The wait is finally over. The heavily-leaked (and long-rumored) Illuminate aliens, also known as the Squ’ith, have finally shown themselves inHelldivers 2. They officially join the Galactic War as the third (purple) faction, pushing several all-new enemies to the front lines for players to beat.
Compared to the Automatons and Terminids, theIlluminate are a sophisticated alien race. They use highly advanced shields to protect themselves, making them seemingly invincible. Chances are you are having a tough time dealing with their Warp Ships inHelldivers 2. These saucer-shaped units are both an Illuminate structure and an enemy dropship. They also have different weaknesses, so you must be ready to switch strategies depending on which variant you face.
While new intel continues to arrive from the front lines every day, here is what we know so far in dealing with the Illuminate Warp Ships inHelldivers 2.
How to Destroy the Illuminate Warp Ships in Helldivers 2
Helldivers 2features two types of Illuminate Warp Ships depending on your mission objectives. Both variants provide enemy reinforcements, making it important for players to destroy them as quickly as possible, or risk getting overrun.
Parked/Grounded Warp Ships
These are the equivalent of Automaton Fabricators and Terminid Bug Holes inHelldivers 2that periodically release groups of Voteless. However, unlike the Fabricators and Bug Holes, they areprotected by a regenerating shieldthat must be drained first. Only then can you throw a grenade into its open bay doors to destroy the whole aircraft. This is how you destroy a parked Warp Ship inHelldivers 2, but there are a few things to consider.
Firstly,do not waste your offensive stratagems. Anygood primary or support weapon, such as theLAS-16 Sickle,MG-43 Machine Gun, orM-105 Stalwartcan easily destroy the shield. You only need a weapon with a high magazine capacity and sustained fire to ensure the shield does not regenerate between reloads. This is because the shields account for the number of hits taken, not damage. Hence,shotguns are terrible at taking down shieldsbecause each shot is considered a single hit. Their pellets are ignored.
Warp Ships have blue shields at full health, which become purple upon taking damage. If the shields do not take damage for around 10 seconds, they immediately regenerate back to full capacity.
Secondly, only explosive grenades should be thrown into the open bay doors to detonate Warp Ships. However, verify to cook them. Whether by design or a bug,grenades with long fuse times can bounce back outside the bay doors. For this reason, it is recommended to just useG-16 Impact Grenades.
Like Automaton Fabricators,explosive or anti-tank weaponssuch as theAC-8 Autocannonand theCB-9 Exploding Crossbowcan also be used to destroy parked Warp Ships inHelldivers 2.
If you are in a rush, a direct hit from any offensive stratagem such as theOrbital Railcannon Strikewill destroy an Illuminate Warp Ship even with a full shield. Almost all theEagle Strikes inHelldivers 2, however, only do enough damage to take out the shields.
Flying Warp Ships
These are the same asAutomaton Dropships inHelldivers 2, beaming enemy reinforcements on the ground before flying away. While they do not have a regenerative shield like the parked Warp Ships, theseIlluminate Dropships are heavily armored and nearly immune to all damage from the sides. Their only weak spot is the circular bay door they open to beam enemies.
Once the bay doors open, fire an anti-tank round or rocket straight into the middle of their belly to destroy the flying Warp Ships. This, however,requires the right weapon and the right positioning. If your angel is slightly off, you will have just wasted ammunition or worse, find yourself in the range of an Illuminate horde.
TheSEAF SAM Sitesare excellent at shooting down the Illuminate Dropships inHelldivers 2. Make it a priority to activate them if they spawn in your map. They automatically shoot down any flying enemy units within range.
Here are the best weapons to take down the Illuminate Dropships inHelldivers 2:
