Helldivers 2 weapon tier list (August 2024)

Make sure those Warbond Medals are worth it.

Helldiver holding rifle with cape blowing in the wind in Helldivers 2 opening
Screenshot by Dot Esports

We’re all aware of the importance of communication in any online shooter, especially in Helldivers 2. But you can’t go wrong when investing in firepower to increase those survivability chances and reduce the amount of Supply Drop calls to replenish your ammo.

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Here is our Helldivers 2 weapon tier list, including primary, secondary, grenade, and support weapon rankings.

Helldivers 2: All weapons tier list

As you progress through Helldivers 2‘s difficulty levels, you may notice a drastic damage reduction in your default loadout. The Liberator and Peacemaker were decent entry weapons for me to take into Helldiver 2‘s trivial, easy, and medium Operations. But things got rather intense as I moved to challenging difficulty onwards, and the weapons I previously relied on were no longer viable in a fight against the larger armored enemies and outposts. As the difficulty rises, so too does the demand for perfection.

Regardless of whether you’re a solo Helldiver or you enjoy working with a team, you’ll need to purchase new weapons using the Acquisitions menu in the Destroyer. Weapons can be bought using Warbond Medals in the free or premium battle passes.

The Freedom’s Flame Warbond released on Aug. 8, and brought hellfire from the community as their reliable flames were greatly diminished due to the Escalation of Freedom patch on Aug. 6. Fire damage received a nerf, likely to accommodate the arrival of Freedom’s Flame. This nerf left no survivors, as the Flamethrower Stratagem and SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary took a hit and massively impacted Helldivers’ go-to loadout to tackle Terminids (most specifically, the Charger). So, how have these impacted the weapons tier list for August 2024? Let’s find out.

Helldivers 2: Firearm and explosives tier list

S tier

LAS-16 Sickle

LAS-16 Sickle in Helldivers 2
LAS-16 Sickle. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Great range
  • Excellent at wiping multiple enemies at once
  • Massive capacity

Cons

  • Slower reload speed due to overheating mechanic
Tip:

Prioritize clearing enemy hordes with this, rather than taking on single heavily armored targets.

SG-225 Breaker

SG-225 Breaker in Helldivers 2
Breaker shotty. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Great range
  • Easy to use with high mobility
  • Incredibly fast firing rate with high-powered shots

Cons

  • Can’t really fault it!
Tip:

Target weak spots for quick kills to conserve ammunition.

R-36 Eruptor

R-36 Eruptor
R-36 Eruptor. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Incredible range
  • Fantastic at destroying structures, plugging Nest holes, and demolishing Outpost Fabricators.
  • Can kill Chargers in two shots
  • Great armor penetration

Cons

  • Best used in first-person mode, making it not particularly flexibility in close-range fights
Tip:

Use this on armored enemies and structures, paired with the G-23 Stun to keep large enemies in place.

SG-8S Slugger

SG-8S Slugger in Helldivers 2
Slugger shotty. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Good range
  • Powerful headshot capabilities against both factions

Cons

  • Slower firing rate than the Breaker, forcing you to switch to your secondary or support weapon to deal with hordes of enemies

PLAS-1 Scorcher

PLAS-1 Scorcher in Helldivers 2
Scorcher rifle. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Highly accurate weapon with no recoil
  • Great mobility
  • Easy to use in third-person mode
  • Can pierce medium-armored enemies (Like the Scout Striders and Warriors)

Cons

  • Small magazine capacity
  • Requires multiple mags to take down heavy-armored enemies
Tip:

Use in third-person mode to increase mobility and easily reposition in a fight.

G-23 Stun

G-23 Stun
G-23 Stun. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Stuns multiple enemies at once

Cons

  • No obvious faults

A tier

SG-22 Bushwhacker

SG-22 Bushwhacker in Helldivers 2 weapon overview
SG-22 Bushwhacker. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Incredibly powerful against medium-armored enemies (requires all three shells to one-shot armored Automaton and Terminid)
  • Lethal up close

Cons

  • Slow reload speed
  • Low mobility while reloading and ADSing
Tip:

Reload and fire one bullet at a time for an increased fire rate.

