March 1st, 2024
Guide posted, overall content categorized.

March 3rd, 2024
Terminid and Automaton enemies added.

March 5th, 2024
Armor section revised, foundation laid for when armor bug gets fixed.
Organized weapons into categories for future updates.
Added Break-Action Shotgun to support weapons.

March 6th, 2024
Started testing weapon changes with current patch.
Adjusted armor section for bug fixes to armor values.

March 7th, 2024
Added placeholders for weapons coming with Cutting Edge Warbond.

March 8th, 2024
Added a category for Exosuits and vehicles.
Added EXO-45 Patriot

March 14th, 2024
Started testing weapons included in the Cutting Edge Warbond.

March 28th, 2024
Added the Heavy Machine Gun and the Quasar Cannon.

Added placeholders for weapons coming with Democratic Detonation Warbond.

Welcome to Helldivers 2. If you've played the original Helldivers, then you'll already have a pretty good understanding of the overall fundamentals of the game. Regardless, I will go over the basics of your destroyer.

The Galaxy Map
On your destroyer, the object that is front and center for everything is the galaxy map. At the center is Super Earth, and surrounding it are various sectors where various planets reside. Some of these planets will be unavailable, as they have already been liberated by Super Earth. However, some planets will be under attack by either Terminids or Automatons (orange or red, respectively) and will require intervention by Helldivers in order to quell the threat. Before clicking on any of the sectors, you can see how many Helldivers are currently active (unless it's disabled in order to prevent stress on the servers), and clicking on each sector will similarly show you how many Helldivers are active in the sector. Each planet will, unsurprisingly, also show you how many Helldivers are active.

More often than not, there will be a major order from Super Earth focusing on a specific sector or a specific planet. Much of the focus should be on these planets in order to assist with the major order, but there's nothing preventing you from going to another planet that interests you and fighting there.

Requisition Terminal
Also on your ship, is a terminal on the left hand side that gives you access to various stratagems that you can purchase. This includes airstrikes from Eagle, orbital strikes from your destroyer, sentries and emplacements, and support weapons. As you complete objectives, you'll be rewarded with requisition that you can use to purchase these various stratagems and while there may be a lot of options, we'll go over them later on to give you a better idea of what to pick up and what you'd like to use.

In addition, this terminal also allows you to purchase upgrades for your destroyer. These are passive bonuses that improve your ability to use air support, orbitals, support weapons, and sentries/emplacements. You'll notice that these require colored samples to purchase (Common/Green, Rare/Orange, and Super/Pink). You'll find these as you are completing your objectives planetside, but some are locked behind specific difficulties.

Destroyer upgrades are separated into six categories: Patriotic Administration Center (support weapon/pack upgrades), Orbital Cannons (orbital upgrades), Hangar (Eagle upgrades), Bridge (orbital, UAV, and hellpod upgrades), Engineering Bay (sentry and emplacement upgrades), Robotics Workshop (sentry upgrades). Depending on how you play, you may find value in some upgrades more than others but in general most upgrades allow you to use stratagems more frequently and with greater efficiency.

The Armory
Also on the left hand side, but a bit further toward the galaxy map, is the armory. Here you can equip your Helldiver with any weapons, armor, and grenades that you have unlocked. You can also change various aspects about your Helldiver, such as their cape, voice, build, emote, and victory emote.

Once you select a planet, you'll have the ability to select your difficulty before you select a point on the planet to drop into. Initially, you'll only have Trivial unlocked, but when you successfully complete an operation in its entirety on a difficulty, you unlock the next.

Difficulties
Trivial, Easy, Medium
This is the first bracket of difficulties. Only common samples are available here, but you have a lower concentration of enemies to worry about, only light and medium armor enemies show up, you only have one mission in an operation (except on Medium), and objectives are easier in general. A small amount of optional objectives are present.

Challenging, Hard, Extreme
The second bracket of difficulties. Common and rare samples are available, and common shows up in greater amounts. Enemy concentration is higher, there are more scouting parties, heavy armor enemies start showing up, and operation modifiers start showing up. A larger amount of optional objectives are present.

Suicide Mission, Impossible, Helldive
The final bracket of difficulties. Common, rare, and super samples are available, and common and rare show up in greater amounts. Enemy concentration is highest here, there are even more scouting parties, heavy armor enemies show up in greater quantities, and operation modifiers are present in every one of these difficulties. Several optional objectives are present.

Operation Modifiers
Complex Stratagem Plotting
Call-in time for stratagems is increased by 100%. For airstrikes specifically, which come in pretty quickly after being called, more planning is required. Kiting enemies into damage requires more planning, and calling in panic strikes isn't really a thing when this is active. Plan accordingly, and be aware of this being active before you're overwhelmed.

Orbital Fluctuations
Stratagem cooldowns are increased by 50%. Self-explanatory, but this also requires you to plan your loadout around not having access to stratagems as readily.

Atmospheric Spores(Terminid Only)
When selecting your drop point, the map is almost completely obscured by a miasma of spores. Likewise, when you check your map while in mission, your map will also be obscured. Completing the Radar Tower sub-objective will still mark things on your map for you.

Electronic Countermeasures(Automaton Only)
Your stratagem call-in codes are scrambled. This doesn't mean that the codes themselves change, but it does mean that even if you punch in the code correctly for a stratagem, it may prime another one that is available. Always pay attention to which one it primes on the left hand side so you don't airstrike yourself and your team when trying to call down a support weapon.

AA Defenses(Automaton Only)
Your stratagem slots are reduced by one. This is incredibly rough to deal with, as having an aggregate of four less stratagems total in a full squad makes things significantly more challenging. Strategize with your fireteam to figure out who's bringing what and what is missing, and plan accordingly.

Environmental Modifiers
These are dependent on the planet you drop into. Some may be severely hot, some may be severely cold, some may have sandstorms, some may have torrential rain, some may have snowstorms. Pay attention to these conditions as you drop because they will affect you in various ways either reducing visibility to reducing your stamina faster.

Standard Equipment
All Helldivers are equipped with two stims and two grenades by default when they drop, along with half of their maximum ammo capacity for their weapons. Stims are utilized to restore your health and treat wounds to your limbs or chest, they also restore your stamina when used. Grenades are self-explanatory, but they are also used to close bug hives and Automaton foundries.

Enemy Outposts
All enemy outposts come in light, medium, and heavy variants, increasing in size accordingly. Bug hives are recessed into the ground and have a bright orange/red glow coming from the hole in which they spawn. Automaton foundries have barracks looking buildings with two vents with a red/orange glow coming from them, likewise the door when they open to spawn an enemy. Explosive grenades, grenade launchers, autocannons, standard Eagle air strikes, 110MM rocket pods, and (inconsistently) 500kg bombs can all destroy enemy outpost buildings. You'll want to do this not just because it grants experience and requisition, but also because it will take some of the heat off of you and your team.

