Helldivers 2 best weapons tier list

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In the fight against the overwhelming bug-like Terminids and the robotic Automatons in Helldivers 2, picking the best weapons can seem daunting. Our weapons tier list covers all the best primary weapons that you can pick up and take on your next mission.

Helldivers 2 best weapon tier list: The armory where players can change their loadout. Image from VideoGamer.
You can change your loadout at the armoury. Image capture by VideoGamer.

Helldivers 2 weapons tier list

If you’re wondering how our top picks hold up against every other primary weapon in Helldivers 2, check our weapon tier list. We have updated it with the latest Truth Enforcers Warbond weapons, as well as with the changes from patch 01.001.104 that came prior. Many of these weapons ended up accompanying us long after working on our Helldivers 2 review. Pair these with our Helldivers 2 tips and tricks to tackle higher difficulties and help with Major Orders.

TierWeapons
SSG-225 Breaker
LAS-16 Sickle
PLAS-1 Scorcher
SG-20 Halt
P-19 Redeemer
JAR-5 Dominator
GP-31 Grenade Pistol
ASG-225IE Breaker Incendiary
R-36 Eruptor
SG-8S Slugger
R-63 Diligence
R-63 Diligence Counter Sniper
SG-451 Cookout
BCB-9 Exploding Crossbow
SG-22 Bushwhacker
SMG-72 Pummeller
BR-14 Adjudicator
SMG-32 Reprimand
AR-23 Liberator
SMG-37 Defender
LAS-5 Scythe
LAS-7 Dagger
P-72 Crisper
FLAM-66 Torcher
P-4 Senator
CAR-23A Liberator Carbine
P-113 Verdict
AR-61 Tenderiser
SG-8P Punisher Plasma
AR-23P Liberator Penetrator
SG-225SP Breaker Spray&Pray
SG-8 Punisher
PLAS-15 Loyalist
MP-98 Knight
P-2 Peacemaker
ARC-12 Blitzer
PLAS-101 Purifier
DAR-23E Liberator Concussive
R-2124 Constitution
P-11 Stim Pistol
✓ Pro Tip

Experiment with weapons before settling on a favourite

Play around with different strategies and see what works against bugs and robots. This will let you prepare better for tougher missions.

S-tier weapons

S-tier weapons are the most powerful ones you can get your hands on in Helldivers 2. If you can unlock them, they are invaluable in most operations and against any foe, making them excellent picks in any situation. You won’t go wrong by adding any of these weapons to your loadout.

SG-225 Breaker

Helldivers 2 best weapons: The Breaker in the game's armory. Image captured by VideoGamer.
The Breaker is easily the best weapon when it comes to close-range combat. Image captured by VideoGamer.
  • Type: Shotgun
  • Cost: 20 Medals on page 4 of Helldivers Mobilize Warbond
  • Damage: 330
  • Capacity: 13
  • Recoil: 55
  • Fire rate: 300 RPM
  • Traits: Light armor penetrating
Pros
  • Mops up hordes
  • High damage vs weak spots
Cons
  • Low-ish ammo capacity
  • Can’t deal with heavy armor

The Breaker is our personal favourite when it comes to shotguns in Helldivers 2. It beats most of the smaller hordes without a sweat. You don’t even have to rely on a support weapon for crowd control. As for armoured opponents, you can pair the Breaker with a Quasar Cannon or Railgun to handle them. The Breaker also comes with excellent burst damage potential, meaning that you can take out enemy weak spots easier than with many other primaries.

The Breaker shotgun has dominated weapons rankings for some time and is an all-around safest pick for most situations.

LAS-16 Sickle

Helldivers 2 best weapons: A player checks out the LAS-16 Sickle in the Warbond menu. Image captured by VideoGamer.
The LAS-16 Sickle’s steady beam can devastate light foes. Image captured by VideoGamer.
  • Type: Energy-based
  • Cost: 20 Medals on page 1 of Cutting Edge Warbond
  • Damage: 55
  • Fire Limit: 9
  • Recoil: 2
  • Fire rate: 750 RPM
  • Traits: Light armor penetrating, Heat
Pros
  • Damage can quickly ramp up
  • Cuts down groups of enemies with ease
Cons
  • Weak against armour
  • Can overheat on hot planets

This energy weapon is great at killing multiple enemies at range. It’s effectively an assault rifle competitor as it fires laser bursts. Thanks to its heatsink, you don’t need to worry about running out of ammo. Just remember not to let it overheat or you’ll need to replace the heatsink. But if you want to maximize its damage output, don’t hold back just to save a heatsink. Its low recoil is another valuable perk while facing a mob of threats. Just remember to bring another anti-armour weapon to handle bigger foes.

