Helldivers 2: Best Illuminate Loadout (Current Patch)

Q: What's the best primary against the Illuminate?

An energy/AOE weapon like the PLAS-101 Purifier : its blast clears Voteless hordes and stuns Overseers. The Scorcher is a strong alternative.

Q: How do you kill a Harvester?

Its regenerating shield absorbs one full hit , regardless of power. So pop it with a cheap shot , then hit the leg joints with anti-tank or the Autocannon. Never waste a rocket on the shield.

Q: How do you handle Voteless hordes?

With area tools , not your primary (especially on Difficulty 6+). The Orbital Gas Strike confuses them for several seconds while you deal with the real threats.

Q: How do you beat Overseers?

Their shield doesn't cover the legs : shoot below it. Once the shield drops, the Senator one-shots them in the head. On the flying variant, destroy the jetpack to ground them.

The Illuminate don’t play like bots or bugs. They’re a mix of Voteless hordes to clear en masse, Overseers protected by shields, and Harvesters (the big tripods) whose shield traps unprepared squads. Here’s the build that answers all three problems.

The anti-Illuminate build logic

Three distinct needs:

Clear Voteless in an area (they swarm, not individually dangerous).
Punch through Overseers (frontal shield, some fly).
Dismantle Harvesters without wasting ammo on their shield.

Primary weapon: AOE energy

The PLAS-101 Purifier is the best pick:

Its area blast melts clusters of Voteless.
It stuns Overseers, giving you time to finish them.

The PLAS-1 Scorcher is an excellent alternative (energy, effective on shields and groups).

Secondary and grenades

Secondary: P-4 Senator — once an Overseer’s shield drops, it one-shots them in the head.
Grenades: impact or stun to freeze an Overseer or a de-shielded Harvester.

Support weapon: Autocannon or Arc Thrower

Two schools, both excellent:

AC-8 Autocannon — the Swiss army knife: destroys Harvester legs, Overseers, and landed ships.
Arc Thrower — chains across Voteless, stuns Overseers even through the shield, interrupts Watchers (which call reinforcements) and freezes flying Overseers. The most versatile pick.

Stratagems

Orbital Gas Strike — confuses Voteless for 4-7 s: slows the wave while you handle the rest.
Eagle Airstrike — versatile (groups, ships, Overseers). See our stratagems tier list.
Orbital Railcannon / Laser — for stubborn Harvesters.
Guard Dog — automatic small-unit management.

How to kill each unit

Voteless (the horde)

Do not engage a Voteless horde with your primary on Difficulty 6+. Drop an Orbital Gas Strike, let the AOE/Arc do the cleanup, and focus on the real threats.

Overseer (shield)

Its shield doesn’t protect the legs → shoot below it, they take full damage.
Shield down → Senator to the head = dead.
Flying variant → destroy the jetpack to instantly ground it.

Harvester (the tripod)

The deadly trap: its regenerating shield absorbs one full hit, no matter the power. So:

Pop the shield with a cheap shot (primary, not your rocket).
Hit the leg joints with anti-tank/Autocannon.
The Arc Thrower stun-locks a de-shielded Harvester while the team targets the legs.

Most Harvester deaths come from the same mistake: firing anti-tank into the shield. Never do it.

Common mistakes to avoid

Rocket into the Harvester’s shield → wasted, the shield regenerates.
Spraying Voteless with your rifle on high difficulty → you get overwhelmed; use area tools.
Shooting the Overseer’s frontal shield → aim for the legs.
Ignoring Watchers → they call reinforcements endlessly.

Conclusion

Anti-Illuminate = AOE for Voteless + legs/head for Overseers + shield-then-joints for Harvesters. With the Purifier, the Senator and the Autocannon (or Arc Thrower), you cover all three threats. Pair it with our stratagems tier list and, if you’re new to the faction, our beginner guide.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best primary against the Illuminate?

An energy/AOE weapon like the PLAS-101 Purifier: its blast clears Voteless hordes and stuns Overseers. The Scorcher is a strong alternative.

How do you kill a Harvester?

Its regenerating shield absorbs one full hit, regardless of power. So pop it with a cheap shot, then hit the leg joints with anti-tank or the Autocannon. Never waste a rocket on the shield.

How do you handle Voteless hordes?

With area tools, not your primary (especially on Difficulty 6+). The Orbital Gas Strike confuses them for several seconds while you deal with the real threats.

How do you beat Overseers?

Their shield doesn't cover the legs: shoot below it. Once the shield drops, the Senator one-shots them in the head. On the flying variant, destroy the jetpack to ground them.