Helldivers 2 Weapon Tier List: From Best to Worst
This Helldivers 2 weapon tier list will show you the must-have arsenal essentials and the ones that aren’t worth your time.
Table of Contents
To secure victory in Helldivers 2, you need to force your way through hordes of enemies. Yet, without potent weaponry, this task becomes exceedingly challenging. That’s why we at WowVendor created this Helldivers 2 weapon tier list to assist you in selecting the most reliable firearms to conquer the battlefield.
Before we dive into a tier list, please keep in mind that this tier list is purely subjective. Even though it is based on various conditions, such as weapon performance, stats, use rate, etc., it’s still just an opinion in the sea of many others. If your favorite weapon doesn’t make it into a high tier, it doesn’t mean the gun is useless. Some weapons may be placed in a high tier but don’t fit your playstyle and vice versa.
Besides, as the creative director of Helldivers 2 said on X, each gun has over 50 various weapon stats unknown to players. That means the 4 stats the player base uses to compare weapons do not give a full picture of what a gun can do. So, the best gun is the one that you have the most fun to play with.
Helldivers 2 Weapon Tier List Criteria
We decided to break the whole list into tiers from S to F
- S-tier stands for the absolute best Helldivers 2 weapons. They are fun, powerful, and perform well in almost any environment, so you can never go wrong with any of them.
- A-tier is for good weapons, but not good enough to make it to S-tier. These are the most balanced guns, which perform well in their intended situations and decently in others. Some are fun to use, and some are a bit too basic and boring, but it is a matter of personal preference.
- B-tier is reserved as a borderline category between A and C. Decent guns, but how good they are depends on your skill using them. If you are good — they may as well contest a spot in the A-tier. If not — these guns are as effective as those in the C-tier.
- C-tier is for somewhat lackluster guns. They are not necessarily bad or unusable, but they require a lot of skill, or other weapons do all that better.
- F-tier consists of weapons that need a buff as they struggle to find their purpose in the current meta and have better options.
Helldivers 2 Weapon Tier List: From S to F
S-tier Weapons
SG 225 Breaker
This is a powerful shotgun. And unlike other shotguns in the game, it can fire at a long range allowing you to shoot enemies from far away. But if you have to fight enemies up close it also is helpful. It can fire in auto mode and reloads full clips instead of individual bullets making it more like a rifle than a shotgun.
SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary
A fitting alternative to the standard Breaker variant. This shotgun trades some of its power for more reliability and the opportunity to set enemies on fire. The second best choice for those who love shotguns and are tired of Breaker. Effective in both multi- and single-target scenarios. A balanced and consistent gun, with a steady damage output. Deals with any light targets with ease. The only way to make this gun even better is to buff fire DoT.
P-19 Redeemer
The best secondary weapon complements any choice of the primary weapon. It is accurate, powerful, and allows you to shoot on the go. Out of all sidearm choices, this one is just the best.
PLAS-1 Scorcher
For all those who don’t like shotguns as primary weapons, Scorcher can be a fitting alternative. A good gun that provides that easily will deal with some medium enemies. It easily pierces the armor of Scout Striders, so you don’t even have to maneuver around. The con of this gun is its ammo capacity, meaning missing shots may be unforgiving. It takes some practice, but in the right hands, it can easily outshine other S-tier weapons. The gun is not good at dealing with bugs but is one of the best weapons against automatons.
A-tier Weapons
LAS-16 Sickle
A full auto energy weapon with high accuracy, good damage, and light armor penetration. It is your perfect go-to if you are not a fan of shotguns. Ideal for mid and long-range targets. The only downside is the heat system, meaning overheating this weapon will cause a reload. But this also means you have unlimited ammo, as long as you don’t overheat it. This also means that at close range it will be a problem for you as it needs some time to start shooting.
Br-14 Adjudicator
This is a decent weapon choice. Has a high fire rate and medium armor penetration. The only problem you might encounter is its fast ammo consumption. And you have to keep an eye on your magazine.
SMG-37 Defender
The Defender is the best SMG currently. This allows you to shoot from one hand, has armor penetration, and shoots in a stable beam. Overall it is a decent gun that can save you in many situations. The only “downside” is the existence of other, more interesting guns in the game. Hence, A-tier.
AR-23 Liberator
The default assault rifle is considered one of the most balanced weapons in the game. Excellent against light-armored targets, good at range, and nice handling. If you have not decided what weapon to use, you can never go wrong with this one.
