Following the liberation of Tien Kwan, the
Exo-45 Patriot Exosuit is now officially available in Helldivers 2 as a new stratagem. It is an armored Mech vehicle with a rocket launcher and a mini-gun that you pilot from the inside. Despite its appearance and firepower, the Mech is not as heavily armored as you might think. Jumping into one without knowing how it is designed to be played might leave you a bit disappointed.
Not to forget that the Mech costs 20,000 Requisition to unlock, making it the most expensive stratagem in Helldivers 2. So, should you spend that many Requisition Points or save them for something else? You can make that decision for yourself once you understand how effective Mechs can be in the right combat situation.
Helldivers 2: All Ship Modules (& Unlock Requirements)
Prepare to run sample-farming missions. Here's how many samples you need to unlock all Ship Module upgrades in Helldivers 2.
Is the Exosuit Mech Worth Getting in Helldivers 2?
If you were thinking that Mechs are highly durable tanks with large health pools and armor values, think again. Most players make the mistake of calling in a Mech at the start of a mission while expecting the lumbering vehicle to last through to the end. If you were hoping to solo higher-difficulty missions with an Exosuit, it is not worth getting in Helldivers 2.
This is because they are not to be used as vehicles to traverse the map or carry you through an entire mission. What makes Mechs worth unlocking is their ability to defend objectives and extraction sites and soften heavily armored enemies in Helldivers 2.
Think of them as walking sentries (with more firepower) that you would normally place at a vantage point. Summoning a sentry in the middle of a horde, for example, will give you no tactical advantage. In the same way, Mechs are excellent tools to control the game's tempo by thinning the herd. Their firepower ensures that your team is not overrun by an army of Bile Titans while waiting for the timer to finish.
Mechs are one of the best stratagems to choose for extermination missions in Helldivers 2 .
Mechs Are Highly Effective Against Bugs, but Not So Against Bots
Mechs are ridiculously strong against the Terminids in Helldivers 2. Their high-speed mini-gun shreds medium armor, so you can easily push into bug nests by wiping out entire groups of enemies. Chargers can be killed with two rockets to the head, while a single rocket can strip the armor from their legs. Bile Titans can be killed with five rockets or a single rocket to the lower jaw, provided that you can aim. Everything else becomes fodder for your Gatling gun.
So, is the Mech worth getting in Helldivers 2? Definitely. They make bug missions easy.
Mechs can survive multiple charge attacks from a Charger.
The Automatons, however, are a different story. Mechs are quite vulnerable against bots due to their high concentration of projectiles and long-range fire. Raiders and Devastators can easily take you out with a rocket or two. You will never even see them coming in higher-difficulty missions where enemies spawn in greater numbers. Not to mention, the Automaton Tanks and Scout Striders continuously peppering you from range.
Your mini-gun can still take out Hulks with ease by piercing their armor from the back. The same goes for Berserkers. Your rockets deal damage through heavy armor, so that is also something you can save for emergencies.
Compared to the Terminids, Mechs have a far lower chance of survival against the Automatons. You can neither sneak past them nor hold your ground without blowing up in seconds.
Best to stick with bug missions if you are unlocking the Patriot Exosuit.
Helldivers 2 Mech Tips and Tricks
Now that you know how to use Mechs in Helldivers 2, here are some helpful tips to make the most of your stratagem. This should increase your chances of survival since you only get two Mechs in each mission.
Mechs Cannot Be Repaired or Healed
Stims are not going to heal your Exosuit in Helldivers 2. You will need to keep a mental note of your Mech's health because there is no way to repair it. This is easier said than done, though, because Mechs, for whatever reason, do not have any visible health bars. So you never know how much more damage your Mech can take before exploding. There are a couple of visible cues, such as parts of your Exosuit being on fire, but you can just as easily die by taking too much damage at once.
You die when your Mech explodes.
Mechs Cannot Reload or Restore Ammo
You only get a total of 15 rockets and 1,000 bullets with each Exosuit. Make your shots count because there is no way for a Mech to restock ammunition by picking up ammo boxes or be resupplied with a Supply Pack in Helldivers 2. Once an Exosuit runs out of ammo, your only option will be to either abandon it or use it as a transport vehicle.
You need to hold R2/Right-Click on PS5/PC to fire the machine gun. Expect a short delay since the mini-gun needs to spin before firing.
Save Your Ammo by Stomping Small Enemies
Mechs do not have any melee attacks, but they can crush the smaller (basic) enemies. Those tier 1 crawlers do next to no damage to your Exosuit, so just walk over them instead of wasting your mini-gun bullets. You also destroy terrain and obstructions by walking through them. That includes crates, boxes, barrels, fences, walls, etc.
Stratagems Are Disabled While Inside an Exosuit
Unlike the first game, you cannot use any stratagem while piloting an Exosuit in Helldivers 2. That means you cannot Reinforce your dead teammates or call in an Orbital Barrage, for example. You can also not pick up any items. If you are the lone survivor or find some Samples, you will have to come out of your Mech, which can be risky if enemies are nearby.
Shield Generator Pack Works for Mechs
Here is a surprising tip to add an extra layer of defense to your Mechs. If you have a Shield Generator Pack, its spherical shield will protect your Mech from projectiles and damage. It is unconfirmed if this is by design or not, but the Shield Generator Pack continues its run as one of the best late-game stratagems in Helldivers 2.
Helldivers 2: Hardest Enemies, Ranked
There are a ton of different enemies to deal with in a single mission in Helldivers 2. But, these are the ones players are the most unhappy to see.
Mechs Have Higher Aggro When You Are Inside
The larger enemies will mostly always target Mechs over the other players in the area. Expect high-priority targets like Chargers to make a beeline for your location as soon as you enter a Mech. You can use this to your advantage by peeling off enemies from your teammates or funneling them into a corridor. Hence, always have space between yourself and your teammates to give yourself a good line of sight.
Never drop a Mech in an enemy-swamped area. They will either destroy the Mech as soon as it drops on the ground or overwhelm you in numbers when you get inside.
Mechs Take Friendly Fire, Including Their Own Rockets
Speaking of staying away from your teammates, Mechs are not immune to friendly fire. However, it gets worse. In Helldivers 2, firing rockets can deal explosive damage to other players standing too close to your Mech. Even if they are standing beside or behind you, they will be blown away. In addition, use the Gatling gun for enemies that get in your face. Firing rockets at close range will severely damage your Exosuit.
Mechs suffer from a hit-box issue due to their bulky models and slow rotating speeds. If you fire a rocket while turning to the right, the rocket will hit your own Mech and blow it up. This is because you need to wait until the Exosuit has fully rotated to face the target.
Mechs Are Slow and Clunky
You gain increased movement speed while inside a Mech, but the bonus mobility only makes you a tad faster than other players on foot. You also turn around slowly. It takes an annoying amount of time before the Patriot Exosuit rotates from one side of the screen to the other in Helldivers 2.
Combine both factors, and you can expect to be chased down by many fast-moving enemies, such as Stalkers and Hunters. If you do not kill them quickly, they will surround you, which is a death sentence for a Mech due to its slow rotation speed. You will take considerable damage by the time you turn to aim at the enemies behind you.
Rockets Can Close Bug Nests and Destroy Bot Factories
Mechs can fire rockets straight into a bug hole or the vent of a bot factory to close them out. Your added range and higher vantage point make this easy. That said, save your rockets if your teammates can do the same job with their Grenades.
