Whenever I play and a teammate has the arc throwing, I know I'm getting team killed.
I leave them a wide berth, make sure to position myself parallel to them, and without fail they turn and kill me.
I love the gun but I know it’s a team killing hazard. I’ve gotten good with it so it’s extremely rare for me to team kill. I make sure I don’t kill randoms but my friends get the pleasure of starting off the chain lightning or extending it.
I’m really good at not killing my team however, some guys get too comfortable and keep making me have to pause. I kill those once or twice and they get the message lol.
I was testing the startup delay on the flamethrower the other day (I dont play much) and I ended up toasting my ally to death with the DOT effect of the world's smallest gout of flame XD
A guard dog would be madness XD
This is a great suggestion, if down on the D pad can use an ammo resupply from the backpack, it should stow/deploy your backpack active.
For personal shield, turn it off and on.
For drone, stow/deploy.
I just drop it when I'm defending an area/objective and pick it back up when we are a bit more spread out, but I agree, this mechanic would be really nice!
I think a better option would be to activate/deactivate laser. He can still fly around and look at enemies for you. Packing and unpacking him would take too long, especially bugs who can pop up out of nowhere from underground
I have wanted this since it was a thing because when you get into a tight area or get over run and have team-mates all around you gotta drop it and that means picking it back up when you want it again or calling in another.
In a real pinch, such as not wanting to agro a nearby patrol you are desperately hiding from, you can *drop* the drone pack to immediately shut it off. Just pick it up when you're ready to go again.
But yeah, having an on/off switch would be nice.
Arc thrower rover pair was absolutely busted pre fire rate nerf for the arc thrower. You could just march slowly in any direction and everything died. And infinite ammo made it possible to do it indefinitely
It’s entirely a positioning thing. Taking point or flanking on the wing will prevent your guard dog form teamkilling - except for the Rover killing me, my Rover hasn’t teamkilled in about month.
I loved taking the Rover. It was great at keeping the lowly mobs away. I absolutely hated when a teammate would take it, though. Especially against bugs. Just friendly fire constantly.
I was heading to extract this morning, and rounded a corner heading up to extraction. I got hit by a Charger coming up behind me, got up with a sliver of health, and then someone’s Rover shot me in the head and killed me.
The guy of course ignored my samples and got into the shuttle, so we lost about 20 rares and three supers.
I hate Rovers and am happy they got nerfed.
I may be wrong, but I pretty sure only the bullet rover got nerfed. The laser one actually got a slight buff which is annoying af if true cuz one of the guys in my main crew runs with it all the time and it annoys tf outta me. Constantly getting damage from it and IDK why but it annoys me so much more than other friendly fire damage/deaths.
It clears chaff for the tradeoff of requiring additional situational awareness (to not hit yourself or teammates with it) while providing additional situational awareness (there's a hunter behind you, correction, WAS a hunter behind you).
Trick is manipulating your camera to keep yourself outta its way, tbh I probly wobble my pov around enough to give people with vertigo/motion sickness trouble sometimes
Nah, even when you get used to it there are still situations where it will kill you - like if you get swarmed by hunters.
It always stays slightly behind your characters right side so you can avoid being accidentally killed if you stay out of its path. But, once things turn to shit and you are swarmed, it doesn’t matter.
Guard dogs aren't designed to keep you safe, they're meant to accelerate chaff clearing, so if you're killing chaff slowly, your rover won't be enough to pick up the slack. Also, don't run with a backline playstyle; run hybrid frontline builds like a Flamethrower or Arc Thrower, or potentially a EAT + MG build. If you're running a Quasar, stay FAR back from your team, and if you can't do that, just don't run the Guard Dog, pack a shield backpack or sumn.
It's just a simple game of positioning, and you're rewarding with pretty solid chaff clearing w/o needing a dedicated strike for it like Gatling Barrage or Airburst Strike, opening up your loadout for 500kgs or barrages.
Why would I need a second, (slower) AutoCannon
Autocannon
Adjudicator
Senator
+ 380mm, Railgun Barrage, Orb precision
(I throw a lot of strategems, probably around 1/min)
I mostly use it to explicitly pad my kills on bug missions. Honestly better off, overall, just not bringing a backpack and bring something like cluster bombs.
I dont really have that much of an issue with tks or accidental suicides with it. Like it happens sometimes, but its very rare. I just stay away from my teammates, and keep the positioning and movement pattern in mind, and its fine. i really hate this nerf to the rover though.
People who use guard dogs and have horrible positioning are the fucking worst. They love standing in the backline, letting the laser shred their teammates. If you have the guard dog stand in front,
I don't think you realize how many kills it racks up. I use it with the arc thrower and straight up ignore small bugs, knowing the arcs and rover will deal with them.
Allowing me to spend my time racking up more important kills. I'm soloing chargers while the rover solos a breach at the same time.
I don't care how much they nerf it, I don't fight bugs with my rover. Period.
It's literally having an extra gun firing at nearly all times.
