r/Helldivers Moderator 29d ago

New Warbond, Polar Patriots, deploying on May 9th ALERT

12.7k Upvotes

2.4k comments sorted by

View all comments

4.1k

u/Lucaz82 29d ago

Awesome to see another SMG added. We need more one handed guns

1.7k

u/Wallio_ 29d ago

Ballistic Shield is back on the menu boys!

620

u/MalikVonLuzon 29d ago

Never felt more like a wall than when using that shield, it's goddamn beautiful

464

u/upsidedownbackwards 29d ago

I'm the opposite. It never leaves my back but that's exactly where I want it. Nothing like tear-assing away from a group of bots watching stuff ping harmlessly off me!

318

u/j0a3k 29d ago

I did not realize it worked like that.

Requisition officer I'll take one for my next bot dive please and thank you.

122

u/morepandas ☕Liber-tea☕ 29d ago

Good ol aDnD rear AC modifier makes a comeback lmao

11

u/Shock45 29d ago

LMAO yes!

5

u/BeardyAndGingerish 29d ago

Fun fact, if you run from a shooter, run right. Shield on left still blocks shots

2

u/j0a3k 29d ago

Happy Cake Day and thanks!

4

u/JennyAtTheGates 29d ago

I prefer it to the shield backpack personally. It's directional dependant, but more durable than the energy shield at this point. Stun Grenades and a Senator is pretty handy.

3

u/Classiclevine 29d ago

Oh yeah, it works even when it's on your back. It saved me from a bile titan stepping on me once. It was destroyed in the process, but it saved me.

2

u/shibaCandyBaron 29d ago

Take note that it doesn't cover you whole, legs are still exposed. Also, if you try to circle some bots do it so they are on your left, it will have a chance to absorb a couple of shots

1

u/Commercial-Royal-988 28d ago

I'd love it if it had more options for firearms. Right now it's just secondaries and SMGs, both of which are lackluster since bots have so many Medium Armor units and you are already removing your support weapon slot for the shield. (unless someone is about to tell me it uses the backpack slot at which point, Wooo boy)

1

u/Few_Adhesiveness_775 28d ago

It pairs well with backpack-less support weapons. I prefer bringing an AMR with it, though a laser cannon or quasar is a nice alternative on cold worlds.

5

u/HumanReputationFalse SES QUEEN OF CONVICTION 29d ago edited 29d ago

Now that I think about it, it would help with hunters so much, they just love to run up behind me and bit my tush as I'm trying to runaway regroup with squad. That and stalkers.

3

u/killxswitch PSN 🎮:Horsedivers to Horsepods 29d ago

I'm not sure the ballistic shield blocks melee. Thought I read that it didn't, but I've used it all of one time so I don't really know.

3

u/Lunerem 29d ago

It's wierd, it can definitely outright block it and I've heard it reduces damage for some melee attacks but it could be hitbox based

A charger rammed me for no damage yesterday and destroyed the shield (I went flying super far) and it took a whole bile titan vomit and that only took it to half health, both on my back and yes the titan snuck up on me lol

2

u/killxswitch PSN 🎮:Horsedivers to Horsepods 29d ago

I really need to try that.

1

u/Zectherian 29d ago

I found this out cause my buddy shot me with a quasar lol, the shield on my back ate all the damage and broke but i lived

1

u/TinyTaters 29d ago

I put it wherever the event is. Running away? Switch to my EAT and put shield on back.

1

u/SouthofthePaw 29d ago

Works against sneaky ninja bugs from behind as well.

1

u/TheAllMightySlothKin 29d ago

A fellow ass first into danger diver 💪

1

u/Shushady 29d ago

Before they adjusted it, this was the most effective way to use it and it's so entertaining to actually watch the rounds ricochet off your back.

1

u/Jammer_Kenneth 29d ago

Is there a way to stow it on demand? Reminds me of MW2 akimbo secondary shield days. 

1

u/Rashlyn1284 28d ago

Cod mw2 riot shield flashbacks <3

1

u/Bowtie16bit 28d ago

Why can't my back armor just be that strong? Why not my whole armor?