PLAS-1 Scorcher

Helldivers 2 best weapons: A player checks the Plas-1 Scorcher in the armory. Image captured by VideoGamer.
Melt robots and bugs with the Plas-1 Scorcher. Image captured by VideoGamer.
  • Type: Energy-based
  • Cost: 75 Medals on page 10 of Helldivers Mobilize Warbond
  • Damage: 100
  • Capacity: 20
  • Recoil: 20
  • Fire rate: 350 RPM
  • Traits: Light armor penetrating, Explosive
Pros
  • Melts exposed weak spots
  • Great for clearing crowds
Cons
  • Can’t deal with heavy armor
  • Recently nerfed damage

The Scorcher has a unique property in that it adds an explosive punch to its energy-based rounds. One of its biggest merits is that it can be just as effective against both bots and bugs. It can struggle against heavy armour opponents, but will destroy anything lighter than that. It just received a fire rate and ammo buff, making it even better.

SG-20 Halt

Image of the stat screen for the SF-20 Halt in Helldivers 2.
Halt is able to stop anything in its tracks. Captured by VideoGamer
  • Type: Shotgun
  • Cost: 20 Medals on page 1 of Truth Enforcers Warbond
  • Damage: 385
  • Capacity: 16
  • Recoil: 120
  • Fire rate: 80 RPM
  • Traits: Light armor penetrating, Medium armor penetrating, Rounds Reload
Pros
  • Excellent damage
  • Penetrates both light and medium armor
Cons
  • Slow firing
  • Very high recoil

The SG-20 Halt is an amazing piece of equipment, capable of dealing massive damage to anything it hits. The trade-off is that it kicks like a mule and fires slowly, so you have to be mindful of your positioning before firing. However, it will obliterate nearly everything it hits, making it a capable tool against both Terminids and Automatons.

Helldivers 2 best weapons: A player checks out the P-19 Redeemer in the armory. Image captured by VideoGamer.
The P-19 Redeemer is a good replacement for the standard pistol. Image captured by VideoGamer.

P-19 Redeemer

  • Type: Pistol
  • Cost: 5 Medals in Helldivers Mobilize! Warbond
  • Damage: 60
  • Capacity: 31
  • Recoil: 11
  • Fire rate: 1100 RPM
  • Traits: Light armor penetrating, One-handed
Pros
  • Amazing rate of fire
  • Can clear hordes of small enemies in a pinch
Cons
  • Low ammo capacity compared to fire rate

The Redeemer is an extremely useful secondary in nearly any situation. It shines when you have to quick-swap to it to take down those last few stragglers before reloading your main weapon. It has an incredibly high fire rate, but that will also mean that you burn through ammo quickly after bursting through enemies.

JAR-5 Dominator

Helldivers 2 best weapons: A player checks out the JAR-5 Dominator in the Warbonds menu. Image captured by VideoGamer.
The JAR-5 Dominator’s explosive shots are great against armored foes. Image captured by VideoGamer.
  • Type: Special
  • Cost: 80 Medals in Steeled Veterans Warbond
  • Damage: 275
  • Capacity: 15
  • Recoil: 75
  • Fire rate: 250 RPM
  • Traits: Medium armor penetrating
Pros
  • Excellent at tackling medium armoured foes
Cons
  • Semi-auto fire is almost useless

The Dominator fires two-phase explosive shots that burst after penetrating the enemy. This makes the gun great against armoured medium-sized foes, such as Scout Striders, Devastators, and Brood Commanders. While it’s capable of semi-auto fire, it’s best used in single-fire mode, due to deceptively nasty recoil.

GP-31 Grenade Pistol

Image of the GP-31 Grenade Pistol in Helldivers 2.
Use it to close out nests without hassle. Captured by VideoGamer
  • Type: Pistol
  • Cost: 60 Medals in Democratic Detonation Warbond
  • Damage: 650
  • Capacity: 1
  • Recoil: 43
  • Fire rate: 900 RPM
  • Traits: One-handed, Explosive
Pros
  • Explodes groups of squishy enemies
  • Can close spawners
Cons
  • Just one round in the barrel

The Grenade Pistol is an amazingly versatile secondary. First, it can help you thin out hordes of enemies (just be careful of friendly fire). Secondly, it can close down bug holes and bot spawn points, meaning that you can save your grenades. The only drawback is the limited ammo capacity.

A-tier weapons

While these don’t pack the same fury as the S-Tier picks, they can still dish out some serious democracy. A-tier guns are excellent but don’t have the overpowering effect of those above them.

SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary

Helldivers 2 best weapons: A player checks the Breaker Incendiary in the armory. Image captured by VideoGamer.
Burn bugs to ashes with the Breaker Incendiary. Image captured by VideoGamer.
  • Type: Shotgun
  • Cost: 60 Medals on page 2 of Steeled Veterans Warbond
  • Damage: 240
  • Capacity: 25
  • Recoil: 41
  • Fire rate: 300 RPM
  • Traits: Light armor penetrating, Incendiary
Pros
  • Added fire damage over time
  • Can deal with large enemies despite low penetration
Cons
  • Not the best choice against bots

While setting fire to foes is great, this shotgun is much better against bugs than robots. Burn damage lets it slowly chip away at the health of larger enemies while tackling mobs effectively. It also packs more ammo and a better fire rate (no pun intended) than the regular Breaker. So pick your loadout carefully before a mission.

