How to kill the Helldivers 2 Chargers

Helldivers 2 Chargers are one of the Terminids' most resolute forces, huge lumbering bugs with armor plating that trample over any suspecting soldiers while bullets bounce off them. Helldivers 2 has the Chargers enter the game as solid mid-tier foes that can still be pretty dangerous if you're not prepared for them. Not only that, but we've seen the new Spore Charger enter the game as an alternate variant, with potentially further evolutions down the road. If you're struggling to kill Chargers in Helldivers 2, or have a daily challenge to wipe them out, here's what you need to know.

How to kill Chargers in Helldivers 2

There are obviously many ways to kill a Helldivers 2 Charger, regardless of which variant it is, but their heavy armor means you need specific Stratagems and weapons to take them down quickly. The best way to kill a Charger is with powerful explosives to its head - things like Recoilless Rifle, Expendable Anti-Tank, or Commando rockets and the Quasar Cannon. 

Aim at its mouth, which is usually quite visible between its front legs and all the armor plating, and you should blow its head off, killing it instantly. Sometimes missing by a fraction can fail to kill it, so you may need a follow-up shot. The extra armor that Charger Behemoths have means they are a bit trickier to bring down, usually requiring a few extra shots.

Alternatively, you can fire three or four charged and unsafe Railgun shots at its head to bring it down reasonably fast. Continuously torching one of its legs for several seconds with the Flamethrower can also bring a Charger down quite quickly. It's good against all Helldivers 2 Terminids and is surprisingly effective against Chargers since it can get past their armor, fitting nicely in one of the best Helldivers 2 builds for killing bugs. 

As for Offensive Stratagems, the Orbital Railcannon Strike can kill a Charger in one shot, and well-placed Eagle 500kg Bombs or Orbital Precision Strikes can also obliterate them. If the bomb or similar Stratagems aren't quite enough to kill a Helldivers 2 Charger, it will almost certainly gouge a chunk out of their back carapace or front legs, exposing a weak point of orange flesh that you can focus on with just primary weapons.

If all of the specialist gear mentioned above is on cooldown or not even in your loadout, focus all your firepower on the Charger's unarmored abdomen section at the back. To do this, get the Charger to charge at you and dive to the side at the very last second so it runs past you, then shoot the exposed section at the back.

These big bugs still have a lot of health even when shooting that area, so you might need to get up and repeat this process a few times, depending on whether you have the best Helldivers 2 weapons equipped. Of course, it goes without saying that teams of Helldivers don't have to do the whole matador routine, as one character can lure the Charger while somebody else shoots it.

Here are some extra tips for dealing with Chargers in Helldivers 2:

• You cannot outrun a Charger, especially in a straight line. Be aware of their surprisingly tight turning circle too.
• Damaging the a Charger's unarmored parts can cause it to start taking bleed damage, meaning it'll eventually die on its own. This can take a while though, so continuing to shoot to bring it down faster is never a bad idea.
• Shooting the armored sections with weapons that cannot penetrate the armor (look for the shield deflection icon) won't hurt the Charger and cause ricochets that risk hitting everybody nearby - though that includes enemies.
• If they run into a solid object (or even another Charger) when charging, they'll be briefly stunned. This gives you a good opportunity to attack or start running.
• Using Incendiary attacks on a weak spot can set them ablaze for long-term damage.
• If you see a Charger before it sees you, start the fight with armor-breaking attacks or any of the best Helldivers 2 Stratagems for cracking armor.

Helldivers 2 Charger variants

As well as the regular Chargers you're probably very familiar with, there are also two variants you need to be aware of in Helldivers 2:

• Charger Behemoths: Supremely armored Chargers with lots of extra carapace, particularly around their heads. While they're tougher to kill than regular Chargers, they behave in exactly the same way. These are much more common on higher Helldivers 2 difficulties.
• Spore Charger: Added with the Helldivers 2 Escalation of Freedom update, this variant is just like a regular Charger, except it's covered in spore-spewing boils which fog up the surrounding area. If you're battling Terminids and your visibility suddenly drops, despite there being no Spore Towers about, it's probably because one of these is on the field.

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