Orinthalyn

1. #1Illuminate basic infoconstant

   Keys: Illuminate · Secondary: Illuminate

   The Illuminate Icon Illuminate, formerly the Illuminate Empire[1], sometimes referred to as the Illuminate Cult and self-denominated as the Squ'ith race, are an advanced race of squid-like alien humanoids. According to a voiceline by the Democracy Officer, these aliens predate humanity's existence by a millennia. They are a technologically advanced, mystical, and highly intelligent species, having gone down the path of electricity in the same way that humans went from rocks to bullets, according to the Ship's C.O. in Helldivers 1.

   Originally, the Squ'ith had been defeated and cast away from the Milky Way, having been made to sign a peace treaty after their final defeat at Squ'bai Shrine in the First Galactic War. However, in the century since, the few Illuminate that remained appear to have grown stronger and developed new, horrid tactics. As their numbers dwindled closer and closer towards extinction, they began to abduct and kidnap Super Earth citizens from remote colonies, turning them into the hordes of undemocratic zombies known as The Voteless. How many Squ'ith actually remain in the Milky Way and how well they were able to repopulate in exile is currently unknown.

2. #2Illuminate historyconstant

   Keys: Illuminate History

   The Squ'ith came into existence several thousands of years before Humanity evolved into Homo sapiens, having evolved from a prior aquatic lifeform in their own home planet. From this point onward, the Squ'ith mostly dedicated themselves to their continued evolution, growing extra limbs and honing their skills in the handling of electricity and mystical space magic, slowly becoming a society of supposedly enlightened beings.

   As the centuries progressed, the Illuminate eventually would come to form a sort of council, the Illuminate High Council, presumably led by the Great Eye and with Council Members to presumably vote on how they would continue progressing, much like how a tribal council or a military junta would be set up. However, the Illuminate would slowly grow into a brutal caste system, with the Great Eye using its telepathic powers to force all of the Squ'ith into subservience of its expansionist goal. The Illuminate High Council took control of running their territories and slowly steered the race towards an autocratic regime revolving around their mystical space cult and fierce xenophobia towards other species.

   The Illuminate Empire Guided forth by the Great Eye's visions for expansion, the Illuminate began to expand their domain across the southern sectors of the Milky Way almost unopposed. Captured Super Earth dissidents and brainwashed collaborators tell tales of the Illuminate coming close to "prosperity", as their supposed enlightenment brought them new colonies and, with them, ever-growing wealth and places for their wretched kind to spread, obviously at the expense of the native species of the planets they would conquer and subjugate.

   For milennia, the Illuminate grew into a bloated, decadent empire that controlled vast swaths of the southern Milky Way through their space cult of death and their xenophobic hatred of any other species. But it would be this very hatred what paved the way for their empire's deserved downfall.

   First Galactic War During the early 21st century, the Illuminate would send reconnaissance spacecraft over the Earth, which initially was taken by humans as a myth. However, after the Great War and the formation of Super Earth, the Illuminate would approach the Federation of Super Earth with a peace offer. While it initially seemed that the Illuminate were making a peace offering out of goodwill, in reality they possessed numerous weapons of mass destruction capable of destroying entire planets. With this information and with the inevitability of a surprise attack by the Illuminate, Super Earth would launch a preemptive strike against the Illuminate's colonies in the southern sectors of the Milky Way and forced their entry into the First Galactic War.

   For forty years, the Illuminate battled against Humankind in several battles across the galaxy, with many veterans remembering their combat prowess with horror. However, no amount of space technology would allow the Illuminate to overcome the omnipotence of Liberty and, in 2084, the Helldivers would successfully defeat the Illuminate at their home world, Squ'Bai Shrine.

   Banishing from the Milky Way The terms of the Illuminate surrender were necessarily harsh. The Squ'ith were to dissolve their military, or what little remained of it, entirely. Additionally, they were obligated to hand over any and all technologies with potential military applications, with things such as the Dark Fluid being surrendered to the SEAF. With the banishing of the Squ'ith also came the dissolution of the Illuminate Empire and the almost complete populational collapse of their race.

   After this military surrender, the Illuminate were banished from the Milky Way, never to return. This way, Super Earth hoped that the Illuminate would be eventually driven to extinction, guaranteeing the safety of mankind. For one hundred years, the Illuminate remained a fairy tale for the citizens of Super Earth, with many treating them as boogeymen. Some citizens recall how they would be told stories about how the Illuminate would abduct misbehaving children and take their brains out.

