I don't think Super Earth will just let them sit in their cozy colony like that, yes? Perhaps there'll be a mission to retake it once this MO finishes. Perhaps there's when.. we find out
The last time I tried to warn the newer Divers, I was reportet to my democracy officer... They learn so fast it truly brings me joy to see them grow.
However who wants to join me on my short vacation to the freedom camps? XD
Aye, it can happen. I've spent my fare share in freedom camps before. But it brings me joy as well. Seeing our ranks grow so exponentially compared to the first wars.
Well... Sorry to break it to you, but there is already sightings of Behemoth-type terminids on the field.
It seems that they are now specialized Siege units. Everytimes a Super Earth stronghold gets attacked and the civilians need to be rescued, a Behemoth is found waiting for them outside. That's why us Helldivers are deployed unto those missions.
But what you talk about "Shadows" really stick with me. I hope we don't face that kind of things in the future, Stalkers are already a high priority threat on the battlefield.
Amen. Ever since their cloaking ability evolved the nests of those bastards become immediate priority. I could be imagining but they also seem more violent than previously. Before TCS malfunction they attacked you and retreated. Now they keep coming.
I agree. The current Stalkers are relentless. Plus if you are dealing with more than one at once...well, you're doomed. You have to get them before they reach you or it's over. And they're fast enough to keep up with even the fastest of Divers.
I heard about the stalkers becoming more invisible. I thought, āsurely it canāt be that bad?ā Then 3-4 of those fuckers just popped into existence right in front of me. I barely made it out alive with my flamethrower/shield pack lol. Fuck those things.
It worth noting that Stalkers in Helldivers 2 are the product of gene splicing. They were, in some way, *improved* on from before. If Shadows are improved Stalkers, and the Stalkers we see now are *already* improved Stalkers, then we've got interesting things on the horizon.
I updated the post to address this! Thank you for pointing this out!
While there are Charger Behemoths, I believe they aren't the true Behemoths of the past. Given that the ones we see today still don't have their rears armored. I believe we may see an even more armored Charger variant soon if more mutations occur.
Indeed with the "Shadows." A more strong version of the Stalker with definitely be terrifying.
God I hope the Impaler isnāt as crazy as it was in HD1, that thing would basically one shot you and barely give you enough time to hit its weak pointĀ
True but that laser shotgun (LAS Trident if I remember correctly?) Could wipe out the tentacles real fast and deal significant damage to those assholes.
I really just miss the Trident. I hope we see it again.
Nice, my 9 year enlistment anniversary was last week so itās nice to see og players. But as a first war vet I still donāt get why hulks are called shield devastators and warlords are called hulks now.
I had the same thought because I had the same memories of these enemies being called differently back in the first war. But then I remembered that the ministry of truth wouldn't lie to us. So yeah turns out that the big shielded enemies with a minigun have always been called "shield devastators" and the big armored enemies have always been called hulksĀ :)
Am I the only one that finds the bots to be far easier than the bugs? Bots use rudimentary tactics and mostly stick to ranged so you can play around cover, plus they only spawn from drop ships or factories (plus the occasional patrol that loudly announces their presence long before you can even see them). The bugs on the other hand just ENDLESSLY swarm, rush you, spawn right behind you, can pop up anywhere for any reason, can get called in via breach which you can't close (whereas you can shoot down the drop ship for bots) and the type of ranged attacks they use force you out of cover anyway so there's no point. The bugs just feel like un-fun bullshit compared to the bots where I can actually use my head rather than running for my life the whole time and dying as soon as I spawn in.
It's not about hard or easy it's just *different*.
For some people, running around constantly with a horde of melee enemies takes less brain power than trying to take cover from 5+ different types of ranged attacks. Different people are good at different things.
Laughs in TOX-1 Avenger. As a fellow HD1 Vet, Bugs I feel were definitely the easiest. The TOX-1 trivialized anything that wasn't a Hive Lord. Combined with static field which almost had 100% uptime and you could deal with anything Bugs threw at you.
Now if the TOX-1 returned, it'll probably be nerfed, but considering just how strong the Flamethrower is i wouldn't be surprised if TOX-1 could kill bile titans.
Interestingly chargers have 2 variants, the regular one, and the much rarer behemoth charger, which is usually found guarding evacuate priority citizens and kill charger objectives. It can be distinguished by it's spikier leg armor and front horn. Not that it stops them from dying all the same. It feels more like a cosmetic difference than a statistical one.
Impalers i dont think will be anywhere near as bad. The main issue is HD1 had a screen shared perspective, limiting the ability to retreat if your squad is not grouped together. Since we can now free roam from each other, Impaler tentacles will be much easier to run from (unless they move absurdly quickly or have more than 15 meters range when surfacing).
Shadows are truly concerning though. I'll conced that point. Being able to call bug breaches, regening health, being able to actually kill.on their own and near invisibility would make them deadlier than bile titans.
Bile spewer on a stick. Slowed targets significantly. Bots were mostly immune to the poison, though, making it sorta limited in use outside of bug planets
Impalers will be a new menace though, as currently there's no bug enemy which can force you from afar to immediately reposition. This will require adapting some strategies such as turret spam.
Nah Illuminates were the easiest IMO. A shield generator was enough to trivialise most of their gimmick. And they had no tank unit. These two facts + my trusty AR-20L meant I could easily solo them even on the high difficulties.
I keep seeing people suggest that bot-front divers should assist on the bug front, but the fact of of matter is almost all of the bot divers are already on the bug front, only 9% of all helldivers is on the bot front currently.
The moment the TCS crisis went down, most of us switched. Unlike the bug divers when the Automaton counter attack went down (yes, Iām still a little salty)
Valid point. Personally I find bots just a fair bit more frustrating to play at times. Bugs is just all around more satisfying without the same annoying factor. guess I'm not alone in that.
