Facing the Automatons in Helldivers 2 is a fundamentally different experience from fighting the Terminids. For new and experienced players alike, understanding this shift in tactics is crucial for survival and completing missions on the harder planets. This guide breaks down common questions based on how most squads actually operate.
How is fighting Automatons different from fighting bugs?
In general, you cannot rely on the same aggressive, mobile playstyle that works against Terminids. Automatons are a ranged force. They use cover, employ suppressing fire, and bring heavy armor to the fight. Most players find that a balance of cautious advance, use of hard cover, and focused fire is necessary. Your priority should always be to quickly dismantle their heavy units—like Devastators or Hulks—before they can decimate your squad. Charging in is usually a quick way to get overwhelmed by coordinated fire.
What are their weak points, and how do I exploit them?
While heavily armored, their humanoid design is a key weakness. Precision fire to the head is effective against almost all units, even heavier ones. A well-placed shot to the head can stagger and destroy a Devastator efficiently. For the largest enemies, like Hulks or Factory Striders, look for glowing vents, typically on the back. These are larger targets and often take bonus damage. The common strategy is to have one diver draw aggro while another flanks to hit these rear weak points.
How do I handle dropships and fabricators?
Automatons reinforce via dropships, summoned by troopers who spot you. You can disrupt this by destroying the dropship's thruster with heavy anti-armor weapons like the Recoilless Rifle or Expendable Anti-Tank. Be aware that destroying the ship may not kill all bots inside, so be prepared for survivors. It's often more practical to target ships carrying lighter units or to position yourself so a crashing ship falls on other enemies.
Fabricators are production buildings at outposts. They can be destroyed by throwing a grenade into their exhaust vent (the glowing opening) or by leveling the structure with stratagems. Remember that Fabricators explode with significant force upon destruction, so maintain a safe distance.
What’s the best way to attack an Automaton outpost?
Heavy outposts are defended by patrols, static turrets, and an array of heavy units. The standard approach is to use stealth initially to thin patrols with melee or suppressed weapons. Any Trooper can be eliminated with two silent melee strikes if you are out of sight of other bots. Once you are ready to attack, most players recommend hitting the outpost with overwhelming, simultaneous force. Call in Eagle strikes or orbital bombardments on key structures and heavy units at the same time to avoid a prolonged, chaotic engagement. On higher difficulties, watch for Cannon Towers; they are only vulnerable from behind.
What about their language and behavior?
The Automatons use a written language based on a modified Swedish alphabet and communicate in binary bursts. While mostly flavor, it adds to the eerie atmosphere. More importantly, their behavior shows a degree of unsettling sentience. They chant marching cadences, use psychological tactics like skull decorations, and even create decoys from fallen Helldivers' armor. Some players report hearing distorted English phrases like "Helldiver" or "Cover me!" in the chaos of battle. While a persistent community theory suggests they use human brains, Super Earth dispatches officially state they operate on CPUs and memory drives. However, their coordinated behavior and propaganda suggest a collective intelligence beyond simple programming. Managing in-game resources like Super Credits for warbonds can be part of your progression, and while some players might look for shortcuts online, it's important to be cautious of anyone suggesting you
buy helldivers 2 super credits cheap from unofficial sources, as this can pose risks to your account.
Any final tactical tips?
Keep moving from cover to cover. Use terrain to break line of sight. Prioritize targets that can call reinforcements or deal area damage. A diversified squad loadout is helpful: someone should always bring armor-piercing capability for heavies, while others can focus on crowd control for the smaller troops. In general, patience and coordinated strikes work better against Automatons than brute force alone.
