditions as you drop because they will affect you in various ways either reducing visibility to reducing your stamina faster.

General Information

Standard Equipment

All Helldivers are equipped with two stims and two grenades by default when they drop, along with half of their maximum ammo capacity for their weapons. Stims are utilized to restore your health and treat wounds to your limbs or chest, they also restore your stamina when used. Grenades are self-explanatory, but they are also used to close bug hives and Automaton foundries.

Enemy Outposts

All enemy outposts come in light, medium, and heavy variants, increasing in size accordingly. Bug hives are recessed into the ground and have a bright orange/red glow coming from the hole in which they spawn. Automaton foundries have barracks looking buildings with two vents with a red/orange glow coming from them, likewise the door when they open to spawn an enemy. Explosive grenades, grenade launchers, autocannons, standard Eagle air strikes, en (inconsistently) 500kg bombs can all destroy enemy outpost buildings. You’ll want to do this not just because it grants experience and requisition, but also because it will take some of the heat off of you and your team.

Optional Objectives

Blue in color, these objectives are usually hidden on your map with the exception of one (usually the rogue lab) and are not required to complete your mission on a planet. They grant experience and requisition, but some also have tertiary benefits. Radar stations are useful if found because they reveal every point of interest and objective on the map, and SEAF artillery stations grant you the use of five rounds of artillery that can be called in of various types.

All that’s left is for the host to select a drop point and the dive begins.

Wapens

I’ll tell you about all the weapons. I’ll share my experiences with each and what I think they’re good for. Herinneren, your experiences might be different, so give them all a try and see what works for you.

P-2 Peacemaker

• This is your starting pistol. It shoots as quickly as you can click and serves as a decent backup weapon. It’s a straightforward service pistol, and the only thing you can change is the flashlight.

P-19 Verlosser

• A fully automatic Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) and a significant upgrade from the Peacemaker in almost every aspect. It does the same damage but has a larger magazine and a very fast, fully automatic fire rate. You can adjust the fire rate and flashlight.

P-4 Senator

• A slow-firing but powerful revolver. Despite what the tooltip says, it can penetrate medium armor enemies and deals heavy damage to weak points. It only holds six rounds, so accuracy is crucial, especially since you reload each round individually. You can only adjust the flashlight.

MP-98 Knight

• Currently exclusive to the Super Citizen edition, this fast-firing SMG has weak penetration but can be used one-handed. You can carry an objective or a ballistic shield while wielding it. It deals low damage and requires frequent reloading. You can adjust the fire rate and flashlight.

SMG-37 Defender

• An upgraded version of the Knight in almost every aspect except fire rate. It has a slower fire rate but deals significantly more damage. It can also be used one-handed, making it easier to conserve ammo. You can adjust the fire rate and flashlight.

AR-23 Liberator

• Your starting primary weapon. It’s decent overall, with low penetration and damage but a steady fire rate. It’s reliable, but you’ll probably replace it once you unlock more weapons. You can adjust the fire rate, scope zoom, and flashlight.

AR-23P Liberator Penetrator

• A longer-barreled, burst-fire variant of the Liberator. It has higher penetration and better range. Limited to burst fire, but the refire rate on the bursts is quick. In single-shot mode, it fires as fast as you can click. You can adjust the fire rate, scope zoom, and flashlight.

AR-23 Liberator Explosive

• This variant of the Liberator fires explosive ammunition, which explodes on contact. It lacks penetration but deals mild explosive damage and can open weak points. You can adjust the fire rate, scope zoom, and flashlight.

R-63 Diligence

• A single-shot Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) with decent damage. It’s most effective at longer ranges, especially when targeting exposed weak points. It performs better against Automatons than Terminids but is overshadowed by other options. You can adjust the scope zoom.

R-63CS Diligence Counter Sniper

• Similar to the Diligence but with slightly higher damage, longer range, and a lower magazine capacity. Intended for long-range support but suffers from similar drawbacks as the Diligence, which are amplified. You can adjust the scope zoom.

SG-8 Punisher

• A pump-action shotgun with two eight-round tubes. Reloading is done shell by shell, so keep it topped up when you can. It will likely become your primary weapon due to its solid performance, though overall ammo count is limited.

SG-8S Slugger

• Similar to the Punisher but uses heavy slug rounds instead of buckshot. It has the same ammo count and function but fires a single solid projectile with medium penetration. Targets hit also tend to flinch, and it has good range despite what the tooltip suggests.