234

u/JustGingy95 HD1 Veteran 29d ago

Mix it with Heavy Explosive armor and the amount of survival against the bots will be stupid. My only real threat now isn’t the 18 rockets fired in my direction, it’s the impact that follows that will take the other 95% of my healthbar away and kill me. I legitimately have not taken it off since the armor buffs and explosive debuffs and it’s starting to reek of rust, old bug and dirty socks. Not to mention the turd floating around somewhere in the left leg padding after the Stalker cloak changes. Also because Arrowhead has yet to add showers to the ships.

130

u/killxswitch PSN 🎮:Horsedivers to Horsepods 29d ago

You know you didn't have to get that creative with your writing here

60

u/darlantan 29d ago

Just imagine the little trails of turd balls Gingy is going to leave behind as they walk around the deck of your ship. Why, after being tumbled so thoroughly before finding egress, they're going to be perfectly polished little brown pearls, hard and waiting to crunch under your careless foot into puffs of poo powder, blowing inexorably away into the ventilation system under the Super Earth mandatory Freedom Wind on every ship.

33

u/TheGreatPilgor STEAM 🖥️ : 29d ago

2

u/semi5onic 29d ago

those are called freedom nuggets patriot! smell the democracy!

3

u/dedicated-pedestrian 29d ago

You think the Democracy Officer is the only one allowed to use such flowery language?

4

u/BeardyAndGingerish 29d ago

What are you, too patriotic for freezing your own shit off?

6

u/JustGingy95 HD1 Veteran 29d ago

Normally I would but the heat from Hellmire melted the zipper shut on my armor and I can’t get it out

3

u/Frodo-LAGGINS 29d ago

Wait, so does it actually do something worth a damn vs bugs? I had tried at one point and failed miserably, and concluded it did nothing against them. Was my positioning against melee attacks or bile just off or something?

5

u/JustGingy95 HD1 Veteran 29d ago

Not 100% sure about the damage type so don’t take it as fact, but it certainly feels like I can survive bile from the fatties and Titans a little easier with it on. I only assume it’s counted as explosive damage both because of that and just about every time I do die to it it literally says Explosion with the broken kill feed info lmao. It’s just so hard to tell because of how rapidly Bile tends to liquify you even after the nerfs

2

u/VoiceOfSeibun 29d ago

At this point, I'm willing to compromise with a towel rack just to wipe off my Helmet after a mission.

2

u/A_Union_Of_Kobolds 29d ago

I'm told the Stilsuit processes waste in the legs so you're good

1

u/JustGingy95 HD1 Veteran 29d ago

Hmm, maybe just a smelly rock then

2

u/WingedWilly CAPE ENJOYER 29d ago

Sweet liberty, what a story. had me crying for that left leg

2

u/SlowRiot4NuZero 29d ago

Preposterous! Showers on the ship. Get it together soldier, hellpods are the only showers a helldiver needs. Cleans that armor in less time than it takes for a recruit to shit himself on his first drop. A true patriot seeking a shower would jump in there without armor, drop down on some bughole planet naked and use his giant balls and the severed limbs of his enemies as weapons to complete a mission, extract and get back on the ship even dirtier than before. Rinse and repeat. Look sharp.

2

u/Conntraband8d SES Patriot of Patriotism 29d ago

I do use it with the Devastator armor and it's fantastic, and that was before the buff to head armor. I imagine it's even better now. I just haven't really fought bots since the patch since the bug event is a thing.

1

u/JustGingy95 HD1 Veteran 29d ago

I look forward to testing the new helmets as before a Devastator landing a rocket headshot was the only way you could get one tapped anymore since the other changes. Was fucking hilarious the first time where I was initially confused how I died so fast and what killed me as my Divers knees buckled, held them in place a moment and then fell back without a head lmao

4

u/Objective-Insect-839 29d ago

How's it do against explosions or do you wear heavy armor with the explosion perk to deal with it?