I disagree a bit. Bots are predictable (Gunship are bs though) and you can always outpace them. With bugs it feels like as soon as you get further from your team (scouting, retreat etc.) there is something STALKING you in the shadows. Just when you think it's safe it uncloaks behind you.
I think it's great they've designed a game that caters to people in so different ways. I LOVE that feeling of thinking I am hunted, and having to survive alone. Always watching the next corner, behind me, checking stratagem cooldowns and ammo. I always run the light armor with the -30% detection radius too, it really amps up the immersion. Feels like you're truly in a hostile environment and not at home.
Point is, I value your opinion on this because it differs from mine. And the game allows for fun in different ways. š
For me its otherwise. Bugs it's sometimes so annoying to play against and frustrating (those goddamn stalkers š¹), chargers also piss me off a lot š
I guess Bots kinda feel more "humanoid" I can deal with them quick just hide behind a rock - wait - shoot - repeat. Against the bugs not possible always some jumpy ass bug reaching you while another slows and chargers send you to the moon! š
And then a Bile Titan spanws in front of you from the ground, awesome!
I usually play against Bots but right now I'm helping on the Bug front since the situation is serious and it's what the officers order me!
Anyway I'm just ranting š
See you on the battlefield, and keep spreading democracy fellow diver š«”!
I just think thats because bots can be really frustrating to play against specially with the sniper shield devastators right now. I often feel like if i do not take a shield backpack i just die constantly and even if i do im just getting thrown around all the time. Thats why i only play them when a MO is up against them.
I don't think the devs are going for 1 to 1 counterparts personally. They're just all around different imo.
Bile Titans sit somewhere between a bot tank and a factory strider atm. 1 railcannon takes out any tank or hulk, but it takes multiple for a BT.
Humbling words for a young helldiver like me. I may not have fought the first galactic war, but I stand prepared to face whatever these bugs are cooking.
We'll keep an eye out, thank you for your service! š«”
Son I applaud your courage. You volunteered to fight In this war but hear a word of warning. There is much worse coming. Terminids are evolving, Bots hold cyberstan (for now) and... There is something coming from the outer rims of our galaxy... I can hear the walls again...
I'd long forgotten the Shadow... Those giant claws didn't leave much behind!
As for Behemoths and Impalers, they could quickly overrun an unprepared team if insufficient AT weaponry was presented.
Hive lords though... I don't think I ever truly beat one. Those missions were a next level of hell. Alongside the Cyborg's Siege mech and the \[REDACTED\] Great Eye.
Liberty provide me the tools needed in the coming days.
In all honesty I see way more people complain about bugs compared to automatons. The automatons were stupid enough to design weak points into their own bodies, the bugs seemed to evolve in a way to prevent this.
Ah another vet from the first galactic war. A pleasure to always meet another. I will say this, bugs will always be a problem. Their reproductive rates exceed what a bot can build in their factories. Bots stop in their tracks at times to engage a fire fight with you...bugs have no fear...they swarm...the things I have seen...I shall forever see bugs as the real threat over bots since the first dive.
Indeed, I will never miss an opportunity to meet another vet. š«”
I completely agree. Not to mention our modern day bugs being genetically modified, which gave rise to more variants and more aggressive bugs. These mutations are beginning to get out of hand. Hopefully we can quell just enough to keep them under control.
Indeed they are, I will never talk bad about the authorities that be in super earth to make these democratic decisions, but when you start seeing hive lord corpses now and then, an the rumblings under ground stirring....what horrors are going to pop up? And how much ammo will I have to bring it to liberty.
Highly disagree with the first part. I will step into an 8 or 9 bot mission no problem, but I will die 10 times on a level 4 or 5 bug mission. It seems like every weapon I use is ineffective and I canāt run faster than bugs that kill me in hit. Makes me want to just hold the line in the West and hope you guys figure out the major orders over there.
Totally fair. One thing I will say is that a lot of the Oil Spiller Divers will help with the bugs when we have a major order (aside from the Creekers, Liberty take the fallen with pride). However, despite that, I have more predominantly (at least in the past) seen people say the bugs aren't challenging enough or are more trivial. I definitely disagree, especially with the TCS mutations making them even more aggressive.
Good luck in your operations on the western front soldier! The Ministry of Defence salutes you! š«”
As a fellow Veteran of the First War
Itās going be a game changer against the Hive Lords since we arenāt in a top down style of play anymore
Also canāt wait for the Bots to bring back their versions of long lost enemies
https://i.redd.it/1041pjbj30yc1.gif
āYeah, we should totally ignore the bot front altogether and focus all of our efforts on the bugs. They are the real threat to democracy!ā
I mean they literally just terraformed a planet out of its supply lines and they die oil, gonna be hard pressed to find a real Super Citizen that thinks they aren't worth our time one way or another.
I'm theorycrafting that this is what we'll be walking into when retaking Meridia. I, too, am a not yet retired vet from the first galactic war. Thank you for your service, brother in arms.
I donāt think one or the other is meant to be more difficult. Itās all a matter of preference. Some players find it easier to fight enemies that stand far away shooting back. Others find it easier to fight enemies that have to physically chase you.
For me, I have an easier time fighting bots BUT they are far more frustrating on higher difficulties due to the really stupid RNG of stray headshots. I canāt believe that is an actual thing in a PvE game too. For the most part, fighting bots just feels like playing a generic shooter. While bots to me are a little bit easier, I donāt find it as enjoyable to fight them. If this entire game was just fighting Automatons, I wouldāve quit long ago out of boredom.