   The Return

   Resurgence of the Illuminate In the midst of the Second Galactic War, the Illuminate returned without any signal. The Illuminate sent ninety-six invasion fleets towards the planet Calypso on the night of December 12th, 2184. The majority of their forces consisted of kidnapped legions of Super Earth citizens who had been lobotomized and perverted into the mindless, undemocratic hordes known as the Voteless.

   All Helldivers available, both in active service and the military reserve, were immediately ordered to LIBCON 1 and deployed en-masse to the urbanized settlements of Calypso, ready to take on this returning foe. Fortunately, the invasion on Calypso was repelled on December 15th after three days of grueling combat, with the Illuminate being sent on the run by the valiant Helldivers Corps.

   On December 16th, 2184, Illuminate forces landed in large numbers on the planets Genesis Prime and Mog, prepared to make a permanent foothold in the Milky Way.

   Once again, on December 19th, 2184, Illuminate forces were summarily routed and driven from all systems by the unrelenting might of the Helldivers Corps.

3. #3Illuminate Languageconstant

   Keys: Illuminate Language

   The Illuminate, much like the AutomatonoutposticonHD Automatons, have developed their very own language over their thousands of years of evolution. However, unlike the Automatons, it does not consist of a hijacked language from Earth. Rather, the Illuminate seem to have developed their own alphabet and phonetics, though they are able to speak human languages due to their usage of mind control techniques, as demonstrated by their Monoliths. Additionally, the Illuminate can use their language to further confuse those who fall victim to their mind control, as Helldivers within the effect of a Cognitive Disruptor start seeing Illuminate characters in their UI instead of the normal stratagem names.

   IlluminateLanguage An inscription found on the legs of a downed Harvester amidst the Battle of Calypso. December 13th, 2184

   The Illuminate alphabet is comprised of a series of lines and ellipses, never surpassing five strokes per character. The lines are all shaped like terrestrial cattail plants, with a thin tail and a large, elongated round cylinder head, while the ellipses are always half-circular, never surpassing one hundred eighty degrees. These characters can have a dot at any location, with the points found so far being at the center, the bottom-center and center-right, as well as a small line of even thickness striking through the thicker top of cattail lines. Additionally, some strokes feature a forking cattail line that follows its normal direction independent of its source line. It is possible that these dots and additional lines serve as accent marks, much like how tildes, carons, rings, and diaresis (among many others) are utilized in terrestrial languages.

   It is not known whether these characters are to be read from left-to-right or right-to-left, nor if they are to be read from top to bottom or from the bottom to the top, as the sample of Illuminate script that can found on the Harvester's legs is written on a longer limb. Additionally, it is not known whether the Illuminate writing system is phonetic, where each character is a grapheme that represents a vocal sound like in English, or logographic, where each character represents a whole word like in Japanese.

   Other pictures of downed Illuminate Harvesters, collected during the Battle of Calypso, have been left below in order to aid with the deciphering of the Illuminate language.

4. #4Illuminate Cultureconstant

   Keys: Illuminate Culture

   Caste System Judging by their appearance over time, the Illuminate have developed a caste system that classifies them into government or combat roles. There are those Illuminates with dark blue skin, which are mostly the "warrior" caste of the Illuminate and serve on the frontlines in their war against humanity. Warriors, such as the Overseer from Helldivers 2 or the Apprentice from Helldivers 1, are prime examples of this trait. However, there is also a seemingly elite class of Illuminate, a "noble" caste which is mostly comprised of those who are members of the Illuminate High Council. This is evidenced by how the Council Members from Helldivers 1 all have red skin.

   These different skin colors may have also be related to age or brain consumption, as the different castes seen in Helldivers 1 were thought to be directly related to how much knowledge they have attained.

   Rituals Being a theocratic society and a cult, the Illuminate often engage in mystical rituals with the intent of worshipping some unknown space deity. These rituals involve tall obelisks, monoliths, and tall, shining, metallic staffs and totems that are certainly used for no good purpose. They have spread the false rumor that these rituals & artifacts are actually advanced technology which simply appear mystical to Super Earth citizens due to their advanced nature, which can be dismissed as a ploy to fool potential dissidents into serving their goals and worshipping the Illuminate's barbaric gods.

