Every gamer would agree that the Helldivers 2 rescue missions are a pain. There is no reason for these quests to be as challenging as they are, but we still need to complete them so that Super Earth can defend its territories against the Automatons and Terminids. This guide will help players maximize their chances of completing the mission and surviving.
Helldivers 2 Rescue Science Teams
Whenever Automatons and Terminids try to take back a planet, the game will start a Defense Campaign, which involves missions focusing on evacuations and eliminating the opposing faction. The Rescue Science Team in Automaton territory is arguably the most challenging mission. Even in lower-difficulty settings, Helldivers find that escorting civilians out of a planet is a challenge from hell itself.
Your main objective in rescue missions is to get a certain number of civilians into the escape shuttle. The quota can range from 20 to 40, depending on your difficulty settings. Players need to activate buttons near facilities to spawn three civilians, who they must protect until they reach the shuttle. Each mission can have two to three spawn buildings for the science teams to help Helldivers get the quota much faster.
Why are Helldivers 2 Rescue Science Team Missions So Hard
These rescue missions become more challenging than they should be due to three factors: enemy numbers, friendly fire, and terrain. Automatons come in droves while you defend the perimeter. They can quickly swarm players as Dropships keep coming to deliver wave after wave of killer Automatons. These robotic killing machines will keep dropping reinforcements even if the previous waves haven’t been defeated yet. Helldivers can quickly get swarmed no matter what they do.
Aside from the swarm of robots coming your way, the science teams are also obstacles in the game. These feeble civilians need protection, but they can’t seem to navigate away from danger. These people follow a pre-determined route and will use the same path even if Automatons are blocking their way. It’s pretty easy for us to “accidentally” kill them with friendly fire since they are in the way. On top of this, you can’t just opt not to shoot because the robots will kill them instead.
Sentries and mines can also kill these civilians. Turrets also don’t differentiate friend from foe, so they keep firing at enemies even if friendlies are in the effective area or line of fire. These civilians don’t know how to navigate through minefields either, so they will undoubtedly die there are mines in the way.
Players will also have to worry about the terrain in these rescue missions. Some areas are more bearable to defend than others because there are elevations and covers that you can take advantage of. However, others provide nothing for players to hide behind, and robots can swarm you in multiple directions. Even knowing where Dropships usually drop reinforcements won’t help if the terrain offers them numerous entry points into your perimeter.
How to Beat Helldivers 2 Rescue Science Team Missions
Helldivers can do several tricks to increase the chances of their success. Bringing the right stratagems and careful placement of sentries can do wonders in these hell-brought-to-life missions. However, these quests can still be challenging even if you do all these tricks perfectly. Here are some things you can utilize to give you an advantage in these missions:
Bring Lots of Sentries, Turrets, and Mines
60% of the whole mission involves you running around for your life. Trust us when we say you will spend more time dodging the robots than shooting them. Having multiple stratagems that can attack and destroy enemies for extended periods can significantly help.
Sentries are your best friends because they attack enemies chasing or closest to you. They also follow you around, so you can reliably rely on them to defend you. However, they can still cause friendly fire damage, so be mindful of where they’re placed so you don’t take unnecessary damage.
Turrets would be the most effective stratagems to use to protect your perimeter. However, it would help if you placed them in areas where they won’t accidentally kill you or the civilians. We highly advise against using the Machine Gun Turret because it will complicate things. It is recommended that you bring two of them if you can.
Mines can effectively slow down hordes of enemies if not outright eliminate them. You can use these explosives to block specific entry points to give you enough time to defend other areas. Don’t plant mines in the path of scientists because they won’t try to avoid them.
Bring Mobile Anti-Horde and Anti-Tank Support Weapons
Bringing machine guns and rocket launchers sounds great until you need to reload. Several weapons require you to sit down while you replace your ammunition, which can take up to several seconds. When you are swarmed by hundreds of bots and peppered with missiles, you wouldn’t want to stay still for even a moment.
The Stalwart, Flamethrower, and Arc Thrower would be your best choices for anti-horde weapons since you can reload them on the go. The Expendable Anti-Tank Missile is reliable for anti-tank, but you will need to use several of them when you go for higher difficulties. Other explosives like the Recoilless Rifle and Spear are good weapons if a teammate is willing to be your assistant during reloads.
Just Keep Spamming the Buttons
While the mission entails protecting civilians, the main objective is to reach the goal of evacuation. You won’t get any penalties for any scientist dying unless you were the one that eliminated them through friendly fire. Make sure you spam the buttons as much as possible to continuously generate waves of civilians trying to get to the escape shuttle.
You don’t need to protect them, but you must ensure that there won’t be any obstacles in their way to stop them in their tracks. It’s okay if not all of them reach the shuttle ias long as you continuously try to spawn them. Releasing them endlessly means you will meet the quota at some point.
RUN
Making sure you are mobile will help you survive longer in this mission. Staying still in one place will make you an excellent target for Devastators and Troopers with missiles. While generally, it is better to crouch or go prone when shooting to increase your accuracy, you might just want to stick to hipfire to destroy some bots while on the move.
Place Your Stratagems Carefully
Friendly fire is a big enemy in the game. Even if you aren’t actively shooting the civilians, your turrets and mines will do that for you. It would help if you prevent this by placing these stratagems in areas that can fend off the bots without firing on the escaping scientists. Putting them on elevated regions can help them better view enemies. Meanwhile, mines should be installed in areas where Drop Ships usually land their cargo so the robots will go down before they can start moving.
One Supply Pack Could Be Helpful
If your team runs out of ammo quickly, having one person bring a Supply Pack might be a good idea. However, you should only bring it if you are sure you won’t die most of the time. When you get killed and drop back in, you will spawn with most of your ammo and stocks so that you won’t need a refill.
Supply Packs will only be effective if your team survives longer than most and the resupply is still on cooldown. While carrying one means you won’t be able to use a sentry, you can ensure that your squad never runs out of ammo. It’s better to ask your team if they need one or if they prefer that you bring other stratagems.
Bring At Least One Orbital Stratagem
Cluster bombs and barrages are generally a bad idea when civilians are running around, but sometimes, you don’t have a choice. There will be instances wherein the whole area will be swarmed, and you won’t be able to clear them out with just your guns. You will need an Orbital or Eagle Stratagem to clean up the area. However, ensure there aren’t any science teams on the ground when you call the strikes, or you will get penalized.
It’s Not Guaranteed
Rescue missions are unbelievably hard, and even following these tips won’t ensure your success. You will likely fail the mission if you encounter higher difficulties, but that is okay since most people will. However, these challenges should not deter players from spreading democracy and liberating planets from the control of the Automatons.
