Mine Guide

Mines have evolved from risky novelties to meta-defining tools in Helldivers 2. Recent buffs (cooldown reduced from 180s to 120s, damage doubled on AP/Incendiary mines) have transformed these stratagems into essential area-denial weapons for competitive squads.

This guide breaks down tactical deployment against all three factions—Terminids, Cyborgs, and Illuminates—with specific enemy matchups, squad loadouts, and advanced placement strategies.

Mine Arsenal Overview

💥

AP Mines

MD-6 Anti-Personnel

Damage: 700 (AP3)

Radius: 5m blast

Count: 48 mines

Cooldown: 120s 180s

PATCH BUFF

Damage increased 2x

🔥

Incendiary

MD-I4 Incendiary

Damage: 300 + fire DoT

Radius: Fire patch area

Count: 48 mines

Cooldown: 120s 180s

PATCH BUFF

Cooldown -33%

☠️

Gas Mines

MD-8 Gas

Damage: Minor + poison DoT

Effect: Blind + Frenzy

Count: 48 mines

Duration: 10s buffed

CROWD CONTROL

Enemies attack each other

🎯

AT Mines

MD-17 Anti-Tank

Damage: 2000 (AP5)

Radius: 7m blast

Count: 18 mines

Trigger: Heavy units only

SAFE TRIGGER

Ignores infantry/divers

Tip:

All mine types received the cooldown buff (180s → 120s), making it possible to maintain multiple active minefields simultaneously. This fundamentally changed their meta viability from “situational” to “essential.”

Enemy Effectiveness Matrix

The table below shows mine effectiveness by star rating across all major enemy types. Hover over any cell to see blast radius, specific combos, and tactical notes.

