Recent updates
April 2, 2024: We updated our meta loadouts for bots and bugs with the newly released LAS-99 Quasar Cannon in mind.
Working out the best Helldivers 2 loadout for your galactic warrior is a bit of a puzzle at first, as you gradually unlock new weapons and armour you can try. The sheer variety in terms of Stratagems alone makes it tough to know what to bring, especially when you only have four slots to work with when you head out for a mission.
If you're looking for some easy builds you can put into practice, I've unlocked all the Stratagems, and have a pretty good handle on what's decent and worth bringing to a fight. Hopefully, our best Helldivers 2 builds will give you some ideas you can implement if you're looking to be pointed in the right direction.
All Rounder
- Primary: AR-23 Liberator
- Secondary: P-2 Peacemaker
- Grenade: G-12 High Explosive
- Armour Perk: Med Kit (stim inventory and second stim duration +2)
- Stratagems: Orbital 120MM HE Barrage, Eagle Strafing Run, Machine Gun, Supply Pack
If you don't have a particular enemy in mind when devising a loadout, then you're a lot like me. Sometimes I want to set one loadout and then stop thinking about it, and for that, I always fall back on the default Liberator assault rifle. Pick off bugs from a distance in ADS, stall a charging Stalker at full-auto, or hipfire in a desperate escape—the Liberator can do it all well.
When I don't want to think particularly hard about Stratagems, I default to becoming the ammo mule. The Supply Pack is my single favorite item in Helldivers 2 because it's always useful. Not only can you resupply your entire loadout at the press of a button, but you can also be a hero to your squadmates when they're running dry. The Supply Pack pairs especially well with one of the best, ammo-hungry support weapons in the game (the standard machine gun) and the Med Kit armor perk that can keep your stims topped off at all times. Big damage and high survivability are a winning combo in any scenario.
Pathfinder
- Primary: R-63 Diligence
- Secondary: P-19 Redeemer
- Grenade: G-16 Impact
- Armour Perk: Scout (Markers placed on the map generate radar scans every two seconds. Reduces range at which enemies can detect you by 30%)
- Stratagems: Jump Pack, Anti-Material Rifle, Gatling Sentry, Eagle Cluster Bomb
Sussing out where the secondary objectives are in Helldivers 2 can be difficult, so sometimes it's worth bringing someone as a scout who can explore and stray from the team a bit but still extricate themselves in a bad situation. Light armour, the Scout perk, and a Jump Pack will help you move fast, detect objectives on the map, and literally boost away from any situation where you might get swarmed.
The R-63 Diligence and the Anti-Material Rifle will help you pick off targets at a distance, while the P-19 Redeemer can be that emergency pull if you do get swarmed and don't have the Jump Pack charged. The Gatling Sentry is also perfect for baiting away enemies, while the Eagle Cluster Bomb is easy to chuck down behind you as you're retreating to waylay any swarms that might be hot in pursuit. If you don't feel you need this then you could bring an Orbital Precision Strike, use the sentry to bait in a tough armoured target, then call down the strike on top of the turret to deal with them.
Nest Buster
- Primary: AR-23P Liberator Penetrator
- Secondary: P-19 Redeemer
- Grenade: G-12 High Explosive
- Armour Perk: Engineering Kit (reduces recoil when crouching or prone by 30% and gives two extra grenades)
- Stratagems: Grenade Launcher, Supply Pack, Orbital Precision Strike, Eagle Cluster Bomb
If you're doing blitz missions or want to quickly take out bug nests and secondary objectives so you can get onto the main stuff, this is the build I recommend. The AR-23P Liberator Penetrator is my favourite assault rifle due to its medium armour penetration, and the P-19 Redeemer is great for when you're backed into a corner. The most important parts of this build, however, are the Grenade Launcher and the Supply Pack.
Grenade Launchers can close bug holes from range with well placed shots, and they can also destroy Spore Stacks or even Rogue Transmission towers at a distance, speeding up your mission considerably. In terms of airstrikes, Eagle Cluster Bomb is still the best for clearing large groups of enemies often, while Orbital Precision Strike is perfect for taking out single hole nests and quickly moving on without even having to go near them. If you want a flashier version of this build, consider swapping the Supply Pack for a Guard Dog to watch your back, or include the Eagle 500KG bomb for busting those big nests.
