Helldivers 2 Entrenched Division Warbond Guide

The Entrenched Division Warbond for Helldivers 2 pushes the game deeper into mud, fire, and chemical warfare. Built around a First World War-inspired theme, this premium Warbond delivers new weapons, armor, stratagems, and cosmetics that emphasize strong defensive positions, brutal close-quarters combat, and battlefield control.

This guide breaks down every category of content in the Entrenched Division Warbond, explains when and why to use each type of gear, and offers practical build ideas for different mission types and factions. While it is inspired by GamesRadar+’s coverage of the update, everything here is written from scratch and organized to help you make confident loadout decisions.

What the Entrenched Division Warbond Includes

Entrenched Division is a premium Warbond, meaning it’s bought with Super Credits rather than unlocked only through free progression. According to official PlayStation materials, the Warbond was released as a paid content drop for Helldivers 2, available in the in-game Superstore for a fixed amount of Super Credits.¹ Like previous Warbonds, it bundles multiple item types into a single progression track.

• Premium Warbond purchased with Super Credits through the Superstore.
• Roughly twenty new items themed around trench warfare and chemical combat.
• Mix of primary and secondary weapons, melee equipment, grenades, stratagems, armor, and cosmetics.

At a high level, the Warbond focuses on:

• Area denial and crowd control via fire and gas.
• Short-to-mid range lethality with flamethrowers and SMGs.
• Dig-in-and-hold tactics enabled by sturdy armor and specialized sentry support.

Warbond Theme: From Trenches to Super-Earth

The Entrenched Division’s aesthetic leans heavily on historical trench warfare, but refracted through Helldivers 2’s satirical future-military lens. That fits the broader direction of the game: a cooperative live-service shooter that routinely adds new equipment to keep players engaged and rebalancing the meta.²

Expect muddy greatcoats, gas masks, shovels as weapons, and gear designed to survive toxic bombardments. The theme is not just cosmetic; the mechanics reinforce the idea of holding ground under constant pressure.

New Primary and Secondary Weapons

The centerpiece of the Warbond is its new weaponry, particularly a heavy flamethrower and a hybrid close-quarters firearm that gives squads more options for breaching nests and stopping enemy rushes.

Heavy Flamethrower: Cremator-Class Primary

The new heavy flamethrower (commonly referenced by players as the B/Flam-80 Cremator) is a primary weapon designed for short-range devastation. While exact numbers are subject to balance patches, its battlefield identity is clear:

• Role: Close-quarters extermination and tunnel clearing.
• Strengths: High damage over time, excellent crowd control, good at denying chokepoints.
• Weaknesses: Limited range, requires careful positioning, can obscure visibility.

Best uses:

• Burning Bug nests and tunnel entrances before enemies spill out.
• Holding narrow approach routes where enemies must funnel through fire.
• Supporting heavily armored teammates by melting lighter units around them.

Trench SMG/Flam Hybrid Secondary

The Warbond also introduces a new secondary weapon that blends SMG characteristics with incendiary capabilities (often referred to by the community as the SMG/Flam-34 Stoker):

• Role: Backup crowd-control sidearm when your primary runs dry.
• Strengths: Flexible across short and very short ranges, high close-up DPS, good for emergencies.
• Weaknesses: Recoil and ammo efficiency can be challenging in extended fights.

Consider pairing it with a long-range primary rifle or anti-armor weapon to avoid over-specializing in close quarters. This combination lets you answer both armored and swarm threats without completely relying on stratagems.

Melee Innovation: The Entrenchment Tool

No trench-themed set would be complete without a shovel. The CQC-73 Entrenchment Tool is more than a cosmetic swing; it’s a dedicated melee weapon that adds a distinct tactical layer.

• Damage profile: Higher base damage than the default knife, capable of quickly finishing medium targets.
• Utility: Useful for conserving ammo in lower-intensity fights or finishing off staggered units.
• Loadout impact: Functions as a true melee slot rather than a support-only gimmick, giving more build flexibility.

It shines when you are:

• Clearing isolated stragglers without wasting grenades or ammo.
• Running ammo-hungry primaries that benefit from having a non-ammo damage option.
• Working in squads where someone else is dedicated to heavy support, allowing you to lean into close combat.

Explosive Additions: The Giga Grenade

The G-48 Giga Grenade channels classic stick grenades and converts them into high-impact area burst damage.

