With two months having already passed since launch,Helldivers 2 is still going strong.The game still has a couple hundred thousand players actively enjoying it, and Arrowhead Studios has been tirelessly working the whole time to both squash bugs and put out new content. This is unlikely to change all that much since there’s even more content and events coming over the next few months, so there’s still plenty of time to jump into the Hellpod and dive into the game. Getting started can still be tricky, though, so here are a few tips to supplement the skills learned during basic training.
Fronts and Difficulties
At the moment, Helldivers are bringing the fight for Managed Democracy against two factions:the Terminids(bugs) andthe Automatons(bots). Fresh Helldivers are better off fighting bugs for their first few dives, as they tend to focus on melee and swarming tactics. For the most part, a diver will be okay so long as they maintain their distance. Bots, on the other hand, are a whole different beast.
Not only do they have numbers, but they’re effective in ranged combat and have many heavy units that can and will delete careless helldivers from almost ridiculous distances. Bots are, of course, more manageable at lower difficulties, but they’re still better left alone until one earns access to better equipment.
As for difficulties, it’s probably best for new divers to take it easy for their first few drops. Trivial and Easy difficulties are for those who are still getting used to Helldivers 2’s controls. Enemy presence is minimal, and there are plenty of resources to gather, so these are a good way to get one’s feet wet. Once the basics have been mastered, though, it’ll be time to move up to the 3rd and 4th difficulties: Medium and Challenging. Medium just offers more enemies to fight, but Challenging grants both thatandthe opportunity to collect rare samples(an essential upgrade material).
Once a recruit hits their stride and figures out theirpreferred loadout,it’ll be time to move onto the fifth and sixth difficulties: Hard and Extreme. These provide more side objectives, more opportunities to earn XP, stronger enemy types, more rare samples and greater boost to XP gains. Finally, once a recruit has earned the right to call themselves a full-fledged helldiver and reached level 20 or so, it’ll be time to go for the seventh, eighth, and ninth difficulties: Suicide Mission, Impossible and Helldive.
With each of these, the number of enemies, mission modifiers (debuffs), available samples (now featuring Super Samples), medal rewards and XP gains increase. For most divers, Suicide Mission will probably be as tough a fight as they’ll ever want since the rewards for the other two are probably not worth the effort. Still, the options are there for those Helldivers who are hellbent on giving themselves for the cause of liberty.
What To Bring on a Dive
Every dive is different, meaning that there are many different optimal builds that veteran helldivers like to champion. Still, a build is only as good as the soldier using it, so figuring out one’s personal best kit is going to take time. Until then, there are a few options that are just generally good. Forstandard weapons,the SG-225 Breaker and theP-19 Redeemerwill do decent work against both bots and bugs, and the Quasar Cannon/Disposable Anti-Tank can handle most of the heavy enemies that Helldivers 2 likes throwing out at higher difficulties.
For grenades, the Impact Grenades are great for both clearing out bug holes and fabricators and for taking out pursuing enemies in a panic. Finally, new recruits should always attempt to dive with either theVitality booster(extra health) or the Hellpod Space Optimization booster (more ammo), as both of them can (and often will) mean the difference between life and death.
As for stratagems, the Precision Eagle Strike, Orbital Laser and Orbital Railcannon Strike can take care of everything from annoying enemies to bug holes and fabricators, so they’re good for ensuring all the bases are covered. Stratagems fresh helldivers should avoid include mortar sentries (against bugs) and the Orbital 380mm Barrage. Both are great options when used properly, but they can cause a lot of trouble for the squad when in the hands of a green trooper. Better leave them to the veterans until one gets a solid understanding of them.
There are four warbonds in Helldivers 2 at the moment: Helldivers Mobilize, Steeled Veterans, Cutting Edge and Democratic Detonation. Helldivers Mobilize comes free with the game and contains the most content, so new helldivers would do well to focus on it. This is also the warbond that contains the Breaker shotgun, Impact Grenades, Redeemer and the most valuable boosters: Vitality and Hellpod Space Optimization, making it the best option for those who want the best all-rounder weapons.
Once one has enough Super Credits (the premium currency that’s actually easily earnable in-game), they’ll want to either pick up the Steeled Veterans or Democratic Detonation warbond. The former contains arguably the best weapon in the game: the SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary, as well as some useful boosters.
Meanwhile, the latter warbond hosts the R-36 Eruptor, a devastatingly powerful and versatile long-range rifle capable of wiping out small groups of small enemies, one-shotting medium enemies, two-shotting medium-armored enemies, and killing both fabricators and bug holes. Its drawback is that it’s slow and requires greater precision to use to its greatest effect, so newer players are likely better off going for the Breaker Incendiary at first.
Useful Tactics for Random Squads
Helldivers don’t always get to choose who they dive into battle with, so they need to be just as flexible as they are deadly and brave. For the most part, though, this just means paying close attention to what one’s fellow divers are doing and making good use of the in-game communication prompts. Even before the drop, one should make sure to take note of what type of mission they’re getting into, what kind of enemy they’re fighting and what the rest of the squad is bringing. As much as possible, attempt to fill in any gaps in the stratagems, boosters and weaponry being brought along and think about what role everyone will be playing.
After the drop, find a buddy and stick close to them. This will ensure that one does not wind up by themselves and give opportunities for mutual cover and cooperation. Teams will ideally be coordinating via voice chat, but this will work too in the event that nobody wants to talk. Also, ensure to tag enemies once they’re spotted, put pins on the map and give squad members warnings and time to retreat before calling down stratagems. When reinforcing, make sure to throw the spawnerawayfrom the fight so that the forthcoming Hellpod’s occupant has a chance to get their footing before jumping back into the fray.
Other things to remember include prioritizing rare and super rare samples as much as possible, making sure to drop valuables at the extract point for easy recovery later rather than risk losing them in some obscure part of the map, anddon’tput down turrets or sentries when the enemy is already overrunning the position (theywillkill both you and your fellow Helldivers). Lastly,don’tcall down stratagems on the extraction shuttle. Sure, it looks cool, but it’s not worth potentially costing the team its XP and samples. Veteran Helldivers hate this, so doing it is a good way to get oneself booted back to orbit before receiving the mission rewards. Seriously, don’t do it.
Okay, recruit, that was a lot of information to take in, but it will go a long way towards keeping you alive long enough to transform from the green recruit of today into the legendary Helldiver of tomorrow. So go on, soldier! Get out there and make Super Earth proud!
How to Play Helldivers 2: A Complete Guide
New players, please play on whatever difficulty you wish.
Helldivers 2: Full Guide Hub
An updated catalog of all of Hardcore Gamer’s guides for Helldivers 2.