R-36 Eruptor

Helldivers 2 best weapons: A player checks out the Eruptor rifle in the Warbond menu. Image captured by VideoGamer.
Use the R-36 Eruptor to close bug breaches and clear fabricators. Image captured by VideoGamer.
  • Type: Explosive
  • Cost: 60 Medals in Democratic Detonation Warbond
  • Damage: 570
  • Capacity: 5
  • Recoil: 75
  • Fire rate: 25 RPM
  • Traits: Medium armor penetrating, Explosive
Pros
  • Very high damage
  • Explosive and Medium penetration are a nasty combo
  • Shrapnel is added back!
Cons
  • Very slow rate of fire
  • Punishing if you miss shots

The Eruptor is the epitome of a high-risk, high-reward weapon. It will decimate everything in range, but suffers at close quarters, especially due to being susceptible to friendly fire. Its rate of fire is fairly slow, so you have to carefully place your shots. With that said, it has a very high damage potential (after buff) that should never be overlooked.

SG-8S Slugger

Helldivers 2 best weapons: A player checks out the Slugger in the Warbond menu. Image captured by VideoGamer.
The Slugger isn’t a great shotgun choice. Image captured by VideoGamer.
  • Type: Shotgun
  • Cost: 60 Medals on page 8 of Helldivers Mobilize Warbond
  • Damage: 250
  • Capacity: 16
  • Recoil: 120
  • Fire rate: 80 RPM
  • Traits: Medium armor penetrating, Rounds reload
Pros
  • Can penetrate medium armour
  • Excellent to face big enemies
Cons
  • Low fire rate and bullet capacity

You want to bring a Slugger to any fight against big, tough foes. While it’s serviceable against hordes of enemies, it shines when it comes to taking down the big guys. It has plenty of ammunition to weather those epic duels and will deal damage even against armour, thanks to its medium penetration. However, it’s still always best to hit the weak spots, even with a Slugger.

R-63 Diligence

Helldivers 2 best weapons: A player checks the R-63 Diligence weapon in the Warbonds menu. Image captured by VideoGamer.
The R-63 marksman rifle isn’t great in the game. Image captured by VideoGamer.
  • Type: Marksman rifle
  • Cost: 8 Medals on page 1 of Helldivers Mobilize Warbond
  • Damage: 165
  • Capacity: 20
  • Recoil: 35
  • Fire rate: 350 RPM
  • Traits: Light armor penetrating
Pros
  • Excellent early-game single-shot rifle
  • Damage buff helps it stay relevant
Cons
  • Struggles against armour

Good old Diligence was most players first replacement weapon when Helldivers 2 came out. It is still a very good gun, especially after the damage buff, able to place semi-automatic single-shot bullets at a decent speed. However, it doesn’t help against anything remotely armoured.

R-63CS Diligence Counter Sniper

Image of the R-63CS Diligence Counter Sniper weapon in Helldivers 2.
The counter-sniper version of Diligence packs a punch against single targets. Image captured by VideoGamer
  • Type: Marksman rifle
  • Cost: 40 Medals on page 6 of Helldivers Mobilize Warbond
  • Damage: 200
  • Capacity: 15
  • Recoil: 53
  • Fire rate: 350 RPM
  • Traits: Medium armor penetrating
Pros
  • Helps you deal with armoured enemies at long range
Cons
  • Each miss can cost you

The Diligence Counter Sniper will favour players who like one-shot over burst fire. It rewards good aim with damage and higher armour penetration. Their main drawback is that it’s not great at thinning out hordes. However, if you have the aim, it will deal serious damage to armoured foes before they can get too close.

SG-451 Cookout

IMage of the SG-451 Cookout primry weapon in Helldivers 2.
Cook the enemy with this flaming shotgun. Captured by VideoGamer
  • Type: Shotgun
  • Cost: 20 Medals in Freedom’s Flame Warbond
  • Damage: 320
  • Capacity: 16
  • Recoil: 100
  • Fire rate: 80 RPM
  • Traits: Light armor penetrating, Rounds reload, Incendiary
Pros
  • Deals lingering fire damage
Cons
  • Can struggle against Automatons

The cookout fires incendiary rounds that will burn your enemies even when you’re not shooting at them. It deals decent damage, which is only helped by its DoT. However, in many ways, it does a similar thing as SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary, so you can pick which one you prefer.

