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Fighting back against theTeminid menacecan be a pain inHelldivers 2. Besides dealing with an onslaught ofBile TitansandAcid Spewers, you’ll also have to deal with groups of Chargers barreling into your liberty-loving friends and family. If you don’t know how to handle these armored bugs,Chargerswill ruin your day in a single stampede. And the higher you climb in thedifficulty settings, the more you’ll encounter at once!
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Powerful weapons are your first (and last) defense in Helldivers 2. This guide details every weapon in the game and how to unlock them all.
These bugs are immune to small arms fire on their entire body except the bright orange tip on their backside. While they’re terrifying tanks at times, knowing how to dodge them, use them to complete objectives for you, and ultimately, how to quickly dispatch them will make your Terminid missions a much smoother democracy-delivering experience.
Updated by Chris Ng on August 24, 2025: This guide has been updated to include some video clip examples of how to headshot Chargers with the Railgun, Recoilless Rifle, and the Expendable Anti-Tank (EAT-17). With the balance changes from the latest update (Patch notes found here), Charger head health was reduced, leaving them vulnerable to these new headshot methods.
Helldivers 2
Breaking Charger Leg Armor
Since the armor of a Charger is nearly impervious to small arms fire, the easiest way to handle Chargers is by first breaking the armor on their front legs then shooting it with your main weapon.It takes one shot from a Recoiless Rifle or one shot from an Expendable Anti-Tank weapon to break the front leg armor.
If you’re using a Railgun,avoid using the weapon in Safe Mode. Before the March 6 patch, the Railgun could punch a hole through a Charger’s leg armor in a couple shots, but the patch specifically nerfed the Railgun’s Safe Mode armor penetration, so shots will simply bounce off. Instead, you’ll need torely on the Railgun’s Unsafe Modeto break through a Charger’s leg armor in2-4 shots. Just be careful — if you overcharge the Railgun in Unsafe Mode, it’ll blow up in your hands, destroying both you and your Railgun in the process.
Once the Charger’s armor is broken, there will be a patch of bright orange flesh you may shoot at.
If you’re using a shotgun, you’ll be able to shred through the Charger’s HP with little effort once its leg armor is removed. The hardest part of this strategy is trying to land a rocket/Railgun shot on its front legs in the first place. One of the best times to do this is when the Charger misses its initial charge and then slowly turns around to face you.
Above video demonstrates using an EAT-17 to blow off Charger leg armor.
Alternate Methods To Beat Chargers
If you don’t have the anti-tank weapons equipped, you’re able to still call down an explosive stratagem on the Charger to wound it. For example, the Eagle Airstrike will bring the Charger very close to death, but may not always be able to kill it. Stratagems like the Airburst and Autocannon Turret are also capable of killing Chargers as well.
Don’t forget to use terrain. Chargers will aggressively follow you, but they’ll get caught on almost every small hill and any wall you put between yourself and them.
Above video demonstrates guiding a Charger into terrain and also using an Eagle Airstrike to damage a Charger.
How To Kill Chargers With A Headshot
Railgun, Recoilless Rifle, And EAT-17
Above video demonstrates headshotting Chargers with the EAT, Recoilless Rifle, and the Railgun.
TheMarch 12 Patchmade a few tweaks to Chargers. Their spawn rate has been decreased, resulting in fewer Chargers (and Bile Titans) spawning at once. The downside to this is the game won’t reduce the number of enemies on the field; fewer Chargers and Bile Titans simply means moreotherbug enemies.
The other major change to Chargers (and the focus of this section) is the reduction of the health of their heads. While it doesn’t sound at all intuitive, a Charger’s head is the ‘intended’ target for quickly taking them down. This reduction in head health means that a single well-placed shot from the Railgun, Recoilless Rifle, or the EAT-17 will result in an immediate kill on a Charger. Due to the Charger’s propensity for running directly at the nearest Helldiver, this should allow for a clean shot before you’re trampled and overrun.
If the spacing is bad for headshotting them on their initial rush, simply dodge out of the way, then ready your shot for when the Charger turns and lines up for another charge.
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This guide details the best loadouts choices that complement each other across all difficulty levels as established in Helldivers 2’s new meta.
Easiest Way To Dodge Chargers
The easiest way to dodge a charger is to sprint in a perpendicular path to the oncoming Charger. If the charger is headed directly for you, sprint to the left or right and slowly curve toward the Charger to make them miss you.While Chargers can turn aggressively, Helldivers are able to turn more sharply than a Charger can manage.During this time, do your best to give the Charger a wide berth so it can’t turn and hit you while you’re running from it. Once you’ve stepped past the charger, continue moving around to its backside and the Charger will slide to a halt before slowly turning around toward you.
Strangely enough, the Charger is at its least dangerous when it’s charging directly toward you. When the Charger is standing still, it can rear up and crush your Helldiver in one-shot. The worst a running Charger can do is knock you into a horde of bugs that will actually kill you.
Above video showcases how to dodge (and how not to dodge) Chargers.
Using a Charger To Your Advantage
Alternatively, if you don’t have time to sprint toward it, you can dive out of the way at the last moment and still be safe. This method is best used if you’re trying to land a shot on its front legs, or if you’re using the Charger to complete objectives for you.Chargers are capable of crushing eggs, destroying broadcast towers, and are even capable of running over other troublesome Terminids if you’re running out of ammo.
Additionally, Chargers are able to actuallydestroy Bug nests at Hives, which can be a huge help when you’ve run out of grenades. Simply line up so the Charger rushes straight toward you with the Bug hole behind you. Dodge out of the way at the last second, and not only will the Charger destroy the Bug hole — it will actually kill itself in the process!
Two Chargers can actuallycharge directly into each otherif you line them up correctly, stunning themselves for a few crucial moments.
If you plan on diving out of the way of a charging Charger at the last second, make sure you dive as far away from their path as possible. If you land too close, the Charger will follow up with a hip check that will usually break some part of your Helldiver.
Unsure about how to defeatall the enemies of democracy? Here’s our breakdown ofhow to kill every Terminid enemy typein the game, as well as a guide onhow to beat every automaton threatyou come across.
Helldivers 2: 10 Best Ship Module Upgrades To Get ASAP
Ship Module upgrades are one of the best ways to enhance your Helldivers 2 experience. This list breaks down the best ones you need to unlock ASAP.
