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Helldivers 2 Stratagem tier list and the best ones to choose

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After a hefty patch, here are the best Helldivers 2 Stratagems and support weapons

Helldivers 2 Helldiver looking at snowy automaton base getting bombarded by two orbital 380mm HE barrages
(Image credit: Sony)
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Packing the best Helldivers 2 Stratagems into your loadout can be crucial for mission success, providing extra firepower and vital support in the form of high-tech weapons, orbital bombardments, and airstrikes. But, because you can select only four Stratagems for your mission loadout, you want to think carefully about what you bring. What are your teammates choosing? What are the mission objectives? It doesn't help that there are so many of them now either. To help you figure out the best from the worst, we’ve ranked every HD2 Stratagem in a tier list below. You won’t just be ordering airstrikes and bombing runs, but you’ll also be calling in powerful weapons and special equipment to take with you on the battlefield.

Best Stratagems in Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 stratagems emancipator autocannon exosuit in bug nest

(Image credit: Sony)

For us, the best Helldivers 2 Stratagems are ones that work in pretty much any mission, either because of their overall power, making them great against almost all Helldivers 2 enemies, or because of the essential support they provide. For example, the Orbital Laser and several other orbital strike weapons are effective against all three enemy factions and it's worth packing at least one of them, no matter the mission you're on.

And if you're playing on the highest Helldivers 2 difficulty levels, you'll definitely want one of your Stratagems to be a support weapon to help you make a top-tier Helldivers 2 loadout. In short, things like the Railgun, Coomando, and any of the dedicated anti-tank weapons are incredibly useful to have.

We've got a full Stratagem tier list below, but you might also want to check out our guide on the best Helldivers 2 weapons for your loadout, so you know what to pack in your hellpod as well as what you can call in from your Super Destroyer.

S-tier Helldivers 2 Stratagems

Stratagems that are useful in pretty much any mission or are absolute must-picks against a certain Helldivers 2 faction:

  • Orbital Laser
  • Orbital 380mm HE Barrage
  • Orbital Gas Strike
  • Orbital Precision Strike
  • Commando
  • Quasar Cannon
  • Expendable Anti-Tank
  • Railgun
  • Autocannon
  • Flamethrower
  • Speargun
  • Shield Generator Pack
  • Warp Pack
  • Jump Pack

A-tier Helldivers 2 Stratagems

Great Helldivers 2 Stratagems that can be excellent in the right situations and when used effectively:

  • Eagle 500kg Bomb
  • Eagle Airstrike
  • Orbital Napalm Barrage
  • Orbital 120mm HE Barrage
  • Orbital Walking Barrage
  • Eagle Strafing Run
  • Eagle Cluster Bomb
  • Eagle Napalm Strike
  • Epoch
  • Recoilless Rifle
  • WASP Launcher
  • De-Escalator
  • Grenade Launcher
  • Anti-Materiel Rifle
  • Spear
  • Machine Gun
  • Airburst Rocket Launcher
  • Hover Pack
  • Autocannon Sentry
  • Gatling Sentry
  • Anti-Tank Emplacement
  • Machine Gun Sentry
  • Portable Hellbomb
  • Guard Dog Hot Dog
  • Defoliation Tool

B-tier Helldivers 2 Stratagems

Solid Stratagems that aren't quite as powerful as those in S or A-tier and are either outclassed by superior Stratagems or come with some caveats:

  • Orbital Gatling Barrage
  • Stalwart
  • Heavy Machine Gun
  • Laser Cannon
  • Expendable Napalm
  • Emancipator Exosuit
  • Patriot Exosuit
  • HMG Emplacement
  • Rocket Sentry
  • Supply Pack
  • Maxigun
  • Arc Thrower
  • Guard Dog Rover
  • Guard Dog
  • Orbital Railcannon Strike
  • Flame Sentry
  • Tesla Tower
  • EMS Mortar Sentry

C-tier Helldivers 2 Stratagems

Average Stratagems and support weapons that are usable but are limited in their effectiveness, often having superior alternatives:

  • Eagle 110mm Rocket Pods
  • Fast Recon Vehicle
  • Ballistic Shield Backpack
  • Orbital EMS Strike
  • Orbital Airburst Strike
  • Solo Silo
  • Gas Mines
  • Anti-Personnel Minefield
  • Incendiary Mines
  • Anti-Tank Mines
  • Laser Sentry
  • Shield Generator Relay
  • Directional Shield
  • Mortar Sentry

D-tier Helldivers 2 Stratagems

There's little that justifies picking these Stratagems as they don't quite bring enough to the team during a mission and you'll sacrifice the chance to choose a much better Stratagem by picking these:

  • Grenadier Battlement
  • Sterilizer
  • Guard Dog K-9
  • Guard Dog Dog Breath
  • Orbital Smoke Strike
  • Eagle Smoke Strike
  • One True Flag

How to unlock new Stratagems in Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 Stratagems

(Image credit: Sony)

Just in case you aren't aware of how to bulk out your Stratagem arsenal, you can get more Stratagems via the Ship Management terminal on your Super Destroyer ship. Firstly, you need to meet a minimum level requirement to purchase a given Stratagem, and then you'll need to pay a number of Requisition Slips - they can range from a few thousand slips to up to over 20,000 - to unlock it permanently, letting you choose it in the pre-mission loadout menu.

You'll also notice that some Stratagems are locked behind Warbonds, so instead of being a certain level, you need to buy the Warbond with Super Credits first. Then you can buy any Stratagems contained within using your Helldivers 2 Medals to unlock them for use in missions - if you want some pointers on which are best to buy, take a look at our Helldivers 2 Warbond tier list.

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Joel Franey
Joel Franey
Guides Editor, GamesRadar+

Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.

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