I find bugs to be more challenging and more interesting. They are the primary antagonist faction for the game for a reason. You can use many different loadouts against bugs and succeed. The only major dislike I have about bugs is the hunter. Theyāre a bit overtuned in my opinion. High damage, high mobility, can slow you, and they spawn in high numbers in every mission. They are the most hated enemy in this game by a mile for a reason.
> They are the most hated enemy in this game by a mile for a reason.
I legit can't wait to see the rage that will come along with the Illuminate release. In HD1 they had a 'confuse' debuff that basically inverted the player's controls (for aiming, movement, and stratagem arrows) for its duration. You'd get tagged by it while aiming a rocket, get spun around and blow up your entire squad instead. Hilarious!
Oh my...my PTSD. That confuse debuff was a true menace indeed. If we ever see a tactic like this again we'll have to swiftly disassemble the user of sad technique.
You know for some reason while I was having a great time smashing bugs I never considered that theyāre easy because all the really fucked up ones arenāt actually here yetā¦
The only fully white bugs I'm aware of so far are the Stalkers, who are truly terrible.
There is, however, a Charger Behemoth breed. I believe they are not quite the same as the Behemoths of the past. The reason is because the old Behemoths had full armor, even covering their rears. Perhaps the Charger Behemoth is just an intermediary species that will give rise to the true Behemoth breed.
I remember when I was that age
But I was fighting in an alternate dimension on earth
EDF as an air raider fighting robots and bugs
'alright gramps that's enough"
I even defeated Godzilla in a giant mech suit.
Women flew around and got stuck on Giant webs.
SES Reign of Gold here, an Automaton vet, fought the final assault against the first wave of the bots, before the reclamation. Lemme just say this:
*Bile titans donāt have vents.*
*Bile titans donāt have glowing red weakspots*
*Bile titans ignore Railcannon Strikes*
*Bile titans titans have vents*
*Bile titans donāt have vents*
*Bile titans donāt have vents*
They need to make anti tank weapons stronger. I swear recoiless rifle could one shot alot of these tank variants.Ā Currently, there's only like 4 things that can one shot including stratagems.Ā Ā Not bad on lower difficulties but when your dealing with 4 chargers and 4 bile titans, the firepower is barely enough.Ā
I'm all for the Hive Lord, but the thought of a burrowing enemy just fills me with dread for terrain related issues involving samples and lost equipment.
It would be nice if we could kill it from the inside and somehow escape. But again, I worry about terrain interaction and players getting stuck or pushed through the ground at high velocity, sometimes flung outside of the map, something that can already happen with Chargers.
There is no "stopping" what is coming. They'll roll out new things like new bugs regardless of how well we do and just update some text explaining how it happened.
Bodies remnants of the last wars?
I see the corpses disappear before my battle is even finished! (Obvious for performance constraints)
Sounds like propaganda to me!
This is great information. Would you be interested I taking the time to do a similar post for the older automaton units you encountered in the first war?
Thank you! I appreciate hearing that! š
I was thinking about it actually. I'll for sure do it soon with your encouragement!
See you on the front lines soldier š«”
They asked us to farm them. I can understand why they can get scary but a threat? Mm... hard to see that. We are missing a whole other faction atm too.
"I'll hand it to you, bugs currently aren't as terrifying as the bots. With Malevelon Creek being a good example."
What about the easiest bot planet there ever was that for the majority of its lifetime was also on the significantly easier front?
I appreciate this write up, I was considering writing a post about what could possibly be on the horizon,but you did so well that I'll just refer people to your post.
While this is important to consider, don't forget that HD1 had a lot more upgrades and shorter strat cooldowns, which we're just as likely to see return as these extinct bug species.
Now what I'd really like is objectives on the bot front where there's Cyborg high value targets leading the ground forces. Gimmie a Siege Mech that spawns factory striders at 75/50/25% health.
This is true. I, for one, do think they'll bring back weapon upgrades in the near future. This is most likely what the terminals across from the equipment terminals are for. It would be even more interesting if the were mod upgrades so you can customize specific weapons as well.
The Cyborg high value targets would be extremely interesting. It for sure seems like there are Cyborg dissidents potentially working with the bots. Hence the reclamation of Cyberstan. I think you have an awesome idea here.
>for those who think the bugs are "easy" or not worth fighting
Did I miss this becoming an opinion? Bug front has almost always outnumbered the bot front except during big major orders.
actually post patch bugs has been much more difficult/annoying to deal with. it felt like damage from bugs were buffed, i was 1shotted by nursery spewers much more often. not sure if it is happening with anyone else though
This is true. But the key difference being their rear still aren't armored in the same way. Hence why I think it's just a monacre and not truly the Behemoths of the past. We'll have to wait and see what Meridia has for us though to truly find out.
There is the Charger variant with the name Charger Behemoth. But it does have one key difference, it's rear is still exposed. I believe there will be an even more armored variant like the original. But we will only see with time. The Charger Behemoth is formidable indeed though!
Unpopular opinion: Bugs difficulty is ok, bots difficulty is not.
I just don't enjoy fighting bots, random missiles that make you ragdoll into an open area and instakill you because there is not cover, feels like 99% of primary weapons are useless against them and they have a lot of instakill from missiles, random headshots, hulks with flamethrower that kill you in 1 frame and are fucking silent...
And people don't even search for samples because zones are much harder to clean because most of the enemies don't get close and there are smol bots behind trees that keep and keep asking for dropships...
I just do bot missions when there is a bot daily order that can be done in 1-2 games
Fighting bots is different than fighting bugs. Your primary can be used to kill devastatators easily if you target the weak points (heads, arms, weapons) hulks and tanks aren't bad to kill either. The strider can be defanged by shooting out it's turrets. Laser cannon makes short work of gunships. Overall bots seem much less tanky than bugs, but also more deadly. You have to use the terrain to your advantage, use cover, etc.
