Helldivers 2 Best weapons tier list

Helldivers 2 sports a healthy amount of weapons, but if put into a tier list, where do your favorites lie? Check out what we have below. 

Helldivers 2 Best weapons tier list

The weapons shown are those that are used in your loadout and those you can call in with the Stratagem system. We’ve also taken into account the recent patch, so these are Helldivers 2’s best weapons after the patch.

S-Tier

The weapons on this tier are perhaps the best of the best and can be taken to almost any scenario in Helldivers 2, including the harder difficulties like Suicide Mission and higher. These are the S-Tier weapons in Helldivers 2:

• Arc Thrower (Stratagem) – The Arc Thrower is hands down one of the best all-rounders in the game. It can clear enemy waves easily thanks to the chain lightning and even ignore armor. The only downside is that it’s easy to kill teammates if they are close to the chain lightning.
• Railgun (Stratagem) – Despite the recent nerfs to armor penetration, the Railgun is still very solid for what it does. Gone are the days of cheesing Bile Titans with one to two shots, but it’ll still outclass most single-target weapons in the game.
• SG-225 Breaker – The Breaker was recently nerfed, but still can hold its own. You’ll find yourself reloading more and maybe missing a few shots from recoil, but this thing can melt enemies that get too close to you, namely those pesky Hunters that overwhelm you.
• Plas-1 Scorcher – Once players start reaching the harder difficulties and getting to the final page of the Warbond Progression, the Plasma Scorcher is going to help so much. It’s a rifle that packs a serious punch and can destroy armored targets faster than normal primaries, but there’s the cost of self-damage if shot too close to yourself and other teammates.
• Spear (Stratagem) – If you need to take down a big target like a Tank, Hulk, or Bile Titan, the Spear is an awesome choice. It’s basically a Javelin and can deal devastating damage to armored targets. When you have a teammate helping you reload with the backpack, you’ll feel unstoppable.
• AR-23C Liberator Concussive – The Concussive Liberator is a modified version of the standard Liberator assault rifle, now with explosive bullets that stun enemies. Despite being labeled as explosive, you won’t deal self-damage. It’s more for utility in slowing down mobs and disorienting them, so it’s good for crowd control.
• G-10 Incendiary – The Incendiary is definitely one of the strongest grenades in the game. It has a long fuse time, but its blast radius is huge and it leaves a devastating, lingering flame that can clear crowds like nothing. Because it explodes, it can also be used to seal up bug holes.
• SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary – The Incendiary Breaker somehow dodged the nerfs that the original Breaker did. It may lack some stopping power, but those fiery bullets pierce smaller enemies and are perfect when you’re being swarmed by a bunch of Hunters, Stalkers, and Warriors. Just be careful to not light your teammates on fire.
• ARC-12 Blitzer – The Blitzer shotgun is the younger cousin of the Arc Thrower. It has infinite ammo, it’s a contender to be an all-rounder, and it can also possibly chain off and kill your team mates. This is the epitome of power creep.

A-Tier

The weapons in this tier are quite versatile and can be used against both factions. They aren’t as strong as the S-Tier picks, but they can definitely hold their own even as you get into the harder content. These are the A-Tier weapons in Helldivers 2:

• AR-23 Liberator – The Liberator is the starting assault rifle in the game and is serviceable and very versatile. It isn’t as powerful as other weapons, nor is it weak. It’s just balanced.
• Laser Cannon (Stratagem) – The Laser Cannon was one of the weapons that was buffed in the latest patch and it can pack a serious punch. Especially in earlier levels as you’re still unlocking stuff, you won’t be disappointed with this. Just try not to overheat the thing.
• Grenade Launcher (Stratagem) – When you want to plug the bug holes and destroy the Automaton fabricators, the Grenade Launcher is a solid go-to weapon. To complement your grenade inventory, nade launchers can do the trick and deal exceptional damage outside of these objectives. Just warn your teammates about danger close.
• Anti-Materiel Rifle (Stratagem) – The Anti-Materiel Rifle is a good heavy sniper in the earlier game as you won’t have access to something like the Railgun or Spear. Of course, it’s optimal to use this on large, armored enemies instead of small fries.
• P-19 Redeemer – When reloading your other weapons takes too long and you’re in a pinch, the Redeemer is going to save you. As the saying goes, “Switching to your pistol is faster than reloading.”
• SG-225SP Breaker Spray & Pray – The Spray & Pray Breaker is almost as good as its earlier counterpart, especially with recent buffs. It just lacks a bit of firepower compared to the normal Breaker.
• Expendable Anti-Tank (Stratagem) – The Anti-Tank is an alternative to the Recoilless Rifle. If you don’t like the backpack reloading of that weapon, then this is it. The Expendable Anti-Tank also cools down a lot quicker.
• Autocannon (Stratagem) – Similar to the Recoilless Rifle, the Autocannon does have the backpack reload thing to worry about. It’s very strong against single-target armored enemies, so don’t write it off as a pointless two-person weapon.
• P-4 Senator – The Senator is a strong revolver that packs a serious punch and can one-shot small fries. If you need something quick to swap to, this is it. The only weakness is that it’s not good at clearing crowds.
• SG-8P Punisher Plasma – The Plasma Punisher is quite a solid weapon. It’s an energy grenade launcher that shoots a projectile that explodes on impact. It’s good for mobbing, but it can’t destroy bug holes. Also, don’t shoot this too close to yourself or you’re going to blow up.
• G-23 Stun – The Stun grenade is good for when you’re trying to run away from a huge mob of enemies. You’re prioritizing crowd control and utility over damage output, but this can still save you in a pinch. Just don’t chuck these at your teammates or bug holes.
• LAS-16 Sickle – The Laser Sickle is a solid weapon overall. It plays just like an assault rifle, but with the energy ammo mechanic. Fire it for too long and you will have to reload. So, if you fire this gun in bursts and let the battery cool, you’ll never have to reload. It’s loads of fun and can hold its own.
• LAS-7 Dagger – The Laser Dagger is a very solid sidearm to use when reloading isn’t fast enough. It feels like a worthy substitute for the P-19 Redeemer. The Laser also has a battery mechanic, so you can fire at your heart’s content and reload it, or carefully prevent it from overheating.

