If you thought Helldivers 2 would get any easier as you made it deeper into the game, think again. Even if you’ve unlocked most or all of the game’s weapons, that doesn’t mean a massive monster can’t come out of nowhere and flatten you in mere seconds. The first time you encounter a Charger, that’s probably what will happen.
These massive beasts may seem impossible to take down by themselves, but when you add in all the regular enemies that tend to surround them, not even a full squad of capable soldiers would stand a chance. We’ll help you crack this monster’s armor and stop any Charger dead in its tracks.
How to kill Chargers
Chargers are perhaps the single-most devastating and tough enemy in Helldivers 2. They’re big, mean, and shrug off most of your attacks like they’re nothing. If you’re caught in the open with no plan, you have little hope of taking one down or even escaping. Before getting into specific strategies, here are some basic tips to employ when a Charger shows up to ruin your day.
If you’ve played almost any game with an enemy whose main form of attack is ramming you, then you should be very familiar with the tactic of getting them to charge into the environment. That tried-and-true trick works here and will not only stun the Charger, but reveal its squishy weak point on its behind. If you have no other ways to deal damage, kiting it into obstacles and exploiting that weak point can do the job. Some normal weapons do allow you to pierce armor, such as the Liberator, Penetrator and Breaker, so make sure your squad is built to deal with that.
That method will take more time than you might have, so why not remove some of that armor? Anti-tank launchers, recoilless rifles, and other explosives can strip off a Charger’s leg armor to give your team more opportunities to deal meaningful damage from angles other than behind it.
Strategems are your best weapons here, as many can either blast away at armor or outright ignore it. We mentioned anti-tank weapons, but the Eagle Airstrike or Napal Airstrike can also make quick work of a Charger. These are especially good for Chargers who bring along a ton of friends, though targeting and timing here will be more difficult If you’re a high enough level to have them, both the Orbital Laser and Orbital Railcannon Strike will lock on to the Charger and deal massive damage. Since the Railcannon in particular can be used over and over, all you need is the time and space to fire it off and you’ve as good as won. Another great pick is the Autocannon Sentry. This turret blasts armor-piercing shots automatically and can steadily wear it down while you fight from safety.
Finally, there is one method in which you can strike down a Charger with a single attack, but does require either amazing timing or some luck. One Orbital Precision Strike can one-tap a Charger if you manage to land it, but doing so is by no means easy. You either have to get lucky and spot a Charger out in the wild before it notices you, which isn’t even possible all the time since they often ambush you from underground, or somehow manage to fire one off and land a direct hit while it’s rushing around attacking you.
No matter which method, or combination of methods, you roll with, teamwork is always going to make the biggest difference. Pass aggro around to keep the Charger from bullying one player too much, and also give others a chance to attack its weak point and use their Stratagems. If you can coordinate and exploit its weaknesses, your squad can stop any Charger dead in its tracks.
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