SG-225 Breaker

• A magazine-fed shotgun that can fire automatically or as fast as you click. It can shred most small enemies and even some medium ones due to its high firepower. While it has low penetration, its sheer firepower compensates to some extent. You can adjust the fire rate and flashlight.

SG-225SP Breaker Spray and Pray

• A weaker version of the default Breaker. Its only advantage is a doubled magazine size, but it deals significantly less damage because it’s loaded with birdshot. There’s little reason to use it over the default Breaker. You can adjust the fire rate and flashlight.

SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary

• Similar to the default Breaker but loaded with dragon’s breath buckshot rounds. It can set targets on fire but deals less damage per shot. While it has its uses, the default Breaker may outperform it.

JAR-5 Dominator

• A slow-firing, single-shot shotgun-like weapon that fires explosive slugs. It deals decent alpha strike damage but struggles against smaller enemies. It’s better suited for larger targets and weak spots on armored ones, requiring teamwork to be effective. You can adjust the scope zoom and flashlight.

LAS-5 Scythe

• The only beam weapon available, it fires a constant laser with unlimited ammo as long as it doesn’t overheat. It performs better in colder climates but worse in hotter ones due to overheating. If it overheats, you’ll need to replace the heatsink. While its damage is consistent, it’s not particularly strong, and you’ll find yourself replacing heatsinks frequently, negating its main strength.

PLAS-1 Scorcher

• A single-shot plasma rifle firing explosive, superheated plasma bolts. It has splash damage but mediocre overall damage considering the frequent reloads required. It’s decent against medium targets but struggles against Terminids due to potential self-damage from splash. You can adjust the flashlight.

G-12 High Explosive Grenade

• Your standard grenade with a long fuse time and high splash damage radius. Useful in various situations.

G-6 Frag Grenade

• A smaller grenade with a shorter fuse time but larger overall radius than the high explosive one. Useful when being chased but deals lower damage.

G-16 Impact Grenade

• Similar damage and radius to the high explosive grenade but explodes on contact. Useful against fast-moving enemies but requires precision for outpost buildings.

G-3 Smoke Grenade

• A non-explosive grenade that creates a smoke screen, slowing enemies and potentially causing them to lose track of you. More effective against Automatons due to their ranged weapons. It cannot destroy outpost buildings.

G-10 Incendiary Grenade

• An area denial grenade useful on chokepoints. Can be used to destroy outpost buildings with its small explosive damage.

Pantser

Armor Modifiers

Momenteel, licht, medium, and heavy armor aren’t working as intended. They don’t affect how much damage you take, making light armor the preferred choice. Light armor offers faster stamina regeneration and longer stamina duration.

In the inventory:

• Med-Kit: You can now carry six stims instead of four, and they last two seconds longer when used.
• Engineeringkit: You can carry six grenades instead of four, and your recoil is reduced by thirty percent when crouched or prone.
• Verkenner: Map markers generate scans every two seconds, and enemies are thirty percent less likely to notice you.
• Servo-Assisted: Increases throwing range by thirty percent and boosts limb health by fifty percent until damage occurs.
• Versterkt: Reduces recoil by thirty percent when crouched or prone and provides fifty percent more resistance to explosive damage.
• Democracy Protects: Grants a fifty percent chance to survive lethal damage and eliminates bleedout damage from chest wounds.
• Extra Padding: Increases armor rating, but currently doesn’t function as intended.

Stratagems

There are four main types of stratagems: orbital, Eagle close air support, support weapons/items, and emplacements/sentries. Orbital strikes pack a bigger punch, dealing more damage across a larger area. Anderzijds, Eagle close air support strikes are more precise and specialized in their targeting. Support weapons offer extra benefits that your primary and secondary weapons don’t provide. Aanvullend, backpacks can be dropped to offer additional utility. Emplacements and sentries are used for area denial, particularly in situations where you need to maintain control of an area for an extended period and defend against ongoing threats.

Orbital Strikes

Precision Strike:

• This orbital strike remains reliable even as you unlock more options. It involves a targeted shot from one of your destroyer’s cannons, dealing respectable damage to closely grouped enemies.

Gatling Barrage:

• Launches a barrage of large caliber rounds from your destroyer’s rotary cannon, splashing over a decent-sized area. While it does minimal damage to armor, it effectively eliminates lightly armored foes. With a short cooldown, it’s dependable in critical moments.