B-tier weapons

These weapons are middle of the road, well-balanced and have their own niches to fulfill. They’re not the best choices, but you won’t question your picks too much with them. These are our B-tier weapon picks:

CB-9 Exploding Crossbow

Helldivers 2 best weapons: A player checks out the Exploding Crossbow in the Warbond menu. Image captured by VideoGamer.
Watch where you aim the Exploding Crossbow or risk friendly fire. Image captured by VideoGamer.
  • Type: Explosive
  • Cost: 80 Medals in Democratic Detonation Warbond
  • Damage: 420
  • Capacity: 5
  • Recoil: 35
  • Fire rate: 50 RPM
  • Traits: Medium armor penetrating, Explosive, One-handed
Pros
  • High explosive damage
  • Having one hand free while wielding a strong weapon is a good perk
Cons
  • Low ammo capacity
  • Very easy to deal friendly fire damage

The crossbow is a silent, stealthy weapon – up until its payload detonates. It’s kind of ironic, but in a sense, this weapon is a grenade launcher with a silencer. It has been buffed over time, having been one of the worst weapons for a long time. It still suffers from friendly-fire issues, but at least can deal more damage now and its shots penetrate some armour.

Despite numerous buffs, the Exploding Crossbow remains too unreliable to propel it into higher tiers.

SG-22 Bushwhacker

Image of the selection menu with the SG-22 Bushwhacker shotgun and its stats in Helldivers 2.
Quick and dirty, this sawed-off shotgun packs a punch. Captured by VideoGamer
  • Type: Shotgun
  • Cost: 50 Medals in Viper Commandos Warbond
  • Damage: 405
  • Capacity: 3
  • Recoil: 170
  • Fire rate: 650 RPM
  • Traits: Light armor penetrating, One-handed
Pros
  • High damage potential from up-close
Cons
  • Only 3 rounds per reload

The Bushwhacker is a sawed-off shotgun that takes the place of a secondary weapon in your loadout. As such, it certainly has its uses but is held back by its low ammo capacity. When it does hit an enemy, it will deal decent damage, though its pellets will patter off anything above light armour. Not a bad sidearm in a pinch, but there are better options.

SMG-72 Pummeller

Helldivers 2 best weapons A player checks out the SMG-72 Pummeller in the Warbonds menu.
The Pummeller is great at staggering, but lacks in damage and magazine size. Image captured by VideoGamer
  • Type: Submachine gun
  • Cost: 60 Medals on page 2 of Polar Patriots Warbond
  • Damage: 65
  • Capacity: 45
  • Recoil: 10
  • Fire rate: 475 RPM
  • Traits: Light armor penetrating, One-handed
Pros
  • Excellent at staggering enemies
Cons
  • Low range and damage for a primary

The best thing about the Pummeller is its ability to stagger enemies. If you’re hanging in the back and covering your teammates, this can be a great weapon to help stave off a horde. But as a primary weapon, it somewhat lacks when it comes to range and damage, making it less viable than many other weapons.

BR-14 Adjudicator

Helldivers 2 best weapons: A player checks the Adjudicator in the Warbonds menu. Image captured by VideoGamer.
Adjudicator requires precise aim, like other marksman rifles. Image captured by VideoGamer.
  • Type: Assault Rifle
  • Cost: 20 Medals in Democratic Detonation Warbond
  • Damage: 90
  • Capacity: 30
  • Recoil: 40
  • Fire rate: 550 RPM
  • Traits: Medium armor penetrating
Pros
  • Can double as both single-shot and burst shot gun
  • Good versatility when necessary
Cons
  • Falls behind more specialized primaries

Falsely listed as a marksman rifle (until patch 0.1.000.300), the Adjudicator still boasts several common traits with them. It represents a mid-point between an assault and a marksman rifle, with the ability to fire both single and burst shots. However, it has low ammo capacity and doesn’t do particularly well in either area. It’s still a decent weapon, but a more specialized pick would be more optimal.

SMG-32 Reprimand

Image of the stat screen for the SMG-32 Reprimand in Helldivers 2.
The Reprimand looks great, despite several drawbacks. Captured by VideoGamer
  • Type: Submachine Gun
  • Cost: 40 Medals in Truth Enforcers Warbond
  • Damage: 125
  • Capacity: 25
  • Recoil: 44
  • Fire rate: 490 RPM
  • Traits: Medium armor penetrating
Pros
  • Decent damage
  • Penetrates medium armor
Cons
  • Isn’t one-handed like most SMGs
  • Slow rate of fire for its class

The Reprimand is a mixed bag – on the one hand, it can deal a lot of damage to anything with medium armor and below. But that comes at a severe cost – lower fire rate and ammo capacity, and you have to use both hands to use this SMG. To its credit, the snub-nosed gun looks really cool and has an amazing reload animation, so bonus points for style.

AR-23 Liberator

Helldivers 2 best weapons: A player checks the Liberator in their loadout. Image captured by VideoGamer.
The good ol’ Liberator is a good starting pick. Image captured by VideoGamer.
  • Type: Assault rifle
  • Cost: Free (default)
  • Damage: 70
  • Capacity: 45
  • Recoil: 15
  • Fire rate: 640 RPM
  • Traits: Light armor penetrating
Pros
  • Good beginner weapon
  • Decent at everything
Cons
  • Lack of specialization hurts it
  • Low damage compared to better ARs

The default Liberator assault rifle does great against hordes of weaker hordes. You can do some decent damage against larger foes but you’re better off relying on other Stratagems or support weapons for them. It doesn’t do too well against armour but its scope lets you target weak spots to an extent. It’s an okay weapon, especially when you start the game.