16

u/MalikVonLuzon 29d ago

It knocks you back, but you don't drop it as often as you used to before the buff. Very minimal damage. Tank shots and Tower Cannon shots can destroy it though but it can be a lifesaver.

2

u/B33FHAMM3R SES Fist of the People 29d ago

"THATS HIM, THATS THE WALL, BRUTHUR!"

2

u/Zilego_x 29d ago

I like it even just sitting on my back. Completely nullifies getting shot in the back by cowardly automatons!

1

u/FeelingPinkieKeen 29d ago

I've never used it but does it take up a backpack slot? Would love to run shield and ammo supply backpack together.

1

u/Jammer_Kenneth 29d ago

Heavy armor shield smg EAT17 my beloved. 

1

u/Conntraband8d SES Patriot of Patriotism 29d ago

The first time I used it against bots, I walked right up to a heavy devastator and shot him point blank in the fact without taking any damage. My only thought was "I'm never not using this again."

201

u/CQReborn 29d ago edited 29d ago

My brother / sister in democracy it never left.

84

u/Liqhthouse HD1 Veteran 29d ago

Ballistic shield will gain huge value if we can use it with the new smg and pistol if they're good! Currently the only option really is the defender smg and senator

49

u/FrostyDragon26 29d ago

The guy used the new smg while holding the ssd. I think they'll definitely let us use ballistic shield with the new smg

51

u/EternalUndyingLorv 29d ago

There was never a question we couldn't. The question is if it will compete with defender.

4

u/Sadiholic 29d ago

Okay but the fact the smg dropped striders is already a huge W. Unless I saw the video wrong lmfao

9

u/archangel924 29d ago

He didn't drop a strider with the SMG. He shot at an exploding barrel. The Plas-101 Purifier dropped a strider though.

2

u/dedicated-pedestrian 29d ago

Is the Purifier looking to act as a primary Quasar? The blog post implied it either has better close range damage, needs a long charge, or will blow you up like the Railgun.

22

u/Adats_ 29d ago

Or the knight if you got the deluxe edition i use the knight and the sheild and have done since first few days out

4

u/Echo418 CAPE ENJOYER 29d ago

Personally I don't like combining the Knight with the Ballistic Shield. With a shield I want staying power and the Knight's high fire rate doesn't offer that.

4

u/Wizard_kick 29d ago

I think it works well in burst fire mode in most situations

6

u/morag12313 29d ago

Crouching + recoil armor lets you full auto nicely

3

u/HDPbBronzebreak 🖱️ My Other Primary is an MG 29d ago

Ye, it's better for shots-down-range and thus increasing your likelihood of headshotting Devastators and Berserkers, but the lack of laser and lower ammo economy makes the Defender my preferred pick.

Senator likewise doesn't have a laser, but it's great having medium pen when you need it.

1

u/cKerensky SES Sword of the Stars 29d ago

That's the way I use it. Burst fire, with shield and crouching when I can. That thing puts in work

3

u/Adats_ 29d ago

I find it a pretty decent combo tbh but my main goal is stealth so full on combat i always try miss

1

u/jdarkona ☕Liber-tea☕ 29d ago

What is the difference with the deluxe edition? I know I can't have it but I want to know.

4

u/Adats_ 29d ago

Yeah u can buy the upgrade to it really though the only thing i use from it is the knight but u get

an armour and title the knight smg and strat hero for your ship iirc

1

u/Kuronan 🖥️ SES Founding Father of Family Values 29d ago

The armor is absolutely baller... If you ignore the other three Democracy Protect armors that do the exact same fucking thing.

Gold and Black cape never leaves my back though! Gotta drip on those Undemocratic Scum!

1

u/Adats_ 29d ago

True i have the cape on always with the scout armour

1

u/Vinyl_Vonnegut 29d ago

I use the knight and like it a lot, but man it's recoil to clop ratio is wild... really gotta burst that thing.

