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Helldivers 2has seen some massive weapon sandbox changes since its initial release. Dozens of weapons have been added, many old-school weapons can now be modded with attachments, and nearly every existing weapon has been reworked at some point. Throw in the new enemy types Arrowhead has added, and you have a dizzying array of strategies to consider.
Fortunately, the arsenal of Super Earth has never been stronger. Nearly every gun in Helldivers 2 is viable with the right build. But just like Super Citizens, some guns are more equal than others. We’ll be looking at every weapon currently in Helldivers 2 and ranking them in a tier list for each of the game’s enemy factions.
How We Rank Weapons
The weapon sandbox in Helldivers 2 varies heavily based on yourchosen difficulty, enemy faction, and preferred playstyle. With this tier list,we’re focusing on weapon performanceper factionbased on performance in T7+ difficulty.This includes every enemy type for each faction without a reliance on hard counters for heavily-armored targets or boss-tier units.
Weapon attachmentsare considered for rankings when possible.
Since each faction has unique strengths and weaknesses,this tier list is broken up by faction:Terminids, Automatons, and Illuminate. This allows us to shine a light on weapons that really excel at countering certain enemies—for example, the Torcher against Terminids or the Deadeye against the Automatons. Tiers are broken up as follows:
Primary Grenade Launcher
Medium Pen, Explosive
Best weapon in the game. Kills all bug types, clogs holes, and has plentiful ammo reserves.
Fires explosive rounds that shred through groups and medium armor.
Primary Energy Rifle
A variant of the Scorcher you can charge. Trades ease of use for versatility.
Primary Shotgun
Medium Pen
A shotgun version of the Arc Thrower. Fantastic for clearing fodder bugs.
Medium Pen, Incendiary
A variant of the Punisher with incendiary rounds. High sustained DPS and stagger damage.
Explosive
Single-shot grenade launcher pistol. Can clog bug holes.
Frees up space for different grenades, strategems, or a new primary.
Secondary Flamethrower
Incendiary
Strong crowd control weapon that can also kill Chargers and other armored units.
Amazing for clearing hordes of Terminids and damaging Chargers.
Great for taking out Hive Guards and other armored targets.
Great workhorse against fodder units and armored bugs.
Can’t destroy buildings or clog bug holes.
Attachments allow for spread pattern adjustments and larger magazines.
Primary SMG
Light Pen
Strong one-handed SMG, albeit not as good as the Knight since it lacks attachments.
Pierces all armor types and deals high precision damage.
Best against Stalkers and Hive Guards, not swarms.
The worst Breaker variant. Trades damage and accuracy for more fire rate.
Light-Heavy Pen
Absurdly powerful if you spec for fire resistance; otherwise, the standard Sickle is better.
Deals up to 70 damage per shot with heavy penetration at max charge, burning the user with each shot.
Similar to the Liberator but with fewer attachment options.
Excellent headshot damage, although a poor choice against swarms.
Pair with a rapid-fire pistol or strategem to balance your loadout.
Great stagger potential, but poor damage for a shotgun.
Useful if you’re running the Experimental Infusion booster.
Light & Medium Pen
Strong mobbing tool with a CC alternate ammo type.
Not the best against larger bugs, but it’s a solid utility weapon.
Average DMR with high accuracy. Great handling with attachments.
Poor choice up close, but a decent option for sniping patrols from a distance.
Poor DPS for an SMG and limited armor penetration.
Requires sustained damage to maintain a stagger. Gas grenades are generally better.
Outclassed by the Talon and Redeemer.
Primary Marksman Rifle
Small magazine and awful handling, virtually unusable if you get swarmed.
Poor DPS and small ammo capacity.
Limited attachment options and subpar DPS.
Crowd control is better delivered through gas grenades or stratagems.
Surpassed by most DMRs and assault rifles.
Secondary Pistol
Worst sidearm in the game. Poor damage with only light armor penetration.
Talon and Verdict are usually better.
Best weapon in the game. Decimates armor, destroys factories, and has solid AoE damage.
Primary Battle Rifle
Counters the Automaton’s armored forces without compromising on accuracy or handling.
Single-shot grenade launcher pistol. Can destroy factories.
Excellent precision damage. Counters most Automaton enemies.
Can’t destroy buildings or clog factories.
A shotgun version of the Arc Thrower. Fantastic for clearing weaker units.
Dangerous pick up close, but it can get one-hit headshot kills against most Automatons.
Stuns are useful against larger Automatons; main ammo is good against fodder bots.
Best Liberator variant once you unlock recoil attachments.
Behaves like a primary Stalwart. Not as good against armor, but still a solid choice.
Good sustained DPS if you stay on target.
Poor handling, but it is fantastic for one-tapping Automatons.
Solid choice if you can land headshots.
Purifier in pistol form. Great for taking out weaker vehicles and armored Automatons.
Good backup weapon if you pace your shots.
Great for killing Berserkers and lighter Automatons quickly.
Average assault rifle. Solid if you can land headshots.
Poor choice for armored targets, but decent against fodder Automatons.
Poor DPS and accuracy.
Secondary Laser
Struggles to kill armored targets, which are most of the Automaton.
Diligence Counter and Deadeye are typically better against Automatons.
Primary Sniper
Difficult to use while under fire. Burst-fire accuracy also makes it difficult to land consecutive headshots.
Fire damage is subpar against Automatons, making this the worst Punisher variant.
Primary Assault Rifle
Staggers can’t make up for this weapon’s poor accuracy and base damage.
Best weapon in the game. Counters most Illuminate enemies, deals great AoE damage, and has solid ammo reserves.
A variant of the Scorcher you’re able to charge. Semi-auto is great for hordes; charged is ideal for armored Illuminate and objectives.
A shotgun version of the Arc Thrower. Fantastic for clearing fodder units and breaking shields.
High DPS and great stagger damage, perfect for dealing with crowds.
A single burst can kill most armored Illuminate. Great choice if you keep your distance.
Strong against tougher Illuminate units and crowds.
Same as the Crisper but takes your primary slot.
Outclassed by the Talon and Sickle.
Lacks damage for tougher Illuminate and fire rate for crowds.