SG-8 Punisher

SG-Punisher in Helldivers 2
Punisher shotty. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Great damage range
  • 405 base damage (highest damage shotgun)
  • Deals stagger damage to armored enemies
  • Massive magazine capacity of 60 bullets

Cons

  • Bolt action, making it much slower than any other shotgun
  • Weak against medium and heavy armor
  • Slower fire rate, making accuracy the most important part of the Punisher. If you miss, you’ll be the one who’s punished
Tip:

Due to its slower firing rate, keep moving around with this shotgun in hand to avoid being surrounded.

G-31 Grenade Pistol

GP-31 Grenade Pistol
GP-31 Grenade Pistol. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Great armor-piercing weapon
  • Can deal explosive damage to multiple enemies within its impact radius

Cons

  • Limited capacity of eight shells

SG-225SP Breaker Spray&Pray

SG-225SP Breaker Spray&Pray in Helldivers 2
Spray-and-pray shotty. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Small bullet spread for powerful precision shots
  • Good mobility
  • Fast firing rate
  • Powerful against the Terminid

Cons

  • Smaller range than the SG-225 Breaker
Tip:

Aim for headshots with the Spray&Pray for critical damage.

BR-14 Adjudicator

BR-14 Adjudicator
BR-14 Adjudicator. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Versatile weapon for all ranges
  • Decent mobility
  • Two choices between fire mode
  • Good magazine capacity

Cons

  • Hard to control recoil
Tip:

Set to semi-auto mode for precision shots to lessen the recoil.

CB-9 Exploding Crossbow

CB-09 Exploding Crossbow
CB-09 Exploding Crossbow. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Kills multiple low-tiered enemies with a single projectile (much like a grenade)
  • Easy to use in third-person mode
  • Good magazine capacity

Cons

  • Doesn’t kill armored enemies quickly
  • Slower mobility than other weapons
  • Takes a moment between each projectile

G-16 Impact

G-16 Impact in Helldivers 2
G-16 Impact. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • High damage
  • Incredibly fast fuse time for fast-action attacks
  • Great at clearing a horde close to you

Cons

  • Large radius of impact, putting yourself at risk of getting hit by the blast
Tip:

Use this grenade to clear hordes of small, lower-tiered enemies without armor to conserve ammunition.

B tier

SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary

SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary in Helldivers 2
Breaker Incendiary shotty. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Large ammo capacity with a high fire rate
  • Kills low-tiered enemies and sets others on fire
  • Best used against Terminid

Cons

  • Limited range
  • Hard to see if you’ve killed the enemy due to visual clutter
Tip:

Use the Incendiary rounds like the Flamethrower; shoot and move to deal burning damage without putting yourself at risk of burning.

R-63 Diligence

R-63 Diligence in Helldivers 2
Diligence rifle. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Little recoil
  • Fast firing rate
  • Effective against pinpointing critical damage on weak areas (limbs and flesh)

Cons

  • Must be used in first-person mode to be effective against armored enemies
  • Weak in the armor-piercing department
Tip:

The R-63 Diligence is best used in first-person mode for highly accurate shots, killing most low-tiered enemies in a single bullet.

FLAM-66 Torcher

Overview shot of the FLAM-66 Torcher in the Helldivers 2 Freedom's Flame menu
Flame on. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Fantastic clearing Terminid Nests and destroying Terminid eggs
  • Damage spreads in a large area of effect, dealing ticking damage, and killing lower-tiered enemies with ease
  • Can easily take down Impalers

Cons

  • Incredibly slow mobility
  • Enemies can push through the flame while talking tick damage
Tip:

Aim at the floor for AoE damage against multiple enemies at once, rather than pointing at the target itself.

