Helldivers 2: 10 Differences Between Fighting Terminids And Automatons

Bringing democracy to other worlds in Helldivers 2 isn’t easy. There are some horrible foes out there standing in the way of sweet liberty and it’s up to every Helldiver to know how to introduce them to the might of Super Earth.

8 Things Only Pro Players Know You Can Do In Helldivers 2

The soldiers of Helldivers 2 are Super-Earth's finest. Use these tips to take your place among them.

Currently the two major threats are the Terminids and Automatons. There is a third and potentially a fourth coming, but for now the galaxy echoes to the sounds of insectoid screeching and metallic rhythmic clanking. Both of these aliens need to be dealt with differently and if you don’t know that as you drop planetward, then you’re in for a rough time. So to help out every Helldiver we can, here are the differences between fighting the Terminids and Automatons in Helldivers 2.

10 Both Have Different Vulnerabilities

First and foremost, whilst there are an ungodly amount of Terminids and Automatons out there, they can be beaten. They’ve got some distinct vulnerabilities and if you know what they’re weak to it can make taking down those hordes, patrols, and sudden reinforcements much easier.

For example, the Automatons are weak to lasers and high-powered weapons like rifles and shotguns. Whilst the Terminids crumble under anything armor piercing, gas, or when you use lots and lots of fire. If you’re starting out new in the game try to focus on unlocking the right stratagems and loadouts from the War Bonds that will help you.

The Terminids and Automatons have different weak points, but we have helpful guides that can help you know where to aim.

9 Different Tactics Are Required

The next tip about the differences between Terminids and Automatons in Helldivers 2 worth taking in as that you need to keep your tactics flexible. The Bugs and Bots fight very differently, so you can’t just mindlessly run around doing the same thing over and over.

As an example, whilst forming a rigid firing line supported by turrets and artillery to bottleneck bugs works well. With Automatons it pays to spread out your firing line and keep it flexible with firing on the move. Bugs tend to rush from one direction, whilst Automatons regularly call in dropships to flank you.

In those moments, it helps to keep your squad loose enough that it can reform to deal with the new incoming threats. Knowing which strategy to switch to in each mission is essential.

Spacing when fighting Automatons also helps deter mass casualty events. A few meters apart ensures not everyone drops to a rogue rocket or artillery shell.

8 The Automatons Are Time Wasters

You get quite a bit of time to wander around during missions in Helldivers 2, but even then it always feels like it’s never enough. Especially when you get bogged down in a particularly nasty firefight. So learning when to cut and run really should be something to drill into your head.

The hordes only increase as time goes on and you need to complete those mission objectives to get any reward, so prioritizing firefights is crucial. Sometimes engaging with enemy contacts only slows you down, being able to know when it’s a losing front that you’re wasting time on is something you’ll need to figure out with experience.

This is something that’s very important when fighting the Automatons specifically. Mainly because nearby factories and dropships will just keep dumping robots on you. So you get bogged down often. Thankfully the Terminids come in small clutches and waves, plus bugholes are few and easy to close.

Knowing when to retreat in high-level difficulties will save your hide as the tide of targets is unending and you can waste an entire drop trying to fight for just a few feet.

7 Verticality Isn't An Automatons Strong Point

No two space rocks are the same and that geometry can be used to your benefit. Especially when you’re dealing with one particular alien race over the other. Whether that’s doing the age-old trick of climbing to the top of something tall to avoid melee attackers or putting some big boulders between you and a big scary unit like a Hulk, Charger, or Bio Titan.

8 Tips For Playing Helldivers 2 Solo

These tips will help you when playing Helldivers 2 on your own.

Climbing to something high is best used on the Automatons. Whilst they can still shoot you, if you’ve got plenty of cover up there you can just lob stratagems until your problems are dealt with as they can’t follow you up there.

Likewise, if you’re dealing with Terminids, try to coral them using geometry or assets like buildings or natural funnels between rocks. The bugs can climb up to you, but they can’t reach their top speed if their pathing is constantly figuring out how to get to you, which gives you more time to blast them or dump bombs in your kill zone.

6 Storms Substantially Hinder Automatons

Not every mission in Helldivers 2 is going to be on a pristine planet with clear blue skies. There’s a lot of wild weather-covered worlds out there and they can be used to your benefit, especially against certain factions.