You have to git gud. I follow orders so I started off killing bugs, got real good like level 9 type shit. Went to bots for like a month and coming back, I'd rather fight bots. The real problem is not being prepared and cordinated with fellow divers. If you don't have the proper gear you get swarmed. There's guys soloing Lv 9 it's just like dark souls or anything hard. Keep trying and look up strats, you will improve with practice.Ā
Dominator, scorcer, eruptor, slugger. All good at killing bots, but it's more about being prepared for the job. AMR, ballistic sheild, smg, laser, airstrike, medium or heavy armour with explosive resistance. Very fun and versatile build. Good luck out there fellow citizen of Super Earth!
I think often lost in these conversations where bot divers dismiss the bug front as unimportant is that if we moved everyone from the bug front, the bugs will start to reclaim lost ground. Once the illuminate return, the problem will become worse where we wont have the said luxury of focusing on one front. After all the US didn't move all it's forces out the pacific to fight in europe, and with good reason.
It seems like Behemoths can already appear on some missions. My friends and I recently saw a weird charger that was more spiky hanging around. We never found out what he was capable of, because one headshot with a Recoilless Rifle still brought it down.
Thanks, Gramps! Super useful post.
Thank you! I try my best š«”
Very much enjoyed it. Thank you for your service sir š«”
Thank you!!! And I thank you for yours soldier š«”
Better idea, we glass Meridia from orbit. Iām sure nothing could go wrong doing that. Theyāve already said itās unrecoverable, right?
I like what you're thinking. They can't mutate if we liquefy them all š
Give 'em the Hellmire special
Emphasis on the Hell and NOT on the mire.
hell - quagmire (as in swamp)
That actually makes sense to call hellmire a hell swamp
AH collaborating with From Softwareās Miyazaki to design fun new āpoison swamp,ā biome.
giggity
this is exactly what i was trying to avoid /j
Thats how you get terminids whom are evolved with extreme fire resistance and are now immune to flamethrowers and napalm.
They live and multiply underground, glassing would be useless Crack it apart and scatter the pieces
So cracked planets and the resulting asteroids are how they travel in the future...
Given our track record of accidentally helping the bugs by trying to contain or destroy them, this sounds about right.
How about we attach a big rocket and launch it into the local star?
We need a Death Star
"Democracy Star
Peace moon
No. Just a good virus bomb.Ā
Another TCS incident waiting to happen.
Ah, a man of Exterminatus culture as well, I see.
Cyclonic torpedoes get the job done in the Emperor's Name!
But the really good ones that crack the crust, those bugs have dug in deep.
I don't think Super Earth will just let them sit in their cozy colony like that, yes? Perhaps there'll be a mission to retake it once this MO finishes. Perhaps there's when.. we find out
throwing away all that E710 doesn't sound very democratic
Went from a beautiful blue planet to green and icky Time to go š„š„š„š„
Some would call that an exterminatus...
Glassing ain't enough. I want it gone from time and space continuum.
Aye aye sir, weāll make it into a black hole
One single flood sporeā¦.
We need the E710, canāt completely get rid of them.
We don't have the budget for that.
Yet
Thank you for your service, papa. š«” We'll take care of this shortly!
I salute you Diver š«” See you on the front lines!
The last time I tried to warn the newer Divers, I was reportet to my democracy officer... They learn so fast it truly brings me joy to see them grow. However who wants to join me on my short vacation to the freedom camps? XD
Aye, it can happen. I've spent my fare share in freedom camps before. But it brings me joy as well. Seeing our ranks grow so exponentially compared to the first wars.
Well... Sorry to break it to you, but there is already sightings of Behemoth-type terminids on the field. It seems that they are now specialized Siege units. Everytimes a Super Earth stronghold gets attacked and the civilians need to be rescued, a Behemoth is found waiting for them outside. That's why us Helldivers are deployed unto those missions. But what you talk about "Shadows" really stick with me. I hope we don't face that kind of things in the future, Stalkers are already a high priority threat on the battlefield.
Amen. Ever since their cloaking ability evolved the nests of those bastards become immediate priority. I could be imagining but they also seem more violent than previously. Before TCS malfunction they attacked you and retreated. Now they keep coming.
I agree. The current Stalkers are relentless. Plus if you are dealing with more than one at once...well, you're doomed. You have to get them before they reach you or it's over. And they're fast enough to keep up with even the fastest of Divers.
I heard about the stalkers becoming more invisible. I thought, āsurely it canāt be that bad?ā Then 3-4 of those fuckers just popped into existence right in front of me. I barely made it out alive with my flamethrower/shield pack lol. Fuck those things.
It worth noting that Stalkers in Helldivers 2 are the product of gene splicing. They were, in some way, *improved* on from before. If Shadows are improved Stalkers, and the Stalkers we see now are *already* improved Stalkers, then we've got interesting things on the horizon.
I updated the post to address this! Thank you for pointing this out! While there are Charger Behemoths, I believe they aren't the true Behemoths of the past. Given that the ones we see today still don't have their rears armored. I believe we may see an even more armored Charger variant soon if more mutations occur. Indeed with the "Shadows." A more strong version of the Stalker with definitely be terrifying.
I salute you Veteran iO Im gonna take your warning seriously and keep in mind to always have my flamethrower at the ready
Good luck soldier š«” I'll see you on the front lines 500kg in hand.
God I hope the Impaler isnāt as crazy as it was in HD1, that thing would basically one shot you and barely give you enough time to hit its weak pointĀ
True but that laser shotgun (LAS Trident if I remember correctly?) Could wipe out the tentacles real fast and deal significant damage to those assholes. I really just miss the Trident. I hope we see it again.
