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Is There a Simple Trick to Stop Leviathans from Shooting You
Smoke grenades provide a temporary but effective method for avoiding Leviathan attacks in Helldivers 2, though their effectiveness as a true counter remains debated within the community.
How Smoke Works Against Leviathans
Smoke grenades and smoke screens prevent Leviathans from targeting players by breaking line of sight. When you deploy smoke - whether you're standing inside it or using it to obstruct the Leviathan's view - the massive enemy cannot lock onto you, even when its spotlight is focused in your direction. This creates a temporary safe zone where players can complete objectives or reposition without facing the Leviathan's devastating attacks.
The mechanic works because Leviathans rely on visual targeting. Once smoke obscures their view, they lose the ability to fire at players within or behind the smoke cloud. This represents a significant tactical advantage, especially when defending objectives or crossing open terrain where cover is limited.
Limitations and Challenges
Despite its potential, smoke has several significant drawbacks when facing Leviathans. The targeting sequence for Leviathans is extremely fast - approximately one second from target acquisition to firing. This rapid response time makes it difficult to deploy smoke grenades effectively, as the Leviathan often fires before the smoke can fully deploy and provide protection.
The duration of smoke effects is also problematic. Smoke dissipates quickly, providing only temporary relief rather than a sustained solution. Players must continuously redeploy smoke to maintain protection, which consumes valuable resources and stratagem slots.
Additionally, smoke creates visibility issues for players themselves. While protected from Leviathan fire, players cannot see clearly to aim anti-tank weapons or set up defensive positions. This creates a tactical dilemma where protection comes at the cost of offensive capability.
Community Debate on Effectiveness
The Helldivers community remains divided on smoke's true effectiveness against Leviathans. Some players report complete success using smoke tactics throughout entire operations, while others question its consistency and reliability. This disagreement stems from varying experiences and potentially inconsistent game mechanics.
Critics argue that smoke doesn't constitute a true "counter" because it doesn't address the Leviathan's core strengths - its armor, health pool, or destructive capability. Instead, smoke merely provides temporary concealment without reducing the enemy's overall threat level. The Leviathan remains fully operational and dangerous once the smoke clears.
Alternative Anti-Leviathan Strategies
For players seeking more reliable methods to deal with Leviathans, traditional anti-tank approaches remain the most effective. The most efficient weapons include:
- SPEAR: 5 direct shots to destroy
- Recoilless Rifle: 6 direct shots to destroy
- Anti-Tank Emplacement: 14 direct shots to destroy
Targeting the three glowing circles on the Leviathan's underside provides the most effective damage output. Breaking the wings also exposes heavy armor sections that can be damaged with heavy machine guns or autocannons.
Tactical Applications
When smoke does work effectively, it proves most useful in specific scenarios:
Objective Defense: Smoke can provide crucial protection when holding positions like flag-raising objectives
Emergency Escape: Quick smoke deployment can create escape opportunities when caught in open terrain
Team Coordination: Coordinated smoke strikes can cover multiple team members simultaneously
The key to successful smoke usage lies in timing and positioning. Players need to anticipate Leviathan targeting patterns and deploy smoke proactively rather than reactively.
Smoke represents an interesting tactical option rather than a definitive solution to the Leviathan threat. While it can provide temporary protection and tactical advantages in specific situations, it doesn't replace the need for proper anti-tank weapons and coordinated team strategies. Players should view smoke as one tool among many in their arsenal, useful for specific scenarios but not a complete answer to the Leviathan challenge.
The ongoing community debate reflects the complex nature of Helldivers 2's combat mechanics, where situational tactics can provide significant advantages when properly executed, even if they don't offer universal solutions to major threats.