   Quest for Knowledge During the First Galactic War, it was generally agreed upon by Super Earth analysts that the Squids were ruled by an unhealthy quest for knowledge, with the social standing of an individual Squ'ith directly relating to how much knowledge they had acquired. Squids that failed to learn "fast enough" would become Outcasts and forced to fight on the frontlines against Helldivers (a death sentence), while the most knowledgeable were granted the revered rank of Illusionist or even could become a Council Member.

   Crew members aboard each Super Destroyer in Helldivers 2 will state that the Illuminate gained & still gain this precious knowledge by consuming brains, a perfectly reasonable likely truthful assumption. How much of this knowledge-based hierarchy remained intact between the two galactic wars is unknown. The Overseers & Elevated Overseers seen on Calypso appear to retain some sort of social caste system (provided the term "elevated" does not literally refer to their jetpacks) but what this ranking is remains to be seen. They may have descended into theocratic mysticism, but they still enjoy amassing knowledge by eating brains.

5. #5Illuminate Tacticsconstant

   Keys: Illuminate Tactics

   The Illuminate behave like a blend of both the TerminidNestIcon Terminids and their waves on unrelenting hordes, mostly through the various waves of Voteless, and the dynamics of units such as the Commander and Heavy Devastator from the AutomatonoutposticonHD Automatons.

   The Voteless, being zombies who have been stripped of their Freedom, are virtually the same as any small Terminid unit. Individually, they are fairly easy to take down, if more chunky as they are still humans with some extra flesh for bullets to punch through. When in crowds, it is always best to keep a distance from them, as the Voteless can lunge at random intervals and, since their attacks deal far more damage than that of a Terminid Scavenger, can take down a player with two or three attacks.

   The real challenge during fights are the Illuminate themselves. Overseers come in two different variants; the normal Overseers carry laser poles with which they can fire a laser bolt from the hip at a distance or, when Helldivers run out of ammunition or get too close, can be used in a devastating melee attack. When taking too much damage, the Overseers will deploy a blue laser shield that can take several magazines to overpower, which can easily lead to a Helldiver firing all of their ammunition to no avail. When faced with Overseers, the best tactic is to aim for the head when they are exposed and for the legs when their shields are up in order to stagger them and create more openings for you or other teammates to shoot them, all while keeping a safe distance so as to remain able to dodge any melee charges.

   The Elevated Overseers are instead equipped with a special jetpack that allows them unlimited flight. While flying, they shoot bursts of laser bolts (which bear an uncanny resemblance to the PLAS-1 Scorcher's own laser bolts) and occasionally will throw Illuminate High Explosive Grenades that, much like all other grenades thrown by enemies, can be tossed right back. The best tactic to deal with these enemies is to shoot their fairly exposed backpack when possible. However, engaging them head on is still possible, as Elevated Overseers do not have the ability to project a shield.

   The Watcher is an Illuminate scout unit. It projects a blue light cone as it patrols certain areas but will go into alert whenever it spots an enemy. When alerted, the Watcher's vision cone will go from blue to purple and, unless an Illuminate Warship has already been called, will immediately shoot a burst of light into the sky, summoning Illuminate Warships to drop in hordes of enemies. If the Watcher can not call for reinforcements, they will stalk the detected player from a distance while periodically shooting electric bolts at the player that momentarily stun them, much like how the ARC-3 Arc Thrower and A/ARC-3 Tesla Tower shoot out electric arcs.

   The Harvesters are massive tri-legged war marchines that move slowly, but can deal devastation at a consistent pace. The Harvester moves constantly while projecting a blue laser shield bubble around its position, similar to how a Helldiver's own SH-32 Shield Generator Pack would encase them. Periodically, the Harvester will slow down significantly and project a white laser beam from its central blue eye, which will instantly kill any player it touches. If their targets are at close range, Harvesters unleash bursts of electric arcs that can deal devastating damage, much like how the ARC-12 Blitzer behaves.

   To deal with Harvesters, players must first overpower its shield using their weapons or stratagems that deal a sustained burst of damage, such as the Eagle Cluster Bomb, the Orbital Airburst Strike, or the Orbital Gatling Barrage. Once the Harvester's shield is deactivated, players must then use explosive weaponry against the exposed tripods, making weapons such as the EAT-17 Expendable Anti-Tank or the GR-8 Recoilless Rifle crucial in taking down these walking abominations.

   Objective

   The Illuminate objectives are a departure from how most others would be done.

