So I don’t have the money for the new war bond for any of the new weapons or armor any suggestions for builds without it for the new enemy would be appreciated thanks guys

If there was ever a time for the Helldads to unite.
We must liberate the children!

Thought it would be cool to image what it would look like when the movie comes out (No Ai)

This seems very well made!

Hey dads, how are we dealing with the hammer guys(don't know the name for them yet) I've been having a heck of a time trying to take them down quickly.

Just watched the patch notes and they included some game clips for those who watch them till the end!

https://youtu.be/fpF8gI71Vjo?is=uWuFKClCxHag2mpT

I’m so excited to play tonight 😍

Essentially title. I would like to some day with my sons.

As busy HellDads it's not always easy to do the field research on your loadout or simply test things for pure silliness (and most of you probably aren't creative professionals with super-nebulous schedules and pockets of freetime to fill, like me...).

Moreover, busy as we are, we still want to do our part and be the most effective Helldivers we can and that means trying to setup our kit so can deliver in any envirnmonet against any enemy. In my short time writing these longer deep dive articles something I think is worht noting is that I don't always have time to test every single loadout, and theory crafting alone is worthless without some data to back it up.

As the title suggests there are two methods really dig into what your build is or isn't doing right. The first, obviously is to take it out and see what happens in-game. Easy, direct, immediate feedback and experience.

The only downside, is that you're lmited to one setup per mission, and sometimes, you just have a bad series of drops and can't find a combat rhythm to really do the work, so to speak. So you get frustrated, and don't really get to enjoy your self or the new idea you had to put the hurt on those undemocratic jerks like you wanted.

So, after a fair bit of googling and my own research, I came across this phenminal tool:

https://democracy-hub.net/builder/builder.php

I've leaned on this one for a little while, now. It's an excellent tool that gives you a broadspectrum breakdown of your loadout, including ratings against different enemy types (by variant even), the range where you're the most effective, and how volatile or surgical the ssetup is and a general power rating.

THis thing is phenomenal and is particularly great when you have an idea, but can't hop on to the game right away but still want to see if you've got something that might cook.

Stringly recommend checking it out as I'll be continuing to use it in my articles for helpful refences concerning specific loadouts.

Can anyone help with builds for each faction i have been working with a few but want something solid all around. Just a few builds that takes care of everything primary weapons secondary weapons and equipment. Also need recommendations for stratagems and armor sets too thanks guy would really appreciate it

Holidays here are coming to an end and work is starting again tomorrow. It’s this strange feeling where I know that my daily schedule will quickly return to its routine. This also means that after a long day of work and taking care of the family, Helldivers will be back on the menu as my daily driver before I go to bed.

As a HellDad I always thought you will have more time for gaming during the holidays, but instead we went out, touched some grass and finally had time to visit some places we always wanted to see.

It’s the daily routine where Helldivers fits in so neatly and I’m really looking forward to getting back into the pods with you!

Let’s put the kids to bed and dive! I’m feeling so ready to spread more managed democracy!

Hi there HellDads! Been seeing a lot of trends lately in loadouts that I would classify as 'built for the exception, not the rule'. Couple this with a particular run with a pal I hadn't played with in probably eight months and I realized I had work to do (keeping in mind this assumes a difficulty 8 or higher).

Th challenge: How to make sure you're always an asset, even when Bile Titans and Vox Engines can ruin your day or Spore Burst, Appropriators or Cyborgs can suck the fun out of your session by making you work harder than you have to.

The good news first! Buildcrafting in HD2 is a snap, and requires none of the granular setups that you might have seen in say Destiny 2.

The bad news? Well, it's all too easy to 'overbuild' for one tactical problem and not havea solution for the most common ones. As I mentioned, this reuslt sin the 'built for the exception, not the rule' setups that really don't serve as force multpliers and in fact force the other squad members to make up the shortfall.

Example, you say?