AR-23A Liberator Carbine
This version of the Liberator has the same damage output as the basic rifle. However, it has a higher fire rate. This means you deal more damage per second. However, you also use your ammo faster. So it is debatable whether it is better or worse than the classic Liberator.
JAR-5 Dominator
A special explosive-based weapon. It provides a lot of damage, perfect for targeting weak spots, but balances that with overall slowness and clunkiness. The overall efficiency of this gun comes from the player’s skill, knowledge about weak and strong sides, and how to play around them.
B-tier Weapons
R-36 Eruptor
A heavy rifle that hits like a truck. It can destroy a bug hole, or automaton fabricator and works great against Elite enemies. However, it is very slow at reloading and shooting. It also can kill you if you shoot in close range. You’ll need good support and secondary weapons to utilize its full potential.
SMG-72 Pummeler
This is a funky version of SMG-37 Defender. It has similar stats. The only difference is lower damage output which is technically compensated by the fact you apply a stun on an enemy.
However, you only apply this stun on the enemy you shoot at as the ability is not AOE. This makes it quite weird as there is no real need for this. Still, the weapon is usable enough not to fall lower on this list.
SG-8S Slugger
This tricky shotgun can be devastating in the right hands. It is quite powerful but comes with the downside of slow reload speed, which can be detrimental in some situations. This gun may be your choice if you’re not looking for easy ways.
GP-31 Grenade Pistol
This is an interesting alternative to a secondary weapon. It acts as a mini grenade launcher allowing you to shoot up to 8 grenades. It enables you to deal with bug holes and automaton fabricators. But it lacks damage compared to other secondary options. If you need the utility it provides more than the damage output then it can be a great choice.
AR-23P Liberator Penetrator
A modified Liberator’s primary use is to pinpoint enemy weak points. But the gun handling with burst fire doesn’t feel good. Another question arises from the scope that obstructs its visuals. It still has its purpose, yet other weapons can do a better job.
AR-23C Liberator Concussive
This weapon shoots explosive rounds that apply stuns on enemies. It should not be mistaken with the explosion weapons, however. This weapon has worse stats than the liberator in exchange for the stun effect. This is suboptimal and the base liberator can be considered a better option.
AR-61 Tenderiser
Between all other Assault RIfle options it seems like a weird addition. It doesn’t seem to have a real purpose and serves more as an alternative to the base rifle. It is not bad at any rate but pales in comparison to other
R-63 Diligence
This marksman rifle is well-handled and perfect against medium- and long-range targets. It has trouble with damage falloff at long range but is otherwise good handling and is great against medium and long-range targets. It has a marksman rifle with good handling, perfect against medium and long-range targets. It has troubles with damage falloff at long range but otherwise is a neat choice. Depending on your setup, it can be a superior alternative to assault rifles.
P-4 Senator
P-4 senator had a big problem with reloading speed and this was fixed by adding a speedloader. However, the gun is still not great and is only a better version of a starting secondary weapon.
P-113 Verdict
This is an upgrade to the P-2 Peacemaker. It has higher damage. It is balanced by only having 10 bullets per mag instead of 15. But it is not better than other secondary weapon options.
P-2 Peacemaker
A starting sidearm. This is a balanced weapon that can save your life many times. At least until you get better weapons unlocked, this is a solid choice of sidearm.
SG-451 Cookout
The newest addition to the arsenal. This gun is a fire version of the SG-8 Punisher. This means it comes with all its problems. It has low damage and a small bullet spread. It is better than the classic version as it applies fire and stagger on enemies. But there are better options.
C-tier Weapons
SG-225SP Breaker Spray & Pray
The name of this shotgun is very telling. You spray and pray for your life. The gun can deal with groups of weak enemies but the single target damage is not there.
LAS-5 Scythe
It is somewhat slow compared to other options, making you question your primary weapon choices. Any other weapon can shoot faster than Scythe does. And the damage is not enough to justify it even with an “infinite” mag.
FLAM-66 Torcher
Another recently added weapon. It is also the first primary weapon flamethrower in the game. However, it does not justify its existence as a stratagem flamethrower or fire weapons are just better. The damage is also low and it burns through the ammo quickly. Not in the F tier only for being unique enough.
