No modern army fights without its mechanized elements. Be they highly modern tanks and APC's or the humble technical, vehicles play a crucial role in providing armies with firepower, resilience, mobility and sustainability.

This guide will touch upon the basics of the Vehicles available to the player in Terminator Dark Fate: Defiance. As with my older primer on infantry, I do not aim to go deeply into the crunchy workings of the game files and instead want to provide new players an overview - especially those without extensive knowledge about real-world tactics and vehicles which is mostly applicable in-game.

I will break down the guide by function and use:

1. Light Vehicles
2. APC's
3. Heavy Fire Support & Artillery
4. Towing
5. Tanks
6. Helicopters

I will not touch upon the Integrator vehicles here. While they can be looted, they are not intended or set up to be used by the player. If there is interest in them, I will add them to guide later.


Structure of Entries:

Name
Weapon Slots
Armour
Towing
Passengers
Supply Weight
Availability
Notes

Uprising
Availability:
Notes:

One major difference in Uprising is that units can retreat and be reinforced or rearmed:

- Move the unit into the orange zone at your side of the map
- After a few seconds in the zone, the unit is despawned and moved into your reserves
- From there, you can reinforce the unit and move them in with a free infantry slot

Lets start: What constitutes a light vehicle in this guide?

Its rather simple: Anything that doesn't fit somewhere else better and uses a light-vehicle slot.


1. HMVEE's and Technicals.

These vehicles are defined by having one slot for a light vehicle weapon or TOW and transport capacity for up to 3 passengers as well as high mobility. For most purposes, the two vehicles are interchangeable. Hummers are tougher, technicals are cheaper. But neither will survive more than token firepower - regardless of armour kit. Uprising adds the integrator technical as an in-between for these vehicles.

Name: HMVEE
Weapon Slots: One Light
Armour: Low, even with Cartel kits. Can take some smallarms attention.
Towing: Light Platforms
Passengers: 3
Supply Weight: Light
Availability: Plenty, almost all maps and shops have at least one.
Notes: Bread and butter light vehicle. They can help you out if you are still trying to catch your bearing with infantry. They are more forgiving than Technicals but don't get comfortable with them. There is a risk you end up using them as a crutch for infantry too much and end up having problems later - not because the Hummer is weak but because you didn't learn the infantry.

Uprising:
Availability: Medium, a number to find on maps, just one in store
Notes: No major changes except the fact you will run out of these if you keep losing them.

Name: Technical
Weapon Slots: One Light, Smoke Launcher option
Armour: Low, always
Towing: Light Platforms
Passengers: 3
Supply Weight: Very light
Availability: Plenty, you get a chunk of free ones for a few missions and almost always have some available in shops.
Notes: See Hummer. The smoke launchers give them a little more versatility as a support platform.

Something more: Don't sleep on the ATGM-option. If you are struggling with Legion armour, these are a great way of getting some additional firepower into the field.

Uprising:
Availability: High, multiple to find on maps, multiple copies in stores
Notes: Good, cheap and replaceable fire support and mobility. The more aggressive enemy punishes their fragility but the firepower can be worth it.

Name: Integrator Technical
Weapon Slots: 1 Automated
Armour: Low, comparable to technical with steel armour
Towing: Light Trailers
Passengers: 3
Supply Weight: Medium
Availability: Medium, 2 can be gained from events, some on maps, two in store
Notes: Less crew risk than regular technicals at a slightly higher price. Use whichever you prefer, they don’t make that much of a practical difference. Unless you want to fight vehicles, then the normal technical is flat-out better as it can bring ATGM’s and recoilless.



2. Trucks and passenger HEMTT:

Unarmed and by default light-skinned. These vehicles mostly shine for infantry mobility and resupply. Use them for "stealth" segments or to rearm infantry on longer egagements.

Name: Truck
Weapon Slots: None
Armour: None or light
Towing: Light Platforms
Passengers: 14
Supply Weight: Light
Availability: High, you get a chunk of them for free and a lot can be salvaged early. Rather rare in the later game.
Notes: With Cartel armour, units can fire smallarms out of the truck. It is not armoured enough to serve as a bunker against anything more dangerous than militia though, so the use case is minimal. Does help against suicide drones at least.

