How to kill 2 Annihilator Tanks in Helldivers 2

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The personal order to kill tanks in Helldivers 2 is a challenge to take out some of the game's hardest foes

Helldivers 2 Annihilator Tanks
(Image credit: Sony)

The Helldivers 2 Annihilator Tanks aren't just some of the game's hardest foes, but can be part of a personal order to kill 2 Annihilator Tanks in a single day, meaning you're not just going up against one of the toughest of the Helldivers 2 enemies list - you're going up against them twice. If that's a task that's been laid before you, it can seem daunting - especially for players of low level - but I'll walk you through the particulars below, including how to find, identify and kill Annihilator Tanks in Helldivers 2.

Kill 2 Annihilator Tanks in Helldivers 2 Personal Order explained

Helldivers 2 Annihilator Tanks

(Image credit: Sony)

Annihilator Tanks in Helldivers 2 are members of the Automaton faction, but let's be clear about something - while there's two kinds of Helldivers 2 Tanks that players might go up against, only one of these are Annihilator Tanks. These can be identified as being flatter with a longer gun barrel, in contrast to the "Shredder" tanks, which are taller and have a machine gun replacing the main cannon. If you're not sure what you're looking at, simply ping it with R1 - that'll bring its name up for you.

Helldivers 2 Annihilator Tanks

(Image credit: Sony)

Annihilator Tanks also have two weapons - a front-facing light machine gun, and a big explosive artillery cannon, whereas the Shredders just have two machine guns instead. Helldivers 2 really does have something for all occasions.

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Annihilator Tanks appear in Bot missions from difficulties 5 and up, though they only become common from difficulty 6. The quickest way to find them is to leap into an Extreme Mission or higher, ideally one of the Eradication missions where the goal is simply to wipe out several hundred of the Helldivers 2 Automatons in quick succession - you'll likely see an Annihilator Tank before long. 

Helldivers 2 Annihilator Tanks

(Image credit: Sony)

Once you've found an Annihilator Tank, here's some advice on how to kill it.

  • Use heavy-duty explosive stratagems. 500kg bombs, Orbital Lasers, Railcannon Strikes, as much firepower as you can find. This is the easiest way, and you're not likely to come across worse enemies.
  • The vent at the back is (sort of) a weak spot. While the tank's armor needs massive explosives to break through, that vent is less protected, though standard arms fire from normal weapons like the Liberator still won't hurt it there. The Railgun, Laser Cannon, Autocannon, Anti-Materiel Rifle and other heavier weapons are what you'll need to hurt the vent. As it takes damage, it'll start to smoke and eventually catch fire, the sign it's close to death.
  • At a distance, seek cover. That main cannon can kill a Helldiver in a single blast - if it's got a clear line of sight, you're moments from death.
  • They struggle close up. You can actually climb onto a tank and it can't really do anything - though there'll likely be other bots to shoot at you along the way.
  • You can confuse a tank by dropping a turret on it. We discovered this by accident, but if you drop a Stratagem Sentry on top of a tank, the tank effectively begins chasing its own tail, spinning the cannon in circles while still being unable to shoot the turret sitting on its head. This doesn't hurt it much, but does effectively keep it occupied while you take shots at the vent or set up explosives.
  • If it kills you, use it! If you're brought back in, land your pod on the tank to do major damage. Even if you don't kill it, you'll be a lot closer.

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Joel Franey
Joel Franey
Guides Editor, GamesRadar+

Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.