Optional Objectives
Blue in color, these objectives are usually hidden on your map with the exception of one (usually the rogue lab) and are not required to complete your mission on a planet. They grant experience and requisition, but some also have tertiary benefits. Radar stations are useful if found because they reveal every point of interest and objective on the map, and SEAF artillery stations grant you the use of five rounds of artillery that can be called in of various types. Some optional objectives generate additional stratagems you can call in, such as a Hellbomb, so keep an eye out for these as you approach.

All that's left is for the host to select a drop point and the dive begins.

Below, I will describe my experiences with the weapons and what I believe their usefulness is, but please keep in mind that your experiences with them may vary and I encourage you to try them all and see how they work for you. Remember you can hold R (your reload key) to adjust settings such as rate of fire, flashlight status, scope zoom, and weapon special functions.

Keep in mind that your crosshair has two parts: spread indicator and shot indicator. Your spread indicator is a bracket around a center point, which blooms as you move or run out of stamina. The shot indicator is a center point in the crosshair which floats around the spread indicator. Your shot will go where ever it currently is on the screen, so pay attention to this when using weapons that require accurate fire.

Running completely out of stamina will make it difficult for you to aim, and like most games, crouching or going prone makes your aim more stable.

P-2 Peacemaker
Your starter pistol. Fires as fast as you can click and serves as a decent enough backup weapon. This is your no frills service pistol, and the only adjustable aspect is the flashlight.

P-19 Redeemer
A fully automatic PDW, and a direct upgrade to the Peacemaker in almost every aspect. It does the same damage as the Peacemaker but has a larger magazine and a very fast, fully automatic fire rate. The fire rate and flashlight can be adjusted.

P-4 Senator
A slow firing, but heavy hitting revolver. Despite what the tooltip in the game tells you, the Senator can penetrate medium armor enemies and deals heavy damage to enemy weak points. Only has six rounds in the cylinder, so accuracy is required, especially since each round must be reloaded individually. Only the flashlight can be adjusted.

LAS-7 Dagger
A pared down version of the Scythe, this handheld beam laser does small, but consistent, damage to a target and rapidly overheats. Best fired in short bursts, the amount of damage it deals for how quickly it overheats leaves a bit to be desired, but if you're using a primary that is ammo hungry this can be a reliable sidearm to have.

GP-31 Grenade Pistol
<Reserved>

MP-98 Knight
Currently only available if you purchased the Super Citizen edition, this fast firing SMG has weak penetration but can be utilized one-handed. You can carry an objective while wielding this weapon, or a ballistic shield. Deals low damage, and will require frequent reloading. The fire rate and flashlight can be adjusted.

SMG-37 Defender
An upgrade to the Knight in almost every regard, sans fire rate. Has a slow fire rate, but deals significantly higher damage than the Knight. Can also be utilized one-handed, and it's lower fire rate makes it easier to conserve ammo. The fire rate and flashlight can be adjusted.

AR-23 Liberator
Your starter primary weapon. Decent in all respects, with low penetration and low damage but with a steady fire rate. It's reliable, but you'll likely replace it once you start unlocking more weaponry. The fire rate, scope zoom, and flashlight can be adjusted.

AR-23P Liberator Penetrator
A longer barreled, burst fire variant of the Liberator. Has higher penetration and better range to the Liberator. Being limited to burst fire isn't very prohibitive because the refire rate on the bursts is pretty quick. Similarly, on single shot it fires as fast as you can click. The fire rate, scope zoom, and flashlight can be adjusted.

AR-23 Liberator Concussive
A slower firing variant of the Liberator that utilizes explosive ammunition. Has non-existent penetration due to the fact that the rounds explode on contact, but each shot does mild explosive damage and can open up weak points as well. The fire rate, scope zoom, and flashlight can be adjusted.

BR-14 Adjudicator
<Reserved>

R-63 Diligence
A single shot DMR with decent damage. This weapon excels when enemies are not in your face constantly, and is at its strongest when attacking exposed weakpoints from a distance. This weapon is better against Automatons than Terminids, but even then is overshadowed by other options. The scope zoom can be adjusted.

R-63CS Diligence Counter Sniper
A slightly higher damage, longer range, and lower magazine capacity version of the Diligence. The idea behind this weapon is for long range support but suffers from similar issues to the Diligence, only its flaws are exacerbated. The scope zoom can be adjusted.

R-36 Eruptor
<Reserved>

SG-8 Punisher
A solid weapon that will likely replace your Liberator as your primary of choice. It is a pump-action shotgun that fires buckshot, with two eight round tubes. After eight rounds have been expended, the tube is swapped to the full tube. Reloading this weapon is done shell by shell, so top yourself up whenever you have time.

SG-8S Slugger
Another solid weapon that modifies the function of the Punisher by utilizing heavy slug rounds instead of buckshot. Ammo count and overall function is the same, but instead of having the luxury of spread on every shot, you fire one solid projectile that (despite what the tooltip says) has medium penetration. This weapon used to cause most targets to flinch on hit and now inconsistently does so, but has surprisingly good range.

SG-8P Punisher Plasma
Holds eight rounds in a magazine instead of the normal shell by shell reload that the Punisher/Slugger have, and the plasma rounds have a severe drop arc to them. Aim high if you're trying to get distance with this. Decent at crowd control due to it's small amount of splash damage, but you'll find yourself reloading more than you'll find yourself killing enemies with it.

SG-225 Breaker
Arguably the most universally useful weapon in the game currently. It's a magazine fed shotgun that can fire automatically or as fast as you can click. The sheer amount of buckshot the weapon can put out can shred most small enemies and repeated fire can also shred medium enemies. The weapon has low penetration, but the sheer amount of firepower it puts out can circumvent this flaw to a point. The fire rate and flashlight can be adjusted.

SG-225SP Breaker Spray and Pray
A downgrade to the default Breaker in almost every respect. The only advantage this weapon has over the Breaker is it doubles its magazine size, but deals significantly less damage due to it being loaded with birdshot. There is almost no reason to use this weapon over the Breaker. The fire rate and flashlight can be adjusted.

SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary
A Breaker variant loaded with dragon's breath birdshot rounds. Performs similarly to the default Breaker, but can also set targets on fire at the cost of dealing significantly less damage per shot. Your mileage may vary, but the Breaker outperforms it. Difficult to use effectively against anything beyond weaker enemies. Rate of fire and flashlight can be adjusted.