Airburst Strike:

• Unleashes a series of shotgun-style rounds from your destroyer, covering a broader surface area compared to the Gatling Barrage. Echter, it lacks penetration power, making it ideal for clearing lightly armored targets or handling waves of reinforcements.

120MM HE Barrage:

• Initiates a prolonged barrage of explosive rounds from your destroyer, targeting enemy concentrations across a wide expanse. While effective, its unpredictability poses risks to teammates, often resulting in accidental casualties if not given sufficient space.

380MM HE Barrage:

• Similar to the 120MM variant but with larger rounds and a wider coverage area. Requires even more caution from teammates due to its increased potency. Effective for leveling large outposts and breaking through heavily fortified areas.

Walking Barrage:

• Deploys a moving barrage of explosive rounds that advances from the point of deployment in a linear fashion. Designed to dislodge entrenched enemies while supporting your offensive push. Echter, its effectiveness mirrors that of the 120MM and 380MM versions, with varying results depending on the situation.

Laser:

• Fires a powerful laser beam from your destroyer, inflicting consistent burning damage to anything it touches. It tracks enemies regardless of nearby friendlies. While effective against heavily armored foes, it takes time to eliminate them. Limited to three uses per mission, it’s ideal for clearing out weaker enemies when overwhelmed, though focusing on a single large enemy for too long can waste its potential.

Railcannon Strike:

• Executes a precise strike by firing a single, large caliber railcannon round from your destroyer at the largest enemy in the vicinity. Particularly effective against heavily armored targets, dealing significant damage quickly. Sometimes prone to targeting unintended enemies, but generally reliable at hitting the largest threat.

Gas Strike:

• Launches a concentrated gas round from your destroyer, creating a corrosive cloud that damages both Terminids and Automatons within its radius. The cloud lingers for a considerable duration, making it useful for clearing out areas before entry or while retreating. Echter, its damage output relative to its duration is relatively low.

EMS Strike:

• Initiates a detonation that releases a concentrated static field, severely degrading stamina and slowing or stunning any Helldivers or enemies caught within it. While non-lethal, it effectively hampers mobility and can be useful for fleeing or immobilizing larger threats for subsequent attacks.

Smoke Strike:

• Deploys a series of smoke grenades from your destroyer, enveloping the targeted area in a thick smoke screen. Provides cover similar to a smoke grenade, offering concealment and disrupting enemy targeting. Non-lethal and particularly effective against Automatons, it’s also useful for disengaging from Terminids.

Eagle Close Air Support

Eagle close air support operates differently from orbital strikes. Instead of unlimited usage, Eagle can only fire a set amount of ordnance before returning to the destroyer to rearm. This rearming process can be initiated manually in advance to fully reload all ordnance, but it triggers a cooldown for all Eagle-related actions during that time. It’s advisable to schedule rearming during periods of downtime to avoid being caught without support when needed. It’s important to note that unless instructed otherwise, Eagle will not initiate rearming until all ordnance is expended.

Strafing Run:

• Eagle performs a linear gun run, strafing the area with rounds from its dual rotary machine guns. She quickly swoops in to optimize damage to enemies in a line. While there’s a low risk of friendly fire, communication is key to ensure allies are aware and not caught in the strafing path.

Airstrike:

• Conducts a targeted bomb run, carpeting a linear path with high explosive bombs. Versatile in its ability to destroy enemy outposts, it can potentially eliminate entire outposts in one run if strategically deployed. A recommended offensive stratagem due to its effectiveness.

Cluster Bomb:

• Combines features of the airburst orbital strike and airstrike, dropping airburst explosives over an area to pepper a linear path with fragmenting rounds. Echter, there’s a significant risk of collateral damage to teammates, requiring clear communication. Effective against lightly armored enemies but poses a risk to allies.

Napalm Strike:

• Similar to the airstrike but ignites propellant upon impact, setting the strike path on fire. Useful for area denial but lacks overall damage compared to other options.

110MM Rocket Pods:

• Initiates a surgical strike with a small salvo of armor-shredding, high explosive rockets. Eagle targets the largest and most heavily armored enemy nearby, providing a quick and high damage solution. While occasionally inconsistent, it’s effective against heavy armor.

500kg Bomb:

• Drops a high-yield explosive that detonates after sinking into the environment, causing a massive explosion. Requires strategic planning for maximum damage and proper handling against heavily armored foes. Its high area damage makes it invaluable in the right circumstances.

