If you want to chip away at the Terminid and Automatons in Helldiver 2, you need to understand the smallest of details for best results. Here is everything you need to know about armor piercing rounds in Helldivers 2.
Helldivers 2: What does armor piercing rounds do?
Armor piercing rounds specifically target armored enemies, penetrating their defenses and hitting them for flesh damage. All weapons in Helldivers 2 have armor piercing rounds. These dictate the damage output of each primary or secondary weapon against armored enemies. Currently, there are only light and medium armor piercing rounds in Helldivers 2‘s primary weapons.
The Terminid and Automaton factions include enemy types with medium to heavy armor. While every weapon is decent enough to take down the smallest and weakest of enemies, the same cannot be said for fully armored forces.
There isn’t a lot of balance between each weapon and their piercing armor capabilities. Instead, you need to look at weapon stats and playstyle (feel of the weapon) when choosing your loadout. Some weapons feel heavier and stiffer to use, making them less desirable for a light build. Although all weapons are armor piercing, most are obsolete against heavily armored enemies like the Charger, Brood Commander, and Tank.
Here is where strategy comes into play to tear away heavy armor from the toughest foes. Most primary weapons are useful in clearing low-tiered hordes, minimizing Bot Drops or Bug Breach numbers, and chipping away at enemy weak spots, exposed for critical damage. But the same weapons cannot be used against heavy armor.
Automaton enemy types have obvious weak spots that a grenade or primary weapon can destroy, rendering the enemy useless in a fight. Things get more difficult on the Terminid side of things. You need to use support weapons to penetrate the heavy armor and incapacitate Chargers, Brood Commanders, and Hive Guards.
It is uncertain whether high armor piercing rounds will be added to primary weapons in a Helldivers 2 update on the battle pass, but for now, you can get high bullet penetration using the Stratagems.
All armor piercing weapons in Helldivers 2
As mentioned above, all weapons have armor piercing rounds. However, most can only penetrate light armor. This makes them great weapons against low-tiered enemies but weak against full-body armor. The Liberator Penetrator and Jar-5 Dominator are the only primary weapons with medium armor piercing rounds. But this doesn’t mean that you should save up on Warbond Medals to spend on these two weapons alone.
Every enemy type has their own strengths and weaknesses. Each requires a different strategy to kill. The best armor piercing weapons to use are:
- Breaker: Great for close-quarter fights where armored enemies have exposed weak spots.
- R-63 Diligence: Perfect against Automaton forces with exposed weak spots.
- R-63CS Diligence Counter Sniper: Good bullet penetration to incapacitate enemies and reveal weak spots.
- Railgun: Excellent at penetrating through armor for critical damage.
- Recoilless Rifle: Use accuracy to pick off chunks of armor on enemy limbs to reveal weak spots.
- Expendable Anti-Tank: Obliterates armor to reveal weak spots.
Be aware that primary weapons shouldn’t be used against heavily armored enemies unless you have previously exposed weak spots using support weapons for critical damage. It will take far too long to knock down a Charger, Tank, or Brood Commander with the Breaker or Diligence alone.