ARC-12 Blitzer
Pales in comparison to just about anything else in the shotgun category, and leaves a lot to be desired as a weapon in general. It's arcing capabilities aren't quite as good as the Arc Thrower, and the damage also isn't much to write home about. The one saving grace this weapon has is it has a high flinch rate against enemies, which can interrupt them from attacking you, but it generally requires several shots to kill anything larger than a light armor target.

JAR-5 Dominator
A slow firing, single shot shotgun adjacent weapon that fires explosive slugs. The weapon has decent alpha strike damage, but suffers when overwhelmed by smaller enemies. It can deal with larger targets and weak spots on armored targets decently well, but the sheer amount of small enemies in the game requires teamplay to use this effectively. The scope zoom and flashlight can be adjusted.

LAS-5 Scythe
Fires a constant laser that effectively has unlimited ammo as long as you don't let it overheat. Performs better in colder climates, and worse in hotter climates in regards to overheating. If the weapon overheats, the heatsink must be replaced. While the damage is constant, it isn't particularly strong and you'll find yourself replacing heatsinks rather often, thus defeating the primary strength of the weapon.

LAS-16 Sickle
Fires like a rapid fire machine gun, and has good damage to heat build up. More efficient at killing enemies without overheating, and can drop most light armor enemies in a few bursts. It struggles when overwhelmed and has no real answer to the more tanky enemies, but a solid weapon overall.

PLAS-1 Scorcher
A single shot plasma rifle that fires explosive, superheated bolts of plasma. It has splash damage, but overall does mediocre damage for how often you have to reload it. It's decent against medium targets, but suffers against Terminids because the splash damage can (and will) kill you at close range. The flashlight can be adjusted.

CB-9 Exploding Crossbow
<Reserved>

G-12 High Explosive Grenade
Your default grenade. Has a long fuse time and a relatively high splash damage radius. Useful across the board.

G-6 Frag Grenade
A smaller grenade with a shorter fuse time but a larger overall radius than the HE grenade. The shorter fuse time is helpful when being chased, but just remember it has lower overall damage.

G-16 Impact Grenade
The same damage and radius as the HE grenade, but has no fuse timer at all and explodes on contact. This can make destroying outpost buildings problematic because unless your grenade lands dead center, it will explode before it can destroy the outpost. Useful in dealing with fast moving enemies, but requires precision when taking out outpost buildings.

G-3 Smoke Grenade
A non-explosive grenade that creates a smoke screen where it activates. Smoke slows enemies and makes them potentially lose track of you. More useful against Automatons because of their ranged weapons. Obviously, this grenade cannot destroy outpost buildings.

G-10 Incendiary Grenade
An area denial grenade that is useful on chokepoints where enemies have to pass through the fire to get to you. Can still be used to destroy outpost buildings because it does a small amount of explosive damage.

G-23 Stun Grenade
Stuns targets in a decently sized radius, causing those in the blast to act as if they just got hit with the initial impact of a static field shell. They're useful for keeping larger targets still for alpha strikes from stratagems or heavy weapons, or as a means of giving you some breathing room from hordes but their lack of utility beyond that means coming prepared with another means of destroying hives or foundries.

G-123 Thermite Grenade
<Reserved>

Armor is broken up into three different categories: light, medium, and heavy. The stats can vary across all three categories, but in general they are always beholden to these factors.

Light Armor protects you less from damage, causes you to ragdoll slightly farther, but gives you more stamina and faster stamina regeneration.
Medium Armor strikes a balance between protection and stamina.
Heavy Armor protects you more from damage, causes you to ragdoll slightly less far, but gives you less stamina and slower stamina regeneration.

From what I can tell, your dodge distance is unaffected by the bulk of your armor, only your overall move speed is affected as far as maneuverability.

When things are functioning as they should, in general when going up against Terminids, you want as much movement speed and stamina as possible. They do not have many options when it comes to ranged damage and will frequently try to close distance on you and swarm you. Being mobile is paramount when fighting the bugs. When going against Automatons having the ability to soak more overall damage is more important than movement. That isn't to say movement isn't important when fighting the bots, but due to their preference for ranged damage and explosions, you will take a lot more "chip damage".

Med-Kit
You can carry six total stims (instead of four) and they last two seconds longer when you use them.

Engineering Kit
You can carry six total grenades (instead of four) and your recoil is reduced when crouched or prone by thirty percent.

Scout
Any marker you place on the map generates a scan around it every two seconds, and enemies are thirty percent less likely to notice you.

Servo-Assisted
Increases throwing range by thirty percent. Your limbs have fifty percent more health until they suffer damage.

Fortified
Reduces recoil when crouched or prone by thirty percent and you have fifty percent more resistance to explosive damage.

Democracy Protects
You have a fifty percent chance to not die when taking lethal damage and when suffering chest wounds, you suffer no bleedout damage.

Extra Padding
Armor rating is increased.

Electrical Conduit
95% reduction to electrical damage. This will keep you from getting instantly killed from most arc based weapons.

When fighting Terminids, there isn't really a "must have" as far as armor modifiers are concerned, but due to how many bug holes there can be in hives, Engineering Kit is helpful to have.
When fighting Automatons, there are some more stand out options that are more helpful. Med-Kit is very useful due to how much more you'll be utilizing stims due to frequency of ranged damage, Fortified assists with the amount of explosions the bots are capable of producing, and Democracy Protects assists with the number of alpha strikes the bots are capable of and allows you to potentially survive one shot mechanics. This is more useful with the bots than the bugs because typically if you are in a position to where you are going to be killed by the bugs, you are already swarmed and being saved by a Democracy Protects proc is less useful.

Stratagems come in four categories: orbital, Eagle close air support, support weapons/items, and emplacements/sentries. Orbital strikes are typically larger and more damaging overall, whereas Eagle close air support strikes are typically more targeted and specialized. Support weapons are auxiliary weapons that provide you with additional benefits that your primary and secondary cannot, but backpacks can also be dropped to provide more utility as well. Emplacements and sentries are area denial items that are typically used where you have to hold an area down and are looking to defend yourself for longer terms.

Precision Strike
You start with this orbital, and it holds up even after you start unlocking more orbital strikes. It's a targeted shot from one of your destroyer's cannons and deals respectable damage to tightly packed enemies.

Gatling Barrage
A barrage of large caliber rounds fired from your destroyer's rotary cannon that splash over a decently sized area. Does minimal damage to armor, but cleans up lightly armored enemies well. Has a rather short cooldown, so can be relied on to be available when you need it.

Airburst Strike
A repeated salvo of shotgun style rounds that are fired from your destroyer. Covers more surface area than the Gatling Barrage, but has even less penetration. Great at cleaning up lightly armored targets or dealing with reinforcement hordes. Especially useful on Terminid egg destroying missions, if placed effectively.