Uprising:
Availability: Medium, a number to find on maps, multiple in stores
Notes: They can now retreat, rearm and return with new ammo. And still use one of the most abundant slots. They are good.

Name: Passenger HEMTT
Weapon Slots: None
Armour: None
Towing: Light and heavy Platforms
Passengers: 24
Supply Weight: Medium
Availability: Very low. Two are available on the Oklahoma-map. One of the rarest vehicles.
Notes: Can tow a heavy platform and has a lot of ammunition. Therefore, this can be quite useful for Fort Worth or Mt Taylor.

Uprising:
Availability: Medium, a number to find on maps, just one in store
Notes: See above with the Trucks. Uprisings reinforcement system benefits these a lot.

Armoured Personell Carriers

Combat Taxi, metal box, undergunned piece of scrap, whatever - these vehicles have some armour, can carry at least a full squad of infantry and a weapons team. They are usually either the core of your infantry force or you don't use them at all. Both is fine.

In Uprising, these also come with an extra advantage: They can resupply or evacuate squads, leave the map and return both resupplied and with a refreshed infantry unit. Most maps in Uprising only start you off with light vehicles and APC's. You also get a lot of armoured vehicle slots per mission. That means you will likely end up using vehicles from this section A LOT.

Name: Van
Weapon Slots: 1 Light - requires upgrade
Armour: Very Low
Towing: Light Platforms
Passengers: 10
Supply Weight: Low
Availability: Plenty, you get some for free and every movement shop has one or two
Notes: Basically a transport-technical. Uses a light vehicle slot too. This is your budget APC-option since its common, cheap, easy to replace and in a far less crowded slot. It is a viable play to just replace your technicals with these to gain extra versatility.

Uprising
Availability: Plenty, multiple at start and on maps, multiple in the shop
Notes: Speed is a lot more important in Uprisings battles! Vans can get strong units into position fast, especially with vehicle upgrades.

Name: M113
Weapon Slots: 1 Light
Armour: Low
Towing: No
Passengers: 11
Supply Weight: Medium
Availability: Common. Can be found or bought on many missions amd shops.
Notes: Just like in reality - if this thing takes direct fire, things are going wrong. Small arms pose a threat to the metal box, don't get fooled into thinking its a mobile bunker. It just keeps your infantry alive and provides support fire.

Uprising
Availability: Average, multiple on maps and easy to unlock
Notes: M113's can mount both recoilless and ATGM's with extra ammunition - turning them from a mediocre unit in the campaign to an almost invaluable component of your army in Uprising. At least in the early game where resilient AT is not easy to find. And in the late-game for the initial stages of battles. Simply a solid backbone and fire support unit.

Name: Stryker
Weapon Slots: 1 Light - automated
Armour: Medium to low
Towing: No
Passengers: 10
Supply Weight: Medium
Availability: Common. You can receive or salvage one or more on many missions, shows up in shops
Notes: FRONT armour is pretty solid. Side armour is weak. With the right armour kit, these can risk taking some light fire if positioned well. Do keep in mind that they cannot have recoilless or ATGM weaponry. They come with smoke launchers pre-equipped too.

Uprising
Availability: Average, starting with 1, relatively easy to loot or unlock
Notes: Strikers lack in firepower compared to M113's or trailers but provide more independent maneuverability, are tougher for their cost and can bring good (if no AT) support fire. Grenade launchers turn out to be a good niche for them in Uprising - they can fire over obstacles to support your firing line.

Name: Passenger Trailer
Weapon Slots: None base, up to one light and one medium
Armour: None to heavy
Towing: Requires dedicated towing vehicle
Passengers: 24
Supply Weight: Medium
Availability: Uncommon. You get a few in early missions but no more after that.
Notes: Without an armour upgrade, this is flimsy as heck. Give it steel or cage armour and it is as close to a mobile bunker as you can get. Infantry can use smallarms to shoot out of it too. Armament options are pretty solid, also come with an increased ammo capacity for them.
This is essentially an APC on steroids. It costs more than the other options, requires a towing vehicle and repays it with a lot of firepower and ammo capacity. Usually either hated or loved. Ironically, one of the best AA-options available.