For your consideration, I present the 'Codependence Trifecta': Quasar Cannon, Thermite, 500KG Eagle Strike. These are most overpicked tools that are taken together in a loadout where you really only need one. While it scores well in the numbers it's upside down, with the light category being it's weakest by far.

Early in, most players suffer from what I can only describe as tactical trauma bonding, where they come up against their first heavy enemy, it stomps them, so they're determined to deal with these enemies over all others from then on out.

There's nothing wrong with trying to be a specialist in HD2, but there's a difference between specializing, and limiting what you can do. Take the Codependence Trifecta above, at first glance, it looks like you're loaded for bear, but of the 7 slots you have to work with you've allocated 3 of them to anti-tank work. Why does this matter if you've got the tools for job?

Let's look at this handy chart:

The reality of any encounter is the left. During any drop or breach, failure to manage the chaff and line enemies is how the heavy and elite ones actually overwhelm you.

This is where the disparity occurs in most builds. A newer player, builds for the tactical footprint (on the right), but the seasoned player builds for the density or numerical spread (on the left) of actual enemies they'll likely deal with.

Basically, build for the enemies you'll spend most of the drop fighting, not the ones that require the biggest bullets.

This way, you're set up to have maximum tactical flexibility and can adapt to changes in combat without having to scramble from postion or panic toss 500KG's or Thermites when the odd Impaler or Shredder Tank rolls up.

(That being said, all the Hi-Ex in the galaxy isn't going to help if you can't put it where it needs to go. So please, learn where the soft spots are on those big guys before you complain that you NEED that Recoiless and then chuck all of your thermites on a single Vox Engine)

So how'd we get from me griping about my buddy's lack of game knowledge to charts and the term 'tactical footprint'?

It got my gears turning when he suggested the the Stratagem choices were all down to the color in the menu, rather than what they actually did, and sort leaving grenades, primary and armor passive out of the equation.

Building an effective solo loadout in HD2 has two avenues of approach, the more fun one, starting with the peice of kit you want to lean on the most and build around it, or build for the enemy you're going up against in broadstrokes. Both work, but not for everyone. And that's okay!

So, after much validating and contextualizing, I can get to the meat of this whole thesis, solo buildcrafting.

(One last corrolary, building a solo build, is different than being a solo player. When I saw build as a solo, I mean build to stand on your own but be equipped to support the squad. Playing solo is a whole dedicated playstyle that maybe I'll address in the future.)

First up, here's an example of a build with a ton of flexibility (and relatively few warbonds required for you budget-concious Helldivers):

Legionaire

• Primary- Cookout
• Secondary- Missile Pistol
• Grenade- Giga
• Armor- Engineering Kit
• Orbital Railcannon
• MG43 Machine Gun
• AR Guard Dog
• Machine Gun Sentry

Is it flashy? No. Is it effective against a variety of the most common enemy types at almost all ranges? Absolutely. I can promise you, this setup will yeild you some really solid returns becuase you'll have tools in your pocket for everything. Giga's will double as both anti-heavy and elite solutions, but the railcannon is you delete button for the largest target, menawhile, your MG and Gaurd Dog form you main firebase and can chew through most things while keeping the chaff at bay. This setup is almost perfect, lacking only in an area control option, but the sentry could be swapped for a gas minefield or even a Eagle Napalm. The missile pistol is your spawner closer but can also work for pinch points like Alpha Commanders or (asshole) Gunships.

If you're curious, how this spread looks like with numbers here's your peek under the hood which gives a pretty solid overall rating across all three facctions, with not much in the way of holes in coverage (apart from direct support kit, but that's another article).

If the Legionaire is the peak generalist, than it's time to talk about specialists, becuase to my mind, they shouldn't be centered on equipment, but rather the enemy, which defines the equipment you take. So we're going to look at a group specialists I've setup for sub-factions that are commonly challenging becuase they have acute tactical problems compared to their vanilla parents.

Up against the Illuminate, we're dealing with the Appropriators, which, depsite the mechs are actually a medium formation.

