Guard Dog in Helldivers 2
Screenshot by Dot Esports

Helldivers 2 Guard Dog vs. Rover: Which is better?

What Guard backpack should you use to protect you?

It’s tough to pick between the Guard Dog or the Rover version in Helldivers 2. Both of these support stratagems assist you with a drone sidekick to lay waste to your foes, but is there a better option between them?

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It all comes down to where you’re fighting and your party composition. You also want to talk with your teammates before you launch down to a play to distribute democracy and liberty to the alien planet you’re invading, which is a critical step. Making sure not to double up on stratagems is a good idea, and I’ve found it better to have no more than two of them because things become messy if you have too many. Here’s what you need to know if you should use Guard Dog or the Rover in Helldivers 2.

Should you use the Guard Dog or the Rover in Helldivers 2?

Should you use the Rover or the Guard Dog in Helldeivers 2
The Guard Dog is ready to watch your back. Screenshot by Dot Esports

I enjoy both the Guard Dog and the Rover versions in Helldivers 2. But if I’m fighting against the Terminids, the giant bugs, I take the Rover with me, and when I’m fighting the Automatons, the robots, I bring the standard Guard Dog with me. I believe the Rover does more damage to the Terminids than it does to Automatons, making it a more valuable asset.

The protective Guard Dog helps clear out the smaller enemies that can easily overwhelm you in Helldivers 2, especially the annoying bugs the Terminids send after you. The Rover can cut through them and your allies with the precision only liberty knows, but it doesn’t do too much damage to the large, heavily armored foes, like the Charger or the Hulks the Automatons send after you. For those, hitting their weak spot is the best way to do any amount of damage to them. The Rover can cut through the abdomens of the Charger, helping your team get rid of them to focus on larger tasks.

If everyone in your four-person match has Guard Dogs, it becomes messy when considering who is getting hit by what. I was in a match with a few friends where we all unlocked our standard Guard Dogs, and after calling them down, we released we barely had enough reinforcements to complete the match because the drones don’t recognize friendly fire. They’re too busy dispensing democracy to the enemies behind us to recognize they had to cease fire, making it harder to earn the best rewards, despite the boosters we had.

Always double-check how many your team is bringing before deciding to bring your own, and if you do, see who you’re about to invade. Helldivers 2 is all about making the worst of a bad situation, but you can help make matters much easier before you launch by bringing the correct stratagems with you. The Rover is ready to cut through Terminids, and the Guard Dog will be there to help you take out the Automaton threat.


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Author
Zack Palm
Zack Palm has been writing about video games for the past five years. He spends his free time trying to learn about a new board, reading high-fantasy series, or working on his latest DnD character.