120MM HE Barrage
An extended barrage of explosive rounds that are slowly fired from your destroyer across a wide area. The rounds are unpredictable, and while they attempt to target concentrations of enemies, it isn't always the most consistent and has a high chance of killing your teammates if they do not give it enough of a berth.

380MM HE Barrage
Same as above, just larger rounds, the barrage lasts longer, and covers a wider area. Even more caution needs to be exercised by your teammates, but this can help flatten larger outposts and provide you a means of breaking through heavily defended areas.

Walking Barrage
A barrage of explosive rounds that move forward from where it's called in, moving in a linear fashion. The idea is it's supposed to allow you to remove entrenched enemies while allowing you to push the attack with it. Just as inconsistent as its 120MM and 380MM brethren, but your mileage may vary.

Laser
The only orbital strike that has limited uses, but for good reason. Fires a large laser from your destroyer that consistently burns anything it touches. Will track enemies even if friendlies are nearby, and while it does damage heavily armored enemies, it will take a while for it to kill them. You can use this three times per mission. Perfect if overwhelmed to clear out chaff, but can have some of its potential wasted if it focuses on a larger enemy for the majority of its long duration.

Railcannon Strike
Fires a single, large caliber railcannon round from your destroyer at the largest enemy near where it's called in. A surgical strike that is great to use against heavily armored enemies to deal heavy damage to them in a short span of time. This can sometimes get confused and target something other than what you intended, but it's usually pretty good at targeting the largest enemy in the area.

Gas Strike
Launches a concentrated gas round from your destroyer that saturates an area with a corrosive gas cloud. Damages both Terminids and Automatons for as long as they remain in the cloud, and lingers for a decent amount of time. Useful to use if fleeing, or if you're clearing out an area you're about to enter, but overall does not do much damage for the amount of time it lingers.

EMS Strike
Launches a round that detonates into a concentrated static field. Any Helldivers or enemies caught in it will suffer extreme stamina degradation and be severely slowed or stunned. Non-lethal, but useful if fleeing or trying to keep a larger enemy still for another alpha strike.

Smoke Strike
Essentially a large series of smoke grenades launched from your destroyer into an area. Covers the area in a thick plume of smoke with the same advantages of a smoke grenade. Non-lethal, and most useful against Automatons, but can be useful to break contact from Terminids as well.

Eagle close air support works a bit differently than orbital strikes. Eagle can fire off a set amount of ordnance before she has to return to the destroyer to rearm. This can be done manually and ahead of time to fully reload all ordnance, but does put everything related to Eagle on cooldown for that period. Whenever you're in a period of downtime, it's probably a good idea to have Eagle rearm, so you're not caught without when you need her. Remember that unless specifically told to rearm, Eagle will not do so until all ordnance is utilized.

Strafing Run
A linear gun run from Eagle that strafes the area with rounds from its dual rotary machine guns. She swoops in almost as soon as it's called down, and tries to pick the optimal angle to do maximum damage to enemies in the area in a line. Low chance of friendly fire as long as friendlies know its coming and aren't pinched in the pack Eagle is strafing.

Airstrike
A targeted bomb run from Eagle that carpets a linear path with high explosive bombs. The swiss army knife of close air support, as it is one of the only stratagems that can destroy enemy outposts. You can sometimes destroy entire outposts in one run if Eagle strikes in the right path. If you can't decide on an offensive stratagem to take with you, take this one.

Cluster Bomb
A combination of the airburst orbital strike and the airstike, Eagle drops a series of airburst explosives over an area that pepper a linear path with fragmenting rounds. This has a very high chance of collateral damage on your teammates, so make sure you communicate accordingly. Only useful at dealing with lightly armored enemies, but does so very effectively.

Napalm Strike
Very similar to the airstike in function, but has lower damage explosives that ignite propellant contained in the explosive once they hit the ground, setting the strike path on fire. Good for area denial, but overall damage is low in comparison.

110MM Rocket Pods
A surgical strike from Eagle that launches a small salvo of armor shredding, high explosive rockets. She will attempt to target the largest and most heavily armored target in the pack near where she's called in, and can be useful in quickly dealing high damage to heavy armor. Can sometimes be inconsistent, but great when lacking heavy armor penetration.

500kg Bomb
Eagle swoops in and drops a high yield explosive that sinks into the environment before making a very audible 'click' noise. Afterwards the area is glassed from a massive explosion. Requires planning to deal maximum damage, and proper kiting if utilizing it against heavily armored enemies but its high area damage cannot be denied.

Smoke Strike
Eagle drops a series of smoke grenades to carpet bomb the area with plumes of smoke. Creates a linear path of smoke cover which can be useful when trying to break contact from enemies, or force them to come to you. Non-lethal, so you can safely call it in on your teammates to cover them if they're in duress.

Support equipment comes in the form of auxiliary weapons and support packs. Some auxiliary weapons require support packs to be worn, or require another member of your team to wear it in order for you to reload.

MG-43 Machine Gun
You start with this, and it's decent at shredding lightly armored enemies. It comes with a large capacity box magazine, but requires you to be stationary to reload it. Best if utilized while crouching or prone, and keep in mind there is a minor lag for the weapon to catch up to where your crosshair is aiming. Rate of fire can be adjusted.

MG-206 Heavy Machine Gun
Large and cumbersome to use, the weapon kicks heavily and is nigh-uncontrollable when firing at 1200 RPM. The weapon only allows ironsight aiming when trying to take accurate shots, as no crosshair is visible when aiming over-the-shoulder. Each shot does significant damage to even larger targets, but keeping said fire on the target is a challenge in itself. It's decent, but if you're going for a machine gun option, the MG-43 and M-105 are better options.

M-105 Stalwart
A lighter version of the MG-43, this LMG allows for full movement while utilizing it and allows you to reload while on the move. Comes with one extra magazine but a slightly lower magazine capacity and slightly less damage. Almost a complete upgrade to the MG-43 in almost all respects. Rate of fire can be adjusted.

APW-1 Anti-Materiel Rifle
Similar in function to the R-63CS Diligence Counter Sniper, but does its job much better. Has a variable zoom scope and can penetrate all but the heaviest of armor. Great at taking out medium armor targets at range to soften up areas for your team to enter, but is largely overshadowed by other weapons.

Break-Action Shotgun
This shotgun is a special case in that you can only find it while in a mission at points of interest. This weapon currently cannot be called in, but does take up your support weapon slot. An over-under shotgun that holds two shells and does high damage to light armor targets. Only having two shells limits this weapon's usefulness and unless you just really like over-under shotguns (like me), there are better options available to you. Rate of fire can be adjusted.

EAT-17 Expendable Anti-Tank
One use rocket launchers that can be used to blow off armor of heavily armored targets, or outright kill them. These drop down two at a time, and have a low cooldown time. They're great in a pinch for dealing with armor, while also giving you flexibility to utilize another weapon after using it. Can destroy Automaton reinforcement dropships if one of the engines is hit.

