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Helldivers standing in full gear on the blue background
Image via PlayStation Studios

Best Helldivers 2 Builds and Loadouts

Here's are the best Helldivers 2 builds and loadouts for various stages of the game.

When creating a build for your character in HD2, it’s important to consider your current level and ability to acquire new weapons and armor. In this guide, I list some of the best Helldivers 2 builds and loadouts for various stages of the game.

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What are the Best Builds and Loadouts in Helldivers 2?

Best Helldivers 2 Early Game Build and Loadout

  • Armor: B-01 Tactical
  • Primary Weapon: AR-23 Liberator
  • Secondary Weapon: P-2 Peacemaker
  • Explosives: G-12 High Explosive
  • Stratagems: GR-8 Recoilless Rifle, Eagle Airstrike, Orbital Precision Strike, Mortar Sentry.

Before reaching Level 10, focus on the best of the default starting gear and weapons. At this stage, B-01 Tactical is your standard light armor with no extra bonuses. The AR-23 Liberator is also a default weapon, which is a decent assault rifle that can easily penetrate light armor. The P-2 Peacemaker can also penetrate light armor.

I’ve chosen stratagems that can be optimized in the early game, such as the Recoilless Rifle, that I can effectively use against armored vehicles. The others are your typical call-in airstrikes and sentry for support during combat situations.

Best Helldivers 2 Universal Build and Loadout

  • Armor: SC-34 Infiltrator
  • Primary Weapon: SG-225 Breaker
  • Secondary Weapon: P-19 Redeemer
  • Explosives: G-16 Impact
  • Stratagems: Autocannon Sentry, Eagle Airstrike, Mortar Sentry, Eagle 500KG Bomb.

As soon as I passed the Level 15 threshold, I purchased better medium armor and weapons. The SC-34 Infiltrator armor is very useful, as it allows me to set up a special marker that reduces the detection capacity of my enemies by 30%. In this way, I can sneak up to a more vulnerable position for them and strike unexpectedly. And it only costs 3 Medals at Helldivers Mobilize Warbonds.

At this point, I can also purchase the best weapon in the game: the SG-225 Breaker shotgun. It’s super effective against Terminids and other types of enemies. I also consider the P-19 Redeemer to be the best pistol in Helldivers 2. As for stratagems, I added the 500KG Bomb for even greater explosive power.

Helldivers standing on the ship's dock in full heavy armor
Image via PlayStation Studios

Best Helldivers 2 Anti-Tank Build and Loadout

  • Armor: FS-05 Marksman
  • Primary Weapon: R-63CS Diligence Counter Sniper
  • Secondary Weapon: P-19 Redeemer
  • Explosives: G-16 Impact
  • Stratagems: RS-422 Railgun, “Guard Dog” Rover, Eagle Airstrike, Eagle 500KG Bomb.

If you’re taking on enemies with heavy armor, you need heavy armor, too. But it’s also important to get the best possible synergy with the weapon that penetrates heavy armor. That’s why I chose FS-05 Marksman heavy armor with an R-63CS Diligence Counter Sniper rifle. The armor reduces recoil by 30% and grants me 50% resistance to explosive damage.

The most important stratagem here is Railgun, which prioritizes heavy armor penetration. I’d say it’s a must-have for this particular build, but you can definitely experiment with the other three.

Best Helldivers 2 Anti-Automaton Build and Loadout

  • Armor: FS-23 Battle Master
  • Primary Weapon: JAR-5 Dominator
  • Secondary Weapon: P-19 Redeemer
  • Explosives: G-16 Impact
  • Stratagems: RS-422 Railgun, Mortar Sentry, Eagle Airstrike, Eagle 500KG Bomb.

I applied the same strategy to creating a build against Automatons. Here, I picked up FS-23 Battle Master heavy armor and JAR-5 Dominator, which are especially effective against Automatons. I highly recommend aiming for the headshots, as that’s how you’ll always be able to quickly finish them off. The stratagems are almost the same as before, with the Railgun being the main choice.

That’s it for my best Helldivers 2 builds and loadouts guide. Stay tuned for more HD2 tips and tricks articles, including how to unlock more weapons, and how to change ship name.


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Author
Image of Serhii Patskan
Serhii Patskan
Contributing Writer
Serhii is the Writer at GameSkinny. He's been writing for GameSkinny since 2015. Before that, he's been writing for various outlets and playing video games, which eventually turned into a passion. The video games that have contributed the most to his enthusiasm for writing about this industry are Magic: The Gathering, Dark Souls, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.