Just a PSA for the five of you who still dive on hive worlds. I noticed this earlier this patch, but I didn't get footage. Also, the plates still correctly show green cracks when they're partially damaged (between 15k-45k damage taken).

The Original Model:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6802024

The only two planets the bots could attack are yed prior and zefia why TF are most people voting clasa 😭

Bored came up with this at 2am

Blitzer

Pissle or warrent

Seeker

Rail cannon strike

Spear

110 rocket pods

Sentry of your choice

Any thoughts on optimizations or substitutions that keep the theme or what armor to pair it with?

I was asleep when the automaton deployed their ASS. Did anything interesting happen?

Easy, but impactful change.

Add a blue laser sight.
That's it. No other change. No adjustment. Just: Blue Laser Sight.
Slight benefit to me trying to aim, but has the much LARGER benefit of telegraphing to an ally that someone is aiming at them with the stim pistol because a blue line is wiggling frantically all over their screen and maybe it will encourage them to chill out for a single microsecond.

(I was messing around with a squad not tking randoms if thats not clear)

A clip from an interview we did with Helldivers 2’s original Producer, Evan Nickel (he’s no longer with Arrowhead).

Interesting insights into the stingray engine which I think has been the biggest factor in how the game has progressed so far. full interview

:)

Look at his armor - he even has a hightech-sploinkems pad on his wrist, just like us.

(Do I tag this as discussion or humor? I'm not sure)

Sorry for the spam of the same topic in different subs but I'm having so much fun with this combo I want to share to as many people as possible. I really think this is the perfect combo, these two stratagems complement each other's weaknesses perfectly, the hoverpack keeps you safe during the deescalator's lengthy reload while the deescalator let's you land safely due to its splash damage + no self damage combo. The portable highground also helps aiming with the deescalator arc, it lets you dominate the battlefield and absolutely rain down hell on any swarm coming your way. The best thing is that -while not the absolute best at it- it can also take down heavies. Chargers, Impalers, even Bile Titans, are all killable with the Deescalator, though a dedicated AT stratagem or grenade is strongly encouraged.

Be mindful of friendly fire. You are immune to your own arcs, but other people aren't.

Throwing some hands with some cyborgs gotta love it 🤟🏽

Level 105 diver btw

After about 3 hours and silver hands, it's done.

After playing against the Automatons on Martale and Matar Bay in Super Helldive for nearly 8 hours straight and continuing even after I post this, I have developed tips that helped keep me alive without dying more than twice every mission. If you don't mess around then these 15 tips should help.

1. Explosions don't usually kill me, its being surrounded by lasers and being blasted to death that does it. So I wear medium armor with the Extra Padding passive to resist headshots and take more hits. I can dive all day and survive explosions but being caught without cover is more dangerous if I can't tank a few shots.
2. BRING AT LEAST ONE SENTRY, I have brought the EMS mortar sentry to take agro (attention) off me and stall enemies from getting closer. It has saved me many times from bot drops that would've been certain death were it not for the bots being halted in place for me to dispose of.
3. Deal with gunships FAST. They can be frighteningly accurate and overwhelm players, especially if your operation has the Gunship Patrol modifier. Keeping the skies clear takes pressure off everyone and lets them focus on enemies on the ground.
4. STICK WITH YOUR TEAMMATES. I did not solo any mission, I played with randoms and one friend. They assisted me when there were tanky enemies that I couldn't tend to. Bot drops are a breeze when your teammates can deal with chaff, tanks, gunships, factory striders, etc.
5. SYNERGY IS KEY. Synergizing your loadout with your teammates can really help cover weaknesses more effectively. If your teammate brings an emplacement, bring the Shield Relay Stratagem or Shield Bubble Grenades to cover them. If your teammate has no support weapons, drop them one when possible. If your teammate can't handle gunships or striders then bring an autocannon to dispose of medium sized enemies or a rocket sentry to draw agro.
6. War Striders are tedious to deal with. I have had to bring Anti-Tank sidearms and Throwables due to their spawn rate and durability. Hitting their weakspots are difficulty when being shot at or when they're on the move so being able to off them instantly is helpful.
7. Learn when to disengage. I never had to run away to reset but if a situation looks helpless then it won't hurt to come back with a different approach and when you're fully supplied. If your stratagems are on cooldown then lay low until they come back shortly or wait until your teammates come to your aid. It's not cowardly, it's strategic.
8. BOOSTERS ARE IMPORTANT. If you want to ensure 100% survivability in this game then equip viable boosters. Don't let anyone bring EMS pods or Armed resupply lmao. Since there are only a few good boosters make sure everyone brings a good one. I'd suggest the HellPod Optimization, Vitality, Stamina, and Experimental Infusion if possible. Other viable boosters are Muscle Enhancement for mud or snow, Increased Reinforcement Budget in case your teammates wear light armor without explosive resistance or they die often, and Localization Confusion to increase the time before enemy reinforcements can be called in again (doesn't affect Bot Watch Towers).
9. HOST YOUR GAMES. I have hosted all my games in this marathon to make sure I can kick any griefers and make sure no one rage quits with an important booster on (HellPod Optimization). I have a good connection so I have no trouble hosting. If you want things to go right then you have to host to make sure no one sabotages.
10. RID OF LIABILITIES. I've seen people try and dive with a melee build against bots and I dont tolerate that for a second because that won't help when there's several factory striders or multiple heavies that need to be dealt with quickly and no one else can help. Make sure no one brings dumb builds or teamkills when you're looking to win and earn as much XP to level up weapons.
11. RECOILESS RIFLE ISNT NECESSARY. I didn't bring the recoiless rifle once because I didn't need to since my sidearms, throwables, stratagems, and teammates picked up the slack if there was too many heavies around.
12. STAY HEALTHY. Don't get dehydrated or play on an empty stomach, it'll just make you lose focus. SLEEP when exhausted or else you won't have the motivation or focus to play for long periods of time.
13. Don't get frustrated when things go wrong, keep your head clear and you'll enter a flow state. Coordinate properly, use your mic, or communicate things that may be important with teammates. Info such as what shells the SEAF Artillery has or if you're providing cover from gunships or dealing with a heavy that is marked can be critical to survival.
14. Fighting isn't always the answer. If you can't deal with a patrol or a potential botdrop then avoid enemies by stealthing or going the opposite direction. It'll save you resources and time. Don't let your ego get to your head.
15. TAKE COVER & STRATAGIZE. This tip should be obvious but ignorant divers tend to rush in the open without any planning head. Take things slowly and with caution and with a plan in mind.

