Knowing Helldivers 2's best weapons should help players identify the best guns to use against both enemy factions. Overall, Helldivers 2 allows players to unlock new weapons via Warbond Medals in the Acquisitions menu. Furthermore, players can also get extra weapons via Support Stratagems that offer more firepower. Therefore, we created a guide of our favorite weapons to use in-game. This Valentine's Day, we'll help you find the Weapon that's right for you.

What Are The Best Weapons in Helldivers 2?

Overall, the best weapons of Helldivers 2 (as of March, 2024) includes:

  • Best Primary Weapons: SMG-37 Defender, AR-23 Liberator, SG-225 Breaker
  • Best Secondary Weapons: P-19 Redeemer, P-4 Senator (Steeled Veterans)
  • Best Support Weapons: M-105 Stalwart, Railgun

In terms of primary weapons, we recommend either the Defender, Liberator or Breaker (base versions). All three weapons work extremely well against Terminids, who typically come in swarms. However, when facing Automatons, stick with either automatic weapon, which you can change the rate of fire. Automatons don't typically swarm you in large numbers like the Terminids, though you'll still face plenty of resistance.

Firstly, the Liberator, which is the first weapon you unlock, works almost too well. Some players use it and never switch to another gun because of how reliable it is. Overall, the Liberator is indeed a good gun, but perhaps a bit weak. However, it makes up for it with a solid capacity, fire rate, and light recoil.

Therefore, if you want a good automatic primary weapon, try using the SMG-37 Defender. This gun deals more damage than the Liberator, though it comes with a slower rate of fire. However, a slower rate of fire makes it easier to save ammunition, and the damage compensates for the slower firing speed. Furthermore, like the Liberator, it deals Light Armor penetrating Damage. However, you can fire the SMG-37 Defender with just one hand, making life convenient in several areas.

Lastly, the SG-225 Breaker seems to be a hit among fellow Helldivers. While I personally haven't used it as much, I have seen it's use in battle. It's 330 damage absolutely demolishes most base enemies, especially those up close. Since Terminids, and several Automatons, love to get up close & personal, you can reciprocate the feeling with a spread of lethal shotgun shells. Overall, the Breaker makes for the best Shotgun in Helldivers 2 right now.

However, the Breaker did receive a few nerfs in the recent balance change update. Overall, it received a lower magazine size, as well as increased recoil. Unfortunately, while this weapon iss still good, it wasn't effective as it was since launch.

For secondary weapons, we love the P-19 Redeemer, even if the ammo per clip is fairly low. This bad boy deals a ton of damage, and is perfect for finishing off an enemy who's still standing. Personally, I like switching to the Redeemer when in a pinch, because the damage is usually just enough to take away an enemy's remaining health. However, the only caveat is a low clip capacity. With a fast rate of fire, you might only kill two or three enemies before reloading.

If you want something a bit more single-fire, try using the P-4 Senator. However, this weapon is only available to those with access to the Steeled Veterans Warbonds Pass. We tried not to recommend too many weapons from this list, since not everyone has access to it. But the P-4 Senator comes with one special bonus. When you reload a Senator, you don't lose the remaining ammo in the magazine, since bullets can be reloaded individually.

Lastly, for Support Weapons, we recommend either the Stalwart or Railgun. The former works wonders against swarms of Terminids, while the latter shatters the armor of tougher enemies. The Stalwart's massive magazine size lets you take on the countless number of Terminid bugs who chase after you during a breach. While not as powerful as the Machine Gun, it definitely does enough damage to keep most basic enemies at bay.

Lastly, the Railgun seems to be one of the better armor-piercing weapons in Helldivers 2 right now. Overall, it works great on several tough enemy types, like Chargers, Hulks, Striders, and more. However, it does take a moment to charge, so keep your distance when firing. Furthermore, the weapon's explosive capability leaves the possibility open for friendly fire. So make sure your teammates jump out of the way before you fire it!

However, the Railgun also received a nerf, which heavily impacted its ability to penetrate heavy armor. We still kept it on the list, as we feel it serves as one of the better explosive weapons in the game. Nevertheless, the days of the OG Railgun are lost to us forever. Now, it no longer deals as much damage to durable enemy armor.

For more information on Support Weapons, check out our Best Stratagems guide.

Overall, that includes our favorite weapons in Helldivers 2 so far. However, while we listed a few guns we loved, we encourage you to try everything out at least once to find the guns for you. Check out our other Helldivers 2 guides for best Ship Modules and how to kill Terminid Chargers.

Lastly, check out our review of Helldivers 2, which we gave a 9/10.

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