Helldivers 2 players gain access to new weaponry with the release of each new Warbond. While energy weapons have been around since the game's launch, many new ones were introduced later on. There are now multiple primary, secondary, and support energy weapons.
Helldivers 2: Weapon Tier List
Here’s a list of the best weapons you can purchase in Helldivers 2 to defend Super Earth from alien forces.
Many, but not all, of the energy weapons in the game are lasers and don't require ammo to function. Others, like the PLAS-1 Scorcher, use a great deal of ammo quickly. Using energy weapons is easy, but mastering them can take some time and effort.
8 LAS-7 Dagger
Decent In A Pinch
- 200 damage/second
- Unlock for 60 Medals on Page 3 of Cutting Edge Warbond
The LAS-7 Dagger is a secondary weapon that fires a single laser beam at its targets. It is very similar to the LAS-5 Scythe but as a pistol instead of a rifle. The best part about this gun is that it essentially has unlimited ammo. This makes it a reliable sidearm to use in a pinch when all the ammo has been used up for primary and support weapons.
The downside is that it takes longer to kill an enemy than most players would like. If players are out of ammo and surrounded by enemies, the LAS-7 Dagger may or may not help them get out of the situation alive due to its low damage output. Mastering this sidearm is as much a question of knowing how to stay alive while outnumbered as it is using the gun itself.
7 LAS-5 Scythe
Primary Weapon That Fires A Continuous Laser Beam
- 300 damage/second
- Unlock for 30 Medals on Page 5
Like other laser weapons, the LAS-5 Scythe fires a concentrated laser beam instead of projectiles. The weapon only needs to be reloaded if the beam is fired for too long and overheats. Otherwise, its capacity to fire is effectively limitless. The beam also does not ricochet off of armored targets, which reduces the risk of friendly fire compared to other weapons.
The laser also packs a heavy punch, dealing 300 damage per second in addition to having so much firing capacity. The LAS-5 Scythe is one of the best primary weapons in the game, especially for players who want to specialize in energy weapons. Mastering it is not particularly difficult, although players will need to develop an understanding of just how long they can fire its beam without overheating to truly wield this gun at its maximum potential.
6 LAS-98 Laser Cannon
Support Weapon That Fires A Large Laser Beam
- 400 damage/second
- Unlock for 4000 Requisition Slips at Level 5
The LAS-98 Laser Cannon is a weapon that made its first appearance in the original Helldivers. It returns in Helldivers 2 as a shoulder-mounted cannon that fires a huge continual laser beam at targets. It pierces through light and medium armor, which makes it a good Support Weapon when fighting against enemies like Hiveguards and Chargers.
Like other laser weapons, the laser cannon only needs to be reloaded if it overheats due to being fired for too long. Not having to keep track of ammo is a compelling reason to give this Support Weapon a shot. Players should make sure to offset the laser cannon's recoil and never let it overheat in order to master it.
5 LAS-16 Sickle
Automatic Rifle With The Traits Of An Energy Weapon
- 55 damage
- Unlock for 20 Medals on Page 1 of Cutting Edge
The LAS-16 Sickle is an energy weapon that shoots like an assault rifle. It is similar to the Liberator except that it has the ammo traits of an energy weapon and the added bonus of having no recoil.
Players who test out the Sickle for the first time will need to adjust to the time it takes to start firing because the gun has to wind up for a few seconds first. This and its relatively poor accuracy are the weapon's biggest downsides. However, for players who want a fully automatic rifle that has several advantages over more traditional guns, this gun is a great choice.
4 LAS-99 Quasar Cannon
Take Out The Biggest Threats In The Game With This Cannon
- Deals enough damage to kill a Charger
- Unlock for 7500 Requisition Slips at Level 18
The LAS-99 Quasar Cannon is a Support Weapon Stratagem that many players have come to love. If aimed at weak spots, it can kill a Charger or a Bot Dropship in a single hit. It also only takes two or three shots to kill a Bile Titan. In addition to these impressive feats, the Quasar Cannon can also be used to close Bug Holes and destroy Fabricators by hitting their vents head-on.
Helldivers 2: How to Get & Use the Quasar Cannon
Fire an explosive energy burst at the speed of light. Here's how to make the most of the new anti-tank Quasar Cannon weapon in Helldivers 2.
The Quasar Cannon takes a few seconds to charge up before it can be fired and also needs time to cool off before players can fire it again. It also does not have a large explosion radius, so players need to make every shot with it count. Players master this Support Weapon by having high accuracy and the patience to deal with the significant time between shots.
3 Punisher Plasma
More Grenade Launcher Than Shotgun
- 100 damage with area-of-effect
- Unlock for 60 Medals on Page 2 of Cutting Edge Warbond
The Punisher Plasma is officially a shotgun, but it fires more like a grenade launcher. It lobs an orb of energy that deals damage in a small radius around where it lands. By effectively taking on crowds, the Punisher Plasma fills the role that many Support Weapons do. This means that using the Punisher Plasma effectively frees up a loadout slot so that players can focus on bringing Strategems that target specific enemies instead.
Helldivers 2: 9 Best Items From The Cutting Edge Warbond
The Cutting Edge Warbond introduced new sets of armor and unique weapons, most of which center around arc damage.
With the area-of-effect damage, players can easily accidentally hurt or kill themselves if they fire it in close-quarters situations. Players that want to master this gun need to learn the minimum distance that they can fire without hurting themselves in addition to learning how to adjust aim to compensate for how gravity pulls the energy blast downward over distances.
2 PLAS-1 Scorcher
Effective Weapon That Uses Ammo Quickly
- 100 damage
- Unlock for 75 Medals on Page 10
Found on the very last page of the original Warbond, the PLAS-1 Scorcher is a weapon worth the time and effort it takes to unlock it. Unlike laser weapons, this gun fires projectiles at its target and therefore needs standard ammo to keep firing. Players using the Scorcher need to keep a careful eye on their ammo capacity because it does run out very quickly.
Its projectiles do damage in a very small radius around where they impact, which is great for clearing out swarms of enemies. However, this makes it very easy for players to hurt themselves or allies because the impact's range is not always clear at first. Players need to master this along with finding ways to balance out the gun's ammo problems.
1 ARC-12 Blitzer
Shoots Tendrils Of Electricity
- 250 damage
- Unlock for 80 Medals on Page 3 of Cutting Edge Warbond
The ARC-12 Blitzer is a shotgun that uses electricity to kill its targets. When fired, it launches multiple arcs of electricity and can deal 250 damage if they each connect to the same target. Players have had mixed success, however, and have found that the damage output is unfortunately inconsistent.
Players that use any of the armor from the Cutting Edge Warbond have the added bonus of not taking much friendly fire from this weapon since it fires electricity. This, along with its effectively infinite ammo capacity, makes the ARC-12 Blitzer a good contender for players looking for new primary weapons to test out. With practice, players can take the Blitzer's inconsistent damage and learn to hit consistently for its maximum damage.
