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The current Helldivers 2 Major Order calls for players to defend numerous planets from the Automatons. So far, players haven’t been very successful, with it seeming that this will be yet another failure to add to the books, with the last one causing the community to not unlock the Orbital Napalm Barrage. But, not if one player can help it as they have revealed their strategy to completing the defense missions that seem to be proving incredibly successful for them.
U/Celeria_Andranym took to the Helldivers 2 sub-Reddit to share some tips to help players complete the current Major Order. With less than three days remaining, only one planet has been successfully defended so far. It is not over yet and players could still complete the Major Order, but it does look less likely as time goes on.
In the Reddit post, they share some tips to help players with defense missions, especially when they are facing higher difficulties. They note that Factory Striders can destroy the generator with one shot and enemies can spawn on top of you which can quickly overwhelm players and cause the mission to be failed.
The player reveals that the team should use Hellpod Optimization, and the Vitality Boosters, as well as the EMS Mortar, Regular Mortar, and HMG Emplacement Stratagems, also noting that “do not bring Autocannon/Rocket Sentry, more often than not it blows up your own team/causes issues due to its line of sight. Mortar/EMS are extremely superior on this map.”
For your loadout, they suggest that one player brings either a Spear or Recoilless Rifle, while the rest of the team brings “low cooldown + low area chaff killing strats: Gatling barrage, Gas strike, OPS, all good options. Servo-assisted heavy armor. Let’s you throw anywhere, and make it so you don’t die as easily.”
When it comes to taking on the mission, they suggest that “During prep time, call in both EMS and normal mortar IMMEDIATELY. This means its cooldown will start and you can call multiple later. Do the same with resupply. Throw HMG emplacement at your feet, try to land it somewhere with high ground, and view towards the outside of the gates.”
Next, they break down how players should navigate the mission to have the best chance at success, saying to not “fire your HMG emplacement blindly into the mist,” instead to “wait until you can see the reds of the enemies eyes, then fire, 1 or 2 shots at a time until they melt.” Then “use the rounds incredibly carefully, and you should be able to call another one down, before your current one even runs out, even on difficulty 10, if everyone on your team is being responsible as well.”
To be successful in the mission, it is important to have awareness of the enemies that you are taking on, while not overlooking the smaller enemies such as the Troopers, as u/Celeria_Andranym notes that “if a trooper gets into the base, and fires off a bot drop flare, you lose. That’s because, the bot drop flare, can land ANYTHING on top of you, the Factory Strider can spawn on top of the generator” which would immediately destroy it.
Concluding the post, they warn players not to bring Stratagems such as Orbital 380mm Barrage, any Airstrikes, Mines, etc, as they risk blowing up your HMG Emplacements, as well as having long cooldowns. To give your team the best chance at victory, have the three HMG Emplacements focus on everything but Factory Striders and Tanks, which should be dealt with by the player carrying a Spear or Recoilless.
Defense missions are incredibly tough, especially at higher difficulties. But, with some planning and strategies laid out ahead of time, they are manageable and, in my opinion, are some of the most fun missions in Helldivers 2.