Helldivers 2 Primary Weapon Tier Lists
Helldivers 2 offers one of the deepest weapon ecosystems in modern cooperative shooters. With 42 primary weapons available, choosing the right tool for each mission can dramatically impact survivability, crowd control, and overall squad efficiency. Because enemy factions behave drastically differently, evaluating weapons through a single universal ranking rarely paints the full picture.
Instead, performance varies depending on whether you’re fighting Automatons, Terminids (bugs), or Illuminate forces. Each faction demands different tactics, and weapons excel or falter based on their ability to clear hordes (chaff), eliminate elite targets, or provide utility such as destroying structures or disabling shields.
Below is a comprehensive breakdown of weapon performance, highlighting standout picks, underrated options, and weapons that struggle to justify their slot.
Understanding Weapon Roles in Helldivers 2
Most primary weapons fall into three main categories:
• Chaff Clear: Designed to efficiently eliminate large numbers of weaker enemies.
• Utility Weapons: Provide strategic advantages like destroying nests, staggering enemies, or applying status effects.
• Heavy Threat Counters: Specialized weapons capable of damaging armored elites and vehicles.
The best weapons often combine two or more of these roles, providing flexibility during chaotic battlefield situations.
Best Weapons Against Automatons
The Automaton faction emphasizes ranged combat, armored targets, and mechanical elites like Hulks and Gunships. Precision and armor penetration are essential here.
S-Tier Standouts
R-63 Diligence
The R-63 Diligence is arguably one of the most underrated weapons in the game, particularly against Automatons. With 165 damage per shot, it can eliminate most chaff enemies in a single headshot. Devastators, Berserkers, and Rocket Striders all fall quickly under accurate fire. Its light armor penetration is less of a drawback than expected, since Automaton enemies reward headshot precision anyway. The weapon excels in overwatch-style gameplay and remains especially powerful at greater difficulties, where certain weaker enemy types stop spawning.
Amendment
Although slightly worse ergonomically than Diligence, the Amendment offers similar performance with only minor trade-offs. The added bayonet provides situational crowd control, making it a versatile S-tier pick.
Purifier
The Purifier stands out for its explosive charge-based plasma projectiles. It can eliminate multiple enemies in large areas, destroy gunships, and even kill Hulks from the front when used correctly. Its versatility makes it one of the strongest all-around primary weapons against Automatons.
A-Tier Options
Exploding Crossbow
The crossbow offers incredible area damage and utility. It can destroy groups of enemies, take down Scout Striders, and damage elites with splash explosions. Its ability to destroy Automaton clusters while conserving grenades makes it invaluable.
Eruptor
With heavy armor penetration and powerful shrapnel bursts, the Eruptor excels at destroying armored targets and clustered enemies. It also provides rare primary-weapon effectiveness against Hulks and gunship engines.
Weak Automatons Matchups
Weapons like the Accelerator Rifle and most shotguns struggle due to low ammunition efficiency and poor armor penetration at range. The Automaton faction punishes weapons that rely on close engagement or heavy ammo investment.
Best Weapons Against Terminids (Bugs)
Terminids rely on overwhelming numbers, swarm pressure, and heavy bio-organic units. Weapons that control crowds or apply damage-over-time effects shine here.
S-Tier Dominance
Exploding Crossbow
Against bugs, the crossbow reaches peak effectiveness. Its ability to close bug nests from long range dramatically improves mission efficiency. Combined with strong splash damage and reliable chaff clearing, it’s easily one of the best weapons in the game for Terminid missions.
Flamethrower (Torture)
Few weapons dominate swarms like the flamethrower. Its ground fire can melt entire hordes while dealing serious damage to Chargers, Hive Guards, and even Titans under favorable conditions. Though risky due to close-range engagement, its damage output against most bug sub-factions is unmatched.
A-Tier Options
Cookout Shotgun
This incendiary shotgun offers excellent crowd control through stagger effects and burn damage. Many bug enemies die after a single fire application, allowing players to reposition safely.
Purifier
The Purifier again proves versatile. Its charged plasma explosions eliminate swarms, stagger elites, and remain effective against almost every Terminid unit.
Situational Bug Weapons
The Blitzer performs well when its electric tendrils hit consistently, but its slow fire rate becomes dangerous when swarmed by fast-moving enemies. Meanwhile, standard assault rifles and SMGs often lack the stopping power necessary at higher difficulties.
Best Weapons Against Illuminate
The Illuminate faction introduces shields, agile enemies, and unique mechanical threats. Weapons that bypass defenses or deliver burst damage excel.
S-Tier Performance
Purifier
The Purifier dominates Illuminate encounters by eliminating Overseers in wide blast zones, staggering Harvesters, and rapidly dispatching shielded enemies. Its scalable charge system allows both emergency close-range bursts and long-distance heavy strikes.
A-Tier Contenders
Variable Shot Weapon
This unique weapon can eliminate Harvesters in one shot and destroy key Illuminate enemies through alternate firing modes. While affected by projectile drag, its burst damage potential remains extremely high.
Coyote Incendiary Rifle
Fire damage proves particularly effective against Illuminate enemies. Even minimal hits can trigger burn effects that finish targets over time, making this weapon efficient for clearing shielded or mid-tier enemies.
Exploding Crossbow
Again, splash damage proves valuable. The crossbow can eliminate clusters of Voteless enemies and deal respectable damage to Overseers and Stingrays.
Weak Illuminate Matchups
Weapons reliant on sustained damage or precision headshots often struggle due to enemy mobility and shields. Beam weapons like the Scythe, for example, suffer from overheating and poor time-to-kill against armored targets.
The Problem with Standard Assault Rifles and SMGs
Many conventional firearms suffer from a lack of specialization. While they remain functional, they often fail to outperform specialized weapons in any category.
Common issues include:
• Limited armor penetration
• Poor crowd-clearing efficiency
• Increased bullet drag
• Weak stagger capabilities
Weapons like the Liberator variants, Adjudicator, and most SMGs frequently land in mid-to-low tier rankings across all factions due to these shortcomings.
Underrated Weapons Worth Trying
Despite tier rankings, several weapons offer unique gameplay experiences:
• Deadeye Lever Rifle: Stylish and powerful but hampered by slow reload speed.
• Jar-5 Dominator: Capable of one-shot headshots but suffers from slow projectile travel.
• Double-Edged Sickle: High-risk, high-reward weapon offering powerful armor scaling at the cost of self-inflicted burn damage.
These weapons can excel in skilled hands or specialized squad compositions.
Final Thoughts
Helldivers 2 encourages adaptability rather than rigid meta adherence. While some weapons clearly outperform others, effectiveness depends heavily on squad composition, mission objectives, and difficulty level. Players who tailor their loadouts to specific factions will consistently outperform those relying on general-purpose weapons. MMOexp can provide players with the Helldivers 2 Items they need, including rare items such as Helldivers 2 Medals, Super Credits, and Samples, to help players make up for their weapon deficiencies.
Ultimately, the best weapon in Helldivers 2 isn’t just the strongest statistically—it’s the one that complements your squad, playstyle, and tactical approach to spreading managed democracy across the galaxy.
MMOexp Helldivers 2 Team