UPRISING CAME WITH A PATCH THAT LETS PASSENGERS RECEIVE XP!

Uprising
Availability: Average, easy to unlock, common to loot from Marauders
Notes: All of the above applies. They also have some extra utility since you cannot rely on Bradleys nearly as much.

Name: Integrators Passenger Trailer
Weapon Slots: 1 Medium, 1 light automated
Armour: Medium, in-between basic and steel passenger trailer
Towing: Requires dedicated towing vehicle
Passengers: 18
Supply Weight: High

Availability: Medium, some to loot, can be bought
Notes: Automated weapon slots, comes with medium weapons built in - lets be serious: The Movement Trailer is better once you kit it out.

Big Guns never tire. The god of war. A lot of words have been used to describe the impact heavy firepower has on the battlefield. It is no difference in this game.

If it sits in the artillery slot or only acts in a pure support-role, it belongs here. So, yeah, this includes the platforms. Uprising brings the Integrators Heavy Technical including the artillery variant.

The towing vehicles have their own category.


Name: Light Platform
Weapon Slots: 1 Medium, optional light howitzer, smoke launcher option
Armour: Low
Towing: Requires Towing
Passengers: None
Supply Weight: Low
Availability: Plentiful, some free ones, in every Movement-Shop
Notes: These can be used to haul reasonable firepower around. Their main niche is the light howitzer which provides artillery firepower in the light vehicle slot. Personally, not a huge fan. Very niche use and requires more crews. Good place for damaged units to retire to though.

Uprising
Availability: Average, unlocked from the start, needs to unlock howitzer
Notes: Uprising locks heavy firepower somewhat more harshly than the campaign. Therefore, even the non-howitzer versions of the light platform fill a niche as they can harden your positions with a bit larger weapons. Smoke also never goes amiss.

Name: Heavy Platform
Weapon Slots: 1 heavy, optional 1 light, optional heavy howitzer
Armour: Medium to high
Towing: Requires Towing
Passengers: None
Supply Weight: Medium
Availability: Common. Get some for free in Santa Fe, can be salvaged in Vega. Apart from that, available in many shops. Artillery upgrade is less common.
Notes: With a heavy cannon, these are "Abrams at home". They have the same firepower, decent protection but none of the mobility. They can harden any defensive position but offensive use can be very tricky.
With the 155mm howitzer, these are a defining unit. Artillery wins wars. Using them right can turn massively lopsided enemy positions into cakewalks. The game gives you this option. You are meant to use it. So, use it. Also a good place to level up fresh units with.

Uprising
Availability: Average, unlocked from the start with multiple lootables
Notes: You will need the firepower on higher difficulties. "Abrams at home" is still more 120mm guns than you will get until later in the game - or at the cost of giving Legion its tanks early-on. You need to unlock the howitzers first but once you do, they are just as valuable as in the campaign.

Name: M109 Paladin
Weapon Slots: 1 light, 155mm Howitzer
Armour: Medium
Towing: No
Passengers: None
Supply Weight: High
Availability: Rare, none are available until Oklahoma and only a few from there on
Notes: The 155mm platform but able to drive by itself, requiring one less crew to move and operate but does need a tank crew. Everything I said about 155mm before applies here too.

Uprising
Availability: Low, unlock late unless lucky, few lootable
Notes: Their independent mobility helps a lot in rearming them - retreat before you get a new artillery slot and rearm them. Nothing much more to add.

Name: Mortar Humvee
Weapon Slots: 1 mortar
Armour: Low
Towing: Light Platforms
Passengers: None
Supply Weight: Low
Availability: Very Rare, only one can be found, the rest (up to 6 more) have to be salvaged randomly from enemies
Notes: Performs worse as artillery than any other artillery piece. In enemy hands, these are the "artillery can hurt you"-tutorial of the game. In your hands, its highly mobile if understrength fire support. You will generally only have one or two of them for the entire campaign, so more of a novelty unit.