As an example, low visibility from storms masks your presence which makes sneaking into Automaton bases for destroying key targets or eliminating patrols easier. Whilst it can be a double-edged sword as you won't see Terminids until you're right on top of them and by then it's too late. But the lowered visibility of storms makes it easier to lose bug pursuits and also harder to hit from Automaton machine guns.

Harsh weather climates can also impact certain loadouts. Energy weapons cool faster when it’s colder, but Ion Storms block Stratagems and rainstorms can wash away Napalm faster.

5 The Bugs Have The Biggest Boys

Hordes come at you thick and fast. Whilst mag-dumping may seem like a good tactic, it’s going to work against you in the long run. Small Automatons and bugs are there to just drain your weapons whilst the bigger boys get close to doing the real damage and the Terminids lads are the largest.

Bio Titans tower over everything and everyone, dwarfing the Hulks of the Automatons and acting basically as a mini-boss. Unlike Hulks whom you can sort of outrun, Titans will hit you from far away before closing that gap easily. Plus, cover and obstacles don't mean anything to them as they'll just step over or on it with their massive bug legs.

Whilst the large lads look intimidating, they’ve got juicy exposed weak points that will chunk their huge health bars down quickly. On Automatons, these are glowing engine vents and on Terminids it’s any big glowing sacs.

4 The Bugs Are An Easier Fight

The Helldiver 2 Community is a pretty great one surprisingly. There’s a lot of comradery, advice, and stellar memes if you know where to look and you can get a general feel of what the good and bad parts of the game are. One particularly interesting factoid is that the Helldiver 2 Community prefers fighting the bugs over the bots.

The main reason? The bugs don’t really shoot back. A lot of bug attacks require getting nice and close. But by that time you’ve usually mag-dumped them into gooey bits. Whilst the Automatons will light you up like a Christmas Tree if you so much as glance in their general direction.

The bugs in general make for an easier fight if you’re looking for a good entry into the game or a less stressful fight.

3 The Automatons Are Brutal Terminators

If the bugs are the Helldiver 2 Communities' favorite faction to fight, then you would be correct in thinking that the Automatons are the less liked faction. These mass-produced machines of slaughter are endless and the variety in types can make any encounter an absolute nightmare.

Helldivers 2: 10 Hardest Enemy Types, Ranked

Get out there and handle these enemies, champion!

So when prepping for a fight with the Automatons you really need to think about versatility and armor piercing. They’re throwing a lot of heavy armor, dropship, and bulked-up bots at you, and an SMG and some air strikes aren’t going to cut it. Downing dropships with AT or the Recoilless Rifle does wonders for thinning their numbers, but you’re in for a tough fight with the Automatons.

Try to stay in cover when fighting the Automatons. Stray sniper shots and rogue RPGs are commonplace.

2 The Bugs Hate Bombs, Whilst Automatons Shrug Off AOE

One of the best things about Helldivers 2 is the explosions. No matter where you stand on the rest of the game, the booms are brilliant. However, as cool as they are they aren't always recommended. It's easy to saturate every battlefield in Cluster Bombs or a big beefy 500KG bundle of kaboom, but that's a pretty bad idea as both factions react differently.

To break it down for a minute, the bugs come in a huge horde, so that's perfect for your screenfilling frame rate destroying bangs. However, the armored bots can shrug off a lot of shrapnel and require more direct focused fire. So low collateral weapons like orbital laser disco parties and high-impact turrets are recommended instead.

If you're using an orbital laser or single-fire Stratagem, try to attach it to your Automaton target. They like to move around quickly, but if they're stuck with a Stratagem Ball it's over for them.

1 Exosuits Work On Bugs But Melt With Bots

Whilst your able to drop into any Helldivers 2 mission with whatever loadout you like, certain choices will get you killed quickly. Most of the time you won’t figure that out until you’re scattered into several bits across the battlefield.

A great example of this would be the Exosuits. They’re brilliant for gunning down waves of Terminids and come highly recommended for Bug Hunts. But for your own sanity’s sake, keep them in the garage when you’re facing the Automatons, they’re rocket magnets with paper armor. Plus their low mobility means they get swamped easily.

It can take a lot of trial and error to figure out which loadout won’t get you killed, it also depends on your particular playstyle. So don’t get mad if the game doesn’t click yet, your gear might just need tweaking.

Helldivers 2: Tips For Contributing To Major Orders

Do your part to serve Super Earth.