Mine Type	🐛 Bug Warrior Melee rusher	🦟 Bug Hunter Fast flanker	🪲 Bug Heavy Tank/Behemoth	🤖 Cyborg Infantry Ranged troops	🚗 Cyborg IFV Tank/Vehicle	🛸 Illuminate Infantry Shielded troops	🚁 Illuminate Flyer Hovering units	🦾 Harvester Heavy walker
💥 AP Mines	★★★★☆ Excellent 💥 AP MINES vs BUG WARRIOR Rating: 4/5 stars Blast Radius: 5m Why: One-shots most warriors, perfect for predictable pathing Combo: Guard Dog + Eagle Cluster	★★★★★ Perfect 💥 AP MINES vs BUG HUNTER Rating: 5/5 stars Blast Radius: 5m Why: Staggers fast movers, wipes entire packs Combo: Stagger → Autocannon finish	★★☆☆☆ Weak 💥 AP MINES vs BUG HEAVY Rating: 2/5 stars Why: Insufficient penetration for armor Use: AT mines instead	★★★★☆ Excellent 💥 AP MINES vs CYBORG INFANTRY Rating: 4/5 stars Why: Wipes squads, disrupts formations Combo: Place out of LoS, exploit Hellpod pause	★☆☆☆☆ Ineffective 💥 AP MINES vs CYBORG IFV Rating: 1/5 stars Why: No armor penetration Use: AT mines mandatory	★★★★☆ Excellent 💥 AP MINES vs ILLUMINATE INFANTRY Rating: 4/5 stars Why: Bypasses shields with raw damage Combo: Choke narrow corridors	☆☆☆☆☆ Immune 💥 AP MINES vs ILLUMINATE FLYER Rating: 0/5 stars Why: Flies over ground mines Use: Anti-air weapons required	★★☆☆☆ Weak 💥 AP MINES vs HARVESTER Rating: 2/5 stars Why: Insufficient damage for heavy walker Use: AT mines or turret bait
🔥 Incendiary	★★★☆☆ Good 🔥 INCENDIARY vs BUG WARRIOR Rating: 3/5 stars Effect: Lower burst but fire DoT Combo: Gas + Fire chain reaction	★★☆☆☆ Situational 🔥 INCENDIARY vs BUG HUNTER Rating: 2/5 stars Why: Fast movers escape fire patches Better: Use AP for instant kills	★★☆☆☆ Weak 🔥 INCENDIARY vs BUG HEAVY Rating: 2/5 stars Why: Fire chips slowly, insufficient burst	★★★★☆ Excellent 🔥 INCENDIARY vs CYBORG INFANTRY Rating: 4/5 stars Why: Fire walls block streets, great area denial Combo: Deploy out of enemy LoS	★☆☆☆☆ Ineffective 🔥 INCENDIARY vs CYBORG IFV Rating: 1/5 stars Why: Fire damage negligible vs armor	★★★★★ Perfect 🔥 INCENDIARY vs ILLUMINATE INFANTRY Rating: 5/5 stars Why: Fire burns through shields, prevents regen Combo: Choke corridors in city maps	☆☆☆☆☆ Immune 🔥 INCENDIARY vs ILLUMINATE FLYER Rating: 0/5 stars Why: Flies over ground fire	★★☆☆☆ Weak 🔥 INCENDIARY vs HARVESTER Rating: 2/5 stars Why: Can burn off shields after EMP, but slow
☠️ Gas Mines	★★★★☆ Excellent ☠️ GAS MINES vs BUG WARRIOR Rating: 4/5 stars Why: Causes friendly-fire frenzy in swarms Combo: Gas → Fire ignition	★★★☆☆ Good ☠️ GAS MINES vs BUG HUNTER Rating: 3/5 stars Why: Blinds flankers, creates confusion Combo: Stagger → Manual cleanup	★★☆☆☆ Weak ☠️ GAS MINES vs BUG HEAVY Rating: 2/5 stars Why: Large enemies resist blind/frenzy Use: To expose burrowers, not kill	★★★★★ Perfect ☠️ GAS MINES vs CYBORG INFANTRY Rating: 5/5 stars Why: Breaks formations, friendly-fire chain Combo: Gas → Pick off disoriented units	★☆☆☆☆ Ineffective ☠️ GAS MINES vs CYBORG IFV Rating: 1/5 stars Why: Vehicles immune to gas effects	★★★★☆ Excellent ☠️ GAS MINES vs ILLUMINATE INFANTRY Rating: 4/5 stars Why: Reveals cloaked units, disrupts shields Combo: Gas → Enemies shoot own shield generator	★★☆☆☆ Situational ☠️ GAS MINES vs ILLUMINATE FLYER Rating: 2/5 stars Why: Flies over mines, but affected if cloud reaches altitude	★★★☆☆ Good ☠️ GAS MINES vs HARVESTER Rating: 3/5 stars Why: Obscures lanes, disorients supporting units Combo: Gas cloud → Fire to ignite area
🎯 AT Mines	★★☆☆☆ Won’t Trigger 🎯 AT MINES vs BUG WARRIOR Rating: N/A Why: Won’t trigger on infantry-sized units	★★☆☆☆ Won’t Trigger 🎯 AT MINES vs BUG HUNTER Rating: N/A Why: Too small to trigger AT mines	★★★★★ Perfect 🎯 AT MINES vs BUG HEAVY Rating: 5/5 stars Damage: 2000 (AP5) Blast Radius: 7m Why: One-shot or cripple Behemoths, Impalers Combo: Kite heavies into mines	★★☆☆☆ Won’t Trigger 🎯 AT MINES vs CYBORG INFANTRY Rating: N/A Why: Won’t trigger on infantry	★★★★★ Essential 🎯 AT MINES vs CYBORG IFV Rating: 5/5 stars Damage: 2000 (AP5) Why: Instant disable/kill on vehicles Combo: EMP → AT Mine for guaranteed hit	★★☆☆☆ Won’t Trigger 🎯 AT MINES vs ILLUMINATE INFANTRY Rating: N/A Why: Infantry too small to trigger	★★☆☆☆ Won’t Trigger 🎯 AT MINES vs ILLUMINATE FLYER Rating: N/A Why: Flies over mines, wouldn’t trigger anyway	★★★★☆ Excellent 🎯 AT MINES vs HARVESTER Rating: 4/5 stars Damage: 2000 (AP5) Why: Massive damage if you can bait pathing Combo: Place near turret as bait target

Info:

Mobile users: Tap any cell to view detailed tactical information. The matrix shows at-a-glance effectiveness with color coding: green (excellent), yellow (situational), red (ineffective).

