Spreading managed democracy across the galaxy is not easy in Helldivers 2. There are a lot of things new players must understand before they can start making sense of the chaos on their screens. The lack of information, whether intentional or not, also makes it difficult for first-time divers to do their part in completing Helldivers 2's major orders.

While a better tutorial and in-depth prompts would go a long way in making life easier for newcomers, here are a few tips and tricks to help beginners in the onslaught against the Automatons and Terminids.

Related

Helldivers 2: Best PC Settings to Improve FPS & Gameplay

Searching for a middle ground between performance and visuals? Here are the best PC settings for an optimal experience in Helldivers 2.

The Default Weapons Are Pretty Powerful

AR-23 Liberator & MG-43 Machine Gun

You do not have to worry about unlocking new guns in Helldivers 2 because the two starting weapons are good enough for even high-level missions. The AR-23 Liberator is a perfectly balanced assault rifle with excellent handling and accuracy, which should suffice as a primary until you unlock the SG-225 Breaker shotgun for massive close-range damage bursts. The MG-43 Machine Gun, on the other hand, shreds medium armor at the cost of a little recoil. It will do the job until you unlock the EAT-17 at level 3.

Equipping the Liberator and EAT-17 together as your primary and secondary will get you through anything. However, if you want even more firepower, you only need to hit level 10 to swap the EAT-17 with the AC-8 Autocannon in Helldivers 2.

The Only Offensive Stratagems You Need

Two Primary Options, Depending On The Situation

Choosing the right stratagem for missions has little to do with doing the most damage. You need to consider your role in the team, the mission objectives, and enemies. Generally, though, it all boils down to either of the following two stratagem combos.

Eagle Airstrike and Eagle Cluster Bomb: The Eagle Airstrike destroys bot factories and closes bug holes in a straight line while also leveling any other buildings in its path. It is also excellent against medium enemies. The Eagle Cluster Bomb is all about softening up enemy swarms for your team.

Orbital Railcannon Strike and Orbital Laser: The Orbital Railcannon is one of the best stratagems to take out large enemies. It has a lower cooldown than most players realize. The Orbital Laser, on the other hand, automatically seeks out enemies. Both can destroy bot factories and close bug holes.

Know How to Increase Weapon Accuracy

Small Tweaks That Make A Big Difference

There are several ways to increase your weapon accuracy in Helldivers 2. Firstly, firing while crouched or prone reduces the recoil and bullet spread of heavy weapons like Machine Guns. The Engineering Kit armor passive can also be stacked to further improve that firing bonus.

Secondly, aiming down the sight (or firing through a scope) improves accuracy, especially for automatic weapons. You will have a hard time taking headshots otherwise. In the same vein, you have the highest accuracy when firing while still.

Finally, you can change the firing modes and adjust the scopes of most weapons in the game. This allows you to reduce the recoil and kick of weapons with high firing rates.

Only Reload Empty Clips to Save Ammo

Don't Waste Ammo

Refrain from being a compulsive reloader because you lose unused ammunition whenever your weapon changes magazines in Helldivers 2. While you can always find ammo and supply boxes by exploring points of interest, learn to preserve your bullets so as not to get caught running on low ammo in a firefight.

Killing Enemies Gives Nothing

Focus On The Mission Objectives

There is no point in killing enemies unless it is to defend objectives or to clear a path forward. You do not get any loot from fallen enemies, so stop initiating fights unnecessarily. Focus on completing objectives and staying away from enemy patrols as much as possible. Going out of your way to engage enemies can be a death wish on higher-difficulty missions due to the constant enemy reinforcements.

All Enemies Have Weaknesses

Adjust Tactics To Match The Enemy Type

Enemies are not bullet sponges in Helldivers 2. They all have weak spots that can be targeted to do increased damage while saving precious ammunition. You should generally aim for the eyes/visors or the glowing vents of the Automatons, and the heads or limbs of the Terminids.

However, armored enemies may require different tactics. For example, an armor-piercing weapon such as the PLAS-1 Scorcher can easily put down bots if you are having trouble aiming for their weak spots. When facing the heavily armored Charger, though, you will want explosive damage to destroy the armor from its limbs and expose the flesh.

