How to Deal with Chargers in Helldivers 2

Chargers are some of the trickiest enemies of democracy you will encounter in Helldivers 2, due to their armored shell, deceptive weakspots, and deadly charge. As you attempt higher and higher difficulties, they’ll begin to show up more and more often, so here are some tips on how to deal with Chargers in Helldivers 2.

Stick and move!

Dodging the Charger’s charge may seem the most obvious advice possible, but there’s still a right and a wrong way to do it. Chargers can turn surprisingly quickly even during their rampage, so you’ll need to get close and be quick. You’ll also want to angle yourself so the big fella runs directly into a wall after missing you for a brief stun, though this won’t always be possible in the heat of battle.

Despite seeming like the perfect maneuver for this, you’ll want to avoid performing the classic dolphin-dive unless absolutely necessary, no matter how cool and/or funny it looks. This is not only because it’s easier to misjudge than simply running, but while you pick yourself up from the ground you’ll be missing precious time that you could use to shoot the charger in its legs or abdomen. Consider using light armor too, as the speed boost is suprisingly noticeable

Bring the right equipment when fighting Helldivers 2 Chargers

The loadout maketh the Helldiver. Making sure you have enough anti-armor capability in your loadout will only become more and more necessary in the higher difficulties of Helldivers 2, so consider dealing with Chargers a test for later challenges. Early on, your options will be limited to things like the standard orbital strike and the expendable anti-tank, which are quick and useful but likely won’t take a charger down on their own, so you’ll need other methods to finish it off.

While heavy weapons like the Recoilless Rifle can bring sustained firepower, they can limit your mobility. They can be extremely effective, but require coordination and possibly a third person to play matador.

If you’re playing with randoms or even going it solo, you’ll want something quicker. The Autocannon has a more manageable reload, and the Grenade Launcher is a great all-rounder. At later levels, the Railgun is an excellent choice, but by then Chargers shouldn’t be as much of a problem for you.

As an aside, sentry turrets like the Autocannon and Missile turret may seem an attractive option, but in my experience they don’t do so well because they cant hit weakspots reliably and will likely end up crushed by bugs if they draw too much attention.

Stay on target

Where you aim is as important as the gun itself. The large glowing abdomen on the Charger is unarmored, but it’s not actually the weakspot. To reveal it, you’ll need to hit the front legs with enough piercing shots to crack the shell and reveal the soft and juicy insides. While heavier weapons or even well placed grenades will be needed to make that initial break, once open you can switch to other weapons to get the damage in, with bonus damage dealt by guns with the explosive property.

Use these tips, and you should have a much easier time dealing with Chargers in Helldivers 2.

Helldivers 2 is immediately available on the PC and PS5.