Legionnaire



The Legionnaire is an up-armored 'Squadleader' Soldier taking a page from the Hulk book and protecting itself with a heavy shield. While nothing that can't be handled by anti-tank weapons, the Legionnaire is an increased threat to Liberty and Democracy.

Tactics

 * Found on planets of difficulty level 13-15, Legionnaires patrol the battlefield, following semi-random patterns while searching for Helldivers. They patrol more often around mission objectives and are also attracted to Stratagem beacons. They completely replace Squadleaders and are not encountered accompanied by Initiates.


 * Soon after spotting Helldiver troops, Legionnaires will launch an alarm flare to call for help from more powerful Cyborg units before engaging the player in combat from mid to long range. Their grenade launcher has a slow rate of fire and the grenades only have a small area-of-effect, but just one or two are enough to down a Helldiver. Going prone allows Helldivers to survive fragmentation grenade explosions at relatively close distance.
 * Like their unshielded variant, the Legionnaire's melee attack is slow and not very powerful, and it will not use its grenade launcher at point blank range. Use this to your advantage and dispose of these Cyborgs either from a respectable distance or up close and personal.


 * 'Squadleader' Soldiers are more heavily armored than almost all other enemy scouts, and Legionnaires much moreso; this means it can often be very difficult to kill them before an alarm has been raised. Use good teamwork and flanking tactics, and make good use of anti-tank weaponry.


 * The PLAS-1 Scorcher is very effective at dealing with Legionnaires, its explosive and fire damage both bypassing the shield they carry.
 * The Obliterator Grenade Launcher and A/GL-8 Launcher Turret can fire over Legionnaires and hit them from behind. When upgraded to Mk3, their incendiary phosphorus rounds will cause any Legionnaire caught in the blast to catch fire. As with the Scorcher plasma rifle above, this effect bypasses the shield.
 * While the FLAM-40 Incinerator and FLAM-24 Pyro flamethrowers can ignite Legionnaires and kill them with damage over time, this requires aiming at exposed areas of their body; their shield will completely block head-on flamethrower attacks.


 * Legionnaires have no way of shielding themselves from the TOX-13 Avenger's toxic spray. They will have more than enough time to call in enemy reinforcements before they expire, however, unless other means are used to dispatch them.


 * The MLS-4X Commando easily dispatches groups of Legionnaires. Keep in mind that it will need to be reloaded more frequently if it is also used in an anti-armor role.


 * REC-6 Demolisher satchel charges can be prepared as traps; wait for the Legionnaires to wander over it, then detonate them when the Cyborgs' backs are exposed. Another option is throwing the Demolisher over a group of Legionnaires and detonating just as it is about to land. Mid-air detonations at the height of the demo charge's arc are much less effective.


 * Legionnaires are immune to damage from the AC-3 Arc Thrower and AC-5 Arc Shotgun. These weapons always hit the front armor zone of enemies, which for Legionnaires is always covered by their shield; compare this to Cyborg Hulks which will move their shields around to cover their side or front. The A/AC-6 Tesla Tower is quite effective at dispatching them, however.
 * Cyborg IFVs will easily crush any turrets under their treads. When deploying Tesla Towers to counter Legionnaire groups (for example, during a Capture Area objective), make sure to keep a nearby IFV disabled but alive. Not only will this prevent new IFVs from spawning in, it will also ensure the survival of the Tesla Tower.


 * Legionnaires are rather vulnerable to attacks from the side. This makes the Strafing Run, Heavy Strafing Run and Close Air Support Stratagems an effective method of dealing with groups of them.


 * Of course, the best approach is often to just avoid being spotted altogether.
 * Because Legionnaires are fairly slow-moving when not alerted, hiding behind terrain obstacles, utilizing Smoke Grenades and Thunderer Smoke Rounds, going prone or using Distractor Beacons are all viable options. If all else fails, there is no shame in bravely running away.