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The Herja is my favorite T2 submarine and Barotrauma's equivalent of a tactical brick designed specifically to ruin the day of anything swimming around it. While its lack of a medical fabricator suggests the manufacturers didn't expect the crew to survive long enough to need a bandage, its heavy armor and downward-facing guns make it a premier choice for captains who enjoy "orbital strikes" on alien nests. Operating this Tier 2 Attack submarine requires a delicate balance of aggressive positioning and the legal understanding that any "accidental" railgun fire into a friendly outpost is technically a breach of contract unless you hide the bodies.
1. High-Ground Supremacy:
Always maintain a vertical advantage over your targets because the Herja’s primary firepower is concentrated on its belly. If you find yourself underneath a Moloch, you aren’t just losing the tactical advantage, you are actively volunteering for a Darwin Award. Stay high, rain fire, and pretend you're a god of thunder until the reactor runs out of fuel.
2. The Medical Disclaimer:
The Herja lacks a Medical Fabricator, which is a subtle way for the shipyard to say your life is statistically insignificant. You must stockpile morphine and bandages at outposts like a doomsday hoarder before leaving for deep-sea missions. If a crewmate bleeds out because you forgot to buy supplies, remind them that their contract explicitly mentioned "unforeseen occupational hazards" and "lack of health insurance."
3. Bow-Rammed Defense:
The nose of the Herja is reinforced and equipped with an Electrical Discharge Coil (EDC) to compensate for its forward blind spot. If a Hammerhead is coming at you head-on, don't panic, just zap it and let the double-hulled bow take the impact. It’s essentially a "stun-and-run" tactic that keeps the lawyers happy since you can claim "self-defense" against a mindless sea beast.
4. Reactor Micromanagement:
This sub has no internal battery arrays, meaning the reactor is the only thing keeping the lights on and the oxygen flowing. Without a buffer, sudden maneuvers can cause brownouts that leave the gunners blind and the captain crying in the dark. We recommend installing a 5-component logic circuit immediately to automate the reactor, or simply blaming the engineer for "gross negligence" when the power fails.
5. Ballast Flora Protocols:
The two large ballast tanks are located at the bottom and are prime real estate for Ballast Flora to move in and start charging rent. Check them regularly with a flamer or plasma cutter to ensure you don't lose maneuverability. If the flora takes over, remember that "unauthorized subletting" is a punishable offense in most Europa jurisdictions, so burn it with extreme prejudice.
6. The Railgun or Double Coilgun Dilemma:
The Herja’s top-side defense relies on its sole large hardpoint, making it the ship's primary "legal counsel" against threats from above. While the default Railgun provides high-damage "litigation" via nuclear shells, swapping it for a Double Coilgun offers more sustainable "billable hours" through consistent DPS and better ammunition management against swarms. Regardless of your choice, ensure your gunners aren't wasting shots, as missing a target is a breach of contract that leaves the entire crew liable for a watery grave. Whether you prefer a single high-stakes verdict or a continuous stream of lead, keep that hardpoint manned to avoid an unfavorable out-of-court settlement with a Moloch.
7. Zig-Zag Navigation:
The internal layout of the Herja is a bit of a maze, featuring a "staircase" design that can confuse bots and panicked players alike. Spend your first few minutes at the dock running laps to build muscle memory for where the lockers are. Navigating this ship while it’s flooding is the closest thing to a "legally mandated obstacle course" you’ll ever experience.
8. Depth Charge Etiquette:
The Herja comes with a depth charge launcher, which is perfect for leaving "parting gifts" for anything chasing your tail. Always call out before launching to ensure your away team isn't currently swimming directly under the sub. Dropping a decoy or a nuclear depth charge on a teammate is technically "homicide," though most crews just call it "a prank."
9. Loot Management:
With a cargo capacity of only 4 crates, the Herja is an attack sub, not a delivery submarine. You’ll need to prioritize high-value materials like Physicorium over stacks of common iron during wreck salvages. If the crew complains about the lack of space, tell them that "excessive hoarding" is a fire hazard and you’re just looking out for their safety.
