Which Guard Dog is better in Helldivers 2?

Helldivers 2 is still in its infancy, so debates around the best weapons and stratagems are still ongoing, especially when it comes to which version of the Guard Dog is more useful in a fight.

The game tasks you with killing hordes of aliens to win galactic wars, so most of the choices you make should be in service of what makes you the perfect soldier in the field. I've tested both of the game's Guard Dog strats extensively since launch, and it's become pretty clear which one is ultimately more useful.

Which Guard Dog is better?

The Guard Dog Rover is superior to the standard Guard Dog, with a few features setting it apart clearly in my eyes. 

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The major difference between both is that the Guard Dog uses a ballistic assault rifle, while the Rover uses a continuous laser rifle. They have a similar damage output, but the flexibility of the Rover is what pushes it over the edge ultimately.

Check out the table below for a breakdown of the differences:

As you can see above, the Rover has a much better range and it can shoot continuously for a long time before it needs to cool down.

The Standard Guard Dog on the other hand has less effective range, and is handicapped by the need to reload and the fact it can completely run out of ammo. 

This means if you compared both over a minute of gameplay, the Rover would be a much better ally with regard to how many weaker enemies it can kill for you, all while you focus on the tougher bugs and bots.

I also find that anecdotally, the Rover is also less likely to kill another player even though you're more likely to be hit by the laser. This is due to how long the laser needs to be concentrated to deal lethal damage, whereas a misplaced burst from the Liberator on the Guard Dog can quickly kill a diver.

Check out our Helldivers 2 homepage for more guides. We've also covered how to farm Medals, how to farm Samples, how to get Super Credits for free, and how to win Defend Campaigns.