Default keybinds for the Bastion on PC; they can be edited in the Keybind settings.
Driver Controls:
W A S D can be used to move the tank.
The tank can turn without moving forward.
F to honk the horn.
Left CTRL to shift down and Left SHIFT to shift up gears
The Bastion uses a R-N-D-1-2 gear selector layout.
SPACE to activate the handbrake
Gunner Controls:
Press C - switch seats between the Gunner, the Left Passenger, and Right Passenger positions (in that order).
Press M1 - fires the main cannon.
Press R - reloads the main cannon. This process takes 5 seconds, and will be interrupted if the Gunner vacates the position.
Hold M2 - fires the Heavy Machine Gun.
The TD-220 Bastion MK XVI is a Tank Destroyer (TD) that is crewed by two Helldivers (a Driver, and Gunner) and can hold two Passengers:
Driver - front-right side of the tank (facing frontally).
Gunner - accessed in the rear.
Controls the main armament(s) - the 120mm Main Cannon, and a coaxial Heavy Machine Gun.
Can switch between this seat, and the two Passenger positions.
Passenger(s) - accessed on each side of the tank (casemate roof).
Can switch between these seats, and the Main Gunner position.
Able to use personal equipment, such as primaries, secondaries, support weapons, and stratagems. Also able to stim, and use throwables. Cannot aim down sights.
Can hunker inside the the TD for safety, in case of enemy fire.
Voice communication recommended as it aids in effectively operating it.
* Parts with their HP listed as "Main" do not have their own individual health. All damage dealt to these parts is transferred to the enemy's Main health pool.
** Refer to armor values and enemy durability as defined in Damage.
*** The percentage of damage that is applied to the enemy's Main health pool. At 0 HP, the enemy dies. Unless the enemy has constitution, then it will bleedout and die.
**** ExDR means explosive damage resistance, this is a percentage between 0 and 100. If this value is 100%, the part is explosive immune, meaning explosives cannot damage it.
Explosions will only directly damage Main health if it is internal.
Tactical Information
The main weapon of the Bastion is the 120mm main gun, boasting Anti-Tank IV armor penetration and immense damage.
The main gun can kill every enemy in-game in a single shot barring Leviathans, and Hive Lords when aimed at a weak point.
The 120mm main gun also has respectable explosion damage and radius, allowing it to effectively deal with groups of medium enemies. This is most relevant when facing enemy patrols of Automatons and Terminids, where slow kills can often mean reinforcements being called in.
The Bastion is loaded with 31 cannon shells and 2,000 rounds for the coaxial HMG, which is identical to its handheld version in terms of fire rate, penetration, and damage while possessing little recoil.
The Main Cannon and HMG have a restrictive lateral aiming arc of approximately 40° (20° to the left and right of resting position), requiring the driver to position the Bastion towards target for the Gunner to fire at. Its front lights can be used to indicate the weapon's possible firing arc.
The passenger positions can cover the Bastion's side and rear arcs; passengers should therefore focus fire on units to the Bastion's flanks.
The Bastion can also easily crush chaff units, even when turning, which is useful when surrounded.
The Bastion is capable of destroying Dropships and Warp Ships in one shot to the fuselage. It is also one of two stratagems that can both hit and punch through the Tank IV armor of the Overship, only requiring a singular shot to the port weakpoint.
The Bastion performs better in non-colony maps biomes due to more open terrain and less obstacles for the driver, and performs exceptionally well on biomes like Desert Dunes due to the open sightlines.
Like with infantry combat, the Bastion fights differently based on which faction it is facing.
On the Automaton front, the Bastion faces a large amount of threats that can damage the Bastion. It is therefore critically important to not engage in a war of attrition with the Automatons and use the Bastion as an expendable force multiplier to complete difficult objectives. Multiple strategies may be employed to this end.
As the Bastion has a 5 second reload on its main cannon, the driver should hide the tank behind cover during reloads to minimize inbound damage.
Avoid positioning the Bastion right in front of large walls; not only does this hinder possible escape routes, explosives which detonate on the wall behind the vehicle will damage it.