Bot Cruncher
- Primary: R-63 Diligence
- Secondary: P-2 Peacemaker
- Grenade: G-6 Frag
- Armour Perk: Extra Padding (provides extra armor rating)
- Stratagems: Eagle Airstrike, Orbital EMS Strike, Autocannon, Gatling Sentry
I haven't completed as many Automaton missions as Terminid, but it seems like precision is the way to go. The Diligence is a very powerful single-shot rifle with an adjustable scope, and it unlocks early on the free warbond. As a backup, I prefer the Peacemaker pistol for its steadier hand when going for headshots.
When calling in help, Automatons require a different approach. Airstrikes work as well as they do against bugs, but consider an EMS strike to disable bundles of armoured walkers instead. The frequency of armoured Automatons means I often rely on a support weapon, too, in this case being the Autocannon. It's best used with two people for non stop firing, but even operated alone the Autocannon tears through walkers and infantry with high accuracy and fire rate. It's like having a little tank on your shoulder.
Titan Killer
- Primary: AR-23P Liberator Penetrator
- Secondary: P-19 Redeemer
- Grenade: G-16 Impact
- Armour Perk: Fortified (Reduces recoil when crouching or prone by 30% plus 50% explosive damage resist)
- Stratagems: Orbital Laser, Orbital Railcannon Strike, Eagle Cluster Bomb, Spear
This is the build that I generally take to missions where I'm required to kill lots of armoured targets like Chargers or even multiple Bile Titans—this build requires you to be quite high level to access its Stratagems, but you can always tweak it slightly. First off, I always take the AR-23P Liberator Penetrator for its medium armour penetration, and the P-19 Redeemer is a must for quick burst damage if you get swarmed. A solid grenade pairing for this is the G-13 Impact which will instantly kill a Bile Spewer if you hurl one at it.
The Orbital Laser and Orbital Railcannon Strike are both amazing for single target damage, though if you don't have either, a well-placed Orbital Precision Strike can still kill a Charger or Bile Titan. Eagle Cluster Bomb also gives you an easy way of clearing big enemy groups with its four uses and fast cooldown. The cherry on top is the Spear. While its targeting is a bit broken at the moment, it has incredible range and homes on targets, so is perfect for a moving armoured target or one that's far away. You could also use the Recoilless Rifle if you want something with a bit more versatility, since the Spear can only target big armoured enemies.
Bug Masher
- Primary: SG-225 Breaker
- Secondary: P-19 Redeemer
- Grenade: G-12 High Explosive
- Armour Perk: Democracy Protects (50% chance to not die on lethal damage)
- Stratagems: Orbital Airburst Strike, Eagle Strafe Run, Recoilless Rifle, Anti-Personnel Minefield
This is what I bring on higher difficulty missions against bugs. The Breaker shotgun is an early standout as one of the best primary weapons in Helldivers, both for its raw DPS output and its surprising range for a videogame shotgun. It'll fire about as quickly as you can pull the trigger, and up close it'll liquify any basic bugs giving chase. Its main downside is that magazine—it's small, and you will have to reload often. With its high fire rate, the Redeemer is a natural backup when the Breaker's running dry.
For Stratagems, focus on raw explosive power. My squad likes the Orbital Airburst Strike for its large area of effect against swarms, and the Eagle Strafe Run is a personal favorite for an immediate barrage in a straight line. The Recoilless Rifle is one of the best early support weapons to quickly deal with heavy armor targets like Chargers, but is best used with a squadmate assisting with a team reload.
Pyro Specialist
- Primary: SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary
- Secondary: P-19 Redeemer
- Grenade: G-10 Incendiary
- Armour Perk: Engineering Kit (reduces recoil when crouching or prone by 30% and gives two extra grenades)
- Stratagems: Flamethrower, Eagle Napalm Airstrike, Incendiary Mines, Shield Generator Pack
Fire is really strong against bugs and so I put this build together as a fun way of fighting the big insects on jungle planets—though it'll work just about anywhere there's stuff to torch. Essentially this build is about cramming as much fire as you can onto one Helldiver. The SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary gives you a spray and pray shotgun that burns enemies, while G-10 Incendiary Grenades will let you burn specific areas, plus you'll two extra grenades from your Armour Perk.
In terms of Stratagems, the Flamethrower is an obvious pick for torching everything in sight, while the Eagle Napalm Strike and Incendiary Mines will give you even more area denial with fire. Lastly, though it's a high level unlock, I'd recommend the Shield Generator Pack, since it'll help reduce the damage you take when accidentally burning yourself. Trust me, that'll happen quite a lot.
Shock Trooper
- Primary: LAS-16 Sickle or SG-225 Breaker
- Secondary: P-19 Redeemer
- Grenade: G-16 Impact
- Armour Perk: Electrical Conduit (Provides 95% resistance to arc damage)
- Stratagems: Arc Thrower, Shield Generator Pack, Orbital Laser, Tesla Tower
The Arc Thrower has always been a topic of debate in Helldivers 2; it's a strong heavy weapon, but its tendency to zap team members makes it a slightly troublesome pick. However, the new Cutting Edge Warbond has three suits of armour available with the Electrical Conduit passive, reducing arc damage by 95%. It'll still hurt you if it hits, but provided your whole team is wearing this new armour, it won't straight up kill you anymore, letting you all run Arc Throwers and fry everything in sight.
Obviously this arc resistance is also a great opportunity to bring the Tesla Tower, and you can further mitigate all of the damage by bringing a Shield Generator Pack. For when you're not using the Arc Thrower, the new LAS-16 Sickle primary is pretty decent; it's kind of like an energy-based AR-23 Liberator with infinite ammo that you have to heat up a little bit before you start firing. Either that or just bring the SG-225 Breaker to quickly whip out and blast anything getting too close.
Meta loadout for bugs
- Primary: SG-225 Breaker or SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary
- Secondary: P-19 Redeemer
- Grenade: G-16 Impact
- Armour Perk: Democracy Protects (50% chance to not die on lethal damage)
- Stratagems: LAS-99 Quasar Cannon, Shield Generator Pack, Orbital Railcannon Strike, Eagle Cluster Bomb
The LAS-99 Quasar Cannon is now the de facto best anti-armour weapon in Helldivers 2, especially against bugs. This heavy laser gun requires a little charging before you can fire, but its high damage and infinite ammo more than make up for it—not to mention that it doesn't require a backpack slot. A headshot with this gun will kill a Charger, whereas a few shots can take down a Bile Titan.
Despite a hit to its mag size, the SG-225 Breaker is still a very strong primary weapon, as is the SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary for burning up swarms. The P-19 Redeemer also continues to be the best secondary for blasting your way out of tight spots, while the G-16 Impact will kill a Bile Spewer before it can vomit on you, while still working on bug holes.
Besides the Quasar Cannon replacing the Railgun, the only other change I would suggest is bringing the Orbital Railcannon Strike instead of the Orbital Laser. While I love the laser for its versatility at clearing up enemies and killing single targets, the Railcannon has infinite uses, making it a little more effective at coping with the sheer number of Bile Titans you face on the highest difficulties.
Meta loadout for bots
- Primary: SG-225 Breaker, SG-8S Slugger, or PLAS-1 Scorcher
- Secondary: P-19 Redeemer
- Grenade: G-16 Impact
- Armour Perk: Democracy Protects (50% chance to not die on lethal damage)
- Stratagems: Railgun or Autocannon, Shield Generator Pack, Orbital Laser, Eagle Airstrike
While it's always advisable to have at least one Quasar Cannon in your squad when facing bots—so you can destroy dropships by shooting their engines—it's by no means the best weapon for fighting most Automaton enemies. Depending on your preference, a Railgun in unsafe mode, or an Autocannon are the best for dealing with Devastators, Scout Striders, Berserkers, and Hulks. My personal preference is the Railgun since it doesn't require a backpack slot and can one-shot a Hulk if you land an overcharged shot in its red visor.
In terms of primary weapons, the SG-225 Breaker remains great in all situations, but the SG-8S Slugger and PLAS-1 Scorcher are also strong against bots, with the former granting high-precision damage, and the latter, an explosive effect that can get behind bot shields. As always, the P-19 Redeemer is the best secondary, while the G-16 Impact can be used to take out groups of bots, or even an Annihilator tank if you land them all in the right spot.
The Shield Generator Pack is a must with the Railgun, since it'll absorb some damage and stop you getting flinched while you overcharge shots, while the Eagle Airstrike is perfect when you need a little explosion to take out an Automaton fabricator or installation. The same is true for the Orbital Laser, which can melt through enemies, but can also straight up destroy medium and heavy outposts since it targets fabricators and bot structures as well.