GR-8 Recoilless Rifle
A shoulder mounted, reloadable rocket launcher adept at destroying heavily armored targets at range. Requires a support backpack to be reloaded, and a teammate can wear the backpack to assist you in reloading. If a teammate wears the pack, reloading is significantly faster. Can destroy Automaton reinforcement dropships if one of the engines is hit.

LAS-98 Laser Cannon
A shoulder mounted laser cannon that functions similarly to the Scythe, only doing significantly more sustained damage. Effectively has unlimited ammo as long as it does not overheat. Does decent sustained damage, but is overshadowed by other options as you unlock them.

LAS-99 Quasar Cannon
A shoulder mounted charged laser cannon that requires a decent charge up time before releasing a heavily damaging bolt of energy. The charge up time can require some planning, but the payoff is immense due to how much damage the laser burst does to even heavy armor. With proper aim, it can one shot a Charger, and even a Hulk when hitting a weak point. A great option to take for your anti-armor needs. Can destroy Automaton dropships.

AC-8 Autocannon
A shoulder mounted automatic anti-armor cannon. Utilizes ten armor penetrating, high explosive rounds loaded via stripper clips. The weapon cannot be reloaded until at least five rounds have been fired. Requires a support backpack to reload, and can be team reloaded. Can destroy enemy outpost buildings. Incredibly ammo efficient and relatively quick to reload solo. Rate of fire can be adjusted.

GL-21 Grenade Launcher
A belt-loaded automatic grenade launcher that can pelt an area with explosions. Useful at blowing up enemy weakpoints and destroying optional objectives. Can destroy enemy outpost buildings, and very useful for Blitz missions.

FLAM-40 Flamethrower
An incendiary weapon that sprays a stream of flammable gel across an area, igniting anything in its path. The igniter requires a brief period to produce flame, but once it's burning it will stay active for some time after you've stopped spraying fire. Decent at area denial, but there are better options.

ARC-3 Arc Thrower
An electricity generating weapon that fires a bolt of electricity after a brief charge up period. The bolts will arc between targets that are in close proximity to your target and that includes your teammates. This weapon is frequently the cause of friendly fire incidents, so give your teammates a wide berth when using it. Decent at thinning out lightly armored enemies.

FAF-14 SPEAR
Essentially a Javelin in its function, it requires a lock-on period before it launches a missile into the air that drops down on top of the target. The launcher will only lock onto large targets, and currently the lock-on mechanic is incredibly finicky and inconsistent. It's tough to recommend this weapon because of this, and it also requires a support backpack in order to reload. Can be team reloaded.

RS-422 Railgun
Probably the best all rounder when it comes to anti-armor. Does not require a backpack and carries twenty rounds. The weapon must be reloaded after every shot, and has a brief charge up time but once fired, it will penetrate almost all armored targets if charged up enough. The weapon has two modes: safe and unsafe. Safe limits the weapon from being charged past a certain point, and you can sustain the charge indefinitely. Unsafe removes this limiter and allows you to charge the weapon for even more damage, but if you charge the weapon for too long, it will explode in your hands, killing you and destroying the weapon.

Support equipment comes in the form of auxiliary weapons and support packs. Some auxiliary weapons require support packs to be worn, or require another member of your team to wear it in order for you to reload.

LIFT-850 Jump Pack
A boost pack that allows you to jump longer distances and jump higher than you normally can. Requires a cooldown after each jump, and with careful timing, can be used to dodge some enemy charge attacks. Useful for moving quickly during Blitz missions, but not useful for much else.

B-1 Supply Pack
A support pack that carries four packs of ammunition in it. These can be utilized to resupply your teammates without having to call in a resupply stratagem. You can also resupply yourself by pressing the 5 key. The pack can be reloaded by picking up ammo packs from the resupply stratagem.

AX/AR-23 Guard Dog
A support pack that carries a drone armed with a Liberator assault rifle. The drone will engage targets that get close to you, and will do so until it has to reload which it will return to the pack to do so. Has a limited number of reloads before it must be resupplied. Can sometimes alert packs by shooting at them when trying to sneak.

AX/LAS-5 Guard Dog Rover
A superior version of the AR-23 Guard Dog on all accounts. Has to return to the pack to cooldown, but never runs out of ammo completely. Similar shortcomings to the AR-23 Guard Dog when trying to sneak, and will also lead to more team damage due to its constant laser.

SH-20 Ballistic Shield
A riot shield that covers most of a Helldiver's front when equipped, but requires a hand to hold. Thus, only one handed weapons can be used while using the shield. SMGs are required to use it with maximum effectiveness. Only really useful against Automatons due to their ranged weapons, and even then is only decent.

SH-32 Shield Generator
A portable energy shield generator that protects the user from all damage for as long as the shield holds. After it has sustained a set amount of damage, it must turn off to recharge. Incredibly useful for both Terminids and Automatons, and should be your go-to if you have an empty backpack slot.

Sentries are autonomous weapons that will lock on and engage targets that are in its range. The type of sentry determines the target that it prioritizes. Be aware that the sentries do not care if a friendly is between it and a target. Emplacements come in the form of a tesla tower, minefields, a shield generator, or an HMG emplacement.

A/MG-43 Machine Gun
An automated version of the handheld version of the MG-43 Machine Gun, and does similar damage. Suitable when attempting to hold down an area, but there are definitely better options available to you.

A/G-16 Gatling
A much faster firing version of the MG-43, and puts down more consistent pressure on packs of enemies. It does less damage per shot than the MG-43, but its fire rate makes up for it. Should be your go to if looking for light armor cleanup when holding down an area.

A/AC-8 Autocannon
The autocannon sentry is a swiss army knife for sentry emplacements. Without upgrades, the Autocannon is slow to track, and slow to start firing, but when it does it will absolutely shred whatever is in its path. Great against packs of medium or heavy armor targets, and will also destroy light armor targets as collateral damage.

A/MLS-4X Rocket Sentry
Similar to the autocannon sentry, it is slow to track and slow to fire, but it will prioritize heavily armored targets. It launches salvos of rockets at its targets and has a high stun rate, but the autocannon does its job better.

A/M-12 Mortar Sentry
While the M-12 doesn't engage targets directly like the other sentries do, it will barrage targets with launched explosives in a steady salvo. It has great range and can be placed behind cover somewhere safe, and it will still engage targets. However, the explosive nature of it leads to many friendly fire incidents, especially when using them against Terminids. Most useful against Automatons when attacking outposts to soften them up before heading in.

