Helldivers 2: Best Weapons Tier List (Current Patch)

Q: What's the best primary weapon?

It depends on the faction, but the Sickle (near-infinite ammo, versatile) and the Breaker Incendiary (fire-based crowd control) are safe picks everywhere.

Q: Best weapon against bugs?

Incendiaries : the Breaker Incendiary and Cookout melt Terminid hordes thanks to continuous fire damage.

Q: Best weapon against bots?

Precision : the Diligence Counter-Sniper (ranged headshots) and JAR-5 Dominator (stagger on Devastators).

Q: Does the ranking change every patch?

Yes, weapon balance shifts regularly. We keep the safe picks at the top and update this article with every major rebalance.

Which weapon should you bring per faction? Here’s our ranking by role, centered on what actually performs on high difficulty. Balance shifts every patch, so we favor the safe picks and explain the why.

How to read this tier list

The “best” mostly depends on the faction you’re facing. So we rank primaries by faction, then secondaries and support weapons (more stable over time).

Primaries — Terminids (bugs)

S — Breaker Incendiary: fire melts hordes almost on its own.
S — SG-451 Cookout: huge stagger + fire damage, great on Stalkers/Brood Commanders.
A — Arc Blitzer: infinite ammo, area stun.
A — LAS-16 Sickle: versatile, almost no ammo management.

Primaries — Automatons (bots)

S — Diligence Counter-Sniper: precise headshots on Devastators and Berserkers at range.
S — JAR-5 Dominator: big stagger, handles Devastators.
A — PLAS-1 Scorcher: energy, punches through lightly armored units.
A — Adjudicator: versatile mid-range.

Primaries — Illuminate

S — PLAS-101 Purifier: AOE blast that clears Voteless and stuns Overseers.
A — PLAS-1 Scorcher: energy, effective on shields and groups.

Versatile (all factions)

S — LAS-16 Sickle: near-infinite ammo, good everywhere. The “no-brainer” if you’re unsure.

Secondary weapons

S — P-4 Senator: heavy revolver, one-shots de-shielded Overseers and finishes medium units.
A — GP-31 Grenade Pistol: closes bug holes and fabricators from range — invaluable utility.
B — P-19 Redeemer: backup SMG for close quarters.

Support weapons (most stable)

S — Recoilless Rifle: king of anti-tank, reloadable in pairs.
S — Quasar Cannon: anti-tank with no backpack or reload, ideal solo.
S — AC-8 Autocannon: anti-bot Swiss army knife (Hulks, Devastators, Striders).
A — EAT-17: disposable, short cooldown, spam it on heavies.

Common mistakes

Keeping the same primary on all 3 fronts → adapt to the faction (fire for bugs, precision for bots, AOE for Illuminate).
Neglecting your secondary → the Grenade Pistol and Senator unlock key situations.
No anti-tank support weapon → you’re stuck the moment a heavy shows up.

Conclusion

Remember the safe picks: Sickle as a generalist, incendiary for bugs, precision for bots, Purifier for the Illuminate, and always an anti-tank support weapon (Recoilless/Quasar). Combine with our stratagems tier list for a complete loadout.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best primary weapon?

It depends on the faction, but the Sickle (near-infinite ammo, versatile) and the Breaker Incendiary (fire-based crowd control) are safe picks everywhere.

Best weapon against bugs?

Incendiaries: the Breaker Incendiary and Cookout melt Terminid hordes thanks to continuous fire damage.

Best weapon against bots?

Precision: the Diligence Counter-Sniper (ranged headshots) and JAR-5 Dominator (stagger on Devastators).

Does the ranking change every patch?

Yes, weapon balance shifts regularly. We keep the safe picks at the top and update this article with every major rebalance.