The best Helldivers 2 Stratagems in the tier list below have been shuffled around recently, partly through balancing updates and partly through the release of the Patriot Exosuits. Stratagems are a massive part of how you play, but they're not all equal - some are pretty lacking, others are lethal, and some seem unassuming but can turn out to be gamechangers. If you want to know your Sentries from your Orbitals, here's the best Stratagems in Helldivers 2, with a comprehensive tier list to take you through them.
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.
- Patriot Exosuit (level 25): The Helldivers 2 mechs are armored vehicles with both rocket launchers and miniguns - and can turn the course of a battle easily.
- 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.
- Arc Thrower (level 15): An infinite-ammo lightning gun that can leap between enemies, and does extra damage to robots.
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
- Patriot Exosuit (mech)
- Eagle Airstrike
- EMS Mortar Sentry
- Eagle Cluster Bomb
- Arc Thrower
- A-tier
- Grenade Launcher
- Eagle 500kg Bomb
- Railcannon Strike
- Quasar Cannon
- Autocannon Sentry
- Guard Dog Rover
- Shield Generator Pack
- Mortar Sentry
- Jump Pack
- Expendable Anti-Tank
- Recoilless Rifle
- Stalwart
- Laser Cannon
- Autocannon
- B-tier
- Guard Dog
- Flamethrower
- Orbital Gas Strike
- Orbital Precision Strike
- Machine Gun
- Napalm Airstrike
- 380MM HE Barrage
- Rocket Sentry
- Gatling Sentry
- Anti-Personnel Minefield
- HMG Emplacement
- Anti-Materiel Rifle
- C-tier
- Machine Gun Sentry
- Orbital Walking Barrage
- Orbital Gatling Barrage
- Shield Generator Relay
- 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
- Orbital Smoke Strike
- Eagle Smoke Strike
- D-tier
- Supply Pack
- Ballistic Shield Backpack
How to unlock Stratagems
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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