A/M-23 EMS Mortar Sentry
Similar in function to the M-12 Mortar, the M-23 launches static field charges instead. These non-lethal charges will pepper an area with a static field which slows or stuns targets. Useful in slowing enemy advances, while also not killing your fellow Helldivers.

E/MG-101 HMG Emplacement
This emplacement drops down an heavy machine gun turret which can be manned and controlled. The turn speed is slow, so it needs to have support when enemies get close to it, but it's a great tool for suppressing large groups of enemies and thinning the tide. Requires support to be useful, and even then the automated options are typically more useful.

FX-12 Shield Generator Relay
Drops a small generator which produces a dome shield. The shield can take a set amount of damage before it's deactivated and must recharge. While it is recharging, the generator is very easy to destroy. Unfortunately, in my experience this emplacement is almost useless and has very little value for the team, especially if the backpack version is available.

A/ARC-3 Tesla Tower
Drops an arcing electricity tower that will deliver a very powerful jolt of electricity at any target that wanders close to it. While it can be overwhelmed to the point where it can't respond with numbers, it does a decent job at closing off choke points for defense or eradicate missions. This emplacement is very likely to cause friendly fire if your team wanders too close to it and they are not prone.

MD-6 Anti-Personnel Minefield
Drops a rack of mines that are spun out onto the field once it is deployed, which will explode if anything wanders to close to them. Covers a decently sized area, and is a good alternative to the Tesla Tower for area denial. Will blow up your teammates if they aren't paying attention to where they are walking.

MD-I4 Incendiary Mines
Similar in function to the MD-6, but the explosion damage is much smaller and will ignite the area around it with fire instead. Does less overall damage than the MD-6, but the fire will deny an area for a longer period of time. Less lethal to your teammates that aren't paying attention to where they are walking.

These can be called in as transport and/or support for infantry in the field. Some only allow one Helldiver to climb into it, but others allow others to hop in and provide support or to hitch a ride.

EXO-45 Patriot
A bipedal walking EXO suit that comes equipped with a minigun on the right arm and a set of rockets on the left hand side. Right clicking fires the minigun after a brief spinup time, and left clicking fires the rockets. The suit cannot be reloaded and comes equipped with fourteen rockets and one thousands rounds of minigun ammo. The suit is resistant to small arms fire but is susceptible to explosions and armor piercing weapons. Be careful when firing the rockets in close proximity because they can destroy your suit and kill you instantly. The suit can be called in twice per mission (unless using the free granted stratagem).

Enemies encountered during operations come in three different varieties: light, medium, and heavy. This also will typically dictate how much armor they have and how resistant to damage they are. Certain weapons with higher penetration values can outright kill some enemies in one or two shots if hit in the right spot. Some of the names for the enemies may be inconsistent with what is current in-game, but I will base it as best as I can with my experience and what I've seen. Scavengers, Hunters, Warriors, Sentinels, and Brood Commanders can all call for reinforcements.

Scavenger
Small and roach-like, these are not much of a threat on their own, but in the face of larger threats they can overwhelm you with numbers and also block your movement. They don't have any sort of special attacks beyond approaching you and attempting to scratch or bite you.

Bile Scavenger
These bright green bugs have a corrosive spit attack that will poison you and slow your movement, making you vulnerable to being swarmed. They also explode when they are killed, so be careful when killing them in close proximity.

Hopper
Similar in size to the Scavengers, these have small yellow fins and they can leap at you from incredible distances. They are more annoying than an actual threat, but much like the Scavenger, in numbers they can prohibit your movement and overwhelm you.

Hunter
Easily one of, if not the, most annoying enemy to deal with for the Terminids. They will leap at you like the Hoppers will, and also move around constantly which makes them difficult to target and accurately shoot. Their tongue attack also has a poison effect which will slow your movement to a crawl, making you very susceptible to being swarmed and killed. Two or more of these in close proximity are surprisingly threatening.

Stalker
Essentially larger and tougher versions of a Hunter, these bugs have optical camouflage that can make them difficult to see until they are very close to you. Luckily, they only show up if the optional objective "Stalker Nest" is on the map, but unfortunately several of these nests can appear on the map in higher difficulties. Their tongue attack has the same effect as the Hunter's, but it can also knock you back and cause you to ragdoll. Once you destroy all of the nests, the Stalkers stop spawning.

Shriekers
Unique in that they fly, these winged bugs will attempt to dive bomb you for significant damage. They'll stick around their nest, which look similar to the spore mushrooms, and upon approaching they will continuously attack until the nest is destroyed. Annoying and difficult to deal with when focusing on other things attempting to swarm you.

Bile Spewer
These bulbous bugs come in two variants: nursing and bile. Nursing are weaker and yellow in color, and are generally easier to deal with but if they get close to you they will attempt to spew a noxious yellow bile at you which can kill you incredibly quickly. The bile variant is green in color and are more resilient to damage. In addition to the spit attack the nursing spewer has, in higher difficulties the bile spewer can also use their bile in a mortar style attack from range. Both of these variants explode if their abdomen is destroyed.

Warrior
Dark brown in color, these grunts have razor sharp claws that they will attempt to use on you rapidly if they get close enough. Their size makes it easy for them to box you in, and it is a tactic that they will attempt to do if several of them are present. Despite their appearance, they are lightly armored and shots to the head are the best way to deal with them. These have a bile variant which gives them poisonous properties to their attacks, slowing you if they hit you. The bile variant also explodes on death. These bugs will enrage if they lose their head, charging forward and slashing rapidly for a few seconds until they ultimately die.

Sentinel
Lighter in color than the Warrior, these bugs are armored on their heads and their arms. They have similar behavior to the Warrior, but also have an ability to hunker themselves down and shield themselves from small arms fire. Any weapon that can penetrate medium armor will punch through their carapace. Be careful when trying to blow up hives with these around, because they are very good at blocking your grenades.

Brood Commander
More orange in color, spikier, and larger than the Warrior, these large bugs have similar behavior to the Warrior but also have a charge attack which will shellshock you and ragdoll you if it connects. They also have the ability to reinforce themselves with Warriors for protection. These will also enrage if they lose their head.

Charger
Armored almost entirely in a thick carapace, these heavily armored behemoths will attempt to charge you and ram into you, which will shellshock you and ragdoll you. If the Charger rams you into a surface, it's likely to kill you or severely wound you. Similarly, they can trample you if they run over you while you are prone. The only exposed part of them by default is their abdomen, which is orange in color. After enough damage, this abdomen will rupture and cause the Charger to move more slowly and breathe more heavily. Eventually, they will bleed out in this state. Their armor can be blown off by explosions or heavy armor penetrating weapons, which will allow small arms fire to damage the flesh beneath it. The quickest way to kill one is to blow off the armor on one of their legs, then hit it will small arms fire until it dies.

