TThe Commando is a heavily armored infantry unit employed by the Helghast Empire, appearing as an enemy type in Killzone 2 and Killzone: Mercenary.
Description
Commandos are elite close-quarters assault troops designed for breaching and shock engagements. They are capable of forcing entry through doors and even breaking through certain walls, making them particularly dangerous in confined environments.
Compared to the Shock Trooper, Commandos are more heavily armored and physically resilient, though somewhat slower in movement. Despite this, they employ similar tactics—rapidly advancing toward enemies to engage at close range.
Their primary weapon is the LS13 Shotgun, a powerful close-range firearm capable of killing a target with a single shot at short distance. Due to its limited range and slow reload speed, Commandos typically attempt to close distance quickly.
Tactics
Commandos are designed to engage targets at close range, where their weaponry is most effective. Because the LS13 Shotgun has poor long-range performance, Commandos will consistently advance toward enemies rather than engage from a distance.
As a result, Commandos rely on aggression and proximity to maintain combat effectiveness. They often attempt to reach point-blank range before needing to reload, maximizing the lethality of each shot.
Strategy
The most effective method of engaging a Commando is to maintain distance and exploit the limitations of the LS13 Shotgun. At ranges beyond approximately 7 meters, the weapon’s effectiveness is significantly reduced.
Recommended strategies include:
- Maintain distance: Use weapons effective at medium to long range while retreating to keep space between the player and the Commando.
- Stay mobile: Constant movement can cause the Commando to miss, as they tend to commit to direct, forward-facing attacks.
- Exploit reload windows: After firing, the Commando is vulnerable due to the shotgun’s slow reload speed. This provides an opportunity to attack or reposition.
- Use burst fire: Sustained, accurate fire while backpedaling allows players to deal consistent damage while remaining outside effective shotgun range.
If forced into close-quarters combat, evasion becomes critical. Moving quickly to the side at the moment of attack can cause the Commando to miss, creating a brief opening to counterattack before they can reload.
| Killzone 2 Enemies | |
|---|---|
| Basic Soldiers | Assault Infantry · Advanced Assault Infantry · LMG Trooper · Miner · Mounted Gunner · Pyro Trooper |
| Close Quarters Soldiers | Shock Trooper · Advanced Shock Trooper · Elite Shock Trooper · Commando |
| Long Range Soldiers | Rifleman · Sniper |
| Explosive Specialists | Grenadier · Support Trooper |
| Bosses | Arc Trooper · Heavy Trooper · ATAC · Mael Radec |
| Vehicles | Helghast APC · Helghast Jet Fighter · HGH Tank · Leech Pod · Sentry Bot |
| Creatures | Cadaver Beetle · Helghan Spider |
| Killzone 3 Enemies | |
|---|---|
| Basic Soldiers | Assault Infantry · Advanced Assault Infantry · LMG Trooper · Mounted Gunner |
| Close Quarters Soldiers | Pyro Trooper · Shock Trooper · Elite Shock Trooper · Commando · HAZMAT Trooper · Capture Trooper |
| Long Range Soldiers | Rifleman · Sniper |
| Specialists | Support Trooper · Jetpack Trooper |
| Bosses | Heavy Trooper · ATAC · MAWLR |
| Vehicles | Helghast APC · Arc APC · HGH Tank · Ice Saw · Overlord Dropship · Sentry Bot · Spider Mine · Strike Fighter · Trooper Carrier |
| Creatures | Cadaver Beetle · Helghan Spider · Scorpion Plant · Stinger Plant |