Super Earth's arsenal in Helldivers 2 contains a wide variety of small arms for players to use, from assault rifles to laser guns, automatic shotguns, and many variants of each archetype that offer completely new ways of spreading democracy. Each weapon does have its strengths and weaknesses, and players will need only the best if they want to liberate the galaxy.

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There are 29 primary weapons in Helldivers 2, but only 14 are unlockable as of writing. While there's no doubt that more will be added to the game in future patches, here are some of the best guns players and their friends can use right now.

Updated April 11, 2024 by Marc Santos: As of writing Helldivers 2 has seen the addition of two Premium Warbonds, both of which contain primary weapons that easily make it onto this list. As such, this piece has been updated to contain three weapons from the Democratic Detonation and Cutting Edge Warbonds, each ranked according to the value they provide relative to the original arsenal. Primary weapons from future Warbonds will be added to this list should they contain any weapons worthy of being recognized among the best guns in Helldivers 2.

10 LAS-5 Scythe

Pinpoint Accuracy With Zero Recoil

• Damage: 300/sec
• Fire Limit: ~8 seconds (Beam)
• Recoil: 1
• Stun Time: 0.0s

The LAS-5 Scythe may seem completely underwhelming at first, but it is surprisingly strong against all types of Automaton infantry, especially armored Devastators and chainsaw-wielding Berserkers. It suffers from its inability to stagger targets, but such a thing doesn't matter against bots who rarely ever get staggered by anything but the meanest of guns. The Scythe's pinpoint accuracy and non-existent recoil means it can melt weakpoints very easily.

The Scythe's biggest strength is its access to virtually unlimited ammunition. Since it uses a Heat mechanic, players can finish a mission without ever reloading this weapon as long as it doesn't overheat. However, this weapon's DPS (listed as 300/sec in-game) is rather low compared to other primary weapons, and it's terrible against bugs and melee enemy swarms that are barreling toward players

9 JAR-5 Dominator

Hard Counter For Heavy Infantry

• Damage: 300
• Capacity: 15
• Recoil: 75
• Fire Rate: 250 (Burst/Semi)

The Dominator is an unlockable weapon that's effective against medium armor. It fires explosive bolts that deal serious damage and can stun heavy targets like Terminid Brood Commanders, Spewers, Stalkers, and armored Warrior variants. Like the Scythe, this gun is significantly more effective against Automatons in difficult missions — it can take out Berserkers and Devastators with ease, and since normal Automaton infantry move very slowly, lining up shots with the Dominator becomes less of an issue.

This gun suffers from high recoil, a small magazine capacity, and slow handling. However, each shot from the Dominator packs a very mean punch, making it great for taking out beefy targets.

Players can get the JAR-5 Dominator by purchasing the Steeled Veterans Warbond and spending a little over 300 Medals on it to unlock the rifle. Just keep in mind that the Dominator feels very different from the majority of other weapons, and it will take some getting used to.

8 AR-23 Liberator

Reliable General Purpose Assault Rifle

• Damage: 55
• Capacity: 45
• Recoil: 15
• Fire Rate: 640 (Full Auto/Burst/Semi)

One of the best weapons in Helldivers 2 is given to players right at the start of the game. The default Liberator is one of the most reliable guns in the arsenal, sporting average stats across the board. It's lethal against anything that isn't heavily armored, which means even fresh recruits can be effective without unlocking any new guns.

Players can't go wrong by bringing a Liberator to any battlefield, though there are other weapons that outperform it when it comes to damage output. It can only pierce light armor, so one will have to find some other way to deal with heavy infantry, large bugs, and vehicles.

The Liberator has Explosive and Penetrator variants locked inside the Helldivers Mobilize and Steeled Veteran Warbonds. The Explosive version can stunlock enemies at the expense of having less ammo and a slower ROF. Meanwhile, the Penetrator trades ammo capacity, raw damage, and the full-auto firing mode for the ability to pierce medium armor. Both have their uses, but they pale in comparison to the default weapon's versatility.

7 SMG-37 Defender

Slow Pace, High Damage

• Damage: 70
• Capacity: 45
• Recoil: 10
• Fire Rate: 520

The Defender falls under the same category as the Liberator. It is an automatic weapon that excels at eliminating light targets. Compared to the Liberator, this gun kicks less and hits harder, but it also fires noticeably slower.

One of the main draws of the Defender is its ability to be wielded with one hand. If players are doing missions that require them to transport SSSDs and other devices, consider taking this SMG along so the team never loses firepower.

Mathematically, the Defender will outpace the Liberator in terms of DPS. However, since both are very comparable when it comes to performance in practical situations, choosing between these two primary weapons is mostly up to player preference.