✓ Our observation

Liberator may be the game’s starter weapon, but it’s certainly still good enough to compete with many others. Weapons progression in Helldivers 2 is lateral, making most other weapons sidegrades, rather than upgrades. If you like using the Liberator, there’s nothing wrong in keeping it as your primary.

SMG-37 Defender

A digital image of the SMG-37 Defender, a submachine gun from the game Helldivers 2, displayed with its stats and features.
A digital image of the SMG-37 Defender, a submachine gun from the game Helldivers 2, displayed with its stats and features.
  • Type: Submachine gun
  • Cost: 15 Medals on page 2 of Helldivers Mobilize Warbond
  • Damage: 75
  • Capacity: 45
  • Recoil: 10
  • Fire rate: 520 RPM
  • Traits: Light armor penetrating, One-handed
Pros
  • Early introduction to SMGs
Cons
  • Middle of the pack SMG with fairly low damage

The Defender was an early introduction to one-handed submachine guns in the game. That is its main perk still, being able to carry an objective item while still having a primary weapon to back you up. It has a surprisingly mediocre fire-rate for an SMG, which isn’t helped by its low damage.

LAS-5 Scythe

Helldivers 2 best weapons: A player checks the LAS-5 Scythe in the Warbond menu. Image captured by VideoGamer.
The LAS-5 Scythe barely dents armored foes. Image captured by VideoGamer.
  • Type: Energy-based
  • Cost: 30 Medals on page 5 of Helldivers Mobilize Warbond
  • Damage: 350
  • Capacity: 4 heatsinks
  • Recoil: 0
  • Fire limit: 8
  • Traits: Light armor penetrating, Beam, Heat
Pros
  • Decent weapon as long as you can keep the beam on
Cons
  • You have to stay on target to deal damage
  • Easy to cut teammates due to frindly fire

The Scythe and other LAS weapons need to stay on their target to ramp up their low initial damage. In theory, they should melt them over time. In practice, with how chaotic things can turn out quickly, this weapon is a detriment. It can cause friendly fire, needs to be kept on target to deal damage, and can overheat. Just avoid it until it gets buffed or reworked.

LAS-7 Dagger

Helldivers 2 best weapons: A player checks out the LAS-7 Dagger in the Warbonds menu. Image captured by VideoGamer.
The LAS-7 Dagger isn’t great against most foes. Image captured by VideoGamer.
  • Type: Pistol
  • Cost: 60 Medals in Cutting Edge Warbond
  • Damage: 250
  • Capacity: Infinite
  • Recoil: 1
  • Fire limit: 5
  • Traits: Light armor penetrating, One-handed, Beam, Heat
Pros
  • Increased damage makes it a decent secondary choice
Cons
  • Low range

On paper, LAS-7 Dagger should be the mini version of the Scythe. Seeing how even its influence is not doing great in the current version, the Dagger suffers from the same issues. Additionally, its damage is even lower in comparison, making it the worst sidearm choice in the game.

P-72 Crisper

Image of the P-72 Crisper secondary weapon in Helldivers 2.
It serves bugs extra-crispy. Captured by VideoGamer
  • Type: Special
  • Cost: 275 Medals in Freedom’s Flame Warbond
  • Damage: 375
  • Capacity: 30
  • Recoil: 3
  • Fire rate: N/A
  • Traits: Medium armor penetrating, Incendiary, One-handed
Pros
  • Hand-held flamethrower
  • Great for quick bursts against small Terminids
Cons
  • Takes a long time to kill most other enemies

The Crisper is a hand-held flamethrower. Besides the coolness factor, it has limited range but deals a high amount of damage and leaves your foes burning. Its best use is against a horde of small Terminids that have crept up way too close. Sadly, it’s not as effective against Automatons, so keep that in mind.

FLAM-66 Torcher

Image of the FLAM-66 Torcher primary weapon in Helldivers 2.
Mandatory to use with the warcry “Burn the xeno”. Captured by VideoGamer
  • Type: Special
  • Cost: 40 medals on page 2 of Freedom’s Flame Warbond
  • Damage: 375
  • Capacity: 80
  • Recoil: 3
  • Fire rate: N/A
  • Traits: Medium armor penetrating, Incendiary
Pros
  • Flamethrower as a primary weapon
  • Damage buff and better penetration helped it
Cons
  • Can take a while for the damage to ramp up
  • Less effective against Automatons

The Torcher is the first flamethrower primary weapon added to Helldivers 2. It does well enough against hordes of enemies, with medium armour penetration helping you somewhat tackle bigger foes. It performs much better against Terminids than against Automatons, so be mindful of that. Against bots, you’re better off using a pistol.