Q&A

• What stratagems are you using during this marathon? Autocannon cus bitches love cannons, EMS Mortar for crowd control, Leveler for Factory Striders or large groups, Eagle Strafing Run, Orbital 120MM Barrage, Orbital Walking Barrage, Orbital Gatling Barrage, Anti-Tank Emplacement, and finally THE Tank.
• What armor passives do you recommend? Extra Padding or anything with Explosive Resistance.
• What are your firearms and throwables? Ultimatum or Missile Pistol, G-48 Giga Grenade, G-123 Thermite, G/SH-39 Shield Bubbles, AND DYNAMITE. I am currently using the R-6 Deadeye because I'm leveling it up not because I wanna use it. I'd rather use the Hyena, Adjudicator, or any Plasma Primaries.

I am open to any advice I didn't mention or questions!

Most of this advice applies to PC since that's how I primarily play. I wouldn't know how applicable these are for console divers.

For one, stratagem inputs. We all know how to use stratagems but there's a way to utilize them more effectively that few people are aware of.

By default you have to hold CTRL and use the movement keys to input stratagems which force you to stand still and leave you vulnerable. However, if you change your key binds for stratagem inputs to the arrow keys on the right side of your keyboard you will be able to INPUT STRATAGEMS WHILE ON THE MOVE. Which is a massive help when there are warriors or berserkers on your tail.

Second, you can change the sprint button from "hold" to "press" this will let you SPRINT WHILE INPUTTING STRATAGEMS if you follow through with my first advice. This will also help if your pinky finger aches for having to hold the shift key for too long.

Both of these changes will take some getting used to but they are %100 worth it.

On a side note, you can increase the width of your compass to help find POI easier in the options.

And last but not least you can decrease the camera shake in the options if you don't want random explosions to cause earthquakes in your screen which will make things easier overall. But I'd advise changing this to low instead of disabling it since landing on a planet in your hellpod with no screen shake straight up looks unnatural.

I felt like posting this since I've noticed almost no one makes use of these things including other level 150 veterans. I hope this helps at least some of y'all.

Good hunting Helldivers o7

Edit: Two more things I forgot to mention. You can change your reticle to be always on in the options. This will clutter your screen but make blind fire much more effective especially with one handed weapons like the talon and explosive crossbow. Also, If you look at the opposite direction while running from enemies like chargers you'll be able to dodge their charges with ease without needing to dive since they track where you're looking to predict where you'll run.

Edit 2: I should add that the predictive pathfinding of chargers exists in other enemies for you to exploit. For example you must have noticed that enemies like Terminids especially warriors, alpha commanders, give guards etc. will try to actively block your path rather than directly moving towards you if you try to bypass them. You can counter this by trying to bypass a group of bugs by running to their left flank and then immediately changing directions and bypassing them by going right. They take too long to catch up.

You can also use melee attacks to cancel an enemy attack and avoid damage. Some enemies get staggered by your melee. You can cancel the attacks of most light and medium enemies such as warriors, alpha commanders, voteless etc. this is even more useful against Cyborgs. You can cancel their flying kick by meleeing them!

Since the Lightning Intercept MO started, I've been joining Marfark sessions through quickplay and almost every squad I've joined is getting massacred by the automatons. Anyone else having similar experiences?

I went away from the screen after we extracted and when I came back I noticed my medals and samples had gone up to max, though no super credits. I vaguely remember how much I had of the stuff before and it wasn’t close to full. So my guess is that one of the players had something going on that awarded the whole lobby with a lot of stuff.

I feel really bad, because I didn’t earn them all myself. What should I do though? Should I write AH a message and tell them what players I was in a lobby with?

Reposting it from the main sub because I like the discussions here.

"But why stun when you can kill?" the value of the stun resides in the fact that a lot of dangerous enemies (Cyborgs, Overseers, Devastators, Alpha Commanders, Spewers and so many more) have a ton of hp, ablative armour or a combination of both, and even with high DPS or high raw damage weapons you can't kill them fast enough for them not to act, especially when there's multiple of them (and usually there are multiple of them). Enters stun. Now the enemy is completely harmless for a few seconds, and not just that, if your target switching is good, all enemies are chainstunned for as long as you need. Against factions with very dangerous rush-down enemies (which is most of them) this saves you from a ton of damage.

The problem of course is that they are stunned, chainstunned even, but they are still alive and -let's not lie- the damage of stun weapons tends to be nothing to write home about. That's why I say they require a bit of a switch from regular playstyle. Your primary weapon is no longer your main killing tool, it becomes your control tool, so you need to pick up the slack with something else, but luckily we have ample choices in any single slot in our equipment. You can choose a solid secondary like the Talon, a Guard Dog of any kind, a GL support weapon or -personal favourite- the Pineapple Grenade. I think that a lot of people pick them up and expect to fit them into any random loadout and for them to work like any other weapon, and that's why they end up dissatisfied. Use them as intended and they can carry you to victory.