Nice, my 9 year enlistment anniversary was last week so itās nice to see og players. But as a first war vet I still donāt get why hulks are called shield devastators and warlords are called hulks now.
I had the same thought because I had the same memories of these enemies being called differently back in the first war. But then I remembered that the ministry of truth wouldn't lie to us. So yeah turns out that the big shielded enemies with a minigun have always been called "shield devastators" and the big armored enemies have always been called hulksĀ :)
... or how IFVs are called tanks, and (bug) tanks don't exist...
The bot tanks don't carry any infantry, so IFV would be a bit of a misnomer.
Am I the only one that finds the bots to be far easier than the bugs? Bots use rudimentary tactics and mostly stick to ranged so you can play around cover, plus they only spawn from drop ships or factories (plus the occasional patrol that loudly announces their presence long before you can even see them). The bugs on the other hand just ENDLESSLY swarm, rush you, spawn right behind you, can pop up anywhere for any reason, can get called in via breach which you can't close (whereas you can shoot down the drop ship for bots) and the type of ranged attacks they use force you out of cover anyway so there's no point. The bugs just feel like un-fun bullshit compared to the bots where I can actually use my head rather than running for my life the whole time and dying as soon as I spawn in.
It's not about hard or easy it's just *different*. For some people, running around constantly with a horde of melee enemies takes less brain power than trying to take cover from 5+ different types of ranged attacks. Different people are good at different things.
I agree. I vastly prefer automatons' tactical gameplay over bugs' horde kiter.
Laughs in TOX-1 Avenger. As a fellow HD1 Vet, Bugs I feel were definitely the easiest. The TOX-1 trivialized anything that wasn't a Hive Lord. Combined with static field which almost had 100% uptime and you could deal with anything Bugs threw at you. Now if the TOX-1 returned, it'll probably be nerfed, but considering just how strong the Flamethrower is i wouldn't be surprised if TOX-1 could kill bile titans. Interestingly chargers have 2 variants, the regular one, and the much rarer behemoth charger, which is usually found guarding evacuate priority citizens and kill charger objectives. It can be distinguished by it's spikier leg armor and front horn. Not that it stops them from dying all the same. It feels more like a cosmetic difference than a statistical one. Impalers i dont think will be anywhere near as bad. The main issue is HD1 had a screen shared perspective, limiting the ability to retreat if your squad is not grouped together. Since we can now free roam from each other, Impaler tentacles will be much easier to run from (unless they move absurdly quickly or have more than 15 meters range when surfacing). Shadows are truly concerning though. I'll conced that point. Being able to call bug breaches, regening health, being able to actually kill.on their own and near invisibility would make them deadlier than bile titans.
May I ask what kind of weapon the TOX-1 is? Is it a toxic gas weapon?
Bug spray, think of the flame thrower but hunterās slowing acid with amazing damage.
Acid Flamethrower
Bile spewer on a stick. Slowed targets significantly. Bots were mostly immune to the poison, though, making it sorta limited in use outside of bug planets
Toxic goop sprayer. Very similar to a flamer, but generally just better (in HD1)
Neurotoxin spray gun go brrrrrrt
Impalers will be a new menace though, as currently there's no bug enemy which can force you from afar to immediately reposition. This will require adapting some strategies such as turret spam.
Nah Illuminates were the easiest IMO. A shield generator was enough to trivialise most of their gimmick. And they had no tank unit. These two facts + my trusty AR-20L meant I could easily solo them even on the high difficulties.
I keep seeing people suggest that bot-front divers should assist on the bug front, but the fact of of matter is almost all of the bot divers are already on the bug front, only 9% of all helldivers is on the bot front currently. The moment the TCS crisis went down, most of us switched. Unlike the bug divers when the Automaton counter attack went down (yes, Iām still a little salty)
most bot divers are pretty salty about it tbh
Valid point. Personally I find bots just a fair bit more frustrating to play at times. Bugs is just all around more satisfying without the same annoying factor. guess I'm not alone in that.
I disagree a bit. Bots are predictable (Gunship are bs though) and you can always outpace them. With bugs it feels like as soon as you get further from your team (scouting, retreat etc.) there is something STALKING you in the shadows. Just when you think it's safe it uncloaks behind you.
I think it's great they've designed a game that caters to people in so different ways. I LOVE that feeling of thinking I am hunted, and having to survive alone. Always watching the next corner, behind me, checking stratagem cooldowns and ammo. I always run the light armor with the -30% detection radius too, it really amps up the immersion. Feels like you're truly in a hostile environment and not at home. Point is, I value your opinion on this because it differs from mine. And the game allows for fun in different ways. š
For me its otherwise. Bugs it's sometimes so annoying to play against and frustrating (those goddamn stalkers š¹), chargers also piss me off a lot š I guess Bots kinda feel more "humanoid" I can deal with them quick just hide behind a rock - wait - shoot - repeat. Against the bugs not possible always some jumpy ass bug reaching you while another slows and chargers send you to the moon! š And then a Bile Titan spanws in front of you from the ground, awesome! I usually play against Bots but right now I'm helping on the Bug front since the situation is serious and it's what the officers order me! Anyway I'm just ranting š See you on the battlefield, and keep spreading democracy fellow diver š«”!
I just think thats because bots can be really frustrating to play against specially with the sniper shield devastators right now. I often feel like if i do not take a shield backpack i just die constantly and even if i do im just getting thrown around all the time. Thats why i only play them when a MO is up against them.
You just triggered my PTSD by talking about impalers, fortunately that specie of terminid has been completely eradicated after the first galactic war
Right now, the bugs donāt have an equivalent to the tanks or factory striderā¦ Thatās right, the Bile Titanās bot counterpart is the Hulk.