P-4 Senator

Helldivers 2 best weapons: A player checks out the Senator weapon in the Warbonds menu. Image captured by VideoGamer.
The Senator’s shots hit harder than the Peacemaker. Image captured by VideoGamer.
  • Type: Pistol
  • Cost: 15 Medals in Steeled Veterans Warbond
  • Damage: 200
  • Capacity: 6
  • Recoil: 43
  • Fire rate: 200 RPM
  • Traits: Heavy armor penetrating, One-handed, Rounds reload
Pros
  • Helldivers 2 version of a revolver
  • Deals high damage, if you hit
  • Pierces even heavy armor
Cons
  • Low ammo capacity and slow rate of fire

The Senator is a hand-cannon, plain and simple. It deals slow, high damage with every shot and is able to pierce up to medium armour. The main drawbacks are its small ammo capacity and long reload time, so you have to be sure when is the best time to use it. 

C-tier weapons

The weapons in C-tier aren’t the best picks in most situations. However, they can find their uses, though often requiring perfect situations. It’s usually better to pick some of the above weapons, unless you like the challenge.

AR-23A Liberator Carbine

Image of the AR-23A Liberator Carbine weapon screen in Helldivers 2.
The Liberator Carbine can thin out hordes, but lacks precision. Captured by VideoGamer
  • Type: Assault rifle
  • Cost: 20 Medals on page 1 of Viper Commandos Warbond
  • Damage: 70
  • Capacity: 45
  • Recoil: 26
  • Fire rate: 920 RPM
  • Traits: Light armor penetrating
Pros
  • Decent at gunning down smaller foes
Cons
  • Very bad recoil and spread

The AR-23A functions in a similar way to the original Liberator rifle. However, its recoil and spread are bigger, making it a less optimal choice. It’s a decent gun for thinning out lightly armoured hordes, but there are better options when it comes to both carbines and assault rifles.

P-113 Verdict

A graphic of a p-113 verdict premium pistol from the polar patriots video game, displaying its stats such as damage and fire rate on a digital interface.
Verdict is lacking in many aspects compared to other handguns. Image captured by VideoGamer
  • Type: Pistol
  • Cost: 60 Medals in Polar Patriots Warbond
  • Damage: 125
  • Capacity: 10
  • Recoil: 40
  • Fire rate: 450 RPM
  • Traits: Medium armor penetrating, One-handed
Pros
  • Decent damage for a pistol
  • Has a quick-reload hidden function
  • Can be used about medium enemies after a buff
Cons
  • Needs to be in close-range to deal full damage

The Verdict is stronger than the basic Peacemaker, but that is its only real merit. True, it has light armour penetration, but with its low base damage, it won’t do much against most foes, except at point-blank range. Even then, it won’t penetrate any stronger armour. Its best quality is the ability to quickly reload, which can come in handy in panic.

AR-61 Tenderiser

Helldivers 2 best weapons: A player checks out the AR-61 Tenderiser in the Warbonds menu.
The Tenderiser is simply a downgrade of the AR-23 Liberator. Image captured by VideoGamer
  • Type: Assault rifle
  • Cost: 20 Medals on page 1 of Polar Patriots Warbond
  • Damage: 60
  • Capacity: 35
  • Recoil: 10
  • Fire rate: 600 RPM
  • Traits: Light armor penetrating
Pros
  • Decent all-rounder assault rifle
Cons
  • Low damage, on par with the basic Liberator

Fairly similar on paper to the regular AR-23 Liberator, this is a gun that does everything similarly to it. It’s a matter of personal preference which one you choose, and we recommend trying both out to see which one feels better to use before settling on one.

SG-8P Punisher Plasma

Helldivers 2 best weapons: A player checks out the Punisher Plasma in the Warbonds menu. Image captured by VideoGamer.
The Punisher Plasma should be avoided at all costs. Image captured by VideoGamer.
  • Type: Shotgun
  • Cost: 60 Medals on page 2 of Cutting Edge Warbond
  • Damage: 250
  • Capacity: 8
  • Recoil: 110
  • Fire rate: 100 RPM
  • Traits: Explosive
Pros
  • Decent range for a shotgun
Cons
  • Deals friendly-fire due to splash at close range

While it’s great to target enemy weak spots from medium range, the Punisher Plasma is not very helpful against nearby foes. It can harm you with its splash damage so don’t aim at bugs that are right next to you. Lead your shots and focus on crowd control to make the most of it. In the shotgun department, consider the Breaker instead for a good all-rounder.