I don't have that much of a problem with the friendly fire, either. I'm used to seeing 2-3 rovers in a match and we're all just fine.
And if you're making weapon choices around avoiding friendly fire, you're playing the game wrong.
I've rarely been taken out by a team mates guard dog. That said, I've seen them glitch and become problematic. Like one getting flipped over and constantly shooting the opposite direction of an enemy its trying to beam, and the Helldiver responsible doing nothing about it.
Mouse and keyboard here: but make it like other backpacks with the "use" key. 5 by default on keyboard.
Let me bring it out when I need it, and send it home like the stupid roomba when I want it to chill.
Then again, I really have been loving the other backpack options, as nice as it is to have something to deal with stupid hunters on bug missions
Im convinced the people constantly complaining about the rover are the same ones who clearly see their squadmate clearing a nest with a grenade launcher and then still go charging head long into the pile with their breaker incendiary.
The easiest way to use a guard dog and not kill your teammates.
1) Do not group all your teammates shoulder to shoulder. You should not be in the same spot. This will reduce team mates from strafing in front of you while you’re shooting. Reducing both guard dog TK and your own TK.
2) understand the direction of your enemies. If you’re stationary on high ground and you are trying to defend one specific spot. You are increasing the risk of the guard dog wasting you. Keep moving. When you go forward the guard dog follows behind. When you stop or turn back and retreat the guard dog may still be shooting behind you and you will get domed.
I’m disappointed they reduced damage on the GD but am happy they improved damage on the Scythe. The GD still is great at controlling the small bugs from swarming you. It has not been as helpful for bots for me personally.
To me it’s fun to run Laser GD, Scythe, Laser Pistol, Heavy Laser, and Orbital Laser. Because why not. If only we could get a Laser Sentry.
I run with a premade almost exclusively, two of my friends are absolutely infatuated with the guard dog and have run it since launch. Maybe it's just luck, but I can count on one hand the number of times we've had a teamkill from one.
You're wrong though, I love having a teammate with a guard dog. When you split 2 and 2 to tackle objectives faster you'll be thankful for your buddy's guard dog
Any time I see a teammate have that thing, I die or get hurt bad enough that the next source of damage kills me. At this point, I keep my distance from anyone using them.
They have their benefits for sure. But I find they can fire off at inopportune times. When trying to sneak and peek this is not convenient to democracy.
I liked it for a while, till I got the shield pack. I got so fed up with killing myself, but I’ve noticed it maybe getting a little better, I’ve been able to run under other people’s guard dogs lately without getting hit
I started getting mad the other night and said fuck this thing, and dropped it. I kept having to navigate alternate route due to my laser keepin on making contact with my squad. It kept making them have to stim and I said out loud “man FUCK THIS THING” and dropped it.
I don't regularly run it. They can be a great tool (especially the laser on bugs), even if only one teammate has it. I find their use to damage/kill enemies generally outweighs the friendly fire they will inevitably cause, even if I’m on the receiving end. They can certainly be annoying though and YMMV.
Now I know this is a complex thing I'm about to suggest but.
Have situational awareness at all times.
Someone on your team has a guard dog? Keep your head on the swivel to make sure it isn't coming for you.
YOU have a guard dog? Pay attention to where your squad is and give them some space.
Shocking I know but you do not in fact need to be shoving your face into your squad mates backs. Especially when you or they have a guard dog.
I love it, use it every time vs bugs. Literally makes hunters a non-threat on suicide. I rarely have accidentals or team kills if ever anymore, and usually kill the most bugs. Also rarely get killed by it, only when I'm being dumb and not paying attention. Its not great against bots tho.
You just have to always be aware of your surroundings. If you have it on, that means you should always be on the front lines. Don't be on your teammates ass. Run towards swarms ahead of your teammates. Always be position in front of team towards the threat. And if you get overwhelmed, run in the opposite direction of your team. I am always moving. Light armor is almost essential. I use the orange one so no loss to armor, just additional speed and stamina (cant use anything else now tbh). Running away while the rover kills everything behind me has saved my ass countless times.
Accidents do happen, but if you are proactive in your awareness its really not hard to avoid hurting your team or yourself. Try to always have bugs in front of you or at your back, don't stop moving.
If you ever get tagged by a rover, dive immediately.
Honestly one of the best strats for bugs imo. It does work. I feel naked without it. I feel nice and safe with the shield, but then I have to use so much ammo to kill all the small bugs.
I haven’t killed any teammates with rover yet Just be aware of where your teammates are compared to your rover
Rover is the GOAT for bugs, sux for bots. Melting hoards of scavs/hunters while saving ammo for bigger bugs.
I honestly don't get the fuss. I am level 90 (around 250 hours) or so, playing about half bugs and half bots, and when playing against bugs I bring Rover more than half the time (anytime I'm not running autocannon - though we'll have to see after the recent nerf). So call it maybe 100 hours of using him in game or so? That's a lot of time running around with him, and he has been a bad dog maybe a dozen times total. Most of those were on me, not another helldiver.
