Highlights
- Equip a balanced loadout of Stratagems in Helldivers 2 to take on a variety of threats on new planets.
- Choose Backpack Stratagems wisely to avoid disaster - one wrong choice can put players in danger.
- Use strategic placement of Sentry Stratagems like HMG Emplacement and Autocannon Sentry for effective defense.
Helldivers 2 players in need of assistance call in support through Stratagems. These range from orbital attacks to air support to calling in heavy weapons. Players need to have a balanced loadout of Stratagems to be fully prepared for the variety of threats that they face when landing on a new planet.
Helldivers 2: The 10 Hardest Mission Objectives
Many of the missions in Helldivers 2 are complex and require multiple steps to complete. Others require taking out difficult enemies.
Player equipment in Helldivers 2 is limited to one Support Weapon and one Backpack item in addition to the standard weapons and grenades that they start missions with. Because of this limit, it is vital that players choose their only Backpack Stratagem wisely. Mistakenly picking two Backpack items, or even just choosing the wrong item for the mission's needs can be disastrous.
12 HMG Emplacement
Turret That Needs A Helldiver To Operate
- Unlock at Level 10
- 10,000 Requisition Slips
- The only turret in the game that needs a player to fire
- It is slow to aim and does not fire as quickly as Sentries
The Heavy Machine Gun Emplacement is a Stratagem that calls down a large turret. Unlike other Sentry Stratagems, this one does not automatically fire at enemies in its line of sight. The only way to operate it is for a player to stand on it and manually fire.
Rotating the gun takes a few seconds so it is critical to aim the HMG in the enemy's general direction before they approach. While it does deal good damage, the fact that it forces the player operating it to remain stationary puts that player in danger. It also prevents them from using their own guns and other Stratagems.
11 Machine Gun Sentry
Basic Sentry That Can Mow Down Unarmored Enemies
- Unlock at Level 3
- 1,500 Requisition Slips
- The first Sentry that players can unlock
- It does not fire while rotating
The Machine Gun Sentry is the first Emplacement Stratagem that can be unlocked in the game and is the weakest of the Sentries. It fires bullets that cannot pierce armor, so it can be used to good effect on low-level missions or to clear the area of unarmored enemies.
While it is slower than the Gatling Sentry and does less damage overall, the one thing this Sentry does better is that it holds fire while rotating. The Gatling Sentry can more easily cause friendly fire damage since it starts shooting even as it rotates to face the targeted enemy. However, once players can unlock other Sentries, this one is more or less obsolete.
10 Incendiary Mines
Minefield That Is Especially Effective Against Bugs
- Unlock at Level 8
- 4,000 Requisition Slips
- Mines explode in incendiary damage
- Fire is especially effective against Terminids
The Incendiary Minefield calls in a small machine that spews its mines randomly in a wide radius around itself. When stepped on (by helldivers or their enemies), the mines have a small explosion that causes whatever triggers it to catch on fire.
Since Terminids are weak to fire, this can be an effective way to stop the bugs from advancing on the players' location from a specific direction. Be warned that the mines can be difficult to see on desert planets, so the risk of friendly fire is higher than with regular mines.
9 EMS Mortar Sentry
Sentry That Stuns Enemies Nearby
- Unlock at Level 20
- 8,000 Requisition Slips
- Mortars do not need a line-of-sight
- Enemies caught in the blast do not move or fire
EMS abilities impact a small area and stun anything caught in their effect. Automatons freeze up and even stop firing for a few seconds, turning fortified positions into shooting galleries for the players. EMS is also a great way to deal with Hulks since they cannot protect the weak spots on their backs while stunned.
The EMS Mortar launches EMS strikes in a large area around itself, without needing line-of-sight. The fact that mortars can hit so many enemies makes it ideal for "Eradicate Enemy Forces" missions. The only downside to this Stratagem is that it is hard to predict where mortars will hit, so players can very easily be caught in the EMS blast and get stunned themselves.
8 Mortar Sentry
Sentry That Does Not Need Line Of Sight
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- Unlock at Level 8
- 7000 Requisition Slips
- Mortars do not need a line-of-sight
- Launches explosive mortars around itself
The standard Mortar Sentry fires explosive rounds instead of EMS charges. Like its EMS counterpart, this Sentry does not need to see enemies to target them, making it ideal for holding locations like landing pads and the fortress found in many Automaton eradication missions.
The mortars deal high amounts of explosive damage to enemies caught in the blast, so it can quickly deal with fairly large groups of either Terminids or Automatons. Like all other Sentries, friendly fire risk is high because they fire whether there are helldivers nearby or not.