Should the vehicle face overwhelming firepower, the vehicle can either retreat by driving backwards, enabling the gunner to bring their firepower upon the enemy force while retreating, or by u-turning and driving forward, which forces the gunner to switch to a passenger seat to return a lower quantity of fire, but enables a quicker retreat. The Bastion's armor is the same on all sides of the tank.
When bots are attacking from multiple directions, find cover to engage one group of enemies at a time to minimize damage taken.
Though less important than on the Terminid front, smaller bots may swarm the Bastion at close range, so it is recommended to stay next to supporting infantry instead of outrunning them into hazardous areas.
While the cannon and machine gun have limited ammo, they can fire at their maximum rates of fire for 2 and half minutes and over 3 minutes, respectively. Gunners should not worry about conserving ammunition lest the Bastion be destroyed before they can make use of it.
The Bastion's heavy machine gun can be used to finish off War Striders, Factory Striders and Hulks if there are more pressing enemies for the Cannon to shoot.
Even when out of ammunition, the Bastion can provide valuable cover for teammates in the open, even after destruction. Should the Bastion run out of ammo, the driver can still be of service to the team as an armored personnel carrier.
Due to the Bastion's incredibly long cooldown, it is recommended to call in the Bastion in situations where overwhelming firepower is needed, rather than calling it in early and having the Bastion's health be chipped down in otherwise trivial situations.
Though the main cannon can destroy a Factory Strider in one shot to the head or foot, the inability to zoom in for the gunner and the Factory Strider's high potential for retaliation (dealing over 50% of the Bastion's health in one salvo) means gunners not confident in their aim should destroy the cannon turret before attempting a kill shot.
On the Terminid front, there are very few enemies with ranged attacks that can threaten the Bastion, increasing the survivability of the Bastion significantly compared to the Automaton front. Consequently gunners can position more aggressively as they can outrun or trample most threats should they be surrounded.
Bile Spewers in particular possess an indirect-fire attack which can deal heavy damage to the Bastion from far away. As they are easily destroyed with the Bastion's armaments, they should be the gunner's top priority most of the time.
The Bastion's trampling capabilities should not be underestimated - it can even ram a charger out of its way successfully. This can be useful in situations where ammo should be conserved.
The Heavy Machine Gun of the Bastion can be used to finish off Bile Titans and Charger variants as a last resort.
The Bastion's trench crossing capabilities are also poor due to the low leading edge of the track. Gaps in the terrain can easily result in the Bastion getting stuck and should be avoided.
The Bastion will draw fire from enemies when there are no Helldivers nearby. It is advised to keep an eye on the vehicle at all times, lest a patrol destroy it.
Helldivers in the passanger seats are not targeted by enemy fire. Do not be afraid to peek out the hatch.
The Bastion will produce sparks when near destruction and begin burning for up to 7 seconds when its destruction is inevitable, signaling a bail-out. Unlike Automaton Tanks, the Bastion's explosion is fatal, and will kill any Helldivers within a decent range.
The Bastion is immune to all fire attacks except fire on the ground.
Using the LIFT-182 Warp Pack does NOT allow for a safe disembarking while in motion, as even warping to the sides of the vehicle can instantly kill the user.
The Tesla Tower does not target the Bastion, except when enemies are in its attack range, or when a passanger peeps out of the hatch.
Status affects like fire and gas will not hurt Helldivers inside of the tank.
Applicable Ship Modules
This Ship Module affects the TD-220 Bastion Mk XVI :
Contrary to some posts online, the Stim Pistol cannot heal the tank.
The Bastion appears to be roughly based off a mixture of a few real-life vehicles, those being the modern Swedish CV90120, a prototype light tank/ tank destroyer built as a technology demonstrator and for potential export, as the British FV3805, a prototype SPG from the Cold War that never entered service, and the Swedish Strv-103.
The Bastion also appears to resemble the Shadowsword super-heavy tank destroyer from the Warhammer 40K universe.
Despite the main cannon being described as 120mm, its impact damage is the same as an Orbital 380mm HE Barrage shell, with the same explosive damage as its shell's namesake, seen on the Orbital 120mm HE Barrage.
Removed a hatch close to the Bastion Tank gunner door that could mistakenly feed mission-critical material into the ammunition compartment of the tank.