   The Illuminate Encampments, currently available in Light, Medium, and Heavy variants, consist of arrays of parked war ships. Light Encampments will feature one saucer, Medium encampments will feature two, and Heavy Encampments can feature either three or four saucers. To destroy these ships, one must first overpower their blue bubble shields, then utilize explosive weaponry to destroy them, either by throwing a grenade into the glowing open doors or using any explosive stratagems. Certain stratagems will destroy the ships without the need to take down their shield, such as the Orbital 120mm HE Barrage, the Eagle 500kg Bomb, or the Orbital Precision Strike.

   The Cognitive Disruptor is one of the most unique effects deployed by the Illuminate. While within its effect radius, the Illuminate disruptor will periodically randomize the code of every stratagem currently available at intervals of ten to fifteen seconds, with the shortest possible random code being three arrows and the longest being up to eight arrows. To disable the Cognitive Disruptor, Helldivers must either use enough explosive ordinance to destroy its power sources, or destroy the Cognitive Disruptor's four energy conversion panels that are attached to colonial power equipment. Once all four power sources have been destroyed, the Cognitive Disruptor is disabled and players will be able to use their stratagems as normal.

   The Illuminate Monolith is a possible main mission objective that can appear. Whenever the Helldivers are in the map and the Monolith hasn't been destroyed, the Monolith will occasionally play a voice line for all players currently alive. The only way to destroy a Monolith is by calling down and detonating a Hellbomb within close proximity of the structure.

6. #6Voteless

   Keys: Voteless · Secondary: Zombies

   The Voteless are an Illuminate enemy. In most of the strains found, they are essentially brainwashed Super Earth Citizens that were abducted and forcibly mutated by the Illuminate. They make up the bulk of the Illuminate chaff infantry and are the most basic troop that the squids can field.

   Appearance

   The Voteless, being former citizens of the Federation of Super Earth are essentially normal humans wearing the Super Earth standard issue blue overall. However, the most distinguishable feature they sport are their mutated arms and their glowing mutated blue eyes, encased in a deformed, sickly, pale white head, from which the skin has mutated into something more akin to fish skin.

   Tactics

   The Voteless, being the bulk of the Illuminate infantry and their main chaff unit, are more of a threat en masse than they are a threat individually. They are unarmored, and have no notable damage resistances to speak of, making any weapon effective against them. The SG-225SP Breaker Spray&Pray is one of the more effective weapons against hordes of voteless thanks to it's wide horizontal spray and large magazine capacity, where just magdumping from the hip is enough to devastate groups at close range. The ARC-12 Blitzer is another popular candidate thanks to it's infinite ammo and ability to stun potentially-attacking voteless. The SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary is also another good candidate as spraying a burst onto a horde, even outside it's effective kill-range, will set several voteless on fire, killing a good chunk of the them before they close in. They are strictly melee attackers, leaping and lunging to strike further than one might expect. They can outpace a Helldiver at full sprint, making it necessary to use terrain and obstacles to control encounters. Voteless are surprisingly durable, sometimes capable of surviving being bisected from the waist-down, and can survive punishment that the chaff infantry of other races would succumb to. Headshots with personal weaponry is recommended to save ammunition, and to put them down quickly. Voteless excel at overwhelming most sentries, requiring active care to maintain their fire support advantage. As with the other factions, the Machine Gun and Gatling Sentry are most capable of self-defense, and as protection for other sentries. Anti-infantry and anti-horde stratagems like the Eagle Cluster Bomb and Orbital Airburst Strike all work well against the Voteless. Voteless are most vulnerable against gas weaponry and stratagems, as their completely melee-oriented nature, tanky disposition, tendency to blob into massive but slow hordes, and the enclosed nature of cities makes it very easy for a single caustic-specialist helldiver to simply have entire Illuminate hordes turn on each other and thin themselves out. Their hardiness also means that their overseer masters will have a harder time fending for themselves while in the middle of a gas strike.

7. #7Watcher

   Keys: Watcher · Secondary: Watchers

   Watchers are Illuminate probes used to scout for vulnerable lifeforms, and alert standby forces. While physically distinct from the scout units of the past, they perform many of the same functions. Watcher are also the only Illuminate to be able to call reinforcements (or at least until the sorcerer's make there presence known).

   Appearance Watchers have a cruciform shape, and generally float about five meters above ground.