G-13 Incendiary Impact

G-13 Incendiary Impact in Helldivers 2
G-13 Incendiary Impact. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Quickly clears nearby enemies with its instant explosive damage
  • Really helpful against Terminid hordes
  • Can easily plug Nest holes and destroy Fabricator (via the ventilation hole) on impact

Cons

  • Not particularly effective against the Automaton

SMG-72 Pummeler

SMG-72 Pummeller in Helldivers 2
SMG-72 Pummeler. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • One-handed weapon capable of shooting while wielding shields or carrying objective items
  • Stuns low-tiered and some mid-tiered enemies into place
  • Replaces the G-23 Stun if you want to use a different grenade

Cons

  • Bullets ricochet off armor

Arc-12 Blitzer

Arc-12 Blitzer in Helldivers 2
Arc-12 Blitzer. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Great against the Terminid
  • Best at mid-range
  • Stuns multiple enemies into place, letting you reposition without being overwhelmed

Cons

  • Low mobility and slow firing rate
  • Can take too long to kill enemies
  • Weak in armor penetration

R-63CS Diligence Counter Sniper

R-63CS Diligence Counter Sniper in Helldivers 2
Diligence Counter Sniper. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Great precision and damage, letting you easily target headshots and weak spots

Cons

  • Must be used in first-person mode to be effective
  • Can’t play offensively
  • Slower firing rate
  • Not as effective at killing as other weapons
Tip:

Use fast-firing Support Weapons to accompany the Counter Sniper in case hordes get too close to you.

C tier

R-23P Liberator Penetrator

AR-23P Liberator Penetrator in Helldivers 2
Liberator Penetrator AR. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Easy recoil pattern to control
  • Nice optic for increased accuracy

Cons

  • Doesn’t deal high damage fast enough against armored enemies
  • Behaves more like an SMG
Tip:

Make use of the large optic for high accuracy and critical damage against armored enemies.

AR-23 Liberator

AR-23 Liberator in Helldivers 2
Liberator AR. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Highly accurate weapon
  • Can kill armored enemies in a single magazine
  • Good mobility

Cons

  • Bullets are eaten up incredibly fast
Tip:

Use the Liberator while you save Medals for A- and S-tier weapons.

AR-61 Tenderiser

AR-61 Tenderiser in Helldivers 2
AR-61 Tenderiser. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Great magazine capacity
  • Multiple ranges and firing modes available for distance fighting

Cons

  • Deals minimal damage to armored enemies due to its light-armor bullets
  • Low mobility in close-range battles, making it difficult to clear even the weakest of enemies if you get swarmed
  • Uses a ridiculous amount of ammunition just to take out a larger enemy with medium armor
Tip:

Use semi-auto mode to pinpoint enemy weakspots so you aren’t needlessly wasting ammo.

P-4 Senator

P-4 Senator Pistol in Helldivers 2
Senator revolver. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Great mobility
  • Conserves ammo
  • Higher damage than the Verdict

Cons

  • Requires high accuracy to take down a single enemy
  • Could be more powerful
Tip:

Use the Senator with assault rifles or fast-firing shotguns rather than marksman and sniper rifles for a more versatile and adaptive loadout.

P-113 Verdict

P-113 Verdict in Helldivers 2
P-113 Verdict. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • One handed so you can wield the Ballistic Shield with ease
  • Kills low-tiered enemies with one headshot

Cons

  • Weak against armor
  • Ammo quickly depletes with its 10-round magazine

SG-451 Cookout

Overview shot of the SG-451 Cookout in the Helldivers 2 Freedom's Flame menu
Knock those enemies back. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • High stagger effect
  • Handles and keeps hordes of enemies back
  • Great for controlling an Outpost or Nest
  • Large mag capacity

Cons

  • Slow reload speed
  • Deals lower damage than other shotguns, especially to the Automaton
  • Takes too long to kill armored Automaton

P-72 Crisper

Overview shot of the P-72 Crisper in the Helldivers 2 Freedom's Flame menu
A fiery punch. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Greater mobility than the FLAM-66 Torcher
  • Gives you the option to deal ticking damage while wielding a Ballistic Shield

Cons

  • Small magazine
  • Lower damage output to other secondaries
  • Weak against the Automaton

MP-98 Knight

MP-98 Knight in Helldivers 2
Knight SMG. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Great ammo capacity, with seven mags
  • Easy to use

Cons

  • High recoil
Tip:

Use a light or medium build with the Knight for extra mobility.

