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[AgileGamer]

If you've been running Automaton missions recently, you've likely encountered the new threat patrolling the skies: Gunships. For many players, these can be a sudden and punishing source of wipes. This guide breaks down how they work and, more importantly, how to efficiently handle them based on common player tactics and experiences.

What are Gunships, and what do they do?

Gunships are VTOL aircraft that act as automated patrols. They primarily spawn from and patrol around Automaton Gunship Facilities, scanning for Helldiver activity. Once they detect you, they will aggressively pursue and attack. Their armament consists of an underslung turret (usually a pulse laser) and pods that fire barrages of rockets. They resemble smaller, weaker versions of Automaton Dropships but lack the arms used for troop deployment. In general, their role is area denial and punishing players who move without caution or lack the tools to fight back.

How do I effectively destroy a Gunship?

The key detail is that a gunship's body and its two engines each have separate, medium-armor health pools. You must focus fire on one part to destroy it; spreading damage across the body and both engines is inefficient.

Most players recommend targeting one of the engines. Destroying a single engine will immediately crash the gunship, and engines have less health than the main body. However, they are smaller, moving targets. If you're using a weapon with slow projectile speed or under pressure, aiming for the larger body is a perfectly valid tactic.

Here’s a breakdown of effective weapons, based on common loadouts:

Explosive Weapons: Weapons with the "explosive" trait, like the PLAS-1 Scorcher, are very effective because their area damage can hit components easily. The PLAS-101 Purifier can destroy a gunship in two fully-charged shots to an engine.

Anti-Armor Weapons: This is the most reliable category for most teams.

AC-8 Autocannon / APW-1 Anti-Materiel Rifle: Two precise shots to the body or an engine will bring it down.

Recoilless Rifle / EAT-17: A single direct hit from any standard anti-tank rocket launcher will destroy a gunship.

RS-422 Railgun: An overcharged shot to an engine is a one-hit kill. The body requires two overcharged hits.

StA-X3 W.A.S.P. Launcher: This is a special case. It typically takes two direct hits, but one hit can suffice if it strikes an engine. Its homing capability makes it user-friendly against aerial targets. A single magazine can often damage or destroy multiple gunships.

Support Weapons: The LAS-98 Laser Cannon is considered an exceptionally efficient counter due to its pinpoint accuracy, high rate of fire, and lack of ammunition concerns. Support Sentries, particularly the Autocannon and Rocket variants, will automatically engage and can shoot down gunships if placed safely.

What are the best tactics when engaged by Gunships?

Once a gunship pack is aggroed, they are difficult to shake due to their sensors. The universal advice is to stand and fight if you have the tools. Trying to outrun them while they fire rockets and lasers usually leads to casualties.

Immediate Action: Run for solid cover. Buildings, large rocks, and terrain are essential to block their rocket barrages. Their rocket pods have limited ammunition, so surviving a burst can provide a brief window to retaliate.

Sentry Placement: If using sentries, try to throw them behind the attacking gunships. This reduces the chance the sentry is immediately destroyed by the gunship's frontal rockets.

Breaking Contact: If you are caught without anti-armor capabilities, using smoke grenades or a smoke stratagem can break their line of sight and allow you to disengage, though this can be tricky if you're surrounded.

Avoiding Patrols: It is possible to avoid unalerted roving patrols. If you see them in the distance, duck behind large cover and go prone. They will often pass by without detecting you, saving your team resources and time. Remember, considering your Helldivers 2 super credits price and bundles on U4N is one thing, but surviving the mission is what truly matters for progression.

How have Gunships changed since they were added?

Gunships were introduced in the April 2024 patch. Initially, they were mostly tied to specific facilities. As of later updates, their behavior has been significantly intensified. Now, active gunship facilities will spawn persistent patrols that roam the entire map, with the size of these packs scaling with mission difficulty. There is also a specific mission modifier ("Automaton Gunships" or similar) that causes gunships to spawn indefinitely from the map's edge, even if no factory is present. This forces teams to either complete objectives quickly under constant pressure or prioritize finding and destroying the source facilities if they exist.

What is the main takeaway for dealing with them?

Always have a plan for gunships when dropping on Automaton planets, especially at higher difficulties. At least one or two players in a squad should be carrying a dedicated anti-armor weapon capable of dealing with them efficiently, such as a Recoilless Rifle, Autocannon, or Railgun. Ignoring them is not a viable strategy—they will punish a disorganized team. Focus fire, use cover, and prioritize destroying their engines to clear the skies and complete your mission for Managed Democracy.