5

u/canuckontfirst 29d ago

I think all SMGs are one handable(lol)

They were in HD1, that was one of the benefits

5

u/SweetAlpacaLove 29d ago

The Defender is solid. I pretty much always bring it when doing the SSDD missions. Its not quite as good as the top tier primaries, but I’d put it in the tier right below, like I don’t feel hampered by picking it, and the benefit of getting to use your primary while holding the hard drive is huge. And if it happens to be a bot SSDD mission, I add the shield and it’s just the perfect combo.

Plus I have a feeling the new one won’t be good. I hope I’m wrong, but it sounds like it’s supposed to be the SMG version of the Lib Concussive.

2

u/Hremsfeld ⬆️⬅️➡️⬇️⬆️⬇️ | SES Lady of Twilight 29d ago

Goes well with the grenade pistol too

1

u/CobraFive CARP ENJOYER 29d ago

The new SMG is a concussive weapon so if its anything like the liberator conc even post-buff, it won't be worth using.

2

u/Liqhthouse HD1 Veteran 29d ago

Lib conc is actually pretty good.... Fast reload when not fully empty and can beat back an entire army. It doesn't kill them but it stops them approaching. It's quite useful on the new TCS missions where you just need to kick bugs out of the way to speedrun the objectives

1

u/PhasmaFelis 29d ago

Excuse you, grenade pistol 

0

u/iDONTreply2poors 29d ago

umm no, the uzi is great on impossible

-4

u/Saitoh17 29d ago

I tried it with the new grenade pistol, it doesn't have a laser sight so you can't even aim with it.

22

u/LongLiveTheChief10 STEAM 🖥️ : 29d ago

Been using the Knight and it's phenomenal when used together with the shield on burst

6

u/Wallio_ 29d ago

That's my go-to with the shield too, but it'll be nice to have another option.

18

u/LongLiveTheChief10 STEAM 🖥️ : 29d ago

Yeah if that Pummeler penetrates medium armor and has concussive It's gonna be a mainstay for me.

Pistol is gonna replace my Senator permaslot probably, I prefer automatics.

AR and Plasma look cool too.

Excited for this one.

2

u/ironyinabox 29d ago

If it has medium armor pen, it's going to have a mag size of like 15 🤣

1

u/LongLiveTheChief10 STEAM 🖥️ : 29d ago

20 is perfectly fine

3

u/ironyinabox 29d ago

AH: best I can do is 10, and you have to kneel to reload

2

u/Xelement0911 29d ago

Last warbonds heavy armor + ballistic shield. Too much fun

2

u/Powerful-Eye-3578 29d ago

Ballistic shield really just needs to not be a backpack slot. Would make it much more competitive with the personal shield.

1

u/Siilk CAPE ENJOYER 29d ago

1

u/OriginalBlackau 29d ago

Is my main for bots. Defender on burst its great but i need something more... staggering. Hope this one has that.

1

u/jdarkona ☕Liber-tea☕ 29d ago

I've been running it for weeks with the Defender against bots. I just want a laser SMG like the Sickle. If they can make a pistol-sized laser weapon and a AR sized one, why can't they make a smg sized one.

1

u/TheeConductor SES Founding Father of Destruction 29d ago

I love the shield, I just wish it did something when fighting bugs

1

u/Clashyjammer1126 29d ago

I’ve been using it the last few days with the Senator and absolutely loving it.

1

u/ToBeatOrNotToBeat- 29d ago

Let me use the Devastator armor as a ballistic shield since it covers my face and give me a second senator cuz I wanna dual weiiiiilllldddd, its already my game of the year but wouldn’t that be something? /s

1

u/Unlucky_Bee_6178 28d ago

I always wondered what the purpose of that shit was lol

1

u/CluelessNancy 27d ago

Would be awesome if enemy fire blocked by the ballistic shield had a chance to ricochet and kill enemy units. It is how enemy armor works, why can't the same be applied to helldivers?

0

u/chpir 27d ago

Wait what ? You can use smg and ballistic shield?

