Which Helldivers 2 Guard Dog Is Better?

Ridding Helldivers 2 of ruthless Automatons and savage Terminids can be daunting, especially if you prefer going at it solo. Luckily, you can make each mission slightly easier with the help of the Guard Dog stratagem, which grants you a companion that provides some much-needed extra firepower. However, with the game giving you two variants to choose from, selecting one before the start of an operation is often easier said than done.

So, in our guide, we'll be going through each one's strengths and weaknesses to give you an idea of what their capabilities are. This way, you can spend more time actually fighting off intergalactic evildoers instead of idling endlessly on the pre-mission prep screen.

How to Unlock Guard Dog in Helldivers 2?

You can unlock the Guard Dog stratagem once you reach level 10 from the Ship Management station on your vessel. You'll be able to purchase the laser-shooting Guard Dog "Rover" under the Engineering Bay category for 7,500 Requisition Slips. Conversely, you can buy its similarly named assault rifle-wielding counterpart under the Robotics Workshop category for the same amount.

If you're just starting out, it may take a while before you can reach the requirements to unlock this stratagem. But once you start completing missions on higher difficulties, you should have a much easier time climbing levels, unlocking ranks, and earning the necessary number of Requisition Slips.

Which Guard Dog is Better in Helldivers 2?

The Guard Dog Rover is the better option due to its armor-piercing laser rifle and near-non-existent recharge time. If you want to know why, we've covered each one's strengths and weakness below so you can get a more detailed look at their capabilities:

Guard Dog (Assault Rifle)

Don't get me wrong, assault rifles are one of my favorite weapons to use in Helldivers 2. But this fast-firing weapon category is only effective in certain scenarios, which, unfortunately, limits the effectiveness of the AR-wielding Guard Dog. Although its high damage output and rapid rate of fire makes it ideal for mowing down enemies in lower difficulties, you'll have a much harder time utilizing it in higher levels.

Guard Dog Rover (Laser)

The Guard Dog Rover's laser rifle is effective against stout Automaton and Terminid units, making it the ideal choice to bring into most missions. In addition, unless the hordes of enemies you face are never-ending, it will never need to return to your backpack to cool down. This means you'll essentially have a trusty companion that can almost always watch your back if you're playing solo or a fifth team member to tilt the odds in your favor even more. Just don't expect it to help you find and beat Factory Striders in Helldivers 2.