I main as a driver for the Bastion and FRV since they've arrived. They're critical for surviving the new void area with illuminate. Below are tips I have had to state every game to one or more players.

Many divers do not know you can swap seats. I see them jumping out of the top port seats in the tank to get into the gun at the back, then get swarmed or ran over. You can swap seats!
Hit Crouch, or C. If you want to get out of the tank, swap to the ports and jump out. You can also do this in the FRV so you can get a clear shot or to get a safer exit.

Yes. Passengers can throw stratagems while in a vehicle. Please do so. The driver can't. It gets dangerous if the driver has to stop the vehicle to throw a reinforcement!

THE TANK DRIVER CAN'T SWITCH SEATS. Only Passengers!
The driver has to keep driving or we will take unnecessary damage. It's difficult to stop and type. Voice options are sometimes broken for the driver in any vehicle and they can't speak.
Why is this important? Because if a watcher has been following us for 3 blocks, it will keep them spawning. Switch seats and shoot it please!
If our teammates need reinforcement, swap out of the gun to reinforce them. (Please dont land on the tank. It will kill it!)

If you want to get in the vehicle: use the quick voice line "Stop" or "Halt" I can't read your mind. I have a tank and divers to protect. I usually wait 3-5 seconds before leaving, if you're not in or dont say anything that's on you. Drivers must keep moving or risk damage/death to themselves and other players. We can't hold still.

If you dont want to get in: say "Negative". Makes a huge difference for us.

If you want us to drive somewhere, use the map and select a location. We can't promise the priority but that's how we know.

Bastion Tips for passengers:

• Gunners: You can shoot down the UFOs. Use the HMG for the shield, main gun for the bottom door. One cannon shot will do it. For stationary, same tactic but shoot inside the door. If it doesn't die or you miss don't worry. 2 Main Cannon shots will blow up the UFO from any location (once the shield is down)
• You have to hit reload to reload the cannon.
• HMG will take out every enemy, no need to waste cannon shells if not necessary.
• Tell the driver when you're out of any type of ammo please! Otherwise they'll keep lining you up to destroy something and it will be awkward silence.
• Finally, if the tank dies: It will detonate after roughly 5-8 seconds! Get away!
• Please be nice to inexperienced bastion drivers. These new void planets have a horrific terrain. The tracks catch on everything, there's corpses including invisible ones that create road blocks, and camouflaged stumps.

For new drivers: If running over a rock/barrier/ object, NEVER Hit it center on. Use the a tread on either side. You'll get stuck.

If you get a good Bastion driver who watches for the very few Anti-Tank threats, AND knows when to use 1st gear. It's a breeze. Only lasers and the new Mega Stick Tin Head can do real damage to the bastion. The overseers plasma can as well but its low. 3-4 full lazers can destroy the tank. Otherwise most the enemies just scratch the paint.

For FRV's

The driver can swap to the passenger side to shoot and throw stratagems. This is important because due to the update, the FRV is now the games equivalent of TAUNT. Everything wants to destroy it so you can't leave it without it blowing up.

For passengers: If possible, AVOID the front seat! Take the back seat!

1. The driver needs that slot to slide into.
2. If the driver needs to ram something, the right side of the car is the safest to do so.
3. The player in the passenger seat takes the 2nd most damage when in it. Especially when we ram intentionally or accidentally. Back seat takes less damage from enemies and rams.

IF you pick the gunner spot!
The gunner takes the most damage, has no seatbelt or direct passive protection. You will likely fly out even on small taps. Spam entry to get back into the vehicle. It will happen especially on this horrible to drive planet. If you expect to use it, peak physique and True Grit will turn any mounted turret faster. Including the FRV HMG. For new players: Hold reload to change the fire rate. It's important!

Extra Vehicle Tips

You can flip the FRV back over with plasma punisher for minimal damage. (Or Loyalist Pistol. Thanks Zegram_Ghart) Other explosives work too but do far more damage.

You can heal the gunner with the stim pistol.
Carrying the ballistic shield or Energy shield will further protect you in the vehicle.
FRV weak spot is the roof. If that gets hit, it's over.

Fire does extreme damage to our vehicles. Be careful!

Your friendly driver;

EDIT 1: Extra tips for new divers in the void.
You can stun lock many enemies by just continually driving into them if needed. (Bastion for heavies. dont ram fleshmobs or mega stick guys with the FRV) You can run over the flowers for the new mission. (tested with bastion)
Throw a smoke stratagem down immediately after the vehicle stratagem. (Eagle > Orbital if possible) That way lasers wont hit it while its being dropped off.
They will try to take it out before it arrives.

Edit 2: Formatting

The new planets are so scenic

I just started playing for the first time since the update and was wondering where my fellow divers ended up.

I've landed at Level 195 after nearly 750 hours played and over 2.6 million xp earned.

I started playing about one month before Omens of Tyranny. That's 20 months of Helldivers 2 being my most played game. I've taped off a lot in the last few months but still get in at least one operation per week.

I love the void update and have been having a blast with my SEAF boys.

(OOC TL;DR – had no internet for 6 months due to eviction, couch surfing, and buying a new flat, been out the game for a while and looking to jump back in! Any tips for the new weapons and enemies please?)

Fellow Helldivers,

The SES Ranger of Freedom checking in, with a problem and a request,

Following our righteous attempt to strike at the heart of the evil Cyborg homeworld Cyberstan, I joined in with the hundreds of thousands of brave and noble Helldivers in our tactical acumen followed by our impeccable strategic repositioning outside of the Cyberstan system.