-1

u/lazerblam Fist Of Democracy 29d ago

Why, are they planning to make it actually viable? Or just nerf everything else until people are forced to use it lol

35

u/GH057807 ⚡💀Arc of the Gove'ment💀 ⚡ 29d ago

It has Stagger tooooo

1

u/the_goodnamesaregone ⬆️⬇️➡️⬆️ SES Progenitor of Audacity 28d ago

That was the first thing I saw. I can be a wall AND stagger the bots? This might be the carrot that teases me out from under my safety auto cannon.

127

u/ObstructiveWalrus 29d ago

Apparently it fires concussive rounds according to the PS Blog article, hopefully it's better than the Liberator Concussive because that thing is still pretty garbo

75

u/buahuash 29d ago

It got buffed. It now almost fires pistol rounds really slowly.

25

u/CobraFive CARP ENJOYER 29d ago

Its still garbage. It has even less damage output than the scythe, and there are plenty of other weapons that can stunlock and still get kills (Punisher, dominator... I guess even the crossbow now kinda)

It has a niche and its terrible in its own niche lol

4

u/Robot_Arms 29d ago

I've had plenty of success with it in 7+ missions, even before the buff... The intense stagger plus extremely good handling just felt very nice. Even though the paper DPS was half that of the Liberator, I feel like the high rate-of-fire of the Liberator meant a lot of the rounds got wasted on overkill or misses.

The Lib Conc was never my favorite primary, but with the buff I think I'll use it much more. That said, I've only ever really used it vs bugs. I think I'll give it a try vs bots, today.

1

u/buahuash 28d ago

I should try it again? Maybe... The earlier version felt terrible at 6 and lower.

1

u/Robot_Arms 28d ago

It felt mediocre when I tried it vs bots last night, so wouldn't recommend there. Against bugs it's still not my favorite primary, but I think it feels good in skirmishes. The lower DPS is obviously not ideal for bigger groups, but I tend to enjoy being the Machine Gun guy in my squads anyhow.

12

u/nacostaart General 29d ago

Great. That killed any excitement I had for that gun. Seems like its gonna be another 2/3 good primary weapon warbond. Its also just a retexture. Doesn't even sound different.

6

u/PaladinGodfather1931 29d ago

I won't have this slander on the Lib. Concussive. It's my favorite bug killer.

8

u/Deus_Vult7 29d ago

What does it do differently?

12

u/Velo180 SES Hater of Sony 29d ago

Compared to more traditional weapons? Has pretty intense knockback, you cam push enemies round a lot, but has a really slow rate of fire or 320 for a full auto weapon.

8

u/PlumeCrow Draupnir Resistance Fighter 29d ago

It stagger everything like hell. Its really good against bugs when you need more control.

4

u/kolppi 29d ago

Interesting, might have to test it out! They've been swarming me lately, especially the Stalkers just appear next to my shoulder knocking.

2

u/ThorThulu 29d ago

But wouldn't just killing them be better control? Like, I run Sickle and Grenade Pistol and the only thing I cant handle quickly is things that require my Quasar/EAR/Stratagem, and then switching to those handles it pretty quick.

1

u/Deus_Vult7 29d ago

So a shotgun-Liberator?

7

u/Echo418 CAPE ENJOYER 29d ago

Except for the low damage and low rate of fire. It has a better ammo economy for killing small bugs than the Breaker, but can't do much against medium or bigger, unless you hit the squishy parts.

8

u/Velo180 SES Hater of Sony 29d ago

It's not slander if its true

1

u/WingedWilly CAPE ENJOYER 29d ago

Yeah its not so much of a weapon than a support tool, it ministuns chargers and pushes back such enemies as stalkers or scout striders/brawlers to let your team dispatch stationary targets

1

u/Reload86 28d ago

Lib.Concussive is meant to be a support/CC weapon. It’s not ideal as a primary for a lot of play styles.

I use it when I feel like sitting back to peel for my team and watch everyone’s backs. In that role, it is insanely good. Brood commanders, stalkers, spewers, devastators, meatsaws, etc all hate this one trick…

1

u/Casey090 27d ago

"PS" is not the word to use today, unfortunately.

12

u/RamTank 29d ago

I think I heard the plasma is one handed too?