Faction-Specific Strategies

🐛 Terminids (Bugs): Swarm Annihilation

Bug Breach Defense

Multi-layer minefield strategy

mine layers

LAYER 1: Outer Perimeter

Type: AP Mines (48x)

Radius: 30m spread

Purpose: First-wave massacre

LAYER 2: Mid-Field

Type: Gas Mines (48x)

Effect: Blind + frenzy

Purpose: Friendly-fire chain

LAYER 3: Heavy Intercept

Type: AT Mines (18x)

Damage: 2000 per hit

Purpose: Behemoth/Impaler kill

KEY TACTICS

Place mines at breach spawnStagger grids to prevent chainsGas → Fire ignition combo

AVOID

Mining your own retreat pathDense stacking (waste)Ignoring burrowing Rupture strain

RUPTURE STRAIN COUNTER

Gas mines force burrowers to surface early and attack each other. Combine with incendiary weapons for “warcrime” effectiveness—smoking them out then burning the exposed enemies.

Success:

Community consensus: “Get AT and gas mines and you’re literally untouchable. It’s so easy to hold points and bottleneck bugs.” Post-patch, this combination has enabled solo clears of previously impossible difficulty 10 bug missions.

🤖 Cyborgs (Mechanized Forces): Anti-Armor Focus

Cyborg Tank Ambush

Vehicle interdiction strategy

shot kill

PRIMARY: AT Mines

Damage vs IFV2000 (instant kill)

Trigger SafetyIgnores infantry

PlacementVehicle spawn routes

SUPPORT: Gas Mines

vs InfantryBreak formations

EffectFriendly-fire chain

Use CaseDisrupt ranged units

CRITICAL: AVOID FRIENDLY VEHICLES

AT mines trigger on ANY large object—including your own SEAF cars and Exosuits. Place mines on enemy approach routes, never your team’s paths. Communicate mine locations constantly.

DO THIS

✓ Mine ahead of vehicle spawns

✓ Use Hellpod drop to distract infantry

✓ Kite Warlords into AT mines

DON’T DO THIS

✗ Place mines in open (shot by infantry)

✗ Forget about your own vehicle

✗ Deploy without anti-armor plan

Watch Out:

Cyborg infantry can detonate mines with stray gunfire or grenades. Deploy mines slightly out of direct line-of-sight (around corners, behind terrain) to prevent premature detonation. Exploit the “Hellpod pause”—enemies briefly stop when your mine pod lands, giving mines time to arm.

🛸 Illuminates (High-Tech Aliens): Chokepoint Mastery

Illuminate Corridor Defense

City map chokepoint control

mine types

GAS + FIRE COMBO

Step 1: Gas Mines

Blind shielded troops, force friendly-fire on own shield generators

Step 2: Incendiary Mines

Fire burns through shields, prevents regeneration, creates fire walls

Result

Illuminate waves stalled in corridor, taking continuous DoT

HARVESTER COUNTER

BAIT TACTIC

Place turret behind AT minefield. Harvester prioritizes turret, walks into mines.

ALTERNATIVE

Mine objective paths preemptively before Harvester spawns

FLYER LIMITATION

Illuminate hovering units ignore ground mines. Maintain anti-air coverage (personal weapons, turrets) to complement mine strategy. Mines handle 80% of threats; you handle the remaining flyers.

IDEAL FOR

City street defensesCivilian evacuationsStatic objectives

WATCH OUT FOR

Teleporting unitsDropship bypassesCivilian mine triggers

Tip:

Learn Illuminate dropship landing zones and mine them preemptively. Some players report destroying dropship wrecks with mines, eliminating spawn points entirely. Even if patched, pre-mining spawn zones massacres reinforcements the moment they land.

Squad Loadout Templates

Effective mine usage requires coordination. Below are recommended 4-player compositions for each faction, balancing mine coverage with essential support roles.