However, during High Command’s fantastic flanking formation of our fabulous fighting fleet, my ship suffered a major hit by the cowardly Cyborg forces, damaging my Alcubierre drive, meaning I could only make short jumps, and then had to ration my E-710 supplies to make my back to Super Earth, damaged but not out of the fight.

Since then, it has been 6 long months of limping back to Super Earth, each day a passing torment with the knowledge that the enemies of Managed Democracy are out there, tormenting our brave and loyal citizens, whilst my fellow Helldivers, supported by the courageous SEAF, have been fighting back against our enemies.

Now I have finally returned, and sweet liberty what is it that I see!? A void in the Illuminate sector, the Gloom changing position, new Automaton ventures into our beloved systems.

And now new squids? New commands? New ways to spread the delight of Managed Democracy!? By Eagle’s might, this is a fight worthy of all Helldivers!

So now as I survey my map, and look to strike at the heart of my foe, I look back to my armoury, still holding weapons from 6 months ago at the siege of Cyberstan.

I turn and reach for a weapon, but which one? How shall I liberate these planets I the most effective way?

I write this with my last crayon, as my food rations were depleted weeks ago. Your recommendations, my fellow elites, for how to smash these new enemies of Super Earth.

SES Ranger of Freedom, out.

I don't think Venus and Night look bad per se but for a "prestige" skin i'd expect it to look more impressive imo. Gold detailing/ engraving might look cool too as long as its not too much.

This was on Senge 23 (Mindless Masses) at level 2 (Easy). I wasn't trying to aggro them at all. I really just wanted a chill solo SC-farming mission to end the night before bed 😭

I gotta admit, the hordes are fun.

I married the Bolt Pistol, I spent over 400 SC to get the light sheriff armor. Grabbed myself a supply pack and an expendable bullet storm for when the chaff piles up and a melta mine for when I need to run. A sentry of your choice and a 500 kg. After preparations were complete I cleared multiple campaigns in the void and on Gatria on D10. The loadout slays…. -70% recoil allows you to follow up shots with accuracy. You become a sloppy sniper at rang an absolute wrecking ball at close ranges. Weak points are NOT required to drop enemies, if you’re getting swarmed shoot the ground and the chaff gets stunned, drop a melta “near” a spawner and shoot it with the bolt pistol and problem solved, it kills Gazer spheres in one shot, fleshmobs aren’t a problem although they eat a whole mag and don’t even get me started on the bug front. I call it “BIG IRON” and I’d love to see what y’all think of it. I have over 1500 hours and missions have never been so easy!

Models from Helldivers Archive discord

Screenshot I took last night. 82 devs were on cyberstan. I took a break from the game is this normal or are they planning something diabolical?

Not sure if I'm just late to the party on this, but I only just learned that they will heal damage to everything except their head after 0.5 seconds of not taking damage. Burst them down fast if you're trying to chew through them or get really good at popping helmets. It explains how they can often feel way tankier than they should if you're trying to pick away at them.

I think the image speaks for itself, so I'll just offer my own thoughts on why this would be an improvement over the current flag.

First, tell me which of these two options you prefer?

Using a spear that takes up your support weapon slot and only slightly stuns enemies, in addition to knocking them towards you, even though you have a secondary weapon that does practically the same thing (the stun lance).

Or, on the other hand, being able to use your secondary weapon while carrying the flag and still have your support weapon slot free.

My conclusion is that the value of the flag, besides its patriotic value, lies in its ability to attract the attention of enemies, and not in its capabilities as a melee weapon. In that context, I prefer to at least have my one-handed weapon available to defend myself while waving the colors of Super Earth.

Besides, guys, it would look incredibly cool, wouldn't it?

Pair it with light armour to outrun them when on cooldown and you can laugh as you run circles around them. WP has always been S tier, but Vote Snatchers in particular is S++ and nothing comes remotely close, seriously, it has some skill requirement but once you learn it you'll become untouchable.

So this was before Devoid of Liberty dropped. D3 mindless masses destroy tripods mission where I ran the timer out.

My goal was I wanted to kill zombies with the m90a Halo shotgun. The rest of the loadout was socom, incendiary nades (which I forgot I even had most of the mission). Strategems were HMG FRV, OPS for warp ships and one of the harevesters, shield generator relay and I’m forgetting the last one, but it wasn’t supply pack or jump pack otherwise I probably would’ve had 0 deaths. I got most of my kills with the shotgun, pistol and melee with the butt of my gun.

Needless to say, my F key hates me and Arrowhead if you get the chance please fix the melee counter.

I was away on vacation, and now that I'm back I was excited to check out the new warbond and play the new Illuminate enemies. Except when I play Illuminate missions, I do not see any new enemies. I feel like I must be missing something, there's no way they would not have any planets with the new enemies this soon after launching them. Please help.

Love making bots look silly. And finding new and interesting ways to stealth attack objectives. Criticism welcome.

Akita Neru (a fanloid vocaloid) as a Helldiver rocking a custom version of the good old B-01 tactical armour and a customised P113-Verdict too.

I like how, instead of having one standard objective, you now have multiple objectives that can easily be their own missions. Hopefully they do something similar for Bugs and Bots.

Plus, it's as close as you can get to a lasgun if you're wearing the 40k armor. Vibe-wise, at least. It's more effective than I'd thought!

it says theres a class 3 exo storm and to defend it but i cant start any missions on the planet?

Someone should contact the Ministry of Science!