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Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 Enemy List and Weaknesses

By
Ben Chard

Super Earth finds itself in a Galactic War and if you’re going to help spread democracy in Helldivers 2, you’ll want to know what you’re up against. There are two main factions at play, the Terminid and the Automatons, and you’ll find several enemy types in each faction, all with their own strengths and weaknesses. On this page, you’ll find out more about every enemy and how to take them down.

Berserkers are just one of the many enemies you can encounter in Helldivers 2.

Helldivers 2 Bug Types Enemy List

The Terminid faction is the first group of enemies you’ll encounter in Helldivers 2 and they consist of many forms of bugs. Fans of Starship Troopers will be right at home here and will know what to expect. You’ll find that many Terminids will attack from holes in the ground and closing bug holes are one of the objectives you’ll find on missions.

The table below will list all types of Terminid, their main characteristics, and how you can deal with them:

Name Description Weakness
Scavenger These are the simple bugs that you can find in every mission. They’ll only take a few shots to down and are only a threat when they swarm you. Making use of Machine Guns or other automatic weapons will make quick work of Scavenger hordes.
Hunter Hunters are still considered lesser threats, but you’ll still need to be careful as they will leap at you from range. They also have the ability to summon other Terminids so make them your priority. Similar to Scavengers, they’ll go down with a few shots of any weapon, you’ll just need to be more accurate to match their increased mobility.
Warrior The final grunt Terminid is the largest threat of them all. Featuring an armored shell that will approach you slowly. Unless you’re using a weapon with armor-piercing capabilities (or a Shotgun), you’ll need to fire at their heads or the flesh under the armor.
Stalker You can be fooled into thinking a Stalker is a Hunter, but these creatures are both larger and have the ability to cloak themselves. They’ll also attack you from range with their long tongues! Despite being a larger threat, they’ll still go down easily. Look to use Smoke Grenades or something that will set them ablaze to make it easier for other players to spot them (don’t forget to Ping them).
Bile Spewer These Terminids are deadly from range, using the large sack of bile to spew a stream of acid at your direction. They’re easily identified by their luminous green underbellies, and you’ll take heavy damage if hit by the acid. As you may expect, their sack is the main weakness you should aim for, with the head being a viable alternative if you can’t get a good angle on the sack.
Charger Perhaps one of the deadliest Terminid you can encounter, even if they’re not the largest. These fearsome foes will charge at you, knocking you to the ground and dealing heavy damage should they hit you. The back features no armor, so look to sidestep their charges and attack from behind. Explosive stratagems are also a viable method here, especially if you can stick it to them, just be sure to get away from the blast radius.
Brood Commander Think Warriors, but on a larger scale, and you’re close to what to expect from the Brood Commander. They are armored and have the ability to start Bug Breaches so keep your distance and focus on them first. You’ll want to use heavy artillery and aim at the heads, preferably with a weapon that has armor penetration such as the Slugger.
Bile Titan The big boss of the Terminids, the Bile Titan is gigantic and unmissable. Don’t be fooled by their size though, they’re still quick and have the ability to spew acid like the Bile Spewer. These bugs are also fully armored. Aside from using stratagems, you’ll need to use armor penetration weapons to strip pieces of its armor away and create an opening.

(1 of 2) Hunters may be weak, but will pounce at you when they get within melee range.

Hunters may be weak, but will pounce at you when they get within melee range. (left), Beware of a Bile Spewer’s acid attacks. (right)

Automaton Enemy List

The other side of the spectrum will see the Helldivers taking on the robotic Automaton faction. As you may expect, the Automatons have much higher firepower than the Terminids and you’ll almost certainly want access to armor-piercing weaponry, especially when you come up against Tanks and other higher-tier enemies.

The table below will list all types of Automatons, their main characteristics, and how you can deal with them:

Name Description Weakness
Marauder Much like the Scavenger for the Terminid, these are the basic enemies you’ll encounter in large quantities for every mission. Still, they can be deadly in groups and will use turrets at encampments. Headshots are king here, but if you see a large group, consider tossing a Grenade their way.
Raider Similar to the Marauder, these bots come in various types of weaponry which determine how difficult they are. Any Raider with a Rocket Launcher should be your first priority, getting hit by one of these can be fatal. Like the Marauder, aim for their heads using an automatic weapon from range or a Shotgun if you’re closer.
Commissar These are the quickest of the basic Automaton enemies that will use Jet Packs to close the distance. As you may expect, they’ll use their dual blades to inflict heavy melee damage. Keep on the move to prevent them from getting close and aim for the head, although a burst from an automatic weapon anywhere will down them quickly.
Scout Strider Think of a Scout Strider as a mobile turret, they’re quick and they’re deadly. Stick to cover and only aim when it’s safe to do so. As they’re protected from the front, getting behind them and aiming for the pilot is a sound strategy. Alternatively, cripple the legs to stop them moving.
Devastator These large, armored Automatons come in various types and will amble toward you using heavy artillery. Pay special attention to Devastators equipped with a missile launcher as these will put a huge dent in your health. The head is your only option here as they won’t take much damage anywhere else. The head is less exposed against Heavy Devastators and their large shields, so look to find a way around them to get a good shot.
Berserker The Berserker is the melee counterpart to Devastators. Large Automatons with just a head to aim at, but these focus on chasing you with their chainsaw hands and will deal lethal damage should they hit you. Unlike the Devastator, there is a secondary weak point, the torso, that you can aim for alongside the head.
Hulk You won’t meet these bots until you reach Challenging Difficulty, and for good reason! They’re tank-like in appearance and have multiple weapons they’ll use against you; indeed the melee variants will even charge at you! You can get at a Hulk’s vents from behind, using heavy weapons, explosive stratagems, or grenades can do the trick here.
Tank Yes, you read that right, you will be up against Tanks. Don’t be fooled by how slow they may be, their plating makes them difficult to deal damage to and are a handful for even the best Helldiver squads. Like the Hulk, you’ll want to get behind a tank and shoot the vents. You will need armor-piercing weaponry to put a dent into it and be sure to use your strongest explosive stratagems.
Dropship You’re not going to take damage from the Dropship, but they will cause you plenty of problems. These will arrive to drop off more Automatons, this is especially common in the higher difficulties. Look to take care of Dropships as soon as they arrive by using stratagems or explosive weapons like launchers.

(1 of 2) Devastators have heavy armor that protects them, aim for the exposed head to deal with them.

Devastators have heavy armor that protects them, aim for the exposed head to deal with them. (left), The Scout Rider is vulnerable from behind, find a way to circle around them and take out the pilot. (right)

You’ll need to get used to all of these enemies should you wish to be prepared for anything Helldivers 2 throws at you. Fueled with this knowledge, why not discover what weapons you may wish to take, or memorize some of the more useful stratagem codes by heading to the pages below:

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Guide Information
  • Publisher
    Sony Interactive Entertainment
  • Genre
    Shooter, Third-person shooter
  • Guide Release
    8 February 2024
  • Last Updated
    27 March 2024
    Version History
  • Guide Author

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Helldivers 2 is the long-awaited sequel from Arrowhead Game Studios, featuring new gameplay elements with the transition from a top-down shooter to a third-person shooter. You can expect the return of much-loved mechanics in the form of unique stratagems and procedurally generated alien worlds to fight the relentless hordes of bugs (aka Terminids), but this time with spectacular visuals and ever greater intensity in the chaos of battle. You’ll obtain plenty of new weapons, gear, and abilities as you play solo or co-op, keeping things fresh with the same tried and tested formula. To help you along the way, we provide guides for the following:

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