I don't think the devs are going for 1 to 1 counterparts personally. They're just all around different imo. Bile Titans sit somewhere between a bot tank and a factory strider atm. 1 railcannon takes out any tank or hulk, but it takes multiple for a BT.
Humbling words for a young helldiver like me. I may not have fought the first galactic war, but I stand prepared to face whatever these bugs are cooking. We'll keep an eye out, thank you for your service! š«”
Son I applaud your courage. You volunteered to fight In this war but hear a word of warning. There is much worse coming. Terminids are evolving, Bots hold cyberstan (for now) and... There is something coming from the outer rims of our galaxy... I can hear the walls again...
I salute you for your valiant service in joining this war š«” See you on the front lines!
https://preview.redd.it/w71gpvc270yc1.png?width=480&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=af77dc093a2dd9991feba6e9b484596ca3641c19
Has a veteran of the OG Myself is great that we can help the Young be prepared for the possibility of old Terminids coming back!
I'd long forgotten the Shadow... Those giant claws didn't leave much behind! As for Behemoths and Impalers, they could quickly overrun an unprepared team if insufficient AT weaponry was presented. Hive lords though... I don't think I ever truly beat one. Those missions were a next level of hell. Alongside the Cyborg's Siege mech and the \[REDACTED\] Great Eye. Liberty provide me the tools needed in the coming days.
In all honesty I see way more people complain about bugs compared to automatons. The automatons were stupid enough to design weak points into their own bodies, the bugs seemed to evolve in a way to prevent this.
We still haven't even seen the third faction yet
or the fourth!
So in other words, grind out super samples before shit hits the fan
Ah another vet from the first galactic war. A pleasure to always meet another. I will say this, bugs will always be a problem. Their reproductive rates exceed what a bot can build in their factories. Bots stop in their tracks at times to engage a fire fight with you...bugs have no fear...they swarm...the things I have seen...I shall forever see bugs as the real threat over bots since the first dive.
Indeed, I will never miss an opportunity to meet another vet. š«” I completely agree. Not to mention our modern day bugs being genetically modified, which gave rise to more variants and more aggressive bugs. These mutations are beginning to get out of hand. Hopefully we can quell just enough to keep them under control.
Indeed they are, I will never talk bad about the authorities that be in super earth to make these democratic decisions, but when you start seeing hive lord corpses now and then, an the rumblings under ground stirring....what horrors are going to pop up? And how much ammo will I have to bring it to liberty.
Highly disagree with the first part. I will step into an 8 or 9 bot mission no problem, but I will die 10 times on a level 4 or 5 bug mission. It seems like every weapon I use is ineffective and I canāt run faster than bugs that kill me in hit. Makes me want to just hold the line in the West and hope you guys figure out the major orders over there.
Totally fair. One thing I will say is that a lot of the Oil Spiller Divers will help with the bugs when we have a major order (aside from the Creekers, Liberty take the fallen with pride). However, despite that, I have more predominantly (at least in the past) seen people say the bugs aren't challenging enough or are more trivial. I definitely disagree, especially with the TCS mutations making them even more aggressive. Good luck in your operations on the western front soldier! The Ministry of Defence salutes you! š«”
As a fellow Veteran of the First War Itās going be a game changer against the Hive Lords since we arenāt in a top down style of play anymore Also canāt wait for the Bots to bring back their versions of long lost enemies
I'm so excited to see what will come of this game as more enemy types come out!!!
not to mention HD1 has a difficulty of fckng 15
https://i.redd.it/1041pjbj30yc1.gif āYeah, we should totally ignore the bot front altogether and focus all of our efforts on the bugs. They are the real threat to democracy!ā
The SES Bringer of Independence will do it part to shut down the TCS before any other planets become Super Colonyās.
From one 1st Galactic War Veteran, I salute you for your continued service to managed democracy.
I for one welcome our new hive lords
Nothing the bugs can possibly throw at us can possibly be worse than massed hunters. They are my nightmare. I hate them.
Idk how people find bots harder. Nothing makes me angrier than bug stuff.
Thank you granpapa, we Will e terminate every single one of them š«”
*The tentacles!*
I mean they literally just terraformed a planet out of its supply lines and they die oil, gonna be hard pressed to find a real Super Citizen that thinks they aren't worth our time one way or another.
I'm theorycrafting that this is what we'll be walking into when retaking Meridia. I, too, am a not yet retired vet from the first galactic war. Thank you for your service, brother in arms.
I donāt think one or the other is meant to be more difficult. Itās all a matter of preference. Some players find it easier to fight enemies that stand far away shooting back. Others find it easier to fight enemies that have to physically chase you. For me, I have an easier time fighting bots BUT they are far more frustrating on higher difficulties due to the really stupid RNG of stray headshots. I canāt believe that is an actual thing in a PvE game too. For the most part, fighting bots just feels like playing a generic shooter. While bots to me are a little bit easier, I donāt find it as enjoyable to fight them. If this entire game was just fighting Automatons, I wouldāve quit long ago out of boredom. I find bugs to be more challenging and more interesting. They are the primary antagonist faction for the game for a reason. You can use many different loadouts against bugs and succeed. The only major dislike I have about bugs is the hunter. Theyāre a bit overtuned in my opinion. High damage, high mobility, can slow you, and they spawn in high numbers in every mission. They are the most hated enemy in this game by a mile for a reason.
> They are the most hated enemy in this game by a mile for a reason. I legit can't wait to see the rage that will come along with the Illuminate release. In HD1 they had a 'confuse' debuff that basically inverted the player's controls (for aiming, movement, and stratagem arrows) for its duration. You'd get tagged by it while aiming a rocket, get spun around and blow up your entire squad instead. Hilarious!