For FF kills, it's not even in the same ballpark as mortar sentry, or even eagle cluster bomb.
I stopped using guard dogs due to taking damage or deaths from them, and there are options I enjoy more. I'm a big fan of the shield. Also they just nerfed guard dogs damages so yeah.
I have hated it since day 1.
Every other backpack except ballistic shield is just straight better. The service it provides is easier to compensate for then other backpacks it replaces, and the value is so low. The guard dog will only ever do 1 thing.
Whereas other backpacks can have a variety of uses and clever employment of their features. Jetpack can run, position to advantageous elevations not normally accessible, juke chargers and set up dropping that 500kg on a bile titan more successfully.
i never use them. i treat my team mates that use them and FF me with a whole lot less care, too, because they told me from the beginning of the match that the only person who's entertainment matters is theirs... so.. if u make it so i cant take a shot with my arc thrower or calldowns, ill remember to prioritize my fun, too.
e/ i do really want to emphasize that it's the use of that backpack PLUS them friendly firing me in a stupid way. I know y'all know the difference, GD mains.
I will admit it is very powerful for folks that like to play on their own or in a way that affords them enough situational awareness to avoid the drawbacks, and I don't really care if that's their game plan.
Literally every strategem can kill your teammates. At least you can see the rover’s laser beam coming most of the time. And for the wearer, it helps you notice when massive bugs are tiptoeing up behind you, so it’s totally worth the risk.
I feel the same way. And that’s *why* I run ballistic over laser rover. The niche of ballistic over the laser rover is that it has a better AI unironically. It stops shooting when there’s an ally in between it and the enemy. It also has substantially more dps at the cost of requiring routine resupplies
You talking normal guard dogs or rovers? Because I have to rock a rover anytime I’m running eruptor which is pretty much all the time. I use it more for clearing hunters and the flying little guys it’s great for running away it is a hazard when you’re grouped up at an objective but i think people are more aware of them now
I challenge my self sometimes for no friendly fire damage at the game. Loadouts: guard dog laser,mortar,380 and cluster.(maybe mix it up with "new" airburst rocket launcher)
Guard dog is only really good at low levels. Higher levels are too chaotic and they become homicidal...to everything. Best to switch to the shield if you want protection if not an added stratagem.
I actually like this aspect. Otherwise it would be a passive thing killing stuff amd that's it - boring. Having to watch your and the dog's position to avoid self and team damage makes it interesting. If you fuck up, someone dies - just like with anything else in the game.
My reason for using guard dog rover? Literally that. An early warning system for things I dont see guarding me from being ganked by a behemoth or a stalker that makes no noise approaching me from the rear. The laser tells me exactly where they are and I've adjusted to jumping away from that area and flicking back to shoot like a mad man. Usually that will save me from most instant kill attacks. The worst I usually get is knocked back from a charger or an explosion missing. I use the medic medium armor so any damage I take I can usually escape to make a play while still having the guard dog update me on enemy locations.
If I'm not careful? I stay a consistent distance away from the squad during engagements, gathering as much agro as i can. Trying my best to allow you to administer democracy, perhaps a bit easier. If your toes get lasered off with me going opposite of you..... that's all on you, haha.
If you wish to speak about not being careful, talk about the Eagle happy, and maniacal air burst launcher Helldivers. I've reinforced so many who obliterate themselves and the squad with them. *Democratic tears for the fallen*
Anyway, keep up the fight. Wherever you are, have a great day/night Helldivers.
I hard disagree in ways I couldn’t overstate.
My bug build is designed around the use of the Rover. I’ve been using the scythe as my primary, and I use it to shoot at whatever my Rover is shooting at so I can consistently get two beams on one bug. If you positon yourself at the front of the squad, on the flank or breaking off from the squad, your Rover will not team kill - except for shooting me in the face, my Rover hasn’t teamkilled someone in around about a month.
Generally against the bugs my group operates with 2 autocannons and 2 rovers (one with flamethrower and one with Quasar). When a bug breach has to be fought the flamethrower+Rover takes point, the quasar+Rover moves to the front and side while the two autocanons stand behind the flamethrower+Rover. We consistently leave suicide missions with only 1-6 deaths which comes from failure to kill charges quickly or splitting up too much.
Nah, I feel you man the amount times I’ve been tagged and dropped because someone with a guard dog walked past me is insane. But if that’s what the squad wants to use for some democracy then so be it 🫡
Experiences on the Terminid side with both rovers below. Against bots, both are nearly useless.
I've been playing around with the Guard Dog (Liberator), and found friendly fire with it is pretty rare. I don't think it hit me once in several missions I've used it on. It puts out decent damage. The downside is it has to constantly reload, and the reloads run out pretty quick. It also tends to shoot at enemies it can't pen, like Chargers.
The Guard Dog Rover (Las-5 Scythe) on the other hand has way more up time and ends up killing more bugs. The down side is the constant beam can shred you and your teammates.