Smoke Strike:

• Deploys smoke grenades to create a linear path of smoke cover, useful for breaking contact from enemies or forcing them into engagement. Non-lethal, it can be safely used to provide cover for teammates in distress.

Support Equipment

Support equipment encompasses auxiliary weapons and support packs. Certain auxiliary weapons necessitate support packs for operation or reloading, either by the user or another team member.

Weaponry

MG-43 Machine Gun:

• Initial equipment capable of shredding lightly armored foes. Features a large capacity box magazine but necessitates stationary reloading. Optimal when used while crouching or prone, with a minor lag in aiming. Rate of fire adjustable.

M-105 Stalwart:

• Lighter alternative to the MG-43, facilitating full movement and reloading on the go. Offers one extra magazine with slightly reduced capacity and damage. Generally an upgrade in most aspects, with adjustable rate of fire.

APW-1 Anti-Materiel Rifle:

• Equipped with a variable zoom scope, excels at penetrating medium armor targets at range. Ideal for softening areas for team entry but overshadowed by other options.

EAT-17 Expendable Anti-Tank:

• One-time use rocket launchers effective against heavily armored targets. Deploy in pairs with low cooldown, useful for quick armor removal and flexibility in weapon usage. Capable of destroying Automaton reinforcement dropships.

GR-8 Recoilless Rifle:

• Shoulder-mounted rocket launcher for long-range destruction of heavily armored foes. Reloading requires a support backpack, with faster reloads if worn by a teammate. Can destroy Automaton reinforcement dropships.

LAS-98 Laser Cannon:

• Shoulder-mounted laser cannon delivering sustained damage akin to the Scythe but with increased potency. Ammo virtually unlimited unless overheated. Effective but overshadowed by later options.

AC-8 Autocannon:

• Shoulder-mounted automatic anti-armor cannon firing armor-penetrating high explosive rounds. Requires reloading after firing at least five rounds, facilitated by a support backpack and team reloading. Efficient ammo usage and capable of destroying enemy outposts. Adjustable rate of fire.

GL-21 Grenade Launcher:

• Automatic grenade launcher with belt loading capability, ideal for pelting areas with explosions. Effective for destroying enemy weak points, optional objectives, and outpost buildings. Particularly useful in Blitz missions.

FLAM-40 Flamethrower:

• Incendiary weapon emitting a stream of flammable gel, igniting targets in its path. Requires brief igniter activation but maintains flame after use. Suitable for area denial but has alternatives with superior performance.

ARC-3 Arc Thrower:

• Electricity-generating weapon firing bolts after a short charge-up period. Bolts can arc between nearby targets, including teammates, leading to friendly fire incidents. Effective against lightly armored enemies but requires caution.

FAF-14 SPEAR:

• Functions similarly to a Javelin, requiring lock-on before launching a missile at the target. Limited to locking onto large targets and suffers from inconsistent mechanics. Requires support backpack for reloading and can be team reloaded.

RS-422 Railgun:

• Versatile anti-armor weapon with twenty rounds and no need for a backpack. Requires reloading after each shot and a brief charge-up time. Capable of penetrating almost all armored targets. Features safe and unsafe modes, with unsafe allowing for greater damage potential but risking explosion if charged too long.

Support Packs

LIFT-850 Jump Pack:

• Boost pack enabling longer and higher jumps, with a cooldown after each use. Can be utilized for evading certain enemy charge attacks and swift movement in Blitz missions, but limited in utility otherwise.

B-1 Supply Pack:

• Support pack containing four ammunition packs for resupplying teammates without calling in a resupply stratagem. Self-resupply available via the 5 sleutel. Reload by collecting ammo packs from resupply stratagem.

AX/AR-23 Guard Dog:

• Support pack housing a drone armed with a Liberator assault rifle. Engages nearby targets until it needs to reload, returning to the pack for that purpose. Limited reloads before requiring resupply. May inadvertently alert enemies and cause team damage.

AX/LAS-5 Guard Dog Rover:

• Upgraded version of the AR-23 Guard Dog with perpetual ammo supply. Like its predecessor, it requires cooldown returns to the pack. Prone to alerting enemies and causing team damage with its constant laser.

SH-20 Ballistic Shield:

• Riot shield offering frontal coverage but requiring a hand to hold, limiting use to one-handed weapons. Most effective against Automatons due to their ranged attacks, but generally decent in such situations.

SH-32 Shield Generator:

• Portable energy shield generator providing complete protection until it sustains a set amount of damage and requires recharging. Highly effective against both Terminids and Automatons, recommended for empty backpack slots.