Jar-5 Dominator

JAR-5 Dominator in Helldivers 2
Dominator AR. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Highly accurate

Cons

  • Slow fire rate and mobility
  • Small magazine capacity if you’re faced with hordes of enemies
Tip:

Due to its slow mobility, make use of the large optic and use the Dominator from afar to deal damage.

AR-23A Liberator Carbine

AR-23A Liberator Carbine in Helldivers 2 weapon overview
AR-23A Liberator Carbine. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Can efficiently clear low-tier enemy spawns for shuttle evacuation and patrols
  • Good mobility
  • Easy to use

Cons

  • Limited range
  • High firing rate and bullet spread that quickly depletes ammunition supply
  • Only helpful against lower-tiered enemies

SMG-37 Defender

SMG-37 Defender in Helldivers 2
Defender SMG. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Fast mobility
  • Easy to use recoil pattern
  • Best used in third-person mode

Cons

  • Slower reload than other weapons
Tip:

Switch to the Defender in close-range battles to quickly kill a multitude of enemies during Bot and Bug Breaches.

P-19 Redeemer

P-19 Redeemer in Helldivers 2
Redeemer SMG. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Great at clearing low-tiered enemies that get too close
  • Great mobility

Cons

  • Ridiculously high recoil pattern, making it more useful to aim down sights, but that defeats the purpose of this secondary weapon
  • High fire rate eats a ton of ammo, making Supply Drops and looting minor points of interest a greater priority than they need to be
Tip:

Wait until a horde gets close, and use the Redeemer on enemies directly next to you for maximum damage.

LAS-5 Scythe

LAS-5 Scythe in Helldivers 2
Scythe rifle. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Long beam duration
  • Deals damage over time
  • You don’t need to reload often as it heats up
  • Good range

Cons

  • Requires you to permanently track enemies
  • Focuses on one enemy at a time rather than shooting at multiple enemies within quick succession
  • Takes a long time to kill an armored enemy
Tip:

Be mindful of your positioning at all times due to the Scythe’s overheating feature.

LAS-7 Dagger

LAS-7 Dagger in Helldivers 2
LAS-7 Dagger. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Good at clearing low-tiered Terminid hordes that are on you
  • Good damage against flesh

Cons

  • Minimal damage against armor, making it less impactful than other weapons
Tip:

Use the Dagger as a last resort to quickly clear nearby enemies.

G-12 High Explosive

G-12 High Explosive in Helldivers 2
G-12 High Explosive. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Good for destroying Automaton Fabricators and Nest holes
  • Deals a lot of damage to armored enemies

Cons

  • Takes too long to explode
  • Explosive primaries and Stratagems do a better job than this grenade
Tip:

Throw the grenade directly into one of the two holes in the front of the Fabricator to explode and destroy an Automaton Outpost.

G-6 Frag

G-6 Frag in Helldivers 2
G-6 Frag. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Helpful against clearing low-tiered enemies that are incredibly close to you

Cons

  • Doesn’t do much against high-tiered enemies or Elimination mission targets
Tip:

Pull the grenade pin, hold it momentarily, and throw at a nearby group of low-tiered enemies to clear the small area.

G-123 Thermite

G-123 Thermite
G-123 Thermite. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Can deal ticking damage to any enemy it is stuck on
  • Can deal damage to multiple enemies in its damage radius

Cons

  • Decent armor penetration but could be better
  • Requires multiple thermites to take down armored enemies
Tip:

Use three thermites to kill Automaton Hulks.

