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Learn how to defeat the Hive Lord in Helldivers 2 using team strategies, armor-piercing weapons, and the most effective stratagems.
Tunneling beneath the sands of Terminid Hive Worlds, the Hive Lord is an oppressive force of nature that forces Helldivers to seek shelter in the planets’ cave systems infested with bugs. However, contrary to what you may expect after first battling the monstrosity, the Hive Lord can be defeated. It just requires basic team coordination, the right loadout, and a veritable mountain of explosives.
How To Defeat the Hive Lord in Helldivers 2
Hive Lords are bosses that tunnel underground in Hive Worlds and surface when they detect Helldivers battling on the surface. There can only be one Hive Lord per mission.
Armored Parts and Weak Spots
- Most of the Hive Lord’s body, including its front and rear spines, is protected by armor equal to Tier 1 tank armor.
- The Hive Lord’s head and mandibles are its toughest features, featuring Tier 2 tank armor.
- Once the armor in a particular section is destroyed with enough concentrated firepower, it reveals the soft flesh beneath, which can be damaged by weapons with light armor penetration.
- The Hive Lord’s open mouth also presents a weak spot, with only light armor protection inside it. However, it usually opens its maw to spit acid, and you’ll need to dodge the attack after shooting it.
Strategy to Defeat the Hive Lord
The armored shell of the Hive Lord can be damaged by all anti-tank weapons and stratagems.
- Find a large open space on the map, preferably without Terminid nests.
- Spread out and take up positions.
- Lure the Hive Lord to the area by intercepting a patrol or causing an explosion.
- Concentrate fire on one section of the Hive Lord’s front spines. The lower middle section of its abdomen is a consistent target and is reachable for grenades.
- Maintain distance from teammates, so a single attack from the Hive Lord can only damage one Helldiver at a time.
- Once the armored plate is destroyed, you can start dealing real damage by attacking the exposed flesh underneath. Any explosive weapons or stratagems will also deal significantly more damage after an armor plate breaks.
- As a coordinated team, it can take you anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes to bring down a Hive Lord. Solo players may take roughly 20 minutes to kill a Hive Lord on Super Helldive difficulty.
Also Read: Helldivers 2: Best Hive World Build and Loadout
Best Build and Loadout for Killing Hive Lords in Helldivers 2
Recommended Weapons
| Type | Loadout 1 | Loadout 2 | Loadout 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | Scorcher/Purifier | Exploding Crossbow/Eruptor | Torcher/Cookout |
| Secondary | Ultimatum/Grenade Pistol | Ultimatum/Senator | Ultimatum/Grenade Pistol |
| Throwable | Thermite | Thermite | Thermite |
The Ultimatum and Thermite grenades are the only items in the loadout that can damage the Hive Lord’s armor. The Primary weapons are mainly for dealing with the smaller bugs appearing around the boss.
Recommended Armor
| Armor Rating | Passive | Passive Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Medium | Democracy Protects | • 50% chance to not die when taking lethal damage • Prevents all damage from bleeding if chest hemorrhages |
| Light | Servo-Assisted | • +30% throwing range • +50% limb health |
Medium armor with the ‘Democracy Protects’ passive provides additional chances to survive the Hive Lord’s attacks, which would otherwise one-shot you. Light armor makes it easier to dodge attacks, especially if paired with a jump pack, and ‘Servo-Assisted’ is crucial to throw stratagems and thermite grenades far enough to reach the Hive Lord.
Recommended Stratagems
| Support | Heavy | Assault |
|---|---|---|
| Portable Hellbomb | Strafing Run | 500Kg Bomb |
| Machine Gun Sentry | Recoilless Rifle/Spear | Strafing Run |
| Anti-Tank Emplacement | Emancipator Exosuit | Quasar Cannon |
| Rocket Sentry | 500Kg Bomb | Jump/Hover/Warp Pack |
All three loadouts are capable of dishing out immense damage to the Hive Lord when playing to their strengths.
Recommended Strategy
The Strafing Run is the primary damage dealer against the Hive Lord for all loadouts. Throw the stratagem toward the Hive Lord, as close to its base as possible. The majority of the Strafing Run’s armor-piercing rounds will hit the Hive Lord. Since it has the most charges of any Eagle Stratagem, the Strafing Run becomes the most resource-effective source of DPS against the Hive Lord.
Support
The Support loadout is meant to maintain distance from the Hive Lord and set up emplacements to exterminate smaller Terminids that spawn around the Hive Lord as patrols or reinforcements. The Machine Gun Sentry has a short cooldown and can thin out bug reinforcements and blitz down Shriekers.
Set up the Anti-Tank Emplacement some distance away from the Hive Lord when it isn’t targeting you. Use the Machine Gun Sentry to cover your position while using up the entirety of the Anti-Tank Emplacement’s ammo on the colossal boss.
Heavy
As the Heavy, you’ll deal the most consistent damage to the Hive Lord at the cost of mobility. Every single stratagem in your arsenal is excellent at damaging the creature’s armor. The Recoilless Rifle deals less damage compared to the Spear, but it has more ammo. Either weapon can be used effectively.
Assault
The Assault loadout preferably draws aggro and dodges the Hive Lord’s attacks by using a Jump Pack, Hover Pack, or Warp Pack. The Quasar Cannon is ideal for this playstyle as it doesn’t require reloading or ammo, and will be off cooldown by the time you’ve dodged an attack and deployed a stratagem or two.
Recommended Boosters
- Localization Confusion: Will increase the time between enemy reinforcements spawning, giving you room to focus on the Hive Lord.
- Stamina Enhancement: Allows you to sprint longer, a must-have to reposition and avoid attacks.
- Vitality Enhancement: Increases general durability significantly.
- Experimental Infusion: Temporarily improves movement speed and damage reduction after stimming.
Also Read: Helldivers 2: All Boosters and How To Get Them
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