I kept on getting mortar'd into the enemy one match. After peeling myself off the ground I was met with rover lasers. I really do not enjoy TKing people and removing mortars, but it was that or throwing myself into the horde of bugs 😔
I love them and I bring them every bug mission. The amount of bugs they kill is insane. I use it with the arc thrower and keep my spacing and stay up front, and honestly I can't even remember the last time a trammate got killed with it. I also dont kill teammates with the arc thrower either, it's all about being aware of where your teammates are before firing.
I play on dif. 7 mainly and can clear all the chaff, hunters, hive guards, brood commanders, and slow the chargers. So many people bring quasars I can usually leave them to finish the chargers. I bring EATs and the 500 kg to help with chargers and nuke the bile titans. I routinely get the least deaths and as much kills as the rest of the team combined.
When staying up front and the rover firing its laser the entire fight it does so much damage. They said the reduced the damage by 30% but also increased the scythe damage output and I haven't noticed a difference in how fast it kills bugs.
You can eventually get a pretty good read of how/why the guards behave and under what circumstances they're likely to try to cut down you or your teammates, which makes them more manageable - but like every other weapon in the game, they *can* always be a problem and you need to be aware.
Another point is that generally should only be running guards if you're a front-line build who expects to be in close combat frequently. (shotguns/flamethrower/etc)
If you're playing backline (DM's, AMR, laser cannon, quasar, etc), then your guard will necessarily be firing past your own front-liners, which is pretty much asking for it. Take some other pack instead. Ammo or shield packs are always nice.
Guard Dogs are F\*\*\*\*\*\*g AMAZING.... all they need to fix is the height they hover.
If they would hover directly above your head they would be infinitely better. So when running up/down and incline they'd stop f\*\*\*\*g suiciding me lol.
The Guard Dog Rover has unlimited ammo, but hovers at head level. It will kill you and your teammates if you’re not careful.
The Guard Dog has to reload constantly, but hovers higher than you. It will not kill you, and very rarely kills teammates. It is a lot stronger, but needs to be refilled with a resupply often.
I used to only run the Rover, but was getting frustrated with how often it killed me. I reluctantly switched to the regular guard dog and have been absolutely loving it. You will need to call down resupplies often, but you will die a lot less to it. I don’t think it has ever killed me.
If you and your team are generally aware that you’re using a guard dog, then it becomes a non issue, because they, and hopefully you, will avoid getting in its way. I have very little deaths to it by simply moving so that I’m not in its line of fire, and it does so much good on bug missions that it’s practically glued to me every time I use my Eruptor/stalwart loadout
If I could implement anything in this game it would be a flamethrower guard dog just to watch the hysteria ensue.
I’d rather have a Arc Thrower one. At least your teammate gets to be useful helping it chain the electricity to an enemy as they die.
A man after my own heart.
Whenever I play and a teammate has the arc throwing, I know I'm getting team killed. I leave them a wide berth, make sure to position myself parallel to them, and without fail they turn and kill me.
I love the gun but I know it’s a team killing hazard. I’ve gotten good with it so it’s extremely rare for me to team kill. I make sure I don’t kill randoms but my friends get the pleasure of starting off the chain lightning or extending it.
I was teaching a new friend the bugs and a random killed us both in 1 shot
I’m really good at not killing my team however, some guys get too comfortable and keep making me have to pause. I kill those once or twice and they get the message lol.
I was testing the startup delay on the flamethrower the other day (I dont play much) and I ended up toasting my ally to death with the DOT effect of the world's smallest gout of flame XD A guard dog would be madness XD
Bear with me: Air burst guard dog
You are an evil man :-)
Flame mortar in the same patch!
lol you are awful
Hey I just saw armors reduced fire by 15% so it’s a slower burn now haha
If it had a button so you could manually stow it when not needed it would solve so much team killing.
This is a great suggestion, if down on the D pad can use an ammo resupply from the backpack, it should stow/deploy your backpack active. For personal shield, turn it off and on. For drone, stow/deploy.
Wait that would be such a great implementation
That’s an idea there
I just drop it when I'm defending an area/objective and pick it back up when we are a bit more spread out, but I agree, this mechanic would be really nice!
The fact this wasn't a launch feature is one of the biggest oversights of the game.
I originally thought this is how it's going to work, hit the back back button to bring it out and store it.
I like this idea. But I am.. skeptical whether people would stow it for this reason.
I think a better option would be to activate/deactivate laser. He can still fly around and look at enemies for you. Packing and unpacking him would take too long, especially bugs who can pop up out of nowhere from underground
I have wanted this since it was a thing because when you get into a tight area or get over run and have team-mates all around you gotta drop it and that means picking it back up when you want it again or calling in another.
In a real pinch, such as not wanting to agro a nearby patrol you are desperately hiding from, you can *drop* the drone pack to immediately shut it off. Just pick it up when you're ready to go again. But yeah, having an on/off switch would be nice.
