Helldivers 2 Tanks are the Bot's biggest threat, an Automaton vehicle that comes in multiple variants - some with Shredder machine guns, some with Annihilator cannons that can kill a Helldiver in a single blast. If you see Tanks coming towards you, you either want to run, or start thinking tactically about how to wipe them out - because if you don't have a high-damage Stratagem to drop on it, you're going to need to be incredibly careful. Here's everything you need to know about how to beat Automaton Tanks in Helldivers 2.
Helldivers 2 Tank weaknesses and best weapons
Beating out the Helldivers 2 Hulks, the Automaton Tanks are the biggest enemies you'll face when battling the bots. Here are some surefire weapons and Stratagems to use and tactics to employ:
- Use anti-armor and explosives only: Make sure you pick some dedicated Helldivers 2 armor piercing support weapon Stratagems, such as the Railgun, Spear, Autocannon, Recoilless Rifle, and Anti-Materiel Rifle. If ground weapons aren't an option, there's nothing a good Orbital or Eagle Stratagem won't solve. The Orbital Railcannon and Eagle Rocket Pods are both good choices for massive targets – even the Helldivers 2 Bile Titan if you're fighting bugs instead – because they focus on only the largest enemy in the targeted area.
- Focus on the weak point on the back of the turret: Both Tank variants – the Helldivers 2 Annihilator Tanks with their massive main cannons and the Shredders with their smaller, rapid-fire guns – can be destroyed quickly with focused fire on the heat sink weak points that glow orange on the back of the main turret. You still need to use weapons with decent armor penetration for these weak points, so the Railgun and Anti-Material Rifle can make short work of it.
- Tanks are very slow: The Automaton Tanks are easy to outmanoeuvre due to their low mobility. Getting right up to a Tank, running around it, and even climbing on top of it is a great way of staying out of its line of fire and getting a clearer shot on the heat sink weak point as the turret slowly rotates, though do watch out for the front-mounted machine guns that can mow you down.
- Find cover and go prone: If you're not close to a Tank, make sure you've got sturdy cover in front of you and stay prone as much as possible to resist the explosive effects from the Annihilator's turret.
All this advice isn't easy to put into action when on a mission, as you'll probably also be dealing with lots of other bots aggressively attacking, making for an incredibly chaotic situation. When you're playing on difficulties high enough to come up against Tanks, the important things are that you communicate well with your teammates on what the Tanks are doing and make sure you've got the weapons and Stratagems to deal with them!
© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.
