How to use the Orbital 120mm HE Barrage to get the most kills in Helldivers 2

In Helldivers 2, players can use dozens of Stratagems against the enemies of Super Earth, but few are as chaotic and deadly as the Orbital 120mm HE Barrage.

When jumping into any mission in Helldivers 2, players must carefully consider their loadouts. Not only do the weapons they use play into how they’ll perform and how useful they’ll be, but they must also think about which Stratagems are going to be the most useful. Some are better than others against each enemy faction, and others, such as the Orbital 120mm HE Barrage, come down to skill and experience. The better you know them, the more enemies you’ll kill using them.

How to use the Orbital 120mm HE Barrage in Helldivers 2

Using the Orbital 120mm HE Barrage in Helldivers 2 is more than calling the Stratagem and throwing out its beacon. It takes about 12 seconds to deploy, and you will see a string of 120mm rounds fire down from your ship in the area where you threw that beacon, so you need to know that there will be enemies there in the near future.

This Stratagem is best used when enemies are chasing you, or you’re trapped in a small area with enemies swarming your team. The end of a mission is perfect because that’s when enemies really go for you, and this Stratagem is guaranteed to pick off a few enemies in those instances.

Another key to using this Stratagem is staying clear of its firing area. If you’re caught in it, you’ll die, and the same applies to your teammates. You need to deploy it pretty safely away from anyone you don’t want to die but close enough to your enemies that it’ll catch them. If there are any slow enemies like Tanks or Bile Titans on the map, they’re perfect for ambushing with it.

How to get the Orbital 120mm HE Barrage in Helldivers 2

To get the Orbital 120mm HE Barrage in Helldivers 2, you need to buy it from the Stratagems section of the Ship Management Menu. It’s cheap—a few hundred Requisition Slips—and one of the first Stratagems you should really buy. Its sheer power, however undirected, is enough to make light work of enemies on most difficulties.

Best loadout for the Orbital 120mm HE Barrage in Helldivers 2

As with any mission in Helldivers 2, the best loadout for the Orbital 120mm HE Barrage is whatever you’re comfortable with. No weapon will make it more efficient, but I have found getting the Machine Gun or Stalwart will allow you to kill and lure enemies into the path of this Stratagem. The Localization Confusion Booster also works really well and culling enemy numbers in frantic missions so you can properly target the groups that do pop up.