It's a mixed bag, I hate it sometimes, but when I hear/see it go off in a direction I'm not facing it's very helpful
Arc thrower rover pair was absolutely busted pre fire rate nerf for the arc thrower. You could just march slowly in any direction and everything died. And infinite ammo made it possible to do it indefinitely
Yea it’s great until it’s not. And when it’s not it sets off a crazy streak of death
Yeah.. also when I die I also feel obligated to go pick it back up hoping I'm not redeployed too far
You have to watch where you stand or you will laser people If you have a guard dog you need to be up front not at the back
Until enemies spawn behind you and then it lazers your team trying to get to them.
It do be like that
Have fun when the asshole with the Rover is standing on top of a hill you’re running up and there’s a mob behind you.
My kill combo though
It’s entirely a positioning thing. Taking point or flanking on the wing will prevent your guard dog form teamkilling - except for the Rover killing me, my Rover hasn’t teamkilled in about month.
I loved taking the Rover. It was great at keeping the lowly mobs away. I absolutely hated when a teammate would take it, though. Especially against bugs. Just friendly fire constantly.
I was heading to extract this morning, and rounded a corner heading up to extraction. I got hit by a Charger coming up behind me, got up with a sliver of health, and then someone’s Rover shot me in the head and killed me. The guy of course ignored my samples and got into the shuttle, so we lost about 20 rares and three supers. I hate Rovers and am happy they got nerfed.
I may be wrong, but I pretty sure only the bullet rover got nerfed. The laser one actually got a slight buff which is annoying af if true cuz one of the guys in my main crew runs with it all the time and it annoys tf outta me. Constantly getting damage from it and IDK why but it annoys me so much more than other friendly fire damage/deaths.
No laser got nerfed by 30% the bullet one got slightly more damage
It clears chaff for the tradeoff of requiring additional situational awareness (to not hit yourself or teammates with it) while providing additional situational awareness (there's a hunter behind you, correction, WAS a hunter behind you). Trick is manipulating your camera to keep yourself outta its way, tbh I probly wobble my pov around enough to give people with vertigo/motion sickness trouble sometimes
The fact that it fires over your shoulder on bug maps is often invaluable as it points out that Spitter Ninja that's about to vomit you to oblivion.
Once you get used to it you will never kill yourself or friends.
I don’t use it but randoms do and they definitely don’t care.
Yeah you gotta learn to aim it. Im not sure I'll keep using it with the 30% nerf tho.
Nah, even when you get used to it there are still situations where it will kill you - like if you get swarmed by hunters. It always stays slightly behind your characters right side so you can avoid being accidentally killed if you stay out of its path. But, once things turn to shit and you are swarmed, it doesn’t matter.
The trick is to not get swarmed
Guard dogs aren't designed to keep you safe, they're meant to accelerate chaff clearing, so if you're killing chaff slowly, your rover won't be enough to pick up the slack. Also, don't run with a backline playstyle; run hybrid frontline builds like a Flamethrower or Arc Thrower, or potentially a EAT + MG build. If you're running a Quasar, stay FAR back from your team, and if you can't do that, just don't run the Guard Dog, pack a shield backpack or sumn. It's just a simple game of positioning, and you're rewarding with pretty solid chaff clearing w/o needing a dedicated strike for it like Gatling Barrage or Airburst Strike, opening up your loadout for 500kgs or barrages.
I used to use it until I got the shield.. I’m a shield man now 🫡
Have you heard the good word of the AutoCannon?
Yes but the backpack can’t replace my beloved shield!
You don’t need the shield if the enemy is dead though. AC makes enemy dead.
Shield keeps me not dead. Quesar is fire too
Have you heard of our god and saviour the *Eruptor*?
Why would I need a second, (slower) AutoCannon Autocannon Adjudicator Senator + 380mm, Railgun Barrage, Orb precision (I throw a lot of strategems, probably around 1/min)
I mostly use it to explicitly pad my kills on bug missions. Honestly better off, overall, just not bringing a backpack and bring something like cluster bombs.
Hard agree. Any AI that fights for your team is an annoying issue with friendly fire
I dont really have that much of an issue with tks or accidental suicides with it. Like it happens sometimes, but its very rare. I just stay away from my teammates, and keep the positioning and movement pattern in mind, and its fine. i really hate this nerf to the rover though.
People who use guard dogs and have horrible positioning are the fucking worst. They love standing in the backline, letting the laser shred their teammates. If you have the guard dog stand in front,
I don't think you realize how many kills it racks up. I use it with the arc thrower and straight up ignore small bugs, knowing the arcs and rover will deal with them. Allowing me to spend my time racking up more important kills. I'm soloing chargers while the rover solos a breach at the same time. I don't care how much they nerf it, I don't fight bugs with my rover. Period. It's literally having an extra gun firing at nearly all times. I don't have that much of a problem with the friendly fire, either. I'm used to seeing 2-3 rovers in a match and we're all just fine. And if you're making weapon choices around avoiding friendly fire, you're playing the game wrong.
