Helldivers 2: Best Loadouts for the Illuminate

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• The Laser Cannon Loadout: Melting the Illuminate

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

• The Machine Gun Loadout: Shredding the Illuminate

The Illuminate in Helldivers 2 are a challenging foe, renowned for their advanced technology and strategic prowess. They overwhelm players with precision and sheer numbers, deploying elite units from both the ground and the air while you're distracted by their light infantry. To triumph over them, you need to craft loadouts that exploit their vulnerabilities while safeguarding against their tech.

The key to effectively combating the Illuminate lies in balancing your arsenal to handle both their chaff and armored units. Neglecting either type will render your loadout ineffective against their full force. In this guide, we'll explore the best loadouts and builds tailored for battling the Illuminate, whether you're a seasoned veteran or just starting out. Let's equip ourselves and prepare to tackle 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-tier primary weapons in Helldivers 2, capable of melting through Overseers, including jet-pack-wielding Elevated units, and equally effective against the Voteless. Whether you choose the Scorcher or the Purifier, the Siege-Ready armor passive enhances your ammo capacity and reload speed, ensuring you're ready to tackle multiple priority targets. The increased damage per second is crucial when every shot counts.

The combination of the Eagle Strafing Run and GP-31 Grenade Pistol is perfect for taking out parked warp ships. Energy-based weapons struggle to deplete their shields, but a single Strafing Run can destroy the shields of multiple grounded warp ships in a straight line. Follow up by lobbing a grenade into their open bay doors to cause an explosion. This strategy is particularly effective when dealing with medium to heavy Illuminate nests requiring the destruction of multiple warp ships. While the G-13 Incendiary Impact grenades can also be used in the bay doors, they're better suited for clearing chaff, so reserve them for when you're using the Grenade Pistol.

The AX/AR-23 "Guard Dog" is surprisingly effective against medium-armored Overseers, with each burst capable of taking down a single elite unit. It's an excellent choice for watching your flanks against the Illuminate.

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

Finally, the LAS-98 Laser Cannon rounds out this loadout perfectly. It can melt Overseers and chaff within seconds and is highly effective against Harvesters. Use a Strafing Run to strip their shields, then aim the Laser Cannon at their weak points (thighs/eyes). A single clip can suffice if your aim is steady. The Laser Cannon's long range allows you to engage targets from a distance, making it an anti-squid weapon par excellence.

On difficulty 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 can quickly dispatch chaff, but the Arc Thrower's advantage lies in its ability to chain lightning, staggering and stunning Overseers. Continuous attacks from a distance can keep Elevated Overseers perma-stunned mid-air.

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

The A/ARC-3 Tesla Tower is highly effective against all Illuminate units, particularly groups of flying Overseers. It provides consistent crowd control and disrupts enemy formations, making it easier to manage large waves. Combining it with the Arc Thrower creates a powerful area lockdown with multiple chained lightning attacks, ensuring priority enemies don't get close enough to destroy your Tesla Tower.

Harvesters often target sentries first, so avoid deploying your Tesla Tower or other sentry stratagems once you've engaged them.

The Eagle Strafing Run and Grenade Pistol remain essential for destroying parked warp ships. The Blitzer and Arc Thrower are less effective at depleting their shields during combat, so don't replace them unless another teammate can handle this task.

For dealing with heavy units, the Orbital Railcannon Strike offers unlimited uses, making it a reliable choice. The Orbital Laser is effective against multiple Harvesters but has limited uses, so coordinate with your team. Always use a Strafing Run to disable their shields first. This build is among the most potent against the Illuminate in Helldivers 2, 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 the most versatile support weapon against the Illuminate, making it a cornerstone of this loadout. It efficiently shreds light and medium enemies, as well as Harvesters. Compared to the MG-206 Heavy Machine Gun, it offers better handling and faster infantry dispatch.

This weapon is a jack of all trades against the squids, providing an excellent balance of power and reliability. Pair it with the Engineering Kit to reduce recoil or the Peak Physique armor passive to decrease drag, enhancing your ability to target flying Overseers or Watchers.

Its high fire rate also helps in depleting shields, eliminating the need for the Eagle Strafing Run to destroy grounded warp ships. Instead, opt for turret sentries like the A/MG-43 Machine Gun Sentry or A/G-16 Gatling Sentry to manage large crowds or defend objectives.

The only drawback is the Machine Gun's stationary reload animation, which prevents movement during reloads. The LIFT-850 Jump Pack addresses this by allowing quick relocation to safety and easier navigation on urban maps.

While the Machine Gun can effectively target Harvesters' weak spots, an Orbital stratagem like the Orbital Laser or Railcannon Strike is useful for quickly dealing with multiple heavies. The Orbital Laser can handle two to three shielded Harvesters simultaneously, while the Railcannon Strike is effective against unshielded targets.

For your primary weapon, consider the StA-52 Assault Rifle from the Helldivers 2 x Killzone 2 crossover. Its large drum magazine allows for sustained fire and light-armor penetration, matching the damage output of the standard Liberator.