Uprising
Availability: Low, unlocks late, few to loot
Notes: You can buy them after beating the Cartel into submission! They can still tow light platforms and, despite being weak, they bring indirect fire cheaply in a plentiful slot.

Name: Cartel Tank
Weapon Slots: 1 HMG, 1 90mm Cannon
Armour: Medium
Towing: No
Passengers: No
Supply Weight: Medium
Availability: Uncommon, some can be found against the Cartel, some more scavenged from the enemy
Notes: Its called "tank" but it really isn't. Its in the combat vehicle slot, which is is not one you have plently of. That slot only has two other vehicles in it, both of which have more utility than the Cartel Tank. Where it shines is fighting human enemies with its AP-shells. They have a high chance of decrewing vehicles for salvage-purposes. Apart from that, their main issue is that they aren't set up to fight heavy enemy armour - making them not a great choice for jobs like countering Legion tanks. Great for the mid-game, not great for late and end game!

Uprising
Availability: Medium, lots to loot from fights with the cartel, late to unlock
Notes: More of a niche here, marauders are a more common enemy as is lighter enemy armour in general. Their slot is also not nearly as crowded.

Name: Railgun Sherman
Weapon Slots: 1 Railgun
Armour: Medium
Towing: No
Passengers: No
Supply Weight: High
Availability: One (1)
Notes: One-shots everything. If it hits, its dead. 12 shots. If you keep it in Vega, its the best fire support against Legions tanks. If not, you can still steal it back for the final mission.

Uprising
Availability: None I recall, potentially one lootable
Notes: Nothing to add.

Name: HIMARS Rocket Launcher
Weapon Slots: Missiles
Armour: No
Towing: No
Passengers: No
Supply Weight: High
Availability: Uncommon, 2 can be found in Oklahoma, few in the shops afterwards
Notes: 1200 supply per missile. These EAT supply if you fire them. However, they are rarely needed and complete overkill against most enemy positions. They are a very effective crutch for some later enemy defences, so if you are not sure about your army, keep at least one. If you want to be safe, keep both. You will know where to direct them most likely.

Uprising
Availability: Low, unlock only after a while
Notes: Shoot, scoot off the map, shoot again. Devastating but they will eat through your supplies if you use them. Litterally just eat through them.

Name: Integrator Heavy Technical
Weapon Slots: 1 twin-medium, optional 1 rocket
Armour: Low, slightly better than a technical with steel armour
Towing: Light and Heavy Trailers
Passengers: None
Supply Weight: Medium
Availability: Medium, 2 can be gained from events
Notes: Heavy anti-infantry firepower in a fragile vehicle, the rocket slots are the same as for spiders. They can shore up your AA capacity and provide more ATGM’s. The combat vehicle slot is not as limited or reserved for bradleys here, so these have a clear niche. They can also bring in your artillery and then guard it well - good units overall.

Name: Integrator Artillery
Weapon Slots: 1 plasma artillery
Armour: Low
Towing: None
Passengers: None
Supply Weight: High
Availability: Low, some on maps, can be bought after controlling the Integrator Sectors
Notes: Legions artillery at your fingertips. Self-propelled guns are useful but generally speaking, the 155mm is superior. Such, worst in slot - but still more sustainable than a HIMARS.

Name: Integrator Heavy Platform
Weapon Slots: One heavy slot - basic weapon twin plasma
Armour: High-ish
Towing: Requires dedicated towing vehicle
Passengers: None
Supply Weight: High

Availability: Low, some on maps, can be bought after controlling the Integrator Sectors
Notes: Skips some of the kitting out of movement platforms, cannot have an additional light slot and ends up much weaker in the end. Use if you need the firepower and can't get it elsewhere. Otherwise, platforms are better.

Collects the units that primarily tow other vehicles as well as the supply and fuel trailers. Integrator vehicles added here from Uprising are mentioned but aren't defining.

Name: Main Truck
Weapon Slots: None, Optional 1 Light
Armour: None to low-ish
Towing: All
Passengers: 5
Supply Weight: Medium
Availability: Common, several free ones early, common in Movement-shops
Notes: The comprimise between cost, towing speed and protection. They can tow your supply or heavy platforms, defend themselves reasonably and, with an armour kit, even take some mild fire. 5 Passenger slots and some reasonable ammunition supply also allows them to help with moving infantry around in a pinch.