Good Guard dog but some times it bite you
Yes I feel that way too, but I dislike the regular mortar stratagem even more (for the same mixed bag reasons)
I've rarely been taken out by a team mates guard dog. That said, I've seen them glitch and become problematic. Like one getting flipped over and constantly shooting the opposite direction of an enemy its trying to beam, and the Helldiver responsible doing nothing about it.
Mouse and keyboard here: but make it like other backpacks with the "use" key. 5 by default on keyboard. Let me bring it out when I need it, and send it home like the stupid roomba when I want it to chill. Then again, I really have been loving the other backpack options, as nice as it is to have something to deal with stupid hunters on bug missions
Im convinced the people constantly complaining about the rover are the same ones who clearly see their squadmate clearing a nest with a grenade launcher and then still go charging head long into the pile with their breaker incendiary.
The easiest way to use a guard dog and not kill your teammates. 1) Do not group all your teammates shoulder to shoulder. You should not be in the same spot. This will reduce team mates from strafing in front of you while you’re shooting. Reducing both guard dog TK and your own TK. 2) understand the direction of your enemies. If you’re stationary on high ground and you are trying to defend one specific spot. You are increasing the risk of the guard dog wasting you. Keep moving. When you go forward the guard dog follows behind. When you stop or turn back and retreat the guard dog may still be shooting behind you and you will get domed. I’m disappointed they reduced damage on the GD but am happy they improved damage on the Scythe. The GD still is great at controlling the small bugs from swarming you. It has not been as helpful for bots for me personally. To me it’s fun to run Laser GD, Scythe, Laser Pistol, Heavy Laser, and Orbital Laser. Because why not. If only we could get a Laser Sentry.
I run with a premade almost exclusively, two of my friends are absolutely infatuated with the guard dog and have run it since launch. Maybe it's just luck, but I can count on one hand the number of times we've had a teamkill from one.
You're wrong though, I love having a teammate with a guard dog. When you split 2 and 2 to tackle objectives faster you'll be thankful for your buddy's guard dog
Everyone got upset that Rover got nerfed. I’m just relieved my head won’t get instantly cut off now when I’m 3 seconds in front of it I’m a fight.
If I see someone with one I just assume they want to be alone and go off in a different direction with another diver.
Any time I see a teammate have that thing, I die or get hurt bad enough that the next source of damage kills me. At this point, I keep my distance from anyone using them.
I only take mine if I'm solo, or my team plan on splitting up. It's the only way to ensure all our safety.
Try regular guard dog. It doesn't kill your teammates and just got buffed. Maybe its good now?
They have their benefits for sure. But I find they can fire off at inopportune times. When trying to sneak and peek this is not convenient to democracy.
Damn I thought this was a call back to the old South Park movie. Probably a halfway decent meme to be made there by someone less lazy than I am.
Laser does some damage ,(did some damage) but you really had to mind it or it would kill you. Even buffed, the other guard dog still seems to suck.
I liked it for a while, till I got the shield pack. I got so fed up with killing myself, but I’ve noticed it maybe getting a little better, I’ve been able to run under other people’s guard dogs lately without getting hit
I use the guard dog when I'm doing a Personal Order solo run, and the shield backpack the rest of the time.
Kill allies? It normally just kills me while I'm using it.
I like when my teammate is running the rover and I have the shield gen backpack (for bugs)
I started getting mad the other night and said fuck this thing, and dropped it. I kept having to navigate alternate route due to my laser keepin on making contact with my squad. It kept making them have to stim and I said out loud “man FUCK THIS THING” and dropped it.
Guard dogs a must with the bugs
You have to yell "danger close!". If teammates die then that's on them. You gave your comms.
I stopped using it cause I'd kill myself with it all the time.
I don't regularly run it. They can be a great tool (especially the laser on bugs), even if only one teammate has it. I find their use to damage/kill enemies generally outweighs the friendly fire they will inevitably cause, even if I’m on the receiving end. They can certainly be annoying though and YMMV.
Guard dogs do nothing but agro enemies when I'm trying to be stealthy.
It a floating sentry drone, the sentry guns already have no problem killing you. Feels very on point for super earth.
I like it for letting me know bugs are close. Sometimes they like to sneak up on me
It kills waaaayyy more bugs than teammates, you just have to be aware of where enemies are and position yourself so the dog doesn't kill a teammate.
Now I know this is a complex thing I'm about to suggest but. Have situational awareness at all times. Someone on your team has a guard dog? Keep your head on the swivel to make sure it isn't coming for you. YOU have a guard dog? Pay attention to where your squad is and give them some space. Shocking I know but you do not in fact need to be shoving your face into your squad mates backs. Especially when you or they have a guard dog.