Practical tips:

• Use terrain to bounce the grenade into entrenched positions or behind cover.
• Coordinate with teammates: call out throws so allies don’t rush into the blast radius.
• Against large walkers or striders, aim for underbelly or exposed weak points when possible, where explosive damage tends to be more effective in Helldivers-style gameplay.

Stratagems: Fire and Gas from the Sky

Entrenched Division doubles down on battlefield control with new stratagems designed to keep enemies out of key zones or soften them up long before they reach your trench line.

Gas Mortar Sentry

The A/GM-17 Gas Mortar Sentry is an automated support stratagem that lobs gas shells into enemy concentrations. It complements existing turret options by prioritizing area denial over raw bullet output.

• Role: Sustained chemical saturation of high-traffic enemy paths.
• Strengths: Excellent for controlling choke points and protecting objectives.
• Weaknesses: Less effective versus fully gas-resistant enemies or fast-moving targets that don’t linger in the cloud.

How to get the most out of it:

• Place it where enemies naturally cluster, such as approach ramps to objectives or near bug nests.
• Combine with conventional gun turrets for dual coverage: gas to slow and weaken, bullets to finish.
• Communicate with your squad about safe zones and contaminated areas.

Fire Support and Synergy with Other Stratagems

The Warbond is designed so its gas and fire tools synergize with existing support options. A flamethrower user backed by gas and artillery is significantly more dangerous, but also requires coordination to avoid friendly casualties.

Examples of effective combinations:

• Gas Mortar + Static Sentry: Gas weakens and panics enemies, sentry guns finish them off.
• Flamethrower + Eagle Airstrike: Use fire to corral enemies into predictable paths, then call an airstrike on their retreat routes.
• Giga Grenade + Stun or Slow Effects: Lock enemies in place before throwing for maximum hits.

Armor Sets: Built for Chemical and Explosive Hell

The armor sets in Entrenched Division are tailored for frontline duty in hostile environments thick with gas and explosives. Official descriptions from PlayStation highlight armor perks that reduce explosive and gas damage and help manage recoil for sidearms and heavier weapons.¹

Hazmat-Oriented Armor

One of the headline armor sets includes passive bonuses such as:

• Gas resistance: Allowing you to operate longer inside gas clouds before taking lethal damage.
• Explosive resistance: Improved survivability against grenades, mines, and artillery.
• Recoil mitigation: Especially helpful for weapons with strong kick, maintaining accuracy under pressure.

This armor is ideal for players who:

• Regularly deploy gas-based stratagems and need to push through their own environmental hazards.
• Operate in squads that lean heavily on explosives and need a designated breacher or trench-holder.
• Expect to spend a lot of time at the front, where rocket splash and grenades are a constant threat.

Trench Infantry Armor

The second armor set in the Warbond is themed after classic trench infantry: thicker plating, rugged materials, and a silhouette that screams “frontline.” Stat-wise, it generally trades some mobility for durability.

Typical trade-offs include:

• Higher armor rating: Increased survivability against small arms and melee.
• Reduced stamina or movement speed: You will feel slower compared to lighter Scout-style armor.
• Balanced passives: Often geared to general frontline performance rather than niche bonuses.

Consider this armor if you frequently play difficulty tiers where enemies swarm objectives and you must tank hits while interacting with mission terminals or samples.

Cosmetics and Thematic Rewards

Beyond gameplay items, Entrenched Division includes a suite of cosmetics: capes, emotes, victory poses, and armor tints that visually tie your Helldiver to the grimy trench-war theme.

• Capes: Often decorated with propaganda imagery or unit insignia that reinforce Super-Earth’s over-the-top patriotism.
• Armor paints: Muddy browns, desaturated greens, and gas-mask motifs that differentiate you from more high-tech themed Warbonds.
• Emotes and victory poses: Thematic gestures fit for a soldier crawling out of a crater after a successful liberation.

While these don’t affect combat, cosmetics play a major role in live-service engagement and player identity. Research on cosmetic monetization in games notes that appearance-based rewards can significantly increase player satisfaction without unbalancing gameplay, provided they’re implemented thoughtfully.³

Progression and Unlock Strategy

Premium Warbonds in Helldivers 2 typically follow a tiered progression: you unlock items in sequence by spending in-game medals earned from missions. Because you cannot unlock everything at once, prioritization matters.