Uprising
Availability: Average, no starting units, starts unlocked
Notes: Express movement of platforms and trailers. They are also your best way of looting abandoned trailers without wasting your lifetime.

Name: Dozer
Weapon Slots: None, Optional 1 Light
Armour: Low to very heavy
Towing: All
Passengers: None
Supply Weight: High
Availability: Free ones on almost every map until Oklahoma. Common in shops.
Notes: They are slow, costly and undergunned. Why use them? See that massive shield? Yes, thats modelled. It has ridiculous armour and blocks most fire coming from the front. Also, with armour kits, the dozer ends up with protection closest to an Abrams. If you need to use platforms or trailers in direct combat or just want something to soak some ATGM's or other weapon fire, Dozers are great.

Uprising
Availability: Average, one starter, starts unlocked, commonly salvaged
Notes: Supply is less of a concern in uprising - and tanks are much rarer and more fragile. Dozers leading the charge is not a bad plan at all - just be aware that their armour kits aren't unlocked immediately.

Name: HEMTT, Fuel and Supply
Weapon Slots: None
Armour: None
Towing: Light and Heavy Platforms
Passengers: None
Supply Weight: High
Availability: Rare. You can find a free fuel one in Abiquiu and then a couple more starting from Vega. Barely in shops too.
Notes: These are, essentially,supply/fuel trailers that can drive themself and tow a big gun at a reasonable speed. Their main downside is that they cost as much in upkeep as a traktor alongside a trailer while being far less survivable. They do, however, allow for more supply-efficient deployment of heavy artillery and require only one crew to provide their supply.

Uprising
Availability: Uncommon, some salvageable, unlocked somewhat early
Notes: No real changes from the campaign. Less vital since units can retreat and rearm but they can make the difference between holding and having to fall back from a position.

Name: Supply and Fuel Trailer
Weapon Slots: None, optional 1 light
Armour: None
Towing: Dozer and Traktor
Passengers: None
Supply Weight: Medium
Availability: Very common. You find a lot of them in the first few missions and Vega and they are very common in Movement-shops.
Notes: Lots of fuel or supply. Require another vehicle to actually move and losing a traktor means they have to be left behind. Relatively survivable if armed - they can deal with suicide drones and the odd wolfpack themselves. Crazy people may even slap a TOW on them and let their supply get into the action from far away!

Uprising
Availability: Average, unlocked reasonably early
Notes: Read the HEMTT entry and remember these need a towing vehicle. Still, weapons to guard flanks and rear are good to have!

Name: Integrator Dozer
Weapon Slots: 1 light vehicle
Armour: Medium, dozer shield, large hit-box
Towing: None
Passengers: None
Supply Weight: High
Availability: Lowest, some on maps, cannot be bought!
Notes: Just… get a regular dozer. This has no advantage over it. Or any other relevant use...

Name: Integrator Tractor
Weapon Slots: None
Armour: Low
Towing: All
Passengers: None
Supply Weight: Medium
Availability: Low, some on maps, can be bought after controlling the Integrator Sectors
Notes: Smaller profile than a main tractor. That's all the advantages. Just get the Movement one with an actual gun and armour. Though, much faster in rough terrain - so they are great loot-haulers!

Tanks. These vehicles can take a hit and destroy most units in the game with little assisstance. They are still not invulnerable though and should be supported by infantry. They all require tank crews or veteran technicians to work.

Name: M1 Abrams
Weapon Slots: 1 heavy, 1 light
Armour: Very Heavy
Towing: None
Passengers: None
Supply Weight: Yes
Availability: Rare. Until Oklahoma, only one (1) is available. Reasonably common afterwards as they can show up in the Vehicle-request from the Founders.
Notes: This beast is the most defining vehicle in the game. Reasonably fast, highly durable and with enough firepower to destroy everything in the game. Fighting a Legion Tank frontally is still not advised but this is the only vehicle that can do so and hope to survive. Most weapon upgrades are sidegrades and the safest option is always to stick with the 120mm. Do try out what you like though.