It will take a bit of time, but knowing the weak spots of all the enemies in Helldivers 2 gives you a huge advantage in completing difficult missions.

Dive to Put out the Flames

Do Not Waste Time With A Stim

There is more to diving than just using it as a tool to escape or get out of the way of larger enemies. When put on fire by enemies, tornadoes, or friendly fire, immediately dive to put out the flames. You can use a Stim afterward to heal. As for why not use a Stim in the first place, fire damage from enemies like Hulks can kill you within a second. Diving straight away helps improve your survival chances.

Related

Helldivers 2: Best Warbonds to Get (& Why)

With a new Warbond battle pass releasing every month, here are the ones players should consider buying first in Helldivers 2.

Samples Are Shared Between All Players

Do Not Kill Your Teammates For Their Samples

It cannot be stressed enough that Samples are shared between the entire team regardless of which player has them. There is no need to kill your teammates to steal their Samples so only you can unlock ship upgrades in Helldivers 2. Every player who successfully extracts will receive the same amount of Samples, so check your friendly fire once Pelican-1 arrives.

Drop Samples on the Extraction Site

They Will Be Available Following Your Death

There is nothing more frustrating than having to go back into enemy hordes to retrieve your fallen Samples. To save yourself the trouble, make it a habit to drop all your Samples on the Extraction Site when possible. This way, even if you die, your Samples will still be waiting for you when it is time to extract. It also means you should not pick up any Samples left on the extraction site by other players.

Resources & Currencies Are Capped

Don't Hoard Resources

Helldivers 2 has a cap on every resource and currency, so there is no point in hoarding them. Any Medals, Requisition Slips, and Samples farmed beyond their maximum limits are automatically removed. Hence, make your grind worthwhile by spending Medals, Slips, and Samples before they hit the following ceiling:

• Medals: 250
• Requisition Slips: 50,000
• Common Samples: 500
• Rare Samples: 250
• Super Samples: 100

Spot & Destroy Tall Objectives From Range

Use Support Weapons

You can always spot tall objectives from nearly any distance unless the planet has low visibility due to weather effects in Helldivers 2. Illegal Broadcast Towers, Shrieker Nests, and Spore Spewers all have bright lights that may be faintly visible in fog if you look hard.

Use that to your advantage by taking them out from afar with explosive support weapons such as the Autocannon, EAT-17, and Quasar Cannon. There is no need to go in close to either deactivate a terminal or call in a Hellbomb.

Bot Fabricators Can Be Destroyed With the Autocannon

Destroying Them From A Distance

Speaking of destroying objectives from range, the Automaton-producing factories may not be as tall, but there is a little trick of blowing them up from a distance with the Autocannon. You need to aim at the top of the vents so that the shell ricochets down into the fabricator. The angle is important here. Always aim from the front or else the trick will not work. You can do the same with the Grenade Launcher and Quasar Cannon as well.

Pick Weapons According to the Weather

The Best Weapon For The Environment

Every planet features different environmental conditions or weather effects that can impact weapons in Helldivers 2. For example, energy weapons work best in cold conditions because their heat sinks take longer to overheat. Your other weapons, however, will have slightly reduced firing rates. Sweltering temperatures, on the other hand, force energy weapons to overheat and also drain your stamina faster.

You Can Align the Radar Dish Solo

Listen Carefully

Aligning the radar dish is typically a two-player mission objective: one rotates the dish while the other says when to stop. However, not many players know they can do both steps alone. When rotating the dish, keep an ear out for a loud blip that confirms the radar dish is in the correct position. Then simply head to the terminal to complete the objective.

Juggle Shells to Load the SEAF Artillery Faster

Speed Up An Otherwise Lengthy Process

Activating the SEAF Artillery in Helldivers 2 unlocks a bonus stratagem for you to drop mini-nukes, napalms, and more. The only problem is that loading all five shells can take a lot of time. The trick here is to keep dropping and picking up each shell to increase your movement speed. This juggling process is easier than it sounds. Just keep mashing the interact button (E on PC) to get the timing right.

Helldivers 2

Franchise

Helldivers

Released

February 8, 2024

Developer(s)

Arrowhead Game Studios

Publisher(s)

Sony

Genre(s)

Shooter