How to kill Wretches in Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 Wretches are the necromorph-looking horrors with scything claws that can eviscerate players that the Illuminate have started deploying. For now, they only feature in missions where the active Helldivers 2 sub-faction is Vote Snatchers, but they appear in sometimes overwhelming numbers and can be horrific to deal with if you don’t know what their weaknesses are. With that in mind, here are the key things to know about Wretches in Helldivers 2.

Best way to kill Helldivers 2 Wretches

The best way to kill a Wretch is to shoot both of its claw arms. Severing both will not only disable its most dangerous attacks but should kill it – if not, a little more damage will finish it off. The crucial thing to remember with Wretches is that, while they don't have much health overall, their head is not a weak spot, so don't expect to kill them quickly by shooting only their bonce.

Wretches also don't have any armor aside from medium armor on their arms. That means there are plenty of weapons that can kill them, but it's ideal to have a weapon with medium armor penetration to blast their arms off. You could opt for a more precise weapon to specifically target the limbs, but from my experience, Wretches always come in groups, so I'm of the opinion that spraying and praying at any and all limbs with a rapid-fire weapon is much easier. Like Helldivers 2 Crushers, they also have a vulnerability to fire.

Some of the best Helldivers 2 primary weapons for killing Wretches are therefore the Coyote and Scorcher, the former having incendiary rounds while the latter fires explosive bolts. As for the best Helldivers 2 support weapons, the Machine Gun, Flamethrower, Cremator, Stalwart, and Bullet Storm are great options. Finally, Gas Grenades are good for disrupting groups of Wretches, preventing them from pursuing you as easily while also dealing damage.

The main thing to bear in mind when facing down any number of Wretches is to keep moving and be prepared to dive out of the way of their attacks. Wretches are obviously very dangerous when up close, so keep a good distance and be prepared for them to leap at you to close the distance. This move is usually telegraphed pretty clearly though, so you can dive out the way reasonably easily.

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