Notes On Mobility

I love Helldivers, but like a lot of co-op games, you wonder what the hell some people are smoking. Some great games have ended in failure or easily completed objectives have been failed because people refused to coordinate with each other or just ran around in circles.

I'm currently level 23 and here are some observations I made while playing.

Keep On Truckin'

First and foremost, Helldivers is a game about mobility. You have to keep moving when you can, no matter what. As the loading screens say, you don't have to kill everyone. I'll echo that; frankly, it's just not worth it unless there are just too many enemies. You're there to complete a set series of objectives that don't change (and collect as many samples as you can).

Any Stratagem that keeps you moving works; LIFT-850, the M5-APC or HAV are worth it (the M5s only if you've got everyone in a gun position or one person on the turret. Having a person on only one sponson might be better than nothing for bugging out, but it can be trouble if there's no one watching the other sponson position).

For anti-tank work, (without a vehicle) I prefer the EAT-17 over the RL-112. While the RL-112 is reloadable, unless you have a telepathic link to another player or work enough as a rocket team to know, you've basically got to wear the Resupply pack yourself. The reload for the RL-112 is intolerable and leaves you open.

The EAT-17, on the other hand, is a quick, fire and forget solution. Problem is, you'll need more than one to crack some tanks and you can only carry one at a time. Two come in each pod, so if you can get to the second one and fire it, you're laughing.

The LIFT-850 is definitely my favourite back pack. Whether I'm jumping over terrain or jumping over a river, I'm never stuck for long. The LIFT-850 also stops you from getting caught behind Illuminate beam weapons or walls. Even better, if you jump at the right time, you can jump before a Shredder or activated Hellbomb goes off and completely avoid the explosion. Perfect for those last ditch offensive Stratagems, just watch you don't jump over a cliff!

It's also invaluable for jumping behind enemies and killing them or completing an objective. You can always jump back or away if you overshot or jumped in to group of enemies, so don't be too worried. It's easier than sprinting there.

Cardio Accelerator is generally my favourite Perk, but it really becomes valuable when a whole team has it equipped. All Terrain Boots are a must for missions on Snow maps, but for everything else, the LIFT-850 will clear obstacles fine.

The EXO series of exo suits are also great if you don't have or want All Terrain Boots and want to remain mobile. EXOs aren't slowed by Snow and pack serious firepower. The humble EXO-44, when fully upgraded, has eight anti-tank homing missiles. These can stop just about any enemy tank in their tracks and can fire at the same time as the Gatling gun. Its biggest problem is they’re not that fast and the weapons slew slower, so compromise with other players.

Remember to stay together as well. Some people are just uncoordinated and don't really mean it, but when you've got everyone running and one player just standing there, looking at a map, it stops everyone from being able to see ahead of them. Have a brief look or leave pathfinding to a player that knows what they're doing.

Treat 'Em Mean, Keep 'Em Keen

Reinforcing is obviously a central mechanic to the game, but there's a time and a place for everything. A lot of players will be running from a massive group of enemies. One or two guys are down. You're nearly at a clearing where you can defend, maybe even start on an objective.

Then some guy will throw a Reinforce beacon and you've got to hold out for three seconds while the revived guy drops, then the one second for him to get out the pod, then another second for them to start moving. Five precious seconds up in smoke and you're back to the bad position you were in to start with.

This goes double for Illuminate games or games with Snow. Sometimes, a player is separated from the team by a wall and they don't have a LIFT-850 unit and goes down, but three guys are still up. You just have to let him die. It's horrible, but there's nothing you can do.

Remember the game lore! Helldivers get flash-cloned in orbit and dropped when they die in battle. Don't feel too bad. Unless they were carrying an objective, everyone is expendable so long as at least one person is alive.

On Deploy objectives, you've outrun a massive group of enemies or you’re waiting on Hellbombs, you've generally got time to revive, drop some ammo or that back pack you wanted. Common sense prevails though.

DANGER CLOSE!

If you've got two or more Destroy objectives (Bug nests, Illuminate beacons or Cyborg AA guns), remember to bring a Shredder missile. These things are great, but they do have a rather long reload time, so having a fully upgraded NUX-223 Hellbomb (activation in 15 seconds instead of 25) will definitely help. Two players should bring Shredders if there are three Destroys.

The phrase "danger close" comes to mind when thinking about Stratagems like Close Air Support and Thunderer barrages. In lieu of or as well as mines (stun or anti-personnel) can be better than a Stasis Field Conductor if you can help it. Stasis Field Conductors can be more at home on Retalitory Strike maps.

These Stratagems are great for not just getting rid of big groups of tanks and infantry, they're great for killing pursuing tanks and infantry if you don't like mines. Don't be too scared to call it on yourself if you're moving quick; you'll be out of range in one to two seconds if you jump or keep sprinting.

You're a cloned shock trooper; act like one.

Turrets Are Your Friends Until They Aren't

On Retalitory Strike maps, Minigun, Rail and Tesla turrets are like an extra player but with a shorter life time and attention span. But if you're not careful, they'll ruin your day.