Bile Titan
Massive and menacing looking, these large spider-like bugs tower over the battlefield with their massive striding legs. Incredibly resilient to almost all damage, these bugs will spit on you from range which can instantly kill you, or attempt to close the distance and stomp on you. On their underside, there are small bulbous sacs that are green in color and if ruptured, will prevent the Bile Titan from utilizing its spit attack. This can be difficult to do, but severe damage to their head with an anti-armor weapon will stun them for a moment which will cause them to flinch for a few seconds. Stratagems are the easiest way to deal with these, but lacking those, rockets or the railgun are your best bet.

Enemies encountered during operations come in three different varieties: light, medium, and heavy. This also will typically dictate how much armor they have and how resistant to damage they are. Certain weapons with higher penetration values can outright kill some enemies in one or two shots if hit in the right spot. Some of the names for the enemies may be inconsistent with what is current in-game, but I will base it as best as I can with my experience and what I've seen. Troopers, Commissars, and Raiders can call for reinforcements.

Trooper
Rank and file grunts, these don't have any special attacks other than they can throw grenades at you. In large numbers, they can be difficult to deal with because of the constant stream of ranged fire and getting aim-punched by their shots.

Rocket Raider
Incredibly obnoxious enemies to deal with. They are armed with single shot rocket launchers that they have to reload after every shot, but they are annoyingly accurate with them more often than not. A single rocket will kill you if it explodes near you or (more frequently) on you. Prioritize these if you see them.

Assault Raider
These Raider variants utilize a jump pack to try and close the distance to attack you at close range. Their weapons themselves do not make them all that threatening, but when they are destroyed they will typically blast in a random direction due to their jump pack detonating. In close proximity to you, this means it almost always blasts directly at you and kills you instantly. Keep them at range if you can.

Marauder
Similar to Troopers, but armed with heavier weapons. These have red, wing-like packs on their back that provide ammunition for their fast firing automatic machine guns. These can suppress you even if by themselves, but destroying the pack will cause them to revert to their sidearm, which makes them significantly less of a threat.

Commissar
These bots generally lead scout patrols, and can be heard chanting as they march around with their squad behind them. They have a pistol and a blade for weapons and will typically try to stay back until you've dealt with the Troopers around them. Not much of a threat on their own.

Berserker
Taller than Troopers and much more menacing looking, these bots have chainsaws for arms and will single-mindedly attempt to close distance to you and cut you in half. They are usually in packs, and can easily overwhelm you due to how much damage they can soak up. Their arms are more lightly armored than they are, so it's generally easier to shoot off their arms and deny them a weapon then to try and kill them directly when under duress. A high impact weapon can one shot them if they are hit directly in the face.

Scout Strider
Troopers piloting bipedal walking mechs. The mechs utilize twin blasters that do minor splash damage and can ragdoll you if one hits close enough to you. The top of the Trooper's head is barely exposed from behind the mech itself, so if you're accurate enough, you can kill the Trooper piloting it and neutralize the threat in one shot. Elevation is your friend when fighting these, but you can also flank them and kill the Trooper from behind. High penetration weapons can punch through the mech and kill the Trooper.

Devastator
Walking mech suits that utilize a twin blaster cannon on their right arm. They will attempt to close distance to you while firing at you, and they can soak up a significant amount of small arms fire. While they look menacing, a single, accurate shot from a medium penetration weapon to their face can kill them instantly.

Heavy Devastator
Much more annoying to deal with then standard Devastators, these variants have a full body shield covering most of them and utilize a rapid fire chaingun to attack you. They move slower than standard Devastators, and prefer to stay at range, but the sheer amount of firepower they can put out can shred you in seconds. They have a similar vulnerability to the Devastator, where if shot in the face with a medium penetration weapon, it can kill them instantly. Aiming around the shield makes this tougher to do.

Rocket Devastator
Basically Rocket Raiders on steroids, these bots are the frequent cause of immediate Helldiver casualties. Armed with twin rocket pods on their shoulders, they will brace and launch salvos of rockets at you with alarming accuracy. Caught unaware, they can kill one or more Helldivers very quickly. In addition to suffering the same vulnerability to their face as the other Devastator models, you can also shoot the rocket pods on their shoulders to destroy them, leaving them without a means of doing ranged damage to you.

Hulk
Walking battlesuits covered in heavy armor, these bots can be incredibly dangerous. Armed with a twin blaster cannon and a rocket launcher, they will attempt to shred you with rapid fire and remove you from cover with rockets. The glowing orange heatsink on their back is a weak spot that can be punched with medium penetration weapons, and if using a high penetration weapon, their face can also be destroyed to quickly kill them. Another tactic is to destroy their arms and only give them the ability to engage you in melee.

Flame Hulk
As the name implies, these Hulks swap out their blaster cannons and rocket launcher for a flamethrower and a buzz saw. Much more dangerous at close range, their flamethrower can incinerate you alarmingly fast. A single hit from them in melee is generally enough to kill you. They suffer the same weaknesses as the standard Hulk.

Rocket Hulk
Another Hulk variant that utilizes rocket pods in addition to a high powered chaingun. These are arguably the most dangerous Hulk variant because their rocket salvos are much bigger than a Devastator's salvo, and their chaingun can shred you very quickly. They suffer the same weaknesses as the previous two Hulk models.

Tank
It's definitely a tank. Rolls around the battlefield on treads and has a main cannon that lays waste to anything in its path. It's also equipped with a rapid fire machine gun on the turret, which it will use frequently in between firing tank shells at you. The back of the turret has a bright orange heat sink which can be shot at with medium penetration weapons. Stratagems are very useful here, but if lacking those, high penetration or explosive weapons to the back of the turret are your best bet.

Quad Cannon Tank
This Tank model swaps out its heavy cannon for a quad barrel heavy machine gun. Fires much more rapidly than the standard Tank and also can turn its turret quicker as well. It has the same weakness as the previous Tank model, but can be more frustrating to deal with due to its volume of fire.

Tower Cannons
While these are stationary, they are still a large threat to deal with. Some outposts, and even smaller structures, will sometimes have one or several of these for defensive purposes. Once they detect you, they will slowly turn toward you and after a brief charging period, will fire a large cannon round that can kill you if it explodes near you, or at the very least ragdoll you. Orange vents on the back are the weak point, but stratagems are the recommended method of dealing with these.

Dropship
Not necessarily an enemy in the direct sense, but the Automatons use these to reinforce when an alarm is called. Unlike with Terminid breaches, these dropships can be destroyed by shooting at one of the engines keeping the dropship in the air with a rocket based weapon. If done quickly enough, the dropship will crash and kill most, if not all, of the reinforcements being brought in. Inconsistently, the autocannon and rocket sentries can also destroy the dropships, and you can sometimes get lucky with a mortar dropping on one.