AR-23P Liberator Penetrator

Helldivers 2 best weapons: A player checks out the Liberator Penetrator in the Warbond menu. Image captured by VideoGamer.
Deal more damage per shot with the Penetrator variant of the Liberator rifle. Image captured by VideoGamer.
  • Type: Assault rifle
  • Cost: 40 Medals on page 6 of Helldivers Mobilize Warbond
  • Damage: 60
  • Capacity: 45
  • Recoil: 19
  • Fire rate: 640 RPM
  • Traits: Medium armor penetrating
Pros
  • Excellent to deal with groups of medium armour foes
Cons
  • High recoil when burst-firing
  • No full-auto fire mode

The Liberator Penetrator does more damage to weak spots and is a boon against armour, thanks to its scope and medium armour penetration. However, it isn’t as good while clearing weaker foes and has higher recoil than most ARs. Remember that it isn’t fully automatic so you can’t clear hordes as quickly as the regular Liberator.

SG-225SP Breaker Spray&Pray

Helldivers 2 best weapons: A player checks the Breaker Pray and Spray in the Warbonds menu. Image captured by VideoGamer.
The Spray and Pray lets you fire shots faster than the regular Breaker. Image captured by VideoGamer.
  • Type: Shotgun
  • Cost: 60 Medals on page 9 of Helldivers Mobilize Warbond
  • Damage: 240
  • Capacity: 26
  • Recoil: 45
  • Fire rate: 330 RPM
  • Traits: Light armor penetrating
Pros
  • Decent against small Terminids, thanks to high rate of fire
Cons
  • Will struggle against everything else due to low damage

While a shotgun with a better fire rate and lower damage sounds good in theory, we found the regular Breaker better for most engagements. Weaker enemies, especially Terminids, fall faster thanks to the Spray and Pray having more shots per magazine. It’s a good shotgun for what it does, but there are far better picks in this weapon type.

SG-8 Punisher

    Helldivers 2 best weapons: A player checks out the Punisher in the armory. Image captured by VideoGamer.
    The Punisher shotgun can deal some incredible damage in close-quarters combat. Image captured by VideoGamer.
  • Type: Shotgun
  • Cost: 4 Medals on page 1 of Helldivers Mobilize Warbond
  • Damage: 405
  • Capacity: 16
  • Recoil: 120
  • Fire rate: 80 RPM
  • Traits: Light armor penetrating, Rounds reload
Pros
  • An okay introduction to shotguns
  • Can stagger enemies
Cons
  • Takes a long time to fire successive shots
  • Outshined by multiple better shotguns

Despite its poor fire rate, the Punisher backs it up with solid damage and stagger against armoured foes. Being able to stagger enemies like Chargers is a welcome perk. It comes with a large magazine capacity, but its rate of fire is too glaring of a weakness to ignore. As with Breaker Spray and Pray above, there are better shotguns to choose from.

PLAS-15 Loyalist

Image of the stat screen for the PLAS-15 Loyalist in Helldivers 2.
The Loyalist is a pocket-sized plasma gun. Captured by VideoGamer
  • Type: Special
  • Cost: 45 Medals in Truth Enforcers Warbond
  • Damage: 125
  • Capacity: 7
  • Recoil: 8
  • Fire rate: 1000 RPM
  • Traits: Medium armor penetrating, One handed, Chargeup, Explosive
Pros
  • Penetrates medium armor and explodes
  • Good damage for a sidearm
Cons
  • Shots need to be charged up
  • Feels counterintuitive as a secondary weapon

The Loyalist is a decent gun overshadowed by much better options. It comes with a few good perks, but suffers from the same issues as other plasma weapons. Namely, you need to charge it up to be effective, which isn’t something you want when switching to your secondary (in most cases). Still, it has its niche use and being able to penetrate medium armor and explode helps it a lot.

MP-98 Knight

  • Type: Submachine gun
  • Cost: Rank 21 (Marshal) with Super Citizen Edition
  • Damage: 65
  • Capacity: 50
  • Recoil: 15
  • Fire rate: 1380 RPM
  • Traits: Light armor penetrating, One-handed
Pros
  • Highest rate of fire in the game
Cons
  • Annoying recoil pattern
  • Exclusive, so can’t be obtained normally

As an exclusive Super Citizen SMG, the Knight is rarely seen in the game. It suffers from the same issue as most submachine guns, in that it deals low damage (with, admittedly, good fire rate) while taking up the primary slot. It has a high recoil that doesn’t help it deal more damage, despite firing so quickly.

P-2 Peacemaker

Helldivers 2 best weapons: A player checks the Peacemaker in their loadout. Image captured by VideoGamer.
The Peacemaker is a reliable choice but there are better secondary weapons in the game. Image captured by VideoGamer.
  • Type: Pistol
  • Cost: Free (default)
  • Damage: 75
  • Capacity: 15
  • Recoil: 23
  • Fire rate: 900 RPM
  • Traits: Light armor penetrating, One-handed
Pros
  • Good introductory sidearm
Cons
  • Often replaced by more specialized choices

The Peacemaker is the default pea-shooter we all started with. It does its job well for a starter secondary weapon, but can’t really compare to stronger options that came after it. It’s well-balanced with nothing going for or against it.

