28 articlesHelldivers 2 is a great shooter and our ultimate beginner’s guide will help you be great at it. With all the Warbonds, matchmaking details, stratagems, ship modules, and more, the game can be hard to get into.
Furthermore, this is a team-based shooter and people will be less likely to have you on their team if your gear and level aren’t the greatest. This is where our guide comes in, we’ll guide you through what you need to know as a beginner in Helldivers 2.
Ultimate Beginner’s Guide | Warbonds, Stratagems and More
We will be covering several different aspects of the game, providing you with information on how to effectively use those mechanics to your advantage.
Matchmaking
There are two ways to start the matchmaking process. The first is through the Quickplay option in the main menu. This puts you in a team and that team goes to complete a mission. The other method is through throwing down a beacon.
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By throwing a beacon down, you can get other players to join you on your mission. This is a good option to have especially if you’re in an emergency and need help fast.
Warbonds
Warbonds are basically Helldiver 2’s version of the battlepass system. You get boxes that you can open using Warbond Medals to get some rewards. These can be found in the Acquisition Center and you need medals to unlock them.
Medals are unlocked by completing missions, primarily. The gear you get is usually either armor gear or new weapons. Keep an eye on this menu, as you’ll be getting all of your shiny new guns and armor through Warbonds.
Super Credits
Helldivers 2 does have a few pay-to-win systems. While the Warbonds are the primary tool for progression, you can also get Super Credits. These are usually bought for real money, but can also be found in-game.
Once you have some Super Credits, you can spend them in the Super Store to get some more and higher quality gear. Super Credits can also be earned by just playing the game, but they’re rarer and you’ll have to spend some time grinding.
Beginner Missions
After finishing the tutorial, you’ll be given three missions to complete. Complete them as fast as possible before getting into any other exploration. These give good rewards which can make exploration a lot more enjoyable. The sooner you get them over with, the sooner you can progress.
Stratagems
By completing missions, you can get your hands on some Standard Credits. Through these Standard Credits, you can unlock some Stratagems. These are different pieces of technology that can help you during battle and exploration.
Which Stratagems should you go for? Well, honestly, you should just read their descriptions and pick whichever one sounds most interesting. You’ll be able to unlock most, if not all, with enough playtime.
So, just focus on whichever sounds most fitting for your preferences and playstyle.
Ship Modules
Ship Modules are upgrades that use samples you can obtain during exploration during missions. These upgrade your ships as well as your stratagems. Some of these are very useful, so definitely keep unlocking Ship Modules as you play.
Liberation Campaign
The goal of the game is to work together in teams as a community to liberate sections of the world. Everyone is a part of the galactic war and by playing together, more and more areas can be liberated.
Major Orders
If you are in the hub, you can see that there’s an option to check out Orders on the top right. By pressing the button shown, you’ll then be able to check out what the current Major Orders are.
At this point, if you’re new, you’re likely horrified! After all, Major Orders are usually ridiculous tasks, such as killing a billion enemies in a few days.
However, fret not, for this is not something you do on your own! Major Orders are actually community-wide goals, and every single player is participating in them. If the community succeeds, everyone gets a reward, such as a large number of Warbond Medals.
As a bonus, you actually get the rewards from these Major Orders even if you didn’t really participate. As long as the community as a whole reaches the goal, everyone gets a reward! So, don’t let the fear of missing out force you to do them.
The Right Tool For The Job
You’ll encounter 3 distinct enemy Factions in Helldivers 2. While they’re all weak to being shot, the way in which they need to be shot varies from faction to faction.
So, with that in mind, you want to learn the strengths and weaknesses of each faction. Since you only get to fight 1 faction at a time, picking your loadout to take advantage of the enemies’ weaknesses is vital!
There’s a lot more we could say about this, but for now, here’s a brief summary of what to expect from each hostile faction:
- Automatons – Highly-armored robots. Although they don’t come at you in hordes, each individual Automaton can be a great threat if you don’t bring weapons with high armor penetration.
- Illuminate – A versatile faction, which requires you to be equally versatile. You want to bring weapons that can shred their weaker units, while also having high single-target damage for the elites. That said, you don’t need high armor penetration and you can also ignore Stun weapons.
- Terminids – These bugs aren’t super resilient or strong individually, but they can overwhelm you with ease due to their numbers. Bring weapons that are great for area-of-effect damage and crowd control. Their larger and stronger units are usually best dealt with using Stratagems.
That is all a very brief summary, of course. There are loads of different enemy types within each faction, as well as dozens of weapons to choose from. It can be overbearing, but you’ll learn every enemy’s weaknesses easily with some practice and time!
For some extra help, check out our tier list of the primary weapons! It goes into more detail on each faction, while also giving you quick recommendations on what weapons to use.
Boosters
Alongside your loadout of weapons and Strategems, you can also pick one Booster whenever you start a mission. These are the yellow hexagons in your loadout, as shown above.
These Boosters give your entire team an extra buff. Coordinating with your teammates is ideal here, as you want everyone to be on the same page when it comes to what buffs to bring!
That said, there are some Boosters that are generally always worth having, such as the following:
- Hellpod Space Optimization – Helldivers start fully stocked on Ammo, Grenades, and Stims.
- Experimental Infusion – Stims increase movement speed and damage reduction on top of healing you.
- Vitality Enhancement – Minor damage reduction from all sources.
- Stamina Enhancement – Higher stamina capacity and recovery.
- Muscle Enhancement – Makes it easier to traverse difficult terrain. Somewhat depends on what planet you’re on, however.
You can’t go wrong with any of these, so they’re all very newbie-friendly! Pick one of them when in doubt.
If you keep all of these tips in mind while playing, you’ll be sure to hit your stride faster than any of your friends! Keep an eye on our site for more Helldivers 2 articles, and have fun!
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