Overall, Helldivers 2 is a cooperative game and is best enjoyed with a squad. You'll notice on the galaxy map that you can quickplay and it will match you with other Helldivers if you do not have a squad already. It will tailor this matchmaking to specifics, so if you have a specific sector, planet, and/or difficulty selected, it will match you with players utilizing those parameters.

When playing with your fellow Helldivers, please remember to be good to one another. You're all working toward the same goal and not everyone is going to play the same way you do. If someone is new, teach them. If someone has played a lot, you should never be afraid to ask them questions. If someone tells you not to use something, or is hostile about you using something without due cause, ignore them and play the way you'd like to. As long as you're not actively ruining someone else's experience on purpose, there isn't a wrong way to play. If you get kicked from a game and you're confident you didn't do anything wrong, don't take it personally. Some people take the game entirely too seriously and if you're not utilizing their favorite meta build or speedrunning a mission, they get bent out of shape. Luckily, these players are pretty far and few in-between, but they are present.

Below, I'll outline some general etiquette when playing with random players that I utilize, but the biggest thing to take away from any of this is to communicate. If you don't feel comfortable using voice chat, then use the ping system (Q by default) and type where necessary. Talk to one another, and be excellent to one another.

Pay attention to what everyone else is bringing in, and if you're not sure what to bring in, ask for advice from others. Boosters are team-wide buffs that you can apply, but they do not stack, and you can only use one of each type. Stamina, Muscle Enhancement, and Hellpod Space Optimization are all universally useful. The others are situational depending on difficulty, mission type, and team composition. When lacking an opinion for the fourth booster, take either Vitality or Increased Reinforcement Budget.

In general, your loadout will vary depending on difficulty and the enemies you will be facing but you'll almost always want some form of anti-armor in your kit. It can be a support weapon or a stratagem, but it's almost never a bad idea to have it. To give you an idea, I will list my general loadouts below:

Low Difficulty Terminids: Breaker, Senator, HE grenade, Strafing Run, Airstrike, Supply Pack, Stalwart.
High Difficulty Terminids: Slugger, Senator, HE grenade, Orbital Railcannon, Airstrike, Shield Backpack, EAT-17 or Railgun.
Low Difficulty Automatons: Defender SMG, Senator, HE grenade, Airstirke, Smoke Strike, Ballistic Shield, EAT-17.
High Difficulty Automatons: Slugger, Senator, HE grenade, Airstrike, Orbital Railcannon, Shield Backpack, Railgun.

These loadouts aren't catch-alls, but they're generally what I use unless I have to adapt in some capacity because they fit my playstyle. Play around with the weapons and stratagems and see what works best for you, but also works well with your team.

Once you drop, take an immediate look all around you and make sure you aren't in immediate danger of being spotted by enemies. If you are, address the threat first. Sometimes you can kill all of them before they sound the alarm, but sometimes you have to run and break contact. Communicate with your team and establish what you're doing if you come into contact immediately upon landing.

Once there's no immediate threat, call in your support stratagems and look for any pings on the map your teammates may have made. If they haven't made any, ping an objective close by and see if the rest of your team is good with it.

In lower difficulties, you are not punished as hard for alerting enemy patrols, likewise it's easier to be on your own and still be effective. This changes quickly as difficulty increases. While you are still learning the game, you should limit the amount of time you are by yourself. Be with at least one other Helldiver at all times. You can keep each other safe this way, and if things get bad, you have someone watching your back. Once you become more comfortable with how the game plays, you can start venturing off on your own in short distances, but you should never be far away from your team.

In general, especially at higher difficulties, you never want to be in a spot for longer than you have to be. If you have to complete an objective, then you should have at least one person keeping the group safe from threats and also sweeping for samples while the rest work on the objective, but you generally only need two people at most on an objective. Almost all objectives are able to be done by one person, but are made easier with two. Once the objective is done, you have no reason to stick around and should move on to the next target.

You may come across enemy outposts while you're moving from objective to objective, and it is always beneficial to destroy them unless you are overwhelmed to the point where it is not safe to stick around. You'll get very efficient at destroying outposts with practice, but don't be afraid to use the Airstrike stratagem to make your life easier. It can destroy some, if not all, outpost buildings and make clearing the outpost a cinch.

Similarly, you may come across blue optional objective markers. These are not required, but are generally worth doing. The radar station especially should be a priority if it is spotted, because it reveals everything on the map when it is completed.

As stated before, you should limit the amount of time you're by yourself unless you are very comfortable with how the game works. The game does have a stealth system that is incredibly helpful to utilize on higher difficulties, especially if you are alone. If you spot an enemy patrol, you can crouch or go prone and attempt to move past them if you are going to have to get close to them. Being prone is always best, but it is the slowest form of movement. Enemies can get very close to you while you're prone and not notice you as long as you minimize movement and do not do anything hostile.

If an enemy does notice you, do your best to kill all targets in the pack as quickly as possible, but you should prioritize any enemy that is about to call reinforcements. For Terminids, one of the bugs will tilt their head toward the sky and begin to scream. This is visualized by an orange mist coming from their mouth. If you are not incredibly quick about killing the bug starting the scream, the reinforcements will be called. For Automatons, one of the bots will raise their arm into the air and fire a flare. You have to be similarly quick to stop them from shooting the flare to call for reinforcements. Usually, only one enemy will attempt this, but if you kill the one making the attempt, another may attempt as well. Rarely, two will attempt at the same time.

If you are unable to kill the enemy before the reinforcements are called, you almost always want to attempt to break contact and get away from the enemy reinforcements. If you're solo, you will definitely get overwhelmed very quickly on higher difficulties. Smoke can be incredibly useful for situations like this, and on some planets you may see little grey spore pods. Walking through these or shooting them will give you a lesser version of a smoke grenade which can help you escape. It's also important to note that if you do have reinforcements chasing you, do not kite them back to your team unless they are willing to help you fight them and/or you are unable to break contact.

Being solo carries its own set of challenges, and one of those is accepting responsibility for getting spotted.

Above all, I hope this guide helps you in some capacity. I will be updating it as the game updates until I lose interest and then maybe if someone yells at me enough, I will continue to update it. All jokes aside though, I will be making changes to this guide and if I find a way to word something better, or if someone gives me an idea that I like better, it'll likely get incorporated.

What I'd most like to stress above anything else, is to have fun. Don't focus on meta builds or guides, don't focus on what everyone else says to use. Try everything the game has to offer, and form your own conclusions. What myself or someone else may like, you may not, and vice versa. Don't be afraid to experiment!

Thank you for taking the time to read it, or at the very least glance at it. Most importantly, I hope you have fun with your fellow Helldivers.

For Super Earth!