Introduction: The Price of Liberty
Welcome to the front lines of Helldivers 2, where the enemies of Super Earth are relentless and victory demands more than just bullets. On higher difficulties (Hard through Helldive), your standard issue weaponry won't cut it. Strategic deployment of powerful orbital strikes, air support, equipment drops, and sentries – your Stratagems – becomes the cornerstone of survival and mission success. This guide provides advanced tactics to optimize Stratagem use and ensure mission completion against overwhelming odds.
Loadout Philosophy: Tailor Your Tools
Before deploying, analyze the mission briefing: enemy faction, objective types (e.g., Eradication, Blitz, ICBM Launch), and potential planetary hazards. A generic loadout courts failure. Tailor your Stratagems for the specific threats you anticipate. Consider a balanced mix: crowd control, heavy armor penetration, defensive support, and objective-clearing power.
- Against Automatons: Prioritize armor cracking. Equip Autocannon Sentries, Spear launchers, Orbital Railcannon Strikes, or Orbital Lasers. Consider EMS Mortars to disable deadly units like Hulks and Tanks.
- Against Terminids: Focus on horde clear and area denial. Flamethrowers, Gatling Sentries, Mortar Sentries (standard or EMS), Orbital Airburst Strikes, and Eagle Cluster Bombs are highly effective. Don't forget anti-heavy options like the Recoilless Rifle or EAT-17s for Bile Titans and Chargers.
- Mission Type Matters: For Blitz missions, emphasize mobility and rapid offensive Stratagems (Eagle Strikes). For defense missions, bring static defenses like Shield Generators, Tesla Towers, and various Sentry types.
Cooldown Discipline: Every Second Counts
A Stratagem on cooldown is a tool unavailable when you need it most. Wasting an Eagle Airstrike on a single Scavenger is inefficiency bordering on treason. Practice cooldown discipline: deploy Stratagems deliberately and assess if the threat truly warrants their use. Remember that calling in Stratagems requires you to stop and input codes, making you vulnerable. Use the Dive mechanic or cover immediately after throwing the beacon.
Invest in Ship Module upgrades relevant to your preferred Stratagems. Modules like 'Targeting Software Upgrades' (Orbital) or 'Liquid-Ventilated Cockpit' (Eagle) significantly reduce cooldown times, boosting your combat uptime.
Squad Synergy: Force Multipliers
Helldivers 2 thrives on cooperation. Coordinated Stratagem use transforms four soldiers into a devastating fighting force. Communicate constantly (use pings and voice chat!) to synchronize attacks, designate targets, and avoid friendly fire incidents (which are always hilarious, but detrimental).
Effective Synergies: Combine an EMS Mortar Sentry or an EMS Strike to immobilize enemies, allowing a teammate to precisely target them with an Orbital Railcannon or Eagle 500kg Bomb. Use a Shield Generator Relay to protect a teammate deploying a vital Sentry or Resupply. Layer area denial Stratagems like Incendiary Mines and Gatling Sentries to defend objectives.
Advanced Deployment Techniques
Mastering Stratagems goes beyond just selecting and calling them. Timing and placement are critical. Learn to call in Stratagems while retreating ('kiting') to cover your escape or eliminate pursuing enemies. Use the terrain: place sentries on high ground for better line-of-sight, or tuck them behind cover to protect them from direct fire.
Pro Tip: Call in support weapons or backpack Stratagems *before* engaging a large enemy force or approaching an objective. This ensures they are immediately available when the fighting starts, rather than trying to call them in under heavy fire.
Adaptability: The Helldiver's Edge
No plan survives contact with the enemy perfectly. Patrols appear, objectives get swarmed, and sometimes, your Railgun shot misses the Charger's leg. Be prepared to adapt. If your initial approach fails, quickly reassess and shift tactics. Don't hoard Stratagems 'for the perfect moment' – use them to solve immediate, critical problems. Your grenades and support weapons are also crucial tools; integrate them effectively.
Stay mobile, communicate changes in plan, and remember the mission objective. Delivering Managed Democracy requires flexibility and ruthless efficiency!