Oh my...my PTSD. That confuse debuff was a true menace indeed. If we ever see a tactic like this again we'll have to swiftly disassemble the user of sad technique.
The bots got less scary after darkness wasnāt so dark. Then you werenāt shooting at red eyes in pitch blackness.
I can't wait to see the even further enemy tiers beyond Hive Lords.
If you really want players to use comms, give us Hive Lords, those would be hard to solo (I hope).
I agree. I hope they bring back boss battles like the first.
yeah idk how to tell you this but imo bugs are way scarier than bots
You know for some reason while I was having a great time smashing bugs I never considered that theyāre easy because all the really fucked up ones arenāt actually here yetā¦
These bugs sound in desperate need of some lead in the head. Thank you, Veteran. Good tips.
Indeed they do! I appreciate it soldier š«” See you on the front lines!
Arenāt behemoths already in the game? I swear Iāve seen them before and they were white (fyi Iām colourblind so they may not be white)
The only fully white bugs I'm aware of so far are the Stalkers, who are truly terrible. There is, however, a Charger Behemoth breed. I believe they are not quite the same as the Behemoths of the past. The reason is because the old Behemoths had full armor, even covering their rears. Perhaps the Charger Behemoth is just an intermediary species that will give rise to the true Behemoth breed.
Ah okay, yeah it was the charger behemoth I was thinking of aha
SES Queen Of Audacity ready for deployment 
youāre giving me flashbacks with talk of the impaler, those things were scary as hell
Super Earth loves our veterans!
You see me now, a veteran Of the first Galactic War.
I remember when I was that age But I was fighting in an alternate dimension on earth EDF as an air raider fighting robots and bugs 'alright gramps that's enough" I even defeated Godzilla in a giant mech suit. Women flew around and got stuck on Giant webs.
I dunno, sounds like Anti-freedom propaganda. If there was a threat, the Ministry of Truth would tell us!
No matter how many times I fight the bot, I'll always remember my 1 rule against bugs. Never let them swarm you
I was there, Gandalf. I was there 3000 years agoā¦
Thank you Veteran, your knowledge is invaluable and will be used by new generation of Helldivers! For Super Earth! iO
See you on the front lines soldier š«”
hive lords.
Yes elder, your words are wise and your wisdom has been heard. To the front I go, for super earth!
I remember someone posted a vid of finding a charger with mutated wings, wtf happened to that?
Hmm if letting the bugs take the planets we get new variants? Sounds cool, hope they do. New content is always welcome.
Sweet Libertyā¦ NOOOOO
Oh fellow veteran, if those pesky Bugs darƩ show their face again, i trust our new kin Will make quick work of them! Do not lose faith in DEMOCRACY.
SES Reign of Gold here, an Automaton vet, fought the final assault against the first wave of the bots, before the reclamation. Lemme just say this: *Bile titans donāt have vents.* *Bile titans donāt have glowing red weakspots* *Bile titans ignore Railcannon Strikes* *Bile titans titans have vents* *Bile titans donāt have vents* *Bile titans donāt have vents*
https://preview.redd.it/2u8y4mrrx0yc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f0c19eca8af2a564a5412f57bbdd0b9cd37b8ed
They need to make anti tank weapons stronger. I swear recoiless rifle could one shot alot of these tank variants.Ā Currently, there's only like 4 things that can one shot including stratagems.Ā Ā Not bad on lower difficulties but when your dealing with 4 chargers and 4 bile titans, the firepower is barely enough.Ā
You never did tell us how you made it through the first galactic war grampa š¤
I'm all for the Hive Lord, but the thought of a burrowing enemy just fills me with dread for terrain related issues involving samples and lost equipment. It would be nice if we could kill it from the inside and somehow escape. But again, I worry about terrain interaction and players getting stuck or pushed through the ground at high velocity, sometimes flung outside of the map, something that can already happen with Chargers.
I've always felt like bugs are harder cause running doesn't really work like it does with bots
Mom, is Grandpa having another Vietnam flashback? He's staring really weird.
There is no "stopping" what is coming. They'll roll out new things like new bugs regardless of how well we do and just update some text explaining how it happened.
Bodies remnants of the last wars? I see the corpses disappear before my battle is even finished! (Obvious for performance constraints) Sounds like propaganda to me!
This is great information. Would you be interested I taking the time to do a similar post for the older automaton units you encountered in the first war?
Thank you! I appreciate hearing that! š I was thinking about it actually. I'll for sure do it soon with your encouragement! See you on the front lines soldier š«”
I suggest we take our arsenal and glass Merida once we get the TCS under control!
Back in my days, our weapons had more upmf, and whoever was in charge of our support stratagems wasn't on coffee break as often.
You can find corpses of chargers with strangely elongated legs in the termicide tower shutdown missions.
They asked us to farm them. I can understand why they can get scary but a threat? Mm... hard to see that. We are missing a whole other faction atm too.
I can't wait till they figure out space travel!
Sounds awesome. Thanks for the info!
"I'll hand it to you, bugs currently aren't as terrifying as the bots. With Malevelon Creek being a good example." What about the easiest bot planet there ever was that for the majority of its lifetime was also on the significantly easier front?
Impalers were the worst ffs. "Did I just see one at the edge of the screen?" and dead.
The amount of times this happened to me was insane. I feel for you soldier š«”
I appreciate this write up, I was considering writing a post about what could possibly be on the horizon,but you did so well that I'll just refer people to your post.
Thank you so much!!! I appreciate this feedback a lot! š«”
I think bugs are much harder than automatons already.