10. The Diving Room Bottleneck:
The airlock and diving room are located at the very bottom, making them the first place to flood during a hull breach. This can trap your repair team outside or drown your divers before they can even get their suits off. Always keep a welding tool in your hotbar because the "right to a dry workplace" is a luxury you have to fight for here.
11. Supercapacitor Surveillance:
Since you lack batteries, your guns rely entirely on the Supercapacitors to keep firing during a sustained siege. Keep an eye on the charge levels in the Gunnery Compartment to avoid the awkward silence of a clicking coilgun. A gunner without charge is just a professional observer, and you aren't paying them for their "artistic perspective" on the Abyss.
12. Blind Spot Awareness:
The rear-top area of the Herja is notoriously difficult to cover without a dedicated gunner on the top-front small hardpoint. Smart monsters will try to sit in your "blind pocket" and chew on the reactor room. If this happens, perform a hard roll or descend rapidly to force the enemy into the line of sight of your guns.
13. Oxygen Shelf Stocking:
Because the sub is prone to power fluctuations, the O2 generator can often cut out during intense combat. Ensure every diving suit locker is filled with fresh tanks and that spare masks are scattered throughout the ship. Claiming "breathing is a privilege, not a right" won't hold up in a maritime court, so keep the air flowing.
14. Fabricator Efficiency:
You have a standard Fabricator and Deconstructor, which are essential for turning scrap into ammo mid-mission. Assign a dedicated "Logistics Officer" (the least useful person) to keep the ammo crates full while the rest of the crew fights for their lives. Just make sure they don't deconstruct the ship’s vital components in a fit of "resource optimization."
15. The "Egg-Cracker" Role:
The Herja earns its nickname by hovering over nests and using its downward guns to clear out eggs and guardians safely. This "death from above" approach minimizes risk to your divers who have to go in and finish the job. Always remember that safety first, profit second, and the crew’s mental health a distant fourteenth.
16. Hull Integrity Checks:
The Herja has several large glass walls in the command and gunnery areas that look cool but offer zero protection against a charging Mudraptor. Reinforce these areas mentally by knowing they will be the first things to shatter. If the hull breaks, just tell the crew it’s an "emergency ventilation feature" to keep the legal team off your back.
17. Combat Diving Teams:
Since the Herja is an Attack sub, your diving teams should be heavily armed with Harpoon Guns and SMGs. When the sub is parked above a target, use the downward guns to provide covering fire for the divers. Leaving your divers without fire support is a breach of the "Duty of Care" clause, and more importantly, it’s a waste of good suits.18. Fire Extinguisher Placement:
The absence of a central battery bank means the reactor works overtime, leading to frequent fires if the Engineer is distracted. Place fire extinguishers in every room, especially the reactor and gunnery deck. Fire is the only thing the Europa Coalition hates more than "tax evasion," so keep it under control.
19. Upgrade Priorities:
Focus your early-game Marks on upgrading the Hull and the Engine. The Herja is already well-armed, but its mobility can feel sluggish when the ballast tanks are damaged. A fast submarine is a submarine that can outrun a lawsuit, or at least outrun the monster that caused the damage.
20. Abandon Ship Protocol:
If the Herja is sinking into the crushing depths, remember that the Captain is legally obligated to go down with the ship or be the first one to the docking hatch, depending on who is watching. Use the portable sonar units to guide the crew to the nearest station if the sub is lost. Losing the ship is a "write-off," but losing the crew involves a lot of annoying paperwork.
Herja Trivia:
The Name: "Herja" is an Old Norse word meaning "to devastate" or "to harry," fitting for a ship that specializes in aggressive nest clearing.
Design Influence: The Herja's unusual "stepped" hull design is intended to mimic the look of an armored predator, though most crew members think it just looks like a metal boot.
Missing Meds: It is one of the few Tier 2 ships without a Medical Fabricator, a design choice meant to emphasize its role as a "short-range assault" vessel rather than a long-distance explorer.
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