LAS-7 Dagger
Thanks to shooting a laser beam, it has high accuracy and long range. It also has a Heat system, meaning it can have unlimited ammo. All you need to do is pay attention to the heat meter. The downside Has a Heat system, meaning it can have unlimited ammo. All you need is to pay attention to the heat meter. The downside here is its damage is not high enough. Yet this weapon can easily fit into your weapon loadout to cover the lack of a long-range firearm.
It is supposed to be a modified variation of the Diligence marksman rifle for fighting against long-range targets. Yet, it feels clunky, with poor handling, and slow shooting speed. Adding to that limited ammo, its shots aren’t impactful enough. It is only usable in first-person mode.
ARC-12 Blitzer
An electric shotgun. Discharges a static blast in the enemy’s face. It has unlimited ammo, but this is compensated by the slow rate of fire. It is a formidable weapon when fighting hordes of smaller bugs. The problem with this gun is its low damage output. It is just outclassed by better weapons at this point.
CB-9 Exploding Crossbow
It is a questionable choice. If you need explosions any other weapon is just better. The only possible option is playing a stealth build with stealthy scout armor, as this weapon is quiet. However, this is a very niche play style.
F-tier Weapons
MP-98 Knight
It is an SMG with excellent shooting speed and spray, and this is all good that can be said about this gun. It quickly depletes ammunition, without actually doing anything useful. And it’s safe to say anything it does a secondary weapon can do too.
SG-8P Punisher Plasma
A shotgun that shoots exploding plasma charges. The idea is intriguing on paper. Although in reality, it is a dangerous niche weapon. It is perfect for fighting with a group of enemies at some distance. But when it is time to fight a single enemy, the weapon is too slow. It has way too little ammo capacity. Fighting at close range is also dangerous — the splash damage can accidentally kill you or your teammates as well.
SG-8 Punisher
The main problem with this weapon is that it is not the best in anything. Whatever you need to do there is a better weapon for this. Usually, these kinds of weapons are considered balanced. But not in the case of SG-8 Punisher as it is just worse in everything.
SG-22 Bushwalker
This sawed-off shotgun with 3 barrels is the worst option you can choose for a secondary weapon, You only get 3 bullets at best and then you need to reload. And it only works at close range. It is hard to imagine a scenario where you would prefer it over any other secondary weapon. But it will give you some style points if you can kill something with it and live to tell the tale.
PLAS-101 Purifier
It is a strange weapon. the developers had a great idea and implemented it in the worst way possible. It is supposed to be an upgrade to PLAS-1 Scorcher by dealing more damage. The problem however is that this damage is achieved by charging the weapon. And if the gun is not charged enough it won’t shoot. This system makes the weapon very clanky to use. And the damage is not that great either. Needs a rework 100%.
Conclusion
As we mentioned earlier, this Helldivers 2 weapon tier list is just
one opinion among many others. There are many factors to consider outside of the gun itself. Things like your personal skill, mission type, teammates, stratagems, load-outs, etc. So even if your favorite weapon didn’t make it into S-tier here — who cares? All that matters is you have a blast using it. Don’t forget to have fun with whatever weapon you choose to fight for Liberty!
Federation of Super Earth Wants to Help You!
It’s not widely known, but Helldivers sometimes receive super-secret help from the Federation of Super Earth. Currently, they need to recruit as many soldiers as possible to prepare for upcoming threats that pose a grave danger. In light of this, the Federation has an important message for all Helldivers!
If you want to accept Super Earth’s help and get the most powerful guns, you can do it with Warbond services today!
Comments
Arc thrower -S tier. You can’t be responsible for poor team mate decisions to walk in front.
only weapon they madre armor to protect you from, yet people still complain.
Nothing clears mobs faster, all levels
Instant kick
Idiot response r
To a logical thread, you sir are why the blocked feature was included.
Some points I’d argue:
Railgun – A – Less armor pen, time to charge for valued shots.
Breaker Inc – A – Increased spread, DOT almost nonexistant.
Recoilless – C – Long cooldown, slow reload, takes backback, E.A.T. exists.
Anti Material Rifle – B – Niche use bots only and too slow for higher difficulties.
Laser Cannon – B – Way too slow, just not enough damage to be worth using.
Liberator Explosive – C – Single target stagger is all this gun has, everything does more damage.
Arc Thrower – A – Just make sure allies aren’t behind what you are shooting at.
Otherwise good quick thrown together guide, maybe add Grammarly.
the railgun is definitely not S Tier anymore