Sentries and Emplacements

Sentries are autonomous weapons capable of locking on and engaging targets within their range. The type of sentry determines the priority of its targets. It’s important to note that sentries will engage targets regardless of whether a friendly is in their line of fire.

Emplacements are stationary structures designed for various defensive purposes. They include the tesla tower, minefields, shield generator, and HMG (Heavy Machine Gun) emplacement.

Sentries

A/MG-43 Machine Gun Sentry:

• An automated version of the handheld MG-43, offering similar damage output. Effective for area control but may not be the optimal choice compared to other options.

A/G-16 Gatling Sentry:

• Fires at a faster rate than the MG-43, providing consistent pressure on enemy groups. While each shot deals less damage, its rapid fire compensates. Ideal for clearing light armor threats when securing an area.

A/AC-8 Autocannon Sentry:

• Versatile sentry capable of shredding targets with its high firepower. Slow to track and start firing initially but devastating against medium and heavy armor, with collateral damage to light armor targets.

A/MLS-4X Rocket Sentry:

• Prioritizes heavily armored targets, launching rocket salvos with high stun potential. Although effective, the autocannon sentry generally outperforms it in its role.

A/M-12 Mortar Sentry:

• Engages targets indirectly with steady explosive barrages, offering excellent range and safety behind cover. Prone to friendly fire incidents, particularly against Terminids, but effective for softening Automaton outposts.

A/M-23 EMS Mortar Sentry:

Launches non-lethal static field charges, slowing or stunning targets. Useful for impeding enemy advances without causing harm to teammates, particularly effective against Automatons.

Emplacements

E/MG-101 Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) Emplacement

• This heavy machine gun turret drops down, ready to be manned and controlled. It’s a bit slow to turn, so it’s best supported when enemies draw near. Echter, it’s excellent for suppressing large groups of foes and thinning their numbers. It needs support to shine, but automated options are often more efficient.

FX-12 Shield Generator Relay

• Deploying a dome shield, this generator offers protection but has limitations. It can absorb a set amount of damage before needing to recharge, during which it’s vulnerable. Echter, it’s not particularly effective in practice and holds little value for the team, especially compared to the backpack version.

A/ARC-3 Tesla Tower

• When placed, this electricity tower delivers a potent shock to nearby targets. While it’s effective at closing choke points for defense or eradication missions, it poses a risk of friendly fire if teammates stray too close and aren’t prone to avoiding it.

MD-6 Anti-Personnel Minefield

• This minefield releases mines onto the field that detonate upon detecting nearby movement. It covers a decent area and serves as a good alternative to the Tesla Tower for area denial. Echter, it can harm teammates who aren’t mindful of their surroundings.

MD-I4 Incendiary Mines

• Functionally similar to the MD-6, these mines cause smaller explosions but ignite the surrounding area with fire. While they deal less direct damage, the fire denial lasts longer. They pose less risk to unaware teammates wandering into their vicinity.

Teamwork and Etiquette

Helldivers 2 is all about cooperative gameplay, so having a squad enhances the experience. You can easily find teammates through quickplay on the galaxy map, where matchmaking is tailored to your chosen parameters like sector, planeet, and difficulty.

In this collaborative environment, it’s crucial to treat fellow Helldivers with respect. Not everyone plays the same way, so if someone is new, offer guidance; if they’re experienced, don’t hesitate to seek advice. While some may have preferences or opinions about tactics, playstyles, or equipment, remember it’s okay to play as you like, as long as you’re not deliberately disrupting others’ enjoyment.

If you encounter hostility or get kicked from a game unjustly, try not to take it personally. While rare, some players may take the game too seriously or have strong opinions about specific strategies. Nonetheless, such encounters are infrequent.

Here are some general etiquette tips for playing with random players: communicate openly, whether through voice chat, pings, or typing; respect each other’s playstyles and decisions; and strive to create a positive gaming atmosphere by being considerate and supportive. Uiteindelijk, being excellent to one another fosters a more enjoyable gaming experience for all involved.

Initial Drop

It’s essential to pay attention to your squad’s loadouts and seek advice if you’re uncertain about yours. Boosters provide team-wide buffs, but remember they don’t stack, so you can only use one of each type. Weerstand, Spierversterking, and Hellpod Space Optimization are typically beneficial, while others depend on the situation, such as difficulty, mission type, and team composition. If unsure about the fourth booster, Vitality or Increased Reinforcement Budget are solid choices.