   Tactics Watchers are only lightly armored. Any weapon will deal damage to them. They are however, comprised of several "fins", and their central core, which glows when active. It is recommended to aim at this glowing light, as they can survive the loss of their fins, but destroying their core instantly kills them. Although Watchers are fairly easy to destroy, their falling remains are still an explosive threat to those underneath. Watchers float and do not touch the ground. This makes melee all but impossible in most circumstances. Watchers typically patrol alone, emitting a cyan-blue search cone. A Watcher that becomes alerted to a threat (either visually or aurally) will emit a magenta cone towards its target and glow more intensely. Alerted Watchers will generally attract the attention of Voteless loitering nearby, and stronger units in turn. Watchers are (so far) the only Illuminate unit capable of calling for reinforcements using it's signal flare.Watcher signal flares take the form of four glowing orbs rising vertically above the Watcher's location. These will summon Warp Ships which beam down reinforcements from its underside. Watchers are armed with a special tesla weapon. It does not deal nearly as much damage as the ones found on Illuminate tesla lowers or harvesters, but it does disorient and sap a helldiver's stamina, leaving them vulnerable if they are being pursued.

8. #8Overseerconstant

   Keys: Overseer · Secondary: Overseers

   The Overseer is a medium infantry Illuminate equipped with an arcane energy staff that acts as both a ranged and melee weapon. Centuries old, Overseers are formidable, calculating warriors who direct the hordes of Voteless, using them as expendable cannon fodder upon the frontlines, both to overwhelm SEAF forces as well as conserve their own limited numbers.

   Physiology The Overseers are bipedal aliens, almost always being taller than the average human (as the Helldivers are several inches shorter than the Overseers). In terms of general anatomy, they're mostly anthropomorphic, with their limbs, joints and general physiology being similar in some degree to humans.

   It appears that Overseers, if not the Illuminate at large, possess digitigrade lower limbs; much unlike humans, who possess plantigrade legs. Each of the Illuminate's limbs possesses 3 appendages, all of equal length for a total of 12 "fingers", 6 on their lower limbs and 6 on their superior limbs. While they can stretch the joints in their superior limbs and are capable of full motion in them, they are unable to stretch their knees even when running.

   The Overseers are clad in a white armor made out of an unknown alien material that is highly durable, requiring ammunition capable of medium armor penetration to effectively deal damage to them. Additionally, Overseers are equipped with a small, blue Energy Shield that can only be effectively punctured by ammunition capable of Heavy Armor Penetration, although enough damage will eventually disable it. Despite this, parts of their dark blue skin can be seen, indicating that they're part of the "warrior" caste of the Illuminate.

   They can turn their heads independently, as seen in the "Omens of Tyranny" trailer, indicating that they possess necks and, possibly, spinal cords similar to that of humans.

   Tactics Overseers only have light body armor, but their helmets are medium-armored. An overseer's body armor can be shattered with repeated, concentrated hits. Once shattered, their body will take full damage from all weapons. Overseers are normally found either guarding Illuminate encampments or leading groups of Voteless. Overseers will typically fire at Helldivers first with their energy staves, before moving in for close combat. There is a visible charge-up period for their ranged weapons, which gives a window of opportunity to kill them before they fire. When a Helldiver is knocked down from the blast of their staff, they will almost always rush into to close combat. A single swing from their staff is very powerful, and is enough to either kill or severely weaken lightly-armored helldivers in one attack. When under fire, overseers will deploy their energy shields, which protect from the head to their groin. While not particularly strong as it will eventually be depleted with enough hits, this adds a level of protection from their already-tanky selves. The shield does not cover their calves, their sides, and back. The shield does not protect them from explosions. A single shot from any rocket launcher is enough to kill them, even with a frontal shot. Explosive primary and secondary weapons are also viable. If shot at the legs while deploying their shields at close range, they will typically abandon their defensive posture and resort to closing into melee.

9. #9Elevated Overseer

   Keys: Elevated Overseer · Secondary: Elevated Overseers

   The Elevated Overseer is a flying Illuminate medium infantry unit, equipped with a gun that shoots plasma pellets, high explosive grenades, and a hoverpack. These troops share a similar role to the Overseer, appearing in-between hordes of the Voteless.

