The Incendiary Airburst Launcher is one of Helldivers 2’s most spectacular support weapons, blanketing an area with fiery clusters that scatter enemies like insects. But when it comes to the personal order or challenge that asks you to deal 2,000 damage with this weapon, things often get less spectacular and more frustrating. If you’ve emptied entire reserves into bug hordes only to see the challenge tracker stuck at a fraction of your actual output, you’re not alone. This guide will walk you through why the damage tracking feels broken and how to finally get that challenge over the line.
Understanding the Incendiary Airburst Launcher Challenge
This challenge appears as a rotating personal objective or a progression requirement in Helldivers 2. The task is deceptively simple: deal 2,000 cumulative damage using the Incendiary Airburst Launcher. The launcher itself fires a canister that explodes in flight, releasing a shower of smaller incendiary bomblets. These create a large damage over time field, ideal for locking down bug breaches or thinning tightly packed Terminid swarms. In theory, that should make the challenge easy. In practice, many players find that the in-game progress meter barely budges even after obvious kills.
The weapon’s damage output is split into two parts: the initial detonation impact and the lingering fire. The challenge tracker appears to only reliably count one type, or it fails to attribute kills when the burning tick finishes off an enemy after a delay. This inconsistency is the root of nearly all complaints about the challenge being bugged.
Why Your Damage Might Not Be Tracking
Before you assume the challenge is completely broken, it helps to understand the common reasons why the counter lags behind your actual battlefield results. The tracker is not as generous as it is for simpler weapons like rifles or shotguns.
- Tracking prioritises direct hits. When the initial airburst explosion or the bomblets connect directly with an enemy, that damage tends to count. The fire field created afterward often gets ignored by the internal tally. If your targets are dying seconds later from the burning ground, that damage may never register.
- Overkill might not count. If you hit already weakened enemies with a massive burst, the game sometimes attributes the kill to the original damage source. Finishing off targets that are already bleeding out from a teammate’s stratagem will not always credit the launcher.
- Kills by environmental or chain reactions go uncredited. The incendiary effect can ignite explosive barrels or set off chain reactions with other environmental hazards. Those extra kills rarely count toward your weapon-specific objective.
- Session persistence bugs. Some players report that progress resets or stalls entirely if they change missions or log out. The tracker appears server-side, but disconnects or quickplay join-in-progress can confuse it.
How to Deal 2000 Damage Efficiently
To overcome the tracking quirks, you need to maximise the situations where your damage is both uncontested and predominantly from the direct impact phase of the launcher. Here are the most reliable methods.
Target Light and Medium Swarms
The launcher excels against tightly grouped Scavengers, Hunters, and Warriors. Find bug breaches, eggs, or any dense cluster. Fire one or two volleys directly into the center of the pack. The initial burst should instantly kill many of them, and those kills count. Avoid firing into groups that already have fire spreading from a previous volley: if they die to the persistent flames instead of the explosion, you might not get credit.
Use a Resupply Backpack
Equipping a supply pack allows you to carry far more ammunition. The launcher only holds a few rounds by default. With a resupply pack, you can continuously feed it and keep firing every time a breach opens. More rounds mean more opportunities for registered hits.
Solo or Lead the Charge
Teammates are useful for survival, but they will steal your kills and dilute the damage pool. If possible, run solo missions on an easy or medium difficulty where you can completely dominate the battlefield. No kill-stealing means every death with your launcher gets counted. If you must play in a group, ask your squad to let you handle bug breaches alone.
Shoot the Ground Near Enemies, Not Over Them
To ensure the bomblets hit before the fire spreads, aim slightly in front of an approaching swarm so the initial explosions connect with the front line. Direct bomblet impacts are your highest reliability for challenge progress. Firing too high might result in the projectiles spreading uselessly and only the residual fire doing any work.
Best Missions and Environments for the Challenge
Not all mission types are equal when you need a specific weapon to shine. The ideal environment gives you lots of predictable, bunched-up enemies and enough breathing room to operate.
- Defend the Extraction missions: These throw waves of enemies at you in narrow corridors. Plant yourself with a view of the main approach and fire into the oncoming horde.
- Bug Egg Destruction: The egg clusters spawn masses of Scavengers and bile spewers when disturbed. Lure them into a tight ball before firing.
- Civilian Evacuation or Point Defense objectives: Similar to extraction defense, you know exactly where enemies will go. Lay down suppressive fire with the launcher.
- Lower difficulties (Trivial to Medium): The enemy composition skews toward lightly armoured units. You can get over a thousand registered damage in a single bug breach if the conditions line up.
Avoid missions filled with Chargers, Bile Titans, or heavy armor. The launcher struggles to penetrate thick carapace, and those long fights rarely contribute meaningful progress.
Alternative Methods and Community Workarounds
If the tracker still mocks you after following all the above, try these less conventional approaches that the community swears by.
Fresh Instance, Single Mission Attempt
Some players report that the challenge must be completed in one continuous session without returning to the ship. Load into a mission, don’t leave or disconnect, and keep using the launcher until the objective pops. Even if the progress bar appears frozen mid-mission, it might update all at once upon extraction. Do not trust the mid-game display.
Host Your Own Lobby
Playing as the host eliminates many netcode-related attribution errors. If you’ve been joining random lobbies, switch to hosting, set the mission to friends only, and go in alone.
Pair with EMS or Stasis Stratagems
Use the EMS Mortar Sentry or the Static Field Orbital to freeze enemies in place. Then fire the airburst launcher directly at the frozen pack. The stationary targets ensure that the bomblets land on-target without missing, maximising direct-hit kill chances.
Restart the Game Client
On rare occasions, the challenge itself is simply stuck. Fully close Helldivers 2, relaunch, and check the objective again. A fresh connection to the servers sometimes kickstarts the tracking system.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Incendiary Airburst Launcher support challenge bugged?
Yes, the tracking is widely reported as inconsistent. Not all damage dealt by the weapon is properly counted. The lingering fire effect often fails to register, and mid-mission progress bars can appear frozen. However, using strategies that maximise direct bomblet impacts usually overcomes these issues.
How do I deal 2000 damage with the Incendiary Airburst Launcher?
Focus on light enemy clusters, aim for direct impacts rather than relying on the fire, play solo or as the host, and choose mission types with dense swarms. Carrying a resupply backpack and using stasis stratagems to lock enemies in place also helps land more direct-hit kills.
Can I complete the challenge in a single mission?
Absolutely. On a medium-difficulty defense or egg mission, you can easily surpass 2,000 registered damage if you use the launcher liberally during every breach. Solo play often results in completion within a single operation.
What are the best stratagems to pair with the Incendiary Airburst Launcher?
EMS Mortar Sentry, Static Field Orbital, or any stasis grenades are excellent for grouping enemies and holding them still. The Supply Pack is essential for ammo. Avoid explosive stratagems that might kill-steal your launcher targets.
With the right mindset and a little patience, the 2,000 damage challenge transforms from a buggy headache into a showcase of the weapon’s chaotic potential. Stick to the direct-hit strategies, choose your missions wisely, and soon enough you’ll be back to spreading managed democracy with a different tool in your arsenal.
