"Helldivers 2: Top Loadouts vs. Illuminate"

Quick Links

• The Laser Cannon Loadout: Melting the Illuminate

• The Lightning Loadout: Shocking (& Staggering) the Illuminate

• The Machine Gun Loadout: Shredding the Illuminate

The Illuminate pose a significant challenge in Helldivers 2 with their advanced technology and precise tactics. While you're tackling their lighter units, their elite forces will approach from both ground and air, making strategic loadout choices crucial to overcoming their strengths. Success against the Illuminate hinges on selecting weapons, support gear, and stratagems that not only address their vulnerabilities but also shield you from their formidable tech.

To combat the Illuminate effectively, it's essential to craft a loadout that can handle both the swarms of weaker enemies and the tougher, armored units. Neglecting either type can render your setup less effective against the full might of the Illuminate.

In this guide, we'll explore the top loadouts and builds designed specifically to tackle the Illuminate. Whether you're a veteran or a newcomer, these strategies will enhance your ability to battle this challenging, squid-like faction. Let's equip ourselves and prepare to confront the Illuminate head-on.

The Laser Cannon Loadout: Melting the Illuminate

PLAS-1 Scorcher / PLAS-101 Purifier

GP-31 Grenade Pistol

G-13 Incendiary Impact

Siege-Ready

• LAS-98 Laser Cannon (Support)
• AX/AR-23 "Guard Dog"
• Eagle Strafing Run
• A/MG-43 Machine Gun Sentry / Orbital Laser

The PLAS-1 Scorcher and PLAS-101 Purifier stand out as top primary weapons in Helldivers 2. They excel at obliterating Overseers, including jet-pack-equipped Elevated units, and are just as potent against the Voteless. The choice between the Scorcher and the Purifier benefits greatly from the Siege-Ready armor passive, which provides additional ammunition and quicker reloads, allowing you to engage multiple high-priority targets efficiently. The enhanced damage per second is crucial when every shot counts.

The Eagle Strafing Run and GP-31 Grenade Pistol form a dynamic duo for annihilating grounded warp ships. Since energy-based weapons struggle to deplete their shields, a single Strafing Run can strip the shields from multiple ships in a line, enabling you to then lob a grenade into their open bay doors for a devastating explosion. This combination is particularly effective against medium or heavy Illuminate nests requiring the destruction of multiple warp ships. While the G-13 Incendiary Impact grenade can also be used in the bay doors, it's more effective against lighter units, so reserve it for when you're using the Grenade Pistol.

The AX/AR-23 "Guard Dog" proves unexpectedly effective against medium-armored Overseers. Each burst can take down a single elite unit, making it an excellent choice for protecting your flanks against the Illuminate.

The A/MG-43 Machine Gun Sentry is invaluable for securing areas during objective defense. If crowd control isn't your primary concern, consider swapping it for an Orbital Laser to target Harvesters or future heavy units.

The LAS-98 Laser Cannon rounds out this loadout, melting Overseers and chaff in mere seconds. It's particularly effective against Harvesters; after using a Strafing Run to deplete their shields, aim at their weak points (thighs/eyes) for maximum impact. A single clip suffices if your aim is precise. The Laser Cannon's long range allows you to engage targets from a safe distance, making it an ideal anti-Illuminate weapon.

On higher difficulties (levels 9 or 10) where multiple Harvesters are common, an Orbital Laser becomes essential.

The Lightning Loadout: Shocking (& Staggering) the Illuminate

ARC-12 Blitzer

GP-31 Grenade Pistol

G-13 Incendiary Impact

Electrical Conduit / Med-Kit

• ARC-3 Arc Thrower (Support)
• Orbital Railcannon Strike / Orbital Laser
• Eagle Strafing Run
• A/ARC-3 Tesla Tower

The ARC-12 Blitzer and ARC-3 Arc Thrower are ideal for dealing with both the melee and ranged units of the Illuminate. They efficiently clear out chaff, but the Arc Thrower's ability to chain and stagger lightning arcs is particularly effective against Overseers, stunning them momentarily. Continuous attacks can keep Elevated Overseers permanently stunned in mid-air.

The Arc Thrower can also tackle unshielded Harvesters, requiring about a dozen hits, each causing a moderate stun that accumulates over time.

The A/ARC-3 Tesla Tower is extremely effective against all Illuminate types, especially flying Overseers. It provides consistent crowd control and disrupts enemy formations, making it easier to handle large waves. Combining it with the Arc Thrower creates multiple chained lightning attacks, locking down areas and ensuring priority targets don't reach your Tesla Tower.

Harvesters often target sentries, so avoid deploying your Tesla Tower or other sentries once engaged with them.

The Eagle Strafing Run and Grenade Pistol remain essential for dealing with parked warp ships. Neither the Blitzer nor the Arc Thrower is efficient at depleting their shields during combat, so don't swap them out unless a teammate can take over this role.

For heavy units, the Orbital Railcannon Strike is invaluable with its unlimited uses. The Orbital Laser can handle multiple Harvesters but with only three uses, you'll depend on teammates eventually. Always use a Strafing Run to disable their shields first. This loadout is one of the most powerful against the Illuminate, especially when coordinated with other players.

The Machine Gun Loadout: Shredding the Illuminate

StA-52 Assault Rifle

GP-31 Grenade Pistol / CQC-19 Stun Lance

G-13 Incendiary Impact

Peak Physique / Engineering Kit

• MG-43 Machine Gun (Support)
• LIFT-850 Jump Pack
• Orbital Railcannon Strike / Orbital Laser
• A/MG-43 Machine Gun Sentry / A/G-16 Gatling Sentry

The MG-43 Machine Gun is incredibly versatile against the Illuminate, making it a key component of one of the best loadouts for this faction. It efficiently shreds light and medium enemies, as well as Harvesters. Compared to the MG-206 Heavy Machine Gun, the standard Machine Gun offers superior handling and faster infantry elimination.

Its high fire rate is particularly effective at depleting shields, eliminating the need for the Eagle Strafing Run to destroy grounded warp ships. Instead, opt for turret sentries to control crowds or defend objectives.

The Machine Gun's only drawback is its stationary reload animation, which is where the LIFT-850 Jump Pack proves invaluable, allowing for quick repositioning and easier navigation through urban maps.

While the Machine Gun can handle Harvesters when aimed at their weak spots, having an Orbital stratagem like the Orbital Laser or Railcannon Strike in your arsenal ensures you can swiftly deal with multiple heavy units. The Orbital Laser can manage two to three shielded Harvesters simultaneously, whereas the Railcannon Strike is effective only against unshielded targets.

For the primary weapon in this build, you have flexibility. If you prefer to maintain the high-volume fire theme, the StA-52 Assault Rifle, introduced in the Helldivers 2 x Killzone 2 crossover, is an excellent choice. It features a large drum magazine and delivers sustained fire with light-armor-penetrating capabilities, matching the damage output of the standard Liberator.