   Tactics Elevated Overseers only have light body armor, but their helmets are medium-armored. Their jetpacks also only have light armor. EOs are normally found either guarding Illuminate encampments or leading groups of Voteless. Unlike Automaton jet troopers and the Helldivers' LIFT-850 Jump Packs, the EO's jetpack allow them to hover and cruise indefinitely, rather than simply allowing the user to jump vast distances. Much like the automatons however, their jetpacks are very volatile, poorly defended, and their biggest weakpoint. Destroying it will kill the overseer in the jetpack's explosion. They essentially behave like small, low-flying Gunships. EOs will relentlessly pursue helldivers and their enhanced mobility makes them very efficient at pursuits. They do however, lack the automaton gunships' sensors, and can potentially be lost using smoke or evading them for long enough. Their energy rifles behave similarly to automaton laser rifles and have no special effects. EOs can throw high explosive energy grenades. Their throw can be cancelled by staggering them mid-windup, where they will drop it at their feet instead. Concussive weapons particularly excel at this.

10. #10Harvester

    Keys: Harvester · Secondary: Harvesters

    Harvesters are Illuminate heavy units on par with Chargers and Hulks. They are massive, triple-legged walkers used to disenfranchise entire cities with terrible weaponry fired from their single eye.

    Appearance Often referred to as "Tripods" or "Walkers", the Harvesters are triple-legged monstrosities that stride slowly across the landscape.

    Harvesters are considered high-value targets at Medium (3) difficulty, earning for themselves dedicated Eliminate missions. At higher difficulties, they participate in patrols and can be teleported into battle by Warp Ships.

    Tactics The Harvester's core and legs are heavy armored. The exposed sinew-like joints and thighs where the legs connect to the core are only medium-armored, and are much weaker than the core. This makes them the most ideal location to deal damage to, as a single shot from a LAS-99 Quasar Cannon to these joints will take down a Harvester at full health. Its "eye" where its beam cannon shoots from, is only lightly-armored. It is however, difficult to shoot as its a very small target. It also transfers little damage to the core, and is not a fatal body part. Its shields have no armor, and any weapon will do damage to it. However, it seems to have a high degree of health and damage resistance that can withstand several high-powered attacks, shrugging off a direct hit from a 500kg bomb or orbital railcannon shot. This makes beam and high-RoF weapons more effective at dropping their shields, as a sustained but fast barrage of light attacks will overwhelm their shields more efficiently. The top horn functions as the shield generator. Destroying this part prevents it from raising shields. Similarly to the Terminid Bile Titans, enough hits from heavy-penetration weapons will shatter their core's armor, leaving them vulnerable to all forms of damage. Harvesters have two weapons: A beam cannon and close-range Tesla throwers. The Beam cannon is capable of high damage, quickly turning buildings into ruins. Simply being grazed by it is enough to halve a Helldiver's health from full, and a direct hit from it is usually instant death. They will typically focus the beam at a single point, but are capable of slightly moving it around if the Helldiver evades. These have an impressively long max range of 200m, but minimum range of 20m. The Tesla cannons shoot an arc of electricity at targets that get within 20m. These stun and deal a sizable amount of damage. Having armor that has the "Electrical Conduit" trait will withstand the stun and negate the damage to a negligible amount. A recommended tactic is to focus on the exposed "thighs" of the harvester. They have less HP, and destroying one destroys the harvester completely. Support weapons like the MG-43 Machine Gun and LAS-98 Laser Cannon are very adept at taking down harvesters on their own, as their large ammo capacity and armor penetration are capable of dealing with both the shield and their weak point. Alternatively, using energy primary weapons like the LAS-5 Scythe or LAS-16 Sickle to deplete their shields, then switching to an anti-tank launcher to land a direct hit on them, is also a viable strategy. An HMG or anti-tank emplacement deployed from long range is capable of quickly dispatching several harvesters. It is recommended they are not facing you within 200m. Rushing one from the sides or rear, getting within their shield bubble, and throwing a thermite grenade right at their core is one unorthodox, but effective tactic to take one down. Using armor with the "Electric Conduit" trait is advised when attempting this, to improve one's survival chances during retreat. Weapons with heavy staggering effect can prevent the Harvester from using its own weapons. However, it is briefly a harder target to hit while it recovers its posture. Harvesters power down their shields when not engaged. This makes unaware harvesters vulnerable to ambushes from enterprising Helldivers. Harvesters are usually accompanied by Overseers, who themselves may be herding a block of Voteless. Harvesters are not very fast or nimble enemies, despite their appearance. They are very vulnerable to ambushes in the confines of urban terrain and are slow to react to attacks from the sides or rear. But they do excel in the open badlands in the outskirts of the city, where cover is much less abundant and their slow speed is less of a hindrance. Unlike Bile Titans, Harvesters generally do not attempt to crush Helldivers under their feet. It remains to be seen if Fast Recon Vehicles are vulnerable to such attack. Like Bile Titans, Harvesters cannot respond to Helldivers riding on top of them. Their slow movement also makes random impacts against riders unlikely.

