Helldivers 2: Which guard dog is better? Guard Dog & Rover explained

❘ Published: 2024-03-13T16:50:00

Arrowhead Game Studios

Are you confused about which Guard Dog stratagem to pick in Helldivers 2? Here’s a breakdown of both options and which one suits your needs.

Released on February 8, 2024, Helldivers 2, the sequel to the popular Helldivers, offers an exhilarating co-op experience ideal for playing with friends. Transitioning from top-down to intense third-person gameplay, Helldivers 2 has quickly become a sensation, even outpacing GTA 5’s all-time player count on Steam.

As you take on missions in the game and battle hordes of enemies, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got plenty of powerful weapons and stratagems with you, and there are two similar backpack stratagems that can be tricky to decide between.

With that in mind, here’s everything you need to know about the Guard Dog and Rover in Helldivers 2, and which one you should use.

Both backpacks have advantages and disadvantages in Helldivers 2.

Which Guard Dog stratagem is better in Helldivers 2?

Both the Guard Dog and Rover are great stratagems to use in the game with each having pros and cons but the Rover does have a slight advantage. You can find a rundown of both backpack stratagems below to get an overview of how effective they can be in combat.

Guard Dog

The Guard Dog comes with a liberator assault rifle that works well for additional protection. Acting like a power turret, it will fire at any enemies that get close, including those you may not be able to see.

The biggest con with this stratagem is that its ammo depletes quickly and it will need to recharge in your backpack often.

Rover

The Rover wields a laser rifle that can sweep across the battlefield and deal damage to enemies. There is a risk of friendly fire because the laser can also hit your teammates but as long as you’re actively communicating and relaying your positioning to your teammates you should hopefully avoid this problem.

The biggest advantage the Rover has over the Guard Dog is that it doesn’t need to recharge nearly as much as the other backpack, and the laser is more powerful than the assault rifle.

Overall, both backpack stratagems are effective in Helldivers 2 but with its more powerful weapon and less need to be recharged, the Rover has the advantage over the Guard Dog in the game. If you want to use either, however, it’s worth noting that if you can get ahold of the Hand Carts ship module this can reduce backpack cooldowns by 10% and keep the Guard Dog on the battlefield for slightly longer before it needs recharging.

For more Helldivers content, check out our guides below: