Helldivers 2: Best Stratagems & Loadouts Guide

Introduction

Helldivers 2 is a cooperative third-person shooter that throws you and up to three teammates into procedurally generated missions across hostile alien planets. Your primary weapon is your firearm, but the real power comes from Stratagems — orbital strikes, supply drops, turrets, backpacks, and support weapons called in from your Super Destroyer orbiting above. Choosing the right stratagems and knowing when to deploy them is the difference between a successful extraction and a squad wipe.

This guide covers every essential stratagem, the best loadouts for both Terminids (bugs) and Automatons (bots), which Warbonds to prioritize, and how to climb from Trivial all the way to Helldive difficulty. Whether you are a fresh recruit or a veteran Helldiver looking to optimize your ship loadout, this guide has you covered.

S-Tier Stratagems

These stratagems are must-picks across nearly every mission type and faction. If you are unsure what to bring, start here.

Orbital Railcannon Strike — The ultimate delete button. Call in a single, devastating railcannon shot from orbit that deals massive damage to a single target. It one-shots Bile Titans, Factory Striders, and every other heavy unit in the game. The long cooldown is its only downside, but for high-difficulty missions where a single heavy can wipe your squad, this stratagem is invaluable.

Eagle Airstrike — A carpet bomb delivered by your Eagle fighter. Covers a wide area with multiple explosions, making it exceptional for clearing patrols, bug breaches, and bot drops. The Eagle can be rearmed by calling in a fresh payload, giving you up to three uses before needing a reload. Fast call-in time and generous AoE make this a top pick for any loadout.

Shield Generator Pack — A backpack stratagem that projects a personal energy shield. It absorbs incoming fire and recharges after a short delay. On Automaton missions, this is arguably the most important item you can bring. It blocks the devastating rocket salvos from Devastators and Hulk scorchers. On Terminid missions, it gives you breathing room against hunter swarms and bile spewer acid.

Autocannon — The most versatile support weapon in the game. Fires explosive rounds that can deal with light, medium, and heavy enemies. The flak mode shreds groups of small enemies while the standard explosive round punches through armor. With a backpack-fed magazine, you can sustain fire for extended periods. Every squad should have at least one Autocannon user.

Orbital Laser — A sustained beam of destruction from your Super Destroyer that tracks enemies across the battlefield. It melts everything in its path, including heavily armored targets. Unlike the Railcannon, it can kill multiple heavies in a single call if they are grouped. The limited uses per mission (typically three) mean you need to use it wisely, but each use is a tide-turner.

Stalwart — A light machine gun with a 150-round magazine. It trades armor penetration for raw volume of fire, making it the ultimate bug-clearing weapon. On Terminid missions, the Stalworth mows down hunters, warriors, and even commanders without breaking a sweat. It can be fired while moving and reloads quickly, keeping you in the fight at all times.

Best Loadouts by Faction

Helldivers 2 has two active enemy factions, each requiring a fundamentally different approach. Terminids are melee-focused swarm enemies that overwhelm with numbers. Automatons are ranged, heavily armored bots that punish poor positioning. Here are optimized loadouts for each.

Terminid (Bug) Loadout — "The Swarm Cleaner"

• Primary: Breaker Incendiary — AoE fire damage that clears trash mobs and sets up area denial.
• Sidearm: Redeemer — Fast fire rate for emergency close-range kills.
• Support Weapon: Stalwart — Sustained fire against medium bugs. Prioritize headshots on Warriors and Hive Guards.
• Backpack: Supply Pack — Keeps your Stalwart fed and your stims topped off.
• Offensive Stratagem 1: Eagle Napalm Strike — Burns bug breaches and closes nests. The fire DoT does enormous work against swarms.
• Offensive Stratagem 2: Orbital Railcannon Strike — Emergency delete for Bile Titans and Impalers.
• Offensive Stratagem 3: A/MG-43 Machine Gun Sentry — Distraction and supplementary fire. Place it on high ground overlooking a breach.

Automaton (Bot) Loadout — "The Tank Buster"

• Primary: Diligence Counter Sniper — One-shots Troopers and Scouts at range. Picks off Devastator heads.
• Sidearm: Senator — High damage revolver that can finish crippled Hulks.
• Support Weapon: Autocannon — The bot-killer supreme. Flak for groups, AP for armor. A single magazine can down a Hulk from the rear weak point.
• Backpack: Shield Generator Pack — Mandatory. Without it, a single rocket volley from a Devastator will one-shot you.
• Offensive Stratagem 1: Eagle Airstrike — Use to break up bot drops and destroy Fabricator clusters.
• Offensive Stratagem 2: Orbital Laser — When a Factory Strider drops or you need to clear a heavily fortified base, this is your answer.
• Offensive Stratagem 3: EMS Mortar Sentry — Provides invaluable crowd control, stunning groups of bots so your squad can reposition or focus heavies.

Hybrid / Random Squad Loadout — "The Flexible Operator"

• Primary: AR-23 Liberator Penetrator — Medium armor penetration works against both factions. Jack of all trades.
• Support Weapon: Quasar Cannon — A chargeable energy weapon that one-shots Hulk vents and Bile Titan heads. No ammo needed — just a cooldown. Pairs perfectly with the Shield Generator Pack since you do not need a backpack-fed weapon.
• Backpack: Shield Generator Pack or Jump Pack — Shield for safety, Jump Pack for mobility on vertical terrain.
• Offensive Stratagem 1: Orbital Gatling Barrage — Fast call-in, short cooldown, excellent for area denial on bug breaches and bot drops.
• Offensive Stratagem 2: Eagle 500KG Bomb — Devastating single-target explosion. Use on detector towers, command bunkers, and heavy clusters.
• Offensive Stratagem 3: A/AC-8 Autocannon Sentry — High-damage point defense that chews through medium enemies from long range.

Warbond Guide

Warbonds are the battle passes of Helldivers 2. They unlock new weapons, armor, stratagems, and cosmetics. Each Warbond costs 1,000 Super Credits (earned in-game or purchased) and does not expire, so you can complete them at your own pace. Here is the optimal purchase order.

1. Helldivers Mobilize! (Free Warbond) — Every player starts with this. It contains the base weapons, stratagems, and armor sets. Prioritize unlocking the Breaker shotgun, the Defender SMG, and the Orbital Railcannon Strike. The free Warbond also contains all the basic sentries and the standard Eagle package. Max this out before spending Super Credits on premium Warbonds.

2. Steeled Veterans (Premium) — The first premium Warbond and arguably the most impactful. It unlocks the Breaker Incendiary (the best primary for bug missions), the Jar-5 Dominator (excellent against bots), and the SA-25 Executioner armor with the Engineering Kit passive (+2 grenades, recoil reduction). Also contains the AC-8 Autocannon sentry, though you already have the support weapon from base game unlocks. If you buy only one premium Warbond, make it this one.

3. Cutting Edge (Premium) — Focuses on energy weapons. The Sickle (non-ammo primary that overheats instead) and Scythe (laser rifle) are both strong. The Stun Lance melee weapon is niche but fun. The real prize here is the LAS-99 Quasar Cannon, one of the best support weapons in the game. The EX-03 Prototype armor with the Servo-Assisted passive (+30% throwing range, +50% limb health) is excellent for grenade and stratagem throws.

4. Democratic Detonation (Premium) — The explosive-focused Warbond. The GP-31 Grenade Pistol (secondary weapon that destroys bug holes and fabricators) is a game-changer for objective efficiency. The AR-23P Liberator Penetrator is a solid bot-clearing primary. The Arc Thrower support weapon chains between enemies and stuns them — situational but devastating in the right hands.

5. Polar Patriots / Viper Commandos (Premium) — These are more situational. Polar Patriots gives cryo-themed weapons and the P-113 Verdict pistol, a hard-hitting sidearm. Viper Commandos offers close-quarters gear including the SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary variant and the Stim Pistol for support players. Purchase these only after you have the top three Warbonds above.

Difficulty Progression

Helldivers 2 has 15 difficulty levels, divided into three tiers. Each tier introduces new enemy types, mission modifiers, and mechanical changes. Understanding what changes at each threshold is critical to moving up safely.

Trivial through Challenging (1-6) — "Boot Camp"

• Enemy density is low. Patrols are small and infrequent.
• Bugs: Basic Scavengers and Soldiers only. No heavies.
• Bots: Troopers and Scouts only. No Devastators or above.
• Friendly fire is disabled on Trivial (levels 1-3).
• Mission modifiers are lenient. No increased patrol spawns or extraction complications.
• Goal: Learn stratagem call-in patterns, basic combat, and objective types. Farm Requisition Slips and Samples to unlock ship upgrades.

Hard through Suicide Mission (7-12) — "The Real Game"

• Enemy density increases significantly. Multiple patrols can converge on your position.
• Bugs: Warriors become common. Hive Guards, Spore Spewers, and the first Bile Spewers appear. At level 9, Bile Titans begin spawning.
• Bots: Devastators are everywhere. Hulks become a regular threat. At level 10, Factory Striders start dropping.
• Bug Breaches and Bot Drops happen more frequently and spawn larger waves.
• Mission modifiers include increased patrol spawn rates, atmospheric interference (slower stratagem call-ins), and complex stratagem inputs.
• Goal: Optimize your loadout. Coordinate with your team. Start using heavy-hitting stratagems like Orbital Railcannon and Orbital Laser preemptively rather than reactively.

Helldive (13-15) — "Pure Chaos"

• Maximum enemy density. You will rarely go 30 seconds without a fight.
• Multiple heavies spawn simultaneously. It is not uncommon to see three Bile Titans or two Factory Striders in the same engagement.
• Mission modifiers stack. You may face both increased patrol spawns and slower call-in timers simultaneously.
• Extraction is a battle. The extraction zone will be swarmed as soon as you call the shuttle. Prepare defenses: sentries, mines, and area-denial stratagems.
• Sample economy becomes critical. You need every upgrade to survive at this level.
• Goal: Perfect teamwork. Every squad member should have a defined role — anti-heavy, crowd control, support, and objective runner. Communication is non-negotiable.

Key Difficulty Thresholds: Level 7 (Hard) is where friendly fire becomes punishing and heavies become regular. Level 10 is where Factory Striders and Bile Titans become common. Level 13 (Helldive) is where the game expects you to have maxed-out ship modules and coordinated squad compositions. Do not attempt Helldive missions until your Super Destroyer is fully upgraded and you have practiced your loadout on Suicide Mission difficulty first.

Advanced Tips

• Split your squad: In higher difficulties, do not stay clumped together. Splitting into two teams of two allows you to cover more objectives and reduces the chance of a single grenade or rocket salvo wiping your entire squad. Designate one player per duo as the "anti-heavy" specialist.
• Stratagem priority: In your loadout selection screen, stratagems are listed top to bottom in the order you will input them in-game. Put your most-used stratagems (support weapon, backpack) at the top for faster muscle-memory call-ins.
• Sample economy: Commons (green) are abundant at all difficulties. Rares (orange) start appearing reliably at Hard (level 7) and above. Super Samples (pink) only appear on Helldive (level 13+) missions. Prioritize Super Sample missions when they are available — they are the bottleneck for maxing ship modules.
• Ship module priority order: (1) Donation Access License — unlocks the ability to call in extra supplies and turrets. (2) Orbital Cannons — reduces cooldown and improves damage of orbital stratagems. (3) Pattern Streaming — reduces call-in time for all stratagems. (4) Eagle Rearm — reduces Eagle rearm time. (5) Bridge upgrades — increases the number of reinforcements.
• Grenade types matter: Frag grenades are general-purpose but outclassed in most roles. Stun grenades are S-tier on bot missions — they stop Devastators and Hulks in their tracks. Incendiary grenades are excellent for bug breaches, creating a wall of fire that kills Hunters and Warriors as they emerge.
• Hellpods as weapons: A well-aimed Hellpod (the pod your stratagems arrive in) can kill enemies on impact. If you see a stationary heavy, call a resupply or sentry directly on top of it for free damage. This works especially well on Bile Titans and Hulks.
• Cover usage: On Automaton missions, hard cover is everything. Bots have excellent aim and will shred you in the open. Always move from rock to rock, building to building. On bug missions, keep moving — bugs cannot hit what they cannot catch. Stutter-step and change direction frequently to avoid Hunter pounces.