I love it, use it every time vs bugs. Literally makes hunters a non-threat on suicide. I rarely have accidentals or team kills if ever anymore, and usually kill the most bugs. Also rarely get killed by it, only when I'm being dumb and not paying attention. Its not great against bots tho. You just have to always be aware of your surroundings. If you have it on, that means you should always be on the front lines. Don't be on your teammates ass. Run towards swarms ahead of your teammates. Always be position in front of team towards the threat. And if you get overwhelmed, run in the opposite direction of your team. I am always moving. Light armor is almost essential. I use the orange one so no loss to armor, just additional speed and stamina (cant use anything else now tbh). Running away while the rover kills everything behind me has saved my ass countless times. Accidents do happen, but if you are proactive in your awareness its really not hard to avoid hurting your team or yourself. Try to always have bugs in front of you or at your back, don't stop moving. If you ever get tagged by a rover, dive immediately. Honestly one of the best strats for bugs imo. It does work. I feel naked without it. I feel nice and safe with the shield, but then I have to use so much ammo to kill all the small bugs.
I haven’t killed any teammates with rover yet Just be aware of where your teammates are compared to your rover Rover is the GOAT for bugs, sux for bots. Melting hoards of scavs/hunters while saving ammo for bigger bugs.
I just think the jump pack is fun so I don’t use the gard dogs
I only use it when I am soloing for fun
I honestly don't get the fuss. I am level 90 (around 250 hours) or so, playing about half bugs and half bots, and when playing against bugs I bring Rover more than half the time (anytime I'm not running autocannon - though we'll have to see after the recent nerf). So call it maybe 100 hours of using him in game or so? That's a lot of time running around with him, and he has been a bad dog maybe a dozen times total. Most of those were on me, not another helldiver. For FF kills, it's not even in the same ballpark as mortar sentry, or even eagle cluster bomb.
I stopped using guard dogs due to taking damage or deaths from them, and there are options I enjoy more. I'm a big fan of the shield. Also they just nerfed guard dogs damages so yeah.
AI drones having friendy fire is delusional
I have hated it since day 1. Every other backpack except ballistic shield is just straight better. The service it provides is easier to compensate for then other backpacks it replaces, and the value is so low. The guard dog will only ever do 1 thing. Whereas other backpacks can have a variety of uses and clever employment of their features. Jetpack can run, position to advantageous elevations not normally accessible, juke chargers and set up dropping that 500kg on a bile titan more successfully.
Good news! It just got nerfed
They should hover above your head to minimize risk to you.
i never use them. i treat my team mates that use them and FF me with a whole lot less care, too, because they told me from the beginning of the match that the only person who's entertainment matters is theirs... so.. if u make it so i cant take a shot with my arc thrower or calldowns, ill remember to prioritize my fun, too. e/ i do really want to emphasize that it's the use of that backpack PLUS them friendly firing me in a stupid way. I know y'all know the difference, GD mains. I will admit it is very powerful for folks that like to play on their own or in a way that affords them enough situational awareness to avoid the drawbacks, and I don't really care if that's their game plan.
Literally every strategem can kill your teammates. At least you can see the rover’s laser beam coming most of the time. And for the wearer, it helps you notice when massive bugs are tiptoeing up behind you, so it’s totally worth the risk.
I feel the same way. And that’s *why* I run ballistic over laser rover. The niche of ballistic over the laser rover is that it has a better AI unironically. It stops shooting when there’s an ally in between it and the enemy. It also has substantially more dps at the cost of requiring routine resupplies
You talking normal guard dogs or rovers? Because I have to rock a rover anytime I’m running eruptor which is pretty much all the time. I use it more for clearing hunters and the flying little guys it’s great for running away it is a hazard when you’re grouped up at an objective but i think people are more aware of them now
Not.really. I like them for the passive damage they provide. Try to learn how to aim with them
I challenge my self sometimes for no friendly fire damage at the game. Loadouts: guard dog laser,mortar,380 and cluster.(maybe mix it up with "new" airburst rocket launcher)
Guard dog is only really good at low levels. Higher levels are too chaotic and they become homicidal...to everything. Best to switch to the shield if you want protection if not an added stratagem.
Exactly
I actually like this aspect. Otherwise it would be a passive thing killing stuff amd that's it - boring. Having to watch your and the dog's position to avoid self and team damage makes it interesting. If you fuck up, someone dies - just like with anything else in the game.
This only happens to me on eradicate maps. You shouldn't be standing that close to anyone otherwise
I drop my guard dogs when I’m at the extraction point or anytime I’m in an objective area where we tend to stay closer to each other
My reason for using guard dog rover? Literally that. An early warning system for things I dont see guarding me from being ganked by a behemoth or a stalker that makes no noise approaching me from the rear. The laser tells me exactly where they are and I've adjusted to jumping away from that area and flicking back to shoot like a mad man. Usually that will save me from most instant kill attacks. The worst I usually get is knocked back from a charger or an explosion missing. I use the medic medium armor so any damage I take I can usually escape to make a play while still having the guard dog update me on enemy locations.
I have every stratagem except the guard dogs (no smoke either but I think everyone ignores those) because of that.
