Banner as a stratagem?

[yourcomrade]

The flag of Super Earth has been a reappearing element in this game's trailers. And what greater disappoints can there be if helldivers can't fight under an icon that demonstrates their burning patriotism?

Here is my humble opinion about adding banners as a stratagem in this game.

A banner is a blue stratagem that can only be used once per mission, which grants multiple buffs to allies and inflicts debuffs to foes.

When called, a drop pod deploys a banner on the battlefield that can be picked up by a helldiver like a package. When holding the banner, the helldiver can still use their sidearms, and perform stronger melee attacks by wielding the banner as a staff or pike.

The bearer can also deploy the banner on the ground, and then use their primary or support weapons normally.

About what this little banner can do, it generates an aura (perhaps 25m in radius) with the effects of:


Inspiring presence: The mere sight of the banner sends valor running through every helldiver's patriotic veins. Players receive increased movement speed, higher armor rating, and a small chance to shake off a fatal blow.

The gaze of liberty: Our fellows on super destroyers work extra hard, knowing a valued battle relic is under their vigilant watch. Players' stratagem cooldown is accelerated.

Death to the tyrants: The banner strikes fear into liberty's foes. Enemy's movement speed is decreased, and they will prioritize the banner or its bearer.


The idea behind this stratagem is to allow another play style. When facing bug breaches in N8+ missions, players don't have much choice apart from being chased around (or being sent flying around), trying to thin the enemies down while running for their lives.

The banner can perhaps give helldivers an option to hold their ground and make their stand, while encouraging them to stick together to maximize the banner's benefits.


To make it cooler, maybe the banners can receive a slight but permanent upgrade every time it is successfully retrieved in a mission, and can be showcased in the super cruiser, showing how many battles this venerable relic has witnessed, and how many heroes have made their glorious last stand holding it in their hands.


Anyway, it's just a casual post about my feverish imagination. I don't mean to talk about how this game is supposed to be played, so please don't take it seriously.

[ObsidianKey]

Do I get extra points if I am reinforced and land on the banner-man?

About the melee attack, could it just be a regular damage, kick, instead?
- the banner should be held high at all times...
- we don't want Arrowhead to have to balance it again with their next warbond patch.

Effect: bonus medals, squad gains 5! 🎖️🎖️🎖️🎖️🎖️

[Flo]

Mechanically cool, but unrealistic in the setting. This isn't fantasy, flags don't give guns +20 damage.
But it could be an objective that you need to either transport and plant, like SSDs, or extract with, like the larvae. Maybe a secret bonus pickup not shown on the map, finding it and extracting with it gives an XP bonus.
As a stratagem, maybe it could attract enemy aggro, like a dummy. Or allow a free stratagem call into the area, or faster stratagem deployement. Or a sample detector over a large area (game is still missing sample drone from HD1...).
It could be a backpack, left-handed, planted to activate and picked up again, or even just a fixed sentry.

[yourcomrade]

I see being realistic is part of this game, but there is already an armor passive called "Democracy Protects" that can literally save someone from a cannon shot in the head. So why don't we have some fun and follow the rule of cool sometimes.

[yourcomrade]

To add some more fun, maybe the banners can be customized with some department-of-truth-approved patterns and designs every time they are retrieved from a battle, which can grant a squad even more bonuses and hopefully add some longevity to this game.