11. #11Warp Ship

    Keys: Warp Ship · Secondary: Warp Ships

    The Warp Ship is both an Illuminate structure and transport ship that periodically spawns Voteless until destroyed as well as deploy Illuminate troops via a Watcher emitting signal flare to call forth reinforcements. Unlike spawn structures from other factions, the massive Warp Ship is protected by a durable energy shield that must be lowered to expose the ship to direct attack. Warp Ships also provide multiple exit points and a greater rate of enemy spawns.

    Warp Ships form the foundation of Illuminate Encampments. At low levels, they may feature little more than explosive barrels, protective barriers, and lighting devices. Higher difficulties introduce defenses such as shock towers (resembling Super Earth Tesla Towers).

    Tactics Parked Warp Ship Certain Stratagems are capable of destroying a Warp Ship outright: Eagle 500kg Bomb – must land directly on top of the Warp Ship Orbital Precision Strike Orbital Gas Strike Orbital Laser Orbital Railcannon Strike All three orbital barrages will destroy a parked ship with a direct hit from a shell. Some Stratagems are capable of draining the shield of a Warp Ship, creating an opportunity for direct attack: Eagle Airstrike Eagle Strafing Run Eagle 110MM Rocket Pods Orbital Gatling Barrage When shields are down, anti-tank weaponry or grenades are the preferred method of attack, with some notes: Frag Grenade – May fail to inflict sufficient demolition. Gas Grenade – Received a demolition boost in the recent patch. Thermite Grenade – While capable, risks attaching to and being carried away by a Voteless Certain weapons can destroy an unshielded Warp Ship, fired or thrown into an exit hatch: CB-9 Exploding Crossbow GP-31 Grenade Pistol Hellpods are generally "forbidden" from landing in the footprint of the Warp Ship, whether thrown into the area, or steered by an arriving Helldiver. Fast-firing weapons tend to be more effective than powerful weapons at reducing a Warp Ship's shield. The Warp Ship shield takes time to recharge. A freshly restored shield can be brought back down with moderate fire. While the shield is up, it will deflect many or all throwables. There is a known bug where one of the two doors is invulnerable to all fused grenades, so it is less effective to use options such as the Frag Grenade. Instead opt for something such as the Impact Grenade. Flying Warp Ship Anti-tank weapons should be directed at the Warp Ship's bottom port, often requiring only a single shot. The favorable angles do place the Helldiver at more risk of imminent retaliation if attack fails, and being crushed underneath if the attack succeeds. The Warp Ship's saucer body can absorb at least one additional hit, often resulting in successful deployment of reinforcements. Two voids exist at the nacelles, typically resulting in a complete miss when fired upon. Stratagems such as the Orbital Gatling Barrage are quite effective at downing Warp Ships, as they present a much larger target than the Automaton Dropship. The Orbital Railcannon Strike will not target flying Warp Ships, in favor of even a lone Voteless. Due to the abundance of abandoned SAM sites in many of the Illuminates' areas of operation, restoring several of these will drastically cut down on the number of Illuminate ships that successfully make it to their intended destination.

12. #12Cognitive Disruptor

    Keys: Cognitive Disruptor

    The Cognitive Disruptor is an Illuminate structure that affects a Helldiver's ability to call in Stratagems. While it does not completely block stratagem use in the way an Automaton Stratagem Jammer does, it can still produce unwanted effects.

    Appearance A Cognitive Disruptor appears to project a massive pastel-colored energy field across much of the map, often visible as Helldivers first arrive into a mission. The two-pronged tower measures roughly a hundred meters in height. It vaguely resembles a sword in shape.

    In a disturbing encroachment on providence, Cognitive Disruptors are generally connected to humankind's energy grid, corrupting one's very desires in service of tyranny.

    Tactics When approaching within 200 meters of a Cognitive Disruptor, one begins to notice their Stratagem display becomes difficult to read, and that input codes are frequently replaced every three (3) seconds. The input codes may even resemble those used by other stratagems. Defeating this mental attack requires concentrating on the official MoD-standard symbology for Stratagems, and inputting the given code before it is cycled. Failure to properly input a code may result in a different stratagem being called.

    Even closer to the Cognitive Disruptor, one may notice additional sensory disturbances. In the ten-meter radius of the tower, the Helldiver needs to locate four energy conversion panels attached to colonial power equipment.

