what are troopers in helldivers 2

Troopers in Helldivers 2 are the basic light infantry robots of the Automaton faction – the common “bot grunts” you mow down in large numbers, but that can become dangerous when they swarm or call in reinforcements.

What troopers are

• Troopers are the standard Automaton foot soldiers, also described as light infantry equipped with laser assault rifles.

• They are considered cannon fodder: easy to kill one‑on‑one, but threatening in large groups thanks to concentrated laser fire.

• In many guides and challenges, “Troopers” can mean either all basic humanoid Automaton infantry or specifically the variant with a basic laser rifle, depending on the Personal Order or in‑game counter.

Where you find them

• Troopers only appear in Automaton (bot) missions, not in Terminid bug missions.

• They spawn on Automaton‑controlled planets, typically in the western/red sectors of the galaxy map, at patrols, outposts, and from Automaton fabricators or dropships on all difficulties.

How they behave

• Troopers usually engage from range with burst‑fire laser rifles, keeping some distance and backing away if you get too close, but they can melee punch if needed.

• They can throw grenades to flush you out of cover and fire a flare to call in dropships with more bots, which makes them a priority target despite their low durability.

Varieties and challenge confusion

• There are multiple Trooper‑type bots that look similar but carry different weapons (for example, basic laser rifle troopers, rocket‑armed variants, and other light infantry types).

• For Personal Orders like “kill 20 Troopers,” the game often wants a specific Trooper variety; your progress only ticks up when you kill the right one, which is why some players see only a few counts per mission.

How to deal with them

• They die in a few bullets from most weapons; headshots, explosives, and grenades shred them quickly.

• The main danger is getting overwhelmed by numbers or letting them live long enough to call in more Automaton reinforcements, so focusing them down early keeps fights under control.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.