ARC-12 Blitzer

Helldivers 2 best weapons: A player checks out the Arc-12 Blitzer in the Warbonds menu. Image captured by VideoGamer.
The Arc-12 Blitzer is weaker than the Arc-3 Arc Thrower. Image captured by VideoGamer.
  • Type: Shotgun
  • Cost: 80 Medals on page 3 of Cutting Edge Warbond
  • Damage: 250
  • Capacity: Infinite
  • Recoil: 60
  • Fire rate: 45 RPM
  • Traits: Medium armor penetrating
Pros
  • Decent against Automatons
Cons
  • Punishingly slow rate of fire
  • Worst shotgun in the game

This weapon is good against Automatons but its slow fire rate makes it take a while to kill enemies. It has decent crowd control and is a good supplement to heavier weapons, especially when you take it against the bots. However, it is easily the weakest shotgun in the game.

PLAS-101 Purifier

Helldivers 2 get and use the Plas-101 Purifier - Weapons examination page
The Purifier has seen better days, unfortunately. Image captured by VideoGamer
  • Type: Energy-based
  • Cost: 80 Medals in Polar Patriots Warbond
  • Damage: 250
  • Capacity: 15
  • Recoil: 20
  • Fire rate: 250 RPM
  • Traits: Medium armor penetrating, Charge up, Explosive
Pros
  • Deals AoE damage
  • Recent buffs could make it viable for clearing hordes
Cons
  • Takes ages to charge every shot
  • There are much better options among stratagems

The Purifier has a very slow rate of fire, able to shoot every 2 seconds or so. It deals AoE damage with medium penetration, which doesn’t often equate to good practical use. It’s slow and has much lower damage than Scorcher or Punisher Plasma. However, recent buffs can make it a viable option for clearing hordes of enemies.

D-tier weapons

These are the weakest weapons in the game at the moment. They will require buffs to be more useful than other picks, so avoid them for now. Unless you really want to challenge yourself.

AR-23E Liberator Concussive

Helldivers 2 best weapons: A player checks out the Liberator Concussive in the Warbonds menu. Image captured by VideoGamer.
Opt for other assault rifles instead of the Liberator Concussive. Image captured by VideoGamer.
  • Type: Assault rifle
  • Cost: 20 Medals in Steeled Veterans Warbond
  • Damage: 65
  • Capacity: 30
  • Recoil: 28
  • Fire rate: 320 RPM
  • Traits: Light armor penetrating, Explosive
Pros
  • Great at stun-locking enemies
  • Deals extra damage to weak spots
Cons
  • Serves as a specialist niche gun

Artist formerly known as Liberator Explosive, this weapon should be able to deal extra damage to an enemy’s exposed weak points. However, it performs much better as a stun-lock weapon, as it’s able to stagger enemies it hits. We can classify it as a specialist pick at best.

R-2124 Constitution

Image of the stat screen for the R-2124 Constitution in Helldivers 2.
The Constitution is as obsolete as it looks. Captured by VideoGamer
  • Type: Marksman rifle
  • Cost: Liberty Day reward
  • Damage: 180
  • Capacity: 5
  • Recoil: 43
  • Fire rate: 60 RPM
  • Traits: Medium armor penetrating, Round reload
Pros
  • Free Liberty Day gift
  • Can pack a punch against medium armor
Cons
  • Very slow rate of fire
  • Low ammo capacity
  • Much better marksman options available

The Constitution was a Liberty Day gift that brought the gun from the first Helldivers game to the sequel. It’s a bolt-action marksman rifle that sadly leaves a lot to be desired and serves mostly as a fun joke. It’s not without its use but is simply not good enough in any sort of serious gameplay. It carries only five rounds, has a kick after each shot, and fires fairly slowly. None of this ingratiates the beloved weapon for anything more than a self-inflicted challenge.

P-11 Stim Pistol

Image of the stat screen for the P-11 Stim Pistol in Helldivers 2.
Stim gun lets you shoot your teammates without consequence. Captured by VideoGamer
  • Type: Special
  • Cost: 80 Medals in Chemical Agents Warbond
  • Damage: 0
  • Capacity: 6
  • Recoil: 23
  • Fire rate: 70
  • Traits: One-handed, Rounds Reload, Stimulative
Pros
  • Friendly fire actually helps your team
  • Can give small stamina boosts, which can help in kiting
Cons
  • Doesn’t deal damage, while taking away the valuable secondary slot
  • Very low healing compared to all the downsides

The Stim Pistol is a secondary weapon with good intentions. It heals your allies when you shoot them, giving them a small boost of health and stamina. In practice, you’re sacrificing a valuable slot to play a support role that is easily overwhelmed by the enemy’s damage. You could be shooting to thin down the hordes instead. It may have some value in supporting kiting tactics, but that again requires sacrificing your other duties.

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About the Author

Miljan Truc

Miljan has been into gaming since the days of Sega Mega Drive and Amiga. During his gaming career, he has raided at a high level, coached other players, and written about games since 2016.

Helldivers 2

  • Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 5
  • Genre(s): Action, Shooter, Third Person
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