13. #13Illuminate Tesla Tower

    Keys: Illuminate Tesla Tower · Secondary: Tesla Tower

    Illuminate Tesla Towers are static defenses occasionally found at Illuminate Encampments and Objectives. They are that faction's version of the SEAF's own Tesla Tower, ready to shock any particularly aggressive attacker into submission.

    Appearance Compared to an SEAF Tesla Tower, Illuminate Tesla Towers have a more sinister, spiky appearance.

    Tactics Illuminate Tesla Towers function much like our own, even so far as deterring any Voteless wandering near it. They can withstand many forms of attack, but will fall to explosive damage. This includes any Dark Fluid canisters that may be left nearby.

    Armor sets with Electrical Conduits provide significant protection, and are also useful options against Watchers and Harvesters.

14. #14Illuminate Theories

    Keys: Illuminate Theories · Secondary: Theories

    There is a theory as to why the Illuminate have kidnapped our freedom-loving citizens for their sinister plans. Due to their immense size and the fact that the Squ'ith most likely evolved from an aquatic species, it is safe to assume that their home world has a lower gravity and that they would find it hard to move on land. This is due to four primary conditions that cause organisms to evolve to grow to large sizes:

    Reduced Gravitational Stress - in a lower gravity environment, organisms face less gravitational stress on their bodies. This would allow the Squ'ith to grow to their large size and stature without facing the same structural limitations that appear on Super Earth. Easier Movement - with reduced gravity, creatures can move more easily and efficiently. This means that they can grow larger without expending as much energy on locomotion, allowing for bigger body sizes. Atmospheric Considerations - while lower gravity can lead to a thinner atmosphere, if a planet maintains a dense atmosphere rich in oxygen or other breathable gases, it can support larger life forms. This is similar to Super Earth's past, when higher oxygen levels allowed for giant insects to evolve and exist. Aquatic Advantages - in aquatic environments, the effects of lower gravity are even more pronounced. Marine life could potentially grow much larger, as water helps reduce the effect of gravitational forces, and since the Illuminate were aquatic, this further supports the theory that they would have a hard time moving on land. With the Illuminate moving from water to land and from low-gravity worlds to high-gravity ones, it would make sense that only the largest and strongest Squ'ith would have the strength to walk normally for a brain-consuming extraterrestrial. We can see this during the First Galactic War, where the large Squ'ith would walk on their legs while the regular or small ones required anti-gravity chairs and suits to move around. We can even see this now, where the big and bulky Squ'ith are the ones who resort to walking while the slightly smaller and leaner ones use jet packs for movement. This shows one major thing: the Squ'ith race is weak enough that most of their kind need the equivalent of wheelchairs to simply move around.

    Now, you might be wondering at this point: "what does this have to do with them kidnapping civilians?" Well, you might wanna sit down for this part cause it it not pretty...

    Humanity just so happens to naturally produce a chemical called adrenaline that can give humans(and potentially the Squ'ith) an almost superhuman level of strength, speed, and reaction time. This chemical works by triggering the body's "fight or flight response", which rapidly releases a surge of energy that lets humans achieve incredible feats such as lifting immense weights, running faster than normally possible, or dodging multiple attacks from an assailant. If the Illuminate would want to move quickly on land in a high-gravity environment or be able to use large weapons against us, they would also need to produce this super-chemical, and it seems that the Squ'ith cannot produce adrenaline, or perhaps can only produce adrenaline in very small amounts. If the Illuminate wants to accrue large amounts of this chemical, they would need to harvest it in some way, and in order to harvest adrenaline, the Illuminate would need a source that is numerous, reproduces often, and can naturally create large quantities of adrenaline. Humanity seems to be the only species that fit the needs of these despicable "adrenaline farms".

    In case there are citizens who retain any doubts about this theory, you must remember that the Illuminate are willing to consume the brains of Humanity, other alien races, and even their own kind for the sole reason of increasing their own knowledge. They are even willing to mutate our innocent citizens into monstrosities so that they don't have to waste their own lives in combat. When looking at all the facts, can the theory that the Illuminate would kidnap our own citizens, mercilessly imprison them, and brutally harvest them for their adrenaline to be able to move around on their legs be dismissed so easily? Always remember, Illuminate civilization is defined by the complete and absolute genocide of humanity and other races for the sole purpose of progressing their society to even further levels of depravity, hatred, and self-enslavement.

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