6 Shield Generator Relay
Protect Allies From Incoming Fire
- Unlock at Level 10
- 9,000 Requisition Slips
- Projects a shield in a wide area around its center
- The Shield lasts for a set amount of time, regardless of the damage done to it
The Shield Generator Relay projects a shield in a large dome around the beacon's original location. It protects players inside the shield from every kind of projectile in the game while still allowing projectiles to pass from inside it. Unlike the Shield Generator Pack, this shield cannot be destroyed by any damage done to it from the outside.
Helldivers 2: Best Eagle Strikes, Ranked
Eagle Strikes are a type of Stratagem where a small fighter attacks an area with different weapons. These are the best options in Helldivers 2.
It stays on for thirty seconds and then has a ninety-second cooldown timer, so players need to choose when and where to deploy it. Protecting civilians during evacuation missions, covering the squad while waiting for extraction, and other instances where players need to stay in one place are ideal uses for the Shield Generator Relay. It is not as effective, however, on missions where players will be constantly on the move.
5 Rocket Sentry
Rockets Deal Explosive Damage And Pierce Armor
- Unlock at Level 15
- 7,500 Requisition Slips
- Sentry that fires rockets at enemies
- Allies can be killed by rockets and knocked over by the blast
The Rocket Sentry operates similarly to the Gatling Sentry, with the obvious difference in ammo. It fires at enemies only when they are in its line-of-sight, and does not consider friendly fire before launching rockets. The fire rate is slower than the bullet-based Sentries and players standing behind this Sentry can be knocked off their feet by the back blast of air whenever a rocket launches.
This Sentry is great for use against armored enemies since explosives penetrate even the thick armor of Bile Titans. Since it fires so slowly, it should not be deployed against large waves of enemies or in close-quarters situations.
4 Anti-Personnel Minefield
Protect An Area From Incoming Enemies
- Unlock at Level 2
- 1,500 Requisition Slips
- Mines are thrown out randomly near the beacon
- Mines explode when stepped on by anything
The Anti-Personnel Minefield lands on its beacon and throws mines out at random in a wide area around it. These mines explode for massive damage instead of setting their targets on fire when stepped on. They are larger and easier to see in any terrain than incendiary mines, which keeps friendly fire risk low, but players are usually killed instantly if they do accidentally set off one of these mines.
The explosions pierce armor, so mines are good for defending an area from waves of enemies even if that includes Chargers, Hulks, or other tough enemies. This Minefield is a great way to protect an area with incoming enemies, especially if the squad of helldivers can avoid it.
3 Tesla Tower
Defend An Area With Electricity
- Unlock at Level 15
- 8,000 Requisition Slips
- A tower that shoots lightning around it
- Lightning can damage allies and armored foes alike
Tesla Towers are a type of Sentry that arc electricity out in a circle around them rather than fire bullets, mortars, or mines. Players can avoid taking damage by going prone near the tower, but getting hit by a melee attack can still cause the tower to hit them. Tesla Towers are great for holding areas against numerous enemies, especially if they primarily use melee attacks. A few hits from any source can destroy a Tesla Tower, so they can be easily destroyed at a range where they will not pose a threat.
Helldivers 2: How to Activate Terminid Control Systems
Want to activate the Terminid Control Systems but don’t know how? Well, you’re at the right place! Here is how you can do it.
This is a great Stratagem to deploy when evacuating civilians since the tower can be placed near Bot Dropships to take many of them out before they can fire. It is also great to use when defending an area like an ICBM launchpad.
2 Gatling Sentry
Turret That Can Kill Many Unarmored Enemies
- Unlock at Level 5
- 4,000 Requisition Slips
- Fast-firing Sentry that targets enemies in line of sight
- Cannot pierce armor
The Gatling Sentry is essentially a stronger version of the Machine Gun Sentry. It fires faster and is able to kill enemies more quickly. Like other Sentries, it fires at any enemy that it can see, regardless of the chance that it will hit or even kill a helldiver. It does waste ammo since this Sentry continues
The Gatling Sentry can easily kill patrols of weaker Terminids so long as they are not armored. This allows players to focus solely on killing larger enemies without worrying about being overwhelmed by superior numbers. When there is a need to fire as many bullets as possible, this is the Stratagem that helldivers need.
1 Autocannon Sentry
Autocannons Pierce Armor And Can Shoot Down Bot Dropships
- Unlock at Level 13
- 6,000 Requisition Slips
- Fires Autocannon rounds that pierce armor
- Needs to be placed at range from enemies
The Autocannon Sentry is a powerful automatic turret that fires Autocannon rounds. Like the Autocannon that players can wield, it is very powerful and can pierce armor. Autocannon Sentries will even target Bot Dropships, so squads with multiple Autocannons may even be able to defend areas without facing Automaton reinforcements.
The Autocannon Sentry should always be placed a good distance away from the enemies because its area-of-effect can cause it to destroy itself if it has to target enemies in close quarters. This is a great Emplacement to use in open areas either to cover the player's retreat or advance. It is also great for defending a single location.
