If you’ve been deploying against the Terminids on anything above Easy difficulty, you’ve likely encountered the Hive Guard. This guide breaks down what it is, how it works, and—most importantly—how most players deal with it effectively.
What is a Hive Guard?
The Hive Guard is a medium-armored Terminid, essentially a larger and more defensive variant of the standard Warrior. It starts appearing from Easy difficulty onward. You’ll often find them stationed directly at bug hole entrances, acting as living barricades. On higher difficulties, they can also lead patrols, frequently positioning themselves to protect more dangerous units like Brood Commanders or Chargers.
How does its "Hunker Down" ability work?
This is the Hive Guard's defining trait. When fired upon, it will often stop moving and crouch, presenting its armored front as a shield. In this state, it blocks all incoming fire from light armor penetration weapons. More critically, it also acts as a mobile cover piece for other bugs behind it, like Scavengers. A good way to identify a hunkered Guard is to look for its tail, which will swish back and forth while it’s in this defensive posture.
While hunkered, the Guard is completely stationary. It will not advance or attack until you stop firing at it, look away, or begin to reload. This predictable behavior is the key to defeating it.
What are its weak points and how much damage can it take?
The Hive Guard’s main body has 500 health with medium (level 2) armor on its front. Its head has 175 health but stronger (level 3) armor. Unlike some warriors, a Hive Guard will die if its head is destroyed, but it doesn’t always die instantly. A shot that doesn’t outright kill it will cause it to bleed out quickly, but it will often enter a dangerous berserk state first.
Its legs and claws have less health and lower armor, making them viable targets when you can’t hit the head. The rear legs, with only light (level 1) armor, are particularly vulnerable if you can flank it.
What are the most effective tactics against a Hive Guard?
Most players agree that frontal assaults with standard small arms are a waste of time. Here’s what usually works in practice:
Flank and Shoot: The most common and ammo-efficient method. Since its sides and rear are unarmored, one teammate can keep it distracted from the front while others circle around. Its hunker-down animation actually makes this easier.
Exploit the Gaps: Even when hunkered, there’s a small, unarmored gap near the lower body. You often need to crouch to hit it. Damaging this area will usually break its defensive stance.
Use Explosives: Grenades are a perfect counter as they bypass the front armor entirely. However, most experienced players won’t waste a grenade on a single Guard unless it’s in a dense pack. Impact grenades work, but can be deflected if thrown directly at the armor—aim for the ground beside or behind it.
Stratagems: Any explosive aerial stratagem (Eagle Cluster Bomb, Orbital Airburst) will clear a group easily. A key tip: never try to call the strike directly on a Guard that’s chasing you. Its advance is unpredictable, and you’ll likely run into your own blast. Call it ahead of its path or on its position after you’ve broken line of sight.
Just Disengage: It’s a valid strategy. A hunkered Guard isn’t pursuing you. You can often just move to a better position or create enough distance to safely use a support weapon or stratagem.
Avoid Melee: Its armored front completely blocks gunbutt attacks. If one goes berserk and gets close, backpedal and shoot its legs or try to get behind it.
What happens when it goes berserk?
A Hive Guard typically enters a berserk state if its head is shot off but not immediately killed. This is harder to notice than with a regular Warrior, as the head armor often cracks instead of exploding. Look for yellow blood spurting from its head. In this state, it attacks rapidly and relentlessly. Your priority should be to finish it quickly with a medium-penetration weapon or explosives, or focus fire on its legs to slow it down.
When planning your loadouts for Terminid missions, bringing a weapon that can handle medium armor is crucial for dealing with Hive Guards efficiently. Some players choose to invest their earned Helldivers 2 super credits price and bundles on U4N into specific war bonds that offer such weapons early, though they can all be earned through gameplay. Remember, in general, a balanced squad with a mix of anti-armor and crowd-control tools will handle these defensive bugs without much trouble.
