These Helldivers 2 tips are essential reading for anyone new to the game, because it is a very chaotic experience. Airstrikes and explosions are constantly going off to deal with the bugs and bots charging at you while you try and complete all manner of objectives, including launching rockets and saving civilians. So to help brand-new ‘divers, we asked our community of seasoned Helldivers 2 players for their top tips to help keep them alive for at least an extra few minutes.

We received ten phenomenal submissions with loads of top tips, all of which we've collated into this article that will have you surging through the difficulty levels and taking down the game's fiercest enemies in no time at all. Here are your top Helldivers 2 tips from real players with hands-on experience, via Just About Video Games.

Don't skip the tutorial

When there's an optional tutorial, it's tempting to skip it no matter which game you're playing to get into the action as soon as possible. You really shouldn't do that in Helldivers 2 though explains MURRRAAAAY because it teaches you some essential mechanics such as how to close bug holes and how to avoid being shot by turrets. You'll also net an achievement for completing it, which is the cherry on top.

Communication is key

One of the funniest elements of Helldivers 2 is the fact friendly fire is permanently enabled and while that may sound infuriating, if you can accept the fact it's part of the experience, it becomes quite amusing. However, it's still not ideal in a tense firefight, so make sure you're communicating with your teammates! 

As Murray explains, this will also give you the "best chance of slaying the bad guys", and it also ties into another of his tips: play with friends to make your time in Helldivers 2 even more enjoyable, so you're all on the same page with which objectives to go for and when you need assistance. cyruz backs that up by saying that you should never dive alone, because playing with teammates, even if they are random, "is so much more fun and efficient".

Identify and focus on your objectives early

The most common tip from our community surrounds the objectives you must complete on every dive. Dean explains that "nipping off to clear out a small nest may seem like a good idea, but it can quickly escalate and require the rest of your team to come and bail you out". Sturmer suggests you should also focus on the objectives instead of "mindlessly shooting everything that moves", especially since some enemy patrols will pass by without noticing you if you're careful.

Murray recommends using the mini map at all times, as you can place custom markers on the fly for everyone to see, which EVEIL also recommends since those markers are displayed on the compass.

Drop samples at the extraction zone

Another tip from EVEIL is very helpful if you want to minimise the risk of losing your hard-earned samples in combat: if you're near the extraction zone mid-mission, or if you're passing it on your way to the next objective, drop all of your samples on the landing pad. If the action gets too hairy and you find yourself dying repeatedly, this means your teammates won't need to worry about grabbing your samples, as they'll be waiting for you when you return to call in Pelican-1.

Resupply often and don't save stims

EVEIL also recommends resupplying as soon as you can, as soon as the cooldown period has expired. This is because Helldivers 2 is a game where you'll be consuming ammo and grenades pretty much non-stop, so when you're stationary for an objective or a nest, call in a resupply even if you don't need it right that second. It'll start the cooldown timer again and it means you can stock up when your reserves deplete to around half, as one single resupply box - the stratagem calls down four at once - will give you exactly half of your total capacity.

Dean agrees, explaining that "you can resupply often and usually find some restocks along the way", so you should use your stims as much as necessary, there's no need to treat them sparingly. If your health is at "less than 80%, there's a good chance one significant hit is taking you out".

Make sure you have one weapon that can shoot across the planet

There are plenty of options available to you in terms of heavy weapon stratagems, and no matter the mission type, you should always ensure you have one on you so you can pick off foes and objectives from afar. EVEIL recommends the Quasar Cannon, a post-launch weapon that can obliterate Bile Titans, Factory Striders, Shrieker nests, and more from afar. Speaking of Shrieker nests, you should ensure you destroy them as soon as you spot them, because if you get too close, the Shriekers will begin to spawn and you're in for some aerial-based trouble.

Laser-Bicep suggests using the Laser Cannon (was someone called Laser Bicep really going to pick anything else?) though, as much like the Quasar Cannon, it doesn't run out of ammo, it simply needs to cool down. It fires a constant beam though compared to the Quasar which fires individual shots, so there's less of a penalty for not being on target immediately.

Pick the best stratagems

It's easy to say "just pick the best", but with so many contributions from members of the community, quite a few different stratagems have been recommended. First up is Tom Booth who endorses the Eagle 500kg Bomb, as it's "perfect for bug nests". He explains it "saves so much energy to just set one off instead of messing around with all the holes", and when you have the objective to destroy the eggs, one 500kg Bomb can save the day.

When you're facing off against bots, EVEIL has high praise for the Orbital Laser. This is a continuous beam that comes down from the skies and if you chuck the beacon into the middle of an Automaton base, "it'll do most of the work for you", including destroying the fabricators. However, if you don't have an Orbital Laser on you, Scrbzy explains you can throw a grenade through the red vents on any Automaton fabricators to destroy them from the inside.

Laser-Bicep suggests taking the Mortar Sentry as they claim it "seems to last a lot longer than all the other sentries". They also recommend the Eagle Airstrike, which is an excellent jack-of-all-trades choice that covers a large area and can deal with any type of enemy, alongside the Orbital Airburst Strike to clear big groups of small enemies, while also damaging the beefier foes.

Learn the planetary supply lines

Finally, a tip for the most hardcore of players from Scrbzy is to learn the invisible supply lines on the galactic map. If you use a third-party website such as Helldivers.io, you can see these lines, as they essentially dictate which planets will become available to players depending on which ones are controlled by Super Earth. You can also keep track of the current major order and the status of the galaxy, if you want to stay updated while away from the game.

Do you have more Helldivers 2 tips? Join the community at Just About Video Games and let us know in the comments.