The campaign until Oklahoma is wildly different depending on whether you have this vehicle.

Uprising
Availability: Average, can be unlocked early
Notes: Still the good old american army knife. Unlocking them in shops also unlocks tanks for Legion prematurely. So be careful - Legion will be able to outscale your tank force if you get them too early. You can get some railgun and APS from the Integrators but armour kits tend to come in only late in the game.

Name: M2 Bradley
Weapon Slots: 1 Medium, optional TOW
Armour: Heavy
Towing: None
Passengers: 7
Supply Weight: Very High
Availability: Uncommon. One can be salvaged or bought during/after most missions until Oklahoma from which point on they are as available as the Abrams.
Notes: If you compare them to the Abrams, all numbers apart from the passenger capacity is smaller. They are, however, large enough to let the Bradley do most of the things an Abrams can. Especially with the right armour kit, they can survive most things in the game and with a TOW, kill most things too.

If you are a newer player, the Bradley is your best friend. Its one of the most versatile vehicles that allows you to make mistakes and can be replaced reasonably easily too.

Uprising
Availability: Average, one starting, lootable from Marauders
Notes: Not as relevant as it is in the campaign. Armour kits and TOW come in much, much later and there are more enemy threats overall. Still a powerful unit but it has some real competition in its slot now!

Name: Integrator Tank
Weapon Slots: 1 heavy plasma cannon, 1 light vehicle
Armour: High, comprarable to heavy platform
Towing: None
Passengers: None
Supply Weight: Very High

Availability: Low, some on maps, can be bought after controlling the Integrator Sectors
Notes: Basically a self-propelled heavy platform with a heavy plasma cannon. It is not equal to your abrams but it is a way to fill that slot with a chunk of firepower. Nothing to scoff at, nothing to write home about either. The elevation on the hatch allows it to fire over some cover, use that to your advantage.

Only two of these in the game. Both enable specific units to rope down onto buildings. Both are quite vulnerable against anything that looks at them funny and cannot be repaired in-mission. Both are quite supply-intensive. Both require pilot training - thus veteran squads as crew.

You can pull off a lot of crazy stuff with the Helis. Or lose them very quickly. They are, sadly, very realistic in that sense. Vision-mechanics make then rather useless as recon units too - they tend to find things because of the muzzle flashes.

Name: Huey
Weapon Slots: Rocket Pods, MG's
Armour: None
Towing: None
Passengers: 8
Supply Weight: High
Availability: Rare. Can be bought in some Movement Shops from New Tortuga onwards.
Notes: Lightly armed but fast. Very useful for relocating infantry quickly and somewhat on a budget. They can kill infantry efficiently, just don't let them try to fight APC's.

Uprising
Availability: Low, usually unlocked from a Movement sector once you reach them.
Notes: Sadly miss out on upgradeable rockets. Apart from that, some as campaign.

Name: Blackhawk
Weapon Slots: ATGM, MG, Flares
Armour: Medium
Towing: None
Passengers: 14
Supply Weight: Very High
Availability: 1 from Ranger Command
Notes: They get their pilots for free! The more useful of the two. They can hunt down vehicles and move multiple squads at once. Flares also mean they don't just immediately die if a missile is fired at them. You only get one, so be careful with it.

Only comes in after Oklahoma, meaning, very limited use cases. But its a very effective emergency option.

Uprising
Availability: Low, unlocked from Midland
Notes: They have modular missiles now! So you start with hydras instead of ATGM's but can grab the guided missiles or SAM's. Really benefit from being able to pull back as well - you can repair them once they left the map! The big winner of Uprising in my book.

Name: MD500
Weapon Slots: None, optional 1 heli-missile
Armour: Paper, literally will get shot down by snipers
Towing: None
Passengers: None
Supply Weight: Medium
Availability: Medium, some on maps, can be unlocked reasonably early.
Notes: Literally paper-thin. These can come in as mobile missile carriers but they absolutely need to keep their distance. While other choppers can survive the odd shot - these absolutely cannot. Most useful with ATGM’s or AAM’s, avoid the hydra ones due to the strafing-movement.