Helldivers 2: All Automaton Side Objectives (& How To Complete Them)

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Mortar/Anti-Air Emplacements

Fighting Automatons in Helldivers 2 plays and feels completely different from fighting Terminids. Apart from the fact that the enemies this time around are hulking pieces of metal, the vast majority of them can shoot back, transforming the usual combat encounter from chaotic melee brawls to intense firefights.

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The enemy types aren’t the only things that change when you jump all the way to the western galactic front. The objectives in Helldivers 2 also change wildly depending on what faction you’re fighting. Here’s all the side objectives you can expect to do when you dive into the Automaton front, and how to complete them.

Updated April 19, 2024 by Marc Santos: Helldivers 2 continues to evolve, gaining new content in the form of weapons, cosmetics, enemies, and, of course, objectives. Arrowhead has since added Gunship Towers as one of the regularly-appearing Helldivers 2 side objectives in difficult missions, and players will need to adjust their tactics and loadouts in order to deal with them. This guide has been updated to include tips on how to destroy Gunship Towers, and it will continue to receive updates as more new side objectives are added to the game.

This guide does not include generic side objectives like Illegal Broadcasts, Rogue Research Stations, Radar Stations, and Escape Pods. As of writing, the following objectives are all unique to the Automaton faction.

SEAF SAM Site

These are somewhat similar to SEAF artillery batteries in Helldivers 2. However, instead of turning into working stratagems, SEAF SAM Sites will instead automatically shoot down any Automaton Drop Ships that get called within its range, making it a great deterrent to reinforcements.

Simply enough, all you need to do here is activate the SAM Site terminal, enter the necessary codes, and wait for the emplacement to deploy. No need to load the missile turret or do anything once it’s active.

Detector Towers

An Automaton Sensor Tower in Helldivers 2

These are tall structures that essentially act as lookout towers. Once a Detector Tower spots a Helldiver within its effective range, it will blare menacingly and signal an unending wave of reinforcements to its general vicinity. Players must quickly destroy the Detector Tower with their explosive stratagems or call-in a Hellbomb in the base of the tower’s compound.

As of writing, stratagem markers refuse to stick to the ground next to Detector Towers, making it hard to hit with precision strikes. Hellbombs are your most reliable options for destroying these towers, though you can always try to get lucky with an Orbital Precision Strike or Eagle 500KG Bomb. If your stratagem markers aren’t sticking to the ground, throw them at a nearby wall to keep them from bouncing or rolling off the tower’s radius.

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Stratagem Jammers

An Automaton Stratagem Jammer in Helldivers 2

Much like Detector Towers, Stratagem Jammers can easily be seen in the horizon thanks to the red rings that pulse out of them. Get too close to one, and all your stratagems will get disabled. This includes Reinforcements, Supply Drops, and any stratagem that has been thrown into the jammer’s radius. Stratagem Jammers are one of the most disruptive Helldivers 2 side objectives, and players should focus on getting rid of these as soon as they can.

To destroy a stratagem jammer, you’ll need to storm the fortified compound and either destroy a bot fabricator next to it, or disable the jammer from the nearby terminal and bomb it with your stratagems.

Mortar/Anti-Air Emplacements

These two side objectives are very similar to each other. They’re usually fortified positions fitted with specialized weapon emplacements. Mortars will constantly rain down explosives on the team’s general area, while AA guns will prevent the use of Eagle stratagems.

Completing these involve destroying the Mortar/AA guns using any sort of ordnance. Hellbombs, orbital bombardments, airstrikes, and even concentrated fire from Helldivers 2’s arsenal of guns. Aim for the glowing vents behind each turret if you’re going for the latter.

Automaton Gunship Towers

Gunship Towers are one of the most annoying of Helldivers 2’s side objectives. These periodically spew out two Automaton Gunships that will rain rockets and machine gun fire down on the squad. The Gunships themselves have medium-heavy armor — use anti-tank support weapons if you have them. If you don’t, an Anti-Materiel or Machine Gun will do just fine if you aim for the thrusters.

To destroy a Gunship Tower, you must use a Hellbomb. Ordinary stratagems aren’t enough to take these buildings down. Depending on how many towers are in an area, the entire team may need to work together so the airspace doesn’t get filled with Gunships. Call in a Hellbomb, and protect it at all costs until its 15-second countdown timer finishes.