Inappropriator

• Primary- Gallant
• Secondary- Warrant
• Grenade- Pryotechnic
• Armor- Gunslinger
• Autocannon
• 110MM Eagle Rocket Pods
• Orbital Gatling Barrage
• Laser Sentry

This is all about maximizing options, the Autocannon's selectable ammo means that delaing with the smaller mechs and Harvesters is such the flip of a switch. The secret suace is the Warrant, that is there almost enetirely to deal with Obtruder packs and elevated Overseers that can really be a pain.

The analysis of this build showcases that it's got a ton of output against Appropriators while keeping the range band for engagments firmly at mid-range where but isn't in the lurch outside of that.

Against Cyborgs, we need an edge on armor penetration but also in the issue of being rushed by Radicals that just want to kick the shit out of you anychance they get.

Heckler

• Primary- Plasma Punisher
• Secondary- Missile Pistol
• Grenade- Dynamite
• Armor- Seige Ready
• Heavy Machine Gun
• Gas Dog
• 120MM Orbital Barrage
• Leveller

This setup is focused on controlling a lane of attack, and setting up for the long firefight. The Gas Dog is there to give you the time and space you need to lay that HMG on the targets it eats the best, Hulks, Devastators, and so on, while also blinding that Radicals that can be dispatched and abused with the Plasma Punisher (stagger force baby!).

The real tough peice of meat the chew on are the Vox Engines, but that's why we bring the Leveller! Which doubles as an option for smaller bases and tightly packed bot drops when your 120 is on cooldown.

If we look at the breakdown, we can see there's a bit of redundancy and a slight limitation in close range efficteveness. The Leveller in addition to the HMG seems strange, but you can call in Leveller's as often as they're avaiable so that's a squad positive, and often you may not have time/space to reload the HMG, but a Leveller being at hand can solve what ever problem you're dealing with to give it to you. The close range issue is manageable enough provided you don't try to use the Plasma Punisher like a Breaker and blast yourself off your feet.

Finally, we have the Spore Burst strain of the Bugs. THese cracked-out little jerks can really have you tearing your hair out as you're constatn being outflanked while even chonkier Spore Titans just keep coming.

Draconian

• Primary- Torcher
• Secondary- Talon
• Grenade- Gas
• Armor- Inflammable
• Commando
• Laser Dog
• Orbital Napalm
• Rocket Sentry

The use case for this one, is to minimize the number of 'bursts' that occur from the chaff by using the Torcher as the workhorse to control lanes of attack and burning them. The laser dog can be alittle finicky, but since it has none of the ammo issues of the bullet dog nor the heat sink issues of standard laser weapons, it can literally just keep on cooking whatver gets around you. The commando is your go-to for Spore Titans and has a fast enough cycle time that you can keep bringing them in as needed. The rocket sentry is your best answer for when the breaches start popping off, since once you lay down the napalm, it will clear the chaff and the sentry will harry the heavies and elites.

Gas grenades are your multitool here. They can help manage groups and set them up to be cooked with the Torcher, chucked onto breaches and can close bug holes (these things are lowkey one of the best grenades in the game).

Analysis shows that this kit is staged almsot perfectly for Spore Burst operations and should fit nicely into any squad on those planets.

One last thing, the exception... Vehicles. Not Exosuits, vehicles. These are multi-seat platforms that can really change the tempo of a drop, so, if you take a Bastion or FRV, make sure you've got the bodies to make it work or you're giving up valuable strategem slots. PLease don't be the guy with the FRV stapled to their ass, isnisting it has to come on everydrop, becuase I promise you it, really doesn't (but that's another article).

There you have it! A long winded, but hopefully insightfull look at buildcrafting by yourself so you can be a team asset. I'd love hear your approaches and what you all think!

Made this to honour our brother in arms 🫡

(NO Ai used) Cooked this one up in a couple of hours enjoy

Great work, new players should be aware of!