Suggested Unlock Order

If you buy the Entrenched Division Warbond, consider this rough unlock order, depending on your playstyle:

1. Primary or Secondary Weapon – Immediately changes how you play and can justify the purchase on its own.
2. Armor Set with Gas/Explosive Resistance – Synergizes with new stratagems and increases survivability.
3. Giga Grenade – Offers flexible burst damage that fits into most squads.
4. Gas Mortar Sentry – Excellent for higher difficulties and defense missions.
5. Melee Entrenchment Tool – Adds flavor and utility once you’ve secured core combat tools.
6. Cosmetics – Round out the Warbond once your functional gear is unlocked.

Loadout Ideas for Different Missions

Entrenched Division shines when used thoughtfully. Below are example builds that illustrate how the Warbond’s tools can support different roles. Adjust them based on the current balance patch and personal preference.

Bug Tunnel Clearer

• Primary: Heavy Flamethrower (Cremator)
• Secondary: Precision pistol or burst sidearm for medium range.
• Melee: Entrenchment Tool
• Grenade: Giga Grenade
• Stratagems: Gas Mortar Sentry, Eagle Airstrike, Supply Pack, Anti-tank option.
• Armor: Hazmat-oriented set with gas and explosive resistance.

This build focuses on diving into tunnels, burning nests, and surviving the chaos as gas and explosions fill the area.

Trench Defender

• Primary: Standard rifle or shotgun optimized for mid-range.
• Secondary: SMG/Flam hybrid for close-quarter emergencies.
• Melee: Entrenchment Tool for ammo conservation.
• Grenade: Giga Grenade for clumped enemies attacking objectives.
• Stratagems: Gas Mortar Sentry, Static Sentry, Defensive mines, Reinforce.
• Armor: Heavy trench infantry set for durability.

This setup is all about holding uplinks, black boxes, and extraction zones while waves of enemies crash into your prepared defensive network.

Is the Entrenched Division Warbond Worth It?

Whether Entrenched Division is worth the Super Credits depends on your playstyle and how invested you are in Helldivers 2’s long-term ecosystem. Industry analysis of live-service titles emphasizes that cosmetic and content expansions can keep games healthy over time if they are reasonably priced and add meaningful variety.^3,4 In that sense, a themed Warbond that introduces distinct tools like gas stratagems and trench gear does more than just reskin existing options.

You will likely find it worthwhile if:

• You love close-quarters chaos and want new ways to clear tunnels and choke points.
• You’re looking for armor that lets you operate safely in gas-heavy squad strategies.
• You care about a cohesive, historically inspired aesthetic for your Helldiver.

You may want to skip it or wait if:

• You prefer long-range, precision-focused builds and rarely fight up close.
• Your squad already has strong area-denial stratagems you’re happy with.
• You are satisfied with the free Warbond content and cosmetic options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Entrenched Division a free Warbond?

No. Entrenched Division is a premium Warbond that must be purchased with Super Credits through the in-game Superstore, as confirmed by official PlayStation communications.¹ Medals are still used to unlock the individual tiers once the Warbond is owned.

Can I earn enough Super Credits in-game to buy it?

Helldivers 2 allows players to earn some Super Credits through gameplay, but the availability of a premium Warbond at launch generally assumes direct purchase rather than relying solely on free credits. Check in-game Superstore and progression to see how many you can realistically earn over time.

Does the gas armor make me immune to gas?

No armor in Helldivers 2 is truly immune to environmental hazards. The hazmat-oriented armor in Entrenched Division is designed to reduce gas and explosive damage and extend the time you can safely operate within contaminated areas, not to negate them entirely. You should still treat gas clouds with caution.

Is the heavy flamethrower better than existing support flamethrowers?

The heavy flamethrower fills a different niche: it’s a primary weapon rather than a support stratagem. That means you can carry it without giving up a support weapon slot. Its raw performance compared to other flamethrower options will depend on current balance patches, but its main advantage is that it defines your baseline playstyle instead of being a limited-use call-in.

Do the Warbond cosmetics affect gameplay?

No. Cosmetics in Helldivers 2 are strictly visual. They exist to personalize your Helldiver and signal progression or taste, in line with broader trends in cosmetic monetization across online games.³