Loadouts should adapt to the difficulty and enemy types you’ll face, but anti-armor capabilities are almost always necessary. This can come from support weapons or stratagems. Below are my general loadouts:

• For Low Difficulty Terminids: Breaker or Senator (primary), HE grenade, Strafing Run, Airstrike, Supply Pack, and Stalwart.
• For High Difficulty Terminids: Slugger or Senator (primary), HE grenade, Orbital Railcannon, Airstrike, Shield Backpack, and either EAT-17 or Railgun.
• For Low Difficulty Automatons: Defender SMG or Senator (primary), HE grenade, Airstrike, Smoke Strike, Ballistisch schild, and EAT-17.
• For High Difficulty Automatons: Slugger or Senator (primary), HE grenade, Airstrike, Orbital Railcannon, Shield Backpack, and Railgun.

These loadouts reflect my playstyle but may need adjustments based on yours and your team’s preferences. Experiment with weapons and stratagems to find what suits you best while complementing your team’s dynamics.

Boots on the Ground

When you land, quickly scan your surroundings to check for enemies. If you spot any threats, deal with them before they become a problem. Sometimes you can eliminate them quietly, but if not, be prepared to retreat and regroup with your team. Communication is key, so let your teammates know if you encounter enemies right after landing.

Once the immediate danger is clear, call in any support you need and check the map for any markers from your team. If there aren’t any, mark a nearby objective and see if your team agrees.

On lower difficulty levels, making noise might not be as risky, and going solo can work out fine. But as the difficulty ramps up, sticking together becomes crucial. Especially while you’re still getting the hang of things, stick close to at least one other teammate. It’s safer and ensures you have someone watching your back. Once you’re more confident, you can venture out alone for short distances, but always stay within reach of your team.

At higher difficulties, it’s best to keep moving and not linger in one spot longer than necessary. When tackling objectives, designate at least one person to watch for threats and gather samples while the others focus on the task at hand. Gebruikelijk, two people are sufficient for most objectives, although many can be handled solo, albeit more easily with a partner. Once the objective is complete, don’t dawdle—move on to the next target swiftly.

While en route to objectives, you might encounter enemy outposts. It’s usually wise to destroy them unless you’re overwhelmed. Met oefening, you’ll become adept at clearing outposts efficiently, but don’t hesitate to use the Airstrike stratagem for added firepower. It can swiftly demolish outpost buildings, simplifying the clearing process.

Keep an eye out for optional blue objective markers. While not mandatory, these tasks are often worth pursuing. The radar station, in particular, should be a priority, as completing it reveals the entire map, providing valuable information for your mission.

Venturing Alone and Stealth

If you’re not super confident with the game yet, try not to go solo too much. The game has a sneaky system that’s super handy, especially on harder levels when you’re alone. If you see a group of baddies, you can crouch or lie down and try to sneak past them if you need to get close. Lying down is the safest but slowest way to move. If you keep still and don’t do anything aggressive, enemies might pass by without spotting you.

If an enemy does notice you, try to take out all the bad guys in the group as fast as you can. But make sure to target any baddie who’s about to call for backup first. For the Terminids, one of those creepy bugs will start screaming with orange mist coming from its mouth. You gotta be real quick to stop it, or it’ll call for reinforcements. For the Automatons, one of the bots will raise its arm and shoot a flare into the air. You gotta move fast to stop it before it calls for backup. Gebruikelijk, it’s just one enemy trying this, but if you take them out, another might give it a shot. Soms, two might even try at once, but that’s pretty rare.

If you can’t stop the reinforcements from coming, it’s usually best to try and slip away from them. Especially if you’re on your own, things can get real tough on harder levels real fast. Smoke can be a lifesaver here, and sometimes you’ll find these little grey spore pods on certain planets. Walking through them or popping them with a shot gives you a mini-smoke effect that can help you make a getaway. Just remember, if you’ve got reinforcements on your tail, don’t lead them back to your team unless they’re ready to help you out or you’ve got no other choice.

Being on your own comes with its own challenges, and one of those is owning up to getting caught.

Conclusie

Het belangrijkste is, I hope this guide gives you a hand in some way. I’ll keep it up to date as the game evolves, at least until I get bored. And who knows, if folks bug me enough, I might just keep it going. But seriously, I’m open to tweaking this guide based on feedback or if I come up with a better way to say something. Dus, keep an eye out for updates!