Teslas are good for keeping an area completely locked down; no organic matter gets in or out without taking damage, but that includes you. Some players will drop them too close to a position that's been set up (Anti-Personnel Barriers, Mines, all that jazz set up) and just zaps the whole team. A little bit further away can be the difference between getting to that shuttle or not, but that can be easier said than done if there are a lot of enemies.

Miniguns and Rail turrets aren't much better and can even be worse. When Miniguns, in particular, lock on to a target, everything in it's path is getting mulched. Too many turrets doing that and you have to crawl through, leaving you to be the prey of a tank you could have otherwise taken out. One or two dispersed are best.

Another idea is destroying turrets that are in bad positions. It's just not worth being mowed down by your own guns, especially when you're nearly at the Kill count or waiting for a shuttle to come in. And if someone decides to build it again, kill them or convince them not to because otherwise you stand a very good chance of losing.

My Ideal Loadouts

These are load outs I use as presets. It's generally geared towards anti-infantry and team support (i.e two EATs come in one drop, two ammo cans in one Resupply, etc.). There's also not much variation. These are my go-to and I'll generally only change it if other players want me to or on Retalitory Strike maps, where mobility isn't as important as straight up firepower.

I'll leave Retalitory Strike map loadouts for you to decide; There's so many damn offensive Stratagems it's pointless even saying. Pick which works for you

ILLUMINATE

Cardio Accelerator
SG-225 Breaker

Resupply
Shredder
LIFT-850 Jump Pack
EXO-44 Walker Exo Suit

CYBORGS

Cardio Accelerator
MG-105 Stalwart

Resupply
EAT-17 x2/ LIFT-850 and EAT-17 x1
EX0-44 walker Exo Suit

BUGS

Cardio Accelerator
MG-105 Stalwart

Resupply
Shredder/ LIFT-850
EAT-17
EX0-44 walker Exo Suit

Note: Illuminate doesn't have any EATs. They really don't have any units that are impervious to normal ammo, it just takes longer because they might have shields or high health.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the choice of how to play and what to use is yours. I will say that slower teams don't generally win a lot or by inches if they do. Fast teams that coordinate properly beat the opposition in to the ground.

Take care and have fun.

Revisions

16/3/2017

Changed Illuminates loadout primary weapon to SG-225 Breaker.

Ultimately, I do use the Stalwart on every enemy race, but I've begun using the Breaker on Illuminates because it's mag fed, unlike the Punisher which is tube fed.

The Breaker cuts through Illuminate shields faster than a Stalwart.

18/3/2017

Changed Cyborg and Bug loadout to include LIFT-850

I do use LIFTs for these enemies, I just have to seriously look at what objectives are going on and consider dropping resupply instead.

[CONTCOM]

I am absolutely fine with abandoning a downed member. That is the point.

They will be cloned, they will drop, they can get their weapons back later.

Using what I've written in this guide I've had a great time in Helldivers. This guide is a series of reccomendations and I encourage you to play how you want to play.

[MantaBear]

Overall good guide. Here are my 2 cents

Thinking along the lines of Mobility is fine, I use to think that way too; but that will lead into the trap of thinking that you have to blitz everything. With that policy in mind, what should the team do if someone with heavy weapons dies and there is moderate enermy presence(RL-112, Rumbler)? Your doctrine leaves the team little option but to abandon it most of the time. Speed is not the issue here, Coordination is.

Find good teammates, anticipate what they are going to do and try to complement what they are doing(Rumblers users ove Railgun users because of stunock). Cover each other when the respawned teammate needs to recover gear. More fun that way.

If you brainwash yourself too hard into thinking mobility is everything Helldivers will get boring real quick because that doctrine limits your builds to just the few items.

GLHF!

[CONTCOM]

Appreciate the feedback.

[CONTCOM]

I've got a big phobia of the Oblit just because I've mulched myself so many times. So many times I've hit a wall and killed myself with it.

It's stupid because I mean I kill just as many guys with the Stalwart.

[Lemonidas of Sourta]

Oh and the Obiliterator grenade launcher against Illuminates. ALWAYS. They take out mobs of Tripods and take down those Council Members within seconds and the fire damage keeps them from regenerating shields and/or teleporting away. The 'nade launcher also fires in an arc so you can shoot em over the beam walls.

Stun grenade perk against Borgs also works wonders. I guarantee you that you will find a use for them against Borgs. They stun mobs of Butchers and even Warlords leaving them easy prey for a Rail Cannon strike or a Heavy Airstrike.

Anyways, great guide though. Would be helpful for a lot of new players and the tips given remain valid any war, any enemy.

[Lemonidas of Sourta]

On Helldive difficulty missions, its great to change up some weapons here and there. Especially bugs.
When I am shock-dropping into a game against bugs, I'd carry fully upgraded rail gun and MG-42 strategem. Especially if lots of defense objectives are there. Bug tanks have a propensity to spawn right on top of defense objectives and impalers are the worst when they go Japan on you off screen.
Rail guns stun the tanks and the impalers, buying you extra valuable seconds to reposition and/or take the threats out before they blow up your precious objectives. They are crap against patrols so the MG42 comes handy.

[CONTCOM]

Thanks for that. Much appreciated.

[Featherlilly]

Pretty good guide here, nice notes to remember for players at any level, thank you.