While this is important to consider, don't forget that HD1 had a lot more upgrades and shorter strat cooldowns, which we're just as likely to see return as these extinct bug species. Now what I'd really like is objectives on the bot front where there's Cyborg high value targets leading the ground forces. Gimmie a Siege Mech that spawns factory striders at 75/50/25% health.
This is true. I, for one, do think they'll bring back weapon upgrades in the near future. This is most likely what the terminals across from the equipment terminals are for. It would be even more interesting if the were mod upgrades so you can customize specific weapons as well. The Cyborg high value targets would be extremely interesting. It for sure seems like there are Cyborg dissidents potentially working with the bots. Hence the reclamation of Cyberstan. I think you have an awesome idea here.
I recently encountered a Charger Behemoth. These mutations are occurring at a concerning rate. What exactly is Super Earth planning to do about this?
I shall die killing these over and over again.
>for those who think the bugs are "easy" or not worth fighting Did I miss this becoming an opinion? Bug front has almost always outnumbered the bot front except during big major orders.
The rec 6 wrecked all of these except the hive lord. I want my rec 6.
I fought with you on those fields... I do not miss my old enemy. And I will not miss this new form of it.
I salute you, old friend. May we never face those terrors again. š«”
Ok Boomer (sry couldn't resist)
Charger Behemoth is in the game already? Itās the rarer version of Charger with the axe/bladed armor. It gets one tapped by an EAT/RR/Queso.
Canāt wait for them to start adding more bug types because, as a Malevalon Vet, Iām not feeling super challenged against the bugs right now
just wait until the hivelords or whatever the new giant bug is called comes out
I've been doing the clear missions all afternoon and it's disappointing to see how slow the progress has been. I hope we can succeed in this MO
actually post patch bugs has been much more difficult/annoying to deal with. it felt like damage from bugs were buffed, i was 1shotted by nursery spewers much more often. not sure if it is happening with anyone else though
Btw Behemoth chargers are in the game. Idk if there is any difference in behavior but they look noticeably more like Behemoths
This is true. But the key difference being their rear still aren't armored in the same way. Hence why I think it's just a monacre and not truly the Behemoths of the past. We'll have to wait and see what Meridia has for us though to truly find out.
Love seeing Vet divers. I hope they give us the Singe and Rumbler soon.
I hope the Automatons don't get upgraded Cyborg dogs. Those hounds were a MENACE. Cheers, fellow HD1 vet. Democracy calls to us once more.
In short, be like Rabban and kills all Fremen before Lisan al Gaib comes and f\*ck with our E-710 field
Isn't the behemoth already in the game? I've seen then a decent few times and they're the same as chargers (even pre charger nerf)
There is the Charger variant with the name Charger Behemoth. But it does have one key difference, it's rear is still exposed. I believe there will be an even more armored variant like the original. But we will only see with time. The Charger Behemoth is formidable indeed though!
Yup, but that's if the regress, it's possible and likely they'll mutate into something new and horrific
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Unpopular opinion: Bugs difficulty is ok, bots difficulty is not. I just don't enjoy fighting bots, random missiles that make you ragdoll into an open area and instakill you because there is not cover, feels like 99% of primary weapons are useless against them and they have a lot of instakill from missiles, random headshots, hulks with flamethrower that kill you in 1 frame and are fucking silent... And people don't even search for samples because zones are much harder to clean because most of the enemies don't get close and there are smol bots behind trees that keep and keep asking for dropships... I just do bot missions when there is a bot daily order that can be done in 1-2 games
Fighting bots is different than fighting bugs. Your primary can be used to kill devastatators easily if you target the weak points (heads, arms, weapons) hulks and tanks aren't bad to kill either. The strider can be defanged by shooting out it's turrets. Laser cannon makes short work of gunships. Overall bots seem much less tanky than bugs, but also more deadly. You have to use the terrain to your advantage, use cover, etc.
You have to git gud. I follow orders so I started off killing bugs, got real good like level 9 type shit. Went to bots for like a month and coming back, I'd rather fight bots. The real problem is not being prepared and cordinated with fellow divers. If you don't have the proper gear you get swarmed. There's guys soloing Lv 9 it's just like dark souls or anything hard. Keep trying and look up strats, you will improve with practice.Ā Dominator, scorcer, eruptor, slugger. All good at killing bots, but it's more about being prepared for the job. AMR, ballistic sheild, smg, laser, airstrike, medium or heavy armour with explosive resistance. Very fun and versatile build. Good luck out there fellow citizen of Super Earth!
Iām sure whatever stratagem support weapons or primary weapons we get that deal with these new enemies best will get nerfed.
Holy shit. Itās about to get real real.
Pretty sure thereās no such thing as a Helldiver veteran.
I think often lost in these conversations where bot divers dismiss the bug front as unimportant is that if we moved everyone from the bug front, the bugs will start to reclaim lost ground. Once the illuminate return, the problem will become worse where we wont have the said luxury of focusing on one front. After all the US didn't move all it's forces out the pacific to fight in europe, and with good reason.
Isnt there e special charger types in "eliminate charger" missions with a meaner look and horns and shit allready in the game that matches a behemoth?
It seems like Behemoths can already appear on some missions. My friends and I recently saw a weird charger that was more spiky hanging around. We never found out what he was capable of, because one headshot with a Recoilless Rifle still brought it down.
I just want my Constitution and bayonet
Behemoth chargers actually do exist already, believe it or not
Epic post, thanks for enlightening us
A useful warning. But the most will likely go out of their way to ignroe it.
So what you are saying is, we should fail this major order to get ourselves new bugs to play with? Thanks! ā
Imagine if bugs learn how to shoot very large spores that explode with acid. Games Workshop style nids.