Starting out in Helldivers 2 can feel like jumping into a shark-infested pool in the deep end with weights attached to both legs. Enemies are everywhere, and they attack straight away without mercy. That’s why we’ve formulated a few tips and tricks to make the game easier.
When we first launched Helldivers 2, we were lulled into a false sense of security by the tutorial. The most grizzled war hero in the game’s universe told us how good our use of terminals and avoiding bullets was. We felt unstoppable. Then, we dropped onto Heeth and started fighting Terminids and were quickly put in our place. For that reason, and because the game only gets more challenging with every difficulty level, we’ve put together a list of the best tips and tricks to make Helldivers 2 feel easier.
Related: 5 Helldivers 2 Trophies That Make Us Afraid to Go for The Platinum
Ten Helldivers 2 Tips & Tricks to Make the Game Easier
Below, we’ve listed our top ten tips and tricks to make Helldivers 2 easier on any difficulty mode. These apply to any difficult level, be it the lowest of easy missions or the toughest Extreme missions and beyond. While not all can be used straight away, players will unlock the ability to do all of them over time pretty quickly, and using the more basic tips will help them get to higher difficulties faster.
1) Stims Replenish Stamina in a Pinch
If players are running away from enemies in a mission and their stamina is depleted, it slows them down. That stamina takes a good ten seconds or so to replenish, which is what will get a lot of players killed in Helldivers 2.
Instead of waiting for a character’s stamina to fill back up while a swarm of enemies is approaching or overrunning the evacuation site, players can just use a Stim. While they’re primarily used to refill health, they also refill stamina and keep players running for longer when Charger or Hulk is closing in with deadly weapons.
2) Orbital Strikes Close Bug Holes and Nests
Helldivers 2 teaches players to use grenades to close Bug Holes and Nests. This can result in them using Resupply Stratagems to call in more grenades so they can close up a Bug Outpost. This isn’t necessary, though, since Orbital Strikes will also collapse Bug Holes and Nests, and they’ll kill more Termanids when they drop, too. Once we learned this, it sped up every mission with Termanids involved.
3) All Automaton Enemies Have Weak Points
The Automaton threat is a faction of advanced machines that will rip players apart. They’re incredibly well armored, but each one has a weak spot. For most, it’s their head, the glowing part with eyes. Others, such as the Hulk and Tank variants, have weak points on their backs that players can shoot to destroy them.
We spent ages firing bullets at every part of Automaton armor we could see to no avail. Then, we saw the backs of these enemies, and it clicked. What helps is getting another player to shoot their back while the Automatons follow a distraction, which might be the player character.
4) Explore the Map in Every Mission for Maximum Rewards
Each mission in Helldivers 2 has a main objective. Players will know this before the drop into it, and they might even see side objectives on the map too. However, in some. instances, they’ll be blind to all but the main one.
For every mission, we encourage players to explore the map as much as the timer allows. If there’s a full 40 minutes to roam, players should use it. There are small points of interest where players can pick up Samples and Super Credits, as well as side objectives that award additional XP. Grabbing all of these will make progression so much faster and make the game feel more enjoyable.
5) Invest in a Shotgun Early
Players can get a shotgun early on by purchasing it with Warbonds from the acquisitions menu. This is a powerful weapon that downs most weaker enemies in a single shot and even some mid-sized enemies in two. We’ve had nothing but success with this weapon all the way up to Extreme difficulty, and all other players should make their lives easier by using it, too.
6) Pay Close Attention to Suit Perks
Some, though not all, suits in Helldivers 2 have perks. These aren’t game-breaking, but they can increase a character’s throwing distance or provide limb protection. These perks are worth paying attention to because they could make missions easier. Try to think about the biggest annoyance in missions, such as limbs breaking and requiring Stims or explosions going off too close, and get suits that help alleviate those troubles.
7) Complete Additional Orders for Extra Warbonds
Each day, Helldivers 2 players will get some additional orders. There’s always a main objective for players worldwide to conquer certain planets. The additional orders usually require players to kill certain enemy types or complete side objectives.
Every side objective awards a package of Warbonds, and these help players get more suits and weapons faster. This will help players progress quicker and make missions easier as a result. There’s no reason to ignore these objectives, and players should focus on them before they do anything else.
8) Don’t Forget to Reinforce
When playing Helldivers 2 with other players in a squad, it’s easy to forget to use the Reinforce Stratagem. This respawns dead players, and it’s incredibly frustrating to be watching a player ignore it while the run around the planet wondering where their partners are.
Every time the Reinforce Stratagem shows up, type it out and throw it. Keeping active player numbers up ensures more enemies are killed, more objectives are completed, and more resources are gathered. This benefits all players and makes missions so much more simple in the end.
9) Buy New Stratagems That Suit Your Play Style
Players can buy Stratagems in Helldivers 2 in the Ship Management screen as soon as they’re back on their ship. There are dozens to purchase, and they’re unlocked as players hit certain levels. However, they’re not worth purchasing if a player won’t use them.
For example, we don’t use gun placements, so we opted for a shield generator instead. This meant we had to wait a few levels to buy our next Stratagem, but it was infinitely more useful once we did buy it because of the way we play.
Similarly, we like to use Orbital Strikes on massive groups of enemies, especially Termanid. So we waited to purchase the napalm bomb that we’d seen others using because it’s so effective. We could have purchased several other Stratagems before then, but by saving, we had the cash to buy exactly what we wanted when it was unlocked. The rest can come after as we earn more currency after hitting level 20.
10) Always Call in a Support Wapon at the Start of a Mission
Last but not least, we have to talk about support weapons. These are the heavy weapon Stratagems, such as the machine gun, that will save every player’s life. These can be called in from the beginning of any mission on every difficulty unless the Automatons are blocking them, and we recommend players use them right away.
These weapons make short work of the larger and more deadly enemies and are refilled from Resupply Stratagems. While a Jetpack is nice, it’s better to have a reliable firearm that will down a Charger, such as the railgun, because players will get through more objectives using it.
