Helldivers 2 features an interesting system that allows you to call in support from your ship mid-combat and the said support often comes in the form of mass destruction. We are of course talking about the different stratagems that you can purchase and unlock from the Ship Management menu. The game offers you a variety of stratagems ranging from supply drops or a heavy weapon that can be equipped to your third slot, to a Nuke that can lay waste to an entire area and everything in it. Choosing the best stratagems in Helldivers 2 is usually reliant on your mission and squad goals but there are a few standouts that we will be talking about here.
To be able to unlock certain stratagems, you will need to reach their required level first. Thus, this guide will be divided into 2 sections for early and late-game stratagems.
TIP
The difficulty in Helldivers 2 is nothing to scoff at. Even the “easy” mode can occasionally get you overwhelmed. Therefore, we recommend playing in a squad with friends or in a Public Lobby.
Best Stratagems for Early Game in Helldivers 2
This section will describe the best stratagems you can unlock during levels 1 through 10. However, it does not mean they are not viable options for late-game missions. You will find some of these useful well beyond their required levels.
Stalwart
Stalwart is a machine gun that you can call in fairly early in Helldivers 2. In fact, this is the first stratagem you are given. This stratagem machine gun has a faster reload time compared to the regular machine gun and can easily shred through hordes of early-game bugs.
Unfortunately, it is much less effective against armored enemies and late-game enemies so it is best to use this in early-game missions only.
Guard Dog” Rover
One of the best early-game stratagems in Helldivers 2 is the Guard Dog which can be unlocked at Level 10. This calls in a drone that will hover over you and shoot down any enemy that dares approach you. It is extremely effective against lower-level enemies – it can almost clear them on its own and will assist you against stronger enemies.
Anti-Personnel Minefield
This is a surprisingly good stratagem given that you can unlock this stratagem at Level 1. It allows you to lay down a minefield in a certain area making it a good tool for crowd control. It might seem like it does not last very long but it has a cooldown time of 180 seconds after it is used and can be called in unlimited times.
Supply Pack
Even though it is not as flashy as some other stratagems in Helldivers 2, it is one of the most essential ones. We recommend at least one person in every squad should have it equipped so that it can be used to restock supplies for yourself and your teammates mid-combat.
It allows you to stay fully stocked up on ammo throughout the mission while also making it more viable to use some powerful guns that would otherwise drain your ammo to quickly.
Orbital Precision Airstrike
Unlike the eagle stratagems, this one allows you to take out a single target. This is especially useful for destroying a bug nest or taking out an armored or any tanky enemy. This is one of the best stratagems in Helldivers 2 for early-game missions as it will save from any enemy that you are having a hard time against without risking accidentally eliminating your team. This is also unlocked by default.
Best Stratagems for Late Game in Helldivers 2
These are the best stratagems in Helldivers 2 for late-game missions and will require you to be level 11-20 to unlock.
Shield Generator Relay/Pack
Both the Shield Generator Relay and Shield Generator Pack are good options for late-game stratagems that basically do the same thing. Although they have significant differences making one more preferable compared to the other. The Relay is the best stratagem if you are a team player who wants to focus on support while the Shield Generator Pack is recommended for solo players only. The relay is also unlocked much earlier than the SGP which is unlocked at level 20 but offers a stronger defense than the relay. The second major difference is that the relay provides a small shield to all your teammates in the area where it is deployed whereas the SGP only affects the player who called it in.
Eagle 500KG Bomb
This is admittedly not the most practical or useful stratagem in Helldivers but it is still one of the most fun to use. This essentially calls in a small nuke that will raze down everything in a relatively large area. Unfortunately, this will more often than not result in friendly fire, eliminating your team and even yourself, and has a limited number of uses. However, if you play it smart, it can be your ace in the hole and be used as a last-ditch effort to kill everything in sight when all else fails.
Rocket Sentry
Out of all explosive sentries Rocket Sentry is the best Stratagem in Helldivers 2. This will fire a barrage of armor-piercing rockets to any enemies it spots in its line of sight. With the friendly fire mechanics of Helldivers 2, it also means that you and your team might also find yourself at the receiving end of the said rockets if it spots an enemy close to you. However, the rocket sentry is much safer than any other explosive Stratagems in Helldivers 2 as long as you make a note to stay out of its line of sight.
Orbital Laser
Even though the Orbital Railconnon has its perks, Orbital Laser has a few advantages over it. Aside from targeting a single powerful enemy, Orbital Laser will move across a set area in a set area, leaving a trail of fire that will do AOE damage to all the enemies in its range. This can be used to strategically isolate certain annoying enemies and get rid of multiple small fries.
The fact that this stratagem has an unlimited number of uses and the versatility it offers makes it one of the best stratagems in Helldivers 2.
Railgun
The Best stratagem in Helldivers 2 is the railgun which can only be unlocked after reaching level 20. This is for good reason too, as once you have gotten a taste of how ridiculously powerful this weapon is, you will have a hard time going back to any other weapon.
Railgun fires electromagnetic projectiles that tear through enemies in a straight line with high accuracy and devastating power. This stratagem can one-shot almost all lower-level enemies and can make short work of even the stronger armored enemies with a couple of charged shots. The charged shots increase the damage the longer you hold it however overcharging it can also result in the railgun exploding. So, just be careful using this weapon and keep on spreading the “Managed Democracy”.