B-Tier

The weapons in this tier are good in their own right. They are a bit more niche, but can still get the job done. These are the B-Tier weapons in Helldivers 2:

• Stalwart (Stratagem) – The Stalwart is good when you’re starting out in Helldivers 2. Since you won’t be facing off against too many armored targets at first, this can easily replace your assault rifle and clear tons of small fries. It starts to fall off in harder difficulties due to ammo problems and bullets bouncing off enemy armor.
• LAS-5 Scythe – The Laser Scythe is a strong primary if you’re good at targeting weak spots and enemy heads. With no recoil, it’ll be absolutely devastating. If your marksmanship isn’t that great, this won’t do much for you.
• Machine Gun (Stratagem) – The Machine Gun is the default Stratagem you get when starting out in the game and it can mow down mobs of enemies easily. The big downside is that you have to stay in place as you reload, so don’t get caught with your pants down as a wave of enemies comes at you.
• G-16 Impact – The Impact is a standard grenade that will detonate on impact. You won’t be using this to clear nests and fabricators because of its lack of a fuse, but it can deal a decent amount of damage against enemy groups and armored targets.
• Recoilless Rifle (Stratagem) – In a cooperative setting, the Recoilless Rifle can deal some serious damage against big, armored targets. If you’re using this solo, it can still do fine but will be a lot less efficient in terms of reloading.
• SG-8 Punisher – The Punisher shotgun is good if you’re someone who has the bad habit of wanting to reload every few shots. Helldivers 2 punishes players by dumping an entire mag if you reload when the clip isn’t empty. It also packs a decent punch up close, so don’t sleep on this.
• R-63CS Diligence Counter Sniper – The Counter Sniper is a stronger version of the R-36, but requires you to be crouched or prone to really do some good damage.
• R-36 Diligence – You only want to use the Diligence against the Automatons since most of them are ranged attackers. It’ll do great work, but you may also want to go prone or be crouched so you won’t miss any shots.
• SMG-37 Defender – The Defender is a good upgrade from the starting pistol you get. It’s good in a pinch when you run out of ammo from your primary or support weapon.
• JAR-5 Dominator – Being the last weapon in the Steeled Veterans Premium Warbond, the Dominator is a letdown. It has its niche uses like armor penetration, explosive, and range. However, being a single-fire rifle with no strengths in its explosive capabilities makes this not worth the grind.

C-Tier

The weapons in this tier aren’t necessarily bad per se. They just get outclassed by other weapons in their own classes. These are the C-Tier weapons in Helldivers 2:

• Flamethrower (Stratagem) – With the recent buffs to the Flamethrower, it can definitely clear waves of smaller enemies up close. However, there’s too much of a risk to use this because of the mobility and high chances of igniting yourself and your teammates. 
• SG-8S Slugger – The Slugger is a decent shotgun but gets eclipsed by other weapons in its own class.
• G-6 Frag – The standard issue Frag Grenade is just serviceable. You’ll most likely only use this to clear up nests and fabricators. It can destroy clusters of enemies just fine, but you won’t see yourself doing that too often.
• P-2 Peacemaker – The Peacemaker is fine and can be a good sidearm when in a pinch. However, it’ll easily be outclassed by other secondary weapons you get as you level up.

With all weapons listed here, including those from the Cutting Edge and Steeled Veterans Warbonds, there are some key standouts in the mix. Perhaps the best weapons after the patch are still the Arc Thrower, the Breaker and Incendiary Breaker, and the Incendiary Grenade. However, it should be noted that weapons in lower-tier categories are not completely useless. There are some dark horses, and with the game constantly getting updates, they may be in the spotlight very soon.