Dropships are an absolute nuisance in Helldivers 2. If you have dared venture into the jungle on Malevelon Creek or the barren landscape of Vandalon IV or Durgen, then you will know just how frustrating it is to be bombarded with Bot Drops, bringing in a dozen reinforcements every few seconds. Thankfully, there is an easy way to destroy Automaton Dropships in Helldivers 2 - however, it will cost you one of your Stratagems slots.

How to Destroy Automaton Dropships - Helldivers 2¶

To destroy Automaton Dropships in Helldivers 2, you want to aim for one of the thrusters on the side of the main ship and the engine with the Recoilless Rifle. This deals an insane amount of damage to the ship and will completely shut it down, causing it to crash into the ground.

Best Stratagems Against Dropships in Helldivers 2¶

Additionally, you can use one of the Helldivers 2 Stratagems like the 500 KG bomb or the Eagle Airstrike to take them out, but they require precise timing and a bit of luck to line up the shots perfectly. So, the Recoilless Rifle is your best bet to reliably take down the ships, especially in the ‘Defense campaign’ missions to extract scientists, where there are tons of dropships coming in constantly.

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(1 of 2) You want to line up your shot with one of the thrusters on the dropship to ensure you cause it to spin out of control.

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You want to line up your shot with one of the thrusters on the dropship to ensure you cause it to spin out of control. (left), Once hit, the ship will crash to the ground, usually on the group of enemies right beneath it. (right)

Personal Orders to destroy ships haven’t been set yet in-game and they are unlikely to appear any time soon. However, you want to aim to destroy the ships during any Automaton missions in the Galactic War, as doing so will thin out reinforcements when they crash, and if you hit the ship early enough, you can often destroy it before the reinforcements have managed to deploy.

For even more tips on how to destroy Automaton forces in Helldivers 2, you can check out our guides on how to kill Helldivers 2’s Hulks, how to kill Devastators and how to kill Berserkers in the game.