Warp Ship

• Helldivers Wiki
• Enemies
• Illuminate

Warp Ship
Faction	Illuminate
Difficulty	Trivial (1) +
Size	Large

The Warp Ship is both an Illuminate structure that periodically spawns Voteless until destroyed, as well as an Illuminate transport ship that deploys troops via a Watcher emitting a 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. They are often surrounded by explosive barrels, protective barriers, lighting devices, and Lightning Spires for defense (resembling Super Earth Tesla Towers).

Tactics

Parked Warp Ship

• Warp Ships have anti-tank level armor, although their shields will take damage from any weapon.
• 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 – must land directly on top of the Warp Ship
  • Orbital Gas Strike – must land directly on top of the Warp Ship
  • Orbital Laser
  • Orbital Railcannon Strike
  • The 120mm, 380mm, and Walking HE 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:
  • Barring flash and smoke grenades, all other grenades are capable of destroying a Warp Ship, if thrown into one of their entrances.
  • Thermite Grenades are unique in that they not only stick to Warp Ship shields, they will also destroy them upon exploding, even if just thrown at its hull.
• Certain weapons can destroy an unshielded Warp Ship, fired into an exit hatch:
  • CB-9 Exploding Crossbow
  • R-36 Eruptor
  • GP-31 Grenade Pistol
• The GP-31 Ultimatum can destroy a warp ship with a direct hit. Shields are not a concern.
• 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.
  • Notably, the R-36 Eruptor produces shrapnel that can assist in reducing shields. Aiming at the vertical stabilizer or the nacelle voids allows the main projectile to impact, while maximizing the shrapnel also caught by the shield.
• The Warp Ship shield takes time to recharge. A freshly restored shield can be brought back down with moderate fire.
• Warp Ships can be destroyed in conventional combat using anti-tank weaponry. However, barring the E/AT-12 Anti-Tank Emplacement, it is generally not very ammo efficient with other weaponry.
  • This also means that the Orbital Gatling Barrage and Eagle Strafing run have a chance of destroying Warp Ships, if enough rounds hit the craft itself.

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.
• Their large size makes them particularly huge hazards when shot down, compared to the smaller Automaton dropships. Be vigilant and be far away from one, in the event one is shot down by a teammate, or autonomous SAM site, as it is not unheard of for entire teams to be wiped out by a single ship crashing down on top of them.

Trivia

• The Warp Ship resembles the City Destroyer from Independence Day, though much smaller in scale and with more obvious directionality. Like the Destroyer, it is also likely inspired by the classic "flying saucer"-type UFO.