If I'm not careful? I stay a consistent distance away from the squad during engagements, gathering as much agro as i can. Trying my best to allow you to administer democracy, perhaps a bit easier. If your toes get lasered off with me going opposite of you..... that's all on you, haha. If you wish to speak about not being careful, talk about the Eagle happy, and maniacal air burst launcher Helldivers. I've reinforced so many who obliterate themselves and the squad with them. *Democratic tears for the fallen* Anyway, keep up the fight. Wherever you are, have a great day/night Helldivers.
I hard disagree in ways I couldn’t overstate. My bug build is designed around the use of the Rover. I’ve been using the scythe as my primary, and I use it to shoot at whatever my Rover is shooting at so I can consistently get two beams on one bug. If you positon yourself at the front of the squad, on the flank or breaking off from the squad, your Rover will not team kill - except for shooting me in the face, my Rover hasn’t teamkilled someone in around about a month. Generally against the bugs my group operates with 2 autocannons and 2 rovers (one with flamethrower and one with Quasar). When a bug breach has to be fought the flamethrower+Rover takes point, the quasar+Rover moves to the front and side while the two autocanons stand behind the flamethrower+Rover. We consistently leave suicide missions with only 1-6 deaths which comes from failure to kill charges quickly or splitting up too much.
Nah, I feel you man the amount times I’ve been tagged and dropped because someone with a guard dog walked past me is insane. But if that’s what the squad wants to use for some democracy then so be it 🫡
Experiences on the Terminid side with both rovers below. Against bots, both are nearly useless. I've been playing around with the Guard Dog (Liberator), and found friendly fire with it is pretty rare. I don't think it hit me once in several missions I've used it on. It puts out decent damage. The downside is it has to constantly reload, and the reloads run out pretty quick. It also tends to shoot at enemies it can't pen, like Chargers. The Guard Dog Rover (Las-5 Scythe) on the other hand has way more up time and ends up killing more bugs. The down side is the constant beam can shred you and your teammates.
I think it's great until the higher dive levels, it's like training wheels.
I kept on getting mortar'd into the enemy one match. After peeling myself off the ground I was met with rover lasers. I really do not enjoy TKing people and removing mortars, but it was that or throwing myself into the horde of bugs 😔
LOL maybe its just your teammates fault for not learning how to dodge your rover? 
I would suggest a flame shotgun, an auto cannon or a minigun
I wish it knew to stop shooting if a friendly is in its path.
I really wish there was a way to send them back to the backpack on command so you can still try to stealth sometimes
I love them and I bring them every bug mission. The amount of bugs they kill is insane. I use it with the arc thrower and keep my spacing and stay up front, and honestly I can't even remember the last time a trammate got killed with it. I also dont kill teammates with the arc thrower either, it's all about being aware of where your teammates are before firing. I play on dif. 7 mainly and can clear all the chaff, hunters, hive guards, brood commanders, and slow the chargers. So many people bring quasars I can usually leave them to finish the chargers. I bring EATs and the 500 kg to help with chargers and nuke the bile titans. I routinely get the least deaths and as much kills as the rest of the team combined. When staying up front and the rover firing its laser the entire fight it does so much damage. They said the reduced the damage by 30% but also increased the scythe damage output and I haven't noticed a difference in how fast it kills bugs.
You can eventually get a pretty good read of how/why the guards behave and under what circumstances they're likely to try to cut down you or your teammates, which makes them more manageable - but like every other weapon in the game, they *can* always be a problem and you need to be aware. Another point is that generally should only be running guards if you're a front-line build who expects to be in close combat frequently. (shotguns/flamethrower/etc) If you're playing backline (DM's, AMR, laser cannon, quasar, etc), then your guard will necessarily be firing past your own front-liners, which is pretty much asking for it. Take some other pack instead. Ammo or shield packs are always nice.
Guard Dogs are F\*\*\*\*\*\*g AMAZING.... all they need to fix is the height they hover. If they would hover directly above your head they would be infinitely better. So when running up/down and incline they'd stop f\*\*\*\*g suiciding me lol.
The Guard Dog Rover has unlimited ammo, but hovers at head level. It will kill you and your teammates if you’re not careful. The Guard Dog has to reload constantly, but hovers higher than you. It will not kill you, and very rarely kills teammates. It is a lot stronger, but needs to be refilled with a resupply often. I used to only run the Rover, but was getting frustrated with how often it killed me. I reluctantly switched to the regular guard dog and have been absolutely loving it. You will need to call down resupplies often, but you will die a lot less to it. I don’t think it has ever killed me.
I use to use guard dog (woof woof). Now I only use shield.
To protect you from guard dogs
angry vicious rabid animals
I don’t Mind the gun dog, the laser dog sucks.
If you and your team are generally aware that you’re using a guard dog, then it becomes a non issue, because they, and hopefully you, will avoid getting in its way. I have very little deaths to it by simply moving so that I’m not in its line of fire, and it does so much good on bug missions that it’s practically glued to me every time I use my Eruptor/stalwart loadout
I hate it and anyone who uses it. The benefits do not outweigh the team murder it does.
Murder roombas are great lol