🐛

Bug Mission Loadout

Swarm + Heavy Coverage

Player 1: AP Mine Layer

MD-6 AP Mines + Guard Dog + Eagle Cluster

Role: First-wave massacre

Player 2: Gas Specialist

MD-8 Gas Mines + Flamethrower + Mortar Sentry

Role: Crowd control + Rupture counter

Player 3: Heavy Killer

MD-17 AT Mines + EAT-17 + Railcannon

Role: Behemoth/Impaler removal

Player 4: Support

Resupply Pack + Autocannon Sentry + Stims

Role: Sustain + Cleanup

🤖

Cyborg Mission Loadout

Anti-Armor Priority

Player 1: AT Mine Layer

MD-17 AT Mines + EMP Mines + Railcannon

Role: Vehicle interdiction

Player 2: Gas Specialist

MD-8 Gas Mines + Machine Gun + Laser Cannon

Role: Infantry disruption

Player 3: Fortification

MD-I4 Incendiary + Autocannon Sentry + Shield Gen

Role: Area denial + Defense

Player 4: Anti-Heavy

Recoilless Rifle + Spear Launcher + Strafing Run

Role: Direct AT + Air support

🛸

Illuminate Mission Loadout

Chokepoint + Civilian Defense

Player 1: Gas Layer

MD-8 Gas Mines + Incendiary Grenade + Arc Thrower

Role: Shield disruption

Player 2: Fire Wall

MD-I4 Incendiary + Flamethrower + Napalm Strike

Role: Sustained burn

Player 3: AT Backup

MD-17 AT Mines + Gatling Sentry + Orbital Laser

Role: Harvester counter

Player 4: Anti-Air

Autocannon + Rocket Sentry + Resupply

Role: Flyer coverage + Sustain

Info:

These loadouts leave room for personal preference. The key principle: ensure anti-personnel (AP/Gas/Incendiary) AND anti-armor (AT mines or launchers) coverage, while one player brings support (ammo/healing). Never have all 4 players bring the same mine type.

Do’s and Don’ts: Visual Quick Reference

✅

DO THESE

✓ Deploy at chokepoints and enemy spawn paths

Mine where enemies WILL be, not where they are. Predict breach points, vehicle routes, dropship zones.

✓ Communicate mine locations constantly

”Mines north side!” Ping the map. No IFF means your team needs to know where death zones are.

✓ Use mines to buy time during retreats

Drop minefield behind you when falling back. Pursuers walk into it while you heal/reload.

✓ Layer different mine types in depth

AP outer → Gas mid → AT inner creates 3 kill zones for different threats.

✓ Refresh minefields with 120s cooldown

Multiple active fields possible. Drop new mines before old ones fully detonate.

✓ Combine gas with fire for maximum chaos

Gas cloud → Incendiary ignition = “warcrime” effectiveness. Blinded enemies burn together.

❌

DON’T DO THESE

✗ Mine your own extraction or objective paths

Forgetting your minefield location kills more divers than enemies. Clear lanes for retreat.

✗ Stack mines too densely in one spot

Chain reactions waste mines. One bug triggers 10 mines = 9 wasted. Spread them out.

✗ Ignore friendly vehicle locations

AT mines obliterate your own tank/Exosuit. “But they only trigger on heavies!” You ARE heavy.

✗ Deploy mines in enemy line-of-sight (Cyborgs)

Cyborg gunfire detonates mines prematurely. Use terrain cover or Hellpod distraction.

✗ Rely only on mines without backup

Flyers ignore ground mines. Heavies might not path correctly. Have manual firepower ready.

✗ Use AP/Incendiary against heavy armor

Wrong tool for the job. Bug Behemoth? Cyborg tank? You need AT mines, not AP.

Watch Out:

Critical Safety Rule: Before calling extraction, verify minefield locations. Many squads have lost winnable missions by sprinting into their own mines during the final dash to the shuttle. Clear paths first, even if it means letting mines burn out or shooting them remotely.

Advanced Tactics & Community Meta

⚡ The Hellpod Pause Exploit

When a stratagem Hellpod drops (including mine dispensers), enemies briefly halt their advance. Exploit this:

STEP 1

Call mine stratagem slightly ahead of approaching patrol

STEP 2

Enemies pause as pod lands, giving mines time to arm

STEP 3

Enemies resume movement, immediately step on armed mines

RESULT

Patrol eliminated before engaging

☠️ Gas Mine Superiority Theory

Community consensus post-buff: Gas mines are the most versatile mine type across all factions. Here’s why:

Works on ANY faction’s fodder: Bug swarms, Cyborg infantry, Illuminate troops all affected

Safer for friendlies: Gas doesn’t insta-kill; allies/civilians take gradual damage with escape time

Disables ranged threats: Cyborg/Illuminate shooters can’t aim while blinded—unique advantage

Extended duration (10s): Patch buff doubled effect time, massive area denial window

Friendly-fire chain: Enemies damage each other, effectively multiplying kill potential

