The best Helldivers 2 Stratagems in our tier list will help players understand what they need to bring in with them. Almost as important as the weapons you choose in your loadout, Stratagems are special equipment drops, killstreaks and special attacks that players can have sent down from their Destroyer dropship after rapidly keying in the right trigger code - and they're an integral part of the meta.
In the wake of the Helldivers 2 Escalation of Freedom update, we've seen some shifts in Stratagem tier list - the most significant one of which being the nerfing of the community's beloved flamethrower, taking it out of the rotation for many players. Still, there's plenty of S-tier Stratagems out there, and we'll take you through the best of them in Helldivers 2 below.
Best Helldivers 2 Stratagems
We've got a full Stratagem Tier list below, but if you're planning on going into the field and need some ideas about what to bring, here's some of the best Helldivers 2 Stratagems.
- Railgun (level 20): Really simply, the Railgun is inarguably at the top of the Helldivers 2 best weapons tier list. Being able to summon Railguns for yourself and allies is just a hugely helpful advantage.
- Orbital Laser (level 20): A giant laser fired from space that cuts through enemies, bug holes and fabricators, while also actively hunting down targets.
- Eagle Airstrike (level 3): A simple air attack that hits a lovely middle ground for damage, AOE and recharge rate.
- EMS Mortar Sentry (level 20): An enemy-slowing effect might not sound impressive, but being able to stun all foes for a long radius and leave them vulnerable - without threatening your own team - can make or break a tense extraction or citizen evac.
- Eagle Cluster Bomb (level 3): A wider-reaching bomb attack that clears huge crowds of enemies.
- Quasar Cannon (level 18): A long-charge up and cooldown can't stop this deadly energy-based launcher with infinite ammo, perfect for bringing down powerful targets.
Stratagem Tier List for Helldivers 2
The best Stratagems in Helldivers 2 are all laid out in our tier list below - every single one of them.
- S-tier
- Railgun
- Orbital Laser
- Eagle Airstrike
- EMS Mortar Sentry
- Eagle Cluster Bomb
- Quasar Cannon
- Commando
- A-tier
- Emancipator (Mech)
- Autocannon
- Grenade Launcher
- Eagle 500kg Bomb
- Railcannon Strike
- Patriot Exosuit (Mech)
- Autocannon Sentry
- Guard Dog Rover
- Shield Generator Pack
- Mortar Sentry
- Arc Thrower
- Jump Pack
- Anti-Materiel Rifle
- Expendable Anti-Tank
- Recoilless Rifle
- Stalwart
- Laser Cannon
- B-tier
- Flamethrower
- Orbital Gas Strike
- Orbital Precision Strike
- Machine Gun
- Napalm Airstrike
- 380MM HE Barrage
- Rocket Sentry
- Guard Dog
- Gatling Sentry
- Anti-Personnel Minefield
- HMG Emplacement
- C-tier
- Machine Gun Sentry
- Orbital Walking Barrage
- Orbital Gatling Barrage
- Shield Generator Relay
- Anti-Tank Mines
- Incendiary Mines
- Orbital Airburst Strike
- Orbital EMS Strike
- Eagle Strafing Run
- Heavy Machine Gun
- 120MM HE Barrage
- Eagle 110MM Rocket Pods
- Spear Launcher
- Tesla Tower
- RL-77 Airburst Rocket Launcher
- Orbital Smoke Strike
- Eagle Smoke Strike
- D-tier
- Supply Pack
- Ballistic Shield Backpack
How to unlock new Stratagems in Helldivers 2
As discussed previously, Stratagems can be bought on your hub ship by paying with Requisition Slips, rewards obtained from playing the game well, completing objectives, and finding them at Points of Interest. To buy Stratagems, go to one of the Ship Management terminals beneath the big propaganda-playing screen, over on the left when you step out of your pod and head up the little steps to the main deck.
Because you can only have four Stratagems equipped going into a mission, you want to think carefully about which ones you choose - what do your allies have? What are the mission objectives? Are there any combos that do or don't work well together?
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