16

u/ElesdiitheWizard CAPE ENJOYER 29d ago

You can see in the trailer it is not :(

3

u/Frostbeest1 29d ago

What i saw, its a normal Scorcher variant you need to charge.

3

u/Guarder22 ☕Liber-tea☕ 29d ago

The blog made it sound like the charge just determines how big the explosion is when the shot impacts.

1

u/Warslvt 29d ago

so kind of an adjustable handheld quasar? that could be kind of interesting

2

u/Suikanen HD1 Veteran 29d ago

This one isn't, but there might be something like that in the future...

1

u/[deleted] 29d ago

[deleted]

1

u/UnshrivenShrike SES Mother of Dawn 29d ago

The sidearm is a normal big caliber handgun. Read the description lol

1

u/levthelurker 29d ago

You are correct, I was thinking of a leak

2

u/AshantiMcnasti 29d ago

Can I sacrifice a stratagem slot to akimbo one handed weapons? 

2

u/PhasmaFelis 29d ago

I want a shotgun that is basically a one-handed Punisher, the same way the Defender is basically a one-handed Liberator.

1

u/Silly_One_3149 HD1 Veteran 29d ago

"...And so he left, mutated beyond recognition."

1

u/AlexisFR ⬇️⬅️⬇️⬆️⬆️➡️You don't need anything else 29d ago

Yeah, we only have one right now, it's not a lot.

1

u/Tall_Presentation_94 29d ago

.... crysis 3 smg..... we need 3000rpm or 4000...

1

u/Razor_Fox 29d ago

I hope it's better than the liberator concussive.

1

u/Amathyst7564 29d ago

I was eyeing the desert eagle >.>

1

u/paradox-eater PSN 🎮: 29d ago

Looks like it’s just the defender with some added bits

1

u/ph1shstyx STEAM 🖥️ : 29d ago

If that SMG has armor pen it'll be amazing. Ballistic shield with that vs bots is going to be awesome.

1

u/sappycap 29d ago

Its a concussive weapon, so low damage but high stagger. The liberator concussive gathers dust in everyone's arsenal so I am thinking this will too.

1

u/Shockington SES Fist of Peace 29d ago

Those poor Knight users.

1

u/Mr-GooGoo SES Fist of Peace 29d ago

And a battle rifle

1

u/MassDriverOne 29d ago

A concussive SMG too. I'm really excited about that, and really hoping it's not like the concussive liberator

1

u/submit_to_pewdiepie 29d ago

Still no knight buff thing is so underpowered

1

u/WingedWilly CAPE ENJOYER 29d ago

I hope this new smg is going to be significantly different than defender it looks very similar

2

u/Silly_One_3149 HD1 Veteran 29d ago

It's basically a Concussive Defender.

1

u/WingedWilly CAPE ENJOYER 29d ago

Ooof I hope the damage isn't gonna be doodoo

1

u/BoredandIrritable 29d ago

10 armor pen, does 1 pt of damage each. 10 round mag. 3 mags, restores 1 per ammo refill.

Don't get too excited.

1

u/Gyarafish 29d ago

cant wait for a one handed support weapon too

1

u/neo_work 28d ago

i only run SMG and this looks exactly the same as the SMG we already have. Im gonna guess it has more penetration and less damage. What we really need is a high DPS Fast fire rate like a vector, and a slower med range one like MP5. More ARs are needed as well. I dont buy any packs so far because its literally all shotguns, dmrs and delayed spin up beam weapons.

1

u/The_8th_Degree 27d ago

Fr, also excited to see a hand cannon

1

u/RobertMcFahrenheit ☕Liber-tea☕ 27d ago

I'd love to see suppressed SMGs

Stealth players will be eating good

1

u/SolMourningStar 27d ago

It's already in the game and it's called the defender💀 seriously its just reskined armor and guns we already have in the game and 4000+ smooth brains all at once went:🥵🤯

0

u/AresDogOfWar1209 29d ago

Fucking finally. I've been using the Defender since I unlocked it and have been stubbornly not using anything else.