”Gas mines + flamethrower is so strong it feels like cheating. Everything just melts.” — Level 10 Helldiver, 200+ hours

🎯 AT Mine Solo Carry Potential

AT mines enable solo clears of content previously requiring full squads:

2000

Damage per mine

vs 2500 HP Cyborg Warlord = near instant kill

Mines per deployment

Enough for 3-4 heavy kills per cooldown

120s

Cooldown

Fast enough to maintain constant fields

Solo Strategy: Kite heavy enemies through AT mine corridors. Let the environment kill them while you manage adds. “AT mines will do a lot of heavy lifting in solo play” — Veteran advice

🔄 Mine Refresh Rotation

With 120s cooldown, you can maintain overlapping minefields. Advanced rotation:

0:00

Start

Deploy Field A (AP Mines)

Outer perimeter, 48 mines active

2:00

+2 min

Deploy Field B (Gas Mines)

Mid-field, 48 mines active (Field A still live)

4:00

+4 min

Deploy Field C (AT Mines)

Heavy paths, all 3 fields now active

4:00+

Sustain

Maintain Rotation

As Field A depletes, refresh it. Always have 2-3 active fields

Success:

Meta Evolution: Pre-patch, mines were dismissed as “teamkill bait with marginal damage.” Post-patch, they’re essential for difficulty 9-10 missions. The community now rates mines as top-tier stratagems, with gas+AT combinations enabling previously impossible solo content. This represents a complete reversal in the strategic meta.

Final Notes: Mines in the Current Meta

Patch 1.400.002 transformed mines from niche tools into meta-defining stratagems. The combination of halved cooldowns (180s → 120s) and doubled anti-personnel damage has made minefields viable as primary defensive strategies, not just supplementary tools.

Key takeaways from the competitive community:

Terminids (Bugs)

Gas + AP mines = swarm annihilation. Counters new Rupture strain. AT mines for heavies. Mines now solve “impossible” bug breach scenarios.

Cyborgs (Bots)

AT mines mandatory for vehicles. Gas disrupts ranged formations. Requires more tactical placement than bugs, but equally effective when executed.

Illuminates (Squids)

Gas + Incendiary combo dominates chokepoints. Fire burns through shields. AT mines for Harvesters. Flyer coverage still required.

COMPETITIVE META VERDICT

Mines are no longer optional at high difficulty. A coordinated 4-player squad with proper mine coverage (AP/Gas/AT split) can hold objectives that would overwhelm the same squad using only direct-fire weapons and orbitals.

The 120-second cooldown enables strategic layering—deploying multiple minefields over the course of a mission to create persistent area denial. This wasn’t possible with the old 180s cooldown.

Perhaps most importantly, mines shift the difficulty curve: they reward tactical planning over mechanical skill. A well-placed minefield achieves what rapid reflexes and perfect aim struggle to accomplish—controlling space and forcing enemy behavior.

Tip:

For players new to mines: Start with gas mines on bug missions. They’re the most forgiving (won’t instantly kill friendlies), provide immediate visual feedback (gas clouds), and offer the most versatility. Once comfortable with placement and communication, add AP or AT mines to your loadout.

↑ Back to Top

Guide based on patch 1.400.002 meta analysis • Updated January 2025 • FOR DEMOCRACY

Mine Arsenal Overview

AP Mines

Incendiary

Gas Mines

AT Mines

Tip:

Enemy Effectiveness Matrix

Info:

Faction-Specific Strategies

🐛 Terminids (Bugs): Swarm Annihilation

Bug Breach Defense

Success:

🤖 Cyborgs (Mechanized Forces): Anti-Armor Focus

Cyborg Tank Ambush

Watch Out:

🛸 Illuminates (High-Tech Aliens): Chokepoint Mastery

Illuminate Corridor Defense

Tip:

Squad Loadout Templates

Bug Mission Loadout

Cyborg Mission Loadout

Illuminate Mission Loadout

Info:

Do’s and Don’ts: Visual Quick Reference

DO THESE

DON’T DO THESE

Watch Out:

Advanced Tactics & Community Meta

⚡ The Hellpod Pause Exploit

☠️ Gas Mine Superiority Theory

🎯 AT Mine Solo Carry Potential

🔄 Mine Refresh Rotation

Success:

Final Notes: Mines in the Current Meta

Tip:

On This Page