6 LAS-16 Sickle

Mow 'Em Down With Infinite Ammo

• Damage: 55
• Fire Limit: 9 seconds
• Recoil: 2
• Fire Rate: 75

As far as fully-automatic, assault rifle-style weapons go, the Sickle might just be the best. It has comparable stats to the Liberator, except it has no recoil, almost twice the magazine size, faster empty reloads, and virtually infinite ammo. The only real downsides of this gun are its poor accuracy and the fact that it needs to wind up before it can shoot.

The Sickle is easily one of the best weapons to use against bugs in Helldivers 2 because they throw so many unarmored targets at players. Just point the Sickle in the general direction of a bug breach, and let it rip.

5 CB-9 Exploding Crossbow

Blow 'Em All To Bits

• Damage: 420
• Capacity: 5
• Recoil: 35
• Fire Rate: 50

The Exploding Crossbow's slow projectiles and low effective range is immediately compensated for by the fact that it's basically a grenade launcher. This weapon will destroy any light infantry within 9 meters of its explosive payload, and it's not bad against heavier targets either (it might take a few shots to take them down, though).

Players can take this weapon to any front of the galactic war and see success. However, due to the large blast radius of the Exploding Crossbow's bolts, extreme caution is advised.

4 SG-8S Slugger

Slow Yet Solid Shooter

• Damage: 280
• Capacity: 16
• Recoil: 120
• Fire Rate: 80

The Slugger is a variant of the Punisher shotgun that fires single, high-damage slugs instead of buckshot. This weapon deals immense damage to enemies, and despite its in-game description, it can punch through medium armor. The Slugger can take down priority targets like Chargers, Stalkers, Devastators, and Striders with ease.

The downsides of this weapon are its slow rate of fire and low total ammo count. Patch 1.000.100 increased its maximum ammo from 40 to 60, but that's still not enough considering how enemies from a single bug breach can surpass that number. Players can disregard its small magazine size thanks to its single-round reloading mechanism that can be canceled at any time.

3 PLAS-1 Scorcher

Explosive Plasma Bolts Scorch Flesh and Armor Alike

• Damage: 100
• Capacity: 15
• Recoil: 20
• Fire Rate: 250

The PLAS-1 is the final weapon of the Helldivers Mobilize Warbond, and it's easily one of the best primary weapons in the game when it comes to fighting Automatons or anything with medium or even heavy armor. It can destroy Automaton Striders even if it hits their front shields, and it can strip the armor off Charger legs too. The PLAS-1 can kill most light infantry in 1-2 shots as well, a testament to the power of its exploding projectiles.

However, the weapon's ammo efficiency is incredibly lackluster. With just 15 shots per clip and six magazines in reserve, players will be hard-pressed for ammunition if they find themselves dealing with too many enemies during a mission. Also, the gun's explosive munitions can result in friendly fire.

2 R-36 Eruptor

A Special Gun For Very Specific Problems

• Damage: 380
• Capacity: 5
• Recoil: 75
• Fire Rate: 25

The Eruptor is a special case. It's a bolt action sniper rifle that fires jet-propelled, explosive rounds. Unlike the Dominator, this one fires actual exploding rounds that can destroy buildings, vehicles, and even groups of enemies that get caught within the small blast radius of its bullets. It's surprisingly versatile — the Eruptor works great against bots and bugs, assuming it's used according to its strengths and weaknesses.

This rifle is slow and feels more like a support weapon than a primary weapon. However, considering how easily the Eruptor can destroy objectives (especially Automaton side objectives) from afar, it definitely deserves to be recognized as one of the best primary weapons in the game.

1 SG-225 Breaker

DPS King Versus Soft Targets

• Damage: 330 (1650 DPS)
• Capacity: 13
• Recoil: 55
• Fire Rate: 300 (Full Auto/Semi)

As of writing, the SG-225 Breaker is the undisputed king of primary weapons in the game. It's a fully automatic shotgun that will absolutely shred light infantry at close-medium ranges. The Breaker is also the preferred primary weapon for taking out Chargers that have been stripped of armor. It outpaces every other primary weapon in the game when it comes to raw killing power, but its strong recoil and low ammo capacity of 13 shots makes it inefficient against large groups of weaker enemies.

Originally, the Breaker was able to accurately lay down fire even up to medium range thanks to its tight pellet spread and manageable muzzle climb. Patch 1.000.100 has since increased the weapon's recoil, making the Breaker slightly less effective at these ranges by forcing players to pace their shots more slowly. This doesn't affect its DPS, however, which means this shotgun is still the best when it comes to chewing things up in close range.

Helldivers 2

Platform(s)

PC , PS5

Released

February 8, 2024

Developer(s)

Arrowhead Game Studios

Genre(s)

Shooter