K-2 Throwing Knife

K-2 Throwing Knife in Helldivers 2 weapon overview
K-2 Throwing Knife. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Only grenade item that’s viable for stealthier operations (to take out one to three enemies at a time)
  • Has high armor penetration, letting you take down Chargers by consistently targeting a limb

Cons

  • Inconsistent damage
  • Can sometimes take multiple knives to take out weak enemies (Warriors and Hunters)
  • Cannot be picked up after use (eight knives per Helldiver)
  • Alerts enemies to your presence if the knife flies past their vision
  • Inaccurate for a weapon that replaces high-impact grenades

D tier

G-10 Incendiary

G-10 Incendiary in Helldivers 2
G-10 Incendiary. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Deals ticking damage against low-tiered enemies
  • Especially helpful against the Terminid

Cons

  • More situational, specifically against the Terminid faction
  • There are better incendiary weapons to use than this
Tip:

The G-10 is helpful if you don’t have support or primary weapons that can quickly deal ticking damage to low-tiered enemies.

AR-23E Liberator Explosive

AR-23E Liberator Explosive in Helldivers 2
Liberator Explosive AR. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • High-accuracy shots that deal good damage against enemies
  • Best used as a marksman rifle

Cons

  • More of a situational weapon, best used against low-tiered Terminid enemies
  • Stiff controls with reduced mobility
  • Slow firing rate
Tip:

Use the Liberator Explosive to clear Terminid eggs and nests.

P-2 Peacemaker

P-2 Peacemaker in Helldivers 2
P-2 Peacemaker pistol. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Can easily take out low-tiered enemies with few bullets

Cons

  • Only deals decent damage to lower-tiered enemies
  • Doesn’t have a large mag capacity
  • Limited magazine count means you’ll be looking for ammo more than you should
Tip:

Use the Peacemaker while you save up on Medals for stronger secondary weapons.

G-3 Smoke

G-3 Smoke in Helldivers 2
G-3 Smoke. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Good for blinding far away, high-powered enemies such as turrets and cannons

Cons

  • There are Stratagems that do a better job at this
Tip:

Smoke when your health is low to limit enemy line of sight.

SG-8P Punisher Plasma

SG-8P Punisher Plasma in Helldivers 2
SG-8P Punisher Plasma. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Great against shooting off Automaton limbs and targeting their power supply for weak spots
  • Good stagger damage
  • Excellent at long-range shooting, letting you keep a safe distance from enemies

Cons

  • You must switch to your secondary to avoid being killed by surrounding enemy hordes
  • Doesn’t deal consistent enough damage to the weakest of Terminid enemies
  • Difficult to use against low-tiered Terminid like the Hunter as you can easily inflict damage upon yourself with a single plasma shot
Tip:

Use mid- to long-range only to avoid inflicting explosive damage on yourself.

PLAS-101 Purifier

PLAS-101 Purifier in Helldivers 2
PLAS-101 Purifier. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Excels only in long-range fights
  • Mildly staggers enemies

Cons

  • Slow charging time, forcing you to switch to a support weapon or secondary to clear nearby enemies
  • Incredibly long time to kill against armored enemies
  • Limited to long-range

Helldivers 2: Support weapons tier list

Support weapons, better known as Stratagems, act as your primary access to firepower. While you’ll have your dedicated primary and secondary weapons you pick in the Hellpod, Stratagems will help you through a mission. You can also come across support weapons as random loot on the ground, letting you practice with them before you bite the bullet and spend your hard-earned Requisition (cash) on them at the Ship Management.

Some support weapons work far better when you are with a team, designating a player to wield the weapon, while another supports with ammunition. But these are divided into tiers based on their sheer firepower, easiness of use, and mobility.

S TierA TierB TierC Tier
Quasar CannonRailgunFlamethrowerGrenade Launcher
Stalwart Spear Recoilless RifleExpendable Anti-Tank
AutocannonMachine GunLaser CannonArc Thrower

We hope these recommendations prove worthy to you, Helldiver. Good luck out there!

Author
Image of Hadley Vincent
Hadley Vincent
Writer for Dot since Oct. 2023. Just a Psychology graduate trying to find the meaning of life through gaming. An enthusiast of indie horror and anime, where you'll often find them obsessing over a great narrative and even better twists that'd make M. Night jealous. Their shocking twist? They think The Last of Us II is a masterpiece.