Helldivers 2: Top 6 underrated weapons and stratagems

While there are many standout Stratagems in Helldivers 2 that see a lot of use thanks to their versatility and utility in most missions, other types of ordinance have flown under the radar for most prospective Helldivers. Ever since the nerfs given out to the Railgun, Shield Generator Backpack, and Breaker shotgun combo, many players have gone back to the experimental phase of weapons testing. Arrowhead Game intends for every tool in our kit to solve a certain problem, which is why they balance the weapons to ensure that everything is given a purpose in the mission.  We will talk about some of the sleeper hits for weapons and Stratagems that you should give another look at.

Flamethrower

After Arrowhead Games gave this support Stratagem a direct buff to its damage, it has become one of the better weapons for Terminids, especially against Chargers. The best way to quickly kill Chargers with this weapon is by aiming for the leg, much like the Railgun. This is because enemies do not traditionally have a single health bar. Instead, each body part has its own health values that will kill a Terminid if said body part is destroyed. It is also very useful for closing choke points and flushing out any Bug Breaches. While this weapon falls off against the Automatons, it still fulfills that fantasy of burning out bugs.

Arc Thrower

Despite the weapon not leaving any visible damage, believe us when we say that it can kill heavy enemies and not just light mobs. People initially put the weapon off because it felt weak and slow to fire, but after some extensive playtime with the weapon, the Arc Thrower has more depth than it initially shows. Not only can it handle Terminids and Automatons well, but it can also kill heavy enemies with enough shots at a general body part. Chargers, Bile Titans, Hulks, Walkers, and Tanks will take a fair number of shots to kill them, considering the infinite ammo nature of the weapon.

To make this weapon fire faster, fully charge your first shot. After the first shot, you can charge the weapon halfway through or even a quarter of the way there, and it will still shoot out the arc with full range and damage, making it surprisingly effective against large groups of enemies.

SPEAR

Despite the SPEAR’s somewhat wonky lock-on system, it is still a highly versatile support weapon that can make quick work of Bile Titans and objectives from longer distances. Biles can be one-shot by a SPEAR missile to the head, making it valuable on harder missions. It can also destroy Automaton materiel like Cannon Towers, Fabricators, tanks, and Hulks, though the latter will require more shots to destroy. Still, it has enough firepower to one-shot the most important targets in the enemy’s composition. The SPEAR does more damage than the Recoilless Rifle, reloads around the same time, and has the added guidance system bonus.

Laser Cannon

This weapon is now an anti-tank weapon with its increased durable armor penetration. Now it can kill Chargers, Brood Commanders, and all types of Automaton targets (if you hit their respective weakspots.) Much like the Arc Thrower, it is a near-infinite ammo weapon with tons of use cases on every mission. While it isn’t as potent as the Railgun, it can still effectively take down heavy armor with less risk than the aforementioned weapon. It can also deal with chaff enemies just as well, making this a veritable Swiss Army knife for when ammo supplies are tight. Just make sure not to overheat the weapon, or you will have to replace the heatsink, which you only carry one of.

Orbital Airburst

The Orbital Airburst Strike is effective in saturating an area near a Bug Breach with extreme firepower. This Stratagem functions like a shotgun firing from above, which can make short of enemies up to Bile Spewers in a small area. Throw the beacon right on top of a Breach and watch your kill count climb up with each barrage. As a barrage-type Stratagem, it can be upgraded with the More Guns upgrade, giving it an extra salvo to shoot before going on cooldown. If you need to lock down an area with precision, the Orbital Airburst is your friend.

PLAS-1 Scorcher

As an explosive weapon, the PLAS-1 Scorcher is purpose-made to deal with medium enemies that have a fair bit of armor, especially against Automaton units like the Scout Strider and the Devastator variants. The explosion’s hitbox will bypass medium armor and hit weakspots with just a few shots. While this weapon has a relatively small mag size, it makes up for its sheer firepower for a primary weapon. When squaring off against the